Has White Dwarf lost its way?

[blank generation]

You wouldnt pay $$ to watch ads on TV

It's called cable TV.

[Fire Legion]

In then latest White Dwarf close to HALF was dedicated to lord of the rings. LOR should be banished to the 'specialist games' section forever. Failing that, at least put as much effort into Fantasy and 40k!

[FireDrake]

Although I do agree with you there, they did release two new supplements this month. Warhammer doesn't deserve anything because it's out next month so they can't do much other than preview, and 40K had quite alot recently due to Medusa. While they're revaamping the main campaign I will tolerate it in the main, also remeber it makes them the most money of all theeir ranges.

[Ravendove]

In then latest White Dwarf close to HALF was dedicated to lord of the rings. LOR should be banished to the 'specialist games' section forever. Failing that, at least put as much effort into Fantasy and 40k!

They can't. Games Workshop signed a deal up to a number of years with the Rights Holders for LOTR. They legally have to market LOTR as a core game until then. I've spoken to my local store manager about this at great length.

IMO, Games Workshop are pushing LOTR heavily in WD to drive up interest. They probably (and incorrectly) think that by featuring LOTR more and more people are going to want to play it. It's not the case, and the magazine is worse off for it.

[Rikimaru]

I have every issue of WD from the last four years and its gone down so much its pitiful.

Just take a look at the content from a couple of years ago, loads of background, 3 to 4 page articles on armys which included multiple story excerpts, in depth tacticas, detailed battle reports, loads of fluff, one that sticks in my mind is an 8 page history of the space wolves, detailed painting guides and building guides (does anyone remember the Necron monolith building guide), detailed articles on things like vehicles, unit types, characters, weapons etc.

Just take a look at that pitiful attempt at an eavy metal article, do you remember how detailed the eavy metal painting tutorials were, these new supposed guides are a joke, how do they expect to inspire with crap like that.

I think the rot set in when paul sawyer left and Lord of the rings did not help, I find the LOTR articles so boring (I know they have to justify the licence purchase)
I loved the magazine because it gave you so much information and fluff that it created a living world, I loved all the history like the heresy stuff and sigmars story etc. if they stop including all the history and stories/fluff the kids will not get that sense of involvement and sense of belonging to a whole universe.

The models got me into the hobby but the WD inspired me and kept me interested, I made a whole 2000pt Ultramarines list because I loved and was inspired by the story of Roboute Guilliman and the purity of the ultras, this is whats missing from WD now.

It seems like the workshop spent all this time building up this history and now they have just abondoned it in the pages of WD.

It used to take me a good 2 or 3 days to read WD but the last issue took me 2 hours it was absolutely crap, it is now just a glorified catalogue with minimum text content in the articles the Lizardmen army feature is a good example, the unit descriptions were pitiful and the article simply told you nothing about how to use the list, the battle reports are shocking and there is a total lack of fluff or background, The layout of the mag is getting more and more minimalist, the content percentage per page must have gone down by 50 to 60%, i mean just check the word and article count in the new mag compared to even a year ago. I for one am losing interest in the magazine and I am a long time subsciber if I am losing interest (and I love 40K) it does not bode well for the new reader does it, if I want to buy a catalogue I will go and buy an army guide, I want a magazine not a glorified catalogue.

I actually wonder what the sales figures are like since the new layout was introduced.

Come on GW get it sorted.

[Lord Yossanrion]

It used to take me a good 2 or 3 days to read WD but the last issue took me 2 hours it was absolutely crap, it is now just a glorified catalogue with minimum text content in the articles the Lizardmen army feature is a good example, the unit descriptions were pitiful and the article simply told you nothing about how to use the list, the battle reports are shocking and there is a total lack of fluff or background, The layout of the mag is getting more and more minimalist, the content percentage per page must have gone down by 50 to 60%, i mean just check the word and article count in the new mag compared to even a year ago. I for one am losing interest in the magazine and I am a long time subsciber if I am losing interest (and I love 40K) it does not bode well for the new reader does it, if I want to buy a catalogue I will go and buy an army guide, I want a magazine not a glorified catalogue.

Too damn right! I used to read like an article a day, as a reward. It would take me about 45mins - 30 mins for a battle report read. Now... its about 10 mins.

Gorram pictures.

[Rikimaru]

Too damn right! I used to read like an article a day, as a reward. It would take me about 45mins - 30 mins for a battle report read. Now... its about 10 mins.

Gorram pictures.

I think we should mass e-mail protest GW about this SERIOUSLY, I think we should organise a co-ordinated mass e-mail where we all e-mail on the same day for maximum impact, what do you otheers think?
I think that WD magazine has to much of history to let it be pulled down into this pitiful immitation of its former glory, I think its indicative oft he way GW is going as a whole, have they got new management or something.

[suf]

I have every issue of WD from the last four years and its gone down so much its pitiful.

Just take a look at the content from a couple of years ago, [...]

Just take a look at that pitiful attempt at an eavy metal article, [...]

I think the rot set in when paul sawyer left and Lord of the rings did not help, [...]

I loved the magazine because it gave you so much information and fluff that it created a living world, [...]

[...]

It used to take me a good 2 or 3 days to read WD [...]

I actually wonder what the sales figures are like since the new layout was introduced.

Come on GW get it sorted.

Rikimaru, word by word you express my exact feelings! I too have almost four years of WD on my shelves, but in april I bought my last issue - for exactly the reasons you express so well!

[Rikimaru]

Rikimaru, word by word you express my exact feelings! I too have almost four years of WD on my shelves, but in april I bought my last issue - for exactly the reasons you express so well!

I remember a couple of years ago when they re-did the Chaos marines WD had masses of articles about them, the history of the army, the fluff about Abbaddon and the black legions constant crusades against the imperium, building guides, painting guides, massive battle reports, it was awesome and now look at the Tau, they get a new codex and the coverage was appaling 2 issues with 1 battle report and a few paltry articles and masses of catalogue style pictures of the models.
Did anyone get excited about Tau by the work WD did, I know I didn't I got more info from the web (librarium for instance) I pity the new players I really do.

GW is the body of the hobby but WD was the spirit of it and the spirit is dying, I think GW are losing it, price rises coming quicker and quicker, models being dumbed down (click together for gods sake), rip offs coming thick and fast (just check out the new Balrog, its plastic and its £35 the same as the bloody metal one, the plastic giant £30, and all that rip off modeling stuff £12 for water effects (basically water based resin), and the old favourites Green stuff, inferior brushes and paints.

I like GW stuff and I love the game but I am seriously losing faith in GW, I never buy my modeles there (go independent on the web £20 skyray including post anyone) and I wont be buying WD till it seriously improves, I mean I can read the small amount of decent stuff in the shop in 10 minutes, so why buy.