Interesting times - changes at Yamato Toys

[aceoftherebellion]

Hahaha if they did stop making Macross product (which seems unlikely given the factors you just said re:licence acquisition and the like) I bet a LOT of us will end up eating their own words when it comes to Yamato Criticism... Kind of a case of 'you don't know what you've got until it's gone', maybe.

[jenius]

Too soon for doom. Moving headquarters could mean they had just gotten too big for their existing space. My company moved headquarters about a year ago and it was very much a good sign, not a bad one.

[aceoftherebellion]

That's honestly what I suspect, with the name-change simply being a reflection of their expansion. The mid-season upgrade, to put it in mecha terms, with the sudden announcement simply being an effort to coincide with a major toy-event, just for publicity. Personally I doubt much will chance if anything... I just hope I'm right about that!

[Valkyrie addict]

I guess a good sign is also how sudden this news came to be, usually when a company is going to hell is known months in advanced and from what I've seem, late 2011 and 2012 was very prosperous for Yamato, so I hope they continue on with their Macross endeavors.

Edited February 11, 2013 by Valkyrie addict

[Loop]

I'll stay positive I guess, if anything just for the hope that I see a SDF-1 TV, Max and Millia VF-11's, Millia's VF-17 and Sound Force completion. The problem I have though is it seems the other companies web site is all about dolls

Edited February 11, 2013 by Loop

[aceoftherebellion]

http://arcadia.ac/wf.php

They still have the macross 30 logo listed in their event schedules. Most likely they're still just constructing the new website and it only reflects the items they had already announced under Arcadia over the past few weeks.

[Duymon]

We need to remember Macross was only one part of Yamato's business. They were also pretty involved in the girly anime figure thing. Their girly figure products outnumber their macross offerings by a lot. Who knows, maybe this was a shift for them to put more focus on that since mainstream Macross Source material has pretty much dried up.

Speculating aside we'll just wait for Graham's inside source.

On a side note, dude, I clicked the link on their other product and was like OMG people not only buy that stuff but pay THAT much? O_o (referring to Angel Philia) Those figs def not gf / wife friendly lol

Edited February 11, 2013 by Duymon

[aceoftherebellion]

That's fairly typical of ball-point-dolls, yeah. It's a pretty huge collecting fandom, actually, but understandably one with very little overlap with mecha-toy collecting!

I've personally known girls that have spent upwards of a thousand dollars on a single ball-joint-doll, though, so... It's clearly a demographic that's worth tapping into if you're a big specialty toy manufacturer.

[EXO]

haha... Creepy dolls and naked statues are the bread and butter of the Japanese toy industry. Wonderfest is probably 5% giant robots.

For anyone that saw the proto, is Hikaru a really a man-doll? As in fabric and hair and not an all plastic action fig? I'd love a 1/8 all plastic figure with the cockpit.

[Tochiro]

haha... Creepy dolls and naked statues are the bread and butter of the Japanese toy industry. Wonderfest is probably 5% giant robots.

For anyone that saw the proto, is Hikaru a really a man-doll? As in fabric and hair and not an all plastic action fig? I'd love a 1/8 all plastic figure with the cockpit.

They only had design sketches on display. It appeared to be ball joint with an actual head/hair sculpt, not doll hair. Was very early stage stuff tho.

[aceoftherebellion]

I'd almost be interested in that, maybe... But then again, at that point, what's the difference between that and the one they already make? Seems a little pointless, but eh. Their business what they feel they wanna market, I guess.

[Kyp Durron]

To quote a famous sci-fi character, "I've got a bad feeling about this..."



-Kyp

[505thAirborne]

Well.... this is crappy news to read.

@Kyp I prefer as a famous sci-fi character quote "Its in the frakking ship"

[anime52k8]

On a side note, dude, I clicked the link on their other product and was like OMG people not only buy that stuff but pay THAT much? O_o (referring to Angel Philia) Those figs def not gf / wife friendly lol

LOL... although VMF50 (which these Angel Philia things apear to be an offshoot of) are clearly marketed at creepy otaku more than thing like Volks are.

That said... Sonico... *drool*

[Phalanix]

Yamato released a number of larger scaled "action figures/dolls" in the past, wouldn't be surprised if Hikaru ended up something like this (http://myfigurecollection.net/item/13785) - toy wise, not boob wise. would be cool if they released a cockpit to go along with the figure. Maybe the Alto EX-Gear figure will finally have a friend? lol

[ron5864]

As long as the product and quality does not change dramatically, I doubt most will change their buying preferences. I will buy another Yamato/Arcadia product if it is top notch item.

[master of macross]

whate and hope to good notice...

[anime52k8]

Yamato released a number of larger scaled "action figures/dolls" in the past, wouldn't be surprised if Hikaru ended up something like this (http://myfigurecollection.net/item/13785) - toy wise, not boob wise. would be cool if they released a cockpit to go along with the figure. Maybe the Alto EX-Gear figure will finally have a friend? lol

I think I'd like hikaru as a character more if he had boobs.

[Save]

are they still going to make 1/60 vfs??

My personal speculation would be yes. I'm sure they are looking to pass their existing product arrangements / contracts to the new company. Like most things in Japan it will take time and until then nothing will be officially said, posted or exhibited.

From one Leiji Matsumoto ship to another. BRILLIANT!

Agreed, though "Bakame" would have been a better company name.

Very curious. I wonder if the name change is concurrent with a change in ownership structure.

From what I could tell it's still the same management and owners pulling the stings. So I'm sure we can still expect the horrible packaging design to continue.

Interesting indeed, I wonder if it's a "we are losing money so re-brand to save jobs" or "hey the last year was pretty good so lets move and re-brand to keep things fresh".

Maybe, the booth was maned by there usual employees. Recently the company had brought on a hand full of young employees and they were there working.

Wonder how this affects me getting replacement parts...

If you live outside of Japan you will still get the same "unsupported no replacement part service", so no change there.

Yamatos site is still up, and although I don't understand any Japanese, there appears to be no announcement regarding this.

Arcadias site has almost no content

Again Yamato will still remain as a company for product imported to Japan so I imagine the site isn't going anywhere. I'm guessing Macross and other products will transition over to the Arcadia site throughout the year.

Strange that they would change their name when they have become known for making a lot of good toys and statues. Were they having financial problems or something?

Aside from Good Smile Company and a hand full of other toy companies (run by GSC) pretty much everybody is having financial problem in the toy industry.

Too soon for doom. Moving headquarters could mean they had just gotten too big for their existing space.

I've been asked to visit the new office, I'll let everyone know whether they scaled up or scaled down.

Edited February 11, 2013 by Save

[EXO]

My personal speculation would be yes. I'm sure they are looking to pass their existing product arrangements / contracts to the new company. Like most things in Japan it will take time and until then nothing will be officially said, posted or exhibited.

Thanks for posting Save.

From what I could tell it's still the same management and owners pulling the stings. So I'm sure we can still expect the horrible packaging design to continue.

[charger69]

I've been asked to visit the new office, I'll let everyone know whether they scaled up or scaled down.

Waiting for your updates!

[Renato]

Agreed, though "Bakame" would have been a better company name.

You're only saying that because we were watching Yamato 2199 in the other room while you typed.

[Ignacio Ocamica]

Since we love all types of crazy theories here at macrossworld, which one is the bigger spaceship, the Arcadia or the Yamato?

This could answer if they scaled up or down.

And have they shifted to the green Arcadia or the blue Arcadia?

Edited February 11, 2013 by Ignacio Ocamica

[charger69]

Since we love all types of crazy theories here at macrossworld, which one is the bigger spaceship, the Arcadia or the Yamato?

This could answer if they scaled up or down.

And have they shifted to the green Arcadia or the blue Arcadia?

Let's see

http://www.cornponeflicks.org/harlock/pirateships.html

Arcadia

The blue version measures 400 meters long, 290 meters wide, and 160 meters

in height. It is equipped with two "Pulsar Cannon" gun turrets and an

auxiliary anti-aircraft gun dubbed the "Space Buster." Who ya gonna

call? The green Arcadia measures 400 meters long, 260 meters wide, and

158 meters in height. Now armed with three Pulsar Cannons and a more

easily aimed Space Buster, whose name they wisely quit using.

Yamato is only 285m long!!

Woo hooo

Edited February 11, 2013 by charger69

[GU-11]

Whatever the case, I just hope they make a last batch of 1/60 scale VT-1 Super Ostriches this year.

........

Edited February 11, 2013 by GU-11

[Phalanix]

Whatever the case, I just hope they make a last batch of 1/60 scale VT-1 Super Ostriches this year.

........

I was hoping for a re-release of the VT-1 too, guess we'll just have to wait and see. :|

I think I'd like hikaru as a character more if he had boobs.

How about that Bretai figure with manboobs (or rather Zenboobs)? LOL

[Rabidweezil]

Well I just splurged for the VF-19F, VF19P and VF-17D. I was going to get them anyway, but I was holding out for a HLJ sale. I figured I'd grab them now just in case though. Especially the 19F. It seems to be slowly vanishing as far as online shops go.

And I know I'm the minority here, but as much as I would hate to see Yamato/Arcadia stop making valks, I also wouldn't be too upset if it happened. I've spent a lot of money on these things. I'm getting older, and I don't have unlimited room to display them. I would feel a sense of relief sitting back, looking at my collection and patting myself on the back for a job well done. Maybe add the occasional Bandai Macross F Valk to the mix (assuming I can actually score them).

[ff95gj]

I was worrying, but let's hope for the best.

Yamato is the company which brought me back to the toy world, after 20+ years of deserting.

I don't know about the sales figure of Yammies, but my feeling is that they are not doing really good. Look at the HLJ sales and there are always Macross Yammies.

I showed my support by getting the valks on day one - even though 80% of the time the price will drop drop drop. But they deserve my money.

Whatever Yamato sells, I have the confidence on its quality. I hope this would be carried forward to Arcadia.

[Save]

For anyone that saw the proto, is Hikaru a really a man-doll? As in fabric and hair and not an all plastic action fig? I'd love a 1/8 all plastic figure with the cockpit.

No physical prototype was shown. Only a foam board advertisement was displayed which had Hikaru pilot suit line art, three small photos of the clay head sculpt and some kind of figure/doll body articulation schematic. The three photos were of different angles of the head sculpt and unlike Tochiro, I didn't think the sculpt in its current very rough

unfinished state looked very good.

[EXO]

I was worrying, but let's hope for the best.

Yamato is the company which brought me back to the toy world, after 20+ years of deserting.

I don't know about the sales figure of Yammies, but my feeling is that they are not doing really good. Look at the HLJ sales and there are always Macross Yammies.

I showed my support by getting the valks on day one - even though 80% of the time the price will drop drop drop. But they deserve my money.

Whatever Yamato sells, I have the confidence on its quality. I hope this would be carried forward to Arcadia.

I agree, I'm hoping for more reissues because they just came out too fast this last few years. As for new valks at this point they either get the Frontier license or everything else is icing on the cake. Getting the VF-4 released is more than I hope for.

Despite the many issues their toys have, they really raised the bar for not just Macross valks but toys in general, I think as much as Hot Toys and the Masterpiece line from Transformers. I was honestly just hoping for Bandai 1/55 reissues when I first joined here but those Yamatos after the 1/48 just had to make me collect. Great job by them and hopefully more amazing things to come from Arcadia.

I'm actually excited about the Hikaru figure and cockpit. I was actually thinking about a custom like that in 1/6 scale but I'm already sold at the thought of getting it from them. I wonder who's engineering it?

[Valkyrie addict]

Frontier license probably locked by Bandai like they had the Macross 7 franchise locked and did nothing with it.

Anyway, Yamato has plenty of valks to make from their current license, they can still milked the VF-1 to death like they've been doing for the past 5 years and people buy them. We all want reissues. From the Macross 7 and VFX license, they can make any valkyrie from the Macross universe.

I would like a VF-5000 and VF-14!

Anyway, I know Yamato is mostly doll figuring and stuff more than Mecha, but I've always wondered why they've never venture into the whole Zentradi, Meltrandi 1/60 figures to go along with our VF's.

[Mommar]

I know some of us have been thinking this is bad. I'm wondering, this idea must have been floating around the office for at least a little while. Mr. K already mentioned his wish list for Valks to keep making. Maybe it was just hyperbole, or really just a wish list, but you would think that if they weren't going to have the Macross license anymore he might have just declined to comment on what else he'd like to make.

[Valkyrie addict]

Well, part of the problem of our worries if Arcadia/Yamato will continue the Macross line is because the Big West license is so expensive for this niche that no other company will find this a profitable venture.

[DarrinG]

Does anyone know if this is the same Arcardia that did this Mospeada 1/72 Gosu Resin kit? Would be very cool if some of the new folks there had a liking to that series...

[Vifam7]

I have no doubt that Yamato in its new name Arcadia will continue to produce Macross toys but I get the feeling that we may not be getting it the way we become used to.