|
|
Post by mpchi on Aug 5, 2016 12:06:58 GMT -5
His head looks as though its buried.... Voltron doesnt have neck? Come on Bandai, give him a neck for Pete sake...  no problems in this picture. I think it's just the angle. Yeah. I think many folks just went into panic mode due to one bad photo. Just look at how droopy the shoulders/arm connections too. Yet its not the case in all other pics. The photo simply showing a figure not correctly posed and in an odd angle.  |
|
|
|
Post by jaylive on Aug 5, 2016 13:56:28 GMT -5
that looks like sh*t. i hope the finished product is closer to the earlier prototype than that one.
|
|
ninja
Junior Robot
Posts: 10
|
Post by ninja on Aug 5, 2016 14:42:18 GMT -5
Cant wait to get this guy!
|
|
|
|
Post by xephon0930 on Aug 5, 2016 14:55:53 GMT -5
that looks like sh*t. i hope the finished product is closer to the earlier prototype than that one. Define earlier prototype. Do you mean the one shown live at the Bandai segment of the toy show or the fully colored pics of the SoC Go-Lion? I am veering more towards the rather flimsy but of course what appears to be a very very early look at the SoC Go-Lion. |
|
|
|
Post by Watari on Aug 5, 2016 17:16:58 GMT -5
Slightly OT guys, just have a question that's been bugging me for days now  Whenever Bandai reissues an SOC, do they have to pay another set of royalties to the license owners? What if the license owner declines (like in Voltron/Golion's case, WEP)? Does that mean they cannot proceed with the reissue? TIA! |
|
|
|
Post by faelon on Aug 5, 2016 20:33:32 GMT -5
I'm embarrassed to admit I had never before realized Voltron's Coat of Arms was a Crowned Lug Wrench?
|
|
|
|
Post by REX-203 on Aug 5, 2016 22:40:04 GMT -5
Looks like another weird angle/perspective shot to me... bigger version of the pic: Preview And another... no neck is almost certainly due to the low angle. Lion ears are mis-transformed, maybe neck is too.:  This was the cause of my startled reaction upon first seeing it in person. They keep displaying it with the back arched and upper torso leaning back, and tilting the head down to look forward instead of skyward. It's just not a flattering pose and I don't understand why they keep posing it that way. This was the photo I took from SDCC. I had to hold the camera way up to get a downward shot, and even still you cannot see the top of the shoulders in this pic. Imagine how this looked straight on.  |
|
|
|
Post by squall12 on Aug 6, 2016 0:30:09 GMT -5
Front picture of the golion/voltron figure with lion display.  |
|
|
|
Post by kongfupanda on Aug 6, 2016 2:00:04 GMT -5
 It looks ok in this picture. The neck of black lion is long enough. |
|
|
|
Post by Gold on Aug 6, 2016 2:36:04 GMT -5
Kongfupanda, good catch, maybe there's a neck extension mechanism there we're just not seeing in the new display pics, I mean, they forgot to fold out the ears for Pete's sake. Watari, to answer your question, I think it's highly likely that reissues do indeed require another payout of royalties to the parent company. That might explain why we never got reissues of some highly requested SOCs vs others. EG. EVAs, Gunbuster (for a loooong while), Dancougar. I think it's easier to just negotiate all new terms and just flat out roll out an entirely "different" figure like what happened with Voltes, Gunbuster, Daitarn, rather than try to negotiate a reissue. At least that's how I see how it went down. Explains the "R" branding, sorta... Gold |
|
|
|
Post by Watari on Aug 6, 2016 7:22:49 GMT -5
Kongfupanda, good catch, maybe there's a neck extension mechanism there we're just not seeing in the new display pics, I mean, they forgot to fold out the ears for Pete's sake. Watari, to answer your question, I think it's highly likely that reissues do indeed require another payout of royalties to the parent company. That might explain why we never got reissues of some highly requested SOCs vs others. EG. EVAs, Gunbuster (for a loooong while), Dancougar. I think it's easier to just negotiate all new terms and just flat out roll out an entirely "different" figure like what happened with Voltes, Gunbuster, Daitarn, rather than try to negotiate a reissue. At least that's how I see how it went down. Explains the "R" branding, sorta... Gold Yeah, I guess you're right. Given the situation that majority of the license holders are from Japan, what's it going to be like if they have to deal with an international entity like WEP? I hope Bandai cranks out enough of these to satisfy the global market, since it might take a while before this gets the re-issue treatment. Of course all of this is just speculation  |
|
|
|
Post by S_Gokin on Aug 6, 2016 9:55:38 GMT -5
i honestly stopped believing promo pictures and promo talking, you see and read something and end up with something else
why the avoid using white ? that dark matte silver is killing the figure looks along with the dark colors i feel like i need to pop up the brightness a bit, Voltron colors should looks very vivid and metallic
|
|
|
|
Post by xephon0930 on Aug 6, 2016 12:07:14 GMT -5
Front picture of the golion/voltron figure with lion display. I can't believe I just noticed this but the potrusions inside the lion's mouths seem to match the Foot Missiles for the Leg Lions and the Laser Magnum for the Arm Lions. Has anyone else just noticed this? |
|
|
|
Post by faelon on Aug 6, 2016 14:15:45 GMT -5
Slightly OT guys, just have a question that's been bugging me for days now Whenever Bandai reissues an SOC, do they have to pay another set of royalties to the license owners? What if the license owner declines (like in Voltron/Golion's case, WEP)? Does that mean they cannot proceed with the reissue? TIA! The licensor will get a royalty or something similar on each piece made, more or less. That's just part of the deal. So the more the licensee makes and sells the more the licensor earns. That's generally balanced with some form of flat payment or payments. The licensor is getting paid something no matter what. But they make tons more if the Merch does well. Licenses are are for a specified amount of time. Generally within that time frame the licensee may produce as much as they wish and distribute it within the terms of the license. (Generally geographic regional restrictions.) The Licensor does typically have approval/veto power over the products themselves. It's their brand and they may elect to enforce quality, accuracy or brand fit standards. Lucasfilms was always notoriously meticulous about product review, mandating things like plastic color selections and approving every sculpt. Whereas at the opposite end of the spectrum you have Sanrio, who let licensed Hello Kitty Vibrators slip through. Re-issues will depend on where they are within that purchased license time frame. Past it yes they do need to renew or renegotiate a license. Sometimes they will elect not to do this if they do not feel there is sufficient market interest to justify the renewal costs. The counterpoint is for a re-release even if they have renewal costs, they don't have the tooling costs. So the economics are often more favorable to renew and re-release in that regard. So long as there is a market demand. Yes the the license owner can decline to renew once a license has expired. It will depend on the returns that they saw from the license vs their reasonable expectations of what their license can earn. This is less of an issue with Bandai as they are Big Dogs in the room. They more have the power to pick and choose. To our knowledge the few times they have lost a license to another vendor it has been to fellow big players such as Mattel (Voltron) outbidding them. There can also be guaranteed renewal or termination clauses within the license contracts. If a line is doing poorly or is not being exploited the licensor may cancel it early. If the line is doing well the licensee may have a guaranteed renewal for X amount of time at favorable terms, etc. Bigger licenses generally don't move around very often. Typically in order for one to shift it requires some sort of major screw up or disappointing result from toy maker A matched with an aggressive, well planned campaign of Toymaker B generally leveraging history and business relationships. The most shocking in recent times was the Disney Princess line shifting from Mattel to Hasbro. But there are other signs that business partners have not been overly thrilled with Mattel lately. A licensor that frequently shops his license around over a short period can quickly devalue the license. Toy makers don't want to invest as much towards a short term line that will be pulled from under them. In in the case of WEP, I think there is little to fear. They stuck with Toynami through 20 years of re-issuing the same molds in new packaging. They made one bad decision with Mattel and got burned for it. They are now able to undo that decision and go with what should have been their first choice. And already pre-orders are straining factory capacity. WEP is a self described Mom and Pop shop. Once settled with Bandai they likely aren't going anywhere short term. |
|
|
|
Post by xandromaje on Aug 6, 2016 14:49:29 GMT -5
a kid took the picture. lulz
|
|
|
|
Post by faelon on Aug 6, 2016 14:51:55 GMT -5
Kongfupanda, good catch, maybe there's a neck extension mechanism there we're just not seeing in the new display pics, I mean, they forgot to fold out the ears for Pete's sake. Watari, to answer your question, I think it's highly likely that reissues do indeed require another payout of royalties to the parent company. That might explain why we never got reissues of some highly requested SOCs vs others. EG. EVAs, Gunbuster (for a loooong while), Dancougar. I think it's easier to just negotiate all new terms and just flat out roll out an entirely "different" figure like what happened with Voltes, Gunbuster, Daitarn, rather than try to negotiate a reissue. At least that's how I see how it went down. Explains the "R" branding, sorta... Gold You're not quite right. The new tooling for certain re-issues is purely a Bandai technical and production thing. It has nothing to do with the licensor beyond the licensor has to approve the new product (generally a formality in this case.) going from old issue Voltes V or Combatler V to new does not involve a license change. That's purely internal Bandai. Also so there is an important business dealing that most miss with regards some of these licenses. Bandai's principle owners also own 30% of Toei. They fronted the money to the studio back in the day. While they technically are unconnected businesses, licensing is sort of a non issue there. This is why so many of the classic Chogokin are Toei characters. Yes Bandai does license from Toei and pay fair market value for such, but renewal is a given. If Bandai is not doing a new release of one of those robots it is because they don't perceive a market demand for it yet. As as for other license holders? Sunrise has deep complex and unbelievably profitable ties to Bandai. Comparable to Lucasfilms ties to Kenner/Hasbro back in the day. (Gundam, the gift that keeps on giving!) At this point Bandai likely has fairly free choice over their subjects. They may simply have several broad long term licenses. Neither Bandai nor Sunrise are going to rock that boat. Add to that that Toei has a long term business relationship with Sunrise where they will often subcontract animation work out to each other to maximize capacity, and you can see it's all a happy little incestuous business relationship that nobody is messing with. If Bandai wants to make a toy, the studios say "yes, please do!" Gaimax, which is the licensor of Evangelion, Gunbuster and Gurren Laggan among others is more of a mystery. But all indications are Bandai remains on good terms with them. Gainnax is probably a collection of limited licenses specific for the Die Cast figures. So Gunbuster separate from Eva etc. Gunbuster as a 25 year old show without a huge following is likely a cheap and easy renewal. Evangelion less so. Bandai released two different lines of them SOC and Soul SPEC. They were never really a great fit for the Chogokin lines. I suspect that if Kaiyodo ever loses the license Bandai will pick it up for the Robot Damashii line. |
|
|
|
Post by johnmc on Aug 6, 2016 15:56:46 GMT -5
I wonder if this means SOC Dairugger XV is a possibility. I have no faith in WEP to license one. They like to pretend it doesn't exist. I wish they would sell the rights to Vehicle Voltron/Dairugger XV if they have no intention of doing anything with it. Our best hope is that Miracle Metal Works Vehicle Voltron sold enough to entice another 3rd Party to consider making a new VV to go along with this or the new Lion Voltron Ex that Toynami is coming out with. |
|
|
|
Post by bader on Aug 6, 2016 16:08:35 GMT -5
I can't wait.....
|
|
|
|
Post by johnmc on Aug 6, 2016 16:35:00 GMT -5
Has anyone figured out? If this is correct at GX-71... What's GX-70? Good Question. Even BBTS has it listed as 71. It has GX-69 Goldymarg and this. No 70. |
|
|
|
Post by TaurusOxford on Aug 6, 2016 17:01:30 GMT -5
Has anyone figured out? If this is correct at GX-71... What's GX-70? Good Question. Even BBTS has it listed as 71. It has GX-69 Goldymarg and this. No 70. This question has been answered for a while now... |
|
