Games Workshop

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Games Workshop Group plc (обычное сокращение GW) — английская компания, выпускающая варгеймы, ролевые и настольные игры. Наиболее известные продукты GW — игры Warhammer Fantasy Battle и Warhammer 40,000.

История Games Workshop

Компания была основана в 1975 году Джоном Пиком (John Peake), Яном Ливингстоном и Стивом Джексоном[1]. Компания первоначально базировалась в Лондоне и выпускала аксессуары для таких настольных игр, как нарды, манкала и го[2], а затем стала издателем собственных военных и настольных ролевых игр. GW осуществляла продажу своей продукции по почте, и для поддержки продаж и информации о новинках в феврале 1975 года стал выпускаться информационный листок «Owl and Weasel», которого в июне 1977 года сменил журнал «White Dwarf».

С самого начала деятельности GW возник конфликт между стремлением Ливингстона и Джексона к изданию «прогрессивных» игр, включая компьютерные[3], что привело к уходу Пика в начале 1976 года и потери основной части прибылей компании[4]. Однако дела были исправлены за счёт приобретения прав на распространение «Dungeons & Dragons» и других продуктов TSR, Inc. в Великобритании, а с 1977 года — на их переиздания. Первый магазин розничных продаж открылся в апреле 1978 года. В начале 1979 года GW открыла филиал «Citadel Miniatures» в городе Ньюарк-он-Трент, выпускающий металлические миниатюры, используемые в варгеймах и ролевых играх[5][6].

В течение некоторого времени Гэри Гайгэкс продвигал идею о слиянии TSR, Inc. и Games Workshop, но Джексон и Ливингстон отвергли это предложение.[7].

Издательское подразделение GW выпускало репринты таких известных американских ролевых игр, как «Call of Cthulhu», «RuneQuest», «Traveller» и «Middle-Earth Role Playing», импорт которых в Великобританию обходился дороже, чем приобретение прав на переиздание.[8]. Одновременно происходил экспорт в США собственных игр GW — первоначально через «Hobby Games Distributors», а с 1984 года через отделение «Games Workshop (US)».

В декабре 1991 года контрольный пакет компании перешёл к новым владельцам, и новое руководство GW приняло решение сосредоточиться на наиболее прибыльных продуктах: варгеймах Warhammer Fantasy Battle (WFB) и Warhammer 40,000 (WH40K). Это изменение политики компании стало весьма успешным и привело к росту прибылей, однако при этом был потерян ряд старых поклонников. Жалобы старых клиентов привели к отделению группы из двух сотрудников GW, которые стали издавать конкурирующую с WFB игру «Fantasy Warlord», но без большого успеха. В этот период GW успешно открывала отделения в разных странах Европы, в США, Канаде и Австралии. В октябре 1997 года штаб-квартира компании переехала в Лентон, пригород Ноттингема, где и по сей день располагается главное руководство GW, издательство журнала «White Dwarf» и центр разработки игр и миниатюр. Несмотря на все существенные успехи, к концу 1990-х годов компания испытала падение прибылей, что связывалось с ростом популярности коллекционных карточных игр, таких как Magic: The Gathering, вытеснявших с рынка более традиционные игры.

В последние годы Games Workshop сделала попытку одновременно сохранить своих привычных покупателей и в то же время привлечь более юную аудиторию. Постепенно основные усилия компании сосредоточились именно на втором направлении. В рамках этой политики GW стала выпускать игры и паззлы по популярному в Великобритании телевизионному шоу «Хрустальный лабиринт» (The Crystal Maze).

В 2000 году появилась третья базовая военная игра с миниатюрами от GW — «Шаблон:Ewn» (LoTR SBG), которая должна была привлечь новую аудиторию за счёт простой, но эффективной и гибкой боевой системы.

Другие ключевые нововведения привязывались к трём основным продуктам компании и расширяли их в другие области. Приобретение «Sabretooth Games», выпускавшей карточные игры, создание издательского подразделения «Black Library», выпускавшего художественную литературу по сеттингам Warhammer Fantasy и Warhammer 40,000, совместная работа с THQ по выпуску компьютерных игр диверсифицировали деятельность Games Workshop.

Лицензирование

Alongside the UK publishing rights to several American role-playing games in the 1980s (including The Call of Cthulhu, Runequest[9] and Middle-earth Role Playing [10]) Games Workshop also secured the rights to produce miniatures and/or games for several classic British science fiction properties such as Doctor Who[11][12] and several characters from 2000 AD including Rogue Trooper and Judge Dredd. Alongside the rights to reprint ICE’s Middle Earth Role Playing Citadel Miniatures acquired the rights to produce 28mm miniatures based on Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

In conjunction with the promotion of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy in 2001, Games Workshop acquired the rights to produce a skirmish wargame and miniatures, using the movies' production and publicity art, and information provided by the original novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. (Although it should be noted that the current line uses 25mm scale).[13] The rights to produce a role-playing game using the films' art and both the book and the movies' plots and characters were sold to another firm, Decipher, Inc.. Games Workshop was also able to produce a Battle of Five Armies game based on a culminating episode in The Hobbit, although this game was done in 10 mm scale.

On February 10, 2011, Warner Bros. Consumer Products announced that it extended its six-year agreement with Games Workshop, continuing its exclusive, worldwide rights to produce tabletop games based on «The Hobbit» and «The Lord of the Rings.» Games Workshop announced plans to expand their offerings of battle-games and model soldiers, and to continue to develop and increase offerings based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy books.[14]

Games Workshop Group PLC

Games Workshop has expanded into several divisions/companies producing products related to the Warhammer universe.

  • Games Workshop now produce the tabletop wargames, Citadel miniatures, and the Specialist Games range.
  • Forge World make complementary specialist resin miniatures and conversion kits. Forge World is also responsible for the Warhammer Historical line of historical wargames rules, including Warhammer Ancient Battles, all of which were previously published by as a component of Black Library.
  • BL Publishing is the fiction, board game and roleplaying game publishing arm of Games Workshop. They comprise several separate imprints; The Black Library, Black Flame and Solaris Books. Warp Artefacts used to produce merchandise based on Games Workshop’s intellectual property; they are now folded into BLP as BL Merchandise.[15]

The company is seen to have hard-to-reproduce, unique Intellectual Property, a good export record, although there are several new companies which have entered the market recently and offer similar products at a lower price.[16]

The group reported sales of £136,650,000 sterling in 2005 and employs around 3200.[17] Sales decreased for the fiscal year ending in May 2006. «For the fiscal year ended 28 May 2006, Games Workshop plc’s revenues decreased 16 % to £115.2M. Net income decreased 78 % to £2M. Revenues reflect a decrease in sales from Continental Europe, United Kingdom, Asia Pacific, and The Americas geographic divisions»[18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

In 2009 Games Workshop Group plc posted a pre-tax profit of 7.5 Million pounds. Games workshop said the rise in revenue was due to an increase in the range and quality of its plastic miniatures.[23]

Miniature games

Games Workshop previously produced miniature figures via an associated, originally independent, company called Citadel Miniatures while the main company concentrated on retail. The distinction between the two blurred after Games Workshop stores ceased to sell retail products by other manufacturers, and Citadel was effectively merged back into Games Workshop.

Current Core Games

The following games are in production and widely available.

All of these games systems have had expansion rules and supplements for them, including Mighty Empires for Warhammer Fantasy Battles, Battlehosts for The Lord of the Rings War Of The Ring and the hugely successful Cities of Death, Apocalypse, Planetstrike and Planetary Empires for Warhammer 40,000.

Specialist Games

Link to the dedicated page for the Specialist Games division.

These games are aimed at the «veteran» gamers. These are gamers who are more experienced in the core games produced by Games Workshop. This is because the rules and the complexity of tactics inherent in the systems are often more in-depth than the core games.

Warhammer Fantasy universe

Warhammer 40,000 universe

  • Battlefleet Gothic — a game which depicts battles between fleets of space ships.
  • Epic — a game for fighting larger battles with smaller (6 mm) miniatures (known as Epic Armageddon in its current edition).
  • Inquisitor — a skirmish/role play game using larger (54 mm) more detailed miniatures and intended for older gamers.
  • Necromunda — a skirmish game set on a hive world which pits gangs of humans against each other, Using 2nd edition Warhammer 40,000 rules, which are more detailed than newer editions and more suitable for skirmish games.

The Lord Of The Rings Strategy Battle Game universe

  • Great Battles of Middle Earth: The Battle of Five Armies — a game for fighting larger battles with smaller (10 mm) miniatures. The game was named after (and initially centred on) the Battle of Five Armies, one of the later scenes in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
  • The Strategy Battle Game has now expanded and has recently added many new supplements to the list of its current games and scenarios. 2009 sees the launch of a new supplement entitled 'War of the Ring' which allows the players to field larger forces than previous supplements. Therefore allowing the players to play massed battles.

Forge World

Forge World has recently released its first in-house game:

Out of print

Warhammer Fantasy universe

Warhammer 40,000 universe

  • Adeptus Titanicus (original game in the Epic series, which concerned combat between Titans.)
    • Codex Titanicus — expansion rules for same
  • Advanced Space Crusade
  • Bommerz over da Sulphur River (Board game using Epic miniatures.)
  • Epic 40,000 (precursor to Epic Armageddon, although some people still use the terms interchangeably, alongside Epic.)
  • Gorkamorka
  • Lost Patrol
  • Space Fleet (Simple spaceship combat game from before Battlefleet Gothic)
  • Space Hulk (three editions were published, expansions are listed below)
    • Deathwing (expansion boxed set)
    • Genestealer (expansion boxed set)
    • Space Hulk Campaigns (expansion book in both soft and hard-cover)
  • Space Marine (original Epic-scale game concerning troops and infantry, 1st edition is a pair with Adeptus Titanicus, 2nd with Titan Legions)
  • Titan Legions (effectively an expansion of Space Marine, though it extended the game system)
  • Tyranid Attack
  • Ultra Marines — introductory game in same series as Space Fleet

Licensed games

These games were not made by Games Workshop but used similar-style models, artwork and concepts. These games were made by mainstream toy companies and available in standard toy and department stores rather than just in Games Workshop and speciality gaming stores.

  • Battle Masters (published by Milton Bradley)
  • HeroQuest (published by Milton Bradley)
    • Kellar’s Keep (Expansion for Hero Quest)
    • Return of the Witch Lord (Expansion for Hero Quest)
    • Against the Ogre Horde (Expansion for Hero Quest)
    • Wizards of Morcar (Expansion for Hero Quest)
    • The Frozen Horror (Expansion for Hero Quest)
    • The Magic of the Mirror (Expansion for Hero Quest)
    • The Dark Company (Expansion for Hero Quest)
    • HeroQuest Adventure Design Kit (Expansion for Hero Quest)
    • Adventure Design Booklet (Expansion for Hero Quest)
  • Space Crusade (published by Milton Bradley)
    • Operation Dreadnought (Expansion for Space Crusade)
    • Eldar Attack (Expansion for Space Crusade)

Role-playing games

Several of the miniatures games (e.g. Inquisitor) involve a role-playing element, however Games Workshop has in the past published role-playing games set within the Warhammer universe. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay was first published in 1986; a second edition appeared in 2005 published by Black Industries[2], part of GW’s fiction imprint BL Publishing.

Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, the first of three proposed role-playing games set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe was released in late January 2008 and sold out almost immediately.

Immediately following the release of Dark Heresy, Black Industries announced that they would cease producing role-playing supplements in September 2008, in order to focus on the more profitable Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 novels. A later announcement indicated that the game would continue to be produced, however; production had simply been turned over to a third-party publisher, Fantasy Flight Games, instead.[24]

As well as republishing and expanding the Dark Heresy game, Fantasy Flight Games have subsequently published two other roleplaying games, Rogue Trader and Deathwatch, set in the same Warhammer 40,000 universe and employing different systems. Fantasy Flight have also released a new edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, along with a number expansions to that game also.

Out of print

Out of print, Republished

The following games are technically out of print in their original editions, but have had new versions (in some cases heavily revised and in some cases with additional game expansions) published by Fantasy Flight Games, and these new editions are still in print.

Board games

Games Workshop had a strong history in boardgames development, alongside the miniatures and RPGs. Confusingly, several may have had roleplaying elements, or for that matter had miniatures included or produced.

Licensing for an undisclosed proportion of Games Workshop’s back catalogue of board games was transferred to Fantasy Flight Games as part of the same transaction which included Black Library’s Role Playing Games. Fantasy Flight had already republished revised editions of a number of these games. At the time of the announcement, Black Library had only one boardgame in print, the 4th Edition of «Talisman». Fantasy Flight have subsequently released revised editions of Talisman and of other former Games Workshop boardgames.

Out of print

Out of print, Republished

The following games are technically out of print in their original editions, but have had new versions (in all cases heavily revised and in some cases with additional game expansions) published by Fantasy Flight Games, and these new editions are still in print.

Computer games

Games Workshop licensed or produced several ZX Spectrum games in the early years, none of which were based in the usual Warhammer settings:

  • Apocalypse (1983) based on the original boardgame
  • Argent Warrior (1984) Illustrated adventure
  • Battlecars (1984) 2 player racing game written in BASIC
  • Blood Bowl (1995), published by MicroLeague
  • Chaos (1985) multiplayer turn based «board» game, written by Julian Gollop
  • D-Day (1985) based on the Normandy Landings
  • HeroQuest (1991) based on the MB board game
  • Journey’s End (1985) text adventure
  • Key Of Hope, The (1985) text adventure
  • Ringworld (1984) text adventure
  • Runestone (1986) text adventure
  • Talisman (1985) multiplayer turn based «board» game
  • Tower Of Despair (1985) text adventure

Many computer games have been produced by third parties based on the Warhammer universes owned by the firm. These include (miniature game they are based on is included in parentheses after the game name):

  • Space Marine, an upcoming RPG game featuring the Ultramarines Space Marines

Events

There are yearly Games Day events held by Games Workshop which feature the Golden Demon painting competition, news stands for upcoming models, sale stands as well as tables to play on.

Worldwide campaigns

Games Workshop has run numerous Worldwide Campaigns for its three core game systems. In each campaign, players are invited to submit the results of games played within a certain time period.[25] The collation of these results provides a result to the campaign’s scenario, and in the case of Warhammer, often goes on to impact the fictional and gameplay development of the fictional universe. Although in the past, campaign results had to be posted to the United Kingdom to be counted, the more recent campaigns have allowed result submission via the Internet.

Each Warhammer campaign has had a new codex published with the rules for special characters or «incomplete» army lists. Below are listed the Games Workshop Worldwide Campaigns (with the campaign’s fictional universe setting in parentheses):

These Campaigns were run to promote its miniature wargames, and attracted interest in the hobby, particularly at gaming clubs, Hobby Centres and independent stockists.[25] Forums for the community were created for each campaign (in addition to those on the main site), as a place to «swap tactics, plan where to post your results, or just chat about how the campaign is going.»[25] In some cases special miniatures were released to coincide with the campaigns; the promotional «Gimli on Dead Uruk-hai» miniature, for example, was available only through the campaign roadshows or ordering online.[33] As a whole these events have been successful; one, for example, was deemed «a fantastic rollercoaster», with thousands of registered participants.[34]

Magazines

Games Workshop’s best known magazine is White Dwarf, which in the UK has now passed over 370 issues. Nine different international editions of White Dwarf are currently published, with different material, in five languages. Originally a more general roleplaying magazine, since around issue 100 White Dwarf has been devoted exclusively to the support of Games Workshop productions.

Games Workshop also published Fanatic Magazine in support of their Specialist Games range, but this was discontinued in print form after issue 10. Fanatic was preceded by a number of newsletters, devoted to the particular games. After the cancellation of Fanatic Magazine, an electronic form, known as «Fanatic Online» was published from Games Workshop’s Specialist Games website. With the re-launch in 2008 of Games Workshop’s global web store, starting with a revamped US site, it was announced that the Specialist Games site would no longer be updated and that Specialist Games content would be published within the Games Workshop website proper; this has also meant the end of Fanatic Online.

There was also the Citadel Journal, intended as a «deeper» magazine for modelling enthusiasts and more experienced gamers. It often featured unusual rules and armies, and was occasionally used as an outlet for test rules. Under some editors, they also published fan fiction and fan art. This is no longer published.

For a brief period in the mid-1980s GW took over publication of the Fighting Fantasy magazine Warlock from Puffin Books. The magazine turned into a general introductory gaming magazine but was discontinued after issue 13.

There was also a fortnightly series called «Battle Games in Middle Earth», which came with a single or several free Lord of the Rings SBG miniatures. Though the miniatures were made by Games Workshop, the magazine itself was written by SGS (part of Games Workshop) and published by De Agostini. It was published in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, and Poland. The magazine became more popular than the publishers had anticipated, and the deadline was extended several times and ended on Pack 91. Battle Games in Middle Earth was reported as being the biggest selling partwork magazine in De Agostini’s history.

Other media

Many novels, and comics have also been produced based on the Warhammer universes, published by the Black Library. In late 2009, Codex Pictures announced that they would be making a 70-minute animated movie based on Warhammer 40,000 called Ultramarines:The Movie

Games Workshop illustrators also published artbooks covering parts of their commissioned work for the company. Amongst them, one can find Adrian Smith and John Blanche.

Примечания

  1. ↑ Не следует путать английского гейм-дизайнера Стива Джексона с его американским тёзкой, основателем Steve Jackson Games и автором GURPS.
  2. ↑ Livingstone, Ian (April 1975). «Editorial». Owl and Weasel (Games Workshop) (3): 2.
  3. ↑ Jackson, Steve (February 1975). «Editorial». Owl and Weasel (Games Workshop) (1): 1.
  4. ↑ Livingstone, Ian (Jan 1976). «Editorial». Owl and Weasel (Games Workshop) (12): 2.
  5. ↑ «News». White Dwarf (Games Workshop) (11): 10. Feb/Mar 1979.
  6. ↑ Baxter, Stephen (2006). «Freedom in an Owned World: Warhammer Fiction and the Interzone Generation». Vector Magazine — The Critical Journal of the British Science Fiction Association (British Science Fiction Association) (229). Retrieved 2007-02-07.
  7. ↑ Sacco, Ciro Alessandro. «The Ultimate Interview with Gary Gygax». thekyngdoms.com. . Retrieved 2008-10-24.
  8. ↑ «News». White Dwarf (Games Workshop) (4). Dec/Jan 1977/78.
  9. ↑ Haley, Guy (Jan 2005). "The History of White Dwarf". White Dwarf (Games Workshop) (300).
  10. ↑ "Newsboard". White Dwarf (Games Workshop) (58). October 1984.
  11. ↑ Livingstone, Ian (March 1985). "Editorial". White Dwarf (Games Workshop) (63).
  12. ↑ Haley, Guy (May 2005). "Thirty Years of Games Workshop". White Dwarf (Games Workshop) (304).
  13. ↑ "Note that these figures are 25 mm and not the 28 mm figures that are more popular today"; ("Painting the Lord of the Rings Mines of Moria Game". 2005-11-23. Retrieved 2007-07-17. )
  14. ↑ http://www.licensemag.com/licensemag/Brands/Warner-Bros-Continues-Hobbit-Games/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/707126?contextCategoryId=9989
  15. ↑ warpartefacts.com
  16. ↑ Paton, Maynard Are Small Companies Suitable For Long-Term Portfolios 22,11 2001 [1]
  17. ↑ Wright Reports
  18. ↑ investing reuters.co.uk
  19. ↑ icv2.com
  20. ↑ Gaming report
  21. ↑ PDF
  22. ↑ advfn.com news
  23. ↑ UPDATE 1-Games Workshop FY pretax profit up, Reuters (2009-07-28).
  24. ↑ Press release on Games Workshops properties from Fantasy Flight Games website
  25. ↑ 25,0 25,1 25,2 Battle Games in Middle-earth, Issue 56
  26. ↑ Third War for Armageddon Campaign Site. Games Workshop. Проверено 30 июня 2007.
  27. ↑ Eye of Terror Campaign Site. Games Workshop. Проверено 30 июня 2007.
  28. ↑ Storm of Chaos Campaign Site. Games Workshop. Проверено 30 июня 2007.
  29. ↑ The War of the Ring Campaign Site (United Kingdom). Games Workshop. Проверено 30 июня 2007.
  30. ↑ The War of the Ring Campaign Site (Canada). Games Workshop. Проверено 30 июня 2007.
  31. ↑ The Fall of Medusa V Campaign Site. Games Workshop. Проверено 30 июня 2007.
  32. ↑ Nemesis Crown Campaign Site. Games Workshop. Проверено 30 июня 2007.
  33. ↑ «The Wrath of Umbar»
  34. ↑ Cavatore, Alessio (Jan 2006). «Victory for the Free Peoples». White Dwarf (312).

Ссылки

Источник — «http://wiki.rpgverse.ru/w/index.php?title=Games_Workshop&oldid=24479»