that is not entirely true. The first years LotR was introduced GW rocketed sky high with incomes and profit. I mean, these years doubled GW's financials.
Indeed. It was the LotR "bubble" that enabled GW to purchase it's own plastics manufacturing capability, a decision that was probably the best use that extra funding could ever have been allocated toward.
Personally I think LotR (SBG, not the new WotR) is the best system they have compared to 40k & Fantasy. Plus LotR has the best miniatures.
I find the skirmish game fun, but the more minis you use the more tedious it becomes, sometimes exponentially. I actually like WotR quite a bit, however, it does suffer from v1.0 syndrome in that there are lots and lots of grey areas, mistakes, etc. Still, as a LotR aficionado, I like both for what they are. SBG lets you get more involved with the characters while WotR allows a better representation of the massive battles that occurred. In that I like both.
Aside of that: Specialist Games just sold to few models to be pushed massively by GW.
SG are a relic from a time when GW made games for the sake of making games and did so in an effort to flesh out certain elements of their backstory. However, they are also a victim of GW's addiction to their own stores in that there is just not enough shelf space in a typical GW store to hold more than their three core systems anymore. While the GW store idea has served them well in some ways, in others it has been a hindrance to them branching out and continuing in their old manner. As a long-time GW veteran player I have to say I preferred the times when other games were also made because they acted in a lot of ways as "gateway" games for new players. Plus they provided something for everyone. Want space combat? We have BFG. Want to just be silly and play football? There's always Blood Bowl. Want to riot with gangs in a hive city? Necromunda. Frankly, I wish GW would pass the rights for all the SGs over to Fantasy Flight and just let them contract to GW to make the actual minis (so they stay in the same style, etc.). JMO...
Cheers, Gary
