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Post by mechamasterj on May 27, 2009 23:26:56 GMT -5
wait these are out already, those pics really really make me want one!
Gotta love the micromen refference at the end though, what a cowinky dink!!! lol
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Post by phoenixx on May 28, 2009 8:27:48 GMT -5
The Jarknoids technically start shipping next Monday (June 1)... However, only Jarknoid XO (the purple one) is currently available, the others will become available on the first of each month through September...and then who knows whats next, there are six or more regular releases that have been shown in anything from concept drawing to prototype phase, and then there's the Tri-Striker (man, I've wanted that thing sooooo bad for the better part of the last two years now)... I personally (finally) have hooked up with a proxy service, since there have been so many exclusives and now with Assemble Borg regular releases it's almost a necessity. Anyway, I think that he's going to be holding my Jarknoid XO figures until the middle of the month to ship with my EVA 03 and magazine, but I'm still waiting to hear back on specifics. So, I should have a pair of XO figures in hand (hopefully) near the middle to end of June, and unless each month includes exclusives later in the month (yeah, that's probably not likely the way this franchise has gone) I should be getting the remainder of them by the middle of each successive month... If you head over to the New Revoltech thread and check out those "play table" images (FYI, I believe that is simply the Kaiyodo store in Japan, not a norm for Japanese toy stores) you'll notice that there are a bunch of them lined up under the table, presumably for sale... Wouldn't that all be nice, Revos to kitbash and a way to pick up Revoltech AND Assemble Borg figures in person... **Sigh** Since it's actually my 34th birthday today (May 28th, and yeah, I'm an old guy  ), I'd love that opportunity, but it's probably not too likely in the near future...unless I somehow got in with Kaiyodo and opened an exclusive state-side store...if only I had the money and believed that something like that would actually fly in the current economy...anyone want to donate to the concept? |
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Post by mechamasterj on May 28, 2009 14:51:51 GMT -5
Right on brother! and happy birthday!! I am turning 29 june 27th, a most excellent month this year as far as toy releases go!
I have been wanting to go JP for ever, it is my dream but the flights are so expensive (though they have dropped a bit still over 1K) A good trip to JP would cost me probably around 7K which I don thave and wont ever have if I keep buying toys the way I have been lol.
If i ever saw a set up like the one in that Kaiyado store I would probably ***** myself! and then go broke. I am an impulse buyer like you have no idea when things are in my physical hands!!
Do you have pictures of these other releases?
I have wanted to open my own JP import store for the longest but the economy is just not user friendly at the moment plus finding good dealers is time consuming for me. I was thinking if anyone here has ever tried to set up group buys?? I would definitely be interested in that!
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Post by craptacular on May 28, 2009 17:33:19 GMT -5
I'm confused - are there two sizes of Jarknoids?
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Post by phoenixx on May 28, 2009 21:08:45 GMT -5
Yes, the mini-Jarknoid XO figures are pack-ins available in three colors (red, teal, purple) that will come randomly packed with (at least he first run) of the June Gurren Lagann and Evangelion figures.
From the looks of it, they should be about the same size as the SFO figures, but otherwise identical design wise to the Jarknoid XO figure (Yeeg and Zain are apparently not represented in mini form).
I'm excited to get these, but if Kaiyodo thinks that this little advertising ploy is going to give them a boost in sales, I think that they are sorely mistaken. Don't get me wrong, I love AB, I have two of each so far and I have two of each of the coming wave on order...the problem isn't that I don't like the line, or want it to fail, the problem is that Kaiyodo needs to expand their customer base internationally IF they want to see the kind of sales that Revoltech brings in...
They will NEVER see sales anywhere close to Revoltech by only tapping the Japanese market, and since they aren't moving in the international direction presently, this potentials of this form of "advertising" will really be unrealized. It will get international customers interested for sure...which, quite honestly, people already are from what I've seen, they're just not interested in paying the ludicrous prices...but without a viable mass market method for distribution, I imagine that sales will stay relatively stagnant...
It doesn't help that Kaiyodo is starting to compete with themselves in the middle of this rather serious recession...AB is being launched at a time when (I'd assume) that many (international) Revoltech collectors are already struggling just trying to find and afford other exclusives, let alone pay find a dealer and pay the import prices for a new release each month...
I know that I'm in, and I'm sure that there are a handful of others like me, but I can't imagine that many international collectors are willing to pay the per cost price of entry for these.
Still, it will be neat to get a bunch of these mini "henchmen" to add to the collection...and nice for those that can't afford the "real" thing...
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Post by bluetengu on Jun 3, 2009 10:17:15 GMT -5
I got a teal Jarknoid with my Gurren & Lagann today. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT!!!! There are only two real Revolver joints in the shoulders. All the rest are solid angled connectors. :  You can get some poses by rotating these connectors but the feet will never get to an angle where it can stand unless I swap the connector for a proper joint. Shame - I was looking forward to this one. -_- |
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Post by phoenixx on Jun 3, 2009 12:26:40 GMT -5
Wow, that sucks...I was wondering how they were doing these things as "free" pack-ins without going bankrupt...
It all makes sense now...
That said, are the fake joint connector pegs the same diameter as revo joint pegs?
If so, that might almost make up for it (for me and those who do kitbashes, that is)...the parts and fake connectors would both be nice to use in AB customs...especially since the colors will match the Jarknoids...easy way to add second sets of limbs, etc...
Also, if the "fake" joints are the same size as real revolvers, you could procure some AB joints (all of the joint and peg types are sold by the bag) through ebay or a proxy...
Heck, this may inspire me to have my proxy swipe some of these up and throw them in with one of my upcoming shipments...
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Post by Falconhood on Jun 23, 2009 8:06:48 GMT -5
I can't even find Assembleborg or Assemble Borg on HLJ.com...how do i even buy these?
And, how much are the smaller ones? They are in the current Hyper Hobby, but no price mentioned. After picking up a Revoltech Miniature Eva for just $8, i was hoping the smaller ABs would be cheaper too...but not a clue. TIA.
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Post by mechamasterj on Jun 23, 2009 9:01:24 GMT -5
Well since they are web order only they are pretty hard to find and pop up on ebay for quite a bit of money unfortuantely. Imageanime.com currently has mr. assemble and jarknoid for $45 ea. and no speeder bike (that you can find on ebay but will cost you over $50).
Right now there are no mini's on sale only the ones that come pack in with the new revlotech releases. However, if you really want some I have 4 for sale but they only have the fixed joints.
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Post by coldiron on Jun 23, 2009 9:18:41 GMT -5
I guess if you can collect around four of the mini ones you can use the joints to make one mediocre figure. I sacrificed one to at least give another the ability to stand. They should at least offer an accessory kit to add working joints and weapons to the small ones.
I would rather my Gurren come with extra hands or something instead of a figure that could have come out of a vending machine.
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Post by phoenixx on Jun 23, 2009 9:27:44 GMT -5
Falconhood: Another fellow RTM'er...nice to see so many faces showing up over here again... Assemble Borg are only available in Japan. As such, your best bet is to hook up with a Proxy service. I've started using Tokyo Hunter (though there are others) after many recommendations by other collectors. He has been fantastic to work with, excellent correspondence, fair prices, will combine shipping, etc, etc. The other option would be to find an ebay, YahooJapan, or another such dealer (Samurai Toys on ebay seems to be carrying everything as it comes out). Side note: the first production run sold out, the Barrels Speeder just saw a second run and the other first wave figures will be also be re-releasing over the next couple months. I get special pricing for buying multiples (though I won't disclose what I pay) and he's holding my Jarknoid XO's until Jarknoid Yeeg is released to save a little on having both (all 4) shipped together. Actually, there was initially going to be more included in the shipment, but things have changed a little...and since I spend enough money with him, he didn't even have a problem with me making that change late in the game. I digress, the big thing to consider is that they are not cheap...they're not horribly priced, but expect to pay $10-$20 more than a normal Revoltech plus shipping. Anyway, the mini jarknoids come packed in each of June's figures...at least the initial releases that is. I'm not sure if the restocked June figures will include them, but they probably will... So, as long as you were planning to buy any of the June release figures, then yes, they are pretty cheap...as in free... If you don't have any interest in them, there may be someone here who doesn't want one or more of theirs. I'm personally trying to get my hands on a pair of teal figures, so I'm holding on to my two extra purple figures hoping for someone to want to trade...but it seems that purple is very common (I got 4 out of 6 figures) so that probably won't be happening... They are neat, but be warned, they are not like other minis. All but the two shoulder joints are fixed 6mm joints, so if you want a fully functional one you would have to spend another +/-$10 plus shipping to get enough joints (AB joint packs, also available through Tokyo Huner) to fully articulate one. I used spare joints from my existing AB kits temporarily, but they will not stay that way since those joints are more important (to me) to use with my other AB figures... After playing with a pair of fully articulated mini-Jarks a little, I just don't think that I can justify the expense to permanently articulate one or more. Especially since I already have two of each fully sized AB and will soon have two of each full sized Jarknoid... On that note, I still have at least ten custom kitbashed ABs that I still need to post images of. If you can work them into your budget, these really are some of the greatest toys that I've ever owned...
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Post by coldiron on Jun 23, 2009 10:54:21 GMT -5
I would gladly trade my teal with all fixed joints for a purple with two working joints. Then I can have one that I might enjoy and maybe modify. |
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Post by mechamasterj on Jun 23, 2009 13:46:09 GMT -5
well i pretty much said everything that pheonix did.........and again I am willing to sell my mini jarknoids!!
I do want another speeder bike though........ contemplating on another mr. assemble.... although, I would actually like to have dups of the other two assemble borgs.
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Post by Falconhood on Jun 23, 2009 17:15:44 GMT -5
Fixed joints? They are little statues?
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Post by phoenixx on Jun 23, 2009 18:12:17 GMT -5
Not statues exactly...
The joints are removable and swappable, and others claim to be able to pose them pretty well with a little effort, but as cute as they are I personally won't put the effort into it...
Like I said, you can buy enough real 6mm Revo joints...it takes 10 joints per figure including the two that come with the figure, and you get 6 per pack at around 3800yen + fees + shipping...for around $10-$12 each plus shipping...
Pretty expensive IMHO, personally I'd rather save my cash for the full size figures...3 fully poseable mini-Jarks (assuming that you already bought the figures that they came with or otherwise acquired them)...OR the real deal...
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Post by mechamasterj on Jun 23, 2009 22:45:28 GMT -5
Yeah you can manipulate the joints to get some ok poses but getting it to stand on its own?? havent been able to do that. I really dont understand why they included those mini's with no real revlo joints, i mean they acutually make you dislike the the ABs and the uninformed may even begin to think that the real deal have the same type of joints. I mean they probably did it to encourage the purchasing of revlo joints along with the ABs but honestly its just stupid.
oh by the way you can make a fairly poseable minis with just 6 mini revlos, two mid to large revlos, one fixed joint, and three of the mini pole joints. If you have one regular AB and two mini jarks you can accomplish this. Whether its worth it or not is another story.
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Post by phoenixx on Jun 24, 2009 10:42:39 GMT -5
I have a tendency to agree on the outcome of including non-functional mini-figures MMJ...
However, I'm sure that the use of non-articulated joints was initially a cost saving measure. If the retailers are selling six 6mm joints for 3800yen, the retailer cost would probably be between 1500 to 2000yen, and Kaiyodo's manufacturing cost is probably more like 15yen each or (probably) even less.
The physical assembly of each joint is also likely to increase the failure rate per joint. When disassembled, the individual joint parts for functional joints are far more complex, with thin plastic pieces that can either break during the molding, removal, transport, and/or assembly processes. Using the simple one piece fakes is probably a quarter or less the cost than using fully articulated joints.
Add that up and you're talking an additional 20 to 50yen (anywhere from 30 to 65 cents US). Even at the low end, that's a massive price differential, especially for a throw away freebie item. Not to mention that I'm sure it takes a factory worker longer to insert a working joint than a non-working joint. I know it takes me longer, and trust me I have tons of experience from "playing" with my AB figures. It doesn't sound like much, but seconds quickly add up to minutes and minutes add up to hours of additional labor. When you're talking a whole staff of factory workers taking 10 seconds extra per figure because those (relatively) floppy 6mm joints don't slide in as easily as a solid joint, that REALLY adds to the overall cost...
I digress, the point is, that I'm sure this was cost/profit driven, but it certainly does have the added benefit (for Kaiyodo) of encouraging/generating 6mm joint sales. However, I fully agree that IF I were a less informed consumer, the non-articulated figures would definitely cause me to question any purchases of actual AB product.
So I don't know if these are ultimately going to generate the positive word of mouth and interest that Kaiyodo was looking for. Although, here we are talking about them, and they have clearly attracted the interest of a couple vocal people, and any advertising is good advertising, so maybe it is a good idea afterall...
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Post by Cyrano on Jun 24, 2009 20:03:16 GMT -5
The joints are removable and swappable, and others claim to be able to pose them pretty well with a little effort, but as cute as they are I personally won't put the effort into it... Yeah you can manipulate the joints to get some ok poses but getting it to stand on its own?? havent been able to do that. I think I'm the "others" Phoenixx mentioned  Posing the minis is definitely doable, but it takes some time and effort -- perhaps more trouble than it's worth for most. Once you get the figure somewhat straightened out though, it's comparatively easy sailing. The best way I've found to make them stand on their own is to switch around the ankle peg. By putting the end of the peg into the hole in the heel (where it would normally attach to a stand or somesuch) rather than into the toe, the mini Xo's can actually get their feet on the ground (see images for clarification). In this position you can also use the peg as a sort of high-heel, if you need to shift some of the figure's weight forward for balance.      The only thing changed to make these poses was the ankle angle, as described above. Everything else is still the dummy pegs, excepting the revolvers in the shoulders. All of them are freestanding too, except for the Flamenco dancing teal one ( :  . No question they'd be orders of magnitude more fun with a full set of revolvers, but I really enjoy the little guys as-is.  |
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Post by mechamasterj on Jun 24, 2009 20:38:09 GMT -5
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Post by recca74 on Jul 3, 2009 22:24:40 GMT -5
I saw this at the AB-Lab site. Looks like an indie developer has created some nice cloth custom accessories for your Assemble Borgs. I've already sent out an email to the admins for purchase inquiry. Hopefully will hear back soon!  www.assemblesuit.com/  |
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