I went to this Games Day with my dad and brother. Absolutely blew my young mind. The Bretonnian Lizardman Siege of Antioch display was a sight to behold.
As a supplier to GW I visited the studios in 1996, they were just below Nottingham Castle in the city centre, I saw the ‘Heavy Metal’ crew painting up some of the more detailed pieces. The shops contributed most of the painted miniatures. GW don’t do this sort of thing on this scale anymore. It’s not profitable to use your stock, or staff time for customer displays and customer satisfaction 😂😂😂
I was a designer and supplier to GW ‘Cardinal Designs’. I had a display table in the Black Library (Newly introduced that year by Andy Jones, who I dealt with!!) section in 1996 and the suppliers section in 1997. I produced two card buildings, a medieval ‘Empire’ house and two ‘Ork’ buildings for 40k. My brother in law (at that time!!) played guitar in ‘a band called ‘Wraith’, a heavy rock band sponsored by Games Workshop. Interesting times especially as it marks the move from Nottingham city centre studios and Eastwood production sites over to the old Gas works building where they are now. I was lucky enough to visit all three sites. 👍 pS: I obviously have copies of the 96 and 97 magazines.
As a supplier to GW I visited the studios in 1996, they were just below Nottingham Castle in the city centre, I saw the ‘Heavy Metal’ crew painting up some of the more detailed pieces. The shops contributed most of the painted miniatures. GW don’t do this sort of thing on this scale anymore. It’s not profitable to use your stock, or staff time for customer displays and customer satisfaction 😂😂😂
I went to this one. I remember Black Library having a Terminator helmet and Storm Bolter, in a case... possibly with a little linked camera-targetter linking the two. I think the only thing I bought on the day was the 'New' Ahriman model.
The absolute Hay Day of the hobby in my mind (I was only 15 or 16) as a pure fantasy fan. This Slayer art and the 5th Ed Bret cover are still a couple unsurpassed relics of this period.
It’s not just you being sentimental, in my humble opinion, there are several reasons it was literally the hay day of Games Workshop. Being a supplier in 1996 I had an inside view of the company. The first reason has to do with metal miniatures. In 1995/6 GW had to remove all lead from its metal products for safety reasons. The replacement alloys all melted and poured at higher temperatures than lead. They literally burned out the vulcanised rubber moulds 50% quicker!! This was the beginning of the end for ALL GW metal miniatures 😢 Secondly, the original founders and owners were in the process of selling their shares in the company. The staff ethos up to 1997 was that you had to be a fanatical games workshop hobbyist to be employed there, yes even in accounts!! After 1997 with the original founders gone the accountants moved in and started running the company. By 2000 many employees in admin roles knew absolutely nothing about Orks or Orks or what the difference in spelling meant!! 😮 Thirdly, the manufacturing facility at Eastwood, and the really lovely and amazing city centre studios which sat under Castlerock in the shadow of Nottingham Castle were both moved to the old Gas works on Lenton lane where they are now. A building with as much character as a cardboard box 😮 Fourthly, the battle for Antioch Plains at Games Day 1996 marked the end of Hyper displays that every single person in Games workshop could contribute to (indeed they were expected to paint up miniatures for the big games day displays). After 1997, many new employees in accounts didn’t know one end of a paint brush from the other!! 😮😮😮 There may well be other factors woven into 1995-97 that spelt the end of GW’s love of its customers and cuddling them to its bosom, however, I think these are probably the main four reasons as GW transformed from a hobby enthusiast supplier to a profit orientated, value added plastic and card retailer 😮😮😮🇬🇧
It’s not just being sentimental, in my humble opinion, there are several reasons 1996 was literally the hay day of Games Workshop. Being a supplier in 1996 I had an inside view of the company. The first reason has to do with metal miniatures. In 1995/6 GW had to remove all lead from its metal products for safety reasons. The replacement alloys all melted and poured at higher temperatures than lead. They literally burned out the vulcanised rubber moulds 50% quicker!! This was the beginning of the end for ALL GW metal miniatures 😢 Secondly, the original founders and owners were in the process of selling their shares in the company. The staff ethos up to 1997 was that you had to be a fanatical games workshop hobbyist to be employed there, yes even in accounts!! After 1997 with the original founders gone the accountants moved in and started running the company. By 2000 many employees in admin roles knew absolutely nothing about Orks orOrcs or what the difference in spelling meant!! 😮 Thirdly, the manufacturing facility at Eastwood, and the really lovely and amazing city centre studios which sat under Castlerock in the shadow of Nottingham Castle were both moved to the old Gas works on Lenton lane where they are now. A building with as much character as a cardboard box 😮 Fourthly, the battle for Antioch Plains at Games Day 1996 marked the end of Hyper displays that every single person in Games workshop could contribute to (indeed they were expected to paint up miniatures for the big games day displays). After 1997, many new employees in accounts didn’t know one end of a paint brush from the other!! 😮😮😮 There may well be other factors woven into 1995-97 that spelt the end of GW’s love of its customers and cuddling them to its bosom, however, I think these are probably the main four reasons as GW transformed from a hobby enthusiast supplier to a profit orientated, value added plastic and card retailer 😮😮😮🇬🇧
Fantastic stuff. I really feel like I missed out on these times. Happy to vicariously live through others to enjoy it though. I have read the Marco Story bit and it's a good read. I think they carried on with that many White Dwarfs later with a 4 part Tale of Four Gamers, where they ran some Dogs of War units as pillagers through Lustria. Thanks for the video mate
I’m so sorry to plaster you’re fantastic video with my ramblings! However, I’ve thought of another interesting fact, Brian May is a Role Playing, Dungeons and Dragons Games Workshop enthusiast. Brian was at Games day 1996, I know this for a fact because he stopped at my display table and looked at my prototype models. I was speechless 😮😮😮
I had always thought the same but I was corrected in this as it was his son that was interested in GW and he was just tagging along. That’s what I heard anyway. That’s so cool that you got to meet him in person on the day though.
I wonder if Marco Columbo is the same character featured in the Lizardman army book fluff, or if the stories are related. Definitely a good idea to get Lewis to read it!
Back in the day when bases were flocked and painted goblin green. - long before the Base fetish took over. I've seen people who painted minis for tabletop gaming and the comments are full of people complaining about the bases - Who gives a monkeys about the base - unless your painting but not playing. I don't care about the bases. I've seen some unboxings where they spend nearly 10 minutes on the plan black bases or they get grumpy comments from the audience for not focusing on the bases - these bases were GW normal standard which everyone knows. They must wack themselves off over bases 😂. I remember one reviewer saying he did a review once and people were more interested in the bases than the actual miniature 😂
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I went to this Games Day with my dad and brother. Absolutely blew my young mind. The Bretonnian Lizardman Siege of Antioch display was a sight to behold.
That’s an awesome piece of history shared. Thanks Darren
As a supplier to GW I visited the studios in 1996, they were just below Nottingham Castle in the city centre, I saw the ‘Heavy Metal’ crew painting up some of the more detailed pieces. The shops contributed most of the painted miniatures. GW don’t do this sort of thing on this scale anymore. It’s not profitable to use your stock, or staff time for customer displays and customer satisfaction 😂😂😂
I was a designer and supplier to GW ‘Cardinal Designs’. I had a display table in the Black Library (Newly introduced that year by Andy Jones, who I dealt with!!) section in 1996 and the suppliers section in 1997. I produced two card buildings, a medieval ‘Empire’ house and two ‘Ork’ buildings for 40k. My brother in law (at that time!!) played guitar in ‘a band called ‘Wraith’, a heavy rock band sponsored by Games Workshop. Interesting times especially as it marks the move from Nottingham city centre studios and Eastwood production sites over to the old Gas works building where they are now. I was lucky enough to visit all three sites. 👍 pS: I obviously have copies of the 96 and 97 magazines.
As a supplier to GW I visited the studios in 1996, they were just below Nottingham Castle in the city centre, I saw the ‘Heavy Metal’ crew painting up some of the more detailed pieces. The shops contributed most of the painted miniatures. GW don’t do this sort of thing on this scale anymore. It’s not profitable to use your stock, or staff time for customer displays and customer satisfaction 😂😂😂
My first Games Day. I wore the T-shirt until it fell apart. I wish I could get another
Classic , would of been 9 back then, really love these old magazine look throughs.
To me those golden demon epic armies remain the best visual representation of an epic army. Big company block, support and a titan towering over it.
I went to this one. I remember Black Library having a Terminator helmet and Storm Bolter, in a case... possibly with a little linked camera-targetter linking the two. I think the only thing I bought on the day was the 'New' Ahriman model.
The absolute Hay Day of the hobby in my mind (I was only 15 or 16) as a pure fantasy fan. This Slayer art and the 5th Ed Bret cover are still a couple unsurpassed relics of this period.
It’s not just you being sentimental, in my humble opinion, there are several reasons it was literally the hay day of Games Workshop. Being a supplier in 1996 I had an inside view of the company. The first reason has to do with metal miniatures. In 1995/6 GW had to remove all lead from its metal products for safety reasons. The replacement alloys all melted and poured at higher temperatures than lead. They literally burned out the vulcanised rubber moulds 50% quicker!! This was the beginning of the end for ALL GW metal miniatures 😢 Secondly, the original founders and owners were in the process of selling their shares in the company. The staff ethos up to 1997 was that you had to be a fanatical games workshop hobbyist to be employed there, yes even in accounts!! After 1997 with the original founders gone the accountants moved in and started running the company. By 2000 many employees in admin roles knew absolutely nothing about Orks or Orks or what the difference in spelling meant!! 😮 Thirdly, the manufacturing facility at Eastwood, and the really lovely and amazing city centre studios which sat under Castlerock in the shadow of Nottingham Castle were both moved to the old Gas works on Lenton lane where they are now. A building with as much character as a cardboard box 😮 Fourthly, the battle for Antioch Plains at Games Day 1996 marked the end of Hyper displays that every single person in Games workshop could contribute to (indeed they were expected to paint up miniatures for the big games day displays). After 1997, many new employees in accounts didn’t know one end of a paint brush from the other!! 😮😮😮 There may well be other factors woven into 1995-97 that spelt the end of GW’s love of its customers and cuddling them to its bosom, however, I think these are probably the main four reasons as GW transformed from a hobby enthusiast supplier to a profit orientated, value added plastic and card retailer 😮😮😮🇬🇧
It’s not just being sentimental, in my humble opinion, there are several reasons 1996 was literally the hay day of Games Workshop. Being a supplier in 1996 I had an inside view of the company. The first reason has to do with metal miniatures. In 1995/6 GW had to remove all lead from its metal products for safety reasons. The replacement alloys all melted and poured at higher temperatures than lead. They literally burned out the vulcanised rubber moulds 50% quicker!! This was the beginning of the end for ALL GW metal miniatures 😢 Secondly, the original founders and owners were in the process of selling their shares in the company. The staff ethos up to 1997 was that you had to be a fanatical games workshop hobbyist to be employed there, yes even in accounts!! After 1997 with the original founders gone the accountants moved in and started running the company. By 2000 many employees in admin roles knew absolutely nothing about Orks orOrcs or what the difference in spelling meant!! 😮 Thirdly, the manufacturing facility at Eastwood, and the really lovely and amazing city centre studios which sat under Castlerock in the shadow of Nottingham Castle were both moved to the old Gas works on Lenton lane where they are now. A building with as much character as a cardboard box 😮 Fourthly, the battle for Antioch Plains at Games Day 1996 marked the end of Hyper displays that every single person in Games workshop could contribute to (indeed they were expected to paint up miniatures for the big games day displays). After 1997, many new employees in accounts didn’t know one end of a paint brush from the other!! 😮😮😮 There may well be other factors woven into 1995-97 that spelt the end of GW’s love of its customers and cuddling them to its bosom, however, I think these are probably the main four reasons as GW transformed from a hobby enthusiast supplier to a profit orientated, value added plastic and card retailer 😮😮😮🇬🇧
Fantastic stuff. I really feel like I missed out on these times. Happy to vicariously live through others to enjoy it though. I have read the Marco Story bit and it's a good read. I think they carried on with that many White Dwarfs later with a 4 part Tale of Four Gamers, where they ran some Dogs of War units as pillagers through Lustria.
Thanks for the video mate
Thanks for watching and commenting and I’m glad you got to read through the story.
Amazing, thanks for sharing!
I’m so sorry to plaster you’re fantastic video with my ramblings! However, I’ve thought of another interesting fact, Brian May is a Role Playing, Dungeons and Dragons Games Workshop enthusiast. Brian was at Games day 1996, I know this for a fact because he stopped at my display table and looked at my prototype models. I was speechless 😮😮😮
I had always thought the same but I was corrected in this as it was his son that was interested in GW and he was just tagging along. That’s what I heard anyway. That’s so cool that you got to meet him in person on the day though.
Love old GW content
I wonder if Marco Columbo is the same character featured in the Lizardman army book fluff, or if the stories are related. Definitely a good idea to get Lewis to read it!
Hey I wondered whether Golden Demon was originally separate to games day?
It was always the same as far as I can remember but maybe they changed it later on given the number of entrants
Wonderful read-through, thank you. (Comment for the Algorithm God)
Thank you my friend
Back in the day when bases were flocked and painted goblin green. - long before the Base fetish took over. I've seen people who painted minis for tabletop gaming and the comments are full of people complaining about the bases - Who gives a monkeys about the base - unless your painting but not playing. I don't care about the bases. I've seen some unboxings where they spend nearly 10 minutes on the plan black bases or they get grumpy comments from the audience for not focusing on the bases - these bases were GW normal standard which everyone knows. They must wack themselves off over bases 😂. I remember one reviewer saying he did a review once and people were more interested in the bases than the actual miniature 😂
Can't beat a goblin green base for Oldhammer that's for sure.
Anyone have any he old White Dwarf with the Army of Darkness conversions?
Not heard of those conversions. Was it published in the 90's or later?
Thanks for watching and commenting
Any chance that anyone who owns this could scan it?
Noice!