Also let's be honest whenever they do figures from classic properties people claim to want so bad the people that wanted them so bad find a reason to complain seemingly no matter what. We got Batman from Batman Returns, "oh they waited too long now I'm not even interested", we got Marty from Back to the Future, "no Doc so no point to getting it", we're getting Doc along with a second Marty from Back to the Future Part II, "I wish Doc was from the first film" or "I don't like the expressive face (probably the same people who whine about sculpts lacking emotion)", Ripley is upcoming, "she's taking forever because Hot Toys is half assing her because they don't care about the character or fans". It goes on and on and on. Its always an excuse for some people to complain and at a certain point I think some people need to take a look back and ask who really has the problem.
I see it all the time on here, even with the 1/4 statues. Zero patience in this hobby anymore
Patience has nothing to do with it. People waited 4-5 years for some of these lines and the results were half assed and disappointing when you factor in the time of announcement to the time people got them in hand. It doesn't take a genius to see that those lines you listed aren't a priority for them, it shows from how they were handled. Some of them started as a DX only for them to cheap out and become a cheap value box set. Not our faults.
They deserve their backlash. If the Returns Batman had come out when they said it would (along with the Penguin), people would have been more forgiving of it's faults. Instead, they waited 5 years to get a mediocre figure in people's hands and it didn't match up to the quality they're known for. Both the single and two pack still sold out though, in less than a year. I was the one that criticized it the most (that Keaton head
IS atrocious especially compared to the backstage paint master that was a different sculpt, the effort put in is lazy) but I still got a single and double and supported the "line" which doesn't look to be continuing anytime soon. Suppose next week a Hot Toys Catwoman pops up and she looks horrible, is barebones and they want $250+. Should the people that waited since 2011 to see it not be able to complain? Is it wrong for them to do so?
The way they handled Back to the Future is a huge head scratcher and it makes you wonder why they pursued that license in the first place when there seems to be zero enthusiasm from them. I also bought Marty, but then they went silent again and suddenly they're onto BTTF2 and there's a weird looking Doc. You guys make it seem like collectors and fans of the films should just be happy Hot Toys is even doing them and not criticize it, because hey, atleast you're finally getting them! Basically just "shut up", buy it or don't. Hot Toys created that anticipation for a figure the second they tell the collecting community they're doing it. It's not like people are pulling the interest out of their ass and demanding Hot Toys make something from a license they never disclosed. No, Hot Toys said "this is what we're doing and it's coming soon". It's not our fault that after years of waiting the final product turns out to be lame. We still buy them even and the line gets no traction.
Alien? If people think that Alien Warrior is good or that the prototype of Ripley is Hot Toys' A-game, they're delusional.
Hot Toys gets credit where credit is do. I'll go back to their Robocop license. It took a good bit of time from their announcement/teaser (that showed off a Cain mock up) to finally getting the Die Cast version in hand. In that time, they teased the back of the head of what we all assumed was an unmasked Robocop. Took a couple of years but we finally saw that Battle Damaged Robocop and it was gorgeous. Then when the orders went up we not only got a great looking figure but a surprise Alex Murphy cop as well. The final product turned out great and they got the praise they deserved. That made a lot of our top figure lists and we expressed how thankful we were. They went all out on that set, and it showed. Happy collectors, good product, worth the wait. The product doesn't even have to be perfect like you guys are discussing. I can nitpick the Robocop/Murphy two pack, from the lobster hands Hot Toys refuses to retire, to the sheen of the armor to the overpriced nature of the set. Still a great release from them that I love and appreciate.
Not with the other lines mentioned, not by a long shot. It's like a self fullinging prophecy where a toy company will say "we had this and this planned but there wasn't enough interest, it's over, sorry". Well maybe if it felt like a priority to you and you actually tried to generate interest from announcement to final product, you'd have *gasp* more interest. You can't blame the customer/buyer for having standards. If people wanted any old Police Shootout Terminator or Batman Returns figures or Doc Brown or Ripley, they'd make one or have it commissioned themselves. Problem is, Hot Toys is like "we got this" then puts it on the back burner for years only to deliver a mediocre offering. Not everyone drops the line when this happens either. Like I said, myself and others still buy these things despite the disappointment so saying "everyone complains just so they have an excuse to drop the item" is not only wrong but anecdotal evidence.
How about that god awful Beetlejuice Sideshow is trying to pitch. People love Beetlejuice, they were excited by the announcement, Sideshow finally reveals it and it's an overpriced dud that fans don't want and will either skip or wait for it to get heavily clearanced. Whose fault is that, Sideshow or the fans/potential customer?
I don't know why people are so quick to jump to these companies' sides and defend them when they're not making good on what they haphazardly pursue and offer a product that we pay for. They're not our buddies or making those out of the kindness of their hearts. It's a business. Not everything they do is great or good. When they make great stuff and make good decisions, we praise it. I have, others have. When they don't, we let them have it. They earn their criticisms like everyone else. Besides a handful of releases I fail to see what's so great about them and their practices,
currently.
Only thing Hot Toys and Sideshow get out of me these days are long, pointless rants when they could be getting money out of me. I don't see how they're profiting when their offerings suck and the prices just keep on increasing. Especially Sideshow. Their 1/6 efforts have barely moved forwards since the mid 2000s and they have the gull to ask the same prices as the best in the business, if not more! Their Premium Formats look the same as their early Lord of the Rings and Star Wars from about a decade ago, with no improvements in technique, sculpting or paint and they think they can get $500 out of people for a statue that is rarely even mixed media anymore. I used to defend them, but they're a joke. They think they can compete with the best when their products don't even match up to the competition.
