The Myth of the 'Dead Game'...

I don't normally post about simple frustrations I have as a gamer, but watching a few videos about the demise of a few big IP products (mainly Star Wars related) it struck home how many people believe in the concept of the "dead game".

 

It shows how many people have fallen for the GW style of manipulation.  Newer or younger gamers are growing up thinking that a "game" is something which needs models, updates, FAQ's, erratas, books, novels, and teasers every month.  That you need organized play packs for tournaments (a niche community in the wider wargaming community), etc.

 

When a company like Atomic Mass Games announces they're ditching Star Wars Armada...it doesn't mean you suddenly can never play the game again.  You may be out of luck if you just started and don't own anything, as prices will tend to spike on remaining stocks as people panic-buy, etc.  However, if you own and play the game...and you think it's a good game, just keep playing it.

 

You don't need new ships, new cards, etc.  A game should be a well-designed and thorough product when launched, not a subscription service of mediocre tat.  If your game needs a full re-design every three years, it's bad on purpose (see GW's business model).  If you need new ships and tokens and cards every month to stay interested - the core product is poor.

 

Unless your game requires some kind of software interface (which does happen with increasing frequency, sadly) you don't "need" anything.  With the advent of 3D printing you can continue to get ships...new ships if you need 'em, and if there is a strong enough community dedicated to the game you can even get new cards etc.

 

There is no such thing as a "dead game" unless you're a dedicated tournament player or someone who runs tournament events.  Even then, you could continue to run the tournaments..you simply won't have any product support from the company, etc.

 

There are millions of wargamers around the world playing wargames every weekend from rules written in the 1970's, and 1980's, etc. There are huge dedicated communities supporting even GW products from the 1990's, etc.  There are more people playing Mordheim than any modern GW fantasy skirmish game - by a large margin.  That game's been out of print for 20+ years.

 

There are huge dedicated forums and fan communities for the original Warhammer Quest...and no one cares about the lack-lustre board game sequels released in the past 10 years.

 

If you like a game...keep playing it.  You don't need drip feed dopamine machinery to enjoy a tabletop wargame.  Stop punishing yourself for a business's decision to stop supporting a product.