Games Workshop Share Discussion Threads

[nod] 26/7/2015 11:01

YOU PROBABLY DON'T REALIZE HOW MANY WARHAMMER GAMES ARE CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENTReid GackeEditorial and FeaturedJuly 23, 2015I, like many people, have very little experience with Warhammer. I was never quite to the level of ignorance where I would accuse it of ripping off the Blizzard mainstay Warcraft (Warhammer was first released in 1983 and Warcraft in 1994) but my experience with the game's setting is limited to a short time playing the ill-fated (but actually pretty solid) MMO Warhammer Online and a very short stint with the excellent Dawn of War series.But the name Warhammer has been cropping up repeatedly over the past few months. I've always known the game has had a cult following (which I am totally prepared to admit that I've underestimated), but hot damn there are a lot of Warhammer games out there. Dawn of War, Dawn of War 2, Space Marine, Warhammer Online, Space Hulk: Ascension, Armageddon, Bloodbowl, Mordheim... the list goes on and on. According to the list of licensed products on Games Workshop's website (the creators of Warhammer), there are 22 franchises in the Warhammer video game line, to say nothing of expansions and sequels – Dawn of War has three expansions and a ton of DLC and the sequel has two expansions. All told, between Warhammer and Warhammer 40k, there's probably around 35 games in the franchise.That is a ton of games for one franchise.Far from slowing down, however, Games Workshop is still cranking out material for their classic fantasy and sci-fi franchises with a number of games recently released and still in the works and expected between soon and very soon. The list includes (*deep breath*): Warhammer 40k: Regicide, Battlefleet: Gothic Armada, Space Hulk: Deathwing, Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide, Warhammer 40k Inquisitor: Martyr, Eisenhorn: Xenos, Bloodbowl 2, Warhammer 40k: Dark Nexus Arena, and Warhammer 40k: Eternal Crusade.http://www.onlysp.com/warhammer-warhammer-never-changes/

[woozle1] 22/7/2015 17:11

Mozy123 .. I agree my son says he's sticking 8th edition but from a commercial point of view it seems that it needed something to get the topline moving again ..

[mozy123] 19/7/2015 17:54

Age of Sigmar appears to be like marmite. Tonnes of haters on the net - wishing they have warhammer 8th edition, but i have found other that love the simplified system.

[nod] 18/7/2015 05:21

A lengthy write-up in The Guardian Technology section:

Warhammer – a beginner's guide to the legendary battle game

It’s brought chaos to kitchen tables for over 30 years. With new update Age of Sigmar on the way, here’s what you need to know about the fantasy wargame

Friday 17 July 2015 10.55 BST

[nod] 15/7/2015 03:15

6 shares traded yesterday (a buy) and some folks think this is a dull company to be in.

[nod] 07/7/2015 05:07

Sega registers Dawn of War 3 website domain, sparks speculation of new sequelBy Rob Thubron on July 6, 2015A Dawn of War 3 website domain has been registered and updated by Sega, the parent company of Dawn of War developer Relic. The move could simply be Sega's way of securing the website in case it decides to bring the series back at a later date. But as the last major expansion for Dawn of War 2 was released in early 2011, the company may feel the time is right to reintroduce the series.Should Dawn of War 3 become a reality, it wouldn't be the only Sega title based in the Games Workshop universe; one of the company's subsidiaries, Creative Assembly, is currently working on Total War: Warhammer.

[nod] 05/7/2015 05:37

Games Workshop Reinvents Warhammerby Matt Miller on July 04, 2015Warhammer has always had an imposing barrier to entry. The long-running miniatures property has been around since the early 1980s, with a seemingly endless flow of new figures, rules, and lore to comprehend. And yet, the quality of those intricate figures and the strength of a thoughtfully fostered community of gamers has kept the franchise alive for decades, broadening out into novels, video games, and more. At Games Workshop, after all these years, the game's creators recently took a dramatic step, destroying the very world the game is based on. I recently visited with Games Workshop to learn what comes next, and the ways in which Warhammer is seeing its biggest reinvention ever in the Age of Sigmar.I have a special perspective on Warhammer, but not one that is unique. As a longtime video game and tabletop game player, I've brushed against knowledge of Warhammer for years, but I've never fully embraced the title. I play other miniature-based experiences, and I've had my fair share of time running around in video game versions of the Warhammer universe. But like many fellow gamers, Warhammer has always seemed prohibitive. The long history of the fiction seems convoluted, the rules require a deep dedication, and the craft involved in preparing and painting the unpainted models is incredibly time and money intensive. Games Workshop has a big challenge in front of it if it hopes to draw in players like myself, while simultaneously maintaining the enthusiasm of its devoted community of fans. The studio's proposed solution is on the way later this month, with pre-orders opening today. Warhammer: Age of Sigmar represents the biggest fundamental change to the fantasy miniatures wargame that its creators have ever attempted. While Age of Sigmar is a fresh jumping on point, it has its roots in the game's most recent major storyline, The End Times. Within novels and game supplements, and over the course of many months, Games Workshop unfolded the apocalypse of its own world. Massive armies collided, magic was unleashed, and in the end, the Warhammer world was utterly destroyed.lots more comment ...http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/07/04/7551965.aspxEnds with author's conclusionAs a longtime member of various fan communities, I recognize the challenge that Games Workshop faces in attempting such a broad-reaching reinvention of its signature property. As a rule, established fans are suspicious of change, and they are often even more wary if that change is a move towards what seems like simplification. As an outside observer to the devoted Warhammer fan community, I can't speak to whether Age of Sigmar maintains what fans love about the franchise. But my perspective also tells me that this is the first time in a long time that I feel like I could join in on the fun and share in the hobby. Moreover, the new game seems tactically engaging, narrative-rich, and visually striking. I'm thrilled to see Games Workshop take such a brave leap; now it only remains to be seen whether its community will also make the jump.

[nod] 13/6/2015 01:07

Ruffer LLP owns over 10% of GAW.As at 30 April 2015, institutional clients account for £9.9 billion of Ruffer's £18.6 billion of assets under management.It's worth having a read of Ruffer's interesting thoughts and quarterly reviews. He writes in an entertaining way - no wonder he likes GAW.http://www.ruffer.co.uk/#ruffer/who-we-are/review-archive/27

[woozle1] 09/6/2015 13:44

But for the fx movements, there would have been been modest sales growth. Huge operating leverage in the business and this would have translated into more meaningful earnings growth. As the FX unwinds, we should start to get some decent revenue growth over the next 12 months and the stock'll get rerated. In the meantime, we'll get 7% at least (but probably more as they pay out excess cashflow). We're being paid to wait and I'm happy with that.
W

[nod] 08/6/2015 13:46

There is very little market reaction to the RNS. Maybe the trading information was leaked on Thursday when volume spiked and the share price fell a bit.It looks as though the impact is over and most holders are hanging in for the divis.

[essentialinvestor] 08/6/2015 12:44

Nod, fair comment, I'm not known for my optimism.

Taking out costs is arguably the easier part,
the streamlined operation has to ultimately drive sales volume.

Jury still out for me (just IMV), however the statement could have been far worse.

Back to listening to The Smiths )

[nod] 08/6/2015 12:39

EI, that 5% is sales rather than profits. Hopefully the intended operational savings of the changes will leave profits intact.GAW points out that the decline in sales was in "non-core" which is reported in core (maybe they could have separated these for us as they obviously know the numbers?)Hopefully the non-core decline has ended, otherwise they should inform shareholders openly that there is probably/possibly more declines to come. They imply the decline has likely ended but that is not made totally clear either way.The new CEO is perhaps not going to be as blunt as the old CEO.

[essentialinvestor] 08/6/2015 07:54

Is retail c.5% small?

[nod] 08/6/2015 07:53

It is a worry that the restructuring changes made a year ago are still having a negative impact, albeit small. If the changes were good ones you would expect to see the benefits well inside 12 months.

[nod] 08/6/2015 07:47

Following the close of its 2014/15 financial year Games Workshop provides the following trading highlights:We expect the Group's profit for the year to 31 May 2015 to be broadly in line with market expectations.Over the year we have seen modest sales growth, at constant currency, in our core trade and mail order channels. We saw a small decline in our own stores due to continued difficult trading in Continental Europe following our restructuring last year. We saw expected declines in some non-core activities that are grouped with core activities in our reporting. The effect of these non-core activities and the continuing effects of unfavourable exchange rates mean that our reported sales are likely to show small declines in retail (c.5%) and trade (c.3%). Mail order growth was c.5%.We will provide full and detailed information, including the effects of adverse exchange rates, at the time of our results announcement on 28 July 2015.

[nod] 26/5/2015 22:42

Hi Mozy, I agree. GAW is not going to make us rich unless you have a a few million shares, which means you are already rich. There is plenty of scope for a good increase in the share price though.The forward PE is modest at 12.4 and the divi is excellent at around 7%. This keeps the institutions interested. It is hard to find above 5% in today's market. As the EBIT settles down after all the restructuring then investors will come back for the divis.Now that Tom has retired there is a strong possibility of a takeover by a toy manufacturer or an equity fund. There is huge potential to grow global sales by cutting prices 33%. A company with a similar business could make economies of scale; retain the game innovators but merge the production, marketing and sales. A buyer could easily wreck the business but that will make no difference to current shareholders.

[mozy123] 26/5/2015 13:11

Cheers for the info Nod IMO this is a bond type stock with limited revenue growth moving forward. Moderate eps growth due to managment initiatives.

ROCE and cash gen is good along with divi's and rating isnt very demanding.

It wont make you rich this stock, unless they break into Chinese markets significantly, but a great business which will be around for many years to come throwing off cash.

It aint your typical peter lynch growth stock but looks good value at present.

[nod] 23/5/2015 06:27

Games Workshop GroupGoblin emporium Games Workshop (LSE: GAW) is one of the leading chargers in Friday trade and was recently up 3.6% on the day. And with good reason, in my opinion, as the gamesmaker's painful cost-cutting measures paves the way for solid earnings growth. The company's products have a fierce following amongst fantasy lovers the world over, and with Games Workshop stepping up new product roll-outs I reckon the stage is set for revenues to gallop higher.This view is shared by the City, and analysts expect the business to follow an 8% earnings rise in the year concluding May 2015 with extra advances in the region of 6% and 5% in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Consequently Games Workshop changes hands on a P/E rating of 12.4 times for the forthcoming year - comfortably below the value threshold of 15 times - and which drops to 11.8 times in 2017.But it is in the dividend stakes where the niche gamebuilder really sets itself apart, and Games Workshop's terrific cash generation is expected to drive an estimated payment of 32p per share for fiscal 2015 to 35p in 2016, and again to 40p the following year. As a result the company boasts enormous yields of 6.9% and 7.8% for 2016 and 2017 respectively.The Motley Fool - Friday 22 May 2015

[nod] 24/3/2015 21:12

Yes, nasty. Fairly small volume so I don't think it will be a leak of bad news. Time will tell.

[mozy123] 24/3/2015 20:48

Nasty fall today - any news?

[srpactive] 19/2/2015 10:30

That is why the mm's pushed the bid higher for a nano second yesterday
to force buyers to pay for the dividend through a false bid price.
The mm's just get sneakier by the minute.

[essentialinvestor] 19/2/2015 10:19

Last day to buy today before the ex date?.

Edit - ignore it's today is the ex.

[nod] 19/2/2015 08:56

Above is link is GAWs licensed products - video games, board games and card games

[nod] 19/2/2015 08:51

Chainsaw Warrior: Lords of the Night Released on Steam, Screens/Video UnveiledNews > Screenshots 19:09 Feb 18th, 2015 - 440 ViewsBased on the 1987 Games Workshop classic, a battle vs zombies cultists & timeBristol based indie developer Auroch Digital has announced that Chainsaw Warrior: Lords of the Night, the sequel to their 2013 adaptation of the cult Games Workshop board game Chainsaw Warrior, is out now via Steam. Chainsaw Warrior: Lords of the Night, sees players once again fighting against the clock as they battle through decks of deadly traps and fierce creatures.Lords of the Night introduces an upgraded combat system, new weapons, upgrades, powers and equipment, unique mini bosses that require careful tactics to defeat, three new zones to fight through and an even tougher confrontation with the enigmatic Darkness than ever before.Twelve screenshots and a video are also available.http://store.steampowered.com/app/251710/