How popular is Warhammer in the UK?

[johnsemlak]

OK, this question won't get answers probably for a few hours until people wake up in Brittania.

Someone asked me this question recently, and not being from the UK I couldn't answer confidently. I know several UKers at work but none are gamers, so I thought I'd pose it here.

To what extent is Warhammer popular in the UK? Is it more or less popular than D&D? How does it compare to Warhammer's popularity in the US and elsewhere? Is it popular at a mass level comparible with CRPGs or CCGs?

EDIT: let me specify I'm mainly talking about the minatures wargame.

 

[hellbender]

I am not in the UK, but I do know that Hogshead has given up the rpg and haven't heard any renewal plans. Too bad, the best darn fantasy rpg setting ever, and a solid ruleset that has outlasted all other in its first incarnation. Then it gets dropped.

hellbender

 

[Olive]

The minis game seems pretty popular. There are GW shops all over and they all seemed busy when I was there last, about 4 years ago.

 

[hellbender]

The minis game seems pretty popular. There are GW shops all over and they all seemed busy when I was there last, about 4 years ago.

The miniature game will never die, the rpg is in stasis.

h

 

[Olive]

The miniature game will never die, the rpg is in stasis.

I suspect it's dead. GW don't seem very keen on it.

 

[hellbender]

I suspect it's dead. GW don't seem very keen on it.

I agree heartily. The miniatures games make too much money over rpgs, even with production costs, selling one pewter command figure for US$15 is outrageous, but enough people keep doing it to keep the prices up there, the plastic sets, while more reasonable, are more generic than in the old days of GW. No other game I have ever seen has as much fluff, sheer amount of art and strong setting (including D&D). The minds behind the Warhammer Universe, while diabolical, are absolute genius. Too bad the rpg was set to flounder, but the fluff can easily be used in any game.

hellbender

 

[Hawklord]

Love playing Warhammer FRP (unfortunately currently dead) but never played the miniature's game, however the miniatures game in all its incarnations does seem very popular on this side of the pond.

There are GW shops all over the place (usually in High streets, not dingy back streets like the few remaining FLGS's). The shops seem to be full of kids with their parents shelling out £££ for expensive boxed sets!

GW also seem to have managed to get their product into the mainstream toyshops ( something TSR or WoTC never seemed to have managed over here - even with Hasbro's clout) - so I guess it must sell well.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi all!

I more or less second what Hawklord has said.

Warhammer is very popular over here; certainly more so than RPGs.

 

[Numion]

Too bad, the best darn fantasy rpg setting ever,

Agree

and a solid ruleset that has outlasted all other in its first incarnation.

I disagree. The system was seriously clunky and fell apart pretty soon (around 4000-5000 xp) at higher experience totals. Also the magic system was stupid - mages absolutely sucked. Where a melee type could be pretty potent after just 2000 xp, wizards required 10000 xp to be strong.

I liked the system when we used it, but the fact that there was no 2nd edition WFRP doesn't mean that one wasn't needed.

 

[Ranes]

The FRP is a dead duck as others have stated. The miniatures games (there are, of course, many spin-offs) sell very well in GW's dedicated stores and elsewhere. The company's magazine, White Dwarf, can be found in most high street newsagents, unlike Dragon or Dungeon. I'd say Warhammer is still very popular but I'm not well-informed enough to make a comparison with CRPGs. I do know that a number of regional games clubs in the UK have a lot of GW involvement. My local club is run by a manager of a nearby GW shop. When I went along to one of their meetings the other week, there was a game of Spycraft, another of Heroclix and half a dozen or so GW Warhammer/40k/etc games.

During the late eighties, I was very deeply involved with GW. What drives Warhammer sales (and the company strategy as a whole) is (Citadel) miniature sales. Even before GW began producing plastic miniatures, its production plant was running 24/7 and there were approximately one million blister pack sales per week. I sometimes wonder whether they've managed to maintain that level of sales. I doubt it, given the rise in popularity of computer games but I have no evidence one way or the other.

The bottom line, however, is that Warhammer is still popular over here. I suspect it's more popular than D&D.