Gaming on a Budget

From the Warp asks:  if it’s a money saver, let’s hear about it

Financial Budget:  keep a record of all hobby spending.  Its not so hard to do – keep a spreadsheet with all your hobby cash in and cash out.

• Set a yearly budget
• Keep a running total and wait to be surprised by your expenses after six months or so
• For those of us with families its easier justify large purchases (new armies, air brush, convention trip) if the hobby expenses are under control

Time Budget: gamers are notorious for starting (and not finishing) too many projects.  Stop wasting money on products which never make it to the gaming table.  Only buy figures and supplies that will actually get used.

• limit yourself to 2-3 projects at a time
• set a due date for each project – if you have no plan to finish, will you ever finish?
• clean out the back stock – paint 2, buy 1

FTW: Three changes to 40K

From The Warp blogger round table asks:

You have just been put in charge of Warhammer 40k for GW.
They would like to know what you think the company should do with the start of the new year.

What are the Top 3 things you would change about Warhammer 40k?
1.  Eliminate the paper codex and move rules and modeling to the web.

Paper is much too expensive and not part of GW’s core production line. Retain a small, pamphlet sized codex to sell with figures in the brick and mortar stores, but move the full gloss hobby photos to the White Dwarf. Use the web to deliver a full 100 page fluff, rule and hobby codex. Every customer in the GW demographic will have web access. Roll out the codex section by section & pull customers into the web site continuously with new content.

2.  The 18 month game:  themed micro-games built around a 4 sprue kit with an 18 month shelf life.

The specialist games model was great in that it allowed gamers to take a break from the core GW products without leaving the company.  The periodic release of new games also allowed GW to take break from the constant churn of the same old product (more Space Marines anyone?).  The failing of the model was the great breath of models released for each game.  The big rush for each game occurred in the first two months – sculpting, casting and releasing a 6th warband/fleet/gang one year after the initial release is and was a waste of resources.

Instead, each game will have 4 themed sprues for 28mm figures.  All kits will be available in the first month of release.  Rule sets will be published in mini-rule book fashion in that months White Dwarf with the remaining background published to the web.  First release:  Insurrection – Storm Troopers vs Chaos cultists vs Gene stealer cult vs Witch Hunters.

3.  Maintain plastic superiority by releasing the highest quality, highest detailed tank and vehicle kits.

GW is no longer the only 28mm plastics manufacture.  Technology has advanced to the point where even small companies can create plastic miniature kits.  GW must push the curve and deliver high quality plastics to stay ahead of competators.  The Predator or Leman Russ are excellent canidates for next generation kits.