Is Sideshow gearing itself AWAY from 1/6 Figures?

[Ironman1188]

Um.... nah.

LOL!!!

 

[EVILFACE]

Ok, Everybody!! Let's just agree with Josh. It'll be easier than asking him to just be objective when it comes to $ide$how.

Not possible. He is a

 

[lcummins]

You want more 12" figures? Read the new "Ask Sideshow"...

https://www.sideshowtoy.com/behindtheshow/?page_id=2928

More LOTR coming...
Brotherhood of Arms...
Darth Vader...
Padme...

Not a lot, but it is something...

 

[The Josh]

I'll take that news.

 

[pixletwin]

I'll take that news.

Me too. Thanks for the heads up Lonnie (although it just confirms what all rational thinking members allready knew.)

 

[Ironman1188]

Me too. Thanks for the heads up Lonnie (although it just confirms what all rational thinking members allready knew.)

Yes, more $tar War$ and the eventual attention to LOTR that was due. Good news truly, but nothing surprising.
On the other hand, they didn't narrow down what decade Vader will be seen in nor did they really say that much regarding Brotherhood of Arms outside of their having a liking for the Civil War. No offense, but they've had a liking for every line thats been cancelled too.
LOTR is promising though.

 

[creecher]

As to this whole likeness issue:
If you're on the arguing side of $ide$how makes the best sculpts out there, then I simply ask you to be openminded and read some threads on this forum as well as others. There are many more threads/posts regarding sculpts being "off", in need of repainting, in need of resculpting, etc... than there are praising them. And thats from a company that HAS the likeness rights.
Hot Toys has loopholed around the likeness rights, and yes they still need repainting, but look how great Ripley and Hicks and Drake are. The sculpts are pretty much dead on, without likeness rights, just buried under some unattractive paint to get them released. And, regarding likenesses, the whole argument of not being able to do Ramirez because of likeness issues falls flat when you look at Brent having been offered.

Mostly there are no threads because the likenesses are pretty good, even with a less than best paint job. Hot Toy$ haven't looped around the issue by giving their licen$ed product bad paint jobs at all. Their paint sucks outright, I'm talking human figures here, and I wouldn't have believed their sculpts were any good at all unless I had seen The Figuremasters repaint of Ripley. Ripley, yes it's says it's called Ripley. Mostly when a company skirts around licensing i$$ues they don't dare call the product by it's name. You already know this Ironman, and you know Ramirez couldn't be done because Connery is a star and is able to secure his own likeness rights, whereas Brent probably didn't have that luxury. We Krusaders went on about Kurgan and Connor looking bad, I dread what would have happened if Sideshow mucked up on Connery's likeness just to get him released.

 

[dekadentdave]

Hot Toy$ (heh heh) was able to retain character names because FOX owns the trademarks. The actors' likenesses were not negotiated so they wouldn't have to pay them royalties. Minor paint differential. Who cares. These are sold as models so painting is required. Tough cookies for us lackeys who don't have the talent of the Figuremaster et al but at least they made them. An off-Ramirez or generic Connery would be fine with me too as long as they got his threads right.

 

[screamingmetal]

I just barely made it through 100+ posts in this thread and feel that I have to say something now so this may or may not be covered elsewhere in the thread.

The problem with the perceived quality of Sideshow's stuff VS. other manufactures has everything to do with where Sideshow's strengths and deficiency lie. Sideshow is mostly concerned with sculpt and not modeling. That's why John Wayne and the Endor Troopers have sculpted pouches and not functioning pouches, Sideshow doesn't have sufficient Modeling capabilities.
It's the main reason they're dragging their feet like crazy on better basic bodies, armored Star Wars characters and why they never completed Medieval Kurgan. Hot Toys manages to balance their products features and are capable of better likenesses on head sculpts but ignore getting the Likeness license. Which is why a lot of people say HT makes better products.

It's a major problem that Sideshow needs to address. If they ever want to make armored characters from Lord of the Rings, Star Wars or any other license and improve their basic bodies, they need to hire more Model Artists.

 

[Ironman1188]

Mostly there are no threads because the likenesses are pretty good, even with a less than best paint job. Hot Toy$ haven't looped around the issue by giving their licen$ed product bad paint jobs at all. Their paint sucks outright, I'm talking human figures here, and I wouldn't have believed their sculpts were any good at all unless I had seen The Figuremasters repaint of Ripley. Ripley, yes it's says it's called Ripley. Mostly when a company skirts around licensing i$$ues they don't dare call the product by it's name. You already know this Ironman, and you know Ramirez couldn't be done because Connery is a star and is able to secure his own likeness rights, whereas Brent probably didn't have that luxury. We Krusaders went on about Kurgan and Connor looking bad, I dread what would have happened if Sideshow mucked up on Connery's likeness just to get him released.

Creech, my old friend. No threads? Please. They are a plethora of threads dating back to the EZ Board Forum on poor likenesses and paint apps. and on more than just this board.
And calling a figure by the character name does skirt the actor likeness issue. They are not promoting it as "Sigourney Weaver as Ripley".
As for Ramierez, Connery may well have nixed the use of his likeness, but the character could have been attempted. Brent, in $ide$how's 2nd explanation, was too important a character to have been omitted and thats why, even though they could not secure Franciscus' likeness, they still made a Brent. Dragon has released a Connery lookalike figure, Ignite has done it, Frontline has done it..... Perhaps the resources for the outfit were cost prohibitive, but we'll never know.

 

[dekadentdave]

Good point Screaming and it only points to the necessity that $ideshow should consider merging with Hot Toy$ in order to bring functioning armored pieces to the collectors and give us the best of both worlds.

 

[creecher]

Thanks for setting me straight DD. Sorry 'bout that Ironman, I'll eat humble, banana, in your case.

Actually that is a great idea DecDave. Sideshow could release headless figures a plenty. So what is the future of Sideshow and 1/6th figures. Maybe it's about that time where, license costs are now too high for Sideshow to invest in. Bring on the generic figures, such as The Dead. Bring out the revnant Frankenstein and the Viking, which have already been tooled up. How about a guillotine executioner and a witch to start things off.

 

[Ironman1188]

What's the solution Creecher?
This is the solution:

 

[screamingmetal]

What's the solution Creecher?
This is the solution:

That looks almost seamless.

 

[creecher]

I'll go along with that.

 

[screamingmetal]

Good point Screaming and it only points to the necessity that $ideshow should consider merging with Hot Toy$ in order to bring functioning armored pieces to the collectors and give us the best of both worlds.

I'd like that. While they're at it, Sideshow should lease out Triad bodies for certain characters as well.

 

[Wor-Gar]

What's the solution Creecher?
This is the solution:

That really does look perfect, even the right expressions!

 

[EVILFACE]

What's the solution Creecher?
This is the solution:

The silly apes still wouldn't sell

 

[EVILFACE]

I'd like that. While they're at it, Sideshow should lease out Triad bodies for certain characters as well.

Not unless the triads have full range articulation, which they don't. They sacrifice full range so they can "look nice" Action figures move. Don't like joints, buy statues.

 

[Coorectghosting]

I'm concerned about the lack of any new 1/6 bodies. I wonder how many more characters will be released before a new body is developed