Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

"Inspired"... a.k.a. full of tacos.

DEZOAT wrote:
Well its 4 years now with this Kickstarter no end in sight. I find it funny that PB is selling Robotech RPG books as PDF now. I think they should done this back in 2013 and they should have done the whole line of books. But that me I would brought all then like I did with the whole Battletech line. I find it strange that PB doing this now. I wonder if HG is going drop PB from Robotech it a thought.

Regarding the PDFs, it'd have made sense, but at the time of the Kickstarter Kevin was still a luddite when it came to PDF's and DriveThru. I think financial stressors more than an awakening forced that to change. If true, you can thank the failure of RRT for the RPG going fully digital.

As for HG dropping them, short of the live action movie coming out (and I will remain skeptical until I hear that primary shooting has concluded with no lawsuit), and HG being free and clear of their Japanese counterparts regarding IP rights, it's never. going. to. happen.

Simply put. HG's mismanagement of the IP is second only to Kevin's mismanagement. There's simply no other company that will pay them for a "legacy" IP that's basically been abandoned for 30+ years. And with the added stink that RRT has put on the brand? I think any company that would volunteer to do so, would be much better off taking on any other IP instead. Or just making their own. HG and PB are together to the end. They deserve each other. Incompetency living on decades past success. Times two.

Morgan Vening wrote:
Simply put. HG's mismanagement of the IP is second only to Kevin's mismanagement. There's simply no other company that will pay them for a "legacy" IP that's basically been abandoned for 30+ years. And with the added stink that RRT has put on the brand? I think any company that would volunteer to do so, would be much better off taking on any other IP instead. Or just making their own. HG and PB are together to the end. They deserve each other. Incompetency living on decades past success. Times two.

Wait wait wait. Let's not overinflate RRT's importance. If any major film studio sees sufficient value in this franchise to sink money into, RRT's liabilities is a bloody drop in the bucket. The grand total raised isn't that big a sum in the movie entertainment world, and like it or not, PB did deliver Wave 1. The quickest and easiest way for any sufficiently interested film studio is simply to petty cash out the refunds.

No, the primary reason why the movie isn't happening is because the story is simply dated; 30 years of neglect is a lot to dust off and it's hard to build a rapport with today's core audience based on the old story. Anything that comes out will basically be recognizable to us by only the boilerplate title, and it's pretty much as good as a totally new story universe -- bolting the Robotech title over it is not very useful at all.

 Lynx7725 wrote:

Morgan Vening wrote:
Simply put. HG's mismanagement of the IP is second only to Kevin's mismanagement. There's simply no other company that will pay them for a "legacy" IP that's basically been abandoned for 30+ years. And with the added stink that RRT has put on the brand? I think any company that would volunteer to do so, would be much better off taking on any other IP instead. Or just making their own. HG and PB are together to the end. They deserve each other. Incompetency living on decades past success. Times two.

Wait wait wait. Let's not overinflate RRT's importance. If any major film studio sees sufficient value in this franchise to sink money into, RRT's liabilities is a bloody drop in the bucket. The grand total raised isn't that big a sum in the movie entertainment world, and like it or not, PB did deliver Wave 1. The quickest and easiest way for any sufficiently interested film studio is simply to petty cash out the refunds.

You don't even need to take it that far. Odds are any movie won't have anything even remotely similar to what Palladium has already made molds of. So apart from having the same name, people looking at the box wouldn't see how what they were holding in their hand (and covered in dust, if it's sitting in some FLGS) had anything to do with that movie that flopped last month.

And I do say "flopped" because, let's face it, it's Sony.

 Lynx7725 wrote:

Morgan Vening wrote:
Simply put. HG's mismanagement of the IP is second only to Kevin's mismanagement. There's simply no other company that will pay them for a "legacy" IP that's basically been abandoned for 30+ years. And with the added stink that RRT has put on the brand? I think any company that would volunteer to do so, would be much better off taking on any other IP instead. Or just making their own. HG and PB are together to the end. They deserve each other. Incompetency living on decades past success. Times two.

Wait wait wait. Let's not overinflate RRT's importance. If any major film studio sees sufficient value in this franchise to sink money into, RRT's liabilities is a bloody drop in the bucket. The grand total raised isn't that big a sum in the movie entertainment world, and like it or not, PB did deliver Wave 1. The quickest and easiest way for any sufficiently interested film studio is simply to petty cash out the refunds.

No, the primary reason why the movie isn't happening is because the story is simply dated; 30 years of neglect is a lot to dust off and it's hard to build a rapport with today's core audience based on the old story. Anything that comes out will basically be recognizable to us by only the boilerplate title, and it's pretty much as good as a totally new story universe -- bolting the Robotech title over it is not very useful at all.

I think you misinterpreted the argument.

I was meaning that WITHOUT the movie, no game company is going to outpay Palladium for the IP rights. The "never. going. to. happen" was in reference to any company outbidding PB for the rights, absent a movie.

WITH the movie, I can't see PB retaining the rights regardless, because I don't think a movie studio would take on the project without control of the IP, including gaming rights. And I doubt PB could either pay for what the new market value would be, or that the licensor would consider PB a good fit. Additionally, the new company wouldn't be liable for the refund costs regardless. The only reason to do so would be for PR purposes, and I'm honestly not sure they'd bother. This is PB's crapstorm.

That also doesn't take into account I don't expect a Live Action Robotech movie to have any of the iconic mecha except as a "legacy" item. All new mecha from both sides would be "transfomerized". Same general concept, completely redesigned look.

EDIT : Meri ninja'd me on my last point. Jerk.

I'm more than a pretty face and rock hard pecs - I'm also fast!

Merijeek wrote:
I'm more than a pretty face and rock hard pecs - I'm also fast!

That's what SHE said.

You know, there are pills that can help with that.

lets face it any Robotech movie that comes out is gonna be like Bay's Transformers, nothing will be like the old school Robotech, if Sony buys the IP rights for the movie they also will get all IP rights associated with the movie, that is Hollywood for you, just like the movie rights they got from Marvel, anything associated with the movies Sony has the rights too. PB will not even be a consideration, furthermore HG will not give up such rights so Sony will not acquire such rights, the whole Robotech movie is a joke, unless Sony decides to contest HG for the rights to Macross, which is a better possibility.

I was thinking more like Speed Racer.. a lot of money and advertising thrown at it and still a crap movie...
But I do agree, I don't see how anyone can not look at the Robotech IP and not see the stench of RTT..

Mostly because hard core nerd gaming (I'm talking stuff you can't get at Target) has such a small footprint, that it doesn't make even a blip when you're comparing it to mass market media.

Hey, I like the Speed Racer movie. It's not Oscar material. But it has a cool look and it doesn't take itself seriously.

The RRT fiasco has had a 0.1% negative impact on the overall Robotech IP from a Hollywood or major corporation point of view. Really, it's so completely insignificant that it just doesn't matter to the brand.

Ugh, I don't know which is more unlikely to happen - a live-action Robotech movie or a Rifts movie...

HG pretty much proved Robotech is a lost cause with the Shadow Chronicle release - bad CGI and a confusing story has just made it worse. The reaction to Robotech Academy clinched it.

Even if the movie is made, it'll be bad. Transformers and the Space Battleship Yamato/Star Blazers movie have proved that to me.

And this ... this "reinvisioning" of other's anime is why I wish the scum at Harmony Gold weren't in charge of the IP....

Morgan Vening wrote:All new mecha from both sides would be "transfomerized". Same general concept, completely redesigned look.

Asterios wrote:lets face it any Robotech movie that comes out is gonna be like Bay's Transformers

That's a depressing thought.

 Stormonu wrote:
Ugh, I don't know which is more unlikely to happen - a live-action Robotech movie or a Rifts movie...

HG pretty much proved Robotech is a lost cause with the Shadow Chronicle release - bad CGI and a confusing story has just made it worse. The reaction to Robotech Academy clinched it.

Granted, it's just Wiki as the source, but it looks like it was much more than that.

After the Robotech Movie, we had Robotech Wars (no progress), Robotech Sentinels (aborted aftter 3 eps), Robotech 3000 (trailer hated by test audiences), Mars Force (development hell), Shadow Chronicles (mixed reviews, sequel promised but abandoned*), Live Love Alive, Before the War (due next year apparently, based on Macross Zero**), Shadow Rising (the aforementioned cancelled sequel), and Academy (the debacle that was).

* Apparently HG were still promising the sequel in 2008, even though they'd abandoned it due to creative differences with their partner in 2007. And that it was then going to be rebooted several years later (2012), and nothing came of it. Why does that sound familiar?

** Not sure how that passes the smell test. AFAIK HG argued they had the rights (never properly challenged, and the source of the whole copyright shennanigans) to use the original three series, but it's unclear how that'll be rectified for a series that far after when they claimed they held the rights. I'll believe it when I see it).

Then the Live Action.
Sep 2007 with Warner Bros and Tobey McGuire producing.
June 2008, writer and two producers brought on board.
Late 2008, new writers brought on board.
Early 2009, one producer bails.
June 2009, new writers brought on board (apparently the 4th team, though only 2 listed previously)
Early 2013, first director announced.
July 2013, DeCaprio announced.
Feb 2015, new writers (at least the fifth), and a second director.
March 2015, Sony take over.
April 2015, third announced director (James Wan)
April 2016, deal between Sony and HG not yet finalized.

So yeah, not a great lineage of success they're having there. Incompetent management, shoddy product, lots of promises and no real progress. Craploads of missed deadlines.

There's a reason PB have the license. Because PB and HG are kindred spirits. Living on the success of the past, that past being built heavily on a foundation of someone else's work.

Morgan Vening wrote:
There's a reason PB have the license. Because PB and HG are kindred spirits. Living on the success of the past, that past being built heavily on a foundation of someone else's work.

Every once and a while this forum produces a gem of truth like this.
The most maddening part is they try to make it look like they came up with the core ideas.
Couldn't we just take the movie Top Gun as it stands and just have the planes transform?
I think the "plot" would need little work.
Take the same imagery but in a Robotech setting: it would work.

 Talizvar wrote:

Morgan Vening wrote:
There's a reason PB have the license. Because PB and HG are kindred spirits. Living on the success of the past, that past being built heavily on a foundation of someone else's work.

Every once and a while this forum produces a gem of truth like this.
The most maddening part is they try to make it look like they came up with the core ideas.
Couldn't we just take the movie Top Gun as it stands and just have the planes transform?
I think the "plot" would need little work.
Take the same imagery but in a Robotech setting: it would work.

WOW !! That great idea there Talizar for the Robotech movie. Well will see what HG and Sony do. Now It looks like I'am being call a troll on PB facebook but I'am no troll I' AM THE OLDZOAT. I threw gloves done and told the White Knights and PB fanboys that they better put a lot money in the Rift BG KS . I better see 7000 backer and 2 mil by the end of it.

Entirely anecdotal, but that list starting in 2007 is maybe half the story.

Yes, obviously fans have clamored for more of the series and a live action adaptation for decades, but I totally remember the Robotech live action movie being listed as being 'in development' in issues of Cinescape in the 90's, back when magazines held substantially more relevance.

I guess that'd be the ancient darker times, before the internet had nearly as much prevalence, and this would be the modern series.

Basically this gakshow goes so far back it gets a 'two era' treatment like Dr. Who.

 Genoside07 wrote:
I was thinking more like Speed Racer.. a lot of money and advertising thrown at it and still a crap movie...
But I do agree, I don't see how anyone can not look at the Robotech IP and not see the stench of RTT..

Hey! I loved the Speed Racer movie!

The edits and swipes were super-swish!

Well, it is now two months since an update on the RTT Kickstarter page..

I bet money the next update will be "Go check out the Rift game kickstarter!"

Can we report a complaint if they do that??

We could, but kickstarter would just blow it off like they do everything else.

Hey.. so i am new here.. hell i got a membership just so i could talk about this.. odd i never did this when i was a 40k player..

so i have a small request if possible.. since it looks like paladium isnt going to do anything anytime soon do we have a series of links or anything to any of the cool 3d models that are out there in the unofficial capacity? is that bad to ask for because man i really want to get some.. wasnt sure if you guys had places you preferred or knew of that had some goodies we can use in place of the wave 2 stuff that will probably never arrive.. Someone was talking abou their headless armored valkerie, id buy that where do i sign? or is there a source for this stuff already? anything to help me out, i got this game on the nostalgia trip and REALLY want it to work(clearly i am not the only one) and hearing all this is really disheartening as i was hoping to play some cool games..

what are people using for armored zentradi?

oldschoolroguetrader wrote:
Hey.. so i am new here.. hell i got a membership just so i could talk about this.. odd i never did this when i was a 40k player..

so i have a small request if possible.. since it looks like paladium isnt going to do anything anytime soon do we have a series of links or anything to any of the cool 3d models that are out there in the unofficial capacity? is that bad to ask for because man i really want to get some.. wasnt sure if you guys had places you preferred or knew of that had some goodies we can use in place of the wave 2 stuff that will probably never arrive.. Someone was talking abou their headless armored valkerie, id buy that where do i sign? or is there a source for this stuff already? anything to help me out, i got this game on the nostalgia trip and REALLY want it to work(clearly i am not the only one) and hearing all this is really disheartening as i was hoping to play some cool games..

what are people using for armored zentradi?

Pretty much all the minis for almost everything from all three generations has been done by people. Not many will talk about them though, especially with an unknown since HG is known for cracking down on anything they think might threaten their IP. Funny enough those that they scared away might be the only way to save RRT.

well here is the thing.. if they have the minis on a site like shapeways then they will be found by HG if they really want to and they can send out the C&Ds then.. they probably wont since they really stand to lose little money since the people they put in charge of doing this are.. well not doing this.

any list will only help us.. on top of that HG can pay interns to do what i wont, and that is to comb through this thread and find links or names of people who have said they made stuff..

oldschoolroguetrader wrote:
well here is the thing.. if they have the minis on a site like shapeways then they will be found by HG if they really want to and they can send out the C&Ds then.. they probably wont since they really stand to lose little money since the people they put in charge of doing this are.. well not doing this.

any list will only help us.. on top of that HG can pay interns to do what i wont, and that is to comb through this thread and find links or names of people who have said they made stuff..

The difference is the rules apply differently to making for personal use, and making publicly available. If I want to make an exact replica of a Glaug, there's really no law against that. If I try to sell it (even at cost), give it away (especially in large volumes), or use it in promotional material, THAT is when I run afoul of the law.

So, what most others have done here for the most part (some have stepped over bounds) aren't in contravention of copyrights. Arguably up until they do what you ask.

Morgan Vening wrote:

oldschoolroguetrader wrote:
well here is the thing.. if they have the minis on a site like shapeways then they will be found by HG if they really want to and they can send out the C&Ds then.. they probably wont since they really stand to lose little money since the people they put in charge of doing this are.. well not doing this.

any list will only help us.. on top of that HG can pay interns to do what i wont, and that is to comb through this thread and find links or names of people who have said they made stuff..

The difference is the rules apply differently to making for personal use, and making publicly available. If I want to make an exact replica of a Glaug, there's really no law against that. If I try to sell it (even at cost), give it away (especially in large volumes), or use it in promotional material, THAT is when I run afoul of the law.

So, what most others have done here for the most part (some have stepped over bounds) aren't in contravention of copyrights. Arguably up until they do what you ask.

even doing items for yourself could run afoul of some laws, there are ways of doing custom items for yourself and such even some commission work but the law is a bit iffy on some things.

like those people who put up some famous cartoon characters on their day care wall and got a C&D from an evil "rodent" ran corporation that shall not be named.

Ah, yes. An actual incidence of a Legal Tsunami(tm).

A looooong time ago, before this debacle began, PB used to have metal minis for some of the Robotech stuff. Do they still have any of it and does anyone have pictures of it - I can't remember anything other than a battlepod and a valkerie model for the line-up? It's been years, but I never bought any so I'm thinking it must have been pretty god-awful, even for its time.

Which reminds me, a possible legal avenue for some of the older designs would be to buy the old "unseen" battletech minis - (LAM) Wasp, (LAM) Stinger, (LAM) Phoenix Hawk, Crusader, Marauder, Archer, Warhammer, Longbow, and Rifleman. There's also the "Ost" mechs (Ostol & Ostscout?), but I think in Battletech they had arms added to them. I don't think either version of Zentraidi power armor ever emerged in battletech.

I dont recall any robotech minis. You dont mean the rifts ones?

 Stormonu wrote:
A looooong time ago, before this debacle began, PB used to have metal minis for some of the Robotech stuff. Do they still have any of it and does anyone have pictures of it - I can't remember anything other than a battlepod and a valkerie model for the line-up? It's been years, but I never bought any so I'm thinking it must have been pretty god-awful, even for its time.

Which reminds me, a possible legal avenue for some of the older designs would be to buy the old "unseen" battletech minis - (LAM) Wasp, (LAM) Stinger, (LAM) Phoenix Hawk, Crusader, Marauder, Archer, Warhammer, Longbow, and Rifleman. There's also the "Ost" mechs (Ostol & Ostscout?), but I think in Battletech they had arms added to them. I don't think either version of Zentraidi power armor ever emerged in battletech.

The mini in question were the Dark Horse made mini I believe they were in 1/160 scale in lead. All I remember were all three Veritech fighter mode which I may add were easy to build with all the different heads, All the destroid but no Mac II . The Zentraedi had all four Battle Pods and the Officer Battle pod. I don't think Zentraedi Power armor ( male &female) were done. I know they were price around about $5.75 to 7.79 per mini which were high at the time. That why the guys were used the Battletech mini instead at time. I know the one I sold on e-bay went for BIG BUCKS and over sea to Germany about 7 years ago.

I still have all three modes of my VF-1S. (They were sold with all the head parts for the A, J, and S) Although they've seen better days.

I always regretted not being able to get (not being able to afford) the "Excalibur" destroid. I also would have liked a "Raidar X", but I don't think I ever saw one of those for sale.

Palladium wasn't associated with those miniatures. In fact, it was clear even back then that Unca Kev didn't want to give them any promotion. I forget if the books even had anything but the most brief passing mention of them in between urgings to buy Heroes Unlimited and Palladium Fantasy. I think I only discovered they existed by seeing them in the LGS one day back in 1986.