HI METAL LOVE THREAD

[jenius]

I think in the case of a huge toy manufacturer there's very little chance that they'd do something specific for a niche market if for no other reason then logistical concerns. They're always looking for bigger paydays and have a bigger volume lower margin mentality. They want to keep their factories churning out runs that meet this mold. For a tiny toy company this would be a great niche... although not great enough to keep Yamato alive so clearly even there it can be a mine field.

[Firefox]

Don't think Bandai would care much. The VF-1 market is already overcrowded. Though I still hope that there could have some 1/72 or 1/60 DX VF-1. There just needs to be a bigger version of HI-METAL with retractable wheels and shield and I'm sold.

[VALKYRIE ACE PILOT]

Maybe there is some chance to have hi metal back..The Robotech 30th anniversary...Recently..Toynami has announced an anniversary re-stock for their 1/100 line..Could Bandai finally turn its eyes to American market to grant any re-issue??? I really hope so...

[jenius]

nah, licensing forbids that. Maybe for Macross' 35th.

[skullmilitia]

Maybe if I can get my Kickstarter started on buying the license from HG.

Lol

[easnoddy]

nah, licensing forbids that. Maybe for Macross' 35th.

I don't get why HG doesn't approach Bandai to get their products into the US. Its a win-win for HG. They can allow Bandai to sell them and just skim a little off the top for licensing in the US. Since the line is dead, its a lost argument. I don't understand a business (HG in this case) biting their nose to spite their face.

[jenius]

It's not HG, it's BW in this case. BW doesn't allow Macross licensed products to be sold under any other licenses. Bandai and HG would love to find a way around this but without BW Bandai wouldn't make Macross toys at all.

[easnoddy]

So basically HG would just have to "sell" (or rather Bandai "buy") the license for a toy run for Macross/DYRL toys internationally. Bandai simply pay HG some fee and they can use the names Macross/DYRL. Isn't that about right? The only thing I'm surprised about is that the licenses HG bought were basically eternal...seems like there would have been an expiration date...

[Major Tom]

HG kept renewing the license with Tatsunoko because they think it will make them money forever.

[VALKYRIE ACE PILOT]

Well maybe Bandai doesn´t need an international license to make some money out of hard core Robotech fans, considering the hype 30th anniversary would produce among them, Bandai would only need to re-issue the 1/100 valks or even eatter, to release some new T.V. show 1/100 valks in Japan territory..The rest of the job would be done by fans the way we do with Yamato-Arcadia products contacting online retailers...Would Bandai take advantage??

[jenius]

I know we're all huge fans of Macross and some of us are still Robotech fans but I think there's a few things to consider here:

1) Macross has a relatively tiny Japanese market. For a company the size of Bandai it takes some really significant sales figures to warrant continuing to make Macross toys rather than making toys for one of numerous other licenses

2) As small as the Macross market is, despite the much larger geographic footprint, the Robotech market is arguably much smaller. Imagine Bandai's bean counters saying "We think we can reasonably expect to sell X thousand units but we think toys A, B, and C would sell Y thousand units more for a greater return." You can argue that they're overlooking the few hundred they could sell on the gray market, but that still wouldn't put the total of potential units above what the bean counters think would move for the other products. Most likely, those gray market totals are already included since the bean counter expectations are built around wholesale and the gray market exists after that.

3) Let's not forget this line died for a reason. Resurrecting the line would require some sort of impetus and I don't think an anniversary of an incredibly niche american cartoon is going to do it.

Arcadia has a much better likelihood of releasing obscure toys because they don't have such a large organization that other products are competing for resources.

[Firefox]

I'd rather Bandai go straight into DX VF-1, if it is ever possible...

[Vifam7]

The biggest issue to overcome would be Big West giving approval and HG wanting to make any deal with Big West.

Neither is likely to happen.

[Sandman]

It's weird up until i starting coming to these forums, i always thought Macross was extremely popular in Japan. Every article i read stated that DYRL was a smash hit. There always seemed to be tons of merchandising and product available in NA even during the 90s.

[Vifam7]

It's weird up until i starting coming to these forums, i always thought Macross was extremely popular in Japan. Every article i read stated that DYRL was a smash hit. There always seemed to be tons of merchandising and product available in NA even during the 90s.

It depends on what generation kids you're talking about. Macross was a smash hit for the 80's kids. The problem was that there was a long gap between DYRL and next successful Macross TV anime - Macross7. There were kids who watched Mac7 in 94-95 but by then kids did not really care much for transforming toys or plastic models. Today, the core of Macross toy and plamo buyers are 30-something 40-something age men (ie. the kids who watched Macross back in the 80s).

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

The thing is this:

If HiMetal came back, would all those who bought v2 yammy vf-1 valks care?

It came out during a time when yamato saturated the market of vf-1 and those people saw himetal as low priority in their to-buy lists.

I would say the only way to get hiimetal to come back is there is a show on vf-1 (something like a sequel to macross zero with new characters getting to know how to fly valkyries after the anti un attacks)

The hi metal could be modified to have the "new VF-1" look for macross zero 2 (more curves? cockpit that lets you get out of the robot from the chest instead of the top of the head?) and act as official merchandise for this show.

In 1/100 they could do the non-tranforming destroids (also updated) to sell alongside NU vf-1, and a new monster in 1/100.

Instead of calling the show macross zero they could call it Macross One, for the generation of kids that started on Zero and see Roy in Zero as the official roy, not the long haired hippy in SDFM. lol

In Macross One show they could show us Low Vis vf-x and maybe design new robots ie transforming variants of destroid that never got mass produced for use in space war 1. (ie they might have been things that were made in secret bases against anti un only, not to fight giants, or perhaps robots that were destroyed in the big zentradi laser attack in Space War I)

The theme would be mind controlled pilots using music to brainwash young people to joining the anti UN. lol The main character could be a brainwashed pilot paid lot of money to leak the government secrets to mercenaries and anti un. Eventually it leads to show down between anti un, un, and anti war groups trying to destroy the machines so there is less danger to society of these secret weapons. (perhaps peaceful natives who see the technology as possessed with evil spirits)

In Zero we saw stuff we didn't get from sdfM like octos: transforming submarine. Or Monsters with claws. That stuff is interesting to me. Perhaps there are other things we did not see like mini-monsters or drones that launch from monster to support it?

Edited March 7, 2014 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[VALKYRIE ACE PILOT]

Well.. I still refuse to lose Bandai 1/100 valks...My ultimate argument would be they could be still profitable for Bandai, comparing the real success its line Super Robot Chogokin Mazinger Z & Great Mazinger releases have had, they have been re-releasing them over and over for the last 5 years !!! Mazinger figures somehow belong to the same generation of 80s kids and they have the same nostalgic value for public in North America, Latin America and even Europe that could grant a wide market as SRC success demonstrated. SRC Mazingers are cheap and small scaled that proves there are overseas buyers for tiny scales. Maybe it is still possible, let´s don´t forget Bandai just released a 1/72 scale of Valks, they were unsuccessful, we know it, but maybe Bandai could give a last chance for quality small sized valks before my generation purchasing power extincts..That´s my wish..

[Tking22]

I loved my Hi-Metals, I thought they were very clean, and I loved the posability. Unfortunately mine have been in storage since I graduated college over a year ago, at this point I'm not even sure if I have anywhere to display them, or if I would even want to display them, I may sell them. I have the super sexy DYRL VF-1A box set, all 3 armors, and the Roy 1S with armor, like I said I'm probably going to sell them, but I wouldn't even know where to start. I've seen Roy for sale, but the DYRL valks are never for sale anywhere, let alone the armors, I wouldn't have a clue what to ask for them, and if anything I'd like to try to sell the whole set instead of piecing it out.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Like I said if there is a show, they are going to be the guy that makes the merch.

But the market was saturated when Yamato had their VF-1 v2 line of 1/60 toys.

now that people paid all their money on those there is less overall purchasing power left in people to buy more.

If they had released the 1/100 around the time when yamato were doing macross zero toys I believe this would have been the best timing because at that time, the 1/48 toys were big and the 1/60 vf-0 was as big as 1/48 vf-1. So a small toy would be a alternative to those who think that size is too limiting for their display.

The 1/100 PT would have killed off revoltech, (revoltech released a super posable PT macross VF-1) would have made banpresto valks obsolete (I know people hate these but they were cool desk toys you could stick to the monitor with blu tack in interesting poses lol) because they were of high quality not meant to be cheap toys, and it would also have prevented yamato making GNU toys (forcing yamato to not waste money on stuff people are not interested in) because the HiMetal looks good in robot mode and fighter mode and is better due to capturing the transformation that makes the macross mechs unique.

If Bandai is smart they should just do limited numbers of the PT small toys and branch into other shows like PLUS, Zero, and Videogames of macross at 1/100 scale to make it a more collectible scale for those kids who have limited space to store toys. A YF-19 HiMetal would be great for those who can't afford the big one. But the timing is important too. At the time VF-1 Hi Metal came out, everyone had spent their money on V2 1/60 vf-1 from yamato.

The advantage of smaller toys is they are easier to store away. But they are not as good as display pieces because the detail is less. They couldn't compete with 1/60 because these were still cheap enough for people to afford to get them. I think the only way to get himetal back is if they have an exclusivity deal on a new show so that it prevents other toy companies from having the license.

As a fan of the Himetals, I think Bandai should look at this realistically: make the price cheap and affordable but flood the market early with the toys so the competition comes later than your toys.

The problem is by the time HiMetal came out, people were already set on 1/60 scale. If the 1/100 were the standard scale for collectors before this, then they would have had an easier time with this.

ie

1. show comes out. Kids are eager to buy toys of their fave characters to show their fandom to others

2. himetal toys are released and flood the shelves

3. profit is made thanks to exposure on tv which acts like ads for the toys

4. yamato/arcadia announce something bigger and better (but it is too late for them to sell to the initial audience of fans since they have already purchased himetal)

The solution to the problem is there needs to be a show or something big enough for people to get excited about before otherwise you are only going to be able to sell to the hardcore fans only. And there are less of these than casual fans. So what bandai can do is get exclusivity to be the sole toymaker and then you will see himetal do well. When you can sell to larger pool of people (both hardcore AND casual fans) you can release the toys cheaper and sell in bulk.

We can put up with paying premium on things like the VF-4 as hardcore fans because we know it is not a popular or exposed mech in the macross universe compared to Vf-1. VF-1 is cheap and easier to sell because it is wideley recognisable. That means it is more profitable than obscure mechs. So you have to take these things into consideration:

Himetal did not fail to satisfy the owners who bought it. Critically it is a success. It just wasn't released at the right time due to having to compete with 1/60. So commercially it suffered.

As long as they know this, then they may reconsider and do re-release of the toy or start new thing with that line. But not if the fans are buying cheap 1/60. You got to look at is the property new and interesting and different from what's already on the market? That comes with new shows, ovas, comics, games etc. Or is it just in ADDITION to what's already been done before by other companies? If it is the latter you won't make as much money because people will ignore the second best option and go with the best option. You want to jump in earlier so you can first feed off the buzz of the new show and then while it sells you can then work on the more-expensive stuff (made from the profits of the previous stuff) for the hardcore and rich guys who want a higher quality toy than the mass produced toy.

Edited March 8, 2014 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Renato]

"...The generation of kids that started on Zero..."

[VALKYRIE ACE PILOT]

Considering both the VF-1 Valks scarcity (Arcadia is not currently producing any new VF-1 unit) and the constant elevation of units price in market nowadays. Don´t you guys think it would be a perfect moment for Bandai for a reissue or rather for a new launching of those most wanted (e.g. VF-1D) valks in 1/100 hi metal scale? Are we witnessing the end of VF-1 Bandai Valks will of production?

[mechaninac]

Aside from the Frontier license, and then only the DX toys for the most part, Bandai has shown very little staying-power and follow-through with anything Macross related. I doubt they'll ever revisit the Hi-Metal line for anything other than a reissue of previously released VFs, and maybe not even that; so I would not expect anything new.

[close313]

"...The generation of kids that started on Zero..."

Hey don't look at me like that!

[jenius]

Considering both the VF-1 Valks scarcity (Arcadia is not currently producing any new VF-1 unit) and the constant elevation of units price in market nowadays. Don´t you guys think it would be a perfect moment for Bandai for a reissue or rather for a new launching of those most wanted (e.g. VF-1D) valks in 1/100 hi metal scale? Are we witnessing the end of VF-1 Bandai Valks will of production?

I'm a conspiracy nut but i think this long lull in VF-1 releases means we'll be getting a NEW VF-1 toy from someone...

[locidm]

seeing this thread got bumped reminds me of my recent discovery that my Hi-Metal VF-1J has a yellowed chest plate now....

That's what I get for displaying it in my office instead of at home in display cabinet.

[connor99]

I'm a conspiracy nut but i think this long lull in VF-1 releases means we'll be getting a NEW VF-1 toy from someone...

Sure hope so. Hell, I'd even settle for a Bandai re-ish.

[connor99]

I'm still a 1/48 n' 1/60 lover, but I knew I had to have at least one 1/100 Hi-Metal. Thanks again to DUYMON for the hook up.

[sreichma]

Sure hope so. Hell, I'd even settle for a Bandai re-ish.

I get that feeling also. I hope they come in a flood when they come.

[Karaoke Ninja]

Sorry for asking but I was wondering if anyone has seen or done a mod on their Fire Valkyrie so it can transform without having to swap the head parts or maybe a mod to store the gunpod in fighter mode?