[Baron Spikey]

If it had been made by an American Company rather than a British one?

I always imagine the British mind set to be rather more cynical and bitter than the, in comparison, naively optimistic American one (though some of the yanks on Heresy are bitter as hell).

How do you think those cultural differences would have affected the development of the 40k universe/game? Do you think there would have been any differences, or even that my summary of the national mind sets is wildly off?

 

[bitsandkits]

It would have disappeared by now for starters, I dont know if is stereotype but i get the feeling the american public suffers from short attention spans, plus i think it would have been a game to make a fast buck and then move on to the next thing.
One of GW's strenghts (and some would say weaknesses) in my eyes is that they take things slowly and release new stuff all the time because they understand the collecting side of the hobby, i think if it had been an american company( or anyone else for that matter) it would have been like "BAM here's 40k and everything that goes with it,thanks for the cash see you later suckers"

 

[Davidicus 40k]

It would have disappeared by now for starters, I dont know if is stereotype but i get the feeling the american public suffers from short attention spans, plus i think it would have been a game to make a fast buck and then move on to the next thing.
One of GW's strenghts (and some would say weaknesses) in my eyes is that they take things slowly and release new stuff all the time because they understand the collecting side of the hobby, i think if it had been an american company( or anyone else for that matter) it would have been like "BAM here's 40k and everything that goes with it,thanks for the cash see you later suckers"

There's no guarantee of that, but it's possible, yeah. Not like America hasn't produced any good IPs, but this is a bit different.

If it was produced by an American company, I think it would've gotten slammed for "intolerance, slavery, lack of humanity, xenophobia (literally)," and God-knows-what-else. I don't think it would've been shut down or anything, but if it got really popular, it'd probably be attacked and boycotted by whiny children (that's what I think of them). Most people wouldn't care, as is the case now, but God help us if it started appealing to "children" (anywhere from 10-16 year olds). There would be quite the uproar.

I'm American, though, and I love the Warhammer world. How popular is it in England? I know that's where it started, but I don't think it's much different than in the States. Some people like it, but the majority know little or nothing about it.

 

[HOBO]

An American Company would certainly have dropped the least performing Armies, based on Sales performance. We wouldn't see any of the Inquisitions, Necrons, hell probably nothing other than SM/CSM...in other words the Battlefield Background of 40K wouldn't survive the battlefield that is the American Corporation's weekly Sales Management meetings.

 

[Tim/Steve]

I think that it would be unlikely to be as bleak as it is- sure its the far future but the fact that everyone's fighting pretty much everyone else, there is no 'good' race as such and that the imperium is actually just about the worst, cruelest systems of government ever to be conceived has got to be a reflection of the deprevation and discontentment of the north of England back when GW was first formed...
... scary thought- is Maggy Thatcher the real life version of the Emperor? *shudder* Now the whole corpse-god thing starts to make a lot more sense

EDIT- Im not sure we could say 'An American Company' would have done anything... remember that for a long time GW wasnt really a company as such, just a collection of gamers that happened to make and sell their own figures/rules; profit didnt seem to be the principle aim at one point.

In the UK 40k isnt exactly popular but most people will have heard of it and vaguely know what it is. It might be seen as geeky but I expect its the old dont know/dont care case of those that knows its xenophobic understand the 40k universe and dont care while those that would care dont know enough about the background to realise the level of intollerance out there (beond the 'lets fight' aspect of a wargame).
But either way racism isnt exactly a big problem in Britain, and even when it does raise its head its much more a eastern european (or previously indian/pakistani) view rather then the black/white/hispanic that TV tells me is the problem in the US (ah TV, my greatest teacher)... so skin colour is a much smaller part of it. Though on a related note a friend of mine did an arbited army with black criminals and white guards and thought it might be crossing a line... so he made the general black just to even it up a bit... bit of a prophetic soul that guy

 

[Marneus Calgar]

It would have been a lot more difficult to get "popular" or to get to a state where there is a store in most cities in the UK. Since some states are like bigger than the size of the UK, it would have been a lot more difficult due to costs etc.

 

[gen.ahab]

It would be vastly different.... I doubt it would have even lasted this long. I don't know if it would be more violent but I have an odd feeling it would be. TBF I don't think Americans are to terribly optimistic..... although we tend not to accept a no win situation.

 

[The Psyker]

What difference does it make? Its totally irrelevant weather or not 40K was created by an englishman or an american.

I find that this thread is dangerously close to kindling a flame war, all it takes is for some sixteen year old american or super patriot to creep on this thread and BAM! So if I were you I'd spare everyone the drama and quit making comparisons about UK Vs America.

We both have widely different cultures and its only going to start crap with the less mature members of the Heresy.

Thats just my opinion on this unnecessary thread.

Edit - I'm not trying to troll or bash on anyone. I just think Baron should have went about describing it differently.

But thats just me an my short "American Captialist" attention span.

 

[Baron Spikey]

Edit: in the end if this turns into a crap fest it'll be shut down and I might get a bollocking, but until then it's a friendly discussion with (hopefully) reasonable people- your concern has been noted though.

 

[The Psyker]

Thanks for misconstruing my words there Baron.

I didn't say any other content around here is irrelevant you just skimmed through my post and immediately saw that I was being a little critical. What I am trying to say is that this American Vs English crap is getting a little tired. We're all equal FREE men of the world, it doesn't matter who made what and who comes from where. As a moderator I'd have thought you'd put a little more thought into this thread, that is all I am saying.

So with that said I take leave of this thread.

 

[Baron Spikey]

I never suggested that I thought that if 40k was made by an American Company it would be worse, nor did I suggest that the sweeping generalisations that I applyed to my imagining of the American mind set were a bad thing (seriously I consider cynical and bitter to be worse than naively optimistic).

I merely asked what people thought would be different about the game.

 

[Blue Liger]

Easy Space Marines = Roger Ramjet, but in all seriousness (and I'm not saying this is a bad thing, it's a good thing just some take it too far) I think that the Space Marines would be more so patriotic than they are now and the colour scheme would probably be blue, white and red, which isn't to far off what they are anyway.

 

[Marneus Calgar]

All necrons would have the face of Arnold Swarzanegger , or however you spell his name xD

 

[Tzeen Qhayshek]

I honestly don't think what nation it started in makes any difference.

What mattered was that it was founded by veteran gamers with a vision. It could have been with anyone, really. If it was founded by some penny-pinching, CEO-over bonusing American corporation - yeah, certainly. As long as the beginnings of the company were the same, we would have the same outcome.

 

[Davidicus 40k]

Thanks for misconstruing my words there Baron.

I didn't say any other content around here is irrelevant you just skimmed through my post and immediately saw that I was being a little critical. What I am trying to say is that this American Vs English crap is getting a little tired. We're all equal FREE men of the world, it doesn't matter who made what and who comes from where. As a moderator I'd have thought you'd put a little more thought into this thread, that is all I am saying.

So with that said I take leave of this thread.

To think there's not a culture difference is insane, though. Americans and Brits are common men separated by a common language... among other things. I actually thought this thread would've provided some more insight into the British mindset - the first post already said they're more cynical, that's cool. I said Americans love to whine and complain about anything they don't like in my post, which is also true. What else?

It's not pointless, unless it does devolve into a flame war, but it might get some good discussion going. Which is what I believe Baron was aiming for.

 

[Wusword77]

Considering how old the game is, I doubt it would have made much of a difference, as it started around the time Table Top games were very popular in the US. Assuming the company lasted, in a similar matter to TSR (D&D), and Wizards of the Coast (D&D and MTG) it would still be alive and kicking.

Heck if it went the way of those companies we might see new models every couple years instead of decades :laugh:

 

[shaantitus]

I think Baron has asked a fair question. Look at the differences in the US/British film industry. I distinctly recall many old moves from the uk where the hero buy's it at the end. The us is a far more optomistic place and culture. The us is a place where if something isn't liked then voices are raised in protest. The uk is much more reserved. I think these traits would be evident in the games evolution. Stoic endurance is a very british trait.(WW1 anybody) And this is reflected in the genesis of 40k. (Imp guard.) If this game had been created in the US I think it would have been far more upbeat, more like the tau philosophy.
I take the point about the game being created by a bunch of gamers but they were from britan so i think the distinction stands.
I hope i have made sense and have not offended anyone as that was not my intention.

 

[LordofFenris]

All necrons would have the face of Arnold Swarzanegger , or however you spell his name xD

I saw this and ROTFL....."its not a tumah!":laugh:

Anyway. I agree with Baron and others. This is an excellent topic, as I have wondered the same thing myself. I also think the game would have been very different. I do believe it would have at least boycotted. The conservative groups have gone after all the role playing games in the past. A game with "daemons", they would be all over that. I also think the game would have been stripped to bare bones. No DH, no WH, no Dark Eldar, no Daemons. You see where this is going. I can back the American corporate way of thinking theory with a personal experience:

I used to play another mini game called Mage Knight. It was an excellent game created in the same way as Warhammer found its origins, just a couple of hardcore gamers wanting to make a mini game with the collectibility of a CCG. They were sold as pre-painted 6 figure boosters that were randomly filled with 1 rare(strong), 2 uncommon (Standard) and 3 commons(weak). Then the company went big beacuse Mage Knight was a hit. After releasing many expansions and setting up established fluff that was on par with other games, the company messed up. Corporate greed, now overseen by a Board, decided to expand out and pick up new lines. A few were awesome: Heroclix (Marvel, DC, Indy), Mechwarrior, and a few.....well not so much: Creepy Freaks, Shadowrun, Crimsion Skies, and MLB Clix (don't ask, sports don't do well as mini games). With SALES falling, the Board decided to relaunch Mage Knight as Mage Knight 2.0! It was bad: discarding rules, making older figures unplayable (some of which people like me paid alot of money for), and introducing styrene card "artifacts". Sales continued to drop. After allowing power creep to overpower the game, it finally broke. The company announced it was ceasing production of Mage Knight, to follow "the companies new core direction".....no more prize support, no more tourneys....ect, with that the original owners/designers left as well. After more dwindling sales, the Board decided the company was lost, and liquidated it, taking their sizable severance bonuses and heading out to ruin more American made games.

Point of my long story, is as someone else said. American corporations would have bought it, changed it when sales fell, and dumped it when it became unprofitable....

 

[humakt]

I think the general consesu is that it wont be around anymore, which is probably true.

The British cyncial? How very true If it was created by Americans I do think the marines would be more heroic, saving the day and making everything right in the universe and human kind would certainly not be facing extinction at every turn because there would be hope somewhere.

The current story line points towards the inevitable end of the human race as it is destroyed on all sides.

 

[shaantitus]

You put it so much better than i did.