1/6 Hot Toys Return of the Jedi Emperor Palpatine DELUXE Sixth Scale Figure REVIEW

[Mike86]

Did you see the review? It starts with a huge animated AEC logo and has constant AEC mentions (including an EX coupon code offer) throughout, as well as a big AEC push at the end.

Maybe he just REALLY likes buying from AE.

I’m a regular viewer of his channel. I’m a fan, but I still don’t see a huge problem with his video. Like I said it’s not uncommon for reviewers to get sponsors (and again I’m not trying to speak for him or about the deal he has with them as it’s not my business). It just shows that he’s somewhat good at what he does to gain sponsors. Also his videos haven’t always been sponsored by Alter Ego. I think it’s been like the last few Hot Toys ones he’s done. Plus there’s an incentive for the viewer so I don’t see a reason to complain.

I don’t know him personally or anything, but he seems like a good guy and does good in-depth reviews that are also entertaining. I think a lot of people here are trying to play forum police when he hasn’t done anything to violate the rules, and as he’s mentioned hasn’t had anyone else in authority tell him he can’t. Don’t like it then don’t watch. It’s really simple.

 

[SwedishHeat]

I think a lot of people here are trying to play forum police when he hasn’t done anything to violate the rules, and as he’s mentioned hasn’t had anyone else in authority tell him he can’t.

Not sure if you've noticed, but the mods don't do anything until someone reports a post.

The community polices itself. It's not like the mods just patrol the forums looking for curse words or spam. They rely on the users to report violations.

 

[Mike86]

Not sure if you've noticed, but the mods don't do anything until someone reports a post.

The community polices itself. It's not like the mods just patrol the forums looking for curse words or spam. They rely on the users to report violations.

And the violation is what exactly? There have been reviews here sporadically throughout the years I’ve frequented this site that have their own dedicated threads. Guys like OMG, Jingobell, Michael Crawford, and I’m sure others.

 

[yy0925]

I wasn't talking about violating the polices or advertising. I just wanted the forum to be more organized and sorted.

But to be honest, if people keep doing that, my life still goes on

 

[The Review Spot]

The video was still intended as an Independent Review. I've worked with Alter Ego to promote their site that's all. Some reviewers have worked with BBTS and that's really their decision to do so, I'm just working with Alter Ego on a couple of videos for them. In no way does that distort the video content though? In no ways is the video skewed just because I'm telling viewers where they can get pieces for themselves?

I wanted to pick up these pieces for my collection and AEC was simply the site that I picked them up from. If I didn't honestly like the figures, it would be mentioned in the video, AEC doesn't make any of the things I've reviewed, they don't need the reviews to be glossy and overly positive, my opinions of the figures are no different than if I picked up the figure locally from a store. If I picked it up from a Comic store and said hey if you want this for yourself you can get it here and there's a coupon code for you to use. if you don't want to pickup anything the coupon code won't be for you, but 15.00 off a figure that's already 200+ every little bit helps and it only benefits the people that are able to jump on it if they want to pickup something for themselves.

I don't see how advertising a website distorts really anything when they are an online dealer and don't make anything they sell?

 

[The Review Spot]

I honestly didn't think I was voilating anything. In the last couple of months I've just wanted to be more involved in Collectors Forums where I could share my passions of Sixth Scale figures, statues etc with others. Certainly if the consensus is that you'd prefer them localized in one section of the Forum rather than new threads, I'm happy to follow that

 

[irezumi]

I sense a few bruised egos from the vocal minority. How dare someone come here and steal the spotlight. No harm done...move along...

 

[TaliBane]

The video was still intended as an Independent Review. I've worked with Alter Ego to promote their site that's all. Some reviewers have worked with BBTS and that's really their decision to do so, I'm just working with Alter Ego on a couple of videos for them. In no way does that distort the video content though? In no ways is the video skewed just because I'm telling viewers where they can get pieces for themselves?

I don't see how advertising a website distorts really anything when they are an online dealer and don't make anything they sell?

I'm always curious how that works with YT videos - do they actually pay you, or do they just give you free stuff like the fig you are reviewing?

 

[The Review Spot]

It honestly depends on the company, the agreement varies from one company to another. Most of the time its not even the direct company who reaches out to you, it may be a marketing company working on their behalf who seek out candidates they feel could be a good fit to promote for their client, often if its that case they may send pieces to you in exchange for a review.

 

[TaliBane]

It honestly depends on the company, the agreement varies from one company to another. Most of the time its not even the direct company who reaches out to you, it may be a marketing company working on their behalf who seek out candidates they feel could be a good fit to promote for their client, often if its that case they may send pieces to you in exchange for a review.

So did AEC just give you the figure in this case or did they pay you? I'm always wondering if YT people who get up to many thousands of views on reviews can actually make a living out of doing that or if it remains very much hobby-level income.

 

[jedibear]

Nicely done review. Sure had a lot of dizzy spinning at the beginning there...

The review shows off the figure well. It also unintentionally demonstrates what a dust-lint magnet this one is, even the throne! Every little white speck stands out like a boulder on that thing. I also had a hard time getting past that whacked-out Uncle Fester grin this sculpt features. It's tough to get past even if it does capture a scene or two with it's specific look. I don't recall that issue jumping out at me as much as it did in this presentation.

The throne on this one didn't have all the bumps and puckers we've seen on some of the others in reviews. With the exception of that sloppy paint line where the front of the "cushion" meets the chair seat lip, it looked really good.

I'm still not completely sold on this one yet - not enough to pluck down 3 C's on it. It looks good, but....

As for the review and the heavy "Alter Ego" presence, I watch these with the sound off so I just figured it was their video. Not a big deal to me since I don't listen to these...I just want to see a good presentation of the figure I'm considering. I don't care who's sponsoring the video or how the reviewer got the figure. Just give me a clean, well presented look at the figure and I'm happy....

 

[momaw]

I suspect this threat is getting hit harder as there is a bit of fatigue at the multiple threads being opened to discuss the same figures. Lately it seems in the rush to be "first" or can't be bother looking, so many duplicate threads have been opened which makes it tiresome to follow the conversation on a particular figure. With this coming on the heels of one of the most popular threads in recent times, I think its a bit of a lightning rod. I see the issue reviewers have in that they post in the regular thread, when it's a popular fast moving thread, it quickly gets buried and misses needed hits, but likewise, if every review had it's own thread the place would be a mess.

I support the idea of a review subforum like the customs for reviews. Then people can always find reviews much more easily.

 

[momaw]

Well I appreciate you taking the time to watch Jedibear. I can never really figure out why there's the need to know how the collectible was acquired, when I would think the reason for watching is to see what a figure looks like before pulling the trigger to get it for yourself. Sometimes I get questions like did you get that for free? or did they send you that figure? or some reviewers are even accused of Shilling for a company and again I don't get what the viewers goal was in watching the video? aren't you more interested in the details to the piece and not the story of how they got it? crazy

Gotta admit this view perplexes me. How one gets the figure can greatly influence how much we trust the review. Based on Mikes comments you have been doing reviews for quite a while so I would think your followers have built up a trust in you. But as a first time viewer the opening screams out commercial for alter ego comics which immediately removes any trust in me or the desire to watch a 30 minute commercial (I avoid commercials at all costs).

Please know this isn't an attack, perhaps just some thoughts for you to consider on how you present your sponsors. It can affect what viewers think and whether they continue watching your review. High end collectables collectors are a pretty jaded bunch and crave the views of like minded fans and distrust the marketing machine. You don't want to be seen as the marketing machine.

 

[TaliBane]

Going also back to your point of an opening screaming commercial removes then the desire to watch anything that follows after, do you frequently go to the movie theatre where you live? So you decide you want to go and see Captain Marvel, as you sit down with popcorn and soda and just before the movie finally starts and just before that when the previews starts there’s a couple of Ads for Sprite and Old Navy. Now would you dismiss the interest in seeing the movie because the film screams as one big commercial for Sprite and Old Navy? Of course not, the two aren’t connected, however the theatre uses advertisements for revenue stream, but the movie can still entirely be bad or great whether there was a commercial in the beginning or not, as the two aren’t relative to one another. Again this is a silly example to be using but does reflect I think the post you made, would prior movie adverts affect a biased opinion for a film that would follow? I would hope not.

I'm not sure this comparison makes any sense at all.

And even if they didn't directly pay you it's pretty cool you got a free Palps and throne from AEC - I know it must be quite a few hours of work to shoot the review and edit it etc, but I'd imagine it averages out to be "payment" of about $40-50 an hour based on the value of the set you get for free (and assuming the review maybe takes you 6-8 hours total, which is probably too high an estimate) so it's really not too bad.

For sets like say a Sideshow Jabba, which would have only a bit more time to shoot/edit due to larger size, the "hourly rate" would be much higher.

 

[TaliBane]

Who said I got the pieces for Free?

I'm confused - so you produced a review video with lots of AEC logos and links and mentions throughout but they neither paid you nor gave you the figure for free?

Are you just friends with them or just really like buying from that company? Why would you put all that promotion in your video when you didn't receive anything in return?

 

[TaliBane]

The thread post was about a review of the figure, why are we talking about things other than that??

What other things are being talked about other than your review and where reviews like yours should be posted?

So why did you include the AEC stuff so prominently in your video if they didn't pay you or give you the fig? Do you really like buying from them and wanted to help them out or something?

 

[SwedishHeat]

Doesn't matter why AEC material was provided to the review,

Yes, it does.

It's a matter of ethics. It might even be a legal matter, I don't know for sure.

When EA paid Twitch streamers to play Apex Legends on their stream, it had #ad overlaid during the stream, to be clear the intent of the stream was to promote the game.

I mean, you wanted the promotion of your own special thread for the review, and now people are asking questions about the review and you're dodging them. You can't have it both ways. Michael Crawford starts his own threads for reviews, and has a disclaimer at the bottom of each review stating whether it was "provided" to him, or if it was purchased by him. You can do the same, if you don't like using the word 'free', but it's important to disclose the facts of a review.

If the figure was shipped to you and you had to return it, that's fine.

I also wouldn't be surprised if they just sent it to you and said "Hey, we thought you'd like to take a look at this" and didn't ask for anything in return. I just think it's important that it's disclosed if you paid for it or not.

 

[TaliBane]

Doesn't matter why AEC material was provided to the review, its a collaboration that was done with them, if you'd like to shop at their site they offered a 15.00 code to be used, feel free to use that if you like. Other than that if you'd like to talk about the figure I'm happy to discuss.

You were paid by AEC and you won't admit it but it "doesn't matter"? The fact you won't admit to it is what now makes it matter. It's like you're hiding something.

That's how it comes across - and that awkward "if you'd like to shop at their site" thing? Like you've produced a paid ad, and you won't admit you were paid, but you're still trying to plug your sponsor in the same sentence? It's just a "collaboration" between you and a large online retailer? C'mon - that's just silly.

There's no harm in admitting you were paid by AEC, none at all. It's interesting that you can get paid for reviews. Don't try to dance around it - people are interested. Tell us how it works.