Tomy "Prototypes" & Catch-up Update
A new year! A fresh start! And protofakes!
With both holidays falling on a 'gear update day', both updates were a little out of place. The first update of 2017 however, is off to a nice start. It was basically some catch-up items to make up for the weeks (and weeks!) where it was nothing but attempts to fix the poor Gear Store. There are still way more catch up items and mails to take care of though. However, that should be next week's update or so...it should be a bigger than normal one to put things back on track / start the year off right.
Of course, the highlight of the week (and opinion zone is...
Tomy Prototypes!
With a very good discovery...all the pages out of a toy catalog that had Tomy's plans for Sonic 2017 toys have been revealed. Of course, the whole thing landed on 'prototypes' page because while some of it is real, who knows what will end up coming out and what won't. With the recent lack of figures, figure fans can certainly get excited to see what's coming...but will it last? The blog's here to talk Sonic so let's start!
Too much fakery:
If any toy-sourcing-buyer was going to use that catalog...they'd think twice. Too much stuff is just a drawing someone did, a 'render', or worse...some piece of stock art they got off the internet and threw on there. It's not a "prototype" if it's not even an item. Maybe it's a statement of intent but...the catalog is there to show products not 10 year old stock art.
Modern Mutation:
Their 'modern Sonic plush' inspires exactly ZERO HOPE that they can do good with any other modern character. That sucker is ripe for the Mutant Gear page if anything is. No kid is going to want that (you know its over priced) disgusting headed Sonic. With only that ugly thing to show combined with the shady stock art use...who would order Tomy modern plush anything? No confidence here.
More Boom - No Sticks
Where is Sticks???
It's a conspiracy!
Tomy is producing more Boom stuff, but completely leaving Sticks out of everything. Why? It makes no sense if they're catering to fans of the show to completely exclude a character. Does everyone hate her? Does she have no fans? (I literally don't know, but I would think people find her funny since boom is still getting ratings) She's super conspicuous in her absence too.
More Space
First there was "Space Fighters" then there was "Metal Force" (space fighters re-colored) And now we get Boom in Space. But already recolored for your convenience! In both black space suit and white space suit versions! Why? What is the obsession with dressing up Sonic figures to go into outer space? Sure, Sonic X had some space stuff in it, but nobody ever dressed up in power rangers gear with Emerald Rods and whatever like the toys had. I guess Boom will have a space episode? And that requires at least 5 figures? (Sonic/Tails twice, Knuckles once, no Amy because....?) This is a bit of a confusing turn.
Variant figures
Pixel classic, transparent classic, grayscale classic. Get the same Sonic & Tails figures 3 times but with different color themes. It's ok...since their sculpts ARE solid (and you don't miss the elbow joint because those classic figures are so short-limbed anyway, and tiny, so it doesn't matter/look bad that it's not there) These are just fine for variant collectors. Each gimmick seems ok in the photos.
Emoji Stuff:
What's up with Emoji? Super young kids like them because it gets them out of having to spell words. (Which when you are learning to spell the sometimes absurd English, is frustrating) And there's that upcoming "Emoji Movie" where like...generic smiley-faces and a doody have to do...something? Nobody has any confidence in it. Either way, Tomy's counting on capitalizing on the general public popularity of emojis with plushes & keychain clips that have various expressions.
*These are actually cute.
The idea is a little odd, but the execution of "chibi cutie" little characters is decent. They take their cue from the Japanese ones like the "paperchild-esque" Sonic keychains. Also, interestingly, their Boom Knuckles one because he's SD, is likely to be indistinguishable from 'normal Knuckles', so any fan could buy him and not deal with Boomstyle. The plushes of these also look good with the photos! However, with so many at once, the price point will have to be VERY reasonable. Can they do it?
Modern Figures:
What everyone's been waiting for: getting modern Sonic figures back!
Tomy got permission to do modern non-boom but....
Opinion Zone!
They're going about it SUPER wrong!
The modern figures, according to the catalog can only be bought as a comic-2-pak with a classic style figure of the same character. Well....that would be ok IF it was their literal first foray into figures, but it isn't. Figure fans will have bought the classic figures already (in 2016) AND with the 3 rings AND with the 3 coins AND separately...nobody's going to want to pay for their 2nd, 3rd or 4th classic figure just to get a modern one. With the comic too, and you know that the single modern figure you want is going to end up around 14 dollars or something.
And without the JW attention to play-value-adding joints........
Not cool guys.
Solve it?
Yes. Simply add Amy to the lineup. She has modern & classic versions. Put Sonic & Tails, Knuckles & Amy both classic and modern. Then you have your 2 packs with comic, and everyone doesn't have figure re-runs.
Time & the actual release will tell if these guys are good.
Next week:
Kidrobot figures (and corresponding blog rant) more catching up with items (so if you're waiting on a mail, that'll probably be the week for it) and no doubt more Japan stuff.
With both holidays falling on a 'gear update day', both updates were a little out of place. The first update of 2017 however, is off to a nice start. It was basically some catch-up items to make up for the weeks (and weeks!) where it was nothing but attempts to fix the poor Gear Store. There are still way more catch up items and mails to take care of though. However, that should be next week's update or so...it should be a bigger than normal one to put things back on track / start the year off right.
Of course, the highlight of the week (and opinion zone is...
Tomy Prototypes!
With a very good discovery...all the pages out of a toy catalog that had Tomy's plans for Sonic 2017 toys have been revealed. Of course, the whole thing landed on 'prototypes' page because while some of it is real, who knows what will end up coming out and what won't. With the recent lack of figures, figure fans can certainly get excited to see what's coming...but will it last? The blog's here to talk Sonic so let's start!
Too much fakery:
If any toy-sourcing-buyer was going to use that catalog...they'd think twice. Too much stuff is just a drawing someone did, a 'render', or worse...some piece of stock art they got off the internet and threw on there. It's not a "prototype" if it's not even an item. Maybe it's a statement of intent but...the catalog is there to show products not 10 year old stock art.
Modern Mutation:
Their 'modern Sonic plush' inspires exactly ZERO HOPE that they can do good with any other modern character. That sucker is ripe for the Mutant Gear page if anything is. No kid is going to want that (you know its over priced) disgusting headed Sonic. With only that ugly thing to show combined with the shady stock art use...who would order Tomy modern plush anything? No confidence here.
More Boom - No Sticks
Where is Sticks???
It's a conspiracy!
Tomy is producing more Boom stuff, but completely leaving Sticks out of everything. Why? It makes no sense if they're catering to fans of the show to completely exclude a character. Does everyone hate her? Does she have no fans? (I literally don't know, but I would think people find her funny since boom is still getting ratings) She's super conspicuous in her absence too.
More Space
First there was "Space Fighters" then there was "Metal Force" (space fighters re-colored) And now we get Boom in Space. But already recolored for your convenience! In both black space suit and white space suit versions! Why? What is the obsession with dressing up Sonic figures to go into outer space? Sure, Sonic X had some space stuff in it, but nobody ever dressed up in power rangers gear with Emerald Rods and whatever like the toys had. I guess Boom will have a space episode? And that requires at least 5 figures? (Sonic/Tails twice, Knuckles once, no Amy because....?) This is a bit of a confusing turn.
Variant figures
Pixel classic, transparent classic, grayscale classic. Get the same Sonic & Tails figures 3 times but with different color themes. It's ok...since their sculpts ARE solid (and you don't miss the elbow joint because those classic figures are so short-limbed anyway, and tiny, so it doesn't matter/look bad that it's not there) These are just fine for variant collectors. Each gimmick seems ok in the photos.
Emoji Stuff:
What's up with Emoji? Super young kids like them because it gets them out of having to spell words. (Which when you are learning to spell the sometimes absurd English, is frustrating) And there's that upcoming "Emoji Movie" where like...generic smiley-faces and a doody have to do...something? Nobody has any confidence in it. Either way, Tomy's counting on capitalizing on the general public popularity of emojis with plushes & keychain clips that have various expressions.
*These are actually cute.
The idea is a little odd, but the execution of "chibi cutie" little characters is decent. They take their cue from the Japanese ones like the "paperchild-esque" Sonic keychains. Also, interestingly, their Boom Knuckles one because he's SD, is likely to be indistinguishable from 'normal Knuckles', so any fan could buy him and not deal with Boomstyle. The plushes of these also look good with the photos! However, with so many at once, the price point will have to be VERY reasonable. Can they do it?
Modern Figures:
What everyone's been waiting for: getting modern Sonic figures back!
Tomy got permission to do modern non-boom but....
Opinion Zone!
They're going about it SUPER wrong!
The modern figures, according to the catalog can only be bought as a comic-2-pak with a classic style figure of the same character. Well....that would be ok IF it was their literal first foray into figures, but it isn't. Figure fans will have bought the classic figures already (in 2016) AND with the 3 rings AND with the 3 coins AND separately...nobody's going to want to pay for their 2nd, 3rd or 4th classic figure just to get a modern one. With the comic too, and you know that the single modern figure you want is going to end up around 14 dollars or something.
And without the JW attention to play-value-adding joints........
Not cool guys.
Solve it?
Yes. Simply add Amy to the lineup. She has modern & classic versions. Put Sonic & Tails, Knuckles & Amy both classic and modern. Then you have your 2 packs with comic, and everyone doesn't have figure re-runs.
Time & the actual release will tell if these guys are good.
Next week:
Kidrobot figures (and corresponding blog rant) more catching up with items (so if you're waiting on a mail, that'll probably be the week for it) and no doubt more Japan stuff.
posted by AzureBlaze at 1:51 PM
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