Hot Toys vs Sideshow Star Wars 1/6 & 1/4 General Discussion Thread

Sorry if this is mentioned elsewhere (and if it is delete this and point me in the right direction) but I was surprised to see Hot Toys now crossing over into making figures that Sideshow is currently manufacturing (like Darth Vader). Aside from Vader what other figures have Hot Toys said (or hinted at) they were making - are they also doing 3P0, R2, etc?

Sean

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

Shadow Trooper - probably already sold out on Pre-order
Stormtrooper - also available as a two pack
Han Solo - ANH
Chewbacca - ANH

..apparently Howard Chan did it specifically to annoy some of the Cantina Krew...

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

B..b..b..but HT is doing ANH Vader and the SS Vader is ESB/RotJ. How are they the same figure?

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

There is no way to truly know... but hot toys dose more mane stream figures. so i will almost guarantee that we will get the mane characters of the star wars movies. sideshow collectables have many more out as of right now, but thats just because hot toys just acquired the licenses to make star wars figures. if your looking for a Expanded Universe star wars figure then i dout hot toys will ever make them. sideshow has already shown they are willing to make EU. as for R2D2 and C3P0, i would say hot toys would eventually make them.

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

Bloodyedge said:

There is no way to truly know... but hot toys dose more mane stream figures. so i will almost guarantee that we will get the mane characters of the star wars movies. sideshow collectables have many more out as of right now, but thats just because hot toys just acquired the licenses to make star wars figures. if your looking for a Expanded Universe star wars figure then i dout hot toys will ever make them. sideshow has already shown they are willing to make EU. as for R2D2 and C3P0, i would say hot toys would eventually make them.

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Agreed.. it seems likely HT will focus on the main OT SW characters, particularly ANH, plus Trooper variants ..and then probably move towards characters from the new SW film at the end of next year.. Sideshow is probably going to continue to be your best bet for other SW figures.

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

Taibhse said:

Shadow Trooper - probably already sold out on Pre-order
Stormtrooper - also available as a two pack
Han Solo - ANH
Chewbacca - ANH

..apparently Howard Chan did it specifically to annoy some of the Cantina Krew...

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good to see you continue to act like a 2 year old.

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

It could also have to do with the Star Wars license as some people have theorized.

Sideshow is "loaning" the 1/6 license to Hot Toys possibly with the rules that they stick to figures that Sideshow HAS ALREADY done before...with some exceptions likely on a case-by-case basis (like Chewbacca, since Sideshow would probably make him all plastic). But a lot of people think the 1/6 scale license belongs to Sideshow and anything Hot Toys is doing is with permission from Sideshow (and they could be getting a "cut" too). It's likely with the new trilogy coming out, Hot Toys will pursue their own license of that rather than going through Sideshow.

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

Bardoon said:

Sideshow is "loaning" the 1/6 license to Hot Toys possibly with the rules that they stick to figures that Sideshow HAS ALREADY done before.

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No. New licence. They can make whatever they (and Lucasfilm) want to.

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

Some interesting speculation above.

HT's Bespin Luke was done in conjunction with Sideshow's license. However NOW HT has their own direct license for Star Wars from Disney. They don't have to consult with Sideshow in any way about what character they make nor does Sideshow have to consult with them. You would think and hope that there is some dialogue between the companies so they don't waste a lot of time and money duplicating efforts, but it could be that isn't happening either.

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

Darklord Dave said:

Some interesting speculation above.

HT's Bespin Luke was done in conjunction with Sideshow's license. However NOW HT has their own direct license for Star Wars from Disney. They don't have to consult with Sideshow in any way about what character they make nor does Sideshow have to consult with them. You would think and hope that there is some dialogue between the companies so they don't waste a lot of time and money duplicating efforts, but it could be that isn't happening either.

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yep!

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

Just remember Disney and LFL has nothing to gain from allowing both to do same figures at same time or very close together.

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

mfoga said:

Just remember Disney and LFL has nothing to gain from allowing both to do same figures at same time or very close together.

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They have nothing to gain but more money.

SSC and HT have already paid a guarantee up front, anything else is just royalties on the figures sold. Disney already got paid, it's up to HT and SSC to make enough product to recoup and make their license investment profitable.

The other conspiracy theory I can float is that SSC is charging MORE now per figure because they know they will sell less with Hot Toys unleashed, so they have to charge more to make their license worthwhile.

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

Darklord Dave said:

Some interesting speculation above.

HT's Bespin Luke was done in conjunction with Sideshow's license. However NOW HT has their own direct license for Star Wars from Disney. They don't have to consult with Sideshow in any way about what character they make nor does Sideshow have to consult with them. You would think and hope that there is some dialogue between the companies so they don't waste a lot of time and money duplicating efforts, but it could be that isn't happening either.

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SwedishHeat said:

They have nothing to gain but more money.

SSC and HT have already paid a guarantee up front, anything else is just royalties on the figures sold. Disney already got paid, it's up to HT and SSC to make enough product to recoup and make their license investment profitable.

The other conspiracy theory I can float is that SSC is charging MORE now per figure because they know they will sell less with Hot Toys unleashed, so they have to charge more to make their license worthwhile.

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So despite the fact they have mutual distribution deals, they are now in direct competition as separate licence holders and it's a "may the best man win" in terms of putting out 1/6 characters.

Whatever happened to that fact that Hasbro was the 1/6 licence holder and they subbed it to Sideshow? Did Disney's buyout negate all of that?

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

SwedishHeat said:

They have nothing to gain but more money.

SSC and HT have already paid a guarantee up front, anything else is just royalties on the figures sold. Disney already got paid, it's up to HT and SSC to make enough product to recoup and make their license investment profitable.

The other conspiracy theory I can float is that SSC is charging MORE now per figure because they know they will sell less with Hot Toys unleashed, so they have to charge more to make their license worthwhile.

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LFL/Disney get a piece of every single figure sold. So yes letting the directly compete does them no good. They didn't let it happen before why would they start now. It's just bad business for them since one of the two or even both may not sell as good and that would lessen the amount of $ they get. By spacing the releases out from both of them increases the odds of selling more of both thus giving them more money. Your plan can only hurt them can never help them.

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

Agreed, while it may make no difference to Disney, if Sideshow and Hot Toys release identical figures at the same time, I do not see that as being the most economically prudent business model, for HT and Sideshow.. since it would inevitably split sales.

Was the same discussion held about Medicom and Sideshow, when technically they were competing over pretty much exactly the same ground?.. or is this more about tribalism between the more partisan supporters of two different brands?

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

Taibhse said:

Agreed, while it may make no difference to Disney, if Sideshow and Hot Toys release identical figures at the same time, I do not see that as being the most economically prudent business model, for HT and Sideshow.. since it would inevitably split sales.

Was the same discussion held about Medicom and Sideshow, when technically they were competing over pretty much exactly the same ground?.. or is this more about tribalism between the more partisan supporters of two different brands?

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Yeah seems like later Medi Vader releases were released at the same time as SSC Vaders, and Medi reissued their 3PO (with sound) around the same time as the Tamashii/SSC 3PO release, and SSC and Medi's Henry Jones figs seemed like they came out within months of each other.

So not sure where people are getting this idea that all this is co-ordinated. Maybe the above were miscommunications?

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

Maybe 1 out of 100 fanboys bought Medi, though. They were just an import that was available from SSC, that hardly anyone paid attention to (and got ridiculed more than anything, when it did come up). Not the same as SSC/HT, at all. I'm sure there is some level of coordination going on. The Sideshow/HT announcement on their site once HT got the license would indicate at least that. Just seems to me they'd have to be morons to release directly competing product. I don't see anyone being that stupid.

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

I don't think SS cares, they're making money no matter which figures sell.... I'm sure they got a nice mark up on the Hot Toys figures...

Re: Just a question on Hot Toys vs Sideshow releases

TaliBane said:

Yeah seems like later Medi Vader releases were released at the same time as SSC Vaders, and Medi reissued their 3PO (with sound) around the same time as the Tamashii/SSC 3PO release, and SSC and Medi's Henry Jones figs seemed like they came out within months of each other.

So not sure where people are getting this idea that all this is co-ordinated. Maybe the above were miscommunications?

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Not sure which Medi Vader would have been at the same time as SS?
First one was much earlier. The SSC was 2009 and Medi 2.0 was 2012.
As for 3po that one might be closer in time but still think it was year difference.

Even then that one figure so thats not exactly a trend to show they allowed them to release competing figures at same time.

The fact that you can order the HT ones on Sideshows site shows there isn't any real "bad blood" between the companies about making the same figures.