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Games Workshop is a United Kingdom game production and retailing company. Games Workshop is one of the largest games companies in the world. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange with symbol GAW.
Overview
Games Workshop was originally an importer of American boardgames and RPGs. When they became publishers of the UK based roleplaying magazine White Dwarf, Games Workshop created a national chain of gaming stores in the 1980s. Their publishing arm also created UK reprints of famous but expensive to import American RPGs such as Call of Cthulhu, Runequest and Middle-Earth Role-Play.
During the 90s the company refocussed on their most lucrative lines, namely their miniature wargame Warhammer lines. The retail chain refocussed on a younger more family-orientated market. The change of direction was a great success with a rising share price and growing profits. The company started expanding in Europe and the USA opening new branches and organizing events. By the end of the decade, though, the company was having problems with falling profits being blamed on collectible card games such as Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon.
Recently the company has been attempting to create a dual approach that will appeal to both older, loyal customers while still attracting the younger audience. This has seen the creation of initiatives such as the "Fanatic" range that supports more marginal lines with a lower cost trading model.
One of the more well-known of their games would be Heroquest which was sold in high street stores and introduced many people to the hack 'n' slash style of game.
Games
Currently in Production
Out of Print
Other media
Many computer games and novels have also been produced by third parties based on the Warhammer universes owned by the firm. These include:
A Warhammer online role-playing game, Warhammer Online, was in development but was ultimately cancelled.
Miniatures
Games Workshop originally produced miniature figures via an associated, originally independent, company called Citadel Miniatures (of which Maurauder Miniatures was an imprint) while the main company concentrated on retail. The distinction between the two blurred after Games Workshop stores ceased to sell retail products by other manufacturers and Citadel was effectively merged back into Games Workshop.
Games Workshop has faced criticism for selling particularly expensive minatures, and also constantly updating their games, making older versions of the rules and minatures redunant. Despite this their minatures are acknowledged as being of particularly high quality.
Licensing
In conjunction with the production of cinematic adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, Games Workshop acquired the rights to produce a skirmish wargame based on the films. The rights to produce a roleplaying game version of the films were sold to another firm.
Games Workshop Group
Games Workshop has expanded into several divisions/companies producing products related to the Warhammer universe.
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