Tamiya has been taken over by Micro$oft...
Bring out something and then start selling upgrades...
Kris
Hosted by Jacques Duquette
Opportunism at its most blatant?
crossbow
Joined: April 11, 2003
KitMaker: 1,387 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 02:23 AM UTC
Oh my god...
Tamiya has been taken over by Micro$oft...
Bring out something and then start selling upgrades...
Kris
Tamiya has been taken over by Micro$oft...
Bring out something and then start selling upgrades...
Kris
seb43
Joined: August 30, 2005
KitMaker: 2,315 posts
Armorama: 2,158 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 02:35 AM UTC
Dear All
i have been reading all your posts and one of you, he like me i stopped modeling during 15 years. It was a really a surprize for me, i had the impression that the model market freeze during this period, not so much new players only Trump.
I'm also amazed by the level of technology in the Plastic model, in my work i had the oppurtinity to see the technology evlution in polymer processing.
But any producer use the new trend in polymer processing always PS for the plastic and polyester resin for the resin kits.As well for the production of metal part a lot can be do.
Are we a niche market?
if it the case, expensive product including the new feature of the polymer processing will easy to find no ?
If any of your can explain me why any big change arrive in 15 years?
Any explanation, but look on a materials point of view, there is room for new products.
seb
i have been reading all your posts and one of you, he like me i stopped modeling during 15 years. It was a really a surprize for me, i had the impression that the model market freeze during this period, not so much new players only Trump.
I'm also amazed by the level of technology in the Plastic model, in my work i had the oppurtinity to see the technology evlution in polymer processing.
But any producer use the new trend in polymer processing always PS for the plastic and polyester resin for the resin kits.As well for the production of metal part a lot can be do.
Are we a niche market?
if it the case, expensive product including the new feature of the polymer processing will easy to find no ?
If any of your can explain me why any big change arrive in 15 years?
Any explanation, but look on a materials point of view, there is room for new products.
seb
snowman6
Joined: December 12, 2004
KitMaker: 51 posts
Armorama: 20 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 02:38 AM UTC
I agree, the market will take care of this problem. We need to support the companies that are doing it right.
Sabot
Joined: December 18, 2001
KitMaker: 12,596 posts
Armorama: 9,071 posts
KitMaker: 12,596 posts
Armorama: 9,071 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 02:38 AM UTC
Quoted Text
More good points. And as a side note, who says this track/barrel/sprocket set can't be used on the Trumpeter kit? It seems to me that the price is competitive to how much a set of Fruils would cost. The benefit to the Tamiya set is that sprockets and a barrel are included.Guys, what's the problem? When Dragon makes another set of german infatry and some people are disappointed usual answer is: they do it because german sells. Now Tamiya released metal tracks and it's the same situation - many are not interested but others will buy it. Nobody is forced to buy this set or ancient KV so what we are talking about?
Piotr
I know there are modelers out there who claim to always replace kit tracks with Fruils. I think the Tamiya upgrade set is a bargin.
seb43
Joined: August 30, 2005
KitMaker: 2,315 posts
Armorama: 2,158 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 02:44 AM UTC
Just one example of polymer processing that allready exist and can be apply to AFV
You can inject a rubber like polymer and then finish with PS on one piece.
Application: You will have all your tank wheel like real the rubber band will be rubber.
You can inject a rubber like polymer and then finish with PS on one piece.
Application: You will have all your tank wheel like real the rubber band will be rubber.
SEDimmick
Joined: March 15, 2002
KitMaker: 1,745 posts
Armorama: 1,483 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 03:09 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted TextGood Q but I would venture to say that Tamiya has a huge cult following and that if they release something, there are those loyal dedicated buyers that would get it.
A very interesting point. However, I would suggest that their status has been severely damaged in the last year or two. Evidence of that? Well, not conclusive, but here on the site, it used to be that any News Story on Tamiya would get literally thousands of 'hits' in just a few days. Recently (within minutes) I posted two stories, one on AFV Club, the other on Tamiya. The former rapidly overtook the Tamiya story in 'hits' - a trend I have been noticing for a while now. It does (sadly) indicate that Tamiya's star has 'waned' somewhat and hat modellers are no longer seeing them as a major-leaguer...Jim
But to bring up another point...how much of the modelling popluation is active on the internet? I'm inclined to believe that better then 80-90% of the modelling public isn't rabbid about information as the typical person who comes here or other modelling sites. You have to figure that world wide there is only a couple thousand people who visit websites and I'd say less then 500 people post/read regularly (say in armor alone) make up what is found on internet disscussion groups across the board. Thus better informed modellers arent as interested in Tamiya stuff, since yes their stuff hasn't been up to par to who else is out there.
Tamiya still has an excellent reputation with modelers that they've developed over the past 30 years vs everyone else. People will still buy there stuff just because of the name. But Tamiya has also become the whipping boy (sometimes undeservitly) for people, to the point that they attack every little thing wrong with the kit.
jimbrae
Joined: April 23, 2003
KitMaker: 12,927 posts
Armorama: 9,486 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 05:05 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I think the Tamiya upgrade set is a bargain.
Rob, if that was the price -absolutely. However, this is the price which is getting quoted from HK - when the same item appears in the States or Europe...Need I say more?..Jim
Henk
Joined: August 07, 2004
KitMaker: 6,391 posts
Armorama: 4,258 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 05:38 AM UTC
Quoted Text
But to bring up another point...how much of the modelling popluation is active on the internet? I'm inclined to believe that better then 80-90% of the modelling public isn't rabbid about information as the typical person who comes here or other modelling sites. You have to figure that world wide there is only a couple thousand people who visit websites and I'd say less then 500 people post/read regularly (say in armor alone) make up what is found on internet disscussion groups across the board. Thus better informed modellers arent as interested in Tamiya stuff, since yes their stuff hasn't been up to par to who else is out there.
Tamiya still has an excellent reputation with modelers that they've developed over the past 30 years vs everyone else. People will still buy there stuff just because of the name. But Tamiya has also become the whipping boy (sometimes undeservitly) for people, to the point that they attack every little thing wrong with the kit.
Exactly the point I made before in a similar thread a short while ago..
.In most hobbyshops that I've been to, Tamiya and Revell outsell anything else on the market. Reason? Because that's what they stock, and that's what the average modeler knows and buys.. Maybe a few Academy kits and one or two AFV kits..
Howmany hobby shops, who often sell models as part of their business which may include toys, stationary, prams or fishing tackle etc., can afford the initial outlay for things like Fruil tracks and Aber PE sets which, for all they know, might not sell. Again, we who have drifted onto this site are a minority with the wish, budget, (skills?) to use these sets, and knowledge about them. The vast majority of modelers either don't know or don't care. Each to their own, but personaly I could not care less what Tamiya do or don't. Questioning their sanity is a bit pointless, Tamiya is one of the biggest ( if not the biggest ) kit manufactures in the world. I don't think they market anything on the whim of a junior staff member. They are in business because they produce that what sells... Unlike somwe of us here would..
:-) .Some of their kits make good donors for AM or scratchbuild projects, but other than that, I don't buy them anymore, and don't lose any sleep over the subject.
Cheers
Henk
ant88
Joined: January 27, 2005
KitMaker: 225 posts
Armorama: 176 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 05:59 AM UTC
It just reinforces my disgust with Tamiya. I can go buy a dragon with alu barrel, photo etch, cartograph decals and a whole bunch more like new tooling or go buy another tamiya kit and then go buy all that stuff seperate. I dont think so. They are hardly coming out with any armor besides 1/48 th and then they do finially come out with something new and its the Leclerc, no thanks!
Shado1
Joined: July 24, 2003
KitMaker: 211 posts
Armorama: 133 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 06:23 AM UTC
Hey, just regard it as a Tamiya's test of human stupidity.
At all the LHSs here in Osaka, you can find that "new" Tamiya KV-1 kit sitting right next to the new Trumpeter KV kits, which sell for half the price and offer five times the quality.
Sit back, and see if anybody is stupid enough to buy the Tamiya version!
A classic experiment in human psychology!
And I don' t fault Tamiya at all for doing it.
By the way, here in Japan, the straight Tamiya KV-1 kit is about half the price of the Trumpeter kits.
At all the LHSs here in Osaka, you can find that "new" Tamiya KV-1 kit sitting right next to the new Trumpeter KV kits, which sell for half the price and offer five times the quality.
Sit back, and see if anybody is stupid enough to buy the Tamiya version!
A classic experiment in human psychology!
And I don' t fault Tamiya at all for doing it.
By the way, here in Japan, the straight Tamiya KV-1 kit is about half the price of the Trumpeter kits.
Bodeen
#026
Joined: June 08, 2002
KitMaker: 1,744 posts
Armorama: 1,359 posts
Posted: Thursday, September 15, 2005 - 12:35 PM UTC
Build it...and they will buy! I'm going to buy from whoever gives me the best value for my $$$$$$$!I still buy the ancient Tamiya stuff at my LHS just for a diversion. I bought the old Panzer II with the Afrika Korps infantry for $12.00. I know what i'm getting and I'll try to make the best of the old kit. Am I going to buy aftermarket parts to upgrade..at a cost of 3 x the original price of the kit? NOOOOOOOOO!
Right now DML and Trumpeter are in the driver's seat in the 1/35 market. Why..? Interesting subject matter and good value for the money. That's where it's at! Right now Tamiya does not seem too concerned about providing affordable or interesting subjects.
I can buy the new Trumpeter "Sturer Emil" for $18.50 at Greatmodels. I just bought the Trumpeter KV II (Man do i love this model!) at my LHS for $24.95.
That's all i have to say about that!
 |
WEB HOSTING BY
Copyright ©2021 Armorama and Kitmaker Network, a subsidiary of Silver Star Enterprises
All Rights Reserved. Please read our Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.
All Rights Reserved. Please read our Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.