Thanks so much for mentioning Warhammer Conference. We'd love to get more BL authors involved but unfortunately GW impose some quite strict rules on their authors. Indeed, we did have another BL author lined up for this year, but alas when he checked with GW, they told him 'no'. We were very luck to get Victoria Hayward for our first event -- and even luckier to get John Blanche. However, in the case of Victoria, we were under very strict instructions to keep it solely about the writing only!
All the best,
Mike (Warhammer Conference co-founder and organiser)
That's a shame. As a fairly new Black Library author I'd hate to rock the boat or press my luck by asking too many questions, but as a historian and part-time professor (who often misses academic conferences something fierce) I'll admit I'd love to take part some time. I might have to do a little asking around and see what's what. If I DO get editors to agree I can go, the only hurdle left would be traveling halfway around the world! :D
I found this blog? substack? newsletter? (I am new to this if you can't tell haha) through bsky and as an avid Black Library reader this is great! What is not so great is that Codex price point, while I get that it is a luxury item, I do think 420 bucks is a little much to ask. The breakdown of the cost comparing it to Starforged merch makes sense, but I am one of those people that thinks that Starforged has absurd prices ($30 for a purity seal pin or $22 for a keychain?!). But in the end, it is not for me and I'm surprised they actually lowered the prices for the standard edition. I just hope the super special limited edition codex will go the way of MtG.
For the other thing, I've been very excited for the next Warhammer Conference and will definitely watch it, but I'm very concerned about the controversy that came up recently with one of the organizers not being open for dialogue, ranting on twitter about "activist academics" and aligning himself with some concerning figures, especially in the transphobic sphere.... As just a lurker, I always experienced the Warhammer Conference as an open, friendly and diverse space for all kinds of people, but with all these withdrawals and statements the person made and not engaging with criticism made on the forums, the whole conference feels much less like an open forum. But those are just my personal feelings about it and I hope it can return to being what it was before.
We do run the conference hybrid so you're free to join and/or present online. We're also planning on taking the conference on the road as well. We only started in Germany as my co-organiser is based there and we were able to hire the rooms for free. My own university charges a fee unfortunately! I'd like to keep the event free for participants if I can 😊
We do run the conference hybrid so you're free to join and/or present online. We're also planning on taking the conference on the road as well. We only started in Germany as my co-organiser is based there and we were able to hire the rooms for free. My own university charges a fee unfortunately! I'd like to keep the event free for participants if I can 😊
With all due respect to the author, they can go fuck themself. "oh how much x y z costs have you calculated that?" as an customer I don't need to think about that.
I'm sure they are making these things on a penny and as you said there are other companies that officially collaborate with Games Workshop to make stuff from warhammer universes like the Crux Terminatus.
Companies are here to make money, no issues there but like. At some point this shit ain't worth it simply put. "oh but this product is not for you" then who the fuck is this suppose to be for.
There seems to be like a tier list or a cast system when it comes to being a customer for a hobby product. You got the new comer, the regular and enthusiast. These special products shouldn't just be for enthusiast it should also appeal to the regular customers, maybe not the new comer though.
Now I collect miniatures and books, books being more of a recent thing. Games Workshop every year raises the prices for their products, it like happens once a year now or two times. You can't just say "this product is for you" if the regular customer doesn't even bother to think whether they should buy it. Of course the collectors edition or limited edition WHATEVER the fuck is called is gonna be sold out. This hobby draws in cash cows. More like the universe or brand.
It's great that they made the normal codex cheaper but that's far little far late. You gotta understand back before 8th edition you used to get tons of lore and insight into whatever faction codex you got but since 8th the lore section became smaller and smaller. That's why a lot of "lore masters" say to new comers to get an old codex as those codexs had introduction lore for the faction, characters and units. Now it's all rules and rules.
I was gonna go and write more about the fact that "codex rules are gonna be invalid in x months" but you already touched upon that. It's eye candy that's what the codex is for.
I'll write more under this comment or edit it out idk. That's all for now.
Look, I'm gonna try and engage in good faith, here, though clearly that feels like a one-way street at this point.
But...what? "As a customer, I don't need to think about that." As a customer, of course you have to think about what the extras cost! They're thinking about that when they set the price of something, why on earth would you NOT think about that, then be flabbergasted when the price is high? THAT'S WHY THE PRICE IS HIGH.
There's a collector's edition version of the codex for $100 (with the gold trim, the bookmark, the wraparound hardcover format, etc), and there's this limited edition for $420. All the extra stuff is WHY the price gap is what it is, it's literally the difference between the products! The six art prints, the magnetic badges and the special slipcase they fit into, the crux terminatus, the cards/tokens/counters -- that's the stuff that sets the limited edition apart from the collector's edition, that's where the price difference is coming from... so why WOULDN'T you think about that, when deciding if it's worth the price for you or not?
If you don't want all the extra stuff, and you think all the extra stuff isn't worth it... why are you concerned with the price of the version with all the extra stuff? Buy one of the two other editions of the codex, and call it a day.
>But...what? "As a customer, I don't need to think about that." As a customer, of course you have to think about what the extras cost! They're thinking about that when they set the price of something, why on earth would you NOT think about that, then be flabbergasted when the price is high? THAT'S WHY THE PRICE IS HIGH.
You do not, as a customer. You simply go three ways "Oh I can get that without an issue, so I'll buy it" or "Oh I can't get that so I won't buy it" or "I can get it but its a lot of money that I do have but it might put me in a dangerous place"
It's like going to any fast food place, you know what you are paying for agreegious since these companies get their stuff on pennies but you still go on eat it and you do not go "hmm this meat was probably equals around 95 cents but the feeding of the cow with fat rich nutriants, caring of the cow and transportation of the meat probably bums it up to 15 dollars" you don't do that. You pay the price for the hamburger and eat it.
>that's the stuff that sets the limited edition apart from the collector's edition, that's where the price difference is coming from... so why WOULDN'T you think about that, when deciding if it's worth the price for you or not?
Again my last point, you do not simply think about it and again these things probably costs in pennies or two digit dollars. Not in the same price as we buy from the store. And again since these things are made in batches it even costs less then than what the equivelant would be.
>If you don't want all the extra stuff, and you think all the extra stuff isn't worth it... why are you concerned with the price of the version with all the extra stuff? Buy one of the two other editions of the codex, and call it a day.
I don't want any of those things. Not the codex or a variation of it. I care BECAUSE IT'S BY THE SAME COMPANY THAT I BUY OTHER SHIT FROM! I buy books and miniatures. Miniature side already went to shit from 5 man units going down to 3 while still keeping the price or even upping the price. What happens if this affects the other side of the business, like say Black Library ? What if they just release a Limited edition book and make it 150 dollars ? Will someone buy it ? Of course. It will go out of stock immediatly as always but thats a big jump in price compared to 75 right now.
You can't say "oh why do you care about it" WHEN THE PRODUCTS ARE MADE BY THE SAME COMPANY. It"s like saying "Oh man Pepsi corporation just collapsed but why should I worry I only drink Mountain Dew" When Pepsi owns Mountain Dew.
You're kind of going all over the palce, here, man. I'm trying to talk about one thing. One, focused, specific, thing, that you told me to go fuck myself over, while still apparently not getting what I'm saying. Let's lock in, for just a minute, okay? If you want to use fast food as an analogy, let's at least use an accurate one.
Let's pretend you go look at the menu at your local fast food place. There is a cheeseburger for $4.00. It's a plain jane cheeseburger. Patties, cheese, ketchup, mustard, a little onion, maybe a slice of pickle. It will do the job. It's a filling, predictable, burger. Just what you need for lunch.
There is a deluxe cheeseburger for $10.00. This one is a double patty burger with lettuce and tomato, too, and grilled jalapenos and onions, a dollop of their house-made chipotle mayo, honey-pepper bacon, and a perfectly fried egg, all on in-house fresh baked pretzel bun. Nummy num num. It's still 'just a burger,' but it's a way fancier burger.
Then, there is a super deluxe cheeseburger combo for $42. That combo comes with the deluxe cheeseburger with all the trimmings, and also comes with a extra large truffle fries, a half dozen chicken tenders, a large salted caramel dark chocolate milkshake, and a toy, all in a collecible box as part of the special promo.
Do you look at the price of the super deluxe cheeseburger combo and then complain that they want $42 for a cheeseburger? Or do you, for just a moment, take into consideration all of the extra things, and acknowledge that perhaps the price is increased because that's the $10 deluxe burger, but those fries usually cost $15, and those chicken nuggets usually cost another $15, and the milkshake is $10, and you add it all up in your head, along with the extra collectibles and stuff, and THAT is how you decide if the price is worth it or not?
When setting the price for something, it doesn't matter if those potatoes cost them $15 to make the fires, it matters that they charge $15 for the fries. It doesn't matter if the milkshake costs them $10 to make, it matters that the milkshake, on the menu, costs $15. That's how pricing works. That's how bundles and combos work.
Because that's what I'M saying. When you see a super deluxe version of something that is coming bundled with a bunch of extra stuff, YES, the price of the extra stuff should absolutely be a consideration when you are making the decision to buy the extra stuff or not (or to complain about the price).
Thanks so much for mentioning Warhammer Conference. We'd love to get more BL authors involved but unfortunately GW impose some quite strict rules on their authors. Indeed, we did have another BL author lined up for this year, but alas when he checked with GW, they told him 'no'. We were very luck to get Victoria Hayward for our first event -- and even luckier to get John Blanche. However, in the case of Victoria, we were under very strict instructions to keep it solely about the writing only!
All the best,
Mike (Warhammer Conference co-founder and organiser)
That's a shame. As a fairly new Black Library author I'd hate to rock the boat or press my luck by asking too many questions, but as a historian and part-time professor (who often misses academic conferences something fierce) I'll admit I'd love to take part some time. I might have to do a little asking around and see what's what. If I DO get editors to agree I can go, the only hurdle left would be traveling halfway around the world! :D
I found this blog? substack? newsletter? (I am new to this if you can't tell haha) through bsky and as an avid Black Library reader this is great! What is not so great is that Codex price point, while I get that it is a luxury item, I do think 420 bucks is a little much to ask. The breakdown of the cost comparing it to Starforged merch makes sense, but I am one of those people that thinks that Starforged has absurd prices ($30 for a purity seal pin or $22 for a keychain?!). But in the end, it is not for me and I'm surprised they actually lowered the prices for the standard edition. I just hope the super special limited edition codex will go the way of MtG.
For the other thing, I've been very excited for the next Warhammer Conference and will definitely watch it, but I'm very concerned about the controversy that came up recently with one of the organizers not being open for dialogue, ranting on twitter about "activist academics" and aligning himself with some concerning figures, especially in the transphobic sphere.... As just a lurker, I always experienced the Warhammer Conference as an open, friendly and diverse space for all kinds of people, but with all these withdrawals and statements the person made and not engaging with criticism made on the forums, the whole conference feels much less like an open forum. But those are just my personal feelings about it and I hope it can return to being what it was before.
Hi Russell,
We do run the conference hybrid so you're free to join and/or present online. We're also planning on taking the conference on the road as well. We only started in Germany as my co-organiser is based there and we were able to hire the rooms for free. My own university charges a fee unfortunately! I'd like to keep the event free for participants if I can 😊
Hi Russell,
We do run the conference hybrid so you're free to join and/or present online. We're also planning on taking the conference on the road as well. We only started in Germany as my co-organiser is based there and we were able to hire the rooms for free. My own university charges a fee unfortunately! I'd like to keep the event free for participants if I can 😊
With all due respect to the author, they can go fuck themself. "oh how much x y z costs have you calculated that?" as an customer I don't need to think about that.
I'm sure they are making these things on a penny and as you said there are other companies that officially collaborate with Games Workshop to make stuff from warhammer universes like the Crux Terminatus.
Companies are here to make money, no issues there but like. At some point this shit ain't worth it simply put. "oh but this product is not for you" then who the fuck is this suppose to be for.
There seems to be like a tier list or a cast system when it comes to being a customer for a hobby product. You got the new comer, the regular and enthusiast. These special products shouldn't just be for enthusiast it should also appeal to the regular customers, maybe not the new comer though.
Now I collect miniatures and books, books being more of a recent thing. Games Workshop every year raises the prices for their products, it like happens once a year now or two times. You can't just say "this product is for you" if the regular customer doesn't even bother to think whether they should buy it. Of course the collectors edition or limited edition WHATEVER the fuck is called is gonna be sold out. This hobby draws in cash cows. More like the universe or brand.
It's great that they made the normal codex cheaper but that's far little far late. You gotta understand back before 8th edition you used to get tons of lore and insight into whatever faction codex you got but since 8th the lore section became smaller and smaller. That's why a lot of "lore masters" say to new comers to get an old codex as those codexs had introduction lore for the faction, characters and units. Now it's all rules and rules.
I was gonna go and write more about the fact that "codex rules are gonna be invalid in x months" but you already touched upon that. It's eye candy that's what the codex is for.
I'll write more under this comment or edit it out idk. That's all for now.
Look, I'm gonna try and engage in good faith, here, though clearly that feels like a one-way street at this point.
But...what? "As a customer, I don't need to think about that." As a customer, of course you have to think about what the extras cost! They're thinking about that when they set the price of something, why on earth would you NOT think about that, then be flabbergasted when the price is high? THAT'S WHY THE PRICE IS HIGH.
There's a collector's edition version of the codex for $100 (with the gold trim, the bookmark, the wraparound hardcover format, etc), and there's this limited edition for $420. All the extra stuff is WHY the price gap is what it is, it's literally the difference between the products! The six art prints, the magnetic badges and the special slipcase they fit into, the crux terminatus, the cards/tokens/counters -- that's the stuff that sets the limited edition apart from the collector's edition, that's where the price difference is coming from... so why WOULDN'T you think about that, when deciding if it's worth the price for you or not?
If you don't want all the extra stuff, and you think all the extra stuff isn't worth it... why are you concerned with the price of the version with all the extra stuff? Buy one of the two other editions of the codex, and call it a day.
>But...what? "As a customer, I don't need to think about that." As a customer, of course you have to think about what the extras cost! They're thinking about that when they set the price of something, why on earth would you NOT think about that, then be flabbergasted when the price is high? THAT'S WHY THE PRICE IS HIGH.
You do not, as a customer. You simply go three ways "Oh I can get that without an issue, so I'll buy it" or "Oh I can't get that so I won't buy it" or "I can get it but its a lot of money that I do have but it might put me in a dangerous place"
It's like going to any fast food place, you know what you are paying for agreegious since these companies get their stuff on pennies but you still go on eat it and you do not go "hmm this meat was probably equals around 95 cents but the feeding of the cow with fat rich nutriants, caring of the cow and transportation of the meat probably bums it up to 15 dollars" you don't do that. You pay the price for the hamburger and eat it.
>that's the stuff that sets the limited edition apart from the collector's edition, that's where the price difference is coming from... so why WOULDN'T you think about that, when deciding if it's worth the price for you or not?
Again my last point, you do not simply think about it and again these things probably costs in pennies or two digit dollars. Not in the same price as we buy from the store. And again since these things are made in batches it even costs less then than what the equivelant would be.
>If you don't want all the extra stuff, and you think all the extra stuff isn't worth it... why are you concerned with the price of the version with all the extra stuff? Buy one of the two other editions of the codex, and call it a day.
I don't want any of those things. Not the codex or a variation of it. I care BECAUSE IT'S BY THE SAME COMPANY THAT I BUY OTHER SHIT FROM! I buy books and miniatures. Miniature side already went to shit from 5 man units going down to 3 while still keeping the price or even upping the price. What happens if this affects the other side of the business, like say Black Library ? What if they just release a Limited edition book and make it 150 dollars ? Will someone buy it ? Of course. It will go out of stock immediatly as always but thats a big jump in price compared to 75 right now.
You can't say "oh why do you care about it" WHEN THE PRODUCTS ARE MADE BY THE SAME COMPANY. It"s like saying "Oh man Pepsi corporation just collapsed but why should I worry I only drink Mountain Dew" When Pepsi owns Mountain Dew.
You're kind of going all over the palce, here, man. I'm trying to talk about one thing. One, focused, specific, thing, that you told me to go fuck myself over, while still apparently not getting what I'm saying. Let's lock in, for just a minute, okay? If you want to use fast food as an analogy, let's at least use an accurate one.
Let's pretend you go look at the menu at your local fast food place. There is a cheeseburger for $4.00. It's a plain jane cheeseburger. Patties, cheese, ketchup, mustard, a little onion, maybe a slice of pickle. It will do the job. It's a filling, predictable, burger. Just what you need for lunch.
There is a deluxe cheeseburger for $10.00. This one is a double patty burger with lettuce and tomato, too, and grilled jalapenos and onions, a dollop of their house-made chipotle mayo, honey-pepper bacon, and a perfectly fried egg, all on in-house fresh baked pretzel bun. Nummy num num. It's still 'just a burger,' but it's a way fancier burger.
Then, there is a super deluxe cheeseburger combo for $42. That combo comes with the deluxe cheeseburger with all the trimmings, and also comes with a extra large truffle fries, a half dozen chicken tenders, a large salted caramel dark chocolate milkshake, and a toy, all in a collecible box as part of the special promo.
Do you look at the price of the super deluxe cheeseburger combo and then complain that they want $42 for a cheeseburger? Or do you, for just a moment, take into consideration all of the extra things, and acknowledge that perhaps the price is increased because that's the $10 deluxe burger, but those fries usually cost $15, and those chicken nuggets usually cost another $15, and the milkshake is $10, and you add it all up in your head, along with the extra collectibles and stuff, and THAT is how you decide if the price is worth it or not?
When setting the price for something, it doesn't matter if those potatoes cost them $15 to make the fires, it matters that they charge $15 for the fries. It doesn't matter if the milkshake costs them $10 to make, it matters that the milkshake, on the menu, costs $15. That's how pricing works. That's how bundles and combos work.
Because that's what I'M saying. When you see a super deluxe version of something that is coming bundled with a bunch of extra stuff, YES, the price of the extra stuff should absolutely be a consideration when you are making the decision to buy the extra stuff or not (or to complain about the price).
Oooh, I want that special edition Deathwatch rulebook!