Hot Toys DX Bespin Luke Skywalker

[The Mike]

Given that it seems like the two names being thrown around are Anakin Skywalker (interview) and Chewbacca (poll), I would say we won't see a Vader in hand until late 2013 but a 5-10 year prediction is a little foolish IMHO.

 

[pixletwin]

Given that it seems like the two names being thrown around are Anakin Skywalker (interview) and Chewbacca (poll), I would say we won't see a Vader in hand until late 2013 but a 5-10 year prediction is a little foolish IMHO.

IMO 5 years is very realistic. 10 years maybe a bit of a stretch.. but I think 5 years is likely the very earliest.

 

[The Mike]

I'm calling an HT Vader in 2013 right now. Early or later in the year will be dependent when SSC releases their next one.

 

[greygoose]

Interesting arguments on both sides, but I don't feel a Vader is forthcoming from HT any time soon.

There's a galaxy of characters to do from Star Wars -- no one would drop the license just because they couldn't make Vader.

Besides, right now I'd prefer 3PO, R2 and Chewbacca -- let's get HT on those.

This Luke figure is crying out for a Vader to be made at some point. From a new Star Wars collectors point of view it would be like having a Chewie but no Han or a C-3PO with no R2.

 

[FLOSI]

Should I rename this the "HT Vader discussion thread"?

Kinda pointless, no? SS has already said they will be making a second 1/6th Vader.

 

[pixletwin]

I'm calling an HT Vader in 2013 right now. Early or later in the year will be dependent when SSC releases their next one.

That's a nice pipe dream.

 

[Wor-Gar]

This Luke figure is crying out for a Vader to be made at some point. From a new Star Wars collectors point of view it would be like having a Chewie but no Han or a C-3PO with no R2.

And we still have no Chewie to go with several Hans.

 

[The Mike]

That's a nice pipe dream.

If I'm wrong then I'm wrong, I'll admit it, but if I'm right....

 

[pixletwin]

 

[Darkseed]

I want my HT Bespin Luke a (SS or HT) Vader and my Bespin diorama from SS and life will be great. The only request is SS scale down Vader to a more accurate scale to look decent among other figures.

The HT / SS Vader debate is for another time. SS announced Vader while HT hasn't announced a second figure yet.

 

[lerath666]

How do you figure 5 to 10 years?

SSC's Bespin Luke was 2007 and HT's is 2011. (Announcements)

SSC's ANH Vader was 2008. By the amount of time passed we could see an ANH themed Darth Vader from Hot Toys announced sometime next year and have them sync up.

Given that it seems like the two names being thrown around are Anakin Skywalker (interview) and Chewbacca (poll), I would say we won't see a Vader in hand until late 2013 but a 5-10 year prediction is a little foolish IMHO.

Lets look at *** this way, HT is planning to do 1 figure for SW a year, possibly two. Lets go with the low estimate.

2012 : Bespin luke

WE know that Chewbacca is going to come. they laid the groundwork with the Planet of the apes figures.

so lets say 2013 for chewbacca

Hot toys LOVES armored figures, as we've seen with Iron man. Sideshow has been reluctant to do droids, and The Droids are Iconic.
So lets say 2014 for C3p0, and possiby R2-d2 as well. if not, R2 goes over into 2015

The Asian market seems to LOVE Hayden as Anakin.
ROTS ankain/Vaderkin in 2016

BUT, lets not forget that Sideshow releases a new Vader, lets say in 2014.


Given the 3 year window for bespin Luke, lets say that they Decide to capitalize on the release of that ROTJ/ESB vader, and Do a Jedi luke in 2014, pushing all these ahead a year.

so now we're at 2017, 5 years down the line, a WE might see a HT vader. it depends on what direction their marketing campaign goes.

Yes, vader is Iconic, but there is no promise Hot toys will EVER do one.

They probably will.

as for competition from medicom as an analogy with competition from hot toys, let me shoot holes in that theory.

Sideshow has NO control over what Medicom makes. their only option is to go ahead and sell them as well, and hope to make SOME money off them.
You can bet that if sideshow had ANY say over what figures medicom was going to make, they would exercise that control. It's simply good business.
The nature of the license with hot toys allows sideshow a degree of control over what Hot toys makes. and you can be damn sure they're going to use that say.

Lastly, I'm saying BETWEEN 5 to 10 years. could be 5, could be 7, but i don't see it being Any MORE than 10. I'd be shocked if it was 10.
My money is 2015 for an announcement, 2016-17 for a release

 

[Wor-Gar]

And lerath's theory doesn't even take into account that this hobby will be dead by 2016.

What, you ask, will sweep the world in 2015 that changes everything for collectors?... Pogs make a huge comeback. Yes. Pogs.

And no will will make a perfect Vader pog. No one!

 

[devilof76]

I think Sideshow will keep droids for themselves. How do I know?

Because I said so.

If I'm wrong then I'm wrong, I'll admit it, but if I'm right....

If you're right, you'll do that to your hair?

 

[shocktrooper_au]

And lerath's theory doesn't even take into account that this hobby will be dead by 2016.

What, you ask, will sweep the world in 2015 that changes everything for collectors?... Pogs make a huge comeback. Yes. Pogs.

And no will will make a perfect Vader pog. No one!

This hobby will take off when 3D printing becomes affordable at home.
We pay HT or SSC for a digital file and print the pieces at home

 

[Boba Ben]

Nobody wanted to trade me a Symbiote Spider-Man for my collection of Goosebumps pogs w/ R.L. Stine slammer.

I still have to pre-order EX Luke. I've been procrastinating.

 

[The Mike]

as for competition from medicom as an analogy with competition from hot toys, let me shoot holes in that theory. Sideshow has NO control over what Medicom makes. their only option is to go ahead and sell them as well, and hope to make SOME money off them. You can bet that if sideshow had ANY say over what figures medicom was going to make, they would exercise that control. It's simply good business. The nature of the license with hot toys allows sideshow a degree of control over what Hot toys makes. and you can be damn sure they're going to use that say. Lastly, I'm saying BETWEEN 5 to 10 years. could be 5, could be 7, but i don't see it being Any MORE than 10. I'd be shocked if it was 10. My money is 2015 for an announcement, 2016-17 for a release

Let's play devil's advocate here. Medicom has the Star Wars license, it's specific to 1:6 figures in Asian markets which is why they have to be imported even when Hasbro was making theirs, as they have the North American market. Medicom is still making figures within the Asian Market abeit slowly. Hot Toys' major market IS the Asian Market as that is where the company is focused.

My case is that Hot Toys used their own partnership with Sideshow to sublease the Star Wars license, a license already desired and a license that if received allows direct competition with Medicom in their own markets, a chance to not only show up Medi but destroy them and a chance to really set themselves apart from Enterbay who buddied up with Medicom for their own Star Wars offerings.

They wouldn't handicap themselves in this. At best they agreed when to do things NOT that they wouldn't do things. Not to mention that dependent on interview we've heard anywhere from 1 per year to 1 per quarter. We still don't have a solid fact sheet of what will be done and what their plans are especially considering that they change depending on what interview you read.

In North America, Sideshow reigns with a few companies to really compete homegrown and as their only competitors are from foreign entities two that they themselves import, it's not that big of a concern. Whereas in Asian Markets HT competes directly with Enterbay AND Medicom and in some case is losing out with Enterbay on some pieces. It's not a shocker that Medi/EB did a Luke and all of a sudden HT did a Luke.

If they do a Vader, I guarantee you that HT will do one whether SSC is doing one or not.

 

[lerath666]

I can see your point there, I just think you're putting more hope into it than fact.

Even then, we have very little in the fact pile.

Short version, I don't expect we will see an armored vader any time soon, though Hot toys HAS surprised me in the past.

 

[Darkseed]

Can we just get Bespin Luke before going nuts with the speculation

 

[Wor-Gar]

Exclusive Vader-head Luke still available thru SS? That seems unusual.

So hey, there's your Vader BTW.

 

[Droog Alex]

If HT comes out with a Vader it'll be from ANH. SSC has already said to expect an ESB/ROTJ "Ultimate" Vader and I doubt that HT would directly compete with them.

Yes...

No...



Whatever.

All speculation.