Official NECA Terminator Thread
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Alright I want someone watching the door and someone outside watching the windows.
a-dev chasing Randy when he hears the John Connor they're doing is the Nick Stahl version from T3.
Damn right. Although at least we can say Furlong Connor has a much better likelihood of happening than a Stahl one.
jye4ever
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Yeah Randy gave orders to stall Stahl.
DiFabio
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Well John doesn't really fit the qualifications for an Ultimate release, just general and even Newt has never been a common release, limited SDCC solo and 2-pack with Ripley in stores. Young John would go the same way.
Well he would have given the same answer about Newt. 
Also I'm wondering about the phrasing of the question and what Randy understood from it -
''is it possible for a future John Connor ultimate figure''
Is the guy asking about Edward Furlong or adult John Connor from the prologue?
Also I'm wondering about the phrasing of the question and what Randy understood from it -
''is it possible for a future John Connor ultimate figure''
Is the guy asking about Edward Furlong or adult John Connor from the prologue?
DiFabio
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I thought the same thing. Did he mean a future John Connor release or a future adult General John Connor.
Still think it's BS to consider John Connor "too niche" and too much of a gamble to make. I don't get that mentality, all of the things they do are risks. His character is important and he has enough accessories to make him toyetic. If they put effort into his likeness and what's included with him, I don't see why it wouldn't sell. He's just as iconic in pop culture as the T-800, T-1000 and Sarah Connor. Even Kenner back in 91' knew he was essential enough to have amongst all the Terminator variations.
There's also no reason for him not to be offered at retail. Despite the awful paint apps and quality control, that Newt and Ripley two pack is selling extremely well, atleast around here. Each of my stores have gotten atleast a dozen of those two packs and they sell out each time. They could have easily forgone that SDCC exclusive and included those accessories in the two pack, maybe pose them neutrally so Ripley and Newt wouldn't warp. The two pack is doing better than Frost and the stupid Albino Alien I see everywhere, and I doubt that's because of the ugly looking Ripley. People want Newt, that's why they demanded her, that's why they're all selling.
John Connor is more iconic than Newt (and I'd even go as far as saying more well known than Hicks, Hudson, Bishop, Frost and Vasquez). You could easily throw him into a wave or a two pack with Uncle Bob and get sales. The fact that these small 1/6 companies keep making different Connors shows there's a market for him. "But he's a kid, kids don't want figures of boys or girls". Yeah, that logic applies to Mattel and Hasbro but it shouldn't to NECA. They make collectibles for adult collectors, adult collectors love T2 and I'm sure they'd throw down 20 bucks to display a John next to their Terminator, T-1000 and Sarah Connor.
If you can make crappy looking megos of Kevin Mccalister, Clark Griswold and ****ing Weird Al at retail, you can make a John Connor action figure.
Now I'm positive we're going to see him (hopefully soon, and hopefully not as an exclusive) but this whole tug of war with Randy about the merits of a John Connor that's been going on for years is ridiculous. He's a no brainer. He should have been made years ago. Honestly? I think biggest deal with them isn't so much license and likeness rights as it is tooling and reuse. I think the reason they even pursued the Marines and Nostromo crew is because they could make one or two bodies and spread them out to a bunch of different figures with minor differences. Picture Dutch or the T2 Arnold, but with parts that can be used for different characters. You don't get that luxury with Dillon, Billy, Blain and Mac because each one is different in appearance, body type and clothing. You can hide the fact that Hicks (x2), Hudson (x2), Windrix, and Frost utilize mostly the same parts, can't with those guys. You can lazily make one Nostromo space suit and just throw on different headsculpts and paint jobs to make them a "new" character.
With John Connor, the same thing applies. He requires an all new unique sculpt and you can get one version out of him.
Still think it's BS to consider John Connor "too niche" and too much of a gamble to make. I don't get that mentality, all of the things they do are risks. His character is important and he has enough accessories to make him toyetic. If they put effort into his likeness and what's included with him, I don't see why it wouldn't sell. He's just as iconic in pop culture as the T-800, T-1000 and Sarah Connor. Even Kenner back in 91' knew he was essential enough to have amongst all the Terminator variations.
There's also no reason for him not to be offered at retail. Despite the awful paint apps and quality control, that Newt and Ripley two pack is selling extremely well, atleast around here. Each of my stores have gotten atleast a dozen of those two packs and they sell out each time. They could have easily forgone that SDCC exclusive and included those accessories in the two pack, maybe pose them neutrally so Ripley and Newt wouldn't warp. The two pack is doing better than Frost and the stupid Albino Alien I see everywhere, and I doubt that's because of the ugly looking Ripley. People want Newt, that's why they demanded her, that's why they're all selling.
John Connor is more iconic than Newt (and I'd even go as far as saying more well known than Hicks, Hudson, Bishop, Frost and Vasquez). You could easily throw him into a wave or a two pack with Uncle Bob and get sales. The fact that these small 1/6 companies keep making different Connors shows there's a market for him. "But he's a kid, kids don't want figures of boys or girls". Yeah, that logic applies to Mattel and Hasbro but it shouldn't to NECA. They make collectibles for adult collectors, adult collectors love T2 and I'm sure they'd throw down 20 bucks to display a John next to their Terminator, T-1000 and Sarah Connor.
If you can make crappy looking megos of Kevin Mccalister, Clark Griswold and ****ing Weird Al at retail, you can make a John Connor action figure.
Now I'm positive we're going to see him (hopefully soon, and hopefully not as an exclusive) but this whole tug of war with Randy about the merits of a John Connor that's been going on for years is ridiculous. He's a no brainer. He should have been made years ago. Honestly? I think biggest deal with them isn't so much license and likeness rights as it is tooling and reuse. I think the reason they even pursued the Marines and Nostromo crew is because they could make one or two bodies and spread them out to a bunch of different figures with minor differences. Picture Dutch or the T2 Arnold, but with parts that can be used for different characters. You don't get that luxury with Dillon, Billy, Blain and Mac because each one is different in appearance, body type and clothing. You can hide the fact that Hicks (x2), Hudson (x2), Windrix, and Frost utilize mostly the same parts, can't with those guys. You can lazily make one Nostromo space suit and just throw on different headsculpts and paint jobs to make them a "new" character.
With John Connor, the same thing applies. He requires an all new unique sculpt and you can get one version out of him.
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Thing you have to remember with NECA is their products are driven by their own interests as much as collectors, so if Aliens is loved by many and especially their sculptors, people probably fight to tackle a newt. If Terminator isn't as much a passion, they may only tackle the core characters of Terminator themselves. Let's not forget, most of NECA's Terminator line is full of heavy recycling. One set of T1 legs for 3-4 figures in the original release, with 2 sets of shared torsos, etc., and the T2 line did it even more. Ultimate Sarah is really the only Terminator figure they don't get recycle value from and I'm sure we only got her via Ultimate T-800s and 1000s, plus she comes with weapons. John Connor may be a central name to the story of the franchise, but I do believe many don't care for any portrayal of him, T2 he was a whiny teen, T3 a whiny adult, T4 no one cares for the movie, and Genisys Connor was awful. I just think John's delay or omission is tied to lack of enthusiasm to make him, sadly.
Newt may not seem a big deal, but she was involved in a number of classic lines and moments in that movie, poster art, etc., and if you like those movies it probably would seem exciting.
Newt is a greater badass than T2 JC, she survived an alien attack alone and mostly acts tough, John complains a lot and isn't too appealing. I would only want a T2 John for a sense of completion of my T2 collection, not any love for the character, for that reason I'd want Bale before Furlong.
Newt may not seem a big deal, but she was involved in a number of classic lines and moments in that movie, poster art, etc., and if you like those movies it probably would seem exciting.
Newt is a greater badass than T2 JC, she survived an alien attack alone and mostly acts tough, John complains a lot and isn't too appealing. I would only want a T2 John for a sense of completion of my T2 collection, not any love for the character, for that reason I'd want Bale before Furlong.
scarrviper
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It is bizarre how seemingly opposed they are to making John. Same goes with making a new or upgraded Kyle Reese. With all of these ultimate terminator figures they have released over the last year or so, you would think that now would be the best opportunity. My guess is that it is a tooling cost issue. For some reason they just don't want to spend the money.
DiFabio
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All Newt did was scream and have funny lines, c'mon Maulfan. John > Newt
NECA got people excited to buy a little pint sized 8 year old girl in overalls with a baby doll head. They made an 8 year old Macaulay Culkin in a red Christmas sweater. I don't see why they couldn't muster up that same enthusiasm and excitement to make the future leader of the resistance that's a target of the Terminators in both films and has cool accessories like the little hacker computer and Cyberdyne skynet tech. Hell, you see him in the film loading guns, you could easily give him accessories that NECA refuses to give their figures or a Terminator accessory pack. A swat gas mask would be cool.
You could be right about the NECA team choosing each figure as a passion project, I've thought about that too, but then I see Randy ripping AvP, Alien Ressurection, Alien 3, etc. and other licenses they have on twitter and think "nah, it's all about the business". I mean ****, how can we even make that argument when they've done figures for Twilight and the Hunger Games?
I doubt dudes in their 30s and 40s had fun with those.
There was a time these guys made all new 7" figures of John McClane, Patrick Bateman, multiple Beetlejuices, multiple Hannibal Lecters, Donnie Darko, The Crow, the Reservoir Dogs, Leonidas, Raplhie and his family from a Christmas Story, Kill Bill (like 5 all new, unique figures mind you), Scream and more. I'd consider all those "niche" and obscure compared to what they do now. I mean they had a line called Cult Classics, haha, a cult classic is the definition of niche. You ask them about pretty much anything and all it is now is "can't do it", "no license", "too expensive", "no likeness", "too niche" and it really makes you wonder how they did some of those things in the first place.
The thing that gets me is how relatively no brainers in solid brand lines (their main 3) get the same response. Randy hates it when people on twitter and Facebook diss NECA for the repaints and reuses and rereleases, but penny pinching is their thing now. They just came out with a wave of Predator figures the other day that is pretty much the perfect example of what they are as a company now. They're unabashed about it too. I mean you essentially have 4 of the same exact Predators that are going to be out simultaneously and the only difference is the head (or paint job in the case of the Jungle Demon).
It comes off as a bit cheap, low-end and stingy across the line when they have arguably the best sculptors in the business. I mean you can't use some of that Alien and Predator $$$ to make an all new character for a line you've milked with rehashes?
I could see if we were asking for Miles Dyson or T1 Sarah (in pink tie dye shirt and jeans, which I do think is essential but they'll never do it), but we're not. It's John Connor.
NECA got people excited to buy a little pint sized 8 year old girl in overalls with a baby doll head. They made an 8 year old Macaulay Culkin in a red Christmas sweater. I don't see why they couldn't muster up that same enthusiasm and excitement to make the future leader of the resistance that's a target of the Terminators in both films and has cool accessories like the little hacker computer and Cyberdyne skynet tech. Hell, you see him in the film loading guns, you could easily give him accessories that NECA refuses to give their figures or a Terminator accessory pack. A swat gas mask would be cool.
You could be right about the NECA team choosing each figure as a passion project, I've thought about that too, but then I see Randy ripping AvP, Alien Ressurection, Alien 3, etc. and other licenses they have on twitter and think "nah, it's all about the business". I mean ****, how can we even make that argument when they've done figures for Twilight and the Hunger Games?
I doubt dudes in their 30s and 40s had fun with those.There was a time these guys made all new 7" figures of John McClane, Patrick Bateman, multiple Beetlejuices, multiple Hannibal Lecters, Donnie Darko, The Crow, the Reservoir Dogs, Leonidas, Raplhie and his family from a Christmas Story, Kill Bill (like 5 all new, unique figures mind you), Scream and more. I'd consider all those "niche" and obscure compared to what they do now. I mean they had a line called Cult Classics, haha, a cult classic is the definition of niche. You ask them about pretty much anything and all it is now is "can't do it", "no license", "too expensive", "no likeness", "too niche" and it really makes you wonder how they did some of those things in the first place.
The thing that gets me is how relatively no brainers in solid brand lines (their main 3) get the same response. Randy hates it when people on twitter and Facebook diss NECA for the repaints and reuses and rereleases, but penny pinching is their thing now. They just came out with a wave of Predator figures the other day that is pretty much the perfect example of what they are as a company now. They're unabashed about it too. I mean you essentially have 4 of the same exact Predators that are going to be out simultaneously and the only difference is the head (or paint job in the case of the Jungle Demon).
It comes off as a bit cheap, low-end and stingy across the line when they have arguably the best sculptors in the business. I mean you can't use some of that Alien and Predator $$$ to make an all new character for a line you've milked with rehashes?
I could see if we were asking for Miles Dyson or T1 Sarah (in pink tie dye shirt and jeans, which I do think is essential but they'll never do it), but we're not. It's John Connor.
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jye4ever
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DiFabio > Randy
DiFabio
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Randy works with McFarlane toys -> leaves -> Randy mocks McFarlane for not pushing the envelope and sucking -> NECA toys is created -> Randy is criticized for not pushing the envelope -> Bought out by Jye and DiFabio -> lolcat toys Inc. is born -> hire a-dev as our lead project manager on the Terminator line
In a panic, they try to pull the plug.
jye4ever
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Yup, easily post of the day for me.
I'm guessing for a-dev it will be for the year.
I'm guessing for a-dev it will be for the year.
Vector
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Yeah, but what would you guys have left to make for the Terminator line except John Connor.
As you said, NECA has made every variant except for the "Learn to Smile" T-800 from the T2 director's cut.
While NECA has produced every look from T1 and T2 of the T-800, I know a-dev would agree that the upper body articulation has heavily limited pose options, where release of re-engineered figures could result in more options. Resting shotgun on shoulder pose would be valuable for T1 and T2. I'd also like to see spike haired T1 heads that look like the T1 hair and not T2.
In fairness I'd sink us. ''But a-dev, do you really think it's a good idea to make a figure of Gibbons''
Even if it's true that there's nothing else left to make - I'd argue that's all the more reason to go ahead and make John Connor, if indeed he's the last piece of the jigsaw.
But he's not the only thing left that they could do anyway - Cleaved Man T-1000, Pretzel Man T-1000, SWAT encounter T-800 (with teargas launcher as new accessory), Ultimate Steel Mill T-800 (with steel rod as new accessory), Pescadero/Chets Autoparts jacket Sarah Connor. And yeah they could do alternate expressions (i.e new sculpts for the T-800) - the horse smile, the 'trust me' smirk although those simply might not work at this scale, people are very iffy on the new Aliens Ripley with its attempt at a specific facial expression.
T1 could still have an eye surgery T-800, Motel attack T-800 (jacket zipped up, AR-18 with shoulder sling) let alone Sarah and Kyle Reese, both of whom could have variants.
This is all stuff they could make - the classic Terminator films are not as short on potential as they seem to think - but John Connor alone would go a long way. If I were to see him at Toyfair I'd be a very happy man indeed.
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Vector
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View attachment 322884
I know. I was just being facetious.
There are still some really cool options for Terminator figures left to be done. A 7" Steel Mill T-800 with BD arm comes to mind. Make him with a swappable chest piece with a hole in the front with a matching hole in his back and then release yet another T-1000 with a metal rod as an accessory. Or a special "Steel Mill Final Fight" two pack
^^^ a-dev, I was writing this post at the same time as yours about the BD Steel Mill T-800
I know. I was just being facetious.
There are still some really cool options for Terminator figures left to be done. A 7" Steel Mill T-800 with BD arm comes to mind. Make him with a swappable chest piece with a hole in the front with a matching hole in his back and then release yet another T-1000 with a metal rod as an accessory. Or a special "Steel Mill Final Fight" two pack 
^^^
a-dev, I was writing this post at the same time as yours about the BD Steel Mill T-800 
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I would be in for a John Connor but who knows when Neca will make one or if they ever will. Newt was a surprise shock I would of thought John would be more popular to make in all honesty.
