medicom EP2 Clone Trooper

[bcm77]

I think Medicom and SSC do fine in quality and while I think Medi's offering is more stale then SSC, I don't think Hot Toys would do any better a job and actually may do worse a job with a Star Wars line. Sideshow may not put every item we think ought to be included with a figure, but they also don't have a practice of re-releasing the same figure a few months after people shell out $130 with even more items added to it. If Hot Toys had the license they'd likely pull that **** a lot unless LFL stopped it and what would they give a **** they get their money, so it'd probably happen and I'm sure that would drive away many customers.

In terms of sculpt quality,paint apps and tailoring HT would crap all over both companies because IMO they are already doing so and have been for some time. They would be a lot more imaginative with the SW license and we would likely see many pieces that SSC or Medicom would never consider because they don't have the balls. You don't see either company attempting much that doesn't utilise a basic base body,yet HT have consistently made new body types and large scale pieces for much smaller licenses than Star Wars so I doubt they would blow an opportunity to explore the SW universe in 1/6 scale should it ever come their way.

 

[IrishJedi]

I love Sideshow, but I gotta agree with bcm77 in that Hot Toys is now the clear leader and innovator in the 1/6 scale.

Hmmmm....I'm tempted to go back and get a Stormtrooper and an ROTS basic Clone then get this to have an "Evolutions" set up on my shelves......interesting...

Problem is, the RAH Stormtrooper is a good bit shorter than the clones.

 

[The Josh]

Thanks Jason

 

[ProgMatinee]

There is no doubt to me that HT makes the best product and offers the most creative and unique items, but its all a bit moot if I can't afford them, which I can't for HT unless I get like 3 figures a year, which isn't the way I like to collect.

If HT got it over Medicom then its pretty much switching out something I can't afford for something I can't afford.

But if SSC loses the license to a more expensive company (or SSC continues the trend to become said more expensive company) then I would be priced out and not a happy camper.

 

[MaulFan]

In terms of sculpt quality,paint apps and tailoring HT would crap all over both companies because IMO they are already doing so and have been for some time. They would be a lot more imaginative with the SW license and we would likely see many pieces that SSC or Medicom would never consider because they don't have the balls. You don't see either company attempting much that doesn't utilise a basic base body,yet HT have consistently made new body types and large scale pieces for much smaller licenses than Star Wars so I doubt they would blow an opportunity to explore the SW universe in 1/6 scale should it ever come their way.

That's nice, but if you read what I said, I didn't speak at all to figure quality or innovation, simply to some of their business end practices which could ultimately suck for Star Wars collectors. In a Predator line, it's not so inconvenient to release one version of a figure, then release it again with even more goodies added into the package. However, in a Star Wars line, if they pulled that sort of behavior it would alienate people. Hasbro and Sideshow have gotten collectors used to getting a good number of key accessories or if something's missed, it just doesn't get done, which is more liveable, especially in the SSC price line, than if you bought a character from HT, thought it was good but didn't have everything, and 5 months later the re-release it with EVERYTHING you could want. Again, perhaps if they had LFL to answer too they couldn't pull those sort of moves, but if they did, it would be a very frustrating line to collect.

 

[IrishJedi]

There is no doubt to me that HT makes the best product and offers the most creative and unique items, but its all a bit moot if I can't afford them, which I can't for HT unless I get like 3 figures a year, which isn't the way I like to collect.

If HT got it over Medicom then its pretty much switching out something I can't afford for something I can't afford.

But if SSC loses the license to a more expensive company (or SSC continues the trend to become said more expensive company) then I would be priced out and not a happy camper.

Hot Toys snatching the license from Medicom would be a-okay to me, because then we would be getting great 1/6 figures from 2 companies that are all also in the proper scale with one another and other true 1/6 figures.

But I think Lucas may still be pissed about the bootleg figure Hot Toys made of him a few years back.

 

[ProgMatinee]

I don't know all that much about HT, but the lines that I know they own, there really isn't a big lineup of characters to do, so they have to do repeaters.

I mean, for Rambo, Rocky, POTC and Aliens, there are aren't many characters to do that people would spend $100+ bucks on.

Its hard to say if a Bib Fortuna would sell at $100+ if HT or Medi did him.

 

[The Mike]

That's nice, but if you read what I said, I didn't speak at all to figure quality or innovation, simply to some of their business end practices which could ultimately suck for Star Wars collectors. In a Predator line, it's not so inconvenient to release one version of a figure, then release it again with even more goodies added into the package. However, in a Star Wars line, if they pulled that sort of behavior it would alienate people.

Agreed. I love Hot Toys but if they released a Luke ROTJ and then a Luke ROTJ with Carkoon Vest and hand as a variant it'd drive me bananas. At $150 a pop, its difficult to defend releases not to mention with HT you might get Luke Carkoon with determined HS and blaster damaged hand as an exclusive to Blister or looking at the Predator line you would have definitely gotten a Bespin Luke release then a BD version with the arm brace and beat up face as a variant...


SW fans already ***** and moan enough they'd go ape **** if HT got this license in terms of cost and repetition. Do I think they'd be better looking, yes most of them, do I think there'd be a good number of variant releases, of course, do I think we'd get the more elusive figures? yes but they'd charge ya...look at the Predalien, its an original design that people thought wouldn't be possible but its also a good $50-$70 more than the others....

It'd be just as frustrating not to mention the importing fees....

 

[IrishJedi]

SW fans already ***** and moan enough they'd go ape **** if HT got this license in terms of cost and repetition. It'd be just as frustrating not to mention the importing fees....

And people like Shai would love every minute of it!

 

[MaulFan]

I don't know all that much about HT, but the lines that I know they own, there really isn't a big lineup of characters to do, so they have to do repeaters.

I mean, for Rambo, Rocky, POTC and Aliens, there are aren't many characters to do that people would spend $100+ bucks on.

Its hard to say if a Bib Fortuna would sell at $100+ if HT or Medi did him.

I agree that the variants are likely to make up for lack of characters and need for profits. I just still would feel uneasy about them taking over the license exclusively as they may still do the subtle rereleases even without a need and that'd be horrible to keep up with. By all means share it out like the Medi-SSC deal, but like Irish said, make it HT-SSC so HT can do what they thrive at and SSC can still offer us great, affordable pieces that can be collected in larger quantities.

As for LFL and Hot Toys, there's no issue, Hot Toys made the Chubby Dolls, so they're in contract with LFL already.

 

[IrishJedi]

As for LFL and Hot Toys, there's no issue, Hot Toys made the Chubby Dolls, so they're in contract with LFL already.

Oh, I know. I was teasing. And I have one of the Hot Toys Lucas figures. It's one of their earliest 1/6 figs if I'm not mistaken... packaged in a generic "Famous Type" box.

One day I may build up the courage to have DA (Josh) repaint it.

 

[The Mike]

The difficult thing is HT's likenesses and paints own other companies that is the truth. Then you get a figure like Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi whose sculpt is perfect, whose paints IMHO are top notch considering and stand up pretty well against HT releases and I have a hard time saying I'll pay $150 for something slightly better when I paid almost $100 less than that...

Sideshow is perfectly capable to do this each and everytime....the thing is they don't.

 

[ProgMatinee]

Something I am always concious about on the job is doing something too well, too quickly because then they expect it of you every time.

 

[IrishJedi]

While Hot Toys has consistent paint apps and top-notch outfitting, to me the best thing about them is that they are innovative and are apparently not afraid of hesitant to tackle anything in the 1/6 scale.

SSC should be credited and applauded for things like 1/6 Jabba. But the truth is, for everyone one of those Hot Toys is coming with something like the Power Loader, Endoskeleton, etc. which are 1,000 times more intricate. It's like a completely different ballgame.

And we don't even want to start comparing Military figures, do we?

 

[ProgMatinee]

Again though, remember the price difference.

Its easier to be innovative when you're charging 3x more.

 

[IrishJedi]

Again though, remember the price difference.

Its easier to be innovative when you're charging 3x more.

I have no doubt Sideshow would charge similar prices if they made the same items.

Remember, to have Jabba and his Throne you had to shell out close to $350.

Sideshow does not pride itself on being a mass market "affordable" toy company. Quite the opposite, actually. They need to be much closer to Hot Toys than Hasbro. Right now, they are in between (but slightly closer to HT).

 

[MaulFan]

I'll admit HT is ballsy, but I attribute that to their need for variants, they're almost too ballsy. They're innovative on things that don't have the consumer support necessarily so they sell it again. The BD Endo and Regular Endo, P2 and BD P2. Their innovation would go far for a while with say Chewie and the droids where MANY people want them, but if they started branching out into too "out there" type characters and such, we may pay for it by seeing more successful products rereleased and made just a bit better. Innovation has it's price unfortunately. Thankfully, Jabba worked out for Sideshow and they didn't have to do anything tricky to balance it out.

 

[IrishJedi]

That Hot Toys is continually perfecting their stuff (even characters they have visited in the recent past) to me is to their credit. Sure, it milks collectors and makes things more expensive. But no one is forced to being a completist. I've already "upgraded" a few Hot Toys figures by simply selling the previous, sold-out figure and replacing it with the new and improved one. Piece of cake.

 

[Randy_S]

The difficult thing is HT's likenesses and paints own other companies that is the truth. Then you get a figure like Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi whose sculpt is perfect, whose paints IMHO are top notch considering and stand up pretty well against HT releases and I have a hard time saying I'll pay $150 for something slightly better when I paid almost $90 less than that...

Sideshow is perfectly capable to do this each and everytime....the thing is they don't.

Ah, so nice to see someone other than me saying that.

 

[MaulFan]

I agree that Hot Toys not letting up and working to better themselves even on existing product is a good thing. I think I've just gotten used to either getting something as is, or having the updates spread out. For example, bad one I know, but Hasbro release multiples of the same figure like Old Ben and ANH Luke, and made improvements, but they weren't ever really on one another's heals. Even updates like HT did with the Pred 2 would be ok, the frustration comes from the fact that the good and the great version are but a few months apart and you almost feel like "why didn't you guys just wait." If HT had the line and did a Vader in early 2008 and then came back with a redux of that figure in late 2009, that'd be ok because the improvements would probably be greater, and you wouldn't feel so much cheated by what had happened. HT's creative ideas are great and ground breaking, I'd just prefer some more customer friendly business practices.