The end of GW fan animations?

[kronosthetravelerParticipant 5967xp 0]

I am a little curious, how has there been so much turnover to Battletech from 40K? I don’t really know a lot about it and am not the biggest fan of wargames with such a small scale, but it seems like quite a leap to go from 40K to Battletech; both Wargamer Fritz and Arch mentioned this too, and I’m not really sure what the connection is.

Mostly just trying to understand; I’ll probably start looking into Kings of War some, or going back to Warmachine until all this BS that Gee Dubs is doing either stops or reverses.

[captainventanusParticipant 4936xp 2]

It is a leap from 40k to Battletech, very different games and experiences. Some people might well head in the direction, but this sudden exodus that the internet tells me is happening and every second post on a youtube video mentions is hot air.

Both universes have rich backstories, complex/convoluted rules (BT more so) and been around for roughly the same time. If people wanted to move they could do it any time. BT has been given a new lease of life through the kickstarter, but the availability of products is still limited at best. And not everyone is suddenly going to buy 3D printers either as the internet tells me too.

If people move away from GW then there will be more diversity in gaming systems adopted and not single one. BT is good, and with the lighter Alpha Strike ruleset easily accessible, but its not and won’t ever be for similar sized audiences.

[warhammergrimace 13766xp 4]

The last time people departed from 40k, Bolt Action was boosted by that wave of people leaving GW.

This happens every so often and most will return to GW at some point. It’s just fully grown babies throwing their dummies out of the pram.

[limburger 21775xp 0]

It’s not as big a leap as you might think.

Battletech was the big SF universe before 40k even was a thing, especially in the USA.
It was about 3-4 years before GW would launch the little set of rules that were to become 40k as we know it.
Rogue Trader aka 40k : 1987
Battletech : 1984 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BattleTech )

[zorg 18814xp 2]

The same sort thing has happened over the years in Scotland when a small business has suddenly got masses of lawyers letters to cease an desist copyright infringement for using the name of McDonald even when some of the businesses’ are older than America Lol.

[elessar2590 18209xp 3]

Although I’m not a fan of his work Text to Speech has been a thing for more than six years. During that time GW has been active in protecting their IP in other areas so I don’t see how they can suddenly start doing so now they lost their chance. Also making money or direct competition has no bearing on ripping off an IP or copyright claims.

How short people’s memories are. Remember when they sent their lawyers after this very site demanding they removed all videos even showing a GW product like a miniature? They’ll do it again if they can and this is just a small step towards that reality. It’s not even about lawsuits themselves it’s a threat, BoW stood up to them (even though they lost a massive corporate partner that took them until just last year to renew a relationship with) but smaller one man operations just can’t risk doing that.

[sundancer 43074xp 3]

How short people’s memories are.

Indeed. People seem to forget all to easy that hobbyblogs had pages upon pages with “legal mumble” to make it clear that “space marine is a G’Wullu IP. So is Warhammer. And Gorka Morak” just to not get sued. People listed pages of words that G’Wullu would use as leverage to send C&D letters.

[mecha82Participant 10037xp 1]

@kronosthetraveler We see plenty of 40k refugees at Everything Battletech Discord channel with more arriving daily so it’s very real thing that’s happening. All because GW chose to be anti-community and go after people that love they setting to point of wanting to make fan animations based on it.

[limburger 21775xp 0]

Just because you love a setting that does not mean you get to use it as you see fit.
It’s been law since forever and it’s not going to change.
It merely sucks that only corporations have the money and resources to use it, whereas mere amateurs get to see their work ripped off and destroyed by ‘fans’ like this.

It sucks, but I’d argue that in the end we’d be better off avoiding making any fan based art to fuel the ad-campaigns of corporations like GW who don’t add anything to the hobby.

And remember : CORPORATIONS ARE NOT OUR FRIENDS
I recommend using them like they use us : only as long as it suits your purpose.
There is plenty of competition out there who still need our help …
GW does not and never did.
They are the McDonalds of gaming. The product is bland, stuffed with additives to make it look attractive, but it’s not going to feed your body and mind.
So why the heck buy into their products them at all unless there’s something that is useful to you?

[wurzzelParticipant 2734xp 2]

@mecha82 I’m not sure people joining a discord is indicative of an exodus from GW. I would suspect that plenty will dabble in other games but will invariably return to the status quo for one or another of many many reasons

[blinky465 17028xp 4]

Their miniatures are very nice. But that’s about it.

Btw, GW aren’t stopping people making fan art. Because, let’s be honest, if you commit four months of your life into making a cool CGI animation because you love WH40K, you can still get a great deal of satisfaction out of it, and nobody is going to know.

The trouble comes with *sharing* it. And if you’re creating “art” based on someone else’s IP in order to share it (for likes, kudos, a paltry ad-revenue income or for whatever reason) then it’s not unreasonable for GW to step in and say “hey, that’s our IP, stop that”. Yes, it’s mean-minded and miserable and anti-community – but is it really unreasonable for a multi-million-pound, publicly listed, shareholder-hacked corporation, that has shifted from making minis for nerds to an income model based on IP-licencing, to protect their IP?

Tabletop wargaming has, for decades, been an amateur-fuelled cottage industry. There are plenty of other creators out there, more deserving of your hobby pocket-money.

Nobody’s going to change the recipe for a Big Mac because *you* don’t like gherkins. Why are so many people getting upset at GW acting like the massive money-driven stock-market-listed corporation they are?

[warhammergrimace 13766xp 3]

All the people I know who stopped playing GW games the last time there was outrage about Games Workshop have all returned to playing GW games.

This outrage will be short lived, won’t dent GW profits and all the whiny keyboard warriors will be back playing 40K by 2022.

[wurzzelParticipant 2734xp 1]

@warhammergrimace your spot on, I read a post somewhere on social media from a former staffer (it might even have been here) and he basically said that for every screaming neckbeard calling for a boycott because the prices are too high, there are 2 hobbyists spending  a couple of hundred dollars happily. As for going back to playing, I know at least one person who actively started playing 40k again because of the “Boycott”

[sundancer 43074xp 3]

@wurzzel I think it was on the weekender or XLBS. And I pretty much agree: the majority of the “Boykott!11!11!” screaming fanboyz will be back buying when the new shiny for their faction comes in

[mecha82Participant 10037xp 0]

@blinky465 Thing is that those fan animations have also worked as free advertisement for GW’s IP so them banning it is stupid in business sense as well. After all many have become interested from 40k and started to buy they products because of those fan animations. I guess sense is what big corporations like GW don’t have. It’s shame really considering how hard they tried to get back good will of fans after Dark Kirby days only to do this. It’s 1 step forward ad 2 steps backward.

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