Since fakebusker83 only releases his designs via Shapeways, quite a number of them have already been KO'd. UFO has KO'd his Leader Optimus hands, and KFC also ko'd his Leader Sentinel Prime hands. Albeit, they did some improvements by adding finger tip articulation. And some more.

 

Echo, this kit you've made is the only thing that got me wanting the Combaticons. I would rather wait until it gets released via 3rd party than having to get it off of Shapeways because after all your hard work you do not deserve to be ripped off. Anyways, that's just my opinion.

 

I apologize if I came off harsh but its pretty much true.. how may people here saying ZOMGAWDZ I mooost have will actually put out the kind of coin required?!?!? Ive watched build threads on cars, parts etc. build up hype then delay and see the interest dwindle. It may not be the case for this product but be realistic.

most of us man-children will gladly purchase it as we can afford it! i still strongly feel you should do one or the other not release it in both forms... don't release on shapeways if you want to do a later 3rd party release as that will definitely eat into the overall sales for your 3rd party company.

You still have 1 maybe 2 sold to me (as I already purchased your TFC Hercules stuff) regardless of the release YOU choose.

Do what you feel is best for YOUR product.. all of us really should have no bearing on what your final choice is.

 

Ok pulled the trigger almost made me sick, but bought the foc combaticons solely be of this kit. I'd love a third party release so you don't get ko'd and so we can get a higher quality than shape ways product

 

Same. No matter how it gets released, I'm going to buy it, so either way, but Shapeways is nice and all, but it's never going to match up with injection molded plastic.

 

I've been debating getting a second Bruticus for Battle Gaia, so I may get two kits, third party 100%

 

Will there be a set for the wreckers combiner too?

 

Echo has said that a separate kit for Ruination (to accommodate the alternate limb configuration) isn't out of the question, but it all depends on where the Bruticus kit goes, there will definitely (if Echo goes full third party) be an alternate colored Ruination kit though, however if it ends up being Shapeways only for sales and distribution, it's likely we'll only see the one DIY kit.

 

Apparently not 

 

Having it made by a 3rd party will not stop it from being KOed if it happened. Just look at FP City Commander and the Rodimus trailer KO's and the Tanker trailer for G2 generations prime. No way at all to stop it from being KOed. Waiting a year to have a 3rd party release it will hurt sales to I think because people will be over FOC and have moved on to the next big thing and will either sell their Bruticus for cash to buy the next big thing or cash for a botcon or SDCC or NYCC or kitbash something on their own.

 

Hey guys, let's keep the discussion here civil. Keep in mind that this is a project topic, not a topical discussion on knock-offs and the like. By all means, voice your opinion about how to help echo make up his mind on which way to go. There's no need to get heated or anything, and also I want to make sure this thread stays on topic so that it's most helpful to echo regarding his work.

 

Well, will be nice if echo actually lets us know what he's planning next.

 

Actually, I just confirmed my orders for his herc and predaking upgrades, on the assumption that he won't be releasing it in shapeways. If he does... one less buyer then. The shipping is killer on shapeways.

 

This has got to go into production man.

 

I want this. I want this bad. I would like a nice quality 3rd party release color matched to all the sets. That would be my personal preference.

 

At last: a decision

Hi Everyone,

It's definitely been too long since my last update...finally I can share some news.

My official decision is that I am going to do my best to bring this to market via mass production instead of Shapeways. This was by no means an easy decision...hence the long period without updates.

All of you have been tremendously supportive of my efforts and have contributed greatly to my understanding of what to do here.

Here are my 'top 3' reasons why I am working towards mass production.

1. Quality. It will simply be the best possible way to enjoy the kit--in quality plastic, crisply molded with factory paint applications and carefully matched color in a nice retail box.
2. Reach. Simply put, more people can enjoy the kit this way because it will be a great price and accessible from many online retail stores.
3. Design. I believe that in the transition to mass production, the kit will go through yet another redesign that will make it even better. I've already started to explore 'mold ready' designs, and some parts will evolve to be 2-sided, while others will receive additional detail and scuplting -- all the while preserving the fundamental proportions and scuplting you have all helped to shape

This will be a journey for me. Although we all enjoy these products on a daily basis, much blood, sweat and tears go into every collectible we buy--and this kit will be no exception. I have brought in a very good friend of mine who has supported my work for many years and together we are already in the process of talking to the industry.

We have goals for this kit:

-top-notch quality
-fair pricing
-good time to market

Balancing these goals will be the challenge. But we're up for it!

We will do our best to share progress which updates and announcements. They will likely not be as frequent as the Radicons/Shapeways projects simply because this kind of work takes more time.

We will also start to transition to the third party thread. (Only Shapeways updates will be posted here)

Lastly: expect continued Radicons/Shapeways projects from the Echotransformer group. I am already working on a few cool surprises that fit best in the Shapeways method, so stay tuned.

Again, thanks for all the support--there are many more great things to come. With that, I'll leave you with an updated picture.

--Echotransformer

 

Congrats Echo! Good luck on this new journey!

 

Agreed.

Can't wait for the next big update, and good luck echo 

I look forward to seeing your next project too.

PS: that WFC/FOC setup looks pretty damn sweet. I really like that Omega Supreme. I wish I had a place for him 

 

I can't wait to hear who picks this up so I can drop a preorder ASAP. I don't care how long I have to wait.

 

Good job echo! And thanks for all the updates. We'll look forward to progress and we all wish you the best of luck! If you need anything, just let us know. Regards!