Gaming Heads 1/4 Lara Croft

WOLF PRDEDATOR · Jul 31, 2014

Before I cancel my pre-order, I sent emails to GH, even private messages on FB, I was not given any response, so I'm really angry with them, I felt mocked both on the final product in my opinion poor, both as a treatment of the customer, rejected both the GH for me that the statue in question!

jimcap · Jul 31, 2014

Everyone take a breathe. Let's wait for more pictures!

krec9 · Jul 31, 2014

I'll wait for someone with a better camera to take pics then i’ll judge.

MostStrange · Jul 31, 2014

Again, I'm terrible at angles, and have a crappy camera, but hopefully this helps. The hair looks much closer to the prototype than the screenshot from my video. It really is a nice looking statue, and I'm sorry my terrible video caused this kerfuffle.

Fritz · Jul 31, 2014

dao2 said:
Jesus guys how many times has their been panic over a single video or a couple pictures that aren't the best quality then when it starts rolling in everyone gets happy again....

Darck said:
He is right about the fact that a lot of topics on this forum (for SS and Hot Toys at least) go through these steps:
* concept/prototype: "superb"
* first official photos of final product: "damn, they messed up!"
* first in-hand photos: "wasn't so bad, but still lacking"
* first HQ in-hand photos: "damn good!"

That's how we roll around here. :panic:

MostStrange said:
The video is terrible. I can say that because it's mine! My daughter Marceline is the highlight. Things like the paint on the lips and the actual tones, and even the face shape seem very different in real life. The paint job doesn't seem nearly as detailed as the prototype, but it's MUCH better than my video. I apologise for being the first AND putting up a crappy quality one. I should have checked. The video was mostly for my friends, but being in Australia, I forgot that I'd get mine before most of the world...

No need to apologize, your video was cool! :rock

Fritz · Jul 31, 2014

I ended up cancelling my order. The exclusive is still available on-line if I change my mind plus I can get the regular from my LCS.

sarakawa · Jul 31, 2014

sarakawa said:
I think the production pieces look great. The proto is just that much better. Given the price of these, you are getting your money's worth IMO. That kind of detail just isn't reasonable in a mass production environment. Sure, ideally they should take people's preorders with photos of a production piece but that's not how this business works. I say, you should be happy with what you're getting. It's still a damn good looking statue.

a2themonster said:
idk..thats a bad precedent…show me A and deliver me B…and this isn't a SS thing vs other companies thing so lets not turn it into that…I'm speaking specifically to this piece only..dont want things to get out of hand…but yea the proto and this are way off, the comparison pics tell the story..i, being a huge fan of the game was gonna buy it and repaint but I didn't go that route

While I agree that it's not a great way to run this business, I have just come to assume that the production piece is NEVER gonna match the proto. That may seem like I'm just giving in to these companies but you just have to realize that an amazing artist stateside given all the time to paint ONE piece vs an overseas painter who has to do 1000 of them just isn't going to match up in quality. If you can't accept that, I think you are just being naive and probably should just stick to customs for perfect one offs. I'm not saying that mistakes and paint blotches are acceptable but the drop in quality and possibly detail is expected IMO. I didn't see anyone complaining when the photos of the mass produced versions came out. Sure you are a slight distance away but thats pretty much what you see 99% of the time. In the end, it's up the individual what is passable and what is not. For this specific case, if you LOVE that game, I think the statue is pretty damn nice and is a keeper.

FriendlySamurai · Jul 31, 2014

I'm keeping my preorder for now, these pictures are pretty blurry and seem kind of elongated. For now, I think this is the best pic of the production piece we've got, and if mine looks like this I think I'll be happy with it:

electroshock · Jul 31, 2014

MostStrange said:
View attachment 124409

Again, I'm terrible at angles, and have a crappy camera, but hopefully this helps. The hair looks much closer to the prototype than the screenshot from my video. It really is a nice looking statue, and I'm sorry my terrible video caused this kerfuffle.

Thanks for the pic

Please,if you don't mind ,take around 5 pics with natural light in diferents distances,front angle

Thanks again

Monger · Jul 31, 2014

I can't help, but wonder why 1/4 scale people are like this. All the Japanese statues I order come out almost exactly like the prototype if not the same, and when they don't all hell breaks loose and the company gets branded in a way such that anyone in the loop will avoid them and just buy their products when they bargain bin. I haven't looked into the situation so I'm not sure how Lara turned out, but I'm always shocked of the people that defend big changes between the prototype and the in hand product, as though it's okay or inevitable. It doesn't have to be that way. I also think people greatly exaggerate how a camera may make things worse.

Here's a quick pic I took of one of my newest Japanese figures. Took it with a crappy iPhone camera under poor lighting. It's also from Megahouse, a company I would consider subpar at best. And yet this is what I got...

The top one is one of the preorder pictures they used and the bottom is the one I took. At 1/7 scale, she's nowhere near as big as Lara but also a good 1/4th the price. How can people spend four times the money and not even get matching quality to something like this? It's the same with Pop Culture Shock and Sideshow too. People are way too lenient with the 1/4 scale market. I think that's why it has such little actual growth.

Again this is a general observation, not one based on Lara. In all honesty Lara's prototype didn't look too crazy on the paint apps and details to begin with so I'd be shocked if she doesn't look nearly the same as she did there. F4F's in hand stuff tends to look just like the prototype and this is basically a partner company of them right?

SMC92 · Jul 31, 2014

Kotobukiya prototypes are near identical to the actual release too, dunno how other companies especially Sideshow get away with changes and sloppy paint when they cost up to $400.

sarakawa · Jul 31, 2014

Monger said:
I can't help, but wonder why 1/4 scale people are like this. All the Japanese statues I order come out almost exactly like the prototype if not the same, and when they don't all hell breaks loose and the company gets branded in a way such that anyone in the loop will avoid them and just buy their products when they bargain bin. I haven't looked into the situation so I'm not sure how Lara turned out, but I'm always shocked of the people that defend big changes between the prototype and the in hand product, as though it's okay or inevitable. It doesn't have to be that way. I also think people greatly exaggerate how a camera may make things worse.

Here's a quick pic I took of one of my newest Japanese figures. Took it with a crappy iPhone camera under poor lighting. It's also from Megahouse, a company I would consider subpar at best. And yet this is what I got...

View attachment 124575
View attachment 124576

The top one is one of the preorder pictures they used and the bottom is the one I took. At 1/7 scale, she's nowhere near as big as Lara but also a good 1/4th the price. How can people spend four times the money and not even get matching quality to something like this? It's the same with Pop Culture Shock and Sideshow too. People are way too lenient with the 1/4 scale market. I think that's why it has such little actual growth.

Again this is a general observation, not one based on Lara. In all honesty Lara's prototype didn't look too crazy on the paint apps and details to begin with so I'd be shocked if she doesn't look nearly the same as she did there. F4F's in hand stuff tends to look just like the prototype and this is basically a partner company of them right?

Japanese stuff tends to be plastic and usually molded in pieces that can be blanked colored before putting it together. They don't require artists hand painting each one. So, yes they are going to be more consistent. There is no way you can compare that to a statue that requires a lot of detailed, hand painted stuff. The Lara proto has tons of subtle dirt and details painted into it. To ask overseas painters to reproduce that in a timely manner would be costly and near impossible. They could raise the prices to $600 and the production time to 3 years and then you can get it at that detail level. I'm not saying it's right that they show off an immaculate proto and then send a subpar production piece but it's to be somewhat expected in the polystone statue business. People complain that it's a $400 statue which I agree that it's expensive but imagine how much a statue this scale would cost to have a custom artist do one?...it would easily be like 2k so in comparison, yea, not the same and I've grown not to expect it to be.

SMC92 said:
Kotobukiya prototypes are near identical to the actual release too, dunno how other companies especially Sideshow get away with changes and sloppy paint when they cost up to $400.

Koto stuff also tends to be a mix of plastic with some resin pieces. The plastic stuff ALA bishoujo series etc are not anywhere close to the detail the SSC stuff is and are also blanket colors of plastic just glued together. Some of their higher end stuff is still smaller in scale and just doesn't require the kind of artistry these larger polystone statues do. You just can't compare the 2. And koto has gotten just as much complaining from customers as far as I can tell in the forums about sloppy paint and what not.

SMC92 · Jul 31, 2014

I disagree with what you said about Bishoujo having less detail than SS, some of those are amazing in detail even down to the little things. I'd rather a plastic statue that looks amazing and half the price of a polystyrene statue with **** paint.

sarakawa · Jul 31, 2014

SMC92 said:
I disagree with what you said about Bishoujo having less detail than SS, some of those are amazing in detail even down to the little things. I'd rather a plastic statue that looks amazing and half the price of a polystyrene statue with **** paint.

Polystyrene? I don't think any of these 1/4 scale statues are made of polystyrene...polystone yes. And you think this:

Kotobukiya-Wonder-Woman-Bishoujo-Statue-001_1287573820.jpg

is comparable to this?:

If you do, then stick with your 1/8th scale plastic figures. I'll take the epic 1/4 scale "inferior" statue.

SMC92 · Jul 31, 2014

You know what I meant to say smart ass and yes I'll take the Koto as it will look exactly like the prototype in the pics unlike the statue [emoji12][emoji12][emoji12]

Also Koto doesn't look like Wonder Man! [emoji33]

krec9 · Jul 31, 2014

sarakawa said:
Polystyrene? I don't think any of these 1/4 scale statues are made of polystyrene...polystone yes. And you think this:
View attachment 124594

is comparable to this?:

If you do, then stick with your 1/8th scale plastic figures. I'll take the epic 1/4 scale "inferior" statue.

To bad the SS piece will be terrible compared to the prototype.

sarakawa · Jul 31, 2014

krec9 said:
To bad the SS piece will be terrible compared to the prototype.

Except that the piece at SDCC was a production piece and it looked fantastic. Batman and Superman have turned out amazing as well. So much for your theory...

Anyways, back to Lara. I suppose if people cancel their POs, its understandable. I just think that what you're getting is still a very nice statue for a very good price. And don't get me wrong about Koto stuff, I used to collect it as well before my 1/4 scale addiction began :lol

electroshock · Jul 31, 2014

sarakawa said:
.

If sideshow doesn't change his QC I think will be difficult to get a paint job near to proto

We deserve? No doubt .

krec9 · Jul 31, 2014

sarakawa said:
Except that the piece at SDCC was a production piece and it looked fantastic. Batman and Superman have turned out amazing as well. So much for your theory...

Anyways, back to Lara. I suppose if people cancel their POs, its understandable. I just think that what you're getting is still a very nice statue for a very good price. And don't get me wrong about Koto stuff, I used to collect it as well before my 1/4 scale addiction began

Opinions differ. Batman looks terrible to me IMO but yea back to Lara.

MostStrange · Aug 1, 2014

electroshock said:
Thanks for the pic

Please,if you don't mind ,take around 5 pics with natural light in diferents distances,front angle

Thanks again

Here's an album. I have shaky hands, but hopefully they're not so horrible. https://plus.google.com/photos/118127005109965798595/albums/6042452374374031361

Gaming Heads 1/4 Lara Croft

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