This article is the second part of a two part series discussing the development of Warhammer 40,000 in popular media.
“I am the hammer.
I am the point of his spear.
I am the mail that is faced.
I am the bane of his foes and the woes of the treacherous
I am the end.”
–The Lord Inquisitor “Grey Knights” Teaser
Shivers. Shivers, ladies and gentlemen. I love Warhammer 40,000. It’s a rich universe filled with potential. Not only has the extensive history of 40K been widely detailed by Games Workshop and its Black Library writers, Warhammer slowly creeps into more and more modern media. Last week we talked a bit about the Ultramarines movie and how this film, while decidedly flawed in many ways, gave us hope for a future filled with more 40K movies and video games. Ultramarines did something right; it provided fans a mode of entertainment that allowed us to see some of our favorite warriors of the universe voiced by sublime talent and kicking serious butt. For any war gaming man or woman, this prospect further attaches and drives him or her farther into a fandom. To know that a company treasures its creation to such an extent that they want to project this creation into every form of entertainment available speaks bounds about the dedication of a fan-base.
Games Workshop, however, has not always practiced good business with retailers and its customers. The power creep present in every edition, the constant update of Codexes and price hikes of models, the utter inability to understand the power of online retail, and the absolute refusal to move the universe forward dissuades some and disillusions others. Few universes have the depth and history of Warhammer 40,000. Fewer still have the blatant mismanagement commonly known to Games Workshop. Do you remember how I said that 40K has such potential? With their superb Black Library authors, talented support staff, and a dedicated base of fans, Games Workshop could become a global juggernaut with the right maneuvering.
Do you know what I want to see? I want to see a Warhammer 40,000 movie on the big screen. I want to wait in line surrounded by fellow fans to see the epic premiere of a phenomenal film about some of my favorite fictional super soldiers. I want to see the hard work and dedication of people who not only get paid to do what they do, but people who want to do what they love!
Then, a man named Erasmus Brosdau walked into the light and declared that he had a wonderful idea. A Senior 3D Artist and Art Director at Crytek (the same people who made games such as Crysis and Warface), Brosdau began developing an idea. In 2010 he called upon talented artists and designers to begin development of a simple trailer. Currently at 1.8 million views at the time of writing, fans and curious minds alike devoured the beautiful animation and adored the potential. Titled The Lord Inquisitor, work has continued and a projected release date (April 2017) for a full film has been set. Since then, he has made a variety of other trailers, one being about the Grey Knights (the Inquisition’s personal force of Demon Hunters who are given the best equipment and tasked with annihilating the demonic threat without and within), and another showing the main character of Brosdau’s film, Marcus Allenbrisk. The quote at the beginning of this article is from the Grey Knights trailer (I also own a small force of Grey Knights in addition to my Raven Guard) and channels the dark science fiction nature of the intellectual property.
The attention to detail is absolutely dazzling.
Brosdau and his team clearly adore this universe. You can feel the painstaking care to which they crafted every frame of these trailers, forged every line of dialogue, and selected each song. Warhammer 40,000 can become this! Ultramarines gave us the example. Men and women like Brosdau can lead us forward into a new generation of 40K media. Anyone can appreciate an idea like this, not just fans of the 40K universe.
On the gaming side of things, Warhammer 40,000 has continued to make strides into the gaming medium. Probably one of the larger hits, the Dawn of War series created by Relic has seen substantial commercial success and opened up 40K to a larger audience. I’ll be honest with you all; playing Dawn of War II is what piqued my interest in Warhammer! I found the gritty science fiction themes utterly attractive and enjoyable. As I delved further and further into the history and the myriad factions involved, I found several friends who played the tabletop war game and invested in a few models to start.
Now I’m hooked. Games like Dawn of War and the wonderfully underrated Space Marine give us yet another form of enjoyment. It allows us to transpose ourselves into a world or a galaxy that we absolutely enjoy. Do not think that I discount the glorious work of the capable Black Library writers! Warhammer fiction, too, influences all of these mediums. Yet with a video game, a man or woman is able to place him or herself directly in control of a character’s actions and influence the outcome of a storyline. In my opinion, this greatly enhances the immersion, second only to actually playing a tabletop roleplaying game such as Dark Heresy or Deathwatch. Created by Fantasy Flight Games, these represent another way for fans and interested parties to dive into the lore and truly become a part of the universe.
The Warhammer 40,000 universe, however, can only survive as long as men and women continue to appreciate and relish the evolving content created by Games Workshop. With the new release of the Space Wolves’ Wulfen codex, it appears as though GW may finally begin to advance the storyline and give gamers the content they so crave.
As it has been shown by the men and women in Brosdau’s creative team and the many video game developers working on the newest Warhammer 40,000 title Eternal Crusade, enough dedication and passion for a project and lead to incredible results.
Happy gaming!
Victorus aut Mortis!
-Valiant
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