OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread..FINALLY A PHOTO!

[crowinghorse]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

Actually, Hot Toys very much "owns" the Metal Gear license, at least in the 1/6th scale; that's what a license is essentially: ownership of a property and/or property rights in order to product/create a specific product with that license.

HT owning the MG license for 1/6th scale figures is why you don't see any other 1/6th scale figure companies making "licensed" Metal Gear figures. And no doubt - with this year being filled with MG releases - there is a demand for it, that's what this thread is all about after all!

There have been a number of cases of companies buying up licenses (master licenses especially) and NOT making a specific product or product type in order to ensure other competing companies can't make something, that's business and it wouldn't surprise me if that's a part of why HT is sitting on the license - it KNOWS there's a built-in market with MGS and it's confident we'll all wait until the figures are released, even if that release is months and months and years after the initial announcement!

What the details are of HT's licensing agreement with Konami/Kojima for the MGS license is beyond me, but there's no doubt other companies can and would make MGS figures in 1/6th if the license was available. Heck, InFlames is making them now (basically) w/o a license to simply satisfy the fan appetite...and these non-licensed figures are obviously selling well as they've made more than one.

 

[Solidus]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

Actually, Hot Toys very much "owns" the Metal Gear license, at least in the 1/6th scale; that's what a license is essentially: ownership of a property and/or property rights in order to product/create a specific product with that license.

HT owning the MG license for 1/6th scale figures is why you don't see any other 1/6th scale figure companies making "licensed" Metal Gear figures. And no doubt - with this year being filled with MG releases - there is a demand for it, that's what this thread is all about after all!

There have been a number of cases of companies buying up licenses (master licenses especially) and NOT making a specific product or product type in order to ensure other competing companies can't make something, that's business and it wouldn't surprise me if that's a part of why HT is sitting on the license - it KNOWS there's a built-in market with MGS and it's confident we'll all wait until the figures are released, even if that release is months and months and years after the initial announcement!

What the details are of HT's licensing agreement with Konami/Kojima for the MGS license is beyond me, but there's no doubt other companies can and would make MGS figures in 1/6th if the license was available. Heck, InFlames is making them now (basically) w/o a license to simply satisfy the fan appetite...and these non-licensed figures are obviously selling well as they've made more than one.

I'm curious now, has Hot Toys ever done that to another license, before? If they are just sitting on MGS with the intention of doing nothing, then all they're doing is wasting their time and everyone else's. I think it's safe to assume that they're on a timed contract - just like Medicom, who had the MGS license for four years.

 

[Cap'n Cook]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

You make a very good, and worrying, point re sitting on a licence crowinghorse.

 

[Solidus]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

You make a very good, and worrying, point re sitting on a licence crowinghorse.

I think Hot Toys has to play it carefully, though. It isn't just any license we're talking about, it's Metal Gear (freakin') Solid. If they do nothing with MGS, it's sure to speak bad about their reputation, and other video game publishers might take notice and refuse to grant Hot Toys additional licenses for their VGM line (and go to the route of Play Arts, instead).

 

[Cap'n Cook]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

It would be a shame if other VG manufacturers didnt allow HT licences in the future. Just think of all the missed opportunities they would have at being able to produce no figures, nor give any news on projected releases.

 

[Solidus]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

I think the missed opportunity is happening right now. Hot Toys had the MGS license for nearly two years and didn't do anything with it so far. I mean... even Medicom started production of their RAH MGS figures soon after the release of MGS 3. Medicom!!

 

[Cap'n Cook]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

That was what I meant. Guess my sarcasm wasn't clear enough.

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

I'm curious now, has Hot Toys ever done that to another license, before? If they are just sitting on MGS with the intention of doing nothing, then all they're doing is wasting their time and everyone else's. I think it's safe to assume that they're on a timed contract - just like Medicom, who had the MGS license for four years.

Indeed, they've never held a license this long with no updates on it. Avatar maybe, but that had a development shot of the body at least.

I think the missed opportunity is happening right now. Hot Toys had the MGS license for nearly two years and didn't do anything with it so far. I mean... even Medicom started production of their RAH MGS figures soon after the release of MGS 3. Medicom!!

They are too narrowly focused on 'it' licenses of the moment to realise what a bundle they can make from MGS, there's such a rich assortmant of characters which provides enough for more than 20 figures with retreading the same character like some other licenses.

Konami recently revealed the franchise has sold 31 million units, each of the units averages out to about $40 or so. so that amounts to over a Billion in sales (one billion two hundred forty million - roughly)

And art from the game is being featured in the Smithsonian for goodness sake, as well as two games this year AND the 25th Anniversary, how much more indication of now being the time to strike while the iron is hot do they need?

 

[crowinghorse]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

Don't take what I said the wrong way - I have no doubt Hot Toys WILL do something with MGS; it wasn't a cheap license nor was it an infinite license. I'm sure they're on a time line as well. That said, knowing what I know about the industry, I'm guessing HT is so focused on the licenses which have larger, mass appeal (Avengers, Batman, etc) that MGS - which is smaller compared to these larger licenses - is taking a back seat. I'm sure there are production people working on MGS now, it's simply a matter of time...though, as it's been said over and over, that time is getting longer and longer to many fans and fans are starting to look to other makers (Square Enix's Play Arts, InFlames' bootlegs, ThreeA's Rex) that fans may deem Hot Toys' figure too little, too late...though I seriously doubt that too.

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

^ not that i'm disagreeing, but seeing as fans will buy probably no matter the wait then that only proves that MGS is a bigger license than Avengers as we are prepared to wait and Avengers fans perhaps not so much

 

[no*dice]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

sure cause we are the cool ones!

 

[crowinghorse]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

disagree completely with that as Avengers has a much larger, multi-generational age base as well as a broader cross section between girls and guys...but I would agree MGS fans are - more likely than not - much more "hard core" fans of the licenses whereas Avengers fans may be more casual in their fandom...just a few thoughts, but it justifies why HT can afford to wait to release MGS figures vs. waiting on the timeliness of Avenger figures

 

[ZombieRepublican]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

totally, i think the avengers figures would have to release around the films. Where as MetalGear would do well at any time

 

[Solidus]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

In order to follow Metal Gear Solid, you have to be hardcore. The series has so many overarching plotlines, that to simply understand what's going on, you'll need to play all of the games, and not only once, but multiple times.

Superhero movies in general (not just Avengers) are geared more toward casual movie fans who've never followed the comics. To digress a bit, the attitudes of many of these guys annoys me to no end "ohh I just saw (insert superhero movie) last night, so let me take time to educate you on what I just saw because I'm an expert now".

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

Superhero movies in general (not just Avengers) are geared more toward casual movie fans who've never followed the comics. To digress a bit, the attitudes of many of these guys annoys me to no end "ohh I just saw (insert superhero movie) last night, so let me take time to educate you on what I just saw because I'm an expert now".

i hate that.

I think Superhero movies audience have trancended their source material, many viewers go into them with little to no knowledge of the comics stories.

Thats not necessarily a bad thing, i never really knew much about Blade before the films, hell i only really got into marvel back as a kid watching the '90's fox kids cartoons

Thing is Metal Gear Solid IS the source material, non-diluted and therefore timeless, which popularity sadly wont fade out like Avengers current 'it' popularity will likely in a few years, meaning HT hasn't the need to get their butt in gear and deliver on it's promised figures

 

[crowinghorse]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

I wouldn't call MGS "timeless" compared to the Avengers - MGS has been around...what? 25 years this year, right? Avengers has been around twice that long and has a history just as rich - if not more rich due to multiple histories in multiple timelines - than MGS.

That's not to berate MGS, just saying...

 

[Cap'n Cook]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

Avengers (the film) is the latest buzz/flash in the pan, the history behind it is not.

MGS is everlasting.

 

[K.bowen]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

Avengers (the film) is the latest buzz/flash in the pan, the history behind it is not.

MGS is everlasting.

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

Avengers (the film) is the latest buzz/flash in the pan, the history behind it is not.

MGS is everlasting.

This isn't comic figures vs Metal Gear, it's diluted movie adaption figures that will half in popularity when it's rebooted in ten years

 

[Solidus]

Re: OFFICIAL Hot Toys Metal Gear Solid thread

i hate that.

I think Superhero movies audience have trancended their source material, many viewers go into them with little to no knowledge of the comics stories.

Thats not necessarily a bad thing, i never really knew much about Blade before the films, hell i only really got into marvel back as a kid watching the '90's fox kids cartoons

Thing is Metal Gear Solid IS the source material, non-diluted and therefore timeless, which popularity sadly wont fade out like Avengers current 'it' popularity will likely in a few years, meaning HT hasn't the need to get their butt in gear and deliver on it's promised figures

Avengers (the film) is the latest buzz/flash in the pan, the history behind it is not.

MGS is everlasting.

This isn't comic figures vs Metal Gear, it's diluted movie adaption figures that will half in popularity when it's rebooted in ten years