Macross...A fading fanbase?

[GreenGuy42]

also, some members here still go to school and you know they could use the extra cash.

...and if anyone wishes to donate some extra cash to said MW members, ABSOLUTELY feel free to PM me....

[LORD KUNGFU]

hey maaaan, Yeah, for sure. People are getting totally bored of macross. Actually, I shouldnt say that. I think peeps just have macross burn out. Just check out this forum, barely anybody of the original hard core even pop in here anymore. All the models are starting to look the same. Nobodies doing customs that are true customs. Everybody tries to do everything so anime accurate, or line art accuarate, that it ends up everybody doing the same thing. Why dont somebody do a pink valk, or pimp out a valk and paint it metallic purple or somethin. Not really to my taste, but it would be interesting, or at least funny. yeah, yeah, cannon fodder, looks good, but same ol, same ol. Plus the macross is simply old, and is not evolving. We can all only talk about macross so much before it becomes the same old ish. Whats up with HG anyway, why everybody hatin so much on HG. Here in America, we wouldnt even know of macross if it was for robotech, so why bash robotech. The main thing, is the mystery and romance is gone. You could stare at pictures of mecha on the back of your takatoku box, or some catalog, for hours, because you never knew the whole story and was only a mystery a few people in Japan would know. And the toys came from a far far away land called Singapore. Now, you can just go to ebay and buy what ever. Go to google or here, and get the comeplete rundown of macross or any questions you might have. The world is way small now. People fly to Hong KOng for luch, and come back the next day. Everybody know somebody in Japan, Hong Kong, or Singapore to hook them up. HEll, we even know the people making the toys now personally. Shoot man, here in souther california, you can even get macross merchandise at laquishas liquour store / nail salon in compton. Check out toyboxdx, nobody barely posts anyting on there anymore. Just 2 years ago, people were posting like mad. Now, once a month. Macross is totally 80s. Not that it wouldnt appeal to the younger audience. But the 80s crew that grew up with it, now have to have jobs and stuff, so we cant be so keen on posting here daily or spending hours doing our customs. But it will come back around, we will get burn out, then we will want everything again. BTW, does anybody have the link to the great HG debate. That would make some interesting reading.

[Caufield]

Macross will never die, just multiply.... Colors..

Well for me, it's more alive now then it's ever been. Yes, I'm older, and like many board members, yes we do have full time jobs, other hobbies, nagging g/f.. etc. Nonetheless, I now have something I did not back in the day and that is money I can spend however I see fit! If anything I'm truly enjoying my Macross addiction now, I can afford (within reason) whatever toy I want to buy.

Perhaps with age comes patience, I don't wish to see TV series created just for the purpose of pimpin' Macross toys. I don't mind at all the pace Yamato has taken with Macross products.

Truthfully, I owe my introduction to Anime in general to Robotech. Mid-eighties and living in Mississauga Ontario, that was about the only thing remotely close to Japanese animation on tv. Well for me anyways... and a good friend Allen who passed along some sweet tapes of Area88, Bubblegum Crisis.. etc.

That and playing Battletech on my beloved Commodore 64

[Wabbit]

I 'lost' Macross once when little me only saw episode 1 on a rental Cantonese VHS, I never want to lose Macross again!

*plays Makoto Fujiwara's Runner*

[PC Valkyrie]

You know, I haven't posted here in a LONG time. I must admit that I have lost some of my interest in my favourite 80's anime. The interest for toys peaked from 2000-2003, when i bought Yamato 1/60 and 1/48 scale VF-1's. Even though I know Macross Zero is available, I'm in no rush to see it (waiting for the 5 episodes in 1 DVD collection (HK bootleg?)).

I didn't have much interest in the 1/60 GBP armour (given the negative reviews), and I don't want a blue Q-rau (already got the red one). The upcoming 1/100 VF0 is not too impressive, and the Monster is too big for my tastes.

I use to check this website religously everyday, but now I check in once every other day or so, and I don't have the patience to read all the new threads all the time. There doesn't seem to be as much interesting news as before.

I guess my interest in Macross is fading; partially because I've fulfilled my need for modern representations of the classic VF-1. I recently added the Doyusha VF-1A and Max's VF-1J to my collection. Perhaps my interest will be rejuvenated when I do eventually see Macross Zero.

Now I have much more interest in my car.... worked on some cosmetic and performance mods.

Edited September 14, 2004 by PC Valkyrie

[Graham]

Actually we all shrink as we grow older.  It's a fact. 

I don't... I get bigger.

I get stronger

There used to be a time I needed two hands to push it down

Nowadays, I can do this with one finger

Heh, it's not that you are getting stronger, it's that 'it' is getting weaker (softer?)

Sorry, couldn't resist, you left yourself wide open for that .

Graham

[aaajin]

Actually we all shrink as we grow older.  It's a fact. 

I don't... I get bigger.

I get stronger

There used to be a time I needed two hands to push it down

Nowadays, I can do this with one finger

Heh, it's not that you are getting stronger, it's that 'it' is getting weaker (softer?)

Sorry, couldn't resist, you left yourself wide open for that .

Graham

is "it" the 1/48 front landing gear?

[SupremeKaioshin]

I haven't bought any Macross toys in a year and my last toy purchase was a Convoy MP -1.

2 years ago, I was in a buying frenzy.

[kanedaestes]

hey, is the fan base getting smaller, possibly, but does that mean the products will no longer be produced? no. think of it like this, how many of us remember getter robo, (starvengers in the states), how many actually care, there really isn't a big demand or a huge following, but studio halfeye is still releasing transforming toys of the series, and they seem to be doing well with it. now i believe macross can come back, it may take a new series, or it may take robotech to do it. i wouldn't mind seeing a new series, but you know right now robotech is making all the right moves by having a new series in the works, and making new games to play (btw Robotech: Invasion based off of mospeda looks great) and maybe that for right now will be the only way to generate interest. i found macross through robotech, and then through macross plus, but it was robotech in the 80's that originally caught me, and even anime magazine that talk about robotech always talk about macross and how it is where it all started and even tell about the new series and sequels that have spawned from macross, so it wil come back, but personally i want to keep it small, i don't want to go to a mall and see macross shirts everywhere like one particular anime series i know (dragonball z anyone?)

also word of mouth doesn't hurt, i tell everyone i meet about macross, and i hope you are all doing the same, let people know if you want the fanbase to grow, spread the word about all the series, even if you don't like macross 7 or macross II someone else might and that may be what gets them in on it.

Edited September 14, 2004 by kanedaestes

[do not disturb]

also word of mouth doesn't hurt, i tell everyone i meet about macross, and i hope you are all doing the same, let people know if you want the fanbase to grow, spread the word about all the series, even if you don't like macross 7 or macross II someone else might and that may be what gets them in on it.

i don't simply cause i have no desire to create further competition for my macross habit.

[Nightbat]

Actually we all shrink as we grow older.  It's a fact. 

I don't... I get bigger.

I get stronger

There used to be a time I needed two hands to push it down

Nowadays, I can do this with one finger

Heh, it's not that you are getting stronger, it's that 'it' is getting weaker (softer?)

Sorry, couldn't resist, you left yourself wide open for that .

Graham

You're someone who sees the glass half empty, am I correct?

[kanedaestes]

also word of mouth doesn't hurt, i tell everyone i meet about macross, and i hope you are all doing the same, let people know if you want the fanbase to grow, spread the word about all the series, even if you don't like macross 7 or macross II someone else might and that may be what gets them in on it.

i don't simply cause i have no desire to create further competition for my macross habit.

yeah which is also true, since it is now starting to get hard to find certain items, but then that will make companies take notice and make more product

[do not disturb]

also word of mouth doesn't hurt, i tell everyone i meet about macross, and i hope you are all doing the same, let people know if you want the fanbase to grow, spread the word about all the series, even if you don't like macross 7 or macross II someone else might and that may be what gets them in on it.

i don't simply cause i have no desire to create further competition for my macross habit.

yeah which is also true, since it is now starting to get hard to find certain items, but then that will make companies take notice and make more product

i hear that but on the flipside of that coin, what if homeboy you told starts collecting vintage macross toys? thats just one more bidder in the auction.

you would think with growing demand, a company might start investing more time into macross but its a 20 year old cartoon with a very limited fan base. yamato's really the only game in town at the moment and they're trying their best but they also have other licenses(that aren't 20 years old) to support with a bigger fan base...they can only do so much at once.

you got toynami, but they don't count since they sell cheap POS worse than any vintage toy i've seen, worse than any new toy out there. the only thing they got going is the box, and they should've spent that money on making a better toy.

[nucleartiger]

I agree with haterist 100%

[Nightbat]

Well, my buying frenzy stopped and will have to and anyway

since I recently bought myself a sportsbike

But saying a fanbase is fading because of the sales of merchandise declining

(I don't see that happening to religions )

[vlenhoff]

i CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THE VF-1!

I hope they release a 1/48 CF, Elint, And Super O.

I don't think we're fading, but I think people is being a bit more selective with their purcjases.

Vic!

[Eternal_D]

I'm expecting a real slow down on Macross products. it is not THAT popular to begin with and there's only so many things that can be released that hasn't been already. I mean, unless they come out with a 1/24 super detaile self transforming valk, can it get any better than the 1/48?

but I'm real grateful that all these things have come out for Macross.

[Kiotcloudkicker]

Macross it toast, we are a dying breed.  It s just an 80's thing.

I keep telling myself... "I am not old. I am just a grown child. I am not old. I am just a grown child." hahaha...I let you know when it's working.

Well, my buying frenzy stopped and will have to and anyway

since I recently bought myself a sportsbike

But saying a fanbase is fading because of the sales of merchandise declining

(I don't see that happening to religions )

hahaha... I did the opposite. I sold my bike so I can buy more Macross stuff!!! No, not really... the parents were b!tching too much, but nonetheless, I did end up buying MORE Macross stuff .

Edited September 17, 2004 by Kiotcloudkicker

[Protoplast]

I disagree that Macross's fanbase is fading. Macross has a small but very loyal and generally quite hardcore fanbase.

Unfortunately, what is true is that the fanbase is not growing by much and probably won't unless we get a new TV series that appeals to the masses (which may or may not be a good thing depending on which way you look at it).

I'd rather have quality and substance rather than flash, but flash seems to be what the masses like these days. I certainly wouldn't like to see Macross heading down the same road that Gundam has taken with endless sequels each one worse than the last and just designed to sell toys and model kits (SEED...cough, cough).

It also seems true unfortunately that the amount of new Macross merchandise is shrinking. This really doesn't have to be the case though. I wish companies like Yamato & Bandai would realize that if they made quality toys from Macross 7, M3, FB2012 etc then people would buy them. It doesn't have to be all about just SDF, DYRL & Plus.

IMO, Macross doesn't really need a new anime just to sell toys. There's certainly enough fans that would jump at the chance to buy a Full Armored VF-11C, VF-17 w/FPs and Max & Millia VF-22 and Macross 7 is 10 years old already. And let's not forget the fan-favorite the VF-4. That's what like a 19 year old design, but people still want a toy of it.

And if one more company releases a line of VF-1 toys I'm going to scream!

Graham

While I agree with some of the points but I disagree about going down the Gundam path.

The reason Gundam has longevity because it stayed in mainstream.

It does not need high quality production, it can rehash old designs and stories into newer watered down TV series to keep their fanbase at "interest."

Sure alot of oldschool Gundam fans dislikes the Wing, X, Seed series but we all bought or owned something from the series that we do like.

Macross is missing that variety and evolution, could've been a huge enterprise like Gundam but they chose not to appeal to the newer audiences.

macross 2, plus, 7, zero are all great ideas but they have to keep going and do variety of stories to keep all different audiences interested..

The toys is a product of merchandising from interest in the anime, that's all.. No new anime, no interest in new toys...