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Thursday, April 11, 2013

Games Day Germany 2013 - Part II

Goooood morning, my buddhaleak file lovers!
(limited stuff Giveaway at the bottom!)

Now you just got up, have a cup of coffee and wonder why the world seems so excited and yet you are centered in yourself and feel oblivious to all the events that shook the miniature world last night.

TICKET ATTACK dood!

"What?" you say, dusting away some breadcrumbs from your morning robe...

Yes, YOU potentially missed last nights hot breaking news about the German Games Day 2013. Call the office, you will be 15 minutes late. 

OK. Now you are in the know. In the 'circle of trust'. A true bruddha of the bruddhahood. And yet - you long for more information. You shall have it! 

Part 2 - The plot thickens

So this is part two of the 'buddhaleak files'. I did not open the door this morning, when MI6 and the secret service rang the bell. I told them I was not home. They left - not without shaking their fist in my general direction. 

Since the internal briefing document is not really worth translating as a whole, I just post an abstract of what I think is interesting to you. It is a looooong document. 

Summary

First an unexcited summary of yesterdays text as a primer to the internal briefing document: If I quote/translate sections, I put them in italics.

Games Day Germany will be held on August 11th, 2013 in Cologne, Germany. 
The tickets will be limited to 2000. 
The ticket price will be 50€. This price is "necessary so we can guarantee that there will be future Games Days in Germany. The Alternative would have been to not have a Games Day, like in Spain or France. [..]we are convinced that the German Games Day will be worth the 50€."

General information about GD 2013

Only one ticket
There is only the 50€ ticket. [..] The ticket will NOT include the Games-Day-Miniature NOR a T-Shirt. Parents accompanying their kids can still get a free Squigherder Ticket.

I repeat. The ticket will NOT include the Games-Day-Miniature NOR a T-Shirt. What about the Fellblade I wanted as a limited edition?

The most important GD in continental Yurp

Due to the fixed parameters of the international Games-Day-Codex [!], France and Spain decided not to run a Games Day this year. Only us and Italy will run Games Days in Continental Europe.

Games Day Miniature

The Games Day Miniature will be secret [yeah, right] until July 27th, the Date of the GD US.

Wrong Date in May WD

Both venue and date for the German GD are WRONG in the upcoming White Dwarf. The 'backup' plan location of Bochum was still valid at time of printing. 

[..]

April 20th - Ticket Attacke
April 20th is a very important date for us. [..]
Now sorry, guys... I know its not funny. But let's put it this way... A rather infamous person who also called for an 'all out attack' at some point in his life was born on this day. Like Mozart you would think he was German. And I am not talking about Arnold Schwarzenegger. I call this a historical fail. I know they didn't do this on purpose, but anyways, back to topic.
[..] On this day we start the ticket sales with a big bang. On this day we will have two promotions in the store - the Ticket Attack and the start of Armies on Parade. Tickets will also be available on the web site on this day. 

The Ticket Attack

[this is getting good, hoooold it, hooooooold it... READ!]
On Saturday, April 20th, we celebrate the Ticket Attack 2013. [..] The incentive used to be that we have a discoutned price compared to the full ticket. We don't have this possibility anymore [as described above].


But since we are cunningly clever guys [!], we thought of something that makes the ticket sales really tasty. 

The Rules
The ticket attack and all its advantages are ONLY VALID in our stores (not on the web or independent retailers).  The Ticket Attack will take place on April 20th. Only customers that come [..] on that day can benefit from the ticket attack. The ticket [..] will still cost 50€. 
For me XXXXXL please

Every customer who buys a ticket in our stores on April 20th will receive an additional Premium Status Card. This card has TWO advantages: 

- a limited shirt in your size

- entry to GD at 9:00am, an hour earlier than other guests. 
[- still no GD mini btw]

These are the two benefits we can guarantee. We are currently thinking about additional benefits. It is possible there will be more.

The T-Shirts will be produced and sent to the stores. The customers can pick them up starting Juli 20th. That is also the date for the in-store "Armies on Parade" event.

[..] This T-Shirt is NOT the official GD Shirt, nor will it be sold during the GD. 

So - no shirt, no mini for 50€. But you can buy both at GD. Terrific.

And the rest of the briefing is some general pump-up-the-excitement stuff for the employees and some repetition and summaries of Armies on Parade, other 'exciting' stuff during GD yada yada yoda. If you have been on a GD there is nothing you haven't seen yet. 

Conclusion

This concludes the buddhaleak file coverage of Games Day Germany 2013. I think I have done as good a job of explaining what is going on and how you can get your tickets as a well trained staff member would be expected to do. I do not expect thanks :D

I still hope I get to go - but if not - its the same weekend as Kulmbach, me thinks... I never been there and I heard its a hoot. 


I am already sad to know that many of our international friends will have NO CHANCE to participate in GD Germany as they might not get a ticket. Last year there were about 100 of us who met before and during GD. Thanks a bunch, GW. 


No bullshit chance to win

Let us know in the comments below what you think about this Games Day 2013 Germany. Are you happy that it will take place? What do you think about the Entry-Only Ticket for 50€? Will you go? 

Leave a comment below and you can win 

- a LIMITED EDITION DARK ANGEL CODEX, limited to 2000 worldwide or

- a LIMITED EDITION XXX DWARF (30 year GD anniversary mini, rare)

Winners will be drawn on Monday April 22nd, because we know our history.

52 comments:

  1. What was the prize last year? 25 EUR? That was already a little expensive in my opinion, as a painter who is only interested in checking out the Golden Demon competition. And I will also have to take into account the 3 hour trip by car and expensive underground parking fees. First of all I will not go crazy about getting a ticket, I can't decide right now if I'm going or not, I'd prefer to buy a ticket at the event itself. And 50 euro is too much. Way too much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it was either 30 or even 35, can't remember.

      Delete
  2. As i have never been to a GD and have some finished Entrys here AND have the possibility to travel for free, i think i will try to get my hands onto one of the tickets.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am torn...
    On the one side there is the "I have always been at Games Day" and it feels wierd not to miss it, but to decide I don't want to go.

    On the other side there is the "WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE SEVEN HELLS HAVE YOU DONE!?!?!?" Feeling.
    I have a tons of questionmarks in my head. Especially the "Was last year that last chance to win the slayer sword?". Seriously... what will happen to the whole golden-demon-community?
    Will it be worth taking a shot at a demon?

    Please don't start the "the price is so high discussion" I know, 50€ will (or won't) hit me hard, but have you been on a concert lately?
    I just feel generally outraged at the reasoning:
    "this is the only way we can have a games day... blabla..." you know what? We (in germany) are getting punished for the failures of the other countries. The german games day has always been a blast (especially money wise) but the other countries didn't made it. And now we get kicked for that? Grrr.... I have to destroy something now...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please stop comparing this to a concert or a theme park. In my opinion there isn't that much to do. Last year I was inside for like 2 hours. Checking out the Golden Demon entries, walked around a bit and then the closing ceremony. The good thing is that Köln is a nice city to walk around in and the weather was very nice :D

      Delete
  4. Honestly I am kind of bummed out on this news.. was hoping to come and meet the German gamer side of the hobby for this one.. see if I could convince myself that another trip to Germany was in order for this! I guess however, that is not to be, or at least not unless I happen to be in Germany on the 20th for some unknown reason... mmmm.. time to plot something I guess?

    Good luck at getting a chance to go though, and if you do, I look forward to the outcome!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I haven't been to any games day yet, but a GD in Bochum is kinda interesting because it is not far from here.

    But 50€ just to go on the GD without mini or shirt is quite expensive. For the same amount a can get a couple of models and colours...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Jens, the GD will be in Cologne, not Bochum ;)
      The White Dwarf Germany (May) will have the wrong information though - wrong date and wrong location.

      Delete
  6. Nice news!
    One question: GD Italy confirmed too?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, but I don't know the location or date yet.
      I think it will be available in Italy's May White Dwarf.

      Delete
    2. Cool! Can't wait for announcement)

      Delete
  7. Sers @ all

    50€ for maybe something ?

    I will join this Year first Time the fair in Kulmbach and safe my Money for Monte Savino

    Greetings
    Achim aka hurbenzurp

    ReplyDelete
  8. talking about a flipsided morning.
    Yeaah GD WILL happen, then they did what????
    But mister galactic president, can you at least confirm that a golden demon competition will be held?
    Trying to win a statue will be the only valid reason for me to attend!
    and of course, can I have the limited dark angels codex please ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, there will be a Golden Demon competition - even though it is not specifically mentioned. It says something along these lines "the best painters in the world will flock to GD Germany".

      ...if they can get a ticket that is.

      Delete
    2. Ok, so probably(if I get a ticket) I will try to attend, despite the 50€.
      Is it expensive? Yes
      But hey, this is an expensive hobby.
      So no use for an endless rant about that.

      Delete
  9. Initially when I heard about the GD in germany I felt like i wanted to go, but 50 euros for only entry while i have to drive for 3 hours is a bit too much for me. I'm sure it will still sell out though even with the new price.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow, this sucks.

    I live in Cologne, 10 min to walk to the Gürzenich (where the GD) is held and still I didn't go there the last two years. Games Days became crappy events over the time and I am sure they still are and will be. Last time I went was a waste of time and money (except the Golden Demon).

    If it wasn't for the Golden Demon, who wants go there and care about this charade? Hardly no one.

    Even 20€ for a ticket was too much in the past. Now 50€ only for a T-Shirt and entry?! No way!

    ReplyDelete
  11. As Zappo said... It is not done with the entry... Hotel...train... You loose over 200euros quite fast. I have to talk with my financial department at home...

    ReplyDelete
  12. So...
    If I want to enter Golden Demon with miniatures, dioramas, whatever... I pay the full price.
    If I want to visit the Games Day, without participating in the competition... I pay the full price nonetheless ('I paid full not competing and all I have is this stupid t-shirt'... wait, no, not even that).

    Ok... next:
    At best, we 'reserve' the same budget for such events (financial crisis and so on..)... the same crisis (inflation, taxes etcetera) probably raised the 'collateral' costs (transportation, lodging, feeding).

    Then with this 'brilliant' manoeuver, GW has probably assured a reduction of what, 20% less in sales?
    Nice move, marketing wise... not!

    I admit I'm quite curious to see what will they do here in Italy...

    ReplyDelete
  13. oioi

    I wanted to go, with my son that he sees first time in his life the real GW Madness and meet some old colleges....but this sucks alot. I do not pay 150,- bucks for me and son and wife plus roundabout 300 for the night train for us 3 and then ( and i know GW very well ) another 75 bucks for 3 shirts and another 40-60 bucks for some GD Minis...so i only can say one thing...

    The so called SPIRIT of GW died a very harsh brutally death at the moment when the lately FIRED AND KICKED OUT CEO tookk over the business...since then GW is just nothing more than a stupid sect, jerking about the stupidness of their so called beloved and always best supported customers....good i play historical now and X-Wing which means less money for MORE Minis

    Good bye GW ...your monopl will die very soon....


    just my 2 cent

    ReplyDelete
  14. What is this bloody false-good news ? Oo

    "Sorry guys we don't have sufficient money for the GD and you must work a little bit for us if you want to spend a good moment. Ah, just a detail : the ticket price will increase to 50€ without T shirt nor miniature. Hey, why anrgying ? We have shareholders to satisfy don't agree with that ?"

    The first smash in my face was the fact that the french GD were cancelled. The second smash is this ridiculous price ticket...

    Very big +1 for you Mister Heun !! The GW titanic is near the iceberg. How I am so happy to stop buying GW's minis !! And how I am right to post my wrath against GW on my blog !!!

    Thank you Zaphod for the news but it makes me so disgusted...

    Yours,

    Morikun

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hey Micha,
    how about to offer our international friends to get some tickets for them. How about use masterminis.net as a platform for ticket organisation? For sure most of us can buy two tickets (I already have one reservation). Also it would be good to know if there will be again a painting presentation and if so, do we need our tickets. I thinkt there could be a lot of tickets from painters side we could offer our foreign friends.
    Kind Regards,
    GeOrc

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are already on that - more on that tomorrow at 8.42 am in Part III of our buddhaleak files :D

      Delete
  16. 50 Euros is a lot of money, but it really isn't a lot more expensive than the GDUK when I convert it to GBP (about £42, GDUK is something like £35). I can't hold it against GW, things are just more expensive these days... But I am surprised at limiting it to 2000 visitors... does anyone know how many people attended last year?

    I don't think GW are on their way out though, look at how much new product they are investing in every month. They are just going through a period of consolidation, and I think that a standardisation of the GD experience will be good in the long run. Its just a damned shame they are pricing it so highly...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. New management always means new initiatives.

      In general, there is nothing wrong with saving cost. Then again, years of cost saving that only result in price increases are kinda wrong, too.

      There is a lot of stuff happening at GW right now (I will write up some little post regarding the latest shift in GW's shareholder structure) but I still hope that in the end good things will come from it. I am a hopeless romantic, I know :)

      Delete
  17. There news are a true revelation... I was wondering what GW might be up to... The fact that there IS a German GD shows that a lot of German organizers must have done a lot of negotiation work behind the scene... I can also understand the logic behind the changes and I am sure they must sound reasonable for someone fairly new to the whole GD thing (less visitors, higher quality of the event itself, lots of new things...)... There are some huge flaws, however: People will not be willing to spend much more money to go to the Games Day, as they already did in the past... They rather want to spend their money for some Forge World Miniatures at the Event instead of paying more for the Entrance and meeting even more Studio Staff (which they actually could do anyways before..)... The German GD without the slightest doubt was the best organized, most popular Games Day / Golden Demon in the World (yes, even more popular then the UK one), because of the huge community and the organized meetings (also because of the popular Painting Stand) attracting the highest level of painters and Golden Demon Visitors... If these things now fall victim to the recent GD World Codex, I predict that those painters will find other meeting opportunities (or will simply meet in Cologne without going the the GD to make a point... Imagine a GD... And nobody attends...)...

    I am however looking forward for the newly designed Games Day and will certainly consider going as more information will be released...

    ReplyDelete
  18. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  19. GW can't look at these as another way to make money in the short term - with a need to break even or make a profit on the event itself. The buzz generated by these events spurs sales of their products the world over. People buy minis to participate in the events, Golden Demon and playing at the GD tables. And some people show up just to buy Forgeworld models. I wonder if they consider the sales from the convention store as part of the incoming funds for the event.

    I'm disappointed that the ticket price doesn't include the miniature. It costs them very little to produce the minis, and now they know exactly how many to make because they're limiting ticket sales. It probably costs more for the packaging than the mini. I'd take the LE GD mini in a plastic bag if it means I don't have to pay for it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I wish there were some events like this on the west coast of the US. It's always over on the east coast or in europe. But I guess it's just about the costs. All these events look like so much fun. Maybe when I'm I finish school I'll have the time/money to do something like this. But as it stands I can enjoy everyone's photos on their blogs.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ich bin geschockt! Vor 2 Jahren aufm GD wars ganz cool, ich war noch nie da und es gab viel zu schauen. Im letzten Jahr hatte ich mich schon über die Preiserhöhung geärgert aber naja was soll. Und nun das. 50 Euro für ein Ticket? Inkl. Fahrt sind mein Mann und ich dann bei 200 Euro und mehr. Na herzlichen Glückwunsch! Auf keinen Fall!!! GD dieses Jahr definitiv ohne mich.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it if I'm honest - or in fact whether we'll attend. I think if there are enough people from the painting community going, we'll probably go.

    50EUR does seem a lot for a ticket, but when you take into account the cost of flights accomodation etc. then I'm not so worried about that.

    I'm a little annoyed by the whole ticket attack thing - they don't even consider that someone outside of Germany may wish to buy a ticket!

    I personally wouldn't want a boycott of the event though - if people don't turn up, they won't take the hint and suddenly drop the price for the following year, they'll just see it as a reason for them to permanently cancel Golden Demon. I don't think that really benefits the community as it would be a real shame to lose this event in the long run.

    Just my 2p!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Never understood why people went to GDs the last years anyway, apart for the special miniature and the Forge World stall... and even those were not worth the the price IMHO...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just my opinion the quality of the DG has waned in recent years extremely.

      P.s Sorry for my bad English Skills

      Delete
  24. Last year was my first GD. It was very cool, meeting people their that i only had writen on the internet befor. I hope that there wont every thing as bad as it seems now. I am looking forward to the 20th of april to see what we would have to pay.

    I am sure that they wont havea problem to sell 2000 tickets.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I started wargaming about two years ago with GW and 40k, so never get to know the "nice" GW of the old days. For me their decisions on the last 6 months only seem to have driven me away from them as much as possible. I am no on a position I don't enjoy their games anymore and have been moving to other games and miniatures. For me this is just another nail on their coffin

    ReplyDelete
  26. The Games Days have been on decline for several years now except for the Golden Demon competitions. Now the limitation on the number of tickets along with cutting of several European GDs means that the community is taking another hit.

    I think it's time to organize something like the crystal brush also on this side of the pond as the GW events are losing the position as the gathering of the best miniature painters.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Can't imagine why everyone is complaining about 5€ more than last year. I mean, ok, thats two Kölsch less to drink, or HALF a mini-blister less or if you're bavarian "oa Maß weniger zum dringa". But the point is, it's only 5€ more. It's not that they have doubled the price or smthn like that.
    I can see that people are gettin mad because of the reasons GW gives for the price increase. But you can also complain 'bout the price increase on their miniatures. But was there an outcry? Me didn't hear anything! People seem to keep bying their stuff anyway.
    Well! I know especially we germans have kind of a tradition in complainin about everything but i think in this case it's just not...apropriate.
    Don't get me wrong. I think 50 bugs is a lot of money for looking at miniatures and gettin your ear pumped with nerd stuff by people who just want to sell you even more stuff for the same price as you always get, but since the ticket last year did cost 45 bugs it's just overreacting.

    If you don't like GamesDay don't go there (me not going, but for the distance), if you like it you give a darn about the price anyway.

    Just my 5 cent.

    ReplyDelete
  28. To be honest it sounds like those prices are in line with the UK GD last year which was about £35-40, and didn't include the mini or shirt. I would be surprised if the UK GD has a low numbers limit as most of the GW staff are on the coaches the stores run anyway, which break even, and the distances involved from Nottingham to Birmingham are negligible compared to those involved for Europe.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I;m happy you guys got one. Like I've mentioned before, they treat North america as one big place so we don't get a games day in canada anymore. I went to a few - they were fun, but they had open gaming tables back then and an area next to the tourney tables for people to sit and watch. Some day it will all come back around. Some day...

    ReplyDelete
  30. Wow, 50euros is a steep price, yet I will try to get to GD Germany this year if I can get my hands on a ticket...

    -kristian

    ReplyDelete
  31. Good to hear that evet will be:) I hope this year Murphy with his laws allow me to go there

    ReplyDelete
  32. Naja, irgendwie tun mir die Organisatoren in DE ja auch ein biss'l leid. Sie versuchn's beste draus zu machen.

    ReplyDelete
  33. great news man, now i dont have to go to uk this year, phew! ;) if i can get a ticket, that is...

    ReplyDelete
  34. Got my ticket for this year. It may be expansive and the fair is not worth the price. But the fellow painters from around the world and the famous pre gd dinner will be great again. Im kind of sad for everyone who can not come because of ticket price and quantity

    ReplyDelete
  35. Good news for continental europeans, I may try to come from France !

    ReplyDelete
  36. Well of course I'm happy that GD Germany will take place, afterall so much great painters always gather there. What goes for the 50 euro entrance ticket... well do't they have enough money already?

    ReplyDelete
  37. I don't now how I will do it but I'm so going to GD Germany!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Looks like I will never be able to go to a Games Day. If these decisions and price increases continue, it will all be dead soonxD

    ReplyDelete
  39. *wishes really hard* Memphis is too far away for me to make US Gamesday, I wish they'd go back to multiple each year.

    ReplyDelete
  40. We haven't had free T shirts for a long time in the UK - and the free miniature stopped last year (why give everyone a mini when maybe half the people want it? Those who want it will pay).

    I've run a few gaming conventions in my time for non wargaming related geek hobbies. Warm spaces with good transport links cost a huge amount of money. You can't justify spending that sort of money unless you're breaking even.

    If you don't like it? Don't go. If you're not enjoying it? Don't go. I feel I get value for money out of UK Games Day because of the face time with the GW and FW staff. Others get value for money from other parts of the experience - be that the kitbash competitions, Golden Demon, Armies on Parade or just the experience of the event itself.

    There's no need to get self righteous about it. Vote with your feet and keep the internet indignation to a minimum. Make a rational and calm decision as to whether spending the money is worth what you gain from going to the event - and if it doesn't work for you, don't spend the money.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Unfortunately I will not be able to appear in the GD Germany ... and I considered this option.
    Coloured Dust

    ReplyDelete
  42. No Shatner CDs? ;)

    ReplyDelete

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