The walls! They're coming out of the god-damned walls!

[Megrim]

So yea, a Space Hulk has been released for the pc. The 1.0 build is fairly buggy and ctds on occasion. They have managed however, to keep the old-school difficulty of the game (afaik on the first few games i've played).

For those of you who don't know what Space Hulk is, the game is one of a few original Games Workshop ips which had been killed off years and years ago. It's turn-based, and revolves around controlling a squad (sometimes two) of heavily armoured Space Marine Terminators tasked with clearing Genestealer infestations in the narrow & claustrophobic confines of a space hulk (massive aeons-old wreck drifting through space). The game was quite notorious for it's difficulty, and much lamented for lack of further development.

[Morfiend]

Rad. I loved me some Space Hulk. Ill DL it when I get home.

[Strazos]

You meant Eons. But it's ok, because this game still sounds interesting.

[raydeen]

I have the original DOS version lying around somewhere. Never got the hang of it back in the day. Have to give the new one a try.

[Jain Zar]

Never has it been more painful to be a Mac user without Bootcamp currently running and active.   

[Azazel]

You'd better download it now regardless before GW shuts them down.

[Megrim]

Er, actually i think they have permission. So derp to you. =p

[Azazel]

You mean like on the screenshot that says "used without permission"?



actually, I think that means they don't have permission, but you know, derp yourself.

Thanks for the link though. Download it while you can.


On further inspection, the front of their webpage claims "Permitted to reuse content from <Games Workshop Logo> <EA Logo>" So who the fuck knows? They're stating both.

[Murgos]

You meant Eons. But it's ok, because this game still sounds interesting.

Pretty sure aeons is an acceptable alternate spelling.  Like colour and color.

[bhodi]

This game rocks.

I loved the tabletop version, but sadly I have lost all my skills. I don't think I've completed any of the missions on the first try.

[Riggswolfe]

the game is one of tons of original Games Workshop ips which had been killed off years and years ago.

Fixed it for you. GW is notorious for coming up with cool IPs and games and then killing them unless they sell tons and tons of minis.

[Azazel]

One thing stopping them from re-releasing Spacehulk is the game cost. Or the potential cost.

As their plastics have become better and better, their prices have shot up like the space shuttle heading into orbit.

Now, even if we assumed that SH would reuse the Same Terminators from the last edition, which were decent, though not a touch on the newest multipart versions of the models, the fact is that they don't want to be "giving" terminator marines away "cheap". It'd also require about 20 Genestealers, which is not so much an issue. They could easily recycle the Battle of Macragge figures for that.

Using the GWUS site, and $US for the benefit of the majority here, a new boxed GW game is about $60-odd. So let's even assume $80 for Space Hulk. Space Hulk requires 10 Terminators.

But they'd much rather selll you this for $50


In a small lightweight box, no heavy jigsaw maps or rulebooks, no extra internal shipping costs for GW, and no Space Marine players taking the cheap way out on the two squads of terminators that GW wants to sell them. Yes, if SH led you to drop another $500 on random armies for the game, they'd eat the "loss", but as it stands, they won't because they feel (quite rightly) that it would pound sales of their Terminator figures.

[eldaec]

Now, even if we assumed that SH would reuse the Same Terminators from the last edition, which were decent, though not a touch on the newest multipart versions of the models, the fact is that they don't want to be "giving" terminator marines away "cheap". It'd also require about 20 Genestealers, which is not so much an issue. They could easily recycle the Battle of Macragge figures for that.

Or they could just issue a SH edition with models that are the wrong size for 40k.

They won't of course, because GW stopped being a games company long ago, and became exclusively a stupid pewter model company.

Hmm, how's that working out for them?

[Azazel]

Did well for awhile. Less good at the moment.

With BloodBowl and Talisman moving to XBLA, I think it's just a matter of time before SH and.. um.. well, SH gets ported to there as well.


Games like BFG and ManOWar, along with Necromunda/Mordheim/Inquisitor/GorkaMorka don't lend themselves nearly as easily to a simple accurate port.

[Mazakiel]

And actually, aren't most of their models plastic anymore?  That's the impression I've been given, at least. 

[Moaner]

I played the shit out of Space Hulk growing up.  I still have the board game and me and a buddy still play a couple times a year.  I can't fucking wait until I have a day off to play this.

[Jain Zar]

And actually, aren't most of their models plastic anymore?  That's the impression I've been given, at least. 

Yep.  And those marine Terminators?  50 bucks.  For 1 1/2 inch tall unpainted, unassembled bits of plastic.

VVVVV
Because computer games are all moronic real time shit, and having actual toy soldiers and having to know rules and socialize with real people beats clicking a mouse or control pad any day?

[Aez]

But they'd much rather selll you this for $50


In a small lightweight box, no heavy jigsaw maps or rulebooks, no extra internal shipping costs for GW, and no Space Marine players taking the cheap way out on the two squads of terminators that GW wants to sell them. Yes, if SH led you to drop another $500 on random armies for the game, they'd eat the "loss", but as it stands, they won't because they feel (quite rightly) that it would pound sales of their Terminator figures.

Is the price really that stupid now? I'm guessing they're not even painted.  Holy shit.

Why would anyone play this game over a good PC strategy game? 

[Azazel]

Here's a page with box breakdown.

I also have the board game of Space Hulk (1st edition, oldskool4reals  ).

You can still put yourself a set together, there are quite a few tile sets on the net you can print and stick down to card, the rule books are accessable, and of course the minis are something you can easily buy. You'll have to mod your own dice and make up some blip counters but its all doable reasonably easily.

But yes, that's the real price, multi-part plastic models. They're actually really nice models and fantastic figures once painted and assembled. They're just horrifically overpriced.

Jain has a good point about the socialbility of tabletop games, ut at the same time you gotta undeerstand Aez' question. Besides, there's lots of other more reasonably-priced miniatures games that you can get just as much fun out of as anything by GW. And usually occasionally much cheaper.

[eldaec]

. Besides, there's lots of other more reasonably-priced miniatures games that you can get just as much fun out of as anything by GW.

QFT. Especially since GW stopped giving a fuck about game mechanics long ago.

They believe that slightly fancier minatures and their awesome-for-reals IP ("omg generic fantasy races only they are all nazis") is a licence to print money forever. They are wrong, which is why their sales numbers continue to tank.

[Jain Zar]

Their usual answer to declining sales has been to raise prices.  Which piled on a game system that was out of date before it was even released doesn't really lend itself to getting people to buy into the game.

I've already mentioned I am getting into AT 43 and I am very likely to get into Hell Dorado once it gets an English rulesbook.  The figures are fantastic, and the concept rocks out.  Spanish Conquistadors and others vs demons from Hell.

Lots of companies are eating into GW's marketshare.  The collectible minis games, Warmachine, AT 43, Flames of War.

GW doesn't seem to care.  They just want the junior high school kids who they want to leave before they hit puberty.  I've maybe seen 2 kids ever playing GW games.  Most people are college aged and later, at least here in the US.  Hell, I have played against 2 Vietnam vets.

They don't care if we long time players leave since we won't whine about prices or rules or anything.  However, an active gamegroup gets games sold.  If people were actively playing AT 43 in my area I would have a full UNA army, and would probably be working on the Therians, then Red Blok.  Of course back in the late 90s the early competitors couldn't match the popularity or had shitty rules.  I thought Chronopia was kickass, but nobody played it.  Clan War had a small following, the problem was the gameplay sucked worse than even GW's broken army construction in 5th WHFB and 2nd 40K made those games.  And the L5R storyline rocked out to that point.

Hell, if there were more active players I would have a 1000 point Warmachine army instead of my teeny 500 point force whose only variation is in Warcaster.  (Goreshade or Skarre.  Goreshade summons a kickass unit for free, Skarre has THE GREAT RACK which knocks everything over in a hilariously annoying fashion.)

40K is active so I play it the most since my gamegroup has too many other games to play. 

GW is finally reaping what they sowed.

[JWIV]

Their usual answer to declining sales has been to raise prices.  Which piled on a game system that was out of date before it was even released doesn't really lend itself to getting people to buy into the game.

I've already mentioned I am getting into AT 43 and I am very likely to get into Hell Dorado once it gets an English rulesbook.  The figures are fantastic, and the concept rocks out.  Spanish Conquistadors and others vs demons from Hell.

Yep - I just picked up Operation Damocles for AT-43 myself and it's nice.   I doubt I'll ever actually get away from WHFB though,   I like rank and file with huge blocks of infantry way too much.

[Jeff Kelly]

Funny, over there in the W40K RP thread I kept getting flamed for bringing up GWs shortcomings.

Somewhere in between 2nd ed. and 3rd ed. of WHFB they changed their business model from making great playable complex games to selling many pewter minis. They dumbed down the rules, made the game more 'acessible' made everything more colorful and raised the prices.

[HaemishM]

I thought Chronopia was kickass, but nobody played it.

Holy shit, I remember that system name, but can't remember a damn thing about it. I don't even think we ever played it.

Clan War had a small following, the problem was the gameplay sucked worse than even GW's broken army construction in 5th WHFB and 2nd 40K made those games.  And the L5R storyline rocked out to that point.

The L5R CCG was awesome. The miniature game had some decent minis and some really really shitty rules. We played it once and never looked at it again. If you had assloads of archers and ranged attacks, you win.

[Jain Zar]

I thought Chronopia was kickass, but nobody played it.

Holy shit, I remember that system name, but can't remember a damn thing about it. I don't even think we ever played it.

Clan War had a small following, the problem was the gameplay sucked worse than even GW's broken army construction in 5th WHFB and 2nd 40K made those games.  And the L5R storyline rocked out to that point.

The L5R CCG was awesome. The miniature game had some decent minis and some really really shitty rules. We played it once and never looked at it again. If you had assloads of archers and ranged attacks, you win.

I was mostly killed by magic and herohappy duel nonsense.   It didn't reward mass armies or anything like that.  It was like Warhammer Fantasy 4-5th edition without warmachines but with semicollectable cards you needed to play anything effectively.
A regiment without a character costing more than the unit was effectively WORTHLESS.