40K Deep Thought: RPGs & Card Games?
The tabletop industry is growing – and GW has so many opportunities for growth – they just need to take them.
Once upon a time GW took their IP into all the big genres of the industry.
Back in the early 90s, we had this guy:
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay – A game revolutionary for it’s era – an RPG idiosyncratic to this day. It had a very unique career/class system and the dire threat of a grim death around every corner. Just look at this sample career and character sheet:
Burninating all the peoples…
GW had the original 40K RPG, Dark Heresy made by Black Industries, shortly before they started the lengthy deal with FFG.
FFG then ran with it and cranked out about 1001 different 40K RPGs for Inquisitors, Rogue Traders, Imperial Guard, Sisters, Marines, Chaos Marines, Servo Skulls, Sister Servo Skulls, Rogue Trader Servo Skulls, Cyber-mastiffs and 991 others – they do that…
Card Games
Anyone remember this guy?
Way back in the day Sabretooth made a 40K CCG. It’s where all the original awesome Horus Heresy Artwork came from like this:
It slid under the wave and years later FFG kicked out their LCG: 40,000 Conquest:
The Industry is Waiting
GW has changed it’s tune, and is cranking out great tabletop content full speed ahead. We’ve seen Black Library start rebooting classics like Blood Bowl and Shadow War Armageddon this past year. Adeptus Titanicus and Battlefleet Gothic are coming down the pipe. But If there is something you can learn from FFG – it’s to go BROAD…
Take a look at those products up there and then think of these as well:
A CHEAP simple game of fighter to fighter combat… (space or atmospheric would be fine)
A dice-based card/deckbuilding game that is collectible and playable within 10 mins of buying it.
Would you Buy It?
GW knows how to do the miniatures and hobby side of things like no one else in the industry. But they have much less depth of experience and expertise as they leave that section of the industry. Now note that the tabletop miniatures sector of the industry is the smallest and the slowest growing. RPGs, Card Games, board games, and casual games all dwarf it in size and revenue.
I have a funny feeling that GW may wonder if the market is really there for their IP if they enter these markets.
If they build it – will they come?
So that’s the big question for you gamers – would you buy in?
If GW cranked out an Age of Sigmar RPG, or a 40K take on Dicemasters/Star Wars Destiny, or just a straight up CCG/LCG would you run for the hills, or give it a try?
As folks get into life and get married, have kids and life starts to take all your free time – there is something to be said for games that you can buy into and play easily. I’d be happy to get my Grimdark fix in a variety of shapes and sizes – some grad wargames that take a while to setup and play, and others I can play in 30 minutes.
~What about you?
