Forbes article on GSC's Aki Takanori

>>5935445
Here is Forbes article about Bandai


>If we are looking competitors or even collaborators, we look at people like Neca as a competitor in the same category but we don’t look at traditional toys in the same way, as the product specification differs.

>we don’t view companies like Hasbro or Mattel as being in the same category as us.

Hmm, interesting.

>In Japan, companies like GoodSmile would be our main competitors. Not Takara Tomy, but Goodsmile.

And this is how figma/S.H. Figuarts Sakura, Bruce Lee, Ryuki/Dragon Knight turned out to be because they kept one upping each other.

>We also consider companies like Hot Toys as a competitor

Huh, I wonder why, since Hot Toys caters to 1/6 scale.

>In terms of events, if you look at Wonder Festival in Japan, which has its roots in the garage kit community and it’s a unique event, but ComicCon is an ideal outlet for us

So that's why they rarely go to Wonfes.

>in recent years they’ve secured a number of Western licenses too and turned their attention to building their presence in that market as well.

Guess more Western license figures to come.

>“Our top five brands in the US are probably Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, Super Mario, Star Wars and Power Rangers. Godzilla is also very big too.”

But I thought they stopped making Sentai/Power Rangers S.H Figuarts< unless they mean the upcoming SOC Megazord and Legacy Zords?

>“Though there have been other areas where we have had a difficult time, Alien vs Predator with Neca. We had diecast and better articulation but at the same time their level of sculpt was really good. So there are areas we sometimes need to regroup and think how can we do this differently and succeed.”

Wow Neca beat Bandai for once(feel free to correct me). Never thought I'll hear/read that non the less from Bandai themselves.

>We also do big surveys at all our events, in some ways that’s one of the primary reasons we do the events.

How I wish I could attend those events.

>>5935466
Forgot link:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2016/03/02/bandai-is-building-its-very-own-tamashii-nation/#123913cb1363

>>5935445
>Guess it means we will see more Nintendo characters being made into figures/figma/nendo in the future.

No it doesn't. It just means they want to do more if they get the chance. They probably will but it's not a confirmation.

>Huh, I wonder why, since Hot Toys caters to 1/6 scale.

They kind of go into that in the interview, basically because they also do figures with price ranges in the Hot Toys category. They don't view Hot Toys as a competitor for their Iron Man Figuarts and the like.

>we don’t view companies like Hasbro or Mattel as being in the same category as us.

Western toy collectors on suicide watch.

>>5935466
Bandai didn't say Neca has better articulation. Just better sculpts.

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>>5935466
>>we don’t view companies like Hasbro or Mattel as being in the same category as us.
No shit?
Hasbro and Mattel make children's toys for mass market stores.
Almost all licensors recognize that there is a different market, hence NECA/Mezco/Diamond being able to make Marvel toys despite Hasbro holding the "master license."
Mass market ≠ direct market.

>Wow Neca beat Bandai for once
No shit? Everyone has known this since their Predator toy and Alien toys were shown besides a couple of ardent fans.
It's not shocking that Bandai knows its own shortfalls, hence their going after that dot matrix printing tech. It's disappointing that they didn't hire better sculptors or using better paint techniques instead.

>>5935445
>Meiling
It's an anime-only character. All the fuss is because the manga is published again (monthly issue), and the anniversary of the manga as well. Maybe the power of you knoe threads will help you.

>>5936506
Do you think the average Forbes reader knows that? The article isn't for us nerds.

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>>5937100
Yeah I know. Since they already made Sakura, Tomoyo and even planning on making Syaoran(they rarely make figma shotas), she'll be just icing to the cake. Clamp did draw her in a few illustrations so if they do make her, they can base her figma off of those.

>Maybe the power of you knoe threads will help you.
I'm a believer of this, notable once I can remember that did work was Sakura, Yuno, Celty and I think Motoko too. I posted Syaoran every Wonfes after figma Sakura was announced and lo and behold, it worked! I'll probably do it to her when Wonfes winter 2017 comes around(although the chances of her being made is less than 20-30%).

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>Bandai has content that we do not have, so they are able to create a lot of figures with their line. The S.H. Figuarts figures are very good, but we take more time to make our figures, which make them somewhat different.

Lol.

>>5937116
>bandai admitting they don't sculpt as good as american companies
>article explaining the difference between mass market children toys and direct market toys
your average person from /toy/ doesn't know this stuff either.... or wants to pretend it isn't like that.

>>5937344
Don't be stupid. Both Bandai and Max Factory were terrible with realistic face sculpts. It's the switch to dot matrix printing and digital sculpts that helped Bandai get some acceptable looking figures in that style. With that said...figma Hulk shits all over SHF Hulk.

Both companies have their specialties and weaknesses. Bandai was great for mecha and helmeted figures like Kamen Rider while Max Factory was the only game in town for great looking anime figures. Bandai has tried to diversify and improve it's anime figures due to Dragon Ball's popularity but it took them a while to figure it out.

Max Factory has been diversifying as well with more detail heavy figures but also improving their anime figures to the point where older figma look like shit in comparison despite older figma already making anything Bandai made look like shit. They are still terrible with mech related stuff though. Figma Leonidas (dot matrix) and Hulk both look good though.

>>5937953
>Figma Leonidas (dot matrix)
Despite the ugly dot matrix technology, they did sculpt Butler's head very well if a bit cartoony.
Also, I thought the Figma had actual paint apps on the face, instead of relying entirely on a low resolution print like Bandai does?

>>5937344
To be fair, the Bruce Lee Figma was a prototype from like 2011 that went MIA and was only dusted off once Bandai announced theirs in the hopes of getting some last-minute sales. By Figma standards, it's ancient. When Max Factory and Bandai are both tackling the same properties with their modern production methods, the competition is a lot closer (see: the CCS and Love Live stuff).

>>5935564
Nintendo has really been branching out with their merchandising lately, so I think that great things can come from it.
>tfw no Mother figures so I have to rely on getting the UFO catcher statues at inflated prices
gsc pls

>>5937299
>>>we don’t view companies like Hasbro or Mattel as being in the same category as us.
>No shit?
>Hasbro and Mattel make children's toys for mass market stores.
>Almost all licensors recognize that there is a different market, hence NECA/Mezco/Diamond being able to make Marvel toys despite Hasbro holding the "master license."
>Mass market ≠ direct market.

>>5937953
>They are still terrible with mech related stuff though

Was GSA Chamber and the I-401 bad or something? For the most part they don't do machines, but both Scarlet Rain and Drossel Figma are quite good though I have no reference to compare Figma Drossel to Chogokin Drossel, but the figma was less than half the price of the chogokin anyway.