My assumptions are based on past history and common sense. WM is not going to stock a huge variety of different 1/18 scale items. This we have seen and this we know. The managers don't like the big boxes taking up shelf space and even aircraft can be slow movers, let alone armour (just scan the WM recon sticky to see what is still sitting on shelves in some WM stores). So they simply won't be able to produce a wide variety of items, at least in the short term (ie next couple of years).digger wrote: How do you know they can't produce a number of different variants? I see this as a sign that they surely plan to if they did such an "obscure" one. You may just be wrong on this first assumption.
It is precisely because we have not had new armour for as long as we have that i am voicing my discent (call it whining if you must). After all this long waiting and this is what we get?? I suspect there will be more hanomag variants on the near horizon and more variants of other vehicles too. But there won't be alot of new vehicles, just a few and for this bridgle layer to be one of them, when it could have been something else far more interesting/important.....that is my gripe.digger wrote:To not have armor for as long as we have and then greet the first news of any with a whine just baffles me. They don't owe us armor, especially not big expensive new tanks, etc...they just don't. Again, ask Mike why bbi hasn't released some "super-sexy" new 1:18 armor. AT? Dragon? If you want a T-34, a Panzer III or various other tanks, then you do need to leave XD b/c I don't see it happening anytime soon. Let's try to stay realistic. Expectation is disappointment's birth child.
digger wrote:Why are you worried about "most WM buyers"? We will know the difference - and all the other people who collect these for more than just toys. Are you worried about the State of the Comany? We already agree this was not the most expensive endeavor - like a new tank would be. Would "most WM buyers" in your mind know the difference between a Panzer IV and a Panzer III? Let's not worry about the infamous "WM buyer" when discussing German WWII armor...
digger wrote:An artillery gun (which we all want) is super sexy?What about if armor is a weak seller you don't dump tons of cash into a new tanks which won't sell anyway. Ask Mike about why there has been no bbi armor since the Sherman 2 years ago (Super Humvee, but trucks don't count.
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I am very worried about most WM buyers. I would guess that 75% of 21c sales come from WM buyers. So if they don't buy then new stuff doesn't get built and that is the simple fact of the matter. We all should be concerned about the typical WM buyer, because they are the life blood of this hobby right now. And a big artilery piece, which just looks cool, will be snapped up by a typical WM buyer long before a minor variation of the same halftrack they saw last year (if they even notice the variation at all).
digger wrote:Seems today's news is a whole new product line in one of the smaller scales. Happy now? What is BIG news to some, is "so what?" to me. I know CW4USARMY would have rather they announced a 1:18 262 - I couldn't care less.
Releases in other scales and of unrelated products was expected. I have no feelings about it either way. That is simply 21c trying to expand their business. Good for them. I make no comments about it because i have no interest in it. XD i do have an interest in and that's why i comment on it. And if i don't like the direction i see it going i will say so. They need feedback, both positive and negative. An attitude of "golly gee whatever you want to make is just fine by me 21c" is not the correct one. Constructive feedback, both positive and negative is far more useful to them and in the long run, to us.
One of the functions of these forums is for people to express their viewpoints, which is what i have done. It was not set up as a back patting forum for 21c.
You're right Digger, they don't owe us anything.....unless of course they're going to promise and promise and hype and hype, then, well they sorta do. And if they do decide to make a new piece of 1/18 armour i would like it to be something far more interesting and i'm going to tell them so.