DX VF-25 Renewal Series (Part III)

[Phalanix]

Yeah... just jesting!

[UN Spacy]

Lemme make another pot of coffee.

[kaiotheforsaken]

No kidding, was thinking of making some popcorn, maybe watching Macross Zero and my alert thing simultaneously.

[Jasonc]

Alright, here I go again...another night with the laptop running next to the bed. Did the F and the S have this same release drama, or is this one special? It makes me wonder if they're trying to figure out the demand for these still, or is this all just circumstance? I'll put Ai-Kun and Nyan Nyan up to the task, and see if they can do the job of monitoring for me again.

[eugimon]

The 29, F and S all went by in the usual way, I placed all of my pre-orders for them in the afternoon, after I had a chance to think about whether or not I wanted them.

[takatoys]

Still nada.

[anime52k8]

[kaiotheforsaken]

The GIF sums this up pretty perfectly. Almost 3 am here, that's been my cutoff. I'll be really curious to see when the the pre-order actually opens.

[ErikElvis]

time for bed......

[pud333]

I wonder if HLJ is planning to do the waiting game and just put them up for purchase on release date when they have the physical stock in hand, much like some of the non Japanese webshops.

[Kyp Durron]

If Ozma comes back for reissue, I am really hoping someone here will be able to organize a group buy, because I'll be on that list with a quickness.

-Kyp

[takatoys]

Why did I let Ozma go? Ok, I remember. I was waiting for positive reviews.

Now I don't care if its broken or loose, I WANT OZMA REISSUED.

[ultraman zoffy]

It seems like a lot of this pre-order drama is happening because of the YF-29 debacle, but was there ever even a new production run of that toy? Or did Bandai just sell off units from the original launch that retailers interpreted as a whole new manufacturing run to take pre-orders for? I mean, they missed the pre-order numbers SO badly that it seems like they just had a few YF-29's laying around from the initial run and never actually fired up a new round of manufacturing... just asking because hopefully with the 171EX and the 25G being whole new toys (well, one new and one repaint with a new head), maybe they're more likely to be able to fill everything since a fresh manufacturing run has to go down.

[Kyp Durron]

One thing is certain, if Yamato had the license instead, we would have no trouble getting these, and Yamato would be making mad cash. I find myself resenting Bandai more and more each day.

-Kyp

[eugimon]

maybe... but if yamato had the license they would cost 300 dollars anyways and we'd only get 2 a year.

[ultraman zoffy]

maybe... but if yamato had the license they would cost 300 dollars anyways and we'd only get 2 a year.

Truth.

[kaiotheforsaken]

Despite all the drama surrounding the pre-order for this, I still love Bandai overall. Their choice of quantities is a little odd, but they have a pretty solid record and it's nice that they acknowledged all the flaws with the original toys and updated them. The renewals are just gorgeous looking.

Originally I had wanted an Ozma, and while I still like him best of all the Frontier pilots, the G is just fantastic looking. The color and the head design are the best imo, so I fully intend to make the G my first renewal. Ultimately I'll let my experiences with it determine my Frontier collection.

[pud333]

Why did I let Ozma go? Ok, I remember. I was waiting for positive reviews.

Now I don't care if its broken or loose, I WANT OZMA REISSUED.

Why were you waiting for positive reviews? weren't the Alto reviews enough? It's pretty much the exact same toy besides a new head and paint...

One thing is certain, if Yamato had the license instead, we would have no trouble getting these, and Yamato would be making mad cash. I find myself resenting Bandai more and more each day.

-Kyp

Yes. But how long does Bandai have the license? Didn't they have the Mac7 license for a long time? Might be a long time before we see Yamato versions.

maybe... but if yamato had the license they would cost 300 dollars anyways and we'd only get 2 a year.

Most people are already forced to pay $250 + for these renewals on the secondary market now anyway, but at least you know with Yamato they take their Macross crap seriously all the time.

[lechuck]

Most people are already forced to pay $250 + for these renewals on the secondary market now anyway, but at least you know with Yamato they take their Macross crap seriously all the time.

So Bandai doing renewals and actually having vastly improved good quality toys is what, a half-hearted attempt and not taking Macross seriously?

Edited June 13, 2012 by lechuck

[wm cheng]

So Bandai doing renewals and actually having vastly improved good quality toys is what, a half-hearted attempt and not taking Macross seriously?

I would have felt better about it if they took the care initially and did it right in the beginning , instead of gouging us fans that took the initial plunge and are now left scrambling for something they should have done in the first place. I'm not happy about paying for failed prototypes, that's what R&D is for. And now, this whole under supply situation just seems like a giant "slap in the face" to me - its not like they didn't have the experience from the F & S renewal release to gauge the current demand.

Edited June 13, 2012 by wm cheng

[kaiotheforsaken]

So is it the time frame between that makes the Renewals so bitter for early adopters? Because it seems like everyone wants Yamato to crank out another V2 of the Yf-19 or the 21 or w/e. People seem to clamor for V2s from one company and condemn another for putting them out.

I don't have any Frontier Valks so I can't really share in the irritation people have about them as a whole. The supply thing, of course, I can now sympathize with.

[eugimon]

Yeah... there's a difference between 6 years later and 6 months later. And then there's the fact that even the 1/60 yf-19 is flawed, it was still cutting edge for its time while the vf-25 looked and felt like a toy that was designed pre-CAD and then made out of plastic that had been recycled one too many times and put together by excited monkeys.

[kaiotheforsaken]

Fair points, since I hadn't seen Frontier until very recently or bought the toys I really hadn't followed threads on the subject. All I can really remember about the first ones were bendy head lasers on the S and no necks.

[anime52k8]

I completely passed on the original VF-25 toys dispite being super in to Frontier at the time. I just could tell they were crap even when they first came out and didn't buy. I just want this VF-25G because I passed up on the YF-29 and VF-25F/S releases despite having plenty of opportunity to grab them because I only wanted one VF-25 toy and I wanted the VF-25G the most.

[Chronocidal]

I can't get to the email confirming when I preordered my Alto and Ozma, but does anyone remember the timing on how they were released? I know I got them in late October and mid January, but I honestly can't remember how long the preorder windows for those were.

Those two were released so close together, I want to say I probably had to preorder the Ozma before anyone even got their Alto, so waiting on review for these may have really burned some people.

[ErikElvis]

Im pissed I missed Alto. I was in off season from collecting. Got back in for Ozma. I had a good day window to decide on him i believe. I wish I would have ordered 2 when i had the chance.

[pud333]

So Bandai doing renewals and actually having vastly improved good quality toys is what, a half-hearted attempt and not taking Macross seriously?

They're taking it seriously now. People shouldn't have had to double dip.

[Loop]

I can't get to the email confirming when I preordered my Alto and Ozma, but does anyone remember the timing on how they were released? I know I got them in late October and mid January, but I honestly can't remember how long the preorder windows for those were.

Those two were released so close together, I want to say I probably had to preorder the Ozma before anyone even got their Alto, so waiting on review for these may have really burned some people.

I'm pretty sure that's how it went down. I was leery on these because of the last time they made MacF toys, I felt they seemed inferior. So while I was waiting on Alto reviews somehow I ended missing out on Ozma, if my memory serves me right.

Edited June 14, 2012 by Loop

[takatoys]

I remember that some of the prototype pictures had the legs painted wrong or something. By the time I was waiting for the final product being reviewed, it was sold out.

[Jasonc]

I was waiting on them as well. I waited to see if anyone was going to be able to confirm whether the armor pack, and super pack could all fit on one valk, or if they were going to make you get two. I was also weary on having to get just the Ozma, if they were going to re-release it as a bundle with the armor. I missed the opening preorders for both the F and S, and luckily, as people bowed out from preorders at HLJ, I snagged one of each. I think I was able to get one because someone dumped their preorder due to the wrong paint on the leg (which I thought was a little nit-picky), and ended up swooping in on it at that time. I think I was just lucky. This just seems to be like waiting to see a huge band, and knowing that not everyone is gonna get tickets to see them.

[David Hingtgen]

I think I was able to get one because someone dumped their preorder due to the wrong paint on the leg (which I thought was a little nit-picky),

I am a lot nit-picky, thank you very much. (it wasn't JUST the legs not matching everything else, I personally felt every square inch of it was the wrong color--the legs were just the most wrong)

Looking back on it, I really should have kept the pre-order, and traded it for an Alto. (as I am still VF-25-less)

[kaiotheforsaken]

These things are like trading cards or something. Everyone just snaps up what they can and swaps for what they actually wanted later.

[stormshadow0621]

I got screwed by BBTS on the VF-25S. If they came out and stated they couldn't fulfill preorders the week they shipped what they got, I would have had time to get it somewhere else.

Never trust them about Macross toys again, ever.

Edited June 14, 2012 by stormshadow0621

[Tochiro]

It seems like a lot of this pre-order drama is happening because of the YF-29 debacle, but was there ever even a new production run of that toy? Or did Bandai just sell off units from the original launch that retailers interpreted as a whole new manufacturing run to take pre-orders for? I mean, they missed the pre-order numbers SO badly that it seems like they just had a few YF-29's laying around from the initial run and never actually fired up a new round of manufacturing... just asking because hopefully with the 171EX and the 25G being whole new toys (well, one new and one repaint with a new head), maybe they're more likely to be able to fill everything since a fresh manufacturing run has to go down.

HA! Sorry man, this conspiracy theory almost made me spit out my morning coffee, hehehe. No, no, the 29 was most definately a new production run. While it was small in scale, no doubt, far too many made it to specialty stores (Amazon prices dropped from 35000yen to 20000 overnight) for this to just be some spares that Bandai had lying around.

As for the 171 and 25G, its hard to say what will happen to these because neither has the overwhelming popularity among fans that the 29 does at the moment. I'd honestly be surprised if the 171 was ever reissued after its initial run.

Edited June 14, 2012 by Tochiro

[Reïvaj]

Ouch, really? What do you think about a CF VF-171 release, Tochiro?