|
Post by wacommonkey on Aug 11, 2007 20:15:28 GMT -5
Are you asking "what is urban vinyl" or are you asking why I would like it?? I just want to be answering the right question!
|
|
|
Post by Squishee Slinger on Aug 11, 2007 20:16:37 GMT -5
Wacommonkey - Thanks for all the info and insight. I can't tell you how much we appreciate having some inside prespective to a line many of us absolutely adored. Heck, the fact we still visit hee eveyday with the line being killed nearly 3 years ago proves it. I probably spent thousands of dollars in plastic and was very vocal about xevoz on every toy website I visited trying to get people interested. Unfortunately with most adult toy enthusiatists, if it doesn't have a super hero, TV or movie tie in they aren't interested. Sad that so few choose to use their imagination these days....
I must admit I'm still a bit angry that Hasbro never jumped into the battle and marketed this thing like I read they originally intended. Seems to me very early on they decided the toyline would sink or float by mostly word of mouth alone. In a recessed toy market (especially for kids) that seemed to spell it's doom from the beginning. There has been a positive for me in Xevoz brief life it was that I was able to sock away lots of kits for cheap and will be able to creat some fun customs for years too come. Had I known the future ahead of time that the line was destined to fail due to Hasbro's laxidisical approach I'd have bought every storm wing, tomb wraith and crypt curse I saw. Back then I was holding off on a few of them in the hopes kids and collectors would pick them up and take notice and extend the brand's life. Now I'm thinking Hasbro probably decided to pull the plug shortly after wave 3 hit a few of the wal-marts that decided to carry the line.
I have one request, if the plastic ball/joint action tries to make a comeback at Hasbro under one of their old loved liecenses (I'm really suprised no one has even given this idea a shot yet. I do think Marvel, G.I.Joe, Star Wars and perhaps even Transformers can be very successful in this format because those fans will buy anything made in that style and give it a chance just based on their love for those characters and we all know that once they give ball jointed figures a chance people will become addicted.) if you have any input with the hirer ups please ask them to make them in scale with these pre-existing xevoz figures.
|
|
|
Post by FratMonkey on Aug 11, 2007 20:32:35 GMT -5
Ball and socket is indeed a very cool concept, but there is one major flaw in it, the joints loosen a LOT. I think rather than using plastic, which simply grinds away over time, Hasbro or whatever toy line decides to pick up the concept should use something more durable, like rubber......or titanium .
|
|
|
Post by Machineman on Aug 11, 2007 21:47:45 GMT -5
Japanese models where the whole ball joint thing came from use a soft vinyl that doesn't wear as fast. I think they sometimes call them poly caps or something. That would require inserts and make for some fat appendages.
Wacommonkey: Thanks for the history. Now if Ban can give us a future..... I actually vote you NOT post images too fast or even recast. That sounds like a good way to get black listed in your line of work. Anonymously leak some stuff out in a few months...
Honest question - If you intended for the kits to be carved up as much as Stikfas, how safe it the plastic? It smells a little funny when you grind it. Especially the Translucent.
|
|
|
Post by Squishee Slinger on Aug 11, 2007 22:07:02 GMT -5
Titinium makes things expensive and the weight would probably mean a very droopy figure even if you somehow got the metal to give way to a ball insertment. I'm not sure how rubber would work.
I myself really haven't had any issues with the plastic in grinding or loose joints but them again I don't play a huge amount with my figures other than reposing them every once in awhile. I have enough copies to keep the wear and tear down for the most part.
|
|
|
Post by Godzillalover on Aug 11, 2007 22:27:17 GMT -5
This topic took a rather interesting turn. I'm glad somebody from the creators board is coming to this forum.
|
|
|
Post by Squishee Slinger on Aug 11, 2007 22:34:24 GMT -5
One other question... Was there ever any thought given to a either a human female head/upper torso either as a stand alone kit or as add on to another kit. I really longed for genie, female air elemental or a mermaid.
|
|
|
Post by FratMonkey on Aug 11, 2007 22:41:57 GMT -5
Adding to Squishee's gender question, was there any plans of making different races for the Neosapians and Aracasters? Such as someone black, or someone asian (well I guess Shadow Blade probably is classified as someone Japanese, but its hard to tell when you cant see his face).
|
|
|
Post by Squishee Slinger on Aug 11, 2007 22:45:00 GMT -5
Heh, my version of street pursuit is a black man.
|
|
|
Post by wacommonkey on Aug 12, 2007 0:00:28 GMT -5
I do have a primer gray model of a female Neo Sapien, a blend between fantasy and what we always called "gun bunny" Street Pursuit was going to be a black guy, we were definitely talking about doing the Sentry as hispanic. I had some regret near the end that we missed opportunities with the extra heads to do different races. The idea behind the characters was that they were not specific people, but more "occupations". That's why none are named Morty Mech, they are all kind of job descriptions. Safety wise, grinding plastic is never risk-free, if you have to do it, get plenty of ventilation! Yes you could get more life from a socket by having the factory insert a different plastic into the socket wall. However, it might double the cost of the product, and it's hard to justify that price to a kid.
|
|
|
Post by Squishee Slinger on Aug 12, 2007 0:08:19 GMT -5
Please, for the love of everything good and cool in the universe... if you decide to eventually show us pics please include "GUN BUNNY".
|
|
|
Post by wacommonkey on Aug 12, 2007 0:44:09 GMT -5
I don't know what the consensus will be on the images (the person I'm asking is away right now) the female was preliminary, and still needed alot of tweaks, the line was retired before we got to comment on the initial sculpt.
|
|
|
Post by Squishee Slinger on Aug 12, 2007 0:58:00 GMT -5
Well I think we'd all like to see Gun Bunny anyway.... If possible.
|
|
|
Post by sixwayshot on Aug 12, 2007 4:27:22 GMT -5
Wacomonkey: Thank you for the insight you've given us. I know this has been asked before, but I may as well ask it again:
With the current state of the toy industry in mind, do you think that Xevoz could ever come back? Is there any way for another company to obtain the rights to Xevoz and make more/do something with the line?
I'm sorry i'm being redundant, here, it's just that Xevoz literally made my bad days better, and my good days great. I can still remember walking into K-Mart on a tuesday afternoon getting all the Xevoz I could carry after my parents told me that my dog had died during a tumor removeal surgery..
|
|
|
Post by wacommonkey on Aug 12, 2007 11:27:11 GMT -5
Anything could happen, but large companies work on statistics and profit. Another big company would want the license if it had made lots of money, Xevoz didn't. The best chance for Xevoz to return is a dramatic rise in profits in build system toys. Then everyone would want to jump on the action and get the best products to set themselves apart. That's unlikely. On the positive side, There are always foward thinking people that have the right combination of assets/connections that can make things happen. Also it's much easier to grab something that has been thought-out and de-bugged rather than starting from scratch -anything could happen.
|
|