As a product designer myself, it’s very refreshing to see Tom take criticism on his design with professionalism and grace, all the traits of a great senior designer and GW are clearly worse off for losing him. The passion he has for design is really inspiring.
As someone that frequently hates on GW, EVERYONE that gripes on GW needs to watch this episode; there is SO MUCH CONTEXT to explain how decisions are made! Probably the best PPh ever.
Yeah like I feel like people would be a little more forgiving of stuff if it was made public that they were apparently 6 weeks away from shutting down forever not too long ago. Unless this a more known thing that I'm just discovering.
@@squiginjr I was totally shocked to hear that but I think what impacted me more was exactly who GW is trying to attract and why, and how impactful a new product needs to be to be worth while. It really demonstrates how much of a keystone species GW is in its niche; don't push the wolves out of Yellowstone or the grazers will eat all the young 🌱 before they get a chance to grow, you know?
@@squiginjrAnnouncing a potential bankruptcy like that would be a disaster to the value of their publicly traded shares as it would cause a massive amount of people trying to get rid of their shares before the company would go belly-up. People just need to accept they are not entitled to get all the information on what goes on inside the inner workings of a company. Companies make decisions like this every day since the birth of free trade. Great that this episode got you this insight of course.
Whilst I don't think we're overly critical here, or revealing loads of secrets, maybe? I'd like to think gw will not be too fussed about us, one two hour chat Vs a money making machine! That being said they do like to keep the curtain closed!
I came to terms that I'm officially old today. I realized I found these conversations about production and distribution more interesting than the typical gaming/hobby podcast. Love these videos.
This is probably my favourite episode so far. Honestly, I love these Hobby-related behind the scenes stuff. Whenever people that actually work or used to work for GW talk about the business, production and design side behind it all I could watch for hours and not be bored. I really like getting an insight and understanding the underlying reasons for design and business decisions they make and why they do things the way they do them and why other companies might do it differently. So whenever you get the chance to invite someone who has stuff to say on those topic - please do!
I've tried this but found it to clog the airbrush very quickly. I've tried adding airbrush thinner and flow improver but I've not had any luck so far. Any suggestions for how to get it working nicely?
@@ThatBassMann Thin it to glaze consistency & shoot it like a glaze, super low PSI, less air over the needle = slower drying. Try some medium instead of thinner often thinner can make stuff dry on the needle faster.
I never thought I could listen to someone talk about product design for over 2 hours. I could listen to Tom all day long! He's so articulate, knowledgeable, and passionate.
Until recently I was in R&D in the aquarium industry. So much of what you say in this video is familiar and applies to that as well; especially the Hobby Trumpet part. What an pleasantly unexpected convergence of two of my interests, thanks Tom!
Apparently the reason bold titanium white works so well is the pigmentation. A friend in the art world told me a lot of paint manufacturers won't spring for purer titanium oxide pigment because of the price, so they use blended pigments and little pigmentation. Apparently pro acryl uses pure titanium oxide and densely pigmented in comparison to the medium and solvent, it's also finely ground
@@Fuzzycat16- Don’t forget yellows. Almost universally gloopy. I get the impression these three colours spoil very quickly, much like emulsion house paints, i.e. they become goopy and unusable.
This guy is one of the best podcast guests I’ve ever seen. It would be great if he became part of the show for more episodes to give the kind of voice of reason that he gives on all these issues. Also seems like a really cool guy
Nice to see Tom still kicking and being passionate about his designs! Really enjoyed my time in the hobby team working with him and the other mad scientists and designers 😊
There have been so many conversations i’ve had over the years with people who moan about various GW products that Ive responded with “Well, maybe the product isn’t meant for you?” and man was this validating 😂 fantastic episode, cant wait to share it with some friends to listen to while they hobby!
Best. Episode. Ever. What a peek behind the curtain! Honestly don't think you guys could top this, guest with a really unique experience and view on the hobby, and the three of you truly at the top of your game with steering a fascinating conversation.
One of the best chats I've ever heard in regards to the hobby. What a fantastic guest, his knowledge and insights to GW where incredible. I could listen to this sort of discussion for hours.
Fascinating stuff. When I was a kid models were £2.99 a blister pack. Getting mail-order deliveries was a childhood highlight. I sold all my armies off as a teen, eventually became an independent stockist in my 30's, went out of business & now collect Orks.
I remember getting 20 of the beaky marines for like 9.99 , early 90s.. even then, total bargain and with £10 packet money perfect… I remember vouchers in White Dwarf too… Thunk GW must be the only company never to have sales.. Greedy bunch aren’t they😂…They should consider doing that with old stock might reduce the scalps and save me money 😂
@@thepaintingphase unfortionetly they discontinued it. the lid seals perfect, and it fits a standard paint station. all other wet pallets out there are huge and cumbersome. i use it for several years now.
Spray gun was (and still ) brilliant for base coating. Always found it useful but I ran out of propellent and never thought to use a compressor. I've got one in the garage.....THE HAND FLAMER LIVES AGAIN 🔥🔥🔥
A games store in my city recently let me rummage through an old cabinet of gw stuff they didn’t seek years ago and I found a flamer in there…. Plus two tins of propellant…. Very scared to use these ancient tins hahaha
As an Industrial Designer and long time GW hobbyist this was fascinating. I appreciated how well Tom took the criticisms of the products, readily admitted their flaws and explained their genesis. I really regret not buying the dice las-pack and especially that skull measuring tape, that was amazing!
Genuinely this is the most interesting chat yet. Others have been more entertaining or have had more well known personalities, but this was soooooo interesting it was amazing!!
This must've been the most insightful podcast considering Warhammer/Tabletop that I ever watched! I will link this video to everyone who wants to understand GW as a company better, thank you for that! ( I generally feel like its a huge problem that a lot of "GW haters" have basically no awareness of how companies work)
This is perhaps your best episode yet. Entertaining and very insightful... it's funny to hear R&D and marketing concepts talked in so much detail with a GW lens.
Ive been catching up on all the episodes of this podcast since i discovered it and i can safely say this is the most interesting episode so far for me. Having this insight into the companys design philosophy is fascinating
This has been awesome. As an ex GW employee trying to explain some of the points covered in this video over the years was always difficult. Cheers to you guys and the guests you have on.
This was probably the best episode yet for me. It does a great job of showing that in the end it’s just about the toy soldiers and the company that makes them tries to make a profit. I love my mini’s and it’s refreshing to hear that the casuals are still very much a part of the hobby, a take that gets overlooked quite a lot on the internet.
Nothing wrong with making a profit. It’s when the suits get involved and start forcing the creatives down avenues they don’t want to go, and then you get international stock-listed and acquire another floor of suits telling the first suits what to do. 😆
This was really amazing. It's really lovely to hear someone with this level of insight speak so frankly. Deeply respect Tom's humility when talking about things he wasn't involved in as well. The amount of work that goes into making anything at all, let alone at the scale of a company like Games Workshop, is astonishing.
Citadel Contrast and Army Painter Speed Paint have literally saved me days of my life. The products are fantastic and result in models I am absolutely proud to show off and play.
It's kinda nice to see the inner workings of a company. I understand that companies like games workshop probably don't want this but if your more transparent you'll gain trust from your customer base
Absolutely LOVED this episode and all the insights Tom brings. The expertise, industry knowledge and passion from your guests makes Painting Phase THE hobby podcast to watch. None of which would matter without the the easy going banterous backbone you bring as regular hosts. Top work chaps, cant wait to see the heights you'll climb.
The conversation at 16 min is a great point, and a perfect example of why the weird crowd that are becoming aggressive about "gatekeeping" would end up causing the death of their own hobby. GW can't just market to niche veterans, and they shouldn't.
I don’t interact with the game or hobby side of 40k and just love the setting and (a certain percentage of) the novels. This discussion was absolutely fascinating. So interesting to see all of the behind the scenes decision making at GW. Thanks so much.
Absolute legendary show- love this stuff! As a marketer it’s really refreshing to hear the ‘why’ and the very honest ‘yeah, they’re not competition’. Absolutely love this content.
This podcast does.not.miss - just incredible discussions time after time. I can't thank you lads enough for these engaging, interesting and fun videos. Mr Hibberd you were so insightful and it's not often these days I can sit for a couple of hours glued to the screen. Thank you so much!
Somewhere deep in the bowels of GW a servo skull is frantically printing out new NDA contracts. Silliness aside, this was just amazing. Seeing how the sausage is made and the factors involved. Reminded me of my days as a purchaser for a manufacturer.
This was a great episode, definitely interesting to hear the guest leading the majority of conversations without any real pushing from you guys, obviously needed to get some stuff out there!
Man, Tom is great fun! This has been really illuminating. It's also awesome to see someone who is genuinely positive. Having a positive attitude to so refreshing.
Contrast paints probably are one of the best products that GW has ever released. I started painting Imperial Fists recently and I would never have even thought about painting a yellow army without this paint range.
So cool to see Tom outside of AATV, used to seeing him and Gadge nattering about obscure webbing, field kit and Airsoft - really cool to hear his GW experiences
Honestly... every week this raises the bar! Not just because about informing on the mammoth that is GW but it's such an insight into the whole hobby as well as, likely unintentionally a great window into career pathways!! Excellent Stuff!
Have to say this has probably been one of the best hobby chatshows/podcasts I have watched in a long time. Tom is super interesting. Hope a 2nd show is planned in the future!
I can't say how incredibly interesting this is. I've been a GW fan since I was 7 and it's fascinating to hear how so many of the things I've used and seen were created, as well as the general details on the business and manufacturing side of things. What an amazing episode, thank you Tom and everyone at the show!
That was absolutely fascinating. My old maths teacher always used to drum into me "show your working", and somehow this felt like the same lesson being applied to Games Workshop - so much that makes more sense when you see *how* they got to particular answers (products.)
Absolutly loved this conversation, so much to pick over. The idea of asking "who is this made for" and designing for an audiance and not just yourself. Really good stuff! ... Little tip on brushes. Artis Opus' do sell great brushes, BUT that's because they're made by the fantastic Rosemary&Co, who sell them for about a third of the cost 😁 AO's 'S' brushes are 'Series 33' (if you want to give a non-animal brush a go, have a look at 'Series 301')
This was one of the most insightful and fascinating discussions on GW's inner workings I've come across and Tom was a really engaging and fun guest. It's kinda of crazy to learn that Contrast was developed with beginners in mind, only for them to be released in larger pots at around double the price of the normal paint.
A LOT of what gw does is contradictory. with their entry into social media and using it to do marketing, they are now more effective at gaslighting their customer base. there are a lot of good people working at gw but a lot of their worst marketing decisions come from the not so nice people in that company and many are still in there today. fanbois were circling jerking themselves saying ''the new gw is awesome / changed'' when gw got into social media marketing but the real story is social media marketing SAVED gw because they finally have a way to market their products effectively to their customer base that are all connectable on social media.
I'm only about half hour into the video, but this is really interesting stuff to listen to. It's so easy to listen to just people talking about stuff, when they use it in a certain way. But then to hear what was being thought of while creating said products.
Some really great insights here, and reminds me of my days in retail arguing with people that GW was not obligated to make the one thing they really wanted, because that probably wasn't cost effective (and was invariably something Space Wolf-y)... such a great hobby chat. Loved it!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, GW is the gateway drug of mini painting. 😉👍🏼 loved hearing those insights behind the products. Very interesting for me since I have been painting gw stuff since about ‘91
Great episode! Always good to learn more about hobby product development, and the extra context this adds to a lot of famous/infamous decisions by GW is very interesting.
What a great enlightening video. I'm a design engineer so understand the issues with suppliers and how past decisions have big effects on what you are doing today!
I'm always so excited when I see another one of these "behind the scenes" episodes, I get a lot out of them. The data of GW's primary customer base in particular was super interesting to me as a fellow product designer, and the consideration of contrast paints bringing that "wow" factor for a first time customer was incredibly clever. I find that a lot of contentious online opinions aren't based on real world experience of how companies operate. Not to say that the customer shouldn't have a voice, but I think it's podcasts like these that can educate fans on how complex the mechanism is. I think a fuller understanding of how GW works will ultimately foster a strong community. Thanks for the insights!
This episode was excellent. Fantastic insight into some of the reasoning behind why GW does what GW does. Also sounds like Tom is a really good designer. Glad he was on the show!
This is mandatory watching for anyone who feels frustrated and angry with Games-workshop’s corporate strategy. An honest, in-depth look at why the company makes the decisions it does. Very informative. Otherwise, continue to hate-watch the rage bait UA-camrs. But you’ll be angry and poorer for it. The Painting Phase is truly bringing the community to gather and celebrating our shared history of miniature wargaming.
Just watched it again, and have to say, I'd jump through hoops if Tom would have been my manager, what a powerhouse! GW has been lucky with such talented people, which is clear as he might have been a major factor in saving the company..
Another amazing show and amazing guest. So much appreciation to Tom for coming on and giving so much insight and context to the workings of the mysterious GW machine. I'm so relieved that I wouldn't have had an answer over my favourite colour GW brush and it being a trick question. My sincerest thanks to everything Tom had a hand in on adding to our hobby arsenals. It's been an absolute joy experiencing how far the materials have progressed over the last decade or 2. It's really a golden age of hobby now. Thanks guys.
Whoever designed Agrax Earthshade deserves the Grimdark Nobel Peace Prize.
That is just a brown wash.
Nuln oil, Agrax Earthshade and Seraphim Sepia are the holy trinity of the color range.
Gotta upgrade to oils my guy
The old Agrax ... the new Agrax and Nuln Oil are bad :(
@@Gumlass1amen! Was just going to say this, new aggrax is like a contrast brown..totally different. Old aggrax was lengardary
As a product designer myself, it’s very refreshing to see Tom take criticism on his design with professionalism and grace, all the traits of a great senior designer and GW are clearly worse off for losing him. The passion he has for design is really inspiring.
Yes and I’m to hear some of design thoughts behind things like the clippers as it progressed through the versions.
As someone that frequently hates on GW, EVERYONE that gripes on GW needs to watch this episode; there is SO MUCH CONTEXT to explain how decisions are made! Probably the best PPh ever.
Yeah like I feel like people would be a little more forgiving of stuff if it was made public that they were apparently 6 weeks away from shutting down forever not too long ago. Unless this a more known thing that I'm just discovering.
@@squiginjr I was totally shocked to hear that but I think what impacted me more was exactly who GW is trying to attract and why, and how impactful a new product needs to be to be worth while. It really demonstrates how much of a keystone species GW is in its niche; don't push the wolves out of Yellowstone or the grazers will eat all the young 🌱 before they get a chance to grow, you know?
@@zramirez5471 yeah as soon as he explained that they designed stuff around "this has to be usable for everyone" a lot of stuff made sense.
@@squiginjrAnnouncing a potential bankruptcy like that would be a disaster to the value of their publicly traded shares as it would cause a massive amount of people trying to get rid of their shares before the company would go belly-up. People just need to accept they are not entitled to get all the information on what goes on inside the inner workings of a company. Companies make decisions like this every day since the birth of free trade. Great that this episode got you this insight of course.
@@zramirez5471bear in mind I’m taking about the Citadel Hobby Products team before 2016 and not wider GW
Tom Hibbard didn't save Games Workshop. He's "proud to be a part of the team that saved Games Workshop."
😂🤣😂
Lol!
🤣
You guys will be the reason Games Workshop will introduce a 25-years Non-Disclosure Agreement for all the employees lol
I honestly think interviews like this one will be a boon for GW, it logically explains a lot of things
@@martinjrgensen8234yeah, but GW frequently seems to do the opposite of what makes sense
Whilst I don't think we're overly critical here, or revealing loads of secrets, maybe? I'd like to think gw will not be too fussed about us, one two hour chat Vs a money making machine!
That being said they do like to keep the curtain closed!
@@martinjrgensen8234Ima show this interview to all my friends who complain about gw ! It makes so much sense why they do things
@@thepaintingphaseI loved the content here. Lots of insight into gw stuff.
“Out of focus for a minute and 30 seconds, I got too into the conversation and forgot to do my job” - the most relatable editors note of all time
I came to terms that I'm officially old today. I realized I found these conversations about production and distribution more interesting than the typical gaming/hobby podcast. Love these videos.
This is probably my favourite episode so far. Honestly, I love these Hobby-related behind the scenes stuff. Whenever people that actually work or used to work for GW talk about the business, production and design side behind it all I could watch for hours and not be bored. I really like getting an insight and understanding the underlying reasons for design and business decisions they make and why they do things the way they do them and why other companies might do it differently. So whenever you get the chance to invite someone who has stuff to say on those topic - please do!
The amount of insight into the hobby you guys provide every week is unmatched.
Thanks so much. Very kind - Geoff
Would love to see Duncan on one of these sit downs with Peachy. Great episode guys. So many good bits in here.
I second this! :)
Can confirm, contrast through airbrush is sublime.
It is indeed sublime, up there with shooting the high gloss citadel air range over stark contrast pre shade or metallics.
It's really good.
I've tried this but found it to clog the airbrush very quickly. I've tried adding airbrush thinner and flow improver but I've not had any luck so far. Any suggestions for how to get it working nicely?
@@ThatBassMann What contrasts are you using? Could be a color specific issue?
@@ThatBassMann Thin it to glaze consistency & shoot it like a glaze, super low PSI, less air over the needle = slower drying.
Try some medium instead of thinner often thinner can make stuff dry on the needle faster.
I never thought I could listen to someone talk about product design for over 2 hours. I could listen to Tom all day long! He's so articulate, knowledgeable, and passionate.
Until recently I was in R&D in the aquarium industry. So much of what you say in this video is familiar and applies to that as well; especially the Hobby Trumpet part. What an pleasantly unexpected convergence of two of my interests, thanks Tom!
This is what a lot of hobbyists need to hear about as to why certain things are made or not.
Apparently the reason bold titanium white works so well is the pigmentation. A friend in the art world told me a lot of paint manufacturers won't spring for purer titanium oxide pigment because of the price, so they use blended pigments and little pigmentation. Apparently pro acryl uses pure titanium oxide and densely pigmented in comparison to the medium and solvent, it's also finely ground
That's really helpful to know, thank you for sharing! :)
@@jeffjohnson5286 you're welcome, I've wondered for years why white paint sucked too
@@YaBoiVD Same goes for black paints. You need to really shop for high pigment whites and blacks.
@@Fuzzycat16- Don’t forget yellows. Almost universally gloopy. I get the impression these three colours spoil very quickly, much like emulsion house paints, i.e. they become goopy and unusable.
This guy is one of the best podcast guests I’ve ever seen. It would be great if he became part of the show for more episodes to give the kind of voice of reason that he gives on all these issues. Also seems like a really cool guy
Nice to see Tom still kicking and being passionate about his designs! Really enjoyed my time in the hobby team working with him and the other mad scientists and designers 😊
As far as Citadel paint names go, its a crime that one of the red hues has not been named " Magnus The Red"
lets hijack baal red, they dont need it
Thousand sons codex should be called the learning of prospero
Thousand Sons dice should be Rubriks Cubes
@@ElCid_1099 👏🤣
I think when they did the Artificer Pigment set they actually did name one of the pigments Magnus The Red
I'm obsessed with these GW-lore deep-dive videos with previous employees. Amazing content.
brilliant episode this, fascinating and super informative! lovely stuff
There have been so many conversations i’ve had over the years with people who moan about various GW products that Ive responded with “Well, maybe the product isn’t meant for you?” and man was this validating 😂 fantastic episode, cant wait to share it with some friends to listen to while they hobby!
Great reply, cheers!
Best. Episode. Ever.
What a peek behind the curtain! Honestly don't think you guys could top this, guest with a really unique experience and view on the hobby, and the three of you truly at the top of your game with steering a fascinating conversation.
One of the best chats I've ever heard in regards to the hobby.
What a fantastic guest, his knowledge and insights to GW where incredible.
I could listen to this sort of discussion for hours.
This is probably the best GW focused video on the internet. I can only pray we get more like this. Fantastic work.
Fascinating stuff. When I was a kid models were £2.99 a blister pack. Getting mail-order deliveries was a childhood highlight. I sold all my armies off as a teen, eventually became an independent stockist in my 30's, went out of business & now collect Orks.
I remember getting 20 of the beaky marines for like 9.99 , early 90s.. even then, total bargain and with £10 packet money perfect… I remember vouchers in White Dwarf too… Thunk GW must be the only company never to have sales.. Greedy bunch aren’t they😂…They should consider doing that with old stock might reduce the scalps and save me money 😂
GW sold a wet pallet for years! what i found strange though is that they filled it with static grass instead of a sponge and paper ^^
😂🤣😂
@@thepaintingphase unfortionetly they discontinued it. the lid seals perfect, and it fits a standard paint station. all other wet pallets out there are huge and cumbersome. i use it for several years now.
Are you referring to the old circular static grass tubs?? I might dig mine out if so!
@@voncrumb no, i mean the rectangular flat box.
Spray gun was (and still ) brilliant for base coating. Always found it useful but I ran out of propellent and never thought to use a compressor. I've got one in the garage.....THE HAND FLAMER LIVES AGAIN 🔥🔥🔥
You lucky person!
Flame on! 🔥
A games store in my city recently let me rummage through an old cabinet of gw stuff they didn’t seek years ago and I found a flamer in there…. Plus two tins of propellant…. Very scared to use these ancient tins hahaha
The propellant cans were terrible, but hooked into a compressor its great for base coating. Done a bunch of terrain with it.
@@minishaw280 Rub it in oil to awaken the machine spirit.
As an Industrial Designer and long time GW hobbyist this was fascinating. I appreciated how well Tom took the criticisms of the products, readily admitted their flaws and explained their genesis. I really regret not buying the dice las-pack and especially that skull measuring tape, that was amazing!
Genuinely this is the most interesting chat yet. Others have been more entertaining or have had more well known personalities, but this was soooooo interesting it was amazing!!
I cant believe how quickly that video passed. Surely needs a part 2.
Agreed! We need a Finecast sequel...
As someone that works in supply chain it’s amazing to hear someone give a proper insight into how companies make decisions.
This was amazing, thanks for this great interview.
I was one of those teens.
Loved the hobby between 10 and 14. Then life happened. I'm now 40 and more involved than ever.
This must've been the most insightful podcast considering Warhammer/Tabletop that I ever watched!
I will link this video to everyone who wants to understand GW as a company better, thank you for that!
( I generally feel like its a huge problem that a lot of "GW haters" have basically no awareness of how companies work)
The variety in your guests is so interesting! Only 2 mins in, can't wait :)
S TIER CONTENT, i could listen to Tom talk shop all day long! Great guest!
This is perhaps your best episode yet. Entertaining and very insightful... it's funny to hear R&D and marketing concepts talked in so much detail with a GW lens.
Ive been catching up on all the episodes of this podcast since i discovered it and i can safely say this is the most interesting episode so far for me. Having this insight into the companys design philosophy is fascinating
This has been awesome. As an ex GW employee trying to explain some of the points covered in this video over the years was always difficult. Cheers to you guys and the guests you have on.
This was probably the best episode yet for me. It does a great job of showing that in the end it’s just about the toy soldiers and the company that makes them tries to make a profit. I love my mini’s and it’s refreshing to hear that the casuals are still very much a part of the hobby, a take that gets overlooked quite a lot on the internet.
Nothing wrong with making a profit. It’s when the suits get involved and start forcing the creatives down avenues they don’t want to go, and then you get international stock-listed and acquire another floor of suits telling the first suits what to do. 😆
What a brilliant guest and cast very pleasant bloke and not the slightest hint of patronising.
Did I catch that right? Tom paints Crimson Fists. Truly, a man of both talent... and taste! Thanks for an excellent episode!
This was really amazing. It's really lovely to hear someone with this level of insight speak so frankly.
Deeply respect Tom's humility when talking about things he wasn't involved in as well.
The amount of work that goes into making anything at all, let alone at the scale of a company like Games Workshop, is astonishing.
What a lovely bloke! I hope he's on again and you manage to talk about what he enjoys about GW as a consumer too. Great stuff.
Seriously, you guys do better GW PR than GW does. So many things logically explained, surprisingly difficult processes laid out. Brilliant!
Citadel Contrast and Army Painter Speed Paint have literally saved me days of my life. The products are fantastic and result in models I am absolutely proud to show off and play.
It's kinda nice to see the inner workings of a company. I understand that companies like games workshop probably don't want this but if your more transparent you'll gain trust from your customer base
Absolutely LOVED this episode and all the insights Tom brings. The expertise, industry knowledge and passion from your guests makes Painting Phase THE hobby podcast to watch. None of which would matter without the the easy going banterous backbone you bring as regular hosts. Top work chaps, cant wait to see the heights you'll climb.
Such a great comment! Thanks so very much.
The conversation at 16 min is a great point, and a perfect example of why the weird crowd that are becoming aggressive about "gatekeeping" would end up causing the death of their own hobby. GW can't just market to niche veterans, and they shouldn't.
Thanks for coming on the show Tom! What an outstanding episode!!
I don’t interact with the game or hobby side of 40k and just love the setting and (a certain percentage of) the novels. This discussion was absolutely fascinating. So interesting to see all of the behind the scenes decision making at GW. Thanks so much.
This has got to be the most interesting conversation about GW I've ever seen. Thanks gentlemen.
Absolute legendary show- love this stuff!
As a marketer it’s really refreshing to hear the ‘why’ and the very honest ‘yeah, they’re not competition’. Absolutely love this content.
As a business nerd, I LOVED this episode! So much knowledge and history.
This podcast does.not.miss - just incredible discussions time after time. I can't thank you lads enough for these engaging, interesting and fun videos. Mr Hibberd you were so insightful and it's not often these days I can sit for a couple of hours glued to the screen. Thank you so much!
I think this may just be your best interview yet? Certainly the most interesting.
Somewhere deep in the bowels of GW a servo skull is frantically printing out new NDA contracts.
Silliness aside, this was just amazing. Seeing how the sausage is made and the factors involved. Reminded me of my days as a purchaser for a manufacturer.
This was a great episode, definitely interesting to hear the guest leading the majority of conversations without any real pushing from you guys, obviously needed to get some stuff out there!
Man, Tom is great fun! This has been really illuminating. It's also awesome to see someone who is genuinely positive. Having a positive attitude to so refreshing.
Contrast paints probably are one of the best products that GW has ever released. I started painting Imperial Fists recently and I would never have even thought about painting a yellow army without this paint range.
Tom "Troll Slayer" Hibbard. He slew so more internet trolls in 2 hours than Gotrek slew actual trolls in his life.
For an absolute fan of contrast paints this podcast is gold!! My favorite podcast so far. Amazing job guys
This is one of the very best hobby podcasts I've listened to, wonderful guest, great chat.
Such interesting introspection of GW! Thank you Guests + Hosts!
So cool to see Tom outside of AATV, used to seeing him and Gadge nattering about obscure webbing, field kit and Airsoft - really cool to hear his GW experiences
This episode is GOLD- fascinating, eloquent, good-natured GOLD.
Thank you, gents!
You're very welcome, glad you enjoyed it.
Honestly... every week this raises the bar! Not just because about informing on the mammoth that is GW but it's such an insight into the whole hobby as well as, likely unintentionally a great window into career pathways!! Excellent Stuff!
Have to say this has probably been one of the best hobby chatshows/podcasts I have watched in a long time. Tom is super interesting. Hope a 2nd show is planned in the future!
I can't say how incredibly interesting this is. I've been a GW fan since I was 7 and it's fascinating to hear how so many of the things I've used and seen were created, as well as the general details on the business and manufacturing side of things. What an amazing episode, thank you Tom and everyone at the show!
That was absolutely fascinating. My old maths teacher always used to drum into me "show your working", and somehow this felt like the same lesson being applied to Games Workshop - so much that makes more sense when you see *how* they got to particular answers (products.)
This is such a wonderful, insightful interview. If Tom joins the team, I wouldn't complain.
Tom. Join the team.
Please join up for a regular slot Tom!
One of the best insights into hobbies and business I have ever seen. Brilliant insight and ability to articulate it with humour fun
Absolutly loved this conversation, so much to pick over. The idea of asking "who is this made for" and designing for an audiance and not just yourself. Really good stuff! ... Little tip on brushes. Artis Opus' do sell great brushes, BUT that's because they're made by the fantastic Rosemary&Co, who sell them for about a third of the cost 😁 AO's 'S' brushes are 'Series 33' (if you want to give a non-animal brush a go, have a look at 'Series 301')
I wondered where I had seen this man before! it was airsoft, love seeing my two main hobbies cross over
Hi!
That was brilliant. Please schedule Tom in for a return visit some time.
This was an absolutely FASCINATING episode. I love hearing about the design process and why GW made certain choices.
Not used many contrast paints but black legion is magical
Imperial Fist Yellow is the bees knees. Makes painting yellow easy.
Most of them are good tbh
To be fair they’re the worst best kept secret ! The amount of old school painters I’ve converted to them is insane! Legit they’re magic
This is the best Games Workshop / Warhammer interview I've watched. Hope to see more like these!
This was one of the most insightful and fascinating discussions on GW's inner workings I've come across and Tom was a really engaging and fun guest.
It's kinda of crazy to learn that Contrast was developed with beginners in mind, only for them to be released in larger pots at around double the price of the normal paint.
A LOT of what gw does is contradictory. with their entry into social media and using it to do marketing, they are now more effective at gaslighting their customer base.
there are a lot of good people working at gw but a lot of their worst marketing decisions come from the not so nice people in that company and many are still in there today.
fanbois were circling jerking themselves saying ''the new gw is awesome / changed'' when gw got into social media marketing but the real story is social media marketing SAVED gw because they finally have a way to market their products effectively to their customer base that are all connectable on social media.
I’m glad they’re in bigger pots tho as you use a lot more contrast doing the thick Coates !
I'm only about half hour into the video, but this is really interesting stuff to listen to. It's so easy to listen to just people talking about stuff, when they use it in a certain way. But then to hear what was being thought of while creating said products.
It was Midnight Blue that went purple on minis. I used to have an Eldar army that was Midnight Blue and Mithril Silver
Some really great insights here, and reminds me of my days in retail arguing with people that GW was not obligated to make the one thing they really wanted, because that probably wasn't cost effective (and was invariably something Space Wolf-y)... such a great hobby chat. Loved it!
Thanks to everyone for this great conversation. Interesting to hear the rarely discussed details 😍
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, GW is the gateway drug of mini painting. 😉👍🏼 loved hearing those insights behind the products. Very interesting for me since I have been painting gw stuff since about ‘91
What an amazing show. Best guest imo so far, and Tom's insight is so great to hear! You guys are killing it! Love the show, keep it up!
This is the best GW explainer I have ever seen. Thank you so much!
T try Hank’s so very much. That’s really kind.
Such a great and insightful episode. Would love for Tom to be a regular guest!
This is a great interview. I wish the hobby industry did more of this.
I’m glad, that Geoff made it to the recording - he is on fire 🔥 Every comment either very funny or very insightful 👍
Great episode! Always good to learn more about hobby product development, and the extra context this adds to a lot of famous/infamous decisions by GW is very interesting.
This was fascinating. I love hearing about why things are the way they are.
What a great enlightening video. I'm a design engineer so understand the issues with suppliers and how past decisions have big effects on what you are doing today!
I'm always so excited when I see another one of these "behind the scenes" episodes, I get a lot out of them. The data of GW's primary customer base in particular was super interesting to me as a fellow product designer, and the consideration of contrast paints bringing that "wow" factor for a first time customer was incredibly clever.
I find that a lot of contentious online opinions aren't based on real world experience of how companies operate. Not to say that the customer shouldn't have a voice, but I think it's podcasts like these that can educate fans on how complex the mechanism is. I think a fuller understanding of how GW works will ultimately foster a strong community. Thanks for the insights!
This episode was excellent. Fantastic insight into some of the reasoning behind why GW does what GW does. Also sounds like Tom is a really good designer. Glad he was on the show!
This is mandatory watching for anyone who feels frustrated and angry with Games-workshop’s corporate strategy. An honest, in-depth look at why the company makes the decisions it does. Very informative. Otherwise, continue to hate-watch the rage bait UA-camrs. But you’ll be angry and poorer for it. The Painting Phase is truly bringing the community to gather and celebrating our shared history of miniature wargaming.
Instantly recognises Tom from Anvil Airsoft and thought I was imagining some weird crossover
this was really really interesting - so interesting that i didnt want the video to end, please do more!! (i hope i find more already recorded)
Just watched it again, and have to say, I'd jump through hoops if Tom would have been my manager, what a powerhouse! GW has been lucky with such talented people, which is clear as he might have been a major factor in saving the company..
Tom is such a great guest, absolutely fascinating and eye-opening conversation with him, it's like he's opened the curtain behind Games workshop :)
Another amazing show and amazing guest. So much appreciation to Tom for coming on and giving so much insight and context to the workings of the mysterious GW machine. I'm so relieved that I wouldn't have had an answer over my favourite colour GW brush and it being a trick question.
My sincerest thanks to everything Tom had a hand in on adding to our hobby arsenals. It's been an absolute joy experiencing how far the materials have progressed over the last decade or 2. It's really a golden age of hobby now.
Thanks guys.