If all but the most diehard gamers wants to embrace female characters and inclusivity, the rest of the world should take note
You can’t get much nerdier than Warhammer. Forget video games or sci-fi TV shows: a pastime that involves collecting and painting small plastic models, moving them around pretending they are trying to kill each other, and then rolling dice to find out how well they’ve killed each other, is about as nerdy as it gets. Take it from someone who spends a fair share of their weekends doing just that.
Warhammer in some variety has been around for just over 40 years, but has grown increasingly popular throughout my lifetime. The Nottingham-based company that makes it – Games Workshop – is worth more than £3bn and hailed as one of the UK’s biggest business success stories, exporting its figurines and boards round the world. It has spawned dozens of spinoff video games, and Superman star Henry Cavill – an avowed fan – has even signed up to produce and star in a Warhammer TV show on Amazon Prime.
Jasper Jackson is a freelance journalist and media commentator, and former Guardian assistant media editor
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