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I have written before about how I am a wargamer with mental illness–several mental illnesses, in fact, and one of them is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I’m on good medicine now, but there are many things about OCD that are still major problems in my life that I have to be constantly aware of. And a recent video by Discourse Miniatures (who I don’t always agree with, but who made a very salient point here) pointed out that the marketing techniques of certain wargaming companies *ahem, Games Workshop* feed into the dangerous territory of neurodivergent impulse control.

Neurodivergence, Impulse Control, and Money Problems

Neurodivergence, in case you’re unfamiliar with the term, is a relatively recent word that means the opposite of neurotypical. Basically if you have a “typical” brain, then you are neurotypical. If your brain diverges from the typical. then you are neurodivergent. Mental illnesses make people neurodivergent. Autism makes people neurodivergent. Learning disabilities make people neurodivergent.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with neurodivergence. It is estimated that between 30% and 40% of people in the United States are neurodivergent. But the fact that neurodivergence is so prevalent makes marketing that hurts the neurodivergent even worse.

Let’s Talk About Neurodivergence and Impulse Control

Taking a few quotes.

First, regarding autism and impulse control

“The reason behind autism and impulse control problems is related to the aspect of the brain responsible for executive functioning. The purpose of executive function within our brains is to manage tasks such as planning, organization, reasoning, multitasking, problem solving and behavior inhibition. People with autism, (as well as those with ADHD and other disruptive impulse-control and conduct disorders) often struggle with executive dysfunction. When there is a compromise in the executive functioning of the brain, as is the case for people with autism and other conditions, it can result in impulse control issues.”

Regarding OCD and Impulse Control:

A study from the Journal of Behavioral Addictions conducted an experiment about people with OCD and impulse control, finding “They performed significantly worse than controls on the [experiment] preferring immediate reward despite negative future consequences, and did not learn from losses.”

They concluded “OCD patients are more impulsive than controls and demonstrate risky decision-making and biased probabilistic reasoning.”

Regarding ADHD and Impulse Control (and Money!):

“We all know about those juicy brain chemicals that get released with the instant gratification of impulsive purchasing, and those with ADHD often find themselves in the trickiest of rabbit holes regarding what is a want and what is a need. I’ve even caught myself trying to justify buying ADHD management tools like planners and calendars and then realized the ones I have work fine.”

My Personal Battle with Spending Control

So, for people who haven’t read my personal story of my mental illness (I also made a video about it here) I have anxiety, depression, OCD, and schizophrenia. And I fight against impulsivity ALL. THE. TIME. It’s not just a matter of having a massive Pile of Shame (though I do have that) but it’s that I am extremely suckered in by FOMO advertising. I get very easily hyped up for new products, I feel like I have to have them immediately, but–and here is the most important “but”–I am at my happiest when I am clicking “Buy.”

It’s not the getting of the models that makes me happiest, it’s the endorphin rush I get from purchasing them. It’s the desperate anticipation. It’s the imagination of what may be.

And then I get the awesome new thing and only paint half of it because I immediately move on to new shinies. This is the reason why only about twelve models out of my Dominion box are painted, and why I still haven’t managed to get through all my Ork Kommandos from Kill Team: Octarius.

There was a time, in the not-to-distant past (within the last two years) when I spent nearly $2000 in one month buying virtually every Bolt Action army and tank that they made. I have them all, every one, and though the vast majority of them are painted, that was money that we needed for other things. It was money that should have gone to credit card payments and medical bills and groceries, and I spent it on little models.

Again, I am much better medicated now, and I see a therapist weekly, and we talk about money and impulse control.

What Does Impulse Control Have To Do With Wargaming?

Well, if you haven’t figured it out already, wargame companies–but one wargame company in particular–are especially dangerous to people like me who are neurodivergent and suffering from impulse control problems.

Now, I want to make one thing clear–and I think this is where I differ from some of Games Workshop’s other critics: I do not believe that Games Workshop is purposely targeting the neurodivergent in their marketing tactics. I have my MBA, and whenever I see Games Workshop doing something with their marketing I mentally run through my marketing textbooks and say “They’re following X strategy and using Y advertising and utilizing Z pricing structures.”

In other words, Games Workshop is full of marketers who know VERY WELL what they’re doing in selling products. Is it the best way to sell products? That all depends on your opinion of what counts as the “best way”. Is it the most profit-generating way? It seems to be. Is it the best long-term strategy? It’s hard to say because they could easily be burning their bridges. Is it the most ethical strategy? Well, let’s not get started on a discussion of ethics because we’ll be here forever.

Is Games Workshop a capitalist’s dream fugue? Yes. Does that make what they’re doing right? I’m starting to think not.

Defending Games Workshop by Defending Capitalism?

There have been many times on this website where I have looked at what Games Workshop is doing and I have always resorted to “Well, they’re generating the greatest profit for their shareholders, so they’re doing something right.” And if you’re a laissez-faire capitalist then this is 100% the right opinion. They’re growing, they’re making huge profits, and the future looks bright.

But should we defend Games Workshop by defending capitalism? The MBA in me says that we should and the neurodivergent in me says that we absolutely should not. And the regular old person in me? Well, I have a LOT of criticisms of laissez-faire capitalism and don’t think that rising stock price should be the gauge by which we evaluate a business.

Slight tangent, but I think it relates: I got a promotion at work (YAY!) and to celebrate last night my wife and I went out to a favorite chocolate shop to get their absolutely decadent hot chocolate. The store sells luxury goods–the chocolates are something like $35 per pound (that’s a guess, but it’s close), and the cups of hot chocolate were $7 each. So, we were going there as a treat–it’s not the type of place that we would go on a regular basis.

But we had a long chat with the owner of the shop and he was making a point about the location, which is tucked away in an upscale neighborhood and far off the beaten path. The city has several high-end malls that would be ideal locations for fancy chocolate shops, and yet the store remains hidden away where only the locals know about it. And they do good business. The owners live nearby. They pay their employees well and they make products that they are proud of. They have great customer service.

Are they scalable? Absolutely. Do they have great desires to create an empire of chocolate shops? No. They have a desire to create a great product, live happy lives, and enjoy themselves.

Now, capitalist MBA me would say “well, they’re not a publicly-traded company that needs to show increased profits every quarter.” But regular me says “there’s no reason for them to be a publicly traded company. They’re happy. They’re serving their customers.”

Now, I’m not saying that Games Workshop can turn back the hands of time and return to being a boutique wargame company that just tries to have a good time. But I am saying that maybe they don’t need to crush their competition.

Hypocrisy: Buy Stuff

Now, let’s be honest. The Wargame Explorer is not simply a labor of love (though it is that) but it is a website with the goal of making money. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with making money. It’s the reason that I have ads on this site, and it’s the reason why, whenever I mention a product I always add a (Buy in USA | Buy in UK) following it, because those things generate revenue for me and they keep the lights on.

So if you’re looking to purchase something from Amazon this weekend for Black Friday or Cyber Monday (or if you’ve found this blog post long after Thanksgiving, then this still applies), follow this link to Amazon and buy some things to help this website keep doing what it’s doing. I’ve linked to a very lowly product (Army Painter Grass Tufts) because you can’t ever have enough of them–but once you’re on Amazon following that link then anything you buy gives me a cut.

And if you’re in Europe, do the same with Element Games. Here’s my link to their Army Painter grass tufts. I get a small cut of whatever you spend there and it costs you nothing else.

Conclusion

We live in a world that is, for good or ill, capitalist. But it’s not 100% cutthroat capitalism, and there’s no reason for us to exploit each other by using marketing tactics that affect the neurodivergent more directly than the neurotypical. There’s no reason to think that we need to maximize profits at all costs. Yes, sell your wares. Make a living. But don’t exploit the lack of impulse control that some people may have.