[Desolatemm]

READ THIS FIRST

Rules:
~NEW GW Codex Books ONLY. Purchased from GW directly or a supplier.
~Real Codex Books ONLY
~Purchase in the past 5 years ONLY
~40k and/or Fantasy
~NO FW/IA Books as pricing differs.
~If you have really bought over 10 codices in the past 5 years, just vote 10 as it will not dramatically effect the average (I have tested).

Simple poll based on this thread HERE

How many 40K or Fantasy Codices have you purchased new, from GW or a supplier, in the past 5 years?

I will assume everyone has bought 1 rulebook, regardless if some people have bought fantasy, 40k, and LotR or any combination or none. Not everyone has a BRB, so using 1 rulebook should be sufficient.

counting from 0-10 because I had not originally factored in fantasy. If you have purchased more than 10 codices, please just choose 10. The focus zone is the average which will fall between 0-10.

For my own curiosity based on this idea:

I think a very different and interesting approach would be as follows:
1) Make all content digital
2) Develop an app for major OS (Apple, Windows, Android)
3) Make ALL digital content FREE, but...
4) Charge a monthly fee for access to ALL the content.

How often do we buy a codex? Personally, I have bought 2 codex and one rule book in the past 5 years. That's about $130 in book content. so $26 a year from me. I know a lot of people change armies more frequently and might get more (or A LOT more) books than I have, but thats not really the point of this. Lets say you spend twice as much as I have, so lets round to $50 a year on book content. What if GW had this service and charged... $5 a month for access to start. That's already $60 a year and over twice what I give them for books. But you do get more, ALL of the GW content for no additional price including future updates, releases, additions, etc. The fee would have to account for development of future GW content and the development/maintenance of the application itself. It may seem silly, but I don't know a single person that I game with that buys more than 1 codex a year, if any at all. Like I said before though, everyone is different. The flat fee for all content would average it out because some people would be spending less and some people would be spending more on a year-to-year basis.

Now what type of good things does this do for GW? Well, other than getting more money from me a year, it would help build and strengthen the community. New-comers would be able to catch-up on all the fluff quickly because all of the information is available to them. GW can upload other content like a newsletter and daily/weekly articles. They can make additions to content like they currently make in White Dwarf. It could evolve into a social media where gamers can stay in touch and organize events with their local stores. Event calendars can be created. You could have profiles and status when your available for a challenge. With all content being available, it is more likely that person would become interested in a new army. It would become more attractive for people to build a lot of smaller armies and then expand on the ones they like the most. All you would have to get is the models. No shipping, no international pricing or related taxes, less material used for physical books, greener company.

The variable could always differ. Maybe $10 a month. Maybe $5 a month and cheap addition costs per piece of content (like $5 for a codex).

To clarify again: this would be content accessed through an account and an application. Downloads would have to be a secure format (not PDF or something universal) and they would not go onto your device as individual files. The download would be attached to your account and only accessed through your account. This could be an online/offline application that required internet access to download/update content and access the community areas, but then the downloads would be available through the program offline just like Itunes, Amazon, Blockbuster, Kindle, etc.

Its not Itunes, its WarDocs.

This would be my dream community for GW because it makes it easy for players, easy for GW to update and release content, and it will help the community grow.

Sorry if it feels like I was rushing, because I was. Too many ideas flowing through my brain and I had to get them down. So please don't bash all the details, just think of the big picture of such a service.

...I strongly believe it would flatten out into a profit. Then the people who usually buy EVERY codex would be happy and get their content for a better price. Meanwhile a new-comer would have access to every armies rules and fluff and get into the hobby and the game much easier. You can can learn the rules for the different armies and that would facilitate faster and smoother games for new comers.

Last updated 6-15-2012
Average dollars spent per year on Codices ($33 each) and one rulebook ($60) over the 5 year period:

92 Votes $40.12 per year

Average amount of codices purchased per person: 4.26 in 5 years

 

[Da Joka]

I started playing about 3 years ago. I've bought The both the Ork Codex, and Necron Codex.

I technically I could say 3 Codices, because I have the old Necron one, but I bought that off the person I bought the lot of my Necrons from... and assumed you mean how many from GW

 

[Desolatemm]

... and assumed you mean how many from GW

Yes, this is dealing strictly with money given to GW in some way. Either to GW directly or through a supplier.

 

[TheKingElessar]

Damn, I counted one bought second-hand. Sorry. Taking it to 5 years, instead of the 4 discussed in previous thread means I add the Orks, Eldar and CSM Codexes to my previous tally. I erroneously added my second-hand Dark Angels Codex too - but since I omitted a friend's Dark Eldar Codex that I got in a trade, and of course the Sisters (in hindsight, I also bought the old Nids book about 6 months before it went out, so I bought well over ten from all sources in the last 5 years.)

 

[Desolatemm]

No problem, I wasn't completely clear starting out. Counting all Codices regardless of the source would be a "worst case". Although it is not the desired statistic, it doesn't really hurt the numbers that much. Lets try to keep it to brand new, straight from the store, never pre-owned. Basically how much money from our wallets is going to GW for their written content.

 

[Grogbart]

Started playing 4 years ago, playing Sisters of Battle, so NONE!
Why? Because there've never been any for me to buy!!!

But I had three different Versions of the Witch Hunters PDF Dex since then, here in Germany and I had the change to buy two White Dwarfs to get me a Sisters of Battle WDex, but I hesitated a bit too long and now it's no longer available!

 

[spanner94ezekiel]

Bought 1 back in 2005/6, and then none since, though I've inherited or purchased the rest from various other sources, including all the supplements like Apocalypse and Imperial Armour.

 

[TheKingElessar]

Started playing 4 years ago, playing Sisters of Battle, so NONE!
Why? Because there've never been any for me to buy!!!

But I had three different Versions of the Witch Hunters PDF Dex since then, here in Germany and I had the change to buy two White Dwarfs to get me a Sisters of Battle WDex, but I hesitated a bit too long and now it's no longer available!

Issue 380 is still available in English, but it has only the *ahem* "fluff" and bestiary sections, not the Army List.

 

[Zion]

11 Codexes (12 if you count the Sisters WD one), 2 BRBs (40K and Fantasy) and 6 Army books for Fantasy.

I like collecting them to understand how other armies play and what they bring to the table, as well as what kind of fluff they've got.

 

[Desolatemm]

Hadn't thought about Fantasy, but it certainly counts.

 

[Tim/Steve]

Hmmm, 5 years... that's a harsh one. Lets see:

SW
Nids
Space Marines
Ogres
Wood Elves
High Elves
Chaos Daemons
Necrons
Nids 5th
Ogres 8th
Daemons of Chaos
Imperial Guard
CSM
Lizardmen
Necrons 5th
Orcs & Goblins

(in more or less the right order too)

... there doesn't seem to be an option for 16. Weird.
Then again if your talking about money spent I did buy a few of those while a staff member, which is always nice.

As for rulebooks- 4th and 5th hardbacks for 40k, 8th hardback for WFB. I got all my mini-BRBs from eBay, so GW get nothing for them (I refuse to carry and damage the huge ones, and certainly don't want the starter kits).

 

[HOBO]

Personally only bought IG, DA and SM Codices, but within the Gaming Group I belong to we have all of them....either because the armies are collected by members, or just so we know the in's and out's of an army.

The Group do the same for the Fantasy range, and I also personally bought OK, Dwarfs, and the FW Chaos Dwarfs so needed to buy the Tamurkhan book.

And the Rulebooks of course...4th/5th Ed 40K, WFB 8th Ed.

 

[Katie Drake]

All of the ones pertaining to 40K, including Necrons. That includes non-Forge World supplements too, so Battle Missions and so on.

 

[Jace of Ultramar]

So far, 3 Codicies and 1 BRB. I bought AoBR and the Marine 'dex at one time, eventually bought the Dark Angels book because someone gifted me a Ravenwing battleforce, and finally bought the Necrons book because of the "shiny" factor at the time. However, I have traded off the 'Crons 'dex and use the Dark Angels for my own chapter's 'dex.

 

[kain1989]

It's suprising how they add up. of the armies I actually have, I have orks, eldar, tomb kings, and wood elves. Then I still have a grey knights, space wolves, and space marines. I like to keep codexes, even old ones, I think it's really fun to read old rules and fluff on a slow day.

I buy them retail because I have an excellent local gw. The manager is a credit to games-workshop, and I'd rather spend a few extra dollars and support him.

 

[Sothot]

5th BRB, and New Necrons. I purchased Oldcrons more than five years ago

 

[Codex Todd]

Ok I hit 10, purely because I buy every Codex as soon as it hits the shelf, I own every single codex ever released so far Missing several Rogue trader books though

 

[MetalHandkerchief]

$0. (Got the BRB in a used AoBR box)

If I could get a printable digital format of all codices I would easily pay $100 for permanent access.

 

[Madden]

All of them except tomb kings and latest empire(which is to come for my son) I'm not sure eldar is that recent but I don't have that one either. The reason is simple I've been at this for 2 decades and have all the armies except brets, eldar and now tomb kings which got added to my vamps. As for the future fantasy is on hold and won't be restarted any time soon due to reduced points and increased prices, shame really as I love fantasy.

 

[Arcane]

does WD SoB count lol