Hit or Miss?
So we've had the new White Dwarf weekly for four weeks now, boy does time fly! And what do we think?
Well I've decided to delve through the magazine and write about each part to come to a formative conclusion... Is it better than the old one? Or is it simply fantastic because it's a new change which eventually will get quite dull once again - time will tell.
Opening Salvo / Contents
So this is pretty sharp and to the point, the opening salvo from editor Jes Bickham gives us the low down on what to expect from this issue as well as giving us a foolproof run down of the list of releases for the coming week. The contents page is concise and informative as well and is simply 'Good' Graphic Design - thumbs up for this, sometimes Magazines can really mess this crucial part of their paper up so good job WD team.
New Releases
This usually takes up a few pages, firstly there's some glorious photos of the miniatures alongside close ups of different parts of potential interest. I really like how they go into detail about certain design elements that the authors find interesting, it feels like they've only just discovered the miniatures themselves which is nice for us 'the reader' to emphasise with. In general the New Release pages do what they need to do, and they showcase the miniatures, clean and to the point - very nice.
Guest Columns
It's nice to see these haven't been ousted from the old White Dwarf, and in all honesty they're one of the best reads of the weekly magazine. The great thing is that we'll get 4 of these a month, and from what I can tell they'll be from 4 different authors, great to get a different spin on the hobby from different individuals. I'd like to see the WD team stretch out to people who 'do not' work for GW, otherwise they run the risk of this section getting pretty 'samey' after a few months. I like to read what Jervis and Jeremy say, but there's only so much chatting they can do every month! Lets get some of the Events Team in there, or perhaps some guys from Bugmans Bar, if they do this then it'll make this the standout read of the week.
Miscellaneous Articles
This element changes each week, week three was a brief and uninspiring battle report, whereas week two had Jeremy Vetock talking about the Dwarf armybook which was massively interesting. I think these are going to be hit and miss depending on your hobby orientation and what you're interested in, however they've all got their merits and they extremely concise and informative which is very helpful
Paint Splatter / Sprues & Glue
Each week has been fascinating, they really sink their teeth into the new kits and show you an easy and effective way of painting and building them. Great for new hobbyists, and a good way for veterans to try something new - can't recommend this section enough if you're purchasing one of the new kits.
The Rules
Well due to the weekly release schedule, this area literally gives you a break down of the new miniatures and allows you to use them in your games. Fantastic, and I think this feature of the magazine will shape how GW release miniatures and the way we interpret their schedule in the months to come.
Designers Notes
This was something that I thought was missing from the old White Dwarf, effectively these miniatures have been designed by somebody or a team of people and it's interesting to know how they conceived the ideas for GW's latest release of miniatures. I believe that this part of the magazine is by far the most interesting for me personally however it's great for new hobbyists to read about the background design in their miniatures - similarly to how we watch 'making of' features on our DVDs.
This Week in White Dwarf
Light hearted fun, makes me think that the guys who write the weekly magazine enjoy what they do and like to share their hobby with the world. There's been a giggle from every issue, especially the Dwarfen phrases in issue 3, cause a Miner always needs some cheese......
Overall
I think the weekly format is fantastic, it's the perfect mix of 'Hobby Fun' and 'Sales Ploy', in the end it is a magazine to sell miniatures but it's done in a tasteful and humbling way that the old White Dwarf simply didn't do.
Having a weekly edition keeps the hobby from being stale, opens a lot of doors to potential releases and generally keeps us all interested. Who knows what's coming out next week? Well whatever it is, I know I'll enjoy reading about it.
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