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Bag of Sun Chips posted:Local Toys R Us in Michigan is already out of stock of MP Soundwave, the lady said they should be getting more, probably on Saturday. Michigan? poo poo. I wasn't expecting to hound for another week, and I'm in Missouri. Time to make some phone calls I suppose. Edit: trucks have already arrived and sold out, apparently. Shitaroo. Captain Magic fucked around with this message at 19:43 on Jul 25, 2013 |
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Jul 25, 2013 19:26
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Captain Magic posted:Michigan? poo poo. I wasn't expecting to hound for another week, and I'm in Missouri. Time to make some phone calls I suppose. I was surprised too. Apparently they hit yesterday almost everywhere.
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Jul 25, 2013 20:20
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As soon as I said "Soundwave" the clerk said over the phone "Nope". Apparently I'm not the only one looking here.
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Jul 25, 2013 20:25
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WendigoJohnson posted:Generations Metroplex has the Generations Numbered system where as SDCC Metroplex has it's own individual one/Transformer Collector Club number graphic. Meaning SDCC Metroplex really isn't part of the generations line to begin with. 01 is also Omega Supreme's Platinum number Isn't that the "Thrilling 30" numbering? Acid Storm and Soundwave both have identical numbering on their boxes (with Decepticon symbols instead of Autobot, naturally), and are 8 of 30 and 9 of 30, respectively.
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Jul 25, 2013 20:45
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Washington hasn't gotten any Soundwaves or Acid Storms yet, apparently the Nor. Cal, Oregon, and Washington distribution center won't get any until next week.
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Jul 25, 2013 21:09
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Living in the Seattle area I've learned to not even try. If it's not the actual TRU employees ganking them, it's guys with incredibly flexible hours (I suspect they are on disability or something) that can be there for TRU's openings. Every day. My current job situation may lead to moving back to my hometown across the state but poo poo at least it's not jam-packed with TF fans so I'd stand a chance.
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Jul 25, 2013 21:43
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Ahahaha. I find it far more amusing than is rational that I just bought Rumble, thought "wow, he is totally a Gurren Lagann Gunmen", googled "enkidu gurren lagann" and this was in the top 15 results Rumble's torso is straight-up Enkidu's torsoface, almost to the letter, just slightly more angular. And you can just not transform Rumble's torso to make the figure "headless", which turns it into a Gunmen.  A pretty neat and slightly random reference. Captain Invictus fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Jul 26, 2013 |
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Jul 26, 2013 00:23
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Keldroc posted:Isn't that the "Thrilling 30" numbering? Acid Storm and Soundwave both have identical numbering on their boxes (with Decepticon symbols instead of Autobot, naturally), and are 8 of 30 and 9 of 30, respectively. No, Generations Thrilling 30 numbering didn't change the previous figures numbers. Masterpiece has those numbers because they're the numbers of the previous masterpiece figures released in America. Masterpiece Optimus, Starscream, Thundercraker, Rodimus, Grimlock, Skywarp, and Optimus and the trailer. Look at Generations Voyager Springer, Bliztwing, and Sandstorm which all have the thrilling 30 logo. They still say series 02 on their box because Soundwave, Sounddlaster, Blaster and Grimlock were series 01. The Taint Reaper fucked around with this message at 01:30 on Jul 26, 2013 |
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Jul 26, 2013 01:04
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WendigoJohnson posted:No, Generations Thrilling 30 numbering didn't change the previous figures numbers. Masterpiece has those numbers because they're the numbers of the previous masterpiece figures released in America. Masterpiece Optimus, Starscream, Thundercraker, Rodimus, Grimlock, Skywarp, and Optimus and the trailer. No, that doesn't make any sense. Acid Storm is MP-01, Soundwave is MP-02, and the numbers on the side of the box explicitly say 8 of 30 and 9 of 30. Are you trying to claim Hasbro plans to only release exactly 30 Masterpiece figures, which is something they clearly have no way of knowing? The 8 and 9 are obviously Thrilling 30 numbers. The numbers you're talking about on the Voyagers are their Generations series/wave numbers. All the current Generations and Prime figures have those, and they're unrelated to the Thrilling 30 collection. The Thrilling 30 logo is just a logo; the figures that get actual X of 30 numbering seem to be a separate thing.
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Jul 26, 2013 01:28
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Keldroc posted:No, that doesn't make any sense. Acid Storm is MP-01, Soundwave is MP-02, and the numbers on the side of the box explicitly say 8 of 30 and 9 of 30. Are you trying to claim Hasbro plans to only release exactly 30 Masterpiece figures, which is something they clearly have no way of knowing? The 8 and 9 are obviously Thrilling 30 numbers. The numbers you're talking about on the Voyagers are their Generations series/wave numbers. All the current Generations and Prime figures have those, and they're unrelated to the Thrilling 30 collection. The Thrilling 30 logo is just a logo; the figures that get actual X of 30 numbering seem to be a separate thing.  I've honestly yet to see the newer Masterpiece US boxes in person. But if that's not the case that they're counting the previous MP releases, that's a really screwy way of doing numbers. I thought Platinum Magnus was 03 because Omega and Prime were the first two in the series. And they were just grandfathering in the previous figures. If SDCC metroplex is 01 and Magnus is 03 then we're missing an 02. And that means 08 and 09 were released before 04,05,06,07.Where are the Dungeons and Dragons people to do these collection numbers? Hasbro owns them, they're good at this sort of thing.
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Jul 26, 2013 01:41
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TFCon tomorrow, baby! I'm so excited!
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Jul 26, 2013 02:08
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WendigoJohnson posted:
According to Hasbro's SDCC panel announcements, this is the list of the first 11: 1. SDCC Metroplex 2. SDCC Shockwave's Laboratory 3. Platinum Ultra Magnus 4. Platinum Grimlock vs. Bruticus 5. Ani-Con & Game Convention Metroplex (Hong Kong convention exclusive) 6. Shockwave's Lab Asian Exclusive (Asia exclusive retail release) 7. First Look Beast Hunters Optimus Prime (Asia exclusive retail release) 8. Masterpiece Acid Storm 9. Masterpiece Soundwave 10. Platinum Predaking 11. Construct-bots Predacons Rising Predaking set So I guess with that many Asian exclusives, particularly #5, this is not going to be a "collect them all" thing for most of us. The remaining 19 will be announced at various Toy Fairs internationally over the course of 2014. Keldroc fucked around with this message at 02:34 on Jul 26, 2013 |
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Jul 26, 2013 02:30
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Keldroc posted:According to Hasbro's SDCC panel announcements, this is the list of the first 11: Yeah that's a terrible list, both metroplexes are the exact same deco but with slightly different colored decoys. Shockwave's lab is listed there twice and it's again the same toy not even changed. Contruct-Bots are crap and why the hell would you put them along side the regular Legends/Deluxe/Voyager/Supreme figures. I really thought the Thrilling 30 was poo poo that was supposed to represent a far more modernized G1 and figures that were considered nitche. But that seems to be just the regular Generations line and Platinum if you want that. At least I can still collect all of Generations uninterrupted that I've been doing since Classics. The only thing in that list that possibly applies are the Platinum figures. The Taint Reaper fucked around with this message at 02:48 on Jul 26, 2013 |
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Jul 26, 2013 02:45
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Didn't they mention that Geishabot would be #30 too? Maybe I'm misremembering from the panel live updates.
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Jul 26, 2013 02:45
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Captain Invictus posted:Ahahaha. I find it far more amusing than is rational that I just bought Rumble, thought "wow, he is totally a Gurren Lagann Gunmen", googled "enkidu gurren lagann" and this was in the top 15 results eeeeyup Also between the color scheme and the car halves on his shoulders he's more than a little Megas XLR to boot e: Work is kicking my rear end up and down, so I guess I'm glad I didn't plan on going to TFcon.
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Jul 26, 2013 02:55
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Blackheart posted:Didn't they mention that Geishabot would be #30 too? Maybe I'm misremembering from the panel live updates. That's going to be stupid if we get that figure before a proper generations Arcee or Elita-1. Although I have a feeling you could re-tool Springer again to make an Arcee figure that switches from Cybertronian Tron Bike Mode to Cybertronian Sports car. That way you get an Arcee figure that recognizes both major alt modes the figure has had over time. I mean look at her animated figure, the Springer Voyager Figure isn't that far off proportion wise in robot mode.
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Jul 26, 2013 02:55
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Hexatron arrived today and he's pretty cool! The box has a front flap with a magnet on so you can open it up and look at him and a picture of Hexatron with hella swords. He's posable, he's huge and so far he hasn't been a nightmare to transform and easy enough to figure out little things left out of the instructions (such as not rotating his belt pieces). In classic third party tradition one sword is in the sheathe super tight and the other is just fine. His hands are super cool, he has poseable thumbs and fingers (individual) but his palm is still most of a peghole so he holds his guns and swords perfectly fine no matter how you have the fingers done, which is a problem gunpla has been having forever. Some bits are tight as hell and scary, some bits are just right. Only done FLYING WOLF and APC so far, but they both look good. Well the wolf is dumb but the head looks much nicer in person and not so tiny. Edit: Ok laser pistol instructions aren't great, it tells you to rotate the waist after you've locked his legs together and in that position I can't get enough clearance on his big wolf feet to get over his backpack/trigger bit. Easy enough to just uncouple the legs but still. EthanSteele fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Jul 26, 2013 |
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Jul 26, 2013 18:06
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Looked around for MP Soundwave today. I got told the following like four times, "We had two earlier, but they're already sold out." Two? Jesus christ, TRU. That's, at maximum, a total of 14 Soundwaves available at any given time in the entirety of the St. Louis area. gently caress that. I also came across the new Wreckers at a V-Stock. They look really good, despite the handicaps of their molds. The head sculpts and new paintjobs all look loving killer. If they weren't 20 bucks each, I might have picked them up (V-Stock jacks up their prices like crazy since they usually get non-exclusives pretty early).
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Jul 26, 2013 18:44
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I'm messing with Sandstorm and I'm real confident I like him more than Springer. Everything tabs together right, the dune buggy mode with MEGA HUGE FUCKOFF WHEELS rules, I really like him all around. I think my only "complaint" is that his front landing gear was a pain in the rear end to swing out when initially transforming him.
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Jul 26, 2013 18:48
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Xenomrph posted:I'm messing with Sandstorm and I'm real confident I like him more than Springer. Everything tabs together right, the dune buggy mode with MEGA HUGE FUCKOFF WHEELS rules, I really like him all around. Agreed. I still haven't figured out how to get his drat gun to attach when he's in VTOL mode either.
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Jul 26, 2013 19:25
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The Rage posted:Agreed. I still haven't figured out how to get his drat gun to attach when he's in VTOL mode either. The instructions are terrible on this. The top of the tallest point on the gun has tiny, almost imperceptible tabs on the top of it. Now look at the orange part of Sandstorm where the landing gear hinge is. Notice that it has two grooves on either side, almost like a track? Slide the tiny tab top of the gun forward into that track, and it will snap into place. The slope of the tall part of the gun will fit snugly against the groove.
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Jul 26, 2013 19:53
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I'm just blown away by how good of a retool he is. If Hasbro keeps making retools of this caliber, they can keep selling me the same toy twice until the day I die. 
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Jul 26, 2013 19:58
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Captain Magic posted:Looked around for MP Soundwave today. I got told the following like four times, "We had two earlier, but they're already sold out." My TRU says they don't expect them in for a couple more weeks. I did however get a 15% off one item coupon for the week of August 6th I believe, so maybe I'll get lucky and he will come in then.
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Jul 26, 2013 21:00
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My TRU is going to get them, but has no idea when. Their shipment manifests don't even show up in their system until the evening they arrive. One of the employees offered to let me know if I called back this evening, which was really nice of him.
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Jul 26, 2013 21:03
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All the feelings everyone has about Sandstorm is how I feel about Sharkticon Megatron. I can't stop messing with him! I love the stupid blue face, it's a great callback to the way G1 dudes could just have a green or blue or red face because why the gently caress not.
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Jul 26, 2013 21:25
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I was thinking a bit about the Transformers/Harmony Gold lawsuit, I'm willing the bet Hasbro doesn't want to waste money dipping their toe into the crazy macross rights issues  and will probably write them a check... then again if Hasbro decided they can make money by making more G1-Jetfire Valkyrie style toys they go ahead and fight them head on to get that issue cleared up one and for all, but I doubt it.
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Jul 26, 2013 21:26
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Could someone fill me in on this whole Harmony Gold thing?
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Jul 26, 2013 21:41
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Xenomrph posted:Could someone fill me in on this whole Harmony Gold thing? As far as I know the story Harmony Gold is a real estate/television production company that is license squatting on the Macross/Robotech line in the US. Anybody that makes/references/draws/dreams about Valkyries gets a law suit thrown at them by Harmony Gold. Harmony Gold also refuses to let any of the Bandai/Yamato figures/vehicles get US releases because they own the rights over here. They went after Hasbro for copyright infringement over the G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover set because Jetfire was made using a Valkyrie in the 80's.
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Jul 26, 2013 21:46
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Xenomrph posted:Could someone fill me in on this whole Harmony Gold thing? Since 1984, Harmony Gold has owned the US distribution rights to Macross as part of its deal to localize it as 1/3 of the Robotech TV series. Through some kind of trademark black magic, this means they have control/right of refusal/get a cut of any merchandise using the Macross characters or mecha. For many, many years now, Harmony Gold has basically been a real estate company that happens to have a deathgrip on Bandai's ability to sell Valkyrie toys in the US, emerging from dormancy periodically to sue someone who tries to put out Macross-related content or release godawful direct-to-DVD sequel movies to Robotech. Jetfire was a VF-1J Valkyrie with a unique paint job. Hasbro licensed the mold for Jetfire from Bandai shortly before Harmony Gold signed the deal for Robotech. HG immediately became a massive pain in Hasbro's rear end about it, and this is why the character in the G1 cartoon has a different name and a completely different visual design. Fast-forward to 2013, in which Hasbro sells a version of the GI Joe Skystriker painted up as Jetfire, complete with fastpack booster jets, as a SDCC exclusive. Harmony Gold is now suing them because of it, apparently mainly because inside the box is a retro-style tech specs card that uses Jetfire's G1 box art, which is, of course, a VF-1J, which HG owns the license for in the US. HG's lawsuit is hilariously unwinnable, but it will probably be annoying/expensive enough to defend against that Hasbro will just pay them to shut up and go away, which is pretty much all HG does with the Robotech license these days. If you've ever been curious as to why absolutely nothing Macross-related seems to get a US release after Macross Plus, it's because of Harmony Gold. Bandai basically won't work with them anymore, and the license has been essentially deadlocked for nearly 20 years now outside of the DVD releases of Robotech and the original Japanese Macross series about 10 years ago.
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Jul 26, 2013 21:54
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How long before the license expires?
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Jul 26, 2013 22:11
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Sire Oblivion posted:How long before the license expires? I don't think it does as long as HG puts out something Robotech-related every so often. I'd be willing to bet the only reason Shadow Chronicles and its sequel exist is to allow them to keep the rights.
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Jul 26, 2013 22:15
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Keldroc posted:Bandai basically won't work with them anymore, and the license has been essentially deadlocked for nearly 20 years now outside of the DVD releases of Robotech and the original Japanese Macross series about 10 years ago. That and the people who put out the Macross box set have admitted that they were only able to do so due to HG being "asleep at the wheel" during a managerial shake-up in their legal department.
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Jul 26, 2013 22:19
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Ok I've put Hexatron into each of his modes and they're pretty much as expected for me. The APC, Tank and Spacefighter are all goodo as is his fantastic robot mode. Wolf is dumb and the gun is basically the Spacefighter with no wings and the guns in a different place. The instructions could be a little clearer in places, especially in regards to moving his belt around to plug the sword sheathes/other guns into in the various modes, but it's easy enough to figure out where you should put them when you look. Speaking of that, he's easy to transform and everything makes sense! My one thing I've not got yet is the panels that fill in the back of his legs, it feels like I'm doing something wrong when I have to try hard to get it past his groin, but nothing has felt like it's going to break so whatever. He's been the first MMC thing I've owned and I'm super stoked for the arrival of BOVIS and crew based on this effort!
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Jul 26, 2013 22:45
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Actually, Jetfire is a VF-1S. Harmony Gold is such a douche for being like this. I got into Macross in 7th grade when that Robotech game came out for Xbox/Gamecube and looked further into it and watched the original series but I never knew why we never got state side releases of stuff. That sucks. Just got Sandstorm and IDW Bumblebee. Love 'em both.Huge thanks for the post on how to arm the VTOL mode because holy poo poo, I literally lost sleep over it.
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Jul 26, 2013 23:11
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PriNcessofDarXness posted:Harmony Gold is such a douche for being like this. I got into Macross in 7th grade when that Robotech game came out for Xbox/Gamecube and looked further into it and watched the original series but I never knew why we never got state side releases of stuff. That sucks. Hasbro's license for Jetfire's toy at the time also prevented Robotech from releasing transformable Veritechs through Matchbox, so that's why the Veritechs in the '80s Robotech toyline were all just plain jets. I bet that makes SDCC Jetfire feel like even more of a kick in the dick and the balls to Harmony Gold. 
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Jul 26, 2013 23:28
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Sire Oblivion posted:How long before the license expires? Sometime in 2021, in addition to what's stated above there was a rights fight in Japan as well. The distribution company Tatsunoko sold all international rights to Harmony Gold in the early 80's. It's unconfirmed but I heard in my work in animation HG got Macross for basically $50,000 for all markets outside Japan  . (I'm sure Tatsunoko is getting much more money than that now)Back then the Japanese industry didn't really care that much about foreign markets, until the 90's or so when they realised there was money to be had here if a show took off. Big West and Studio Nue, the finance company and animation studio which produced Macross was ruled as the true owners of Macross and the only authority that can license Macross internationally. Problem is that ruling only stands in Japan as US courts have ruled its Harmony Gold that owns the rights. Tatsunoko keeps getting a check from HG to maintain the US/International deal so hey, free money. The final twist is that Tatsunoko is owned by Takara now, which is partners with Hasbro, so if it wasn't for the long off lease terms [2021 according to the lawsuit] Hasbro could probably ask Takara to give HG the boot for Macross rights and reassign them to Hasbro. I'm sure bandai would love that.. since they have macross deals with big west and studio nue. So yes, it's a big
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Jul 26, 2013 23:32
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^^^ This. Beat me by a minute (and in more detail) after I got stuck in a meeting for nearly an hour without having pressed send.  Also, I wasn't aware of the part about TakaraTomy owning Tatsunoko.It currently expires in 2021. However, the contract is with a separate company than who actually owns Macross in Japan. It's all sorts of complicated legal fuckery. So basically, for them, HG gives them free money every decade or so to keep doing what they're doing. SpikeMcclane fucked around with this message at 23:38 on Jul 26, 2013 |
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Jul 26, 2013 23:33
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And as for Southern Cross, and Mospeada, there is zero legal issues with those properties. Those series pretty much tanked in Japan and have reversed marketed the Robotech sequel productions as official show sequels in the case of Mospeada [with some cross financing happening]. That's why all the more recent Robotech stuff in the past decade used Mospeada IP such as the Cyclone/Alpha mecha and the Invid. Problem is Robotech is known for Rick/Max/Roy busting a cap in giant alien asses using Veritech fighters and the fighter pilot love triangle. While HG has the rights to reissue existing Macross 1984 tv-series work they are limited to that, they can't take any of the IP such as character/mecha designs and use them for any new shows. And as for the Macross Do you Remember Love feature film , no one knows who has the rights to that since there are so many companies that claim they do. Macross definitely showed the animation and toy industry a huge example how not to handle rights.
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Jul 26, 2013 23:43
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drat shame too.  That original Valk is pretty much on par with a lot of modern transformers.
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Jul 27, 2013 00:25
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Geared Hub posted:Sometime in 2021, in addition to what's stated above there was a rights fight in Japan as well. The distribution company Tatsunoko sold all international rights to Harmony Gold in the early 80's. It's unconfirmed but I heard in my work in animation HG got Macross for basically $50,000 for all markets outside Japan I'm still wondering why HG didn't do anything with the Classics Jetfire when it came out and the subsequent repaints. Hell the second repaint was in Max's Valkyrie colors. HG is also the reason I'll never to own Macross Frontier on blu-ray without buying the Japanese copies. The new Valk toys are getting better too. I want that triple changing Koeing Monster drat it.
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Jul 27, 2013 01:08
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