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Post by TheMazingerZ on Mar 20, 2013 19:00:58 GMT -5
Yeap, at the end it is money that drives everything. As everything gets more expensive and salaries remain mostly unchanged, priorities have to be given to the real needs in life (rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance, food) versus the nice things to have (toys). Even people with money can feel the pinch these days. Pretty much the days of buying multiples of the same figure are long gone for most of us collectors. }D
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Post by xTIMMYxCOREx on Mar 20, 2013 20:21:47 GMT -5
I don't think SOC is going away. They have just done most of the great robots already. They don't want to flood the market so I bet in a few years after SRC has been around 10 years they will shift focus again, back to SOC. I'm sure SRC is getting more youth into super robots and as they become adults there will be a refreshed market of middle age people who can afford expensive robots.
That and maybe it's just CDX is getting less popular. I think the sales figures would be more indicative of if SOC is still as popular as it used to be. We will never see those from Bandai however.
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Post by B- on Mar 20, 2013 21:04:40 GMT -5
I don't think SOC is going away. They have just done most of the great robots already. They don't want to flood the market so I bet in a few years after SRC has been around 10 years they will shift focus again, back to SOC. I'm sure SRC is getting more youth into super robots and as they become adults there will be a refreshed market of middle age people who can afford expensive robots. That and maybe it's just CDX is getting less popular. I think the dames figures would be more indicative of if SOC is still as popular as it used to be. We will never see those from Bandai however. What are dames figures?
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Post by jrcrunch on Mar 20, 2013 21:38:29 GMT -5
had this kind of discussion with some toy shops in Hong Kong. They carry less since SOCs are getting more expensive and 1/6 scale toys are more popular
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Post by TheMazingerZ on Mar 20, 2013 22:21:38 GMT -5
Hmmm... I didn't think of that but you are completely right! SOCs are not in demand as much as they used to be in the past years, but the 1/6 scale figures and their accessories have undoubtedly made a huge come back. We are seeing 1/6 figures of every character these days, be it from Japan or the U.S.. And of course, 1/6 figures' price tags are way up there with SOCs, and even more expensive in a lot of cases. }D
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Post by wrcfan on Mar 20, 2013 23:24:20 GMT -5
I just came back from Taiwan, used to see lots of Japanese toys, now there are alot of shops just selling 1/6 Hot Toys stuff, designer toys and even bootlegs of those. I'm quite shock as Japanese anime is super popular over there for both adults & kids.
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Post by cupnoodles on Mar 21, 2013 0:00:49 GMT -5
SOCs are not in demand as much as they used to be in the past years, but the 1/6 scale figures and their accessories have undoubtedly made a huge come back. The Saber SOC also has lots of diecast, so Bandai was probably looking for more ways to combine the popularity of figures with whatever machinery they have for handling metal, instead of letting those machines go unused.
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Post by nickgreat on Mar 21, 2013 0:27:24 GMT -5
Unfortunately, alot of focus has been shifted to the SRC line.
As much as I hate it, I really think that the SOC days are numbered. The newer generation of young adults would not be paying so much for robot from the 80's since it is unlikely that they even recognise them. So I dare say, the SOC market is also dwindling as the years pass. I do hope I'm completely wrong tho.
Apart from the all too popular Golion, there are still so many I'll like to see, Baxinger, Daikyojin or even an SOC Microrobot V (not sure the last fits here).
However the news (or lack of it) has been depressing. Even the upcoming Danguard Ace hasn't been forthcoming with news.
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Post by Lejam on Mar 21, 2013 4:04:46 GMT -5
But do not worry about 80's robot, they still will be on news, even going through the reboot system. IMO, cartoon industry is offering now less originality and less multiple choice of taste for kids. See how Transformers licence is still on air with different designs and seasons... Productions are affraid of creating new cartoons. Targeting the 80's generations is still gold digging : we are now adults with money with child motivations And we can "spread the word" to our children... A lot of these 80's licences are on script process in holywood, that means a lot of reboot-reborn... We are doomed !
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Post by Chen on Mar 21, 2013 5:42:24 GMT -5
The SOC line isn't going anywhere. If you look at all the high-end robot lines they have ALL cut back on their releases. It's just the state of the economy and the fact that the core of the hobby has shifted away from robots. There will always be a demand for them but now in the core hobby area (Japan) the focus has shifted to 1/6 scale figures and other human type toys. It's just a cycle that it goes through where robots are hot one day and cold the next. We usually can't tell in the West since we're so far removed from the center of the hobby that it takes awhile for us to see the trends change. Honestly all you need is few Evangelion or GGG type series that's a hit followed up by new SRW games and fans will start to shift back to robots.
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Post by magengar on Mar 21, 2013 6:03:22 GMT -5
In that case, I'd better somehow plant my demon seeds quick so 'future' fans will bring the trend back to Robots, lol. ;D
zozo-mag
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Post by mojacko on Mar 21, 2013 7:15:32 GMT -5
The SOC line isn't going anywhere. If you look at all the high-end robot lines they have ALL cut back on their releases. It's just the state of the economy and the fact that the core of the hobby has shifted away from robots. There will always be a demand for them but now in the core hobby area (Japan) the focus has shifted to 1/6 scale figures and other human type toys. It's just a cycle that it goes through where robots are hot one day and cold the next. We usually can't tell in the West since we're so far removed from the center of the hobby that it takes awhile for us to see the trends change. Honestly all you need is few Evangelion or GGG type series that's a hit followed up by new SRW games and fans will start to shift back to robots. eeeewwwww the Rise of the Man dolls....lol ;D
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Post by gokinrob on Mar 21, 2013 7:46:59 GMT -5
SOC releases will likely become a once-a-year event. SRC will be the main focus. I still beleive the DX Maz is Bandai testing out the high-end figure market. Fewture and Max Factory and CMS have prety much been the leaders there --- and safe to say they are making money. The future of DX? I think we'll see a Great Maz; beyond that, I'm not so sure.
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Post by cupnoodles on Mar 21, 2013 9:10:59 GMT -5
I could see a DX Tetsujin 28
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Post by Lejam on Mar 21, 2013 9:37:04 GMT -5
... It's just the state of the economy and the fact that the core of the hobby has shifted away from robots. There will always be a demand for them but now in the core hobby area (Japan) the focus has shifted to 1/6 scale figures and other human type toys. It's just a cycle that it goes through where robots are hot one day and cold the next. Totally agree, it's the same with movie industry : Science fiction has been set aside in favor of the fantasy that is much closer to what people may encounter. Even the horror movies made a comeback and was also popular among adolescents (Buffy, Twilight ...). But we are seeing a comeback of science fiction and soon. Many commands and scripts of films dealing with this subject, there are the order of the day ... Sentai series are still on popular demand and a little mouse is whispering something on my ear Warner, who had signed for the Macross license finally decided to start the project : you will eat a lot of valkyries ... A lot of vintage (80's yeah) SF series are on the fence for reboot and giant robots willhave a new breath of fresh air pushed by Del Tor's Pacific Rim, that the film is good or bad... remember Arnie : "I will be back"...
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Post by jrcrunch on Mar 21, 2013 9:43:35 GMT -5
Hmmm... I didn't think of that but you are completely right! SOCs are not in demand as much as they used to be in the past years, but the 1/6 scale figures and their accessories have undoubtedly made a huge come back. We are seeing 1/6 figures of every character these days, be it from Japan or the U.S.. And of course, 1/6 figures' price tags are way up there with SOCs, and even more expensive in a lot of cases. }D i just hope bandai would stop concentrating on the SRC line. they have put less effort in SOCs. I was hoping they could more SOCs version of the old popy godaikin toys.
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Post by actionawesome on Mar 21, 2013 11:10:19 GMT -5
SOC releases will likely become a once-a-year event. SRC will be the main focus. I still beleive the DX Maz is Bandai testing out the high-end figure market. Fewture and Max Factory and CMS have prety much been the leaders there --- and safe to say they are making money. The future of DX? I think we'll see a Great Maz; beyond that, I'm not so sure. Maybe testing for Robots. But NOT high-end chogokin. They have been rolling out high-end chogokin for real world models for some time now to great success.
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Post by boricua on Mar 21, 2013 11:16:54 GMT -5
we need to accept what is really happening and stop fantacising about soc figures never ending. and even those otona no chogokin real world releases have hit the clearance bin already, they did not do very well at all either. i know bandai will not say it is the end but they will stop making them for longer and longer periods of time and when they decide to make one it will be for the robot in demand that will sell, so even mazinger and grendizer interest will end someday for what the new adult generation wants to buy. it will be like it was written before with the bandai soul of popynica and neo jumbo and for sure the dx soc too.
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Post by lancerx on Mar 21, 2013 15:59:18 GMT -5
We know that nothing last forever, but before it goes the way of the DoDo I would like to see an SOC Mazinkaiser, Shin Getter Trio, SRX, Dairugger, Dangaioh, and Golion... }D And a Mazinger z damage vers
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Post by greengetterguy on Mar 21, 2013 16:06:06 GMT -5
"I could see a DX Tetsujin 28" That would make lot of sense. I would want a classic one though..the fatty
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