I went to GDC and thought the Sandboxr 3D printing booth had some sweet 3D-printed figures, so here's some pictures.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Canceled Figures.
So, last night I popped over to Takara's Nexta website to see if they had updated the page for the Video Game Robotics HD Wolf Fang figure they advertised like 2 years ago. It was updated, but not in the way I had hoped! The "Coming Soon" image was gone, leaving a gaping hole in their products list and in my heart.
I was super, super excited for this figure, being a huge Wolf Fang fan, and fan of robot figures (especially with interchangeable parts!). This bummer news makes me wonder a few things about the toy industry. Please post below if you know anything about these matters.
1.) Why do they show prototypes if they aren't sure they're going to produce the figure? I imagine they're just testing the waters, or possibly an unforeseen design challenge makes the figure no longer viable.
2.) When a figure is canceled, why do the manufacturers never announce that? They always seem to simply remove all listings of it and never speak of it. Perhaps they want to keep the door open to make it later, or don't like the image of canceling a figure, and hope customers just forget? I suppose it is safer to let it fade away then make a post and show somebody who wasn't tracking the figure that they don't always live up to their word.
3.) What can we, as buyers, do about this? If one more figure I'm excited is simply ignored into eternity I don't know what I'll do. Figma Hulk is breaking my heart, but this Wolf Fang matter really sent me over the edge.
How dramatic.
Speaking of Figma Hulk, I have Figma Thor, Captain America and (the limited edition) Iron Man. That's tens of thousands of yen spent on 3/4 of the core Avengers, spent under the beliefs that I would be able to finish out the set. After all, all 4 were unveiled at Wonder Fest several years ago. Now I have to go with Bandai's Age of Ultron set if I want the core 4, but I don't enjoy their new designs nearly as much. If anyone has heard anything about Figma Hulk, please let me know.
I was super, super excited for this figure, being a huge Wolf Fang fan, and fan of robot figures (especially with interchangeable parts!). This bummer news makes me wonder a few things about the toy industry. Please post below if you know anything about these matters.
1.) Why do they show prototypes if they aren't sure they're going to produce the figure? I imagine they're just testing the waters, or possibly an unforeseen design challenge makes the figure no longer viable.
2.) When a figure is canceled, why do the manufacturers never announce that? They always seem to simply remove all listings of it and never speak of it. Perhaps they want to keep the door open to make it later, or don't like the image of canceling a figure, and hope customers just forget? I suppose it is safer to let it fade away then make a post and show somebody who wasn't tracking the figure that they don't always live up to their word.
3.) What can we, as buyers, do about this? If one more figure I'm excited is simply ignored into eternity I don't know what I'll do. Figma Hulk is breaking my heart, but this Wolf Fang matter really sent me over the edge.
How dramatic.
Speaking of Figma Hulk, I have Figma Thor, Captain America and (the limited edition) Iron Man. That's tens of thousands of yen spent on 3/4 of the core Avengers, spent under the beliefs that I would be able to finish out the set. After all, all 4 were unveiled at Wonder Fest several years ago. Now I have to go with Bandai's Age of Ultron set if I want the core 4, but I don't enjoy their new designs nearly as much. If anyone has heard anything about Figma Hulk, please let me know.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Why I Collect.
I am an action figure collector. In fact, you could say I'm a bit obsessed with action figures. I ravishingly gobble up toy news, hunt down hard-to-find treasures and, frankly, play with toys. Why, might you ask? Fair enough, here are my musings on why I devote so much time, money and love for miniature heroes.
Fun. Perhaps the simplest reason - but toys are primarily meant to have fun with. Even before playing with a toy, it is fun keeping up with the news, anticipating announcements and speculating over prototype pics. But the real fun is in posing them, arranging them and just basking in their presence. A great figure is something to get lost in, finding cool poses & accessory combinations, then gently placing them on a shelf, stepping back and appreciating. The real magic happens when, while admiring your figure, you remember the hype of it's announcement, opening the package and, most enjoyably, the "feel" of playing with it.
Experience. This "feel" memory, imprinted on the toy's presence can, in the case of licensed character figures, co-exist with the memories of the media that character features in. Like all tie-in merchandise, action figures represent specific characters from our favorite movies, books, games and so on. The serve as reminders - physical crystallization of past experiences with all forms of media. Trophies of moments we enjoyed watching, reading or playing.
Expression. If a figure can represent a beloved experience with specific character, then a collection is the story of a collector's passion for all media. This story can be easily read by anyone exploring the collection. What characters, scenes and styles a collector carefully curates into his or her collection recounts past experiences that mattered to them, that moved them. What better way to express yourself than through sharing what you love with others?
For me, of all the hobbies out there, none are as fun to do, recall such fond memories or express myself as much as collecting action figures.
Fun. Perhaps the simplest reason - but toys are primarily meant to have fun with. Even before playing with a toy, it is fun keeping up with the news, anticipating announcements and speculating over prototype pics. But the real fun is in posing them, arranging them and just basking in their presence. A great figure is something to get lost in, finding cool poses & accessory combinations, then gently placing them on a shelf, stepping back and appreciating. The real magic happens when, while admiring your figure, you remember the hype of it's announcement, opening the package and, most enjoyably, the "feel" of playing with it.
Experience. This "feel" memory, imprinted on the toy's presence can, in the case of licensed character figures, co-exist with the memories of the media that character features in. Like all tie-in merchandise, action figures represent specific characters from our favorite movies, books, games and so on. The serve as reminders - physical crystallization of past experiences with all forms of media. Trophies of moments we enjoyed watching, reading or playing.
Expression. If a figure can represent a beloved experience with specific character, then a collection is the story of a collector's passion for all media. This story can be easily read by anyone exploring the collection. What characters, scenes and styles a collector carefully curates into his or her collection recounts past experiences that mattered to them, that moved them. What better way to express yourself than through sharing what you love with others?
For me, of all the hobbies out there, none are as fun to do, recall such fond memories or express myself as much as collecting action figures.
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