Editing Games Workshop (section)

=== Early years ===
Founded in 1975 at 15 Bolingbroke Road, London by [[John Peake (game designer)|John Peake]], [[Ian Livingstone]] and [[Steve Jackson (UK)|Steve Jackson]] (not to be confused with U.S. game designer [[Steve Jackson (US game designer)|Steve Jackson]]), Games Workshop was originally a manufacturer of wooden boards for games including [[backgammon]], [[mancala]], [[nine men's morris]], and [[Go (board game)|Go]].<ref>{{cite journal | last = Livingstone | first = Ian | author-link = Ian Livingstone | title = Editorial | journal =[[Owl and Weasel]] | issue = 3 | page = 2 | publisher = Games Workshop | date = April 1975 }}</ref> It later became an importer of the U.S. role-playing game ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', and then a publisher of wargames and role-playing games in its own right, expanding from a bedroom mail-order company in the process.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nerdist.com/article/4-things-we-should-thank-games-workshop-for/|title=Four things we should thank Games Workshop for|date=20 January 2016|publisher=Nerdist|access-date=2 March 2018}}</ref>

[[File:White Dwarf 1st edition.png|thumb|left|150px|Cover of ''White Dwarf'' Issue #1, June/July 1977]]
In order to promote their business and postal games, create a games club, and provide an alternative source for games news, the newsletter ''[[Owl and Weasel]]''<ref>{{Cite web|title = Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson interview|url = http://www.gamesradar.com/ian_livingstone_and_steve_jackson_interview/|website = GamesRadar+| date=24 August 2007 |access-date = 18 January 2016}}</ref> was founded in February 1975. This was superseded in June 1977 by [[White Dwarf (magazine)|''White Dwarf'']].<ref name="Livingstone 6">{{cite journal | last = Livingstone | first = Ian | author-link = Ian Livingstone | title = White Dwarf  | journal = [[Owl and Weasel]] | issue = 25 | pages = 6 | publisher = Games Workshop |date=April 1977 }}</ref>

From the outset, there was a clear, stated interest in print regarding "progressive games", including [[computer gaming]],<ref>{{cite journal | last = Jackson | first = Steve | author-link = Steve Jackson (UK) | title = Editorial | journal =[[Owl and Weasel]] | issue = 1 | page = 1 | publisher = Games Workshop | date = February 1975 }}</ref> which led to the departure of John Peake in early 1976, who preferred "traditional games" (such as backgammon). The loss of Peake also meant the loss of the fledgling company's main source of income.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Livingstone | first = Ian | author-link = Ian Livingstone | title = Editorial | journal =[[Owl and Weasel]] | issue = 12 | page = 2 | publisher = Games Workshop | date = Jan 1976 }}</ref> However, having successfully obtained official distribution rights to ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' and other [[TSR, Inc.|TSR]] products in the UK, and maintaining a high profile by running [[Games Day|games conventions]], the business grew rapidly. It opened its first shop in April 1978.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://unbound.com/books/games-workshop/|title=Dice Men: Games Workshop 1975 to 1985: Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson with Jamie Thomson|date=11 January 2017 |publisher=Unbound|isbn=9781407181301 |access-date=2 March 2018}}</ref>

[[File:gamesws1.jpg|thumb|left|Games Workshop opening day at 1 Dalling Road, Hammersmith, London, in April 1978.<ref>{{cite journal | title = A new dungeon for Games Workshop | journal =[[White Dwarf (magazine)|White Dwarf]] | issue = 7 | page = 23 | publisher = Games Workshop | date = June–July 1978 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Google Maps|url=https://www.google.com/maps/@51.4931701,-0.2349181,3a,75y,265.2h,90.86t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1saTjTViLN2Sy1xz3MfwGWNg!2e0!6s//geo1.ggpht.com/cbk?panoid=aTjTViLN2Sy1xz3MfwGWNg&output=thumbnail&cb_client=maps_sv.tactile.gps&thumb=2&w=203&h=100&yaw=178.58362&pitch=0&thumbfov=100!7i16384!8i8192|access-date=18 September 2020|website=Google Maps|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=OpenStreetMap|url=https://www.openstreetmap.org/|access-date=18 September 2020|website=OpenStreetMap|language=en}}</ref>]]
In late 1978 Games Workshop provided the funding to co-found [[Citadel Miniatures]] in [[Newark-on-Trent]]. Citadel would produce the metal miniatures used in its role-playing games and tabletop wargames. The "Citadel" name became synonymous with Games Workshop Miniatures, and continues to be a trademarked brand name used in association with them long after the Citadel company was absorbed into Games Workshop.<ref>{{cite journal | title = News | journal =[[White Dwarf (magazine)|White Dwarf]] | issue = 11 | page = 10 | publisher = Games Workshop | date = Feb–Mar 1979 }}</ref><ref name="Vector">{{cite journal |last=Baxter |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Baxter (author) |title=Freedom in an Owned World: Warhammer Fiction and the Interzone Generation |journal=Vector Magazine - the Critical Journal of the British Science Fiction Association |issue=229 |publisher=British Science Fiction Association |year=2006 |url=http://www.vectormagazine.co.uk/article.asp?articleID=42 |access-date=7 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216083901/http://www.vectormagazine.co.uk/article.asp?articleID=42 |archive-date=16 February 2012  }}</ref> For a time [[Gary Gygax]] promoted the idea of [[TSR, Inc.]] merging with Games Workshop, until Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone backed out.<ref name="Kyngdoms">{{cite web | last = Sacco | first = Ciro Alessandro | title = The Ultimate Interview with Gary Gygax | work = thekyngdoms.com | url = http://www.thekyngdoms.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=37 | access-date = 24 October 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120208133710/http://www.thekyngdoms.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=37 | archive-date = 8 February 2012 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

The company's publishing arm also released UK reprints of American RPGs such as ''[[Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)|Call of Cthulhu]],'' ''[[RuneQuest|Runequest]],'' ''[[Traveller (role-playing game)|Traveller]]'' and ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'', which were expensive to import (having previously done so for ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' since 1977).<ref>{{cite journal | title = News | journal =[[White Dwarf (magazine)|White Dwarf]] | issue = 4 | publisher = Games Workshop }}</ref>

In 1984 Games Workshop ceased distributing its products in the U.S. through hobby games distributors and opened its Games Workshop (U.S.) office. Games Workshop (U.S.), and Games Workshop in general, grew significantly in the late 1980s, with over 250 employees on the payroll by 1990.<ref name="WD126">{{cite journal | title = White Dwarf | journal =[[White Dwarf (magazine)|White Dwarf]] | issue = 126 | publisher = Games Workshop | date = June 1990 }}</ref>