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 JohnHwangDD wrote:
Did they bring out the new Recon Gears? They must be Goblin-sized.

I really only looked closely at the Iguana as I have a southern force and it seemed only a hair smaller than the new jager.

Tac era (and older) Iggies were almost the same size as Jägers (as they are in the setting), but they shrinked them for Blitz. Maybe they're doubling back?

IMHO from the pics I've seen, the Hunters/Jägers look just too small.

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
"cannot sell, even with deep discounts"

That is not true.

I just bought a bunch of NEW CEF Frames for half off + S&H. And a NEW King Cobra for <$10 shipped. There's clearly a market for metal Gears run priced around $5-7 before S&H.

If the price is low enough, I'm willing to at least consider some of the other models. For example, I'd pay another $10 shipped for a Spitting Cobra with the Support Cobra bitz included. Tactical-era Recon Cadre? Yeah, I'd probably buy that at half original MSRP.


But yeah, neither of my local hobby stores carry new product from the Pod. Last I checked, I think there's one Exo-Armor from ages ago in one of the clearance bins. I wonder why that is...

Oh, totally. If I could find some new Gears locally for $5 a pop, I'd gobble those up, even if I never intended to play a game. They are fun models, they look like I would enjoy painting them and, frankly, there's a lot of nostalgic value in them for me. But of course, there aren't any such stores.

 Firebreak wrote:

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
"cannot sell, even with deep discounts"

That is not true.

I just bought a bunch of NEW CEF Frames for half off + S&H. And a NEW King Cobra for <$10 shipped. There's clearly a market for metal Gears run priced around $5-7 before S&H.

If the price is low enough, I'm willing to at least consider some of the other models. For example, I'd pay another $10 shipped for a Spitting Cobra with the Support Cobra bitz included. Tactical-era Recon Cadre? Yeah, I'd probably buy that at half original MSRP.


But yeah, neither of my local hobby stores carry new product from the Pod. Last I checked, I think there's one Exo-Armor from ages ago in one of the clearance bins. I wonder why that is...

Oh, totally. If I could find some new Gears locally for $5 a pop, I'd gobble those up, even if I never intended to play a game. They are fun models, they look like I would enjoy painting them and, frankly, there's a lot of nostalgic value in them for me. But of course, there aren't any such stores.

Given that I have seen the same unsold pile of stuff in local stores, and that I have seen the pile of the store were I usually play being discounted quite a low, well, I think that the number of people interested in metal gear around Montréal is rather low.
Low enough that I don't see the stores interested in putting plastic gears on their shelves.

I think that's part of what this kickstarter is intended to Remedy. Having boxes of relatively high quality (I'm looking at you, Ral Partha) styrene plastic miniatures could do some wonders to growing Heavy Gear.

mrondeau wrote:

 Firebreak wrote:

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
"cannot sell, even with deep discounts"

That is not true.

I just bought a bunch of NEW CEF Frames for half off + S&H. And a NEW King Cobra for <$10 shipped. There's clearly a market for metal Gears run priced around $5-7 before S&H.

If the price is low enough, I'm willing to at least consider some of the other models. For example, I'd pay another $10 shipped for a Spitting Cobra with the Support Cobra bitz included. Tactical-era Recon Cadre? Yeah, I'd probably buy that at half original MSRP.

But yeah, neither of my local hobby stores carry new product from the Pod. Last I checked, I think there's one Exo-Armor from ages ago in one of the clearance bins. I wonder why that is...

Oh, totally. If I could find some new Gears locally for $5 a pop, I'd gobble those up, even if I never intended to play a game. They are fun models, they look like I would enjoy painting them and, frankly, there's a lot of nostalgic value in them for me. But of course, there aren't any such stores.

Given that I have seen the same unsold pile of stuff in local stores, and that I have seen the pile of the store were I usually play being discounted quite a low, well, I think that the number of people interested in metal gear around Montréal is rather low.
Low enough that I don't see the stores interested in putting plastic gears on their shelves.

Were they below $5 CAD each? Maybe they haven't yet discounted deep enough to clear the stuff out of clearance bin. .

Nomeny wrote:
I think that's part of what this kickstarter is intended to Remedy. Having boxes of relatively high quality (I'm looking at you, Ral Partha) styrene plastic miniatures could do some wonders to growing Heavy Gear.

And that will entirely depend on reputation and reception.

Store manager: "Oh, Heavy Gear?" *glances in back* "Yeah, I got a bunch. Doesn't move."

DP9: "But these are plastic!"

SM: "How many players you got? Is there a tournament scene? How many boxes can you even make a month? How many other stores are working with you?"

DP9: "???"

Who knows? We don't know, yet.

All that said, I'm not super concerned about stores in my area immediately loading up on Heavy Gear. If I want it, I'll get it online. Stores shouldn't be the priority, not just yet anyway. If the relaunch is actually successful and gets any attention, then sure, it's absolutely necessary to try and re-engingeer some kind of distribution. But not immediately doing so is not, in my book, any kind of mark against the Pod, not right now, anyway.

@Firebreak, the Pod can tell the Store Manager that they got 1,000 backers on KS paying $125k.

What the Pod won't want to say is that the KS delivered late, and short, and less-detailed. Nor that the 1,000 backers have already purchased 80% of the potential future sales on discount via the KS.

It's a kickstarter. Expecting them to just be a pre-order misses the point. And those backers are now going to have a product they can share with their friends to increase the number of people playing Heavy Gear and hence the number of fans. I'm looking forward to introducing people in my area (Halifax) to it.

No way they'll get traction in Montréal, unless it's a new store that doesn't know DP9 yet.

Most gaming stores in Montréal know DP9 (aka Robert & Dave) personally, and can tell you stories... Usually of the "not stocking them again ever" kind.

This isn't hearsay or rumors, that's first hand experience.

"We did a kickstarter (that barely made enough money)" is not something to inspire confidence. MOST kickstarters are failures. Apparently better than 60% of them failed last year, if my incredibly brief googling is to be trusted.

And you're going to take that to a store, and tell them that, no, this company that's slowly died over 20 years is TOTALLY the exception to the rule and this KS for a game no one plays is TOTALLY going to hit it big time? That's not going to be worth much to anybody.

But again. This isn't the time to be getting it on shelves, anyway.

@Firebreak, According to the study KS commissioned with UPenn Wharton, most Kickstarters actually succeed. Not sure where you got the 60% fail number.

Anecdotally, the general success at delivering is broadly consistent with my experience on KS.

But yeah, the Pod isn't going to get a lot of money from the bank based on their KS fundraising "success".

Huh. That's pretty encouraging, I suppose. Still nothing the Pod (or anybody) can take to the bank.

I just grabbed one of the first results from googling "kickstarter success rate".

Oh. We are talking apples and oranges:

- 40% of Kickstarter projects get funded; 60% don't raise their minimum funding level

- 90% of (funded) Kickstarters (fully) deliver; 10% fail to deliver.

Ahhh, I gotcha.

But if we're being pedantic, then the Pod has to go in that 10%, because they have not fully delivered, what with the cut models.

Too true. During the KS, they promised the alt-Jager and alt-Hunter, then they retroactively removed them, because, excuses.

On the other hand, perfect is the enemy of good. The latest test pops came back better, the molds still need gates to be enlarged, and it's last call for add-ons before the mold is shipped to the US for production.

Nomeny wrote:
On the other hand, perfect is the enemy of good. The latest test pops came back better, the molds still need gates to be enlarged, and it's last call for add-ons before the mold is shipped to the US for production.

Hoping now to see the new pops and the improvements.

I'll probably add the Cheat Sheets for each faction as they are fairly cheap ($1 a piece). I was thinking of getting counters for one of the factions, just not sure if I should get North or South.

I'm getting counters for all the factions so that I can run demo games for my gaming group.

Here's a great update: Final test-pops are up for viewing on the Kickstarter!

I saw that. Looking forward to it finally getting fulfilled. I'm not sure I can handle being this giddy.

I would have like them to have shown a closer up picture of the sprues though. In the pictures I was emailed it was too difficult to see if the detail on the heads had been improved.

Kind of related :
http://thecse.com/en/listings/technology/stompy-bot-corporation

If you can't bother checking on the latest new releases, Stompy, producer of AAA e-sport wannabe Heavy Gear Assault can't afford their yearly audit, and their share price has dropped further as a consequence (From 0.120 to 0.010 in 8 months).
Time to go "Game over man !" ?

 HudsonD wrote:
Kind of related :
http://thecse.com/en/listings/technology/stompy-bot-corporation

If you can't bother checking on the latest new releases, Stompy, producer of AAA e-sport wannabe Heavy Gear Assault can't afford their yearly audit, and their share price has dropped further as a consequence (From 0.120 to 0.010 in 8 months).
Time to go "Game over man !" ?

I have no idea what this is supposed to mean; it comes across as either gibberish from a bot or is about the video game which isn't being discussed here that I have seen. Clarification might help.

 Ahtman wrote:

 HudsonD wrote:
Kind of related :
http://thecse.com/en/listings/technology/stompy-bot-corporation

If you can't bother checking on the latest new releases, Stompy, producer of AAA e-sport wannabe Heavy Gear Assault can't afford their yearly audit, and their share price has dropped further as a consequence (From 0.120 to 0.010 in 8 months).
Time to go "Game over man !" ?

I have no idea what this is supposed to mean; it comes across as either gibberish from a bot or is about the video game which isn't being discussed here that I have seen. Clarification might help.

Did you take a look at the link? On the right side under news, there are two recent press releases (the new one correcting a single line from the other). The publisher of the AAA esports Unreal 4 arena FPS that no one asked for which failed to crowdfund multiple times after missing its own annoucement countdown and has since changed directions and scope more times than an expert difficulty mario kart course doesn't have enough money to pay an accountant to properly examine their books and publish a report. If you're looking for a risky tech investment, it appears their stock is available for the low low price of a Canadian penny each. If you do buy end up buying stock, pm me for info on an exciting investment opportunity for a new tech venture I'm starting called Super Hyper Global Meganet.

I don't know. When I look at all the video games that I just can't bring myself to care about.. what with their shallow multiplayer modes which clearly have e-Sport aspirations, a setting where arena duelling has been a thing for a long time coupled with the room for customisation and personalisation.. well, that's a competitive online game I would actually play.

Indeed I backed it; Twice, you could say. So this is worrying news. I'm having flashbacks to Mechwarrior Tactics here :(

 Siygess wrote:


Indeed I backed it; Twice, you could say. So this is worrying news. I'm having flashbacks to Mechwarrior Tactics here :(

While I'm not sure what went on with MW tactics (was that the Xbox game or was that assault?), I'd say you have definite reason to be worried when the company comes out with a press release titled "Stompy Bot Corporation provides notice of default".

The short version of MWT is.. development was contracted out to a 3rd party, things were going well with the beta and then they weren't. Developer then reveals they ended their relationship with the MWT owners a while ago. Awkward questions get asked. Founders Packs keep getting sold. One day, the servers are shut down and the website is 'temporarily' offline. The end.

I was disappointed but I wasn't as invested in the universe as I am with Heavy Gear. So, I'm tentatively braced for more because putting in the time to become a good pilot with my own Gear.. good enough to put on a good show..is a heck of a lot more palatable to me than running up and down a three lane map in LoL.

Still, I never put into these things more than I am prepared to lose.

 warboss wrote:
Did you take a look at the link?

Yes I did.

 warboss wrote:
On the right side under news, there are two recent press releases

Gosh I can't believe I didn't download stuff from an unsolicited link that came in from a rambling post about a video game in a ttg thread.

Which comes back to it being about the video game and lacked anything to say that the discussion was veering wildly away from what it was. What it did was go like this:

ttg post
ttg post
ttg post
ttg post
ttg post
ttg post
OMGz like vidya game stocks wat? no down!