Is the Imperium a Metaphor for Games Workshop?

I don't think this is meant to be ironic, but...

Now I'm probably not the first person to have thought the Imperium could be a metaphor for Games Workshop itself, and I'll probably not be the last. Hell, I'm probably not the first person to commit the idea to paper or the Internet, however I am a lazy bastard at times and I can't be bothered to go search around the place looking at other people's thoughts on the topic, especially when I have so many of my own opinions, thoughts and yes, my own brain dump to achieve. Yeah, I'm sorry this is going to be another one of my "its in my head and it needs to come out" posts, so if you're one of my readers who couldn't give a flying feck about what I think, you may as well go do some painting or something...

Blood Bowl by Yogh-art - Here

If you're still here, put some music on and make yourself a drink, this is going to be a long one. Why am I dumping my thoughts on Games Workshop into a stream of consciousness? Well, I was talking to a friend and he said that my blog should return to the subject of my displeasure with Games Workshop, because it struck a chord with so many people, and that if a few readers could just see that I'm genuinely like them, that I once loved Warhammer and 40k, that I actually brought Gorka Morka and all the iterations of Epic, that I ran Blood Bowl leagues and Necromunda campaigns, that I care, then maybe, just maybe, all my other points and articles might hit home. Yes, I love the 40k fluff. I still think it's great. Yes, I love the back story and characters of the Old World no matter how generic and formulaic it might bloody well be. I love it. I grew up with it. It made up much of my childhood. So yeah, I'm like much of you... except I've seceded from the Imperium. It's also been partly inspired by chats I've had with Jake Thornton over the last few months, and the HoP blogger SinSynn, so I'm acknowledging their involvement here as my inspiration, so to speak.

So why has this idea of the Imperium being a metaphor for Games Workshop suddenly occurred to me? Well, it hasn't; I first thought it might become some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy right about the time the British Higher Education system and I finally got bored of each other and we decided to go our separate ways around 2002. I looked around at the gaming landscape here in the UK and I saw this big, supremely bloated organisation, Games Workshop, dominating the wargaming landscape. They'd crushed out all independents, pretty much, in exactly the same way the Emperor's Crusade had united the known human galaxy (by dubious means of course - he's an emperor not a UN Peace Envoy). Games Workshop had managed to unite wargaming with some of their own questionable methods, primarily buying up exclusive rights to importing products and then... not stocking them. They also at various times stopped independents selling Games Workshop stock and opened their own stores where independents appeared to be doing well... but lets not go into the details too much!!!

If you don't know who is responsible for this... well... I give up!!!

I even joked at the time I left university that it was funny because they'd written a back story that warned against monolithic structures, dogma, and the crippling stagnation it breeds, but were doing the exact same things themselves in their business. But no one else found it funny and most looked at me like I was some sort of weirdo. Well, to be fair, I am some sort of weirdo, but that's not the point. Games Workshop was having its renaissance period, basking in the glow of its own received wisdom. At the head of the company were people who had fought the wars in much the same way as the Primarchs had, and therefore they knew what they needed to do to be successful. Because they'd done it, they'd seen off their competitors and now they could expand and strengthen. Their retail chain had in effect won them the war; they'd all but eliminated their competition.

Stagnation by empatia - here

However, without that competition in the future, the successors of the early pioneers might struggle to understand what is needed of them to evolve the company and its products, to maintain this success, and to know what to do when the inevitable new enemies appear. Without competition they might become weak, and indeed I think they have. You see, just like the Imperium, Games Workshop entered a period whereby they had no competition here in the UK. Kids around my age, without the geeky parents I had, didn't know of any other companies or products. By the early and mid 90's, Games Workshop had rooted out these heresies and purged them from existence. However, it's a double-edged sword; you see, companies get stronger and better because of competition, or they die. But mostly they learn to be a little less rubbish, because if they don't, somebody else will steal their business. Competition gives companies drive, it keeps them on their toes, forces them to innovate and provide better product.

The irony though, is that the ultimate goal of any private business in a capitalistic system, whether stated or not, is to destroy all the competition. Why? Well, think about it; that competition means that you are making yourself or trying to make yourself better than the other guys so people spend their money with you rather than them. Yeah, that's right, Games Workshop destroyed the competition by offering a more compelling product or better service than others out there, or perhaps just by creating a monopoly. Nobody knows for sure, because the victor gets to rewrite history. Besides, it's a moot point and one that's not really important because again, much like the Imperium they created, they were now the ultimate power in the galaxy. Perhaps in the early days they were too good? It's a distinct possibility. So, like the Emperor, all competition was crushed and one singular truth remained. And that truth would ultimately stagnate because times change, and if companies or empires stand still, they quickly become irrelevant and die.

Ian on the left and Lara Croft on the rig... no... wait that's wrong...

Two of the original founding members of Games Workshop, Ian Livingston and Steve Jackson, have both moved with the times and gone into computer games. They embraced technology, however Games Workshop has blindly stuck to their original template that brought the company success, and while that might seem totally logical, it is also blisteringly flawed as it assumes the environment is the same when it quite clearly isn't!!! Since their founding we've fought wars with Argentina, Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan. We've seen communism falter and fade in Russia and China and witnessed the works of Karl Marx recently gain some credence again. Women have got equal rights, the Euro has been created and Birmingham City FC have finally won a major Cup (sort of). The world has changed. Now I'm not suggesting they stop producing little toy soldiers, but they do need to look around them and see how their product fits into the world they find themselves in and make sure that what they're doing still fits with what we all want to do.

Gotcha by Steven6 -Here

But what is this plan that made them so successful, this STC? Well, it's predominantly putting a physical shop in every and any backwater they can and then try to squeeze the competition out of the area and totally dominate the supply of any demand and more importantly, information. If Games Workshop was the only show in town in the 1980's and even early-to-mid 90's, then that used to be pretty much the only way to get hobby information, and of cause it was totally biased towards them and their product. They struggled with that model however in the USA however, because it's a vast nation, and clearly they've struggled with the model elsewhere as well. You see, it worked in the UK of the 80's and early-to-mid 90's, however the world around them as I have said has changed, and stoically Games Workshop has stayed the same, refusing to usher in new ideas. Much like the Imperium, they have an STC sent down to them by the God Emperor and they are blindly sticking to it by faith alone, even as they sacrifice yet more dividends from their shareholders to feed the bloated beast at Lenton Lane.

Space Wolf by Juddski - Here

You see, this is the ultimate fallacy Games Workshop has told itself time and time again. It's been so successful because they've made the best games, the best miniatures and the best hobby products. Sorry, its bollocks, and has pretty much always been bollocks. The reason Games Workshop was so successful was because their retail network, which was built on the backs of other companies' products as well, was so comprehensive and, quite frankly, good at customer service. Many independents in the early days were run by insular hermits who didn't like talking to real people. The Games Workshop stores however, were friendly and accessible. These shops were the foundation the company was built on, not Warhammer Fantasy Battle and 40k - they've told themselves this lie so long ago now that those who were there, those who knew the truth, have forgotten it. The main reason their games became so popular is because they had a monopoly that allowed them the time and space to turn their games into the products they've eventually become. This monopoly allowed them to rise to be the best. They certainly weren't the best in the early days, and despite Games Workshop thinking it's their games and IP that are the real commodity, The company's real strength is actually their retail network.

The games you see have started to falter of late. Randomhammer has caused ructions in the community and it's now at the point where I can say hand on heart I only know two of my vast network of close gaming buddies who are still playing it, when previously almost all did. It's old, it's stagnant, and quite frankly needs an entire overhaul from top to bottom. The core mechanics are 30 years old now and the game we have now is far larger in scale than the one Rick Priestly originally envisaged. Warhammer 40k too has actually grown and then grown some more, to itself be a beast it was never intended to be. Why? Because to support their greatest asset, the stores, they needed us all to by ever-increasing numbers of miniatures. It's got to the stage where the various offices of the Imperium (or departments of Games Workshop), are actively hindering each other and slowly killing themselves off with a toxic cycle of a business plan that really requires some radical thinking, which I'll cover tomorrow. For now though, it's the vitally important High Street presence that should concern them the most.

However, this high street presence could still work for them IF the stores were properly staffed and were able to be the 'hobby centers' they used to be when I worked there... but they're not. They're single-man stores where the staff are driven into the ground by a never ending stream of bureaucratic nonsense and corporate speak. Where we as hobbyists can no longer just turn up and learn how to paint or put together a miniature. Where we as gamers are no longer encouraged to come and play their games. Oh no, they want us buy a 'Realm of Battle' board and play at home, or to set up our own gaming clubs. That's fine by me. Why? Because if we have our own gaming clubs it's far easier to show fellow gamers the delightful temptations on offer from other people's products and convince them the Imperium isn't the only show in town. Yep, they're trying to maintain a monopoly while pushing people away. Nothing they do seems to make any clear business sense anymore. They focus on the micro, the details, without looking at the systemic problems they face as a whole, the macro.

Its Mars Approved by astronomicon - here

The long and short of it is, Games Workshop's business practices are shockingly out of date and out of touch with their customers. I was told by a number of Games Workshop staff that a very senior manager at the company had given a speech  a few years back whereby they'd said the recession wouldn't affect Games Workshop, that they were 'recession proof.' A quick look at the profit and loss sheets for the past few years shows how blindly optimistic that view was. However these staff who'd been to that meeting came away from it thinking they were working for a company that at best was run by fanatics and zealots with no common sense or original inspiring thought and at worst incompetent idiots. They've all long since left the company - again, a bit like the Imperium; the dogma drives away the truly loyal and only the blindly loyal remain. The annual price hike has still taken place year on year, while other luxury or hobby goods manufacturers are trying to lower prices... but the price hike is part of the STC and the STC must be obeyed!!!

Mark Wells CEO and Tom Kirby Chairman - Games Workshop

Even after Mantic Games showed them the true truth behind why they started making plastics in the first place (cheap army fillers - because all the miniatures are really to gamers is wound tokens),  they blindly forge forward, forgetting to actually ask customers whether we want to go with them. You see, the early Games Workshop was successful because they created and imported a shed load of product. They stuck with what we liked and got rid of what we didn't. They listened, albeit to the ringing of the tills, but they listened. The current Games Workshop has stuck its metaphorical head in the sand like an ostrich. They think they're the only show in town... still. Going to Warhammer World and hearing how genuinely blissfully ignorant many of their head office staff are of the outside world is scary. Some have heard of Privateer Press and the odd one or two of Infinity but beyond that they don't have a clue and seem so out of kilter with what hobbyists are up to that it should terrify their senior management staff. One particular youngster asked me who Mike McVey was. I thought he was kidding at first. He wasn't.

More for less money? Yes please Mantic!!!

This attitude extends into quite frankly piss poor customer service. Not from their shops staff I might add, who are on the whole pretty damn good in my area, but from their corporate head quarters. Games Workshop still think its OK to take up to three weeks to send me a product that has been in production for 10 years. Meanwhile a small one-man cottage industry called Kingdom Death run by an enthusiast of a former Games Workshop product, Warhammer Quest, can get an order of two fine resin-cast miniatures in under half the time from the USA to me here in the UK. Now my geography might not be the best but even I know Nottingham is closer. Although given the speed of delivery you would swear New York was way closer. You'd also probably on the standard of service alone say the one-man show Kingdom Death was more professional than the overly bloated Games Workshop. Yes, Adam Poots the lone ranger is able to offer a way better service than the industry behemoth.

This isn't a one off though is it? We've all faced it. Some of you still haven't received your subscription copy of White Dwarf yet. Why? Because Games Workshop's customer support is shit!!! Advanced ordered the Ogre Kingdoms army book? You mug, they only treat you right while they're trying to get your money. You'll get that book days after someone like me walks into a store and picks it up off the shelf. They still live in a world where they think the old 'mail order' time scales of 2 to 3 weeks are relevant. It's not. They operate in a world where Amazon and other online retailers can get product to me in under 24 hours for a small fee, or 48 hours for no fee at all. It'd be OK if their shops were fully stocked with the entire range but they're not. However, the worst customer service I have had recently from any company, if not ever, actually came from one of their shops, which is bizarre considering I have a lot of respect in the main for many of the local staff here in the West Midlands. It actually happened in the Birmingham Games Workshop and involved the current regional manager, a guy who we'll call Jobsworth McIncompetent (I know his real name as I used it to make my complaint which never received a response) to protect the identity of the innocent. He just shows exactly how little the company actually truly cares about its customers and he exemplifies an attitude I've come to expect from many of the senior managers I've had the displeasure of bumping into over the past few years. It is an attitude of them being at best incompetent and feckless, but at worst being brutally arrogant and 'superior' to you the 'citizens' - sorry, 'customers'.

It was the stores 25th Birthday (although I knew it was actually 26 years old and it was in the wrong month) and they were throwing a party. Jobsworth McIncompetent decided to serve me as Brett, the actual store manager, was busy running events and his staff were struggling with a shop full to exploding and were run off of their feet doing events. Jobsworth started serving me. He ran my products through the till: a book, some glue, and some scenery. So far so good. He took my card off of me and then... decided to walk off. No explanation, he just bloody walked off and left my card behind the till. He didn't appear to be doing anything other than looking at the staff making deliberate prats of themselves during a raffle; his presence certainly hadn't been requested by anyone. I had a train to catch!!! It's a credit to Brett that he could actually see what was going on and came rushing over to finish the transaction. If these are the sorts of idiots they have as area managers what hope do they have as a company? How the hell can Jobsworth McIncompetent sit there and tell his managers how to run their stores, tell them about good customer service, when he himself wouldn't know what any of that stuff was if it smacked him repeatedly in the face with a fecking Thunderhammer? Answer: he can't because he's so utterly rubbish himself!!! Yet I bet he acts like a Commissar when it comes to stupid head office nonsense like rainbow displaying paints and having motivational posters up. They love their motivational posters, trust me...

FanartBattlesister WH40K by Kamyu - Here

They seem to exist in a bubble of deniability where they truly believe they are the greatest company around. You see all companies say they make the best product or do the best things to try and convince their customers via marketing to buy their crap. However, on the whole most companies know it's probably horse shit and that it's all marketing speak. What they've done is position themselves in the marketplace as best they can and hope the market research was right and the punters like what they're doing and the cash rolls in... but Games Workshop management staff seem to be laboring under this self-made illusion that they are the mutts nuts and can do no wrong. They seem to be the only ones in the world still believing their own bullshit. They haven't realised we all get fantastic customer service off of other companies, they haven't realised other companies are now making far better miniatures than them, cheaper miniatures than them and better games than them. Like one half of the Imperial Aquila they are blind to the truth. The world has changed and continues to do so and they need to change too.

Warhammer Signs of Faith III by nachomolina - Here

However, the biggest change Games Workshop has seen in its time as a business is the Internet and online retail and indeed the globalisation of commerce and communication. The Internet ruins Games Workshop's STC. Think about it; before the Internet they could dominate all other methods of communication, like the Imperium. Magazines? Well, White Dwarf became the biggest magazine because it was the best and it used to cover everything, and then, when it killed the competition off, it only covered Games Workshop products. The other place that you could get information about the hobby was your local hobby store - oh snap! - that's right, they pretty much drove all the independents out of business, and their High Street presence is astounding even to this day here in the UK. However, they didn't count on the Internet, the multi-headed beast that knows no bounds and lives in the warp (except normals calls it cyberspace). Yes, the Internet is Chaos!!! Fear the Internet!!! Because trust me, the Games Workshop hierarchy fear, loathe and detest the internet...

Beserk of Khorn by Yogh-art - Here

The Internet is Khorne enraged! It is Internet message boards full of angry fanbois and Internet warriors railing hard against Games Workshop, spewing forth hatred and anger with a rage unbound. They attack the Imperium - erm, sorry - Games Workshop, night and day, exposing every weakness that exists, pointing out how crap things have got at every conceivable turn in a seething torrent of abusive text, wounding the slow, lumbering beast that is unable to comprehend this force of nature or cyberspace. Confused, Games Workshop management flounders and tries to ignore the reality of their situation. They huddle together like the citizens of the Imperium. They believe in their own fallacy that what they do is right, good, and the best there is and that these horrible daemons (complaining customers) will go away or eventually be extinguished by the true light of faith, the Games Workshops truth. Except they aren't going away; they're getting worse. Just like in the fluff, Chaos is growing stronger and the Eye of Terror is getting bigger by the day. But do they listen? Do they read the signs and portents? Do they heck as like!

Nurgle Marauder by after-eleven - Here

The Internet is also Nurgle. It spreads the disease and pestilence far and wide. Any malcontent or dissatisfaction is instantly beamed around the globe like a virulent virus in less than a second, and it sits their for all eternity, festering, waiting for new victims to happen by so it can infect them with its disease. And so it becomes a global pandemic, with more people adding yet more boils and pustules ready to burst forth at any prodding or poking from inquiring minds. Bad customer service in Sydney? Someone in Slough will get to hear about it and know they're not the only one who's been treated like shit. Unhappy with 8th Edition Fantasy? Well, now the Internet tells you you're not alone and feeds you the symptoms of that particular decay. Hate random charges? Check. Hate the overpowered magic? Check. Hate the stupidly large infantry units? Check. So on and so forth. You can self-diagnose your hobby ailments. Witness the furore over European independent online retailers and the decision by Games Workshop to cut off the cheap supply of miniatures to South America, New Zealand and, lest I forget, Australia. Whether or not that was the right thing to do again is a moot point; just look at the rage and seething animosity it created. Why should we in the UK care? Well apart from a mutual camaraderie born of a common hobby, we shouldn't, but the Internet made us care about the Imperium's - erm - Games Workshop's mistreatment of its far flung empire's extremities and its down trodden citizens - sorry I'm at it again - customers.

Warhammer Slaanesh by Genzoman - Here

The Internet is Slaanesh too. It's full of temptation and no, I don't mean Japanese school girl tentacle porn, although it's full of that too. No, it's people like me, who don't denigrate Games Workshops openly (although I am right now). That's not how we devotes of Slaanesh roll. Oh no, the way Slaanesh works through people like me is that we would rather show other companies' sexy new products that are better and more tempting, and probably cheaper, yeah you love it you whores. We show the odd flash of Infinity nipple, or Dystopian Wars cleavage. You might even get the full frontal nude shot of Warmachine and Hordes, or the ever-so-kinky and suggestive view of Malifaux rolling in silk bed sheets as she smiles seductively. You like it, don't you, you bad, bad boy!!! There's stuff out there, and the Internet is willing to sell it you and extol its glorious, hedonistic virtues: this ones has gorgeous mini's; this one has sexy rules; this one is free and easy and will game with ANYONE!!! Come on, be a game whore, be a faction whore - you're too much gamer for one game and one faction. Come on buy me, buy me, buy me hard!!! Oh yes, the Internet is definitely Slaanesh and Games Workshop has no idea how to use its wily ways to sell its own wares.

Champions of Tzeentch by MajesticChicken - Here

The Internet is also Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways. The Internet has been a game changer for everything and everybody, and those who have changed with it and embraced it have reaped the rewards this whirlwind of change has brought with it. Is it all good? No, but that's the nature of change; sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad, but everyone has had to bend to this irresistible force of change. But not Games Workshop, oh no; they fear it. Trust me they do. I've heard people at head office prattle on about, "bloody Warseer this" and "damn Dakka Dakka that." They hate that these places exist and that hobbyists know about them, because they can't control what you all think and say out there in cyberspace, no matter how hard they try. It has ushered in for the rest of humanity an age of digital streaming, online shopping, communication and convenience. The world is at our finger tips and we are now used to far quicker more instant results from those with whom we choose to do business. So when we are met with an archaic institution such as Games Workshop so clearly is, it feels like an anathema to us. Yes, the Internet (Tzeentch) has wrought change on the world like no other force before it, and it has brought its three siblings Khorne, Nurgle and Slaanesh, with it. But the biggest thing the Changer of Ways has foisted on Games Workshop is the evolution of rule systems. While Games Workshop has stagnated with the 'you go I go' turn mechanic, others have brought in ways of making sure we're 'always playing,' not to mention new interesting mechanics like using a deck of cards, and many other innovations besides. They've even then had the audacity to bloody use the Internet to give the rules away for free! Wargaming has evolved, while Games Workshop have stuck rigidly to what they know.

As Chaos Advances by Juanico-El-Muertes - Here

However, much like the Imperium they created in their fluff, this heresy is of their own making. It started internally. Many of the early prophets of Games Workshop, such as the aforementioned Livingston and Jackson, left. So, too, did the Rick Priestly's, Andy Chambers and Mike McVey's, as did many others after them - people like Jake Thornton, Alessio Cavatore and many, many more besides. All fell to the lure of heresy and new things, or were purged from the Imperium by the Inquisition. Some went on to help form new companies like Privateer Press, Avatars of War or, most recently, Mantic Games, and yes, I do think Ronnie Renton is on to something. These guys are like us they're gamers and enthusiasts. The pain for Games Workshop though is that these 'heretics' actually knew a time before Games Workshop's monoculture. They know different things. They are 'gamers' in the broader sense and they have a wealth of experience that they can draw on. Hell yeah, sure, Games Workshop has probably taught them a trick or two as well, but they have fresh and new ideas because they weren't brainwashed by the propaganda.

What Games Workshop is left with is a bunch of people who have only really ever known Games Workshop product, and who therefore have a very narrow spectrum of experience to draw from. At least that is very much how it seems to me. It's incestuous, and the DNA, or gene-seed if you will, is becoming weaker and weaker with every passing day. Games Workshop has diluted its own essence and it's becoming a parody of itself. It desperately needs fresh blood, but not drawn from the ranks of its adoring subjects, oh no. It needs some of the Xenos and Heretics to join them. Yeah, the people they've ostracised and ridiculed. The people they've pissed off and annoyed. They don't need Matt Ward writing anything else for them at all. Ever. Period... bloody stop him before he makes a Forever Friends card with Necrons and Blood Angels. Please somebody stop him!!! They need to get rid of the 'Matt Wards', who are stale and pale imitation of who Games Workshop employed before. I'm sure they're nice people, but nice people don't win you wars. When you're in a dog fight you need winners.

So what we have is a bunch of zealots who only know what Games Workshop has told them. The received wisdom and knowledge passed down through the ages, its meaning often mistranslated or openly and brazenly misinterpreted. We have an increasingly insular bunch of people at the top of the company, totally paranoid about everything, developing games without doing open Beta's like everyone else does. Treating all information like it's a secret to be protected, and not communicating with us. What we have my friends, is the Inquisition. Fear the Internet (Chaos)! Fear other game systems (the alien)! Fear everything that isn't us!!! It's probably this fear of the unknown and the outside world that keeps them so locked up in Lenton Lane, shit scared to look outside in case the massed ranks of the enemy might see them!!! They've turned themselves into the Inquisition.


So there we have it, the Imperium is a metaphor for Games Workshop I believe. You see, we now have an Imperium beset on all sides by Xenos, heretics and well... nerds (let's pretend I said 'Nids'). You see, Games Workshop is the monolithic empire stagnating, bereft of fresh ideas and leadership, while all around their enemies stalk them. We have Privateer Press and Battlefront cast as the forces of Chaos, turning Games Workshop's own methods on them, doing things slightly differently but in an ever-so-familiar way. We have Malifaux and games of that ilk rampaging around having a laugh and bashing Games Workshop over the head with a fun hammer as the Orks. We have Infinity as the elegant and advanced Eldar, hell, maybe even the Dark Eldar and Tau to boot. Then there is Mantic Games, the new comer to the galaxy, aiming to devour much of the Games Workshop's DNA and repurpose it into a leaner, meaner fighting machine (yeah they're the Nids). So is the Imperium doomed? Well that's partly up to them and mostly up to you its loyal citizens: with Xenos and Chaos at the doors offering their temptations, do you still want to resist? I don't...

Death Company by Scebiqu - Here

However, please don't mistake the passion I have expressed in this blog for hatred or blind nerd rage and petty spite. It is not that, I assure you. No, it comes from a different place and one Games Workshop should do well to understand; it is born out of a sadness at the way they've ruined their core games, trampled on their own legacy, and destroyed any love I might once have harboured for their products. Yes, OK, it's tough love, but it is still love. It's grown from a near-decade of disappointment in substandard product and services, and a lack of respect for me and my friends as loyal customers and fans. It's grown of a frustration and a desperation that something that once was so good has gone so epically wrong, and taken so many blisteringly obvious bad steps along the way. They're once more targeting the kiddy-pound - did they forget what Pokemon did to them? Look at much of the artwork on these pages. I'm pretty sure not all of it is 'official' artwork. Just look at what they've inspired in others! You see, for 27 years, Games Workshop had (note the past tense there) been a part of my life, but they've stuck two fingers up to people like me - gamers, painters and hobbyist - and said they don't give a damn about us. They are under the misguided perception that nerds and geeks grow on trees and that there will always be a fresh batch. They're right to an extent, except the next batch are our offspring and I won't let any of my spawn ever worship at the Games Workshop alter while they treat us like mugs. It's also easier to grow a business while keeping your core customer base happy. If you become like a shark, always having to swim forward in search of the next customer as you haemorrhage your old ones, it can get tiring trying to constantly recruit new people, and ultimately, it means you start standing still. Peace out!