Media Mass Effect General Discussion Thread

[MGS_OldBoy57]

I've created a new Survey.

Mass Effect Survey Ver. 2

I'll need help getting it shared and promoted since so many people filled out the last one and I hate bothering them to fill out another. I was well into the triple digits in responses before realizing they would only let me view less than 10% of the responses without the fee.

But given how passionate the amount of responses I received was, I'm optimistic I'll get some help promoting the research this time around.

I voted

Many great characters from this series but due to space I would only be interested in male/female Shepard.

 

[Garlador]

I voted

Many great characters from this series but due to space I would only be interested in male/female Shepard.

While I'm keeping my expectations in check, in the chance this actually makes headway, I'm already laughing at how in trouble I'll be. There's only a few lines I would ever go "all in" on, and I almost always only pick up one or two characters at most, but so many of the Mass Effect crew are some of my favorite characters in all of fiction.

Shepard - male AND female - would be mandatory for me, but I basically would be in for almost any figure they would make if the quality was up to par. While I would snatch up the obvious ones like Garrus, Tali, or Liara, I also realize that if I saw a solicitation for, say, a Collector, I'd really want it. If it was even just a single figure rep for a Vorcha, Volus, or Batarian, I'd still likely grab one.

So I almost hope that if it happens, they DON'T go all out, because my wallet and wife would kill me.

 

[Gipetto0812]

I voted as well. My main ones are Shepard (man and fem), Garrus, Liara (maybe Miranda and Jack too though). But really, if they're all well made, I would be in for just about all figures released. Only characters I never really cared for were Kaiden and Ashley.

 

[vaanrose]

While I'm keeping my expectations in check, in the chance this actually makes headway, I'm already laughing at how in trouble I'll be. There's only a few lines I would ever go "all in" on, and I almost always only pick up one or two characters at most, but so many of the Mass Effect crew are some of my favorite characters in all of fiction.

Shepard - male AND female - would be mandatory for me, but I basically would be in for almost any figure they would make if the quality was up to par. While I would snatch up the obvious ones like Garrus, Tali, or Liara, I also realize that if I saw a solicitation for, say, a Collector, I'd really want it. If it was even just a single figure rep for a Vorcha, Volus, or Batarian, I'd still likely grab one.

So I almost hope that if it happens, they DON'T go all out, because my wallet and wife would kill me.

This franchise feels so perfect for figure form, so toyetic, it's really kind of shocking the choices are so limited, even at smaller scales. Even the b-tier characters have strong design aesthetics and the ME series, more than most, really emphasized getting players attached to its characters, with romances and loyalty missions, so I feel like a lot of people would go really deep in a line, more than some other franchises I see get a bunch of figures.

 

[Victοr]

In an ideal world, I'd go deep with this. But the thing is, I'd be going deep simply for completionism. I don't care for Zaeed or something as characters. But it is true that the franchise has very good toyetic designs. I'd like more than the 5 I'll probably limit myself to, but going all out with alt. looks, C-Listers, troop builders; nah. I need to curate my whole collection more carefully as is.

Honestly, I cannot think of any IP that I'd do such a deep dive into to the point where I'd buy random aliens. Even the huge ones I've been into for decades, like say Star Wars, I limit myself to the Jedi/Sith, and some Republic/Empire stuff at most. I guess something like a comic-based X-Men, assuming all the money and space in the world, would get its claws deep in me as I love a lot of the characters and there are a ton of costumes. I suppose having consumed so much pop culture and general fiction over the years, far too many characters come off as too similar, so I gravitate only to certain ones when all the ingridients work.

Anyway, it is astounding that ME hasn't had a proper toyline, but VGs just aren't lucky in that department. I bought all the Minimates when they came out, but they were canned early because the Gamestop Blind Bag model was honestly nonsense. I was tempted by the PAKs, but they were too pricey for what they were. I had the 3Zero Shep on PO but cancelled, because it just wasn't up to par. These days, as I'm deep into the 1/6th game I wouldn't be able to support another scale, so I hope we get some decent 1/6th representation. The Sheps, Liara and Garrus are my locks. From then on, it depends.

 

[WhoaItsJBot]

I wouldn't get any random aliens, but would definitely consider supporting characters like Aria.

 

[Garlador]

This franchise feels so perfect for figure form, so toyetic, it's really kind of shocking the choices are so limited, even at smaller scales. Even the b-tier characters have strong design aesthetics and the ME series, more than most, really emphasized getting players attached to its characters, with romances and loyalty missions, so I feel like a lot of people would go really deep in a line, more than some other franchises I see get a bunch of figures.

It really does. While the "dating sim" aspect is sort of an open joke among gamers, there still is that unique emotional connection that isn't readily there in many other games (outside of Bioware's own Dragon Age or The Witcher series). People were happy to buy their Garrus and Tali bodypillows straight from the Bioware store. That's kind of crazy to me.

...I ONLY bought my wife Quarian-themed leggings.

In an ideal world, I'd go deep with this. But the thing is, I'd be going deep simply for completionism. I don't care for Zaeed or something as characters. But it is true that the franchise has very good toyetic designs. I'd like more than the 5 I'll probably limit myself to, but going all out with alt. looks, C-Listers, troop builders; nah. I need to curate my whole collection more carefully as is.

Anyway, it is astounding that ME hasn't had a proper toyline, but VGs just aren't lucky in that department. I bought all the Minimates when they came out, but they were canned early because the Gamestop Blind Bag model was honestly nonsense. I was tempted by the PAKs, but they were too pricey for what they were. I had the 3Zero Shep on PO but cancelled, because it just wasn't up to par. These days, as I'm deep into the 1/6th game I wouldn't be able to support another scale, so I hope we get some decent 1/6th representation. The Sheps, Liara and Garrus are my locks. From then on, it depends.

I agree with both accounts that the series is incredibly toyetic and just has solid designs. You bring up Zaeed, and I'll openly state that out of all the squad characters, he's near the bottom for me. And YET....

If you showed me a 1/6 scale figure of Zaeed in all his dingy, scrapped-together armor with an optional grungy, Borderlands-esque helmet on while toting his beloved rifle "Jessie" around, I would suddenly see a very conspicuous hole in my display for a figure with that much character, even among the rest of the Mass Effect cast. They didn't just make them interesting characters - they made them all so visually unique from one another that even one of my "least favorites" has a real special aura around them.

I wouldn't get any random aliens, but would definitely consider supporting characters like Aria.

So many of them had their own major side stories - like "Omega" or even limited comic runs - that Aria makes a ton of sense.

 

[Victοr]

I agree with both accounts that the series is incredibly toyetic and just has solid designs. You bring up Zaeed, and I'll openly state that out of all the squad characters, he's near the bottom for me. And YET....

If you showed me a 1/6 scale figure of Zaeed in all his dingy, scrapped-together armor with an optional grungy, Borderlands-esque helmet on while toting his beloved rifle "Jessie" around, I would suddenly see a very conspicuous hole in my display for a figure with that much character, even among the rest of the Mass Effect cast. They didn't just make them interesting characters - they made them all so visually unique from one another that even one of my "least favorites" has a real special aura around them.

I get your point. Sometimes a striking visual can tempt you. But I've got so many "must haves" that I can't afford to be led astray by great aesthetics. And I always feel bad omitting just one or two characters from a big line, so if I can't commit to the entire thing, I make sure to just stick with my favourites. For example take Star Wars. I could buy Han Solo because I like Ford, even though it's the Force shenanigans that keep me coming back. But then I'd need a Leia and Chewie. And then a Lando. And then Boba. And then... You get my point. So I stick with the Lukes, the Vaders and whatever character fits my specific displays. Others go OT, others go PT, I go Jedi/Sith. ME wise, Shepard, Liara and Garrus are my mains. TIM would tempt me a lot. And then it depends on the execution. I'm a big fan of Samara, because of... reasons...

 

[R_R_X]

Definitely feels like Threezero is our best option when it comes to 1/6 scale characters like Garrus, Tali and Wrex, I think Shepard and Liara would be relatively easy to make compared to the rest of the crew since they just need standard human bodies, Threezero has made humanoid/creature figures so it just really depends on wether or not they're willing to invest in more Mass Effect.

 

[Garlador]

Definitely feels like Threezero is our best option when it comes to 1/6 scale characters like Garrus, Tali and Wrex, I think Shepard and Liara would be relatively easy to make compared to the rest of the crew since they just need standard human bodies, Threezero has made humanoid/creature figures so it just really depends on wether or not they're willing to invest in more Mass Effect.

While the series thrives on its aliens, it is good to remember that of the core squad over a DOZEN are human or human-bodied. I can really only think of six out of nearly 20 that would need unique alien tooling, and even that has some shared elements between them.

Now, I DID get a few submissions for Blasto the Hanar Spectre, and that could be a worthy challenge to make.

 

[vaanrose]

While the series thrives on its aliens, it is good to remember that of the core squad over a DOZEN are human or human-bodied. I can really only think of six out of nearly 20 that would need unique alien tooling, and even that has some shared elements between them.

Now, I DID get a few submissions for Blasto the Hanar Spectre, and that could be a worthy challenge to make.

I mean, yeah, but those six are the popular ones lol.

 

[Garlador]

I mean, yeah, but those six are the popular ones lol.

That’s actually a good thing in terms of getting them made. I’ll have to check, but I think every entry so far wants an alien figure.

 

[Garlador]

After about 10 days, I think the polls are now closed. I'm going to analyze the data and formulate a plan of attack (demand, viability, profitability, etc.), but I figured it wouldn't hurt to share the results and you all can see just how the data was broken down.

So without further adieu, here is the rankings for the most-demanded characters. These were every character specifically called out (though responses like "all the ME1 crew" or "all the ME2 crew" added to their tally). There were many characters with a few mentions, but I tried to only list the ones that had at least 10% of survey callouts (sorry Blasto, who just missed the cut).

Here's how the rest of that data broke down:

The takeaway? I have a LOT to work with, and I'm actually legit shocked at some of the results and requests. My main conclusion is... geez, Mass Effect fans, you hungry for merch or what? I had dozens of additional comments asking to see about model kits, cosplay props, and other merch.

I think a demand is clearly there. Now to actually make it presentable and pitch it.

 

[WhoaItsJBot]

I'd get about half the characters on that percentage pic, no surprise Garrus is #1. No Shepard without Vakarian.

Mass Effect is just the first in a long line of games and movies that have a mystifying and aggravating lack of merchandise. Alita, Horizon, and Arcane are three of my favorites and there is almost nothing for them. A few statues and Funko Pops. Nothing from NECA, Mafex, SHF, Iron Studios, or Hot Toys aside from the one Alita figure. I guess the one good thing is that it's saving me a ton of money.

 

[vaanrose]

After about 10 days, I think the polls are now closed. I'm going to analyze the data and formulate a plan of attack (demand, viability, profitability, etc.), but I figured it wouldn't hurt to share the results and you all can see just how the data was broken down.

So without further adieu, here is the rankings for the most-demanded characters. These were every character specifically called out (though responses like "all the ME1 crew" or "all the ME2 crew" added to their tally). There were many characters with a few mentions, but I tried to only list the ones that had at least 10% of survey callouts (sorry Blasto, who just missed the cut).
View attachment 573594

Here's how the rest of that data broke down:
View attachment 573595
View attachment 573596
View attachment 573597
View attachment 573598
View attachment 573599

The takeaway? I have a LOT to work with, and I'm actually legit shocked at some of the results and requests. My main conclusion is... geez, Mass Effect fans, you hungry for merch or what? I had dozens of additional comments asking to see about model kits, cosplay props, and other merch.

I think a demand is clearly there. Now to actually make it presentable and pitch it.

Even knowing I voted for FemShep but not MaleShep, I question any result that says FemShep is actually more popular. Even in the Legendary edition, according to the official stats, less than a third of players ran FemShep.

 

[Garlador]

Even knowing I voted for FemShep but not MaleShep, I question any result that says FemShep is actually more popular. Even in the Legendary edition, according to the official stats, less than a third of players ran FemShep.

I was surprised too, but she was specifically asked for frequently, and it makes sense when you realize how underserved she was in merch and figures. MaleShep was in most of the prior lines, but FemShep players had no such luck. They may be a minority of players, but the more devoted to their pick. It’s a hungrier market for her.

Same with Liara, who is a mandatory character in two of the games and thus is often shown as one of the top “popular” characters. And she IS, but I wasn’t excepting Wrex to get more requests.

And I know poor Kaidan is often sacrificed over Ashley, but the two Virmire choices had exactly the same number of write-ins.

 

[R_R_X]

It's surprising to see Male Shep and Liara so low but great to see Garrus at the top, wishing you the best of luck with your pitch @Garlador , you're our only hope now!

 

[Garlador]

A couple last minute votes poured in, so I've updated the rankings to reflect it. Nothing major, but higher percentages for some while Kasumi moved ahead a few spots.

So here's a question I should ask: What manufacturers should I reach out to?

I already know I'm going to submit my findings to Hot Toys, Threezero, McFarlane, and others, but I don't want to overlook other quality 1/6th makers (or 1/12 either). Whether it's Blitzway or Sideshow or ThreeA, I'm open to suggestions, and the better chances someone bites.

 

[R_R_X]

A couple last minute votes poured in, so I've updated the rankings to reflect it. Nothing major, but higher percentages for some while Kasumi moved ahead a few spots.

So here's a question I should ask: What manufacturers should I reach out to?

I already know I'm going to submit my findings to Hot Toys, Threezero, McFarlane, and others, but I don't want to overlook other quality 1/6th makers (or 1/12 either). Whether it's Blitzway or Sideshow or ThreeA, I'm open to suggestions, and the better chances someone bites.

I really doubt Hot Toys will touch Mass Effect, Threezero is more likely when it comes to 1/6, perhaps reach out to Damtoys as well, I don't know if you would consider reaching out to thrid parties with your data as well, SooSoo, VTS (sub brand of DamToys), GameToys and if you want you can reach out to me as well.

As far as smaller scales I would mainly focus on Neca and Mcfarlane since their stuff is more affordable to the majority of ME fans, I don't think the regular fan would fork over $100 for a Mezco 1/12 figure.

 

[Garlador]

I really doubt Hot Toys will touch Mass Effect, Threezero is more likely when it comes to 1/6, perhaps reach out to Damtoys as well, I don't know if you would consider reaching out to thrid parties with your data as well, SooSoo, VTS (sub brand of DamToys), GameToys and if you want you can reach out to me as well.

As far as smaller scales I would mainly focus on Neca and Mcfarlane since their stuff is more affordable to the majority of ME fans, I don't think the regular fan would fork over $100 for a Mezco 1/12 figure.

I’m going to cast a wide net, but I have barely any hope for Hot Toys. They’re already so backed up, so much in the pipeline, and there are even bigger brands and characters they have licenses for that they haven’t touched. But I’ll still try. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Maybe InArts might bite…