Guardian Article - Heroin for Middle Class Nerds

[Vladimir_Ilyich_Crab]

Seen this doing the rounds elsewhere.

Whilst I am not a massive fan of the Grauniad or the general tone of this piece, what I found interesting was the figures given for both GW's performance (versus other high street staples) and some of the other games companies referenced.

The thing for GW, I have always thought that its accessibility - a strong point - was based on the high street presence. But with the move to single-manned stores, I'm not sure how much they can do by way of introduction games and painting lessons etc. I worry that the odd nods to the Rogue Trader/oldhammer crowd, and heavy milking of IP licenses, are not sustainable. That said the resilience of GW is always surprising so I do not foresee them flogging it all to Disney just yet.

‘Heroin for middle-class nerds’: how Warhammer conquered gaming

 

[762baynet]

There is a growing number of addicts of this where I work. Two nights a week they retire to someone's pad to indulge, no booze. They talk about it the next morning as if it were a football match.
In my day it was finish work, gym or pub (or both), weekends spent tweaking a 2 stoke 125 for a bit more top-end, tinkering with the carbs on a mates Bonnie perhaps, a night out, and so it went on.
If a young man didn't know how to change a wheel on a car he would have kept very quiet about it, this lot have no such shame.
But not these days, War Hammer is the drug of choice for this lot.
The world has changed

 

[Drazyl]

They talk about it the next morning as if it were a football match.

I take it you would approve of them discussing a football match that they had been passive spectators at, but disapprove of them discussing a game they played?

 

[theoriginalphantom]

GW and White Dwarf used to be excellent in my day, full of things that were not just Warhammer.

 

[762baynet]

I take it you would approve of them discussing a football match that they had been passive spectators at, but disapprove of them discussing a game they played?

A passive spectator at a footie match? Never heard of that.

'as if' makes the statement clear enough.

 

[Drazyl]

A passive spectator at a footie match? Never heard of that.

Spectating is passive, playing is active. Quite simple.

 

[762baynet]

Spectating is passive, playing is active. Quite simple.

No- A spectator does not compete in the match, however that does not mean that they are passive.

 

[theoriginalphantom]

No- A spectator does not compete in the match, however that does not mean that they are passive.

you obviously never employed the majority of a unit* as 'rent-a-crowd' to 'support' a sporting team of some kind. This was always on a wet, windy and miserable day and we had to go back to work after.


*Such as 3 AFA - our lethargy in supporting football was legendary.

 

[Vladimir_Ilyich_Crab]

Two nights a week they retire to someone's pad to indulge, no booze.

The circles I move in, having a drink whilst gaming is de rigeur. In fact some of the most excessive sessions I have had has been on tournament weekends. It is very normal to miss the first game on a Sunday through the effects of the night before.

 

[chrisg46]

I read the books but I have no idea how the game works, but the universe behind it is fascinating. I imagine that keeps a lot of peoples interest.

 

[Vladimir_Ilyich_Crab]

I read the books but I have no idea how the game works, but the universe behind it is fascinating. I imagine that keeps a lot of peoples interest.

I'll save this space for someone who wants to pop up and post that the fluff is all hackneyed/cliched/ripped-off/Tolkien in space.

And whilst any of the above will apply in various circumstances, as a large sandbox with a 10000 year 'history' it has probably now surpassed Dune in its scope. Certainly the background keeps me interested.

And yes Dune is also referenced before that is brought up.

 

[chrisg46]

I was first exposed to the 'fluff' in Iraq when someone left a book of short stories in the Guard room. Started reading through the first one - "Oh the hero died at the end"
Second one - "Oh, he died too"
Third one - "Well, he was a bit of an arse so quite glad he died"
Fourth - "Hmm, I am starting to see a pattern here"
I was actually surprised when I read a full length novel and the main character didn't die at the end...

 

[javaguzzisti]

Spectating is passive, playing is active. Quite simple.

It has been demonstrated that spectators can have an effect on a football match's result.

 

[Rodney2q]

I enjoyed reading this trilogy from the WH40K novels. The background details really brought the stories to life (and barely a space marine in sight!).

Shira Calpurnia novels

 

[buggrit]

I dont see the issue to be fair. As mentioned, guys talking about a football match that they saw the previous night is ok, but a bunch of guys with a reasonable gaming hobby is frowned upon? I've read many 40K novels, love them, however I am a self confessed geek/nerd, have gamed since the Sinclair Spectrum came out with Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy, recently went back to playing Ultima Online on a freeshard. No plans to stop gaming anytime soon......funnily enough, cant stand football.

 

[Chalky101]

HA NERDS!





Now where'd I put my Space Wolves....

 

[Skunkmiester]

I dont see the issue to be fair. As mentioned, guys talking about a football match that they saw the previous night is ok, but a bunch of guys with a reasonable gaming hobby is frowned upon? I've read many 40K novels, love them, however I am a self confessed geek/nerd, have gamed since the Sinclair Spectrum came out with Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy, recently went back to playing Ultima Online on a freeshard. No plans to stop gaming anytime soon......funnily enough, cant stand football.

Same here, I just cannot see the appeal of Football (all of the negative tropes surrounding the game ring true to me) although I do like Rugby and I'm a massive MotoGP geek.

I started gaming at the same time that you did. I went through 2 rubber keyboard Speccy's due to a bad temper and ended with a Spectrum +2. I have been a lifelong gamer and now have my own homemade Arcade cabinet / Beer fridge and also a cockpit / gaming chair for Star Citizen that I am heavily invested in as well as many other PC games.

Warhammer 40k to me is all about the books. The first 3 books in the Horus Heresey are brilliant sci-fi and I have read a lot of the Commisar Cain novels and also the Ghostmaker stories.

The gaming side does not interest me much but the models are fantastic as is the iconography.
The price of these models is bloody ridiculous but the fans are willing to pay for them so GW are going to keep hiking up the cost.

 

[Grim_Squeaker85]

Same here, I just cannot see the appeal of Football (all of the negative tropes surrounding the game ring true to me) although I do like Rugby and I'm a massive MotoGP geek.

I started gaming at the same time that you did. I went through 2 rubber keyboard Speccy's due to a bad temper and ended with a Spectrum +2. I have been a lifelong gamer and now have my own homemade Arcade cabinet / Beer fridge and also a cockpit / gaming chair for Star Citizen that I am heavily invested in as well as many other PC games.

Warhammer 40k to me is all about the books. The first 3 books in the Horus Heresey are brilliant sci-fi and I have read a lot of the Commisar Cain novels and also the Ghostmaker stories.

The gaming side does not interest me much but the models are fantastic as is the iconography.
The price of these models is bloody ridiculous but the fans are willing to pay for them so GW are going to keep hiking up the cost.

Some of the WH Fantasy setting novels are decent too. The following Omnibus' are favourites:

• Brunner the Bounty Hunter
• Matthias Thulman, Witch Hunter
• Blackhearts

The Commissar Cain and Eisenhorn series' are pretty good also.

I haven't the steady hands for painting the models (asthma meds are a bitch for the shakes) and the changes to the games has been largely negative anyhow in recent years. Some of the authors who write for Black Library however.... excellent.

Some other decent, Sci-fi series I've enjoyed are:

• Joshua Dalzelle's Black Fleet series
• Omega Force by Joshua Dalzelle (it's suitably absurd yet fun)
• The Lost Fleet series (and spinoffs) by Jack Campbell
• Space Captain Smith by Toby Frost (think Flashman in space)
• Most things that Peter F Hamilton has produced, but especially Fallen Dragon
• Forever War Trilogy by Joe Halderman (a must read I felt)

Now, time to get back to Panzer Corps. To the Polish Border, SCHNELL!!!!!!!!!

 

[Grim_Squeaker85]

GW and White Dwarf used to be excellent in my day, full of things that were not just Warhammer.

White Dwarf back in the day was excellent. Some of the more retro GW video games were excellent too:

• Space Hulk
• Chaos Gate
• Shadow of the Horned Rat and Dark Omen (my two favourites along with....)
• Epic: Final Liberation

 

[LJONESY]

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