Big Chief Studios - 1/6 Doctor Who - #13 Jodie Whittaker

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This last comment sadly sums up BCS and their Who output.
I love these figures, even the not so good ones. However, the 2 years plus waiting time from payment to delivery is not cool.
Had BCS got their 8 out to the waiting public NOW, there might be a lot more faith in seeing this figure before 2021.
I’m still in, but have no faith in seeing this during this decade, if unfortunately, at all.
 
If 8 was already out, people would be saying how terrible it is and how the production was rushed and crap quality from the factory. Can't win either way.
 
It all comes down to working capital, not the factory. Big Chief can’t simply push out all of their pre-orders all at once because all of their money will get tied up in inventory. That’s probably why they are having a big March sale to clear it down.

That’s why, in theory, the Launchpad model makes sense. You hit all the pre-orders you would need to pay the factory upfront, you don’t have to wait and can rush into production. Currently they are having to wait until pre-orders are high enough and/or the business is liquid enough to pay for the production of two year’s worth of inventory.

It’s just a hard-sell because everyone is assuming that LaunchPad products will be subject to the same delays as the other pre-orders. And to be fair - there isn’t any evidence to say this won’t be the case.
 
If 8 was already out, people would be saying how terrible it is and how the production was rushed and crap quality from the factory. Can't win either way.


Well they could always try consistently delivering product that wasn't too frequently rife with various quality control issues, and give us a figure that wasn't "crap quality" as you put it (which in most cases is overblowing it anyway, in my opinion), then they would have a lot less people complaining about such issues to begin with. Because the vast majority of complaints I've seen are entirely valid ones. And when they have released figures that weren't plagued by such issues (First Doctor, 7B Eleventh Doctor, Twelfth Doctor, War Doctor for the most part, etc. as well as others like the Thunderbirds releases), the feedback on those releases was, and still remains, predominantly and deservedly very positive, just as it should be. Funny how that works, really...

Besides which, people have been waiting for two years for figures that many (most?) have long since paid for, and yet to date still can't get any information or idea out of BCS as to when they might actually deliver said product, so at this stage folks have every right to feel a little grumpy on the subject. Delays are one thing, but crossing the two year mark with no clear end in sight and nary a hint as to when you could actually expect release still is hardly going to win over customers or inspire future confidence. For the record I'm not personally one of those grumpy about it, because I usually try not to stress over such things and just roll with it, but I get why a growing number of folks are, and honestly think they have every right to feel that way.

I do hope BCS has finally turned a corner and their releases will be more consistently reliable, quality wise, from here on out, and their Abominable Bride figures were good from the accounts that I read, so that's a positive start. But we've been here before, so really only time will tell if the promised quality improvements from the new factory is able to be delivered, and more importantly, delivered consistently. I hope it is, and will give them full props if they manage to do so, but again, only time will tell, and until it does we only have past figures and their prior history of rampant inconsistency to judge by. If they want to rewrite that narrative then the ball is in their court to do so. God only knows that those of us that have stuck with them would love nothing more than to see them go forward successfully and profitably delivering consistent quality releases on the lines/licenses that we love, because honestly, that's what it's all about, and it would certainly be far easier, and cheaper, if I was satisfied with everything I purchased from them. Very few people buy any of this stuff wanting to be disappointed, after all. :)
 
I’m sure this would cover their costs as far as production goes and they could sell another 150+ through the traditional method. It’s just awkward as if they accepted this result, no one will take future launchpad targets seriously.

This the troubling part. This is my first Launchpad and while I'm hoping it meets the 500, if they end up putting 150 on the site even though the second sculpt, it means that I can just wait it out. Not to mention if they end up discounting it. I would almost rather they extend the campaign and give the backers that are already in something additional or offer it non-signature or something along those lines.
 
I suppose they can relaunch at some point, with the smiling head painted, accessories and/or when the show returns next year.
Pertwee and the rest seem less likely to hit 500 now.

Edit: looks like the painted smiling portrait will be revealed soon. Hopefully that will give preorders a shot in the arm.
 
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We live in an age where even trailers get trailers now, so... :lol

Anyway, hopefully this reveal, when it hits, helps boost sales. It also shows again what a difference good and bad photography can make, as despite the original head looking similarly good in the video that was posted a few months ago, the poorly shot main pic on the launch page I doubt has done them many favours.

Oh, and in related news, I see they have listed July as the release date for the perpetually delayed Eighth Doctor. Here's hoping that stays true, and arrives in a quality that was worth the wait.
 
Put simply... part of the process. When we started the 13th Doctor we were sent turnaround images of the actress in her costume, but she was not “performing”, her expression was relaxed / neutral, hence the resulting sculpt. We were not privy to any advanced photography or footage until the show started to air. So it was not until we saw Jodie’s portrayal that we realised we needed to revise the sculpt. This took time both to get right and to be approved. So with the best will in the world, we could not speed the process up, else we would have. Remember to that part of the idea of Launch Pad is to keep fans engaged with behind the scenes updates throughout the development process.
 
The dichotomy being getting 13 out as close as possible to the TV airings and not losing impetus, or go with it with preparation incomplete. A tough one! Would the new sculpt have made that much os a difference? We can all speculate but Iam not sure. I love Jodie’s performance, but some of the episodes have been clunky and the apparent PC element (which I wholeheartedly support!) has alienated some of the more “traditional” fans. In all, 13 has been somewhat “Marmite.” I really, really hope that my multiple order will be fulfilled, but at the moment I am far from confident. :gah:
 
Hope restored! 350 seems doable. And the painted smiling head looks great. So good, I wouldn’t mind them not including the stoic head at all to save some production cost.
 
Actually after seeing it painted up the smile looks just a bit weird to me, and I think I kinda prefer the first sculpt now.

It might help though to see some pics of it on the body.
 
I often said that 350 seemed like a far more realistic, reasonable and achievable minimum launch target for pre-sales, so it is welcome to see that BCS has ultimately determined likewise and thankfully going forward is achievable at that number, and this figure is now all but guaranteed. Hopefully between now and release they will sell the rest of the run, too. Be nice to see this figure sell out by, or shortly after, release for them.

I also hope Pertwee ends up with a similar green light target for launch, particularly as a precedent feels like it has rather been set now, and, dangerously perhaps, will surely be assumed by many going into that launch when it happens. But that is a concern for another day, right now just glad this one is happening.

So with Eight and Thirteen, that will be two more Doctors on the way. Five more to go... :pray:
 
Her eyes doesn't reflect that she's smiling, cover her mouth up and you'd think she had a straight face.
 
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