Sideshow 1/6 C-3PO

[Wor-Gar]

... I wouldn't count on them going balls to the wall with a sudden and prolific release schedule. It's not something they've done for any other license, and those licenses will also continue to be expanded at the same time.

They did with Avengers, and Iron Man... and I see Star Wars as the same.

But granted about Threepio -- makes sense that HT will have to wait until SS releases their own before they can jump into that. But I fully expect HT to get into Ep VII quickly, though not nearly to the extent that SS did when it frst got the license. No 1 figure per month deal. Probably 3-4 per year tops. But who knows? There's so much that can be produced from that universe, lots of room for multiple licenses.

 

[Pixelpiper]

3 or 4 a year is not "balls to the wall" in my books. But yeah, I agree. It'll be interesting to see how the characters are divided between SSC and HT - and whether they'll both be able to maintain scale.

 

[CAhobbit]

That's it....SS has lied to me for the last time....NO MORE FIGURES!!!!!!!






Hey Alex, any idea when 3PO will go up for PO?

Hopefully within the next few months. There are still a few aspects that needs to be finished up (like the exclusive) and he still needs final approval from the licensor.

I knew there was no way they could get polystone pistons to telescope at that scale.

He's made out of a durable plastic, not polystone (yes, I know that is also a plastic mix as well, but it's different type than what's used for sixth scale figures such as R2 and C3PO).

-SideshowAlex

 

[Wor-Gar]

Polystone is an old, old joke 'round here, Alex. I doubt he really thought that.

 

[Wor-Gar]

3 or 4 a year is not "balls to the wall" in my books. But yeah, I agree. It'll be interesting to see how the characters are divided between SSC and HT - and whether they'll both be able to maintain scale.

Well, balls to the wall for HT. But I would not be surprised with 5-6 or even 7 in the first year of the movies release. I believe they will milk this license for all its worth and for all they can.

 

[Pixelpiper]

for all they can.

And that's it right there. They won't have carte-blanche to produce what they want - they'll have to share and it wouldn't even surprise me in the least if Sideshow has first right of refusal. But who knows. Anyway, the HT/SSC combo is great, IMO, and I really hope it leads to better figures across the board. Just not higher prices.

 

[ZE_501]

And that's it right there. They won't have carte-blanche to produce what they want - they'll have to share and it wouldn't even surprise me in the least if Sideshow has first right of refusal.

Sideshow has Prima Nocta.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Seems to me SS is leaving the 1/6th movie figure development business and also seems to be quite happy distributing for HT. I could see them (SS) emptying their pipeline and letting the license go. Far less headaches with costs and approvals, etc. They also seem to be focusing on thier own creative endeavors with statues or various incarnations of comic superheroes where they don't have to pay the movie licenseing fees nor the likeness rights fees. I'm sure SS has a lot in the Star Wars pipeline, but I don't think they have the appetite to continue in development of a whole new trilogy.

 

[TaliBane]

Sorry to be the bearer of this news (since my last post got people very excited). I was very much incorrect in interpreting what I saw of C-3PO before SDCC and as such the info I posted about his pistons was incorrect. I reconnected with sixth scale team to get more info and to let y'all know that his pistons will indeed slide up and down in grooves on his arms in order to allow movement. Telescoping is simply not possible on the figure due to the materials C3PO's pistons are made out of and that telescoping would cause pistons to fall into pieces if people were to straighten out the arms too far.

Sorry y'all for the misinformation earlier. I hope this new information will be helpful in understanding how C-3POs arm movements will work on the piece though.

-SideshowAlex

Thanks for the clarification, SideshowAlex. You have been so awesome in your attention to questions on this item!

I was finally able to figure out how to get this pic bigger - which appears to be how the SSC elbow is designed. This articulation design will enable the elbow to bend about 1/3 of the range of motion that the Tamashii appears to have, but it's probably enough for the vast majority of poses (other than straight-arm ones like SW's "over here!" and ESB's "wait for me!" type poses.) It was a really inventive call on SSC's part.

The only potential problem with this system is that it could be prone to breakage due to the push/pull pressure on very tiny plastic pivots. The upper pivot doesn't just turn, it has to push that "piston" through the channel as you bend the elbow, which could be iffy especially if the weathering paint clogs it. The SSC IG-88 had problems in that area where the "grease" wash - the same treatment SSC is using for this 3PO - clogged some of the joints.

 

[Pixelpiper]

Seems to me SS is leaving the 1/6th movie figure development business and also seems to be quite happy distributing for HT. I could see them (SS) emptying their pipeline and letting the license go.

I don't think there's been any evidence of that, only the opposite. I have no idea what SSC's margin is on HT product, but I'm sure it must be fantastic on their own product - before amortizing for development costs of course. Anyway, I just don't see that happening. SW is a premiere property and SSC is the biggest name in the figure collectibles game by all accounts. There's no other license with the longevity of SW and it would be pretty shortsighted of SSC to drop it. The license needs two producers to provide adequate coverage for 1/6 releases, let alone PF and now 1/4 articulated figures.

 

[TaliBane]

Your time table's way off. HT preview of a key figure from VII will be 3 months before the film opens. There will be plenty of images of such character by then. I'm certain HT will do a 3PO at some point too but not likely one of the firsts... unless of course there is no significant change to the droids -- which there shouldn't be -- then they may be one of the initial previews because there's no spoiler associated.

This is Disney now. There's no secrets with Disney.

Yeah, I think people seem to be underestimating the Disney aspect. They are the world's best branding and merchandising machine more than anything else. My guess is that this deal will change the culture of HT - into a bigger company, one that can crank out a couple of dozen high-end SW figures in the space of a couple of years. I think what is happening is the beginning of a new era in 1/6 and all those endless IM's was just the warm-up.

The idea that HT - in the context of Disney and a new trilogy and this new deal - will only produce a few SW characters sporadically with long lead times is just wrong. What we have seen with IM will occur with SW but at twice the pace. Disney will settle for nothing less.

 

[CAhobbit]

Polystone is an old, old joke 'round here, Alex. I doubt he really thought that.

Without an international sign for joking (ie: a winky face) how would I know, ha!

 

[Wor-Gar]

I don't think there's been any evidence of that, only the opposite.

No evidence? They drop all their 1/6th movie licenses except GI Joe and Star Wars. Now they've dropped Joe into the same "taking a break" pit that Indiana Jones went into. So they've got Star Wars. That's it. What other movie line are they doing?

 

[Wor-Gar]

Without an international sign for joking (ie: a winky face) how would I know, ha!

No, I didn't think you did, that's why I was explaining. Not being snarky.

 

[Pixelpiper]

This articulation design will enable the elbow to bend about 1/3 of the range of motion that the Tamashii appears to have, but it's probably enough for the vast majority of poses

Did you try pivoting the parts to roughly check how much movement is possible? I'm happy with the quick test I just did (Photoshop). No idea how much movement is in the Tama, but if range on this guy is close to what I previewed, it will be totally and completely acceptable.

 

[CAhobbit]

No, I didn't think you did, that's why I was explaining. Not being snarky.

I didn't even think you were being snarky. I hope I didn't come off as snarky. Eeep.

-SideshowAlex

 

[Wor-Gar]

I didn't even think you were being snarky. I hope I didn't come off as snarky. Eeep.

-SideshowAlex

No, no, you weren't, just covering myself.

 

[Pixelpiper]

No evidence. They drop all their 1.6th movie licenses except GI Joe and Star Wars. Now they've dropped Joe into the same "taking a break" pit that Indiana Jones went into. So they've got Star Wars. That's it. What other movie line are they doing?

You'll have to be more specific abut which licenses you're taking about. G.I. Joe is not a movie license BTW. Sideshow's products are all based on the Hasbro toys, Hot Toys has been producing the movie-specific stuff. Again, I see the opposite (all movies): Escape from NY, BeetleJuice, Evil Dead II, Iron Man, Hellraiser, Godzilla and those are the ones off the top of my head.

Rumors of new Indiana Jones 1/6 figure(s) recently too. They had to take a break with that as between them, Medicom and Hot Toys, pretty much anything marketable had been released. Need to cool off and come back once processes are improved to offer something new and improved rather than simple another set of clothes on the same base.

 

[Wor-Gar]

You'll have to be more specific abut which licenses you're taking about. G.I. Joe is not a movie license BTW. Sideshow's products are all based on the Hasbro toys, Hot Toys has been producing the movie-specific stuff. Again, I see the opposite (all movies): Escape from NY, BeetleJuice, Evil Dead II, Iron Man, Hellraiser, Godzilla and those are the ones off the top of my head.

Rumors of new Indiana Jones 1/6 figure(s) recently too. They had to take a break with that as between them, Medicom and Hot Toys, pretty much anything marketable had been released. Need to cool off and come back once processes are improved to offer something new and improved rather than simple another set of clothes on the same base.

Then I'm wrong. About Joe being a movie line for SS.

If they're back in the movie 1/6th business then I hope we see product. I bought everything from SS up until about 2008, then... seemed like all the licenses (I cared about) went away.

Still think they're moving away from it all. (A one-off Beetlejuice or Godzilla isn't a line.) But that's opinion and not fact.

 

[jra81984]

I just took out the Tamashii to see what it has going on. It has a full range of motion on the arms... The arms can close as far as the piston will allow, and it will open as far as you could possibly want it. The combination of the slides and the piston make it so there is no strain on the piston at all. The range of motion on the Sideshow version will be more restricted, but I think there is absolutely reason for concern about breakage. We will have to be extremely careful.

If you look at the Sideshow figure the arms are closed as far as they will go, but they should be able to open from that point.