I suppose any 40k roleplay game will only be as successful as the back
history and knowledge of the players participating.

Another important factor is actually having a full set of rules to
use. The press release already said that it will launch supplemental
books over the course of years. So they are basically hobbling their
players from the start. A typical dripfeed approach of Games Workshop.

Great for sales, but what happens when someone stands up and says,'
Hey! Ive just been offered to a contract by the 'X' hiveworld to ship
narcotics off world, where are the rules so i can branch out into a
pirate? Oh... previewed in White Dwarf 700? Released in 2009?!'.

Long live Imperium, and all the material and history my group can
rob/dredge up to supplement it in the mean time :)