Zen72 Posted April 28, 2011 Posted April 28, 2011 No, I believe the legal term for the current state of the franchise, is "Weekend At Bernies" Are you saying two idiots and a dead guy are running the franchise??? Imagine that!
Keith Posted April 28, 2011 Posted April 28, 2011 Are you saying two idiots and a dead guy are running the franchise??? Imagine that! Two idiots puppeteering the franchise (which is the dead guy).
Smegalot Posted April 28, 2011 Posted April 28, 2011 No it sounds like a beheaded chicken type of thing. The body is still running around after the head has been cut off. It's dead but the message has to reach the whole body. (I saw that at my cousins farm growing up).
Legioss Posted April 28, 2011 Posted April 28, 2011 There is a dead guy on the front page of Robotech.com with a new movie coming out.
Seto Kaiba Posted April 29, 2011 Posted April 29, 2011 Are you saying two idiots and a dead guy are running the franchise??? Imagine that! Three idiots... Tommy, Steve, and Kevin. No it sounds like a beheaded chicken type of thing. The body is still running around after the head has been cut off. It's dead but the message has to reach the whole body. (I saw that at my cousins farm growing up). Appropriate! It certainly fits the situation, with Harmony Gold clearly being deep in denial about the franchise's role and influence in the anime industry and the appeal of the show itself.
Zen72 Posted April 29, 2011 Posted April 29, 2011 Three idiots... Tommy, Steve, and Kevin. Well...Steve really does absolutely nothing as is apparent with how Robotech.com looks so he could pass off as Bernie.
Tom Bateman Posted April 29, 2011 Posted April 29, 2011 I think about the time the robotech license degraded from cross platform console games, to cellphone games, is about when the franchise died. No, it died pretty much when Tommy Yune was brought on board over ten years ago. ...TEN YEARS
terry the lone wolf Posted April 29, 2011 Posted April 29, 2011 I'm in a weird place with Robotech. I believe it can go farther than what its shown but projects like video games, comics, & new animation has happened. When I watched RT on tv back in the 80's video games were like a distant dream; it just wasn't going to happen. I always thought maybe it was the limitation of the technology but little did I know both Transformers and Macross games had been on the NES for years in Japan. Carl Macek seemed to have very big and grandiose plans that for whatever reasons never panned out. Tommy Yune who might be mediocre in his storytelling compared to Macek but somehow managed to get merchandise out and for a brief time there was a revival for Robotech. So I'm conflicted...
Smegalot Posted April 29, 2011 Posted April 29, 2011 Honestly, I am amazed how long they have lasted. Maybe they are holding desperatly to the licensing just incase, and when Bandai and the such can distribute Macross world wide. They might get hit with a big bill to distribute RT...And can't afford the bill...lol just speculating that's all
jenius Posted April 29, 2011 Posted April 29, 2011 (edited) I'm in a weird place with Robotech. I believe it can go farther than what its shown but projects like video games, comics, & new animation has happened. When I watched RT on tv back in the 80's video games were like a distant dream; it just wasn't going to happen. I always thought maybe it was the limitation of the technology but little did I know both Transformers and Macross games had been on the NES for years in Japan. Carl Macek seemed to have very big and grandiose plans that for whatever reasons never panned out. Tommy Yune who might be mediocre in his storytelling compared to Macek but somehow managed to get merchandise out and for a brief time there was a revival for Robotech. So I'm conflicted... You're thinking in too much of a bubble. Macek had big dreams for Robotech that essentially were killed by the economic realities of the late 80s. In the late 90s nostalgia mixed with an economic bubble enough to create a golden opportunity for just about all marketable 80s properties. The HG staff, as we know it, represents a half-hearted attempt by HG to cash in. It wasn't their primary business model, they didn't know how to handle it, so they fumbled through it. You can be a glass is half full guy and say "but Robotech had an OVA (ignoring the quality) and some new merchandise" but the truth is that a better funded, more experienced team might have had a real chance at getting something lasting done. That said, if WB were to make a LAM, HG will be geniuses for doing just barely enough to revive the franchise (but that still won't make any of the staff there talented story-tellers or promoters). Edited April 29, 2011 by jenius
Keith Posted April 29, 2011 Posted April 29, 2011 All HG had to do was work their license with a decent production company full of young people with new idea's. They refused and instead tried to build thier own production crew from scratch. All they wound up with were a bunch of lazy fanboy's sponging off the company without actually producing anything. This is why you don't let fanatical fringe actually become involved with something. Despite their obsession, htey have no idea how to create anything. It's like handing the keys to a fanfic writer, all they're going to do is rehash everything that came before, but even more stupidly. Good job HG, good job!
chrisk Posted April 29, 2011 Posted April 29, 2011 (edited) All HG had to do was work their license with a decent production company full of young people with new idea's. They refused and instead tried to build thier own production crew from scratch. All they wound up with were a bunch of lazy fanboy's sponging off the company without actually producing anything. This is why you don't let fanatical fringe actually become involved with something. Despite their obsession, htey have no idea how to create anything. It's like handing the keys to a fanfic writer, all they're going to do is rehash everything that came before, but even more stupidly. Good job HG, good job! Keith, and all the fans who are frustrated with the system. That's why I want to propose something... I want you to try to be a devout, blind Robotech fan. Just for a few days or weeks. Try it! As I've mentioned in the past, doing this might lower your stress level. Stress = Death. I want you guys to try to live in the World of the McKeever. I want you all to follow his Robotech twitter accounts, the popular Facebook group, and support the Robotech.com and XTREME message boards. I'm serious. Maybe this will get over your fanboy frustration with how things are being run. Okay, lets begin. Have you read these latest tweets? #Robotech comics is top seller in its category at Amazon.cn! (China) Good news, right? Yes, Robotech is doing swell in the land of Astroplan! Here's another tweet: #Just showed footage to the new #Robotech project to the fans. Fans really like it. Do not react with sarcasm. NO! DO NOT! STOP! Good. Goooood. Calm down. Here's another tweet during their latest convention. #Discussion of the #Robotech live action movie producers and writers working with Warner Brothers and Harmony Gold. That's great news! See? If you follow the twitter alone, you'll start to believe that actual progress is being made with everybody's favorite 80's cartoon property turned live action hollywood blockbuster! Here's one more tweet. If you read this without saying something snarky to yourself, then you past the test!! #Robotech TBP's Love and War & Invasion U.S. released has been canceled by DC Comics due to declining overall comic sales. Wait for it... Okay. Now, did you read that tweet without thinking that the only reason they did not reprint Love and War was because it sucked and wasn't worth the paper it was printed on? DID YOU? Very good! I'm very proud of you!! You may be a calm, well-adjusted, hardcore Robotech fanboy just yet! Isn't that what we all strive to be in the first place? Now, if you can follow this routine for a month, I assure you you will never drop by this thread to complain about the way things are being run. Ever. Good luck. Edited April 29, 2011 by chrisk
Jasonc Posted April 30, 2011 Posted April 30, 2011 I don't stress over idiots, but I do get a good stress free laugh at finding their actions and words. All in good fun on my part.
danso Posted April 30, 2011 Posted April 30, 2011 I've been through a long question. if someone wanted to make a movie based on the rights of people macross deveria acquire hg, Tatsunoko or bw
Keith Posted April 30, 2011 Posted April 30, 2011 I've been through a long question. if someone wanted to make a movie based on the rights of people macross deveria acquire hg, Tatsunoko or bw BA-WEEP-GRAHHNNAA-WEEP-NIINNY-BONG!
jenius Posted April 30, 2011 Posted April 30, 2011 I've been through a long question. if someone wanted to make a movie based on the rights of people macross deveria acquire hg, Tatsunoko or bw It depends on how faithful to the source material you wanted to be. If you were going to reuse all the names and mechanical designs and try to show the film internationally and produce merchandise for it it'd be a nightmare where all three could potentially be involved (HG/BW/Tatsunoko).
mrhillz Posted May 1, 2011 Posted May 1, 2011 (edited) So, over the last month or two, I've been lurking, posting, etc. in this thread. It appears that the Robotech franchise really needs help if it would ever be revived. So far, some of the cures I've seen are- 1. Sell the franchise to Bandai 2. Re design the website. 3. A new re organization with the Robotech staff. 4. If you're going to start something, at least finish it, instead of empty promises. If no, just announce a cancellation and let it be the end of it. 5. Actually hype a project with more than just convention tours. Internet and other forms of media do more than word of mouth ever can. 6. Be truthful to fans as much as possible when answering a question, do not take the ball and run in another unrelated direction. 7. Learn to take criticism from fans, even if it's constructive. To be honest, most of these really do sound good. Are there any that I'm missing? What are the odds of any of these actually happening? Edited May 1, 2011 by gaiden
taksraven Posted May 1, 2011 Posted May 1, 2011 So, over the last month or two, I've been lurking, posting, etc. in this thread. It appears that the Robotech franchise really needs help if it would ever be revived. So far, some of the cures I've seen are- 1. Sell the franchise to Bandai 2. Re design the website. 3. A new re organization with the Robotech staff. 4. If you're going to start something, at least finish it, instead of empty promises. If no, just announce a cancellation and let it be the end of it. 5. Actually hype a project with more than just convention tours. Internet and other forms of media do more than word of mouth ever can. 6. Be truthful to fans as much as possible when answering a question, do not take the ball and run in another unrelated direction. 7. Learn to take criticism from fans, even if it's constructive. To be honest, most of these really do sound good. Are there any that I'm missing? What are the odds of any of these actually happening? You forgot.... 8. Blame Lying Macross Purists for all of your troubles......
Seto Kaiba Posted May 1, 2011 Posted May 1, 2011 So, over the last month or two, I've been lurking, posting, etc. in this thread. It appears that the Robotech franchise really needs help if it would ever be revived. So far, some of the cures I've seen are- ... generally unfeasible and/or unlikely, being that most depend on a display of competence and/or a firm understanding of how the anime industry works. Contrary to popular belief, past performance is actually a pretty good indicator of future results, especially in Harmony Gold's case... so anything other than ignorance and incompetence is probably out of the question. 1. Sell the franchise to Bandai Why would a successful outfit like Bandai want to buy a proven failure like the Robotech franchise? Seriously, why would they? The show's track record is terrible and its amateurish merchandise sells for crap. The only part of the franchise that's actually worth any amount of money is the international rights to the original Macross series, and they don't need to pick up the whole franchise to have those. 2. Re design the website. Redesigning the franchise's official website would cost money without a direct and visible return on investment, and Harmony Gold employees have made no secret of the fact that the company has no interest in updating the parts of the site that don't make money on their own (namely, everything but the store). In order for a redesign to happen, a fundamental change would have to occur in the Harmony Gold corporate decision-making process, which would only happen if someone competent with a solid understanding of the industry was somehow placed in charge... a turn of events that would require the company to relocate to Bizarro World. 3. A new re organization with the Robotech staff. But why would a competent, industry-savvy individual want to join the crew of the long-sunken ship that is Robotech? I mean, if you were really out to destroy your career, there are easier and less painful ways to do it... like alcoholism or hitting on your boss's wife. It's obvious from the way they act that the people currently in charge of Robotech hold their positions because they were fans of the series and nobody sane wanted the job. If the Robotech franchise was capable of attracting and retaining competent employees, the franchise would be a lot better off than it is... or nonexistent, if the competent people end up in charge. 4. If you're going to start something, at least finish it, instead of empty promises. If no, just announce a cancellation and let it be the end of it. But in order to finish what they started, they would need... you guessed it... money and a competent staff! Two things that Harmony Gold's Robotech franchise doesn't have! I mean, c'mon... the whole reason that the Shadow Chronicles continuation movie ended up on indefinite hold was because even Robotech's owners don't consider the sequel worth investing much in. 5. Actually hype a project with more than just convention tours. Internet and other forms of media do more than word of mouth ever can. Something that would require Harmony Gold to: 1. Fire Kevin McKeever 2. Remove the senior management bottlenecks preventing news from reaching the front page of the site in a timely fashion. Naturally, neither of these is likely to ever happen. 6. Be truthful to fans as much as possible when answering a question, do not take the ball and run in another unrelated direction. Yet another problem for which the solution entails not only firing Kevin McKeever and replacing him with someone who isn't a massive wanker, but a complete re-engineering of Harmony Gold's corporate culture. Fat chance of that ever happening. 7. Learn to take criticism from fans, even if it's constructive. So long as Tommy Yune is creative director and McKeever is their marketing man, that ain't gonna happen. Replace them both and you MIGHT have a chance of persuading them to do that. To be honest, most of these really do sound good. Are there any that I'm missing? What are the odds of any of these actually happening? Oh yes, they sound good... but that's because they're all both simple and horribly unrealistic. You forget, the people in charge of the Robotech franchise are NOT rational, competent people who understand their industry and their customer base. The people we're talking about don't have a clue what they're doing, and it shows in everything they do. I remain firmly convinced that if I were to pay a visit to Harmony Gold's offices in Cali, the manager would be the pointy-haired boss from Dilbert or Gary Cole's character from the movie Office Space. By in large, they're not even sharp enough to notice that there's something horribly wrong with the way they run the franchise in the first place.
TehPW Posted May 1, 2011 Posted May 1, 2011 (edited) Why would a successful outfit like Bandai want to buy a proven failure like the Robotech franchise? Seriously, why would they? The show's track record is terrible and its amateurish merchandise sells for crap. The only part of the franchise that's actually worth any amount of money is the international rights to the original Macross series, and they don't need to pick up the whole franchise to have those. they would if they ever wanted to sell merchantdise in the states. Kill HG's hold on Macross's name and you can finally get to see all the product without additional hassle.i think it's why i've never seen much attemps for FASA to mass produce models for battlemechs, beyond the resin kits, and one vague toy series (not talking the TV toy tie-ins, thats a separate rant). merchantdising is the backbone of anime. Bandai made a killing with thier cheap-junk Gundam kits when Gundam Wing aired 4 years after it's release in japan. they had advertisements. the product had support. Robotech, because of the constraints placed on HG, enjoys nothing like that. no merchantdising, not toys avaible at Toy-R-Us, no series on TV. im very certain because of american bungling and legal actions, the various owners of the various portions of macross, could CARE LESS about the idea of merchantdising anything related to macross in the states, because of what HG and the company involved in the FASA Unseen (its name eludes me atm, 20th century products?) did in the 90's. when i was younger, i had wished that someone would make bandai/Hasagawa quality kits of various battlemechs (at least the older, more intelligant designs and artwork. ill will hurt you if you even dare suggest TRO 3060 was good art) but the game is probably dead in its current form. No new video games, no books... no merchantdising, no product. Edited May 1, 2011 by pensives_wetness
Seto Kaiba Posted May 1, 2011 Posted May 1, 2011 they would if they ever wanted to sell merchantdise in the states. Kill HG's hold on Macross's name and you can finally get to see all the product without additional hassle. Sure, buying the whole Robotech franchise would get you the rights to Macross they've been holding onto for dear life... but it isn't strictly necessary in order to obtain the Macross rights. In the unlikely event that Harmony Gold was willing to part with the whole of the Robotech franchise, they'd most certainly be amenable to selling just the Macross rights if the price was right, and I doubt that Bandai would want Mospeada or dead weight like Southern Cross. i think it's why i've never seen much attemps for FASA to mass produce models for battlemechs, beyond the resin kits, and one vague toy series (not talking the TV toy tie-ins, thats a separate rant). Harmony Gold's legal tiff with FASA (and now their successors) only extended to the Macross designs FASA was using under highly dubious terms, and doesn't extend to any of the original designs in the game/series/whathaveyou. If they've never mass-produced model kits or that sort of thing for it, it's probably because there wasn't enough interest in it for them to think it was worthwhile. I've never been a fan of Battletech or MechWarrior, and I can't claim to have seen all or even the majority of their original designs, but I didn't thrill to any of the ones I've been exposed to. The really popular designs, and thus the ones that would sell the best if made into model kits, seem to be the "unseen" ones that FASA and its successors can't legally use. Robotech, because of the constraints placed on HG, enjoys nothing like that. no merchantdising, not toys avaible at Toy-R-Us, no series on TV. Strictly speaking, "merchandising" covers all merchandise, not just what's sold in your local stores. There is merchandise for the Robotech series... it's just that pretty much all of it is hideously overpriced low-quality garbage. Even Robotech fans turn up their noses at a fair bit of it, and the show has had ZERO name recognition for so long that there's no point in even trying to get a store like Toys-R-Us to carry Robotech merchandise. There's no series on TV because they don't have the money or the talent to make one, and no network is willing to give a show with a record as poor as Robotech's the time of day, let alone an episode commitment. (Hell, the best they've been able to do for getting Robotech back on the air in the North America this past decade was to get it onto SPACE, Canada's CRTC-created Brand-X equivalent of the Sci-Fi channel... and the network promptly stuck it in a time slot which showed how little they thought of it (7am Saturday)).
yui1107 Posted May 1, 2011 Posted May 1, 2011 (edited) Haruhiko Mikimoto style Jeanne Fránçaix, or Dana Sterling ! No trimming image is Jeanne Fránçaix, Edited May 1, 2011 by yui1107
mrhillz Posted May 1, 2011 Posted May 1, 2011 Haruhiko Mikimoto style Jeanne Fránçaix, or Dana Sterling ! *snip* Jeanne Fránçaix, Who is the other girl besides Jeanne and Minmei?
Duke Togo Posted May 1, 2011 Posted May 1, 2011 Who is the other girl besides Jeanne and Minmei? I do believe she's from Orguss.
Jasonc Posted May 1, 2011 Posted May 1, 2011 Who is the other girl besides Jeanne and Minmei? I believe her name is Mimsy, from Orguss. I have that poster above, and it's a very nice poster. It's the female characters from the 3 Super Dimension series. Don't know what it has to do with the licensing and all the RT debate though.
Beltane70 Posted May 1, 2011 Posted May 1, 2011 Plus, why would Bandai want to buy the Robotech franchise when Bandai already has licensing rights to Macross in Japan? Too bad copyright and trademark law doesn't allow for Big West and all the other Japanese companies involved in Macross to take back the Macross name and everything else from Harmony Gold.
Seto Kaiba Posted May 2, 2011 Posted May 2, 2011 I believe her name is Mimsy, from Orguss. I have that poster above, and it's a very nice poster. It's the female characters from the 3 Super Dimension series. Don't know what it has to do with the licensing and all the RT debate though. It has nothing to do with the licensing or all of the Robotech debate... yui1107 is basically just a spammer and Wikipedia vandal.
Renato Posted May 2, 2011 Posted May 2, 2011 (edited) It has nothing to do with the licensing or all of the Robotech debate... yui1107 is basically just a spammer and Wikipedia vandal. To be fair... we are all spammers by default, just by talking about Robotech. There is really nothing left to say. (I do like this thread though, in the way I like stupid 80s movies.) EDIT -- As for Wikipedia vandalizing, isn't that a bit harsh? If you mean her Japanese-language Robotech entries on Wiki, then I would expect that enough people reading those know about the original Macross series to avoid confusion and so, I don't see any harm in having information on the production/story of RT there. Unless you are referring to something else more serious? Edited May 2, 2011 by Renato
chrisk Posted May 2, 2011 Posted May 2, 2011 It has nothing to do with the licensing or all of the Robotech debate... yui1107 is basically just a spammer and Wikipedia vandal. Awww...
Seto Kaiba Posted May 2, 2011 Posted May 2, 2011 To be fair... we are all spammers by default, just by talking about Robotech. There is really nothing left to say. Eh, I could care less if she spams this thread... but there's no reason or excuse for posting scans from the dreadful old Robotech comics in the Macross the Ride thread. EDIT -- As for Wikipedia vandalizing, isn't that a bit harsh? If you mean her Japanese-language Robotech entries on Wiki, then I would expect that enough people reading those know about the original Macross series to avoid confusion and so, I don't see any harm in having information on the production/story of RT there. Unless you are referring to something else more serious? Personally, I don't see it as being unduly harsh... there are precious few Macross articles where information from Robotech could be appropriate, if only as a side note. You can maybe argue that it's appropriate to talk about the Robotech-specific variants of the VF-1 and/or VF-4, but at the point information about Robotech's SDF-3 is being added to an article about the Megaroad-class then there's little justification for it... and even less once you've read it and noticed that a fairly large percentage of the Robotech info added to the articles is incorrect anyway. As a side note... this jumped right out at me thanks to a discussion I was having elsewhere, but there's something distinctly odd in the choice of subject matter for that poster. The choice of characters is a no-brainer, but the designs in the background lead one to think "One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doens't belong", and I'm not talking about the character from the failed series (Jeanne). For the first two shows, Super Dimension Fortress Macross and Super Dimension Century Orguss, you have what's arguably the iconic main character mecha... the VF-1S Valkyrie and the titular Orguss. From Southern Cross, you have an arming doublet? It's not even a mecha, it's a suit of unpowered, profoundly ugly body armor. Every official Southern Cross book and magazine article I've run across has tried to minimize the coverage of the mecha from the series, to the point where I have to wonder if the designers were actually ashamed of the Spartas, Logan, and Auroran, and had resolved to try to sweep them under the rug once the show'd been canceled.
VF5SS Posted May 2, 2011 Posted May 2, 2011 Man all you do is bitch. Now your bitching about a poster. Good job.
Jasonc Posted May 2, 2011 Posted May 2, 2011 I don't think that he was bitching about the poster, but making some thoughts based on the design. If he was bitching, I think he'd be more complaining about it more than expressing observations. In truth, I never really paid attention to the fact that the Southern Cross armor was there instead of a mecha. I think design-wise, the Logan would not fit right, and probably overcrowd the bottom of the poser. For the Tank, I don't have an answer, but it does seem that people remember the armor moreso than the look of the tanks as well. It just seems more "iconic" for that specific series, even though it failed.
Seto Kaiba Posted May 3, 2011 Posted May 3, 2011 Man all you do is bitch. Now your bitching about a poster. Good job. Eh... if you'd slowed your headlong rush to post something belligerent long enough to actually read my post, you would have come to much the same conclusion Jasonc did. I'm not complaining about the poster, it's a nice poster. It's just making an observation on a part of the design that struck me as unusual (the lack of the "main character" mecha from Southern Cross), since it jumped right out at me as the result of a discussion I've been having about the series elsewhere. I'll briefly explain... Y'see, at the request of some people on the Palladium forums, I've started to do a bit of digging into Southern Cross. I've had a few Southern Cross magazine articles and the This is Animation book for ages now, but I've never had a reason to go through them in any detail because I'm not a fan of the series. One thing I noticed while I was going through them all, and what made the lack of a main character mecha from Southern Cross in that poster jump right out at me, is that the show's creators seem to be unwilling to talk about, or give details and art for, the mecha of the series. There's maybe six pages worth of actual mechanical line art in the entirety of This is Animation 10: Southern Cross... a 120 page book. There's more than three times that amount in material that doesn't have anything to do with the series at all. It's the same in other publications for the series. The official publications for Southern Cross seem to be doing their damnedest to shift attention away from the mecha, which is a decidedly odd move for a mecha anime. That's why I found it odd that they apparently passed up a golden opportunity to use the Spartas in the poster and opted for Jeanne's Arming Doublet instead. [...] I think design-wise, the Logan would not fit right, and probably overcrowd the bottom of the poser. For the Tank, I don't have an answer, but it does seem that people remember the armor moreso than the look of the tanks as well. It just seems more "iconic" for that specific series, even though it failed. Hm... yeah, you're probably right about the Logan overcrowding the bottom of the poster. I'm just kind of surprised by the lack of a Spartas on the poster, since every Southern Cross fan I've ever talked to about the series invariably had a great affection for the tank (often because it was the only "groundpounder" main character mecha in Robotech). It was actually a discussion of the Spartas on another site that got me digging in those Southern Cross publications in the first place.
Renato Posted May 3, 2011 Posted May 3, 2011 Eh... if you'd slowed your headlong rush to post something belligerent long enough to actually read my post...... No offense, man, but sometimes you remind me of Frasier Crane.
anime52k8 Posted May 3, 2011 Posted May 3, 2011 No offense, man, but sometimes you remind me of Frasier Crane. Oh god, now I'm going to read everything Seto posts in Kelsey Grammar's voice!
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