I was extremely happy when I heard that our beloved and classic Golden Demon was back. After a couple of years of turmoil, rumours of cancellations, people pissed… it would seem like Games Workshop is slowly starting to listen to the community. I say ‘it would seem’, because in the end, the misfortune of not getting a Golden Demon in 2015 may be a completely different issue. It has been said to be due to a problem with the calendar and the new venue, the Coventry Arena, that started to host rugby games as well, thus becoming considerably more difficult to book. And I say ‘it would seem’, because with Games Workshop no one ever knows, really.
The company that started as a friendly venture of miniature gamers and pioneers, is now a completely opaque corporation where no one knows what’s really going on. Not even its own staff, vowed to keep secrecy on any piece of information they might have, as if national security were at stake after every move. Yes, Golden Demon is back, but it was never really gone. Not really.
What we saw this weekend in Coventry is a product of miniature painting passion, directly from painters still in love with what Games Workshop is creating. Why else would these survivors spend so much of their time sitting in front of a table, rejecting the pleasures of the outdoors life, paintbrush in hand? There is something in the Golden Demon contest that cannot be explained. Some kind of magic that lures you in and keeps you anxious for the next round. There is nothing like it, really.
The path Golden Demon is taking now looks right. Warhammer Fest is a relaxed and easy going convention where you meet up with Games Workshop creative minds, discuss their daily work and show appreciation to what they are doing. It motivates them and it motivates you, because you put a face to the names behind those anonymous miniature kit boxes. And you understand that what Games Workshop creates is great because of them, the great artists and creators designing dreams, making them come to life on your table. Because sales cannot rise without good products to back them. Not really.
The Warhammer Fest may be smaller than Games Day, but there is plenty to do. More than enough to make up for two very very short days. Especially for Golden Demon, which comes and goes in the blink of an eye. Having attended only on Sunday for the Demon, I believe that the next time I should strongly consider the two days. I certainly could have used more time for discussions, games and demonstrations.Anyway, we had a blast. It was short and intense, filled with great miniatures and people to talk to. Like the good old Golden Demons in the good old Games Days, just way smaller. And the fact that Games Workshop managed to publish the pictures in their brand new golden-demon.com website just the day after the event gives me very good vibes. It is true that the website is too simple, but it is better than nothing (what we had before). It would look like the company wants to take the contest seriously and is starting to take steps on this direction.
Overall I think the Golden Demon this year was good news. At least to me, the event succeeded in its main purpose, which is getting me very interested again in what Games Workshop is producing. Because we should never forget that Golden Demon is, at the end of the day, a corporate contest to showcase Games Workshop miniatures. If you like to build their kits, experiment with ideas set on their fantasy universes, convert on top of their wonderful plastic, and simply paint their miniatures, then Golden Demon is your place. It is. Really.
I’ve only ever had the good fortune to attend one Games Day (GD Canada 2002, back when they had them in multiple countries), and it was nerdvana… so much fun. Having a chance to meet two Eavy Metal painters, along with Jes Goodwin and Gav Thorpe, and compete against the best painters in North America at the time… it was something I will remember for life.
That is what scared me most about the dark days where it was starting to look like Games Workshop was giving up on Games Day and the Golden Demons. I’m sure it cost them a huge amount of money to put together and run. Perhaps when profits were down, it must have been tempting to cut it all loose. But GD builds and solidifies brand awareness and loyalty. Giving your customers the “warm and fuzzies” whenever they think of your brand is what will ensure continued success down the road.