Why is Warhammer 40000 more popular than Warhammer fantasy?

Usually, fantasy gets a lot more fans but it seems to me that Warhammer it's the other way around.



I'd like to know from people who have played both. What's the appeal of the 40,000 universe? Is it all about the Space Marines? Or it has better units or game mechanics?Why is Warhammer 40000 more popular than Warhammer fantasy?
It is a combination of things.

- The 40K setting is pretty unique, fantasy is just another take on the Tolkien + medieval history theme.

- It started as needing a lot less figures, and for the most part still does, this makes it perceived as being cheaper and easier to get started in. 40K also got army building plastics before Warhammer. You could do a lot with 40K plastics for an army when Warhammer still needed multiple 20+ units of metal figures that had 3-5 poses for a decent army.

- Humanity are the protagonists in 40K. People find it easier to associate with human armies and characters, this is well proven. For the longest time in fantasy human armies were hard and expensive to collect due to the figure lines, lack of plastic and weak rules.

- Younger people are drawn more to guns than swords - and 40k has both anyway.

- 40K has better toys. Tanks, bikes, buggies, skimmers, monsters. Warhammer has monsters and some war machines which don't tend to be that impressive.

- Space Marines have a big impact on the popularity. They are the most iconic thing GW has created and they have marketed them heavily and of course this draws people to 40K not fantasy.

- On the subject of the rules, 40K is hugely forgiving compared to Warhammer. You can make multiple mistakes that have little impact on the outcome during a game, where fantasy requires more focus.Why is Warhammer 40000 more popular than Warhammer fantasy?
I find 40k to be more entertaining. To me I think it was the game mechanics that got me. I love my lizardmen far more than I could ever love my Orks. I find that warhammer fantasy just tends to be smashing big blocks of guys into each other and then rolling dice. The tactical elements and more gameplay options in 40k are what get me to like 40k the best.Why is Warhammer 40000 more popular than Warhammer fantasy?
It is an easier game to learn and it doesn't take years of practice to develop really good strategy and get good at it.