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Post by Gilead on May 17, 2005 22:14:28 GMT -5
Its not that simple. While moulds usually require an actual model you can use lasters for some work. Games Workshop which makes plastic and metal model kits for its wargames spends a lot of money to make the moulds for each plastic kit. I've heard that cost is about 1 million pounds.
Take into account money required to ensure the mould is kept in a condition where they moulds are usable. Plus shelf space for the moulds and its not hard to see why Tomy don't have the Gilvader and King G moulds.
One rumour for Games Workshop's Lander Raider kit requiring a 4 year production period was because someone dropped the original moulds.
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Post by Snowflake on May 18, 2005 9:32:54 GMT -5
Well hopefully they've learned their lesson now and no more zoid molds will ever be destroyed.
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Post by Deadborder on May 18, 2005 9:58:23 GMT -5
Its something that you don't exactly plan to do. You cant garuntee a mould will never be lost. I doubt they deliberately 'destroyed' or 'lost' old moulds. That very rarely, if ever, happens. (But yesm, it does).
The most likely cause of one being deliberately desotryed is to simply clear room in storage or factories. Moulds are very big objects, espeically ofr model kits. If you're out of room, and oyu have a bulky mould that's not being used and, in your mind, unlikely never to be used then...
The other problem is mould degradation. Use of differnt plastics between versions or just numerous uses can cause wear on the mould degrading the parts fit. The Redhorn is a good example; it is begining to show some isngs of aging (Both my Crystal Horn and my TDP Darhrn have hte same warped area on the backplate. And the Blade Liger is a basket case of ill-fitting parts. And the NJR Heldigunner is a mess). Other examples include the 3 3/4 inch GI Joe line where some figures have been re-moulded so many times that the detail is fading fast.
Plus, moulds can have accidents or be lost. Again looking at the 3 3/4 inch Joe line, a lot of moulds have simply gone. Cobra Commander v1 is, by all reports, somehere at the bottom of the ocean. The legs of Viper v1 were sent to Brazil for use in their Joe line, and were lost at osme stage by the Brazilian manufacturer.
Most vintage Transformers have been re-created from reverse-enginereing moulds. Takara has had a prtty bad run with 'vaintage' moulds, actually, with very few original ones existing anymore. Likewise, Mattel's re-sisue MOTU figures were created by the same process (And, by reports, they had some BAD re-moulding issues)
So there's no way to garutee am ould will never bel ost or desotryed. Heck, the fact that we've got htis many Zoids off functional moulds is a lucky one, especially given the number of bizzare iforien lines and re-issues.
Rick R.
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Post by Fit For Natalie on May 18, 2005 10:14:16 GMT -5
Here, transformers are such a little kid's toys. Even Zoids are meant for little kids here. If we had funky Transformer/Zoid thingys, I can only imagine the models would die here again. however, I'm probably jumping to conclusions. *Sigh* Kids toys? You say that as if they are beneath you. These 'kids toys' are much more sucessful, from both sales to kids and collectors, than Zoids shall ever be anywhere in the world, and its been a sustained sucess story since 1996, at least in the western world. That's a fact. While the collectors amount for, at the very most, 20% of the market share, Hasbro is well aware of the community and caters for them with collector-aimed lines and toys such as the superbly engineered 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime, and even the mainline toys are produced to a generally high standard and quality. Hey, there's a Dreamworks movie coming out next year, too. Anyway, its telling when Galaxy Force/Cybertron (this year's TF line) is the final joint Hasbro-Takara TF line, as Hasbro will be concentrating on the Transformers movie line next year, which Takara apparently has nothing to do with.
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Post by Fireraptor on May 18, 2005 15:10:38 GMT -5
Here, transformers are such a little kid's toys. Even Zoids are meant for little kids here. If we had funky Transformer/Zoid thingys, I can only imagine the models would die here again. however, I'm probably jumping to conclusions. *Sigh* Kids toys? You say that as if they are beneath you. These 'kids toys' are much more sucessful, from both sales to kids and collectors, than Zoids shall ever be anywhere in the world, and its been a sustained sucess story since 1996, at least in the western world. That's a fact. While the collectors amount for, at the very most, 20% of the market share, Hasbro is well aware of the community and caters for them with collector-aimed lines and toys such as the superbly engineered 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime, and even the mainline toys are produced to a generally high standard and quality. Hey, there's a Dreamworks movie coming out next year, too. Anyway, its telling when Galaxy Force/Cybertron (this year's TF line) is the final joint Hasbro-Takara TF line, as Hasbro will be concentrating on the Transformers movie line next year, which Takara apparently has nothing to do with. *ears perk up* A MOVIE? Where did ya hear this? And I dunno, I rather like transformers (the toys, not the new 30min comercial television show) and it may help out Zoids. I stress the term *may*. I say this because one particular defunct "toy" line, "Animorphs", had the transformers name tagged to it and things didn't look good. Then again kids turning into animals is kinda gross
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Post by Andy F² on May 18, 2005 15:28:22 GMT -5
*ears perk up* A MOVIE? Where did ya hear this? Pffft, I don't follow Transformers at all any more and even *i've* heard of the movie. Where've you been!?
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Post by Fit For Natalie on May 19, 2005 6:37:37 GMT -5
It was announced last year - Dreamworks would make the movie with Steven Spielberg as executive producer, and most likely Micheal Bay (The Rock, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor ect) directing. Set during G1, Hasbro was most insistant on Soundwave turning into a musical device and having the ability to launch Ravage.
The press release from last year had a small blurb about Takara's president being happy about it, but I don't think the japanese company had much to do with the film.
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Post by Brimstone on May 20, 2005 11:38:56 GMT -5
How about a Zoids movie ?
I've dreamt of this idea since the OER days. Chaotic century has the epic story arc right there !
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Post by Fireraptor on May 25, 2005 16:44:17 GMT -5
*ears perk up* A MOVIE? Where did ya hear this? Pffft, I don't follow Transformers at all any more and even *i've* heard of the movie. Where've you been!? Evidently somewhere in the shadows of the net, this is all news to me I am GLAD as heck the transformers movie is set to the G1 robots; can't have Soundwave not being a tape player...something many kiddies wouldn't know what it is, in this age of cd players. It's a wonder how they'll pull it off since all the vehicles are forgotten cars which may run off little 'Nitros Oxide Honda loving' kiddies. Them kiddies, everything is geared to the kiddies I am rather shocked Zoids never gotten the movie treatment, even if its just a long animated episode
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clozet313
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Post by clozet313 on May 27, 2005 11:16:28 GMT -5
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Zero
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Post by Zero on May 30, 2005 14:40:11 GMT -5
Unfortionately, are you nuts, its a hell of a lot better than a lamp post, or a bat. And it just screams Soundwave. And thats only for Galaxy Force/Cybertron. From what I remember he is going to be a Helocopter of some sort and als have his minons.
As for the merger, I think its a good thing. Both sides have great engineers, and both sides have their share of screw ups "can any one say Bey Blade?". I really hope to see a lot more mecha from the new company.
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Cheetah
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Post by Cheetah on May 31, 2005 16:12:18 GMT -5
Galaxy Force/Cybertron and the movie are two seperate and different things. Although Soundwave may be a spacecraft/airplane in GF/C, he may appear as something else in the movie. Now this topic has gone way off....
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clozet313
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Post by clozet313 on Jun 6, 2005 13:05:23 GMT -5
Unfortionately, are you nuts,.... I didnt say it was a bad thing either , In fact I liked it. What I meant was referring to Fireraptor's post that Soundwave may have to be tape recorder but I disagree partly that he shouldn't be always as he is a cool-looking plane in GF. Sorry for the misunderstanding As for the merger too(drives people back to topic), I hope we don't get to see more prebuilt zoids nor any transfozoids,well,transfighters might be okay.... But I think that Tomy should have merged with Bandai(Gundam and all) and might get things working good. All in all I hope that Zoids would not stray away from being Mechanical Beasts that mostly moves by a motor. Please no transfomizoids.
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Post by Z on Jun 6, 2005 18:17:57 GMT -5
All in all I hope that Zoids would not stray away from being Mechanical Beasts that mostly moves by a motor. Please no transfomizoids. Agree!
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Post by Brimstone on Jun 6, 2005 20:32:14 GMT -5
All in all I hope that Zoids would not stray away from being Mechanical Beasts that mostly moves by a motor. Please no transfomizoids. Agree! Absolutly agree ! Companies can merge all the live long day. The lines and products should NEVER meet.,,, not even dinobots should cross over.
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