"We are Comicave Studios, We are not Play Imaginative!"

[Auel]

I think this warrants a thread on it's own.

Interview with Comicave: Shotgun: ???PI???Comicave Studios - ????(Review) - FHC????? - Powered by Discuz!

According to the interview found on Figure Hobby Club:

「我們下一款推出的是 1/12 超合金 Ironman Igor, 在9月中率先於馬尼拉展出及發售。而被受注目的 1/4 超合金 Ironman Hulk Buster 則是全球限量1000隻！」

The above translates as "Our next release will be 1/12 Super Alloy Ironman Igor, to be launched at Manila in September. And the highly anticipated 1/4 Super Alloy Ironman Hulk Buster is limited to 1000 pieces worldwide."

Somewhere during the interview there's this as well:

"We are not PI"
「Shotgun 是我們的第一步，全由 CS 負責設計與生產，若然你有 PI 的產品，請拿來比較！你便清楚了解 CS 與 PI 的分别！無論是日本，台灣，馬尼拉，新加坡以及香港的客戶都討厭 PI，但我們不是 PI！我們只分享 PI 的版權，接管了 PI 三名員工。而 PI 所持的版權有效期將於2016年中便屆滿，往後版權將會正式以 CS 之名接管。因此 1/12 Ironman Shotgun 的盒上還是會見到 PI 的名字。我真的把不得即時把這名字拿掉！」
看來 Anthony 很努力地要擺脫 PI 的陰影……

Translation: "Shotgun is our first step, design and production are all done by Comicave Studios. If you own a Play Imaginative product, go ahead and compare the both! Then you'll understand the difference between PI and CS!

We know customers from Japan, Taiwan, Manila, Singapore and Hog Kong hates PI, but we are not PI! We only hired 3 employees from PI. And the license that PI holds will end in mid 2016 and will be transfered to CS afterwards.

And the PI logo you see on the 1/12 Shotgun packaging? I really want to remove that!

ps: Seems like Anthony is trying hard to get rid of the PI shadow. "

 

[jcm3]

Interesting. Supposedly Comicave Studios have also taken over production of the mk42 from PI in addition to doing the mk43, 44 and 45.

 

[Motuxmen]

Yea. Trying to shed the label. But having the license be PI, and having the a lot of the same staff(yes, they technically only hired a few PI staffers, but that's not the whole story. They use the rest as essentially independent contractors and have an agreement to absorb those others when they get the license. They are also owned by the same holding company.)

Only way to prove you have changed is to stop pushing out protos and make stuff. And so far they are on the same pace as before. Lots of protos and nothingness actually for sale. Till that changes they can keep rebranding and put new people on the team. Won't change perceptions. Or at least it shouldn't.

 

[Auel]

Further translations from the forum:

Anthony 透露，CS 巳獲得未來三年 Marvel 復聯系列電影在美國首映日現場展出 CS 的產品。「這些都是 PI 不能做到的，但 CS 就能辦到了！」（心想不單止 PI，就連 Side Show 也未必能夠做到吧……哈哈)

"Anthony revealed, Comicave Studios has gotten the rights for Marvel Avengers for the next 3 years. (Something is not right here, correct me If I'm wrong.) The Comicave products you've seen during the red carpet 「These are products that PI can't produce which Comicave Studios are able to!」 (Maybe not even PI, I think even Sideshow is unable to do what we've done.... haha)"

 

[Motuxmen]

The fact he doesn't know what his competition can make is a bad sign. If translated correct.

If that's your question about the license issue...he can make some things. Not 1/6. And only in certain markets. So most of the prototypes they have shown will never be availeble in America or Europe. But some can be. Like the 1/12 stuff. I've not been able to get a look at their license terms yet. Though I've tried. Been trying for awhile now actually. I've seen most of the deals currently out there. But CMC doesn't go active yet. When it does I'll be able to get a peak I think.

But this whole deal they have going just rubs me the wrong way. As you have probably been able to tell. They keep spinning this whole we are not PI thing and every thing I've seen says they are just PI rebranded. No different then when PI went from PI to super alloy. If you ever visited PI site they spun off Super alloy into its own thing to try and distance itself, from itself. This feels the same. With a few new people in the mix.

Their prototypes have been great. Some of the best I've seen lately in fact. But PI had the same great protos and the products either failed or never came to be. Until CMC starts making stuff they need to stop talking about how they are either changed or not PI. They have put one figure up since they came out and got all that pub at the aou red carpet. They have been rebranded a year. One figure. Which was shown by PI at nycc two years ago. In that same time hot toys has 25 figures. Nearly every prototype shown has made it to release now. Except drax.

Only way to show change is action. And so far they have not done that