Hot Toys is going to be making 1:4 scale Star Wars figures? Or do you just mean they'll be competing in general? I'd look at that as something that is out of Sideshow's control. Something as specific as a release of the same character in the same scale, regardless of which movie it's from wouldn't be something they'd want to deal with if they could help it (and they can).
Rumors are that they are, for sure they are making them for The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises. We know that SSC is making PFs for The Avengers for sure and their DC License announcement included mentions of The Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel. If it's something out of their control then how would Star Wars be any different? Because HT is subleasing the license? Well SSC signed up to be the official North American Distributor of HT which means through that agreement whatever is offered they will have to offer as well because it's the only way for etailers to get HT stuff in NA. I guarantee you that the conversations about release schedules have happened with Star Wars included.
I don't think Sideshow was concerned about having to compete with Medicom. They knew they could make a better Boba Fett, and that it would be cheaper. Medicom's market share is much lower than Sideshow's. The same cannot be said of Hot Toys.
I don't think Sideshow is concerned about the same reasons for Hot Toys. In some people's perspectives HT is better but there are a ton of people on these boards who believe otherwise not to mention the slew of people who feel they can have both regardless of announcement. Sideshow will be cheaper than HT's. An HT Vader will probably crest north of $300 without blinking an eye if not more. For many people the thought of a $400 Vader might as well be a Medicom item that they'll pass on.
With HT producing ANH Vader while Sideshow produces ESB/ROTJ, how many people do you think would be opting to invest in one over the other?
Those who are strapped for cash. Many Star Wars collectors especially on these boards would get both or look at it as a simple way to upgrade their own ANH Vaders.
If a HT ANH Vader offering will be so superior to what Sideshow made (and if not, then what's the point?)
Because HT is making figures for their catalog and a Vader is needed. Why do you think HT would get into an agreement for Star Wars and not produce the most iconic character? Superiority is subjective. There are people who say that Sideshow's Indy is superior than the HT DX. The Eye of the Beholder is something you can't just throw out because it's Hot Toys. There have been plenty of HT pieces that have been misses or else these boards wouldn't be filled with photoshops and dumb petitions.
Why would Sideshow give customers the opportunity to choose between one and the other? Their cut on the figures HT makes will not compare to what they make on one of their own.
Simple. They already drained what they could on an ANH Vader, this is cake. The ANH Vader looks dramatically different than an ESB Vader not to mention that with HT going for the Bespin Luke, they'll get the share of folks who are looking for a Vader to pair it with since theoretically HT wouldn't be doing it for a while. It's Red Apples and Green Apples, both apples but both different and from a business standpoint it's all money to SSC and HT.
Any Vader Hot Toys makes before Sideshow's will cut into Sideshow's sales. Any Vader they make afterwards has the same potential. If people think a Hot Toys version is on the way, they're going to wait.
Which is why announcement schedules are important. If the polls aren't complete bull____ we know that most likely a Chewbacca is next from HT that still has to be teased, announced, ordered and shipped. Plenty of time for SSC to do a Vader they've been teasing for a year through Q&A. If it's ordered within Q1 it'd be shipped before the end of the year and HT would have a clear runaway within the second half to do their own. HT has a mastery of this with their own licenses, they offered the MK IV and the MK VI within a couple of quarters of each other, both figures with only a difference of color scheme and chestplates and sold both without blinking an eye. With someone as big as Vader in the Star Wars license no one is worried.
Not if Sideshow wants to keep it for themselves. From the sound of things, that's exactly what they're doing. Why do you think we won't be seeing stormtroopers or clones or mandalorians from Hot Toys? Until Sideshow decides that there's no more money to be made in maintaining exclusivity over the Star Wars 1:6 line, nothing like that will show up from Hot Toys.
That is an assumption on your part. The reality they haven't said what they will or won't do. What if they decide to do a Jango Fett? Will people suddenly cancel out on the SSC Boba because one might be on the horizon sometime? Let's be honest, this hobby is one of impulse, one of regret because you get caught up in hype. Both companies aren't competing but in reality working together to nab as much as they can while still allowing both to have the independence to do their thing.
Things aren't cut and dry, black and white, the fact that people really think that HT has a list of what they can't do ever or for another decade (which HT or SSC may not be around in a decade) is silly. I'm sure that a conversation has happened between both companies to ensure the best case scenario for both but I don't think that HT would go into this saying no armored, no Mandos, no Vaders? Sure let's do it!
HT isn't know for full depth so a Vader is more assured from them then from SSC who has been bleeding this thing dry.
Come on..
I cannot wait to see SS new version......
