Are you in an abusive relationship?

Over the last 5 or so years I've slowly watched all of my fellow gaming buddies become steadily disenfranchised or disillusioned with the hobby... no sorry lets clarify, Games Workshop hobby. I watched Chris 'the cursed' Tapper go away time and time again to Warhammer Fantasy Tournaments and come back saying he had a good time, only then for him to tell me what happened. Only for him to realise he was actually only enjoying the beers on the nights out after the gaming. I've watched others grow tired of the price gouging and the annual above inflation price hike. I've watched as people realise that the tactics in 40k pretty much stop at army building. I've seen gamers grimace while reading the Dark Elves or Space Wolves army books. I've watched as the Games Workshop have systematically trashed their two core systems and pissed gamers off...

Willow Road, off of Lenton Lane Nottingham

So why am I telling you this? Well I'm telling it you because as an 'outsider' of sorts, or someone who always played games by other companies I've always felt that Games Workshop games were something I was choosing to do myself and that therefore my views of these screw ups Games Workshop keep making are quite different. You see I found them funny and tragic at the same time, I've never really had a hatred or anger that some have felt, sure I was pissed off that Matt 'minimum wage' Ward who must be paid in peanuts, so gloriously screwed up Fantasy! But to me it was the final confirmation that Games Workshop no longer wanted me as a customer. They don't want affluent, well informed geeks as customers because we're hard to please and they know they can't do it. Others though saw it as a personal slight or attack. Why? Well its partly to do with something that does annoy me about wargaming here in the UK, I say UK because I'm not sure its the same for the rest of the world... its a phrase, 'alternative wargamming'.

Mark Wells, CEO Game Workshop

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