NorthRaider Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I'm guessing that whatever the real story is, it must be a very complicated catch-22 for everyone involved. In the meantime we're probably just going to be stuck waiting for DST to play trial and error with their Hulk mates until they get him right... or until the line ends Maybe having them at a 3"/4"/5"/Whatever" scale hugely pushes up their production costs. Aside from new tooling for the figures, there's more plastic being used, more paint, new designs for bigger boxes. . . Perhaps they've weighed the costs against what they'd have to charge to make their money back and decided that the price-point would be too high for the average punter? The irony here is that Chuck has very recently admitted on record that sculpting is cheaper than tampos on some Minimates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undeadpool Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 i realise everyone wants a 2.5 hulk,rhino,whatever mate but honestly for me i dont care, just having the character is enough, i personally think that their new beefing up technique is effective and does the job, ya im not SUPER happy with the most recent hulk but atleast their trying to get him to be bigger and we never know he could look 100 times better when he actually comes out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlecat Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 (edited) i realise everyone wants a 2.5 hulk,rhino,whatever mate It's definitely brought up on here a lot, but it would be interesting to do a poll or something and see whether it is a majority that would really want a change -- I feel like those of us who'd rather stick with 2" don't say much about it, because we already have what we want... or maybe it really is just me, TM2 and robomate :tongue: Having said that, I think even Chuck would agree to upsize for the Star Wars license. Edited March 22, 2011 by battlecat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undeadpool Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 im not saying 2.5 mates wouldnt be cool for say: giant man, goliath, atlas, etc. but for hulk and strong characters, i think this is the better route. i would be up for a poll Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BannersID Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 im not saying 2.5 mates wouldnt be cool for say: giant man, goliath, atlas, etc. but for hulk and strong characters, i think this is the better route. i would be up for a poll I agree it would be cool. In fact I think it worked really well on the DC line. In the end though I've come to accept (convince myself)that these are stylized block figures and the scale doesn't really matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undeadpool Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 just a quick note, i think marvel universe figures work great for larger characters (like galactus, yellowjacket, etc) i have the galactus figure and its literally perfect scale for minimates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlecat Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 im not saying 2.5 mates wouldnt be cool for say: giant man, goliath, atlas, etc. but for hulk and strong characters, i think this is the better route. Ah, sorry, misunderstood your post. I actively dislike 2.5" mates, even though the bulking-up of 2"ers is pretty hit or miss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellpop Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 You can add me to the list of Multiversers that don't like 2.5" 'mates. I just don't think they look right at that size. It bugs me more to have a guy like Bane, who should be bigger then Batman but not as large as Gorilla Grodd. And I'm perfectly happy with my Defenders Hulk, and see no need for a bulkier one. You're never going to get scale right in a toy line that relies on recycled pieces and standard bodies, so why sweat it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny B Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I feel like those of us who'd rather stick with 2" don't say much about it, because we already have what we want... or maybe it really is just me, TM2 and robomate :tongue: I'm in that boat also. I don't usually feel the need to make a stink about not liking the newer size/bulk 'enhancements', but I'm pretty firm in my liking of wave 1 Hulk and wave 2 Venom over all the other incarnations we've seen of those characters (just naming those two as examples. I could also list 90's Beast as an example, since I've basically thrown out all the pieces that make him bigger than he needs to be). When the big chest pieces started coming out, I had hoped (in vain) that they were a passing fad. But obviously these 'enhancements' are here to stay, so I've essentially talked myself into liking them (which, oddly enough, is starting to work... in certain cases) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I sit in both camps ...I'd like bigger versions but I'm content with the 'standard' size. If we are having standard size however.... then I'd like DST to keep to that size without fannying around with extensions,big boots & duck feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I sit in both camps ...I'd like bigger versions but I'm content with the 'standard' size. If we are having standard size however.... then I'd like DST to keep to that size without fannying around with extensions,big boots & duck feet. That's more or less where I am as well. Hellpop asked why sweat it? The answer is because DST does. If we just get 2 inch Minimates, that's cool. That's not the reality though. For the most part, I don't like the big add-on method. It can work (I think Ultimate Thor and HB Iron Man are great examples), but for Hulk, Thing, and Juggernaut I think there's a simpler, more aesthetically pleasing way than fully armoring a 'Mate. If DST wanted to keep Minimates at 2 inches, they should have done that, but they opened the door. I like Minimates because they are stylized block figures, not because hidden deep down they are only 2 inches tall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 See, I will always love the 2" body. Wave 1 Hulk is perfect. However, Wave 4 Juggy needs a big chest. He's got the helmet and gauntlet things going on, and he just lacks that little extra bit to push him over the edge. The Excalibur Juggy is a cool figure, and very well does, but as you look at it, the though passes through your mind "Is this really a Minimate?" Anyways, we've been down this road a million times before. Back to C2E2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundhog7s Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 (edited) As much as I like wave 1 HUlk, I prefer Defenders Hulk much more. I think it shows that most bigger characters can look perfect int he 2" scale without a bunch of add ons. I'm not a big fan of the duck feet, bulky feet or bulky hands. Now, had Marvel started at at varying sizes I'd have been fine with it, but would hate to see it switch now. Of course, the point is moot because DST's license prevents them from changing. And also, seeing the response to MvC and knowing they can access all three games, how can this not be the next big line? Am I the only one who thinks this will continue for a long time? Edited March 22, 2011 by groundhog7s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Anyways, we've been down this road a million times before. Back to C2E2. You make an excellent point. So does anyone feel kind of liked they were toyed with regarding the Battle Beasts? After all the convention exclusives, the rampant speculation... it was all just to market it over state lines for legal mumbo jumbo. The game element thing has me interested. Figure+game things usually strike me as gimmicky so I'm hoping that DST can bring something truly unique to that platform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Personally I'm more excited for MAX than Battle Beasts. I am not entirely sure DST know exactly how HUGE a turn off BB will be without the rub signs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny B Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I'm also a little bummed about the rub signs, despite all the people who think they're not necessary for their Minimate incarnations - but I'm wondering if it's still possible for DST to implement the emblems themselves, without the rub signs? I know Chuck just said that apps can cost more production-wise than sculpting, but surely simply painting a fire/wood/water logo wouldn't be too much for them to pull off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 This is an option, for anyone looking for rub signs: http://www.stickerfixer.com/battlebeasts/ Not sure if there is room to put them on the chest of the Croc or not, but I think there is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 That's the ting. They're out there. DST just needs to leave room for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Harris Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Looks like Wolverine gets bigger ear-thingies. (What's the correct expression for wolverines huge ear-thingies? Is there one? Where's Miry Mate when you need him?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MINI_MYTE Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 (edited) Looks like Wolverine gets bigger ear-thingies. (What's the correct expression for wolverines huge ear-thingies? Is there one? Where's Miry Mate when you need him?) ! don't think that that particular Wolverine minimate neccessarily has bigger mask flaps. It seems to be a repaint of the TRU wave 9 mask. On the other hand, we the comic readers are just used to seeing Wolverine with smaller mask flaps when he's wearing his current costume. IMO, that's why his MvsC3 minimate looks disproportionate. Edited March 23, 2011 by MINI_MYTE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stack32 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 It seems like the Wave 28 Wolverine mask would be a much better choice for that figure, or really any other Wolverine mask besides the new X-Force one. I also don't understand why they're using that particular mask for the Iron Man in the same picture. Wouldn't the Extremis mask be a better choice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellpop Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 One thing I've noticed about Wolverine masks is that they tend to look bigger if they are sitting lower on the head. The beaknose X-Force one, for example, doesn't look nearly as bad if you just pull the mask up a little bit on his head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I'm not buying this "tampos are more expensive than sculpting" line. Look at Carnage, a Wave 2 Minimate, he literally has detailing on every side of his body! If tampos are more expensive, why was it acceptable that early in the life of Minimates to spend the extra costs to tampo every side of a Minimate, but we can't expect the same quality 8 years/40 waves later when the line has proven it has a marketplace? Minimates are unquestionably more popular now, and as eBay prices show they are selling better than ever, so if tampos have been more expensive to produce since the series was created, why is DST just NOW (over the last 18 months) deciding to cheap out on tampo/paint detailing? We all know that the costs of plastic have gone through the roof over the last 5-10 years, Toy Biz and Hasbro proved that with the Marvel Legends Build-A-Figures, but why are paint/tampo apps getting better on all other toy lines except Minimates? Are these rising tampo/paint costs what have ultimately led to the introduction of the "crappy factory"? If we look back, we'll see that these two issues converge around the time of "Friends & Foes"... which coincidentally, was released 1 year ago today. Oh, and this may explain why we have yet to see a re-done Carnage, as DST knows they can't afford the same level of detail they could 8 years ago... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobsterman Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Since you're in the toy manufacturing industry and have clearly been at it longer than DST, could you give us a quick rundown on how the production costs of tampos versus hand-applied paints have changed over the last decade? I mean, I don't personally know what's in tampo paint, but it must be the same thing as regular paint, and it must be the same price as it was ten years ago, because why would it have gone up like any other manufacturing commodity? I mean, I just don't understand how a mechanized printing process on an irregular surface that involves multiple runs through a press with less than a sixteenth of an inch tolerance for press bounce could cost that much. It's just printing; people have been printing on things forever! You know what it sounds like to me? I think producing Minimates costs exactly as much as it did when DST started ten years ago, and they've just cut corners and gone to a cheap factory so Chuck can personally pocket the extra profits and they can turn out crappy products because they hate us. That's the only logical explanation I can think of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Ah sarcasm, when you don't really have anything to say, but need to let the internet know you have an opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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