Samething I wander preprinted possibly we don't have paint it has to paints it for us that's my guess

 

I agree

 

That's an understandable concern because that means that Hasbro may have more control over fan content for their own needs but then again perhaps they won't do it in a bad way. It's a little early to tell for now so I think we should see what happens first. We'll know if they'll start pulling that kind of bull on us.

 

This is potentially super cool and potentially bad. But I have high hopes for this. Yay Fakebusker!

 

Very interesting, and cool that Hasbro's trying out new ideas like this. Guess they weren't kidding when they kept talking about the future of toys and 3d printing a while back.

It's for My Little Pony only right now, but I think that fandom is keen enough on customizing to make this a success and see it branch out to other franchises like Transformers.

However, I'm not sure if it will change much for current 3D printing artists among us, unless there's a way that this system allows for better materials or other benefits. The fact Hasbro judges and selects the items that can go on sale might work against the artists: now they 'get away' with practically anything they create - what if Hasbro decides: 'no, you can't make a custom Chromedome head as it meddles with our toy plans', or 'no, you can't create a custom Decepticon Justice Division member, because we don't want kids to get a toy of a Transformer turning into an electrical chair'.

To rephrase: I think it's a GREAT idea, and worth exploring, but I fear for transformers it might eventually create some kind of split between various 3D artists - some able to get that license and use it as a badge of approval, while giving up on certain stuff they create, and artists who continue doing what they do now, creating what they like but remain being seen as unofficial.


Or I might be overthinking it.

 

i would imagine this is what happening with the ponies, assuming that they are selling like hotcakes and get alot of exposure because ppl make better ponies than hasbro does:

hasbro goes to shapeways
H: "listen shapeways, i see that you are enabling these creators making hella money out of our intellectual properties with these sandstone ponies. stop them or we will sue you and shut you down"
S: "but we do stuff outside of ponies like jewellry and iphone covers, and with our company gaining lots of media exposure (it did) it will make you big corporations look bad"
H: "how about we work out a deal. you let these people create their ponies, but we take a loyalty fee off their markups. that way its business as usual for you shapeways people, and we hasbro get a compensation for using our intellectual properties, and on the surface we endorsing people creating fan product. win-win situation"
S: "lets bring in the champagne!"

 

A lot of guys in this thread seem to be misconstruing the announcement. If Hasbro decides to include Transformers in this venture it DOES NOT mean that they will be creating addon or replacement parts for anything. In fact they won't be creating anything at all. They will be hand picking and curating designs that are created by fans and giving their blessing for Shapeways to print them off without any C&D letters getting sent. I suspect that a licensing fee will be taken for each of these items.

This also does not suggest in any way that the technology that Shapeways uses will change in any way. It will be the same tech, the same service, same everything that Shapeways is doing now.

I suspect that it will become a game of "yes, your design gets the blessing and can be put on the site" and "no, we don't like your design so no blessing; removed from site".

If this is the case, then it could be a boon for other print shops like Sculpteo to get your TF related parts into a shop that doesn't have to go through Hasbro's walled garden.

 

Are you suggesting Hasbro not start with one of their most successful brands? Are you that bitter that things you don't like exist in the world, like MLP?

 

i think eventually hasbro will approach the other companies too

but i think the best way is to just make your pieces look as generic as possible without any remote reference to transformers. that will be difficult to do with full figures or works that have a very close resemblance to something that is habsro-owned (a optimus prime head, or an autobot logo for example)

 

I thought that Hasbro using the MLP brand is a good start and great choice. Ponies are attractive, colourful and serves as good material to showcase the abilities of Shapeways 3D printing (at least, for their Full Coloured Sandstone material). I would think Shapeways and Hasbro wants to approach this cautiously and study the reactions of the market and fans before starting on other brands since using 3D printing opens up a big can of worms in regards to IP ownership and fan art.

I mean, I think Shapeways has realised long ago that we crazies have been using them A LOT for Transformers add-ons, that they once even had a section named 'Transformers'. They are still co-opting that brand name now, along with Lego and Minecraft.



And I suspect on the Hasbro side there's nothing really they can do to us artists legally. I mean, I don't think they SHOULD, as our add-ons enhance their product and in our little way, maybe, encouraged more sales? (Maybe I'm being slightly immodest here, forgive me.)

Still, licensing issues, safety issues remain and these have to be resolved. I really don't expect this freedom we enjoy making all these models to last forever. We had a good run, and now I expect we have to provide some sort of reparation for making use of their IP all this while.

3D printed 'transforming robots' still have a long way to go before they match up to the standards of Hasbro, but simpler models like weapon accessories, appendages, heads can be easily made on Shapeways, and in fact harnesses the advantages which makes 3D printing so powerful: The large variety of product for low production costs, unlimited inventory, and nothing to say of the free labour of thousands of designers who are already doing this as a passion.

Besides, you can achieve cool layering effects like these in 3D print that injection molding doesn't really do:



I for one will try to be optimistic about this piece of news. I personally don't mind Hasbro enforcing "fair attribution and compensation for all parties involved". At least it means my models can be viewed as legit while giving them a token sum as thanks. It's the 'curating' aspect I'm antsy about, as it might be too easy to have other things like politics seeping into the selection process when these 'fan models' should just be selected based on merit and suitability.


TL;DR:
There's money to be earned, artists to use (exploit) and fans to placate.
Announce collaboration, put everything under your umbrella.
?????
PROFIT!


EDIT: I don't mind a 3D printed Decepticon emblem mug. Now with this new system in place, I might be able to do it legally Woohoo!

 

I feel like I picked the worst time to consider opening up a shop.  

 

This is a bold, huge step for Hasbro.

 

My cynical side says,

Hasbro management thought: "Phase 1: How to coopt the work of a lot of designers without making them employees? Phase 2: Once posted and vetted, the designs become Hasbro property. Phase 3: Salary? Benefits? Eh heheheheh!"

Hopefully, if they choose to mass produce designs, the creators will be justly compensated. They are trying to figure out a way to compete with 3rd Party stuff without having to hire more people. Plus, 3D Printing is the coming thing. It will be interesting to see if Shapeways is "influenced" to ditch things that work with official TFs that aren't Hasbro approved.

 

im starting to put myself in the shoes of a pony shapeways artist.......to see what the deal is

i visited their superfanart.com site, and had a few artists' photos on the site, so i read through some of their bios. and looks like you can sign up as an pony artist to be featured on their site (aka hasbro's seal of approval).

and so i did, using a dummy email with a girl's name  

i should be getting the details "in the next few weeks" on this process works for us creators, should hasbro decide to expand this so-called partnership to TFs

 

Let me answer you with a question of my own - why do some people get all pointlessly riled up and defensive when you say you don't like something? Because god forbid you don't like something someone else does and vocalize it.

It makes perfect sense as a company for them to start with pony crap, but I'll be damned if I have to like it and praise it.

 

That's pretty cool. Too bad everybody's getting mad because its ponies.

 

I hope this means we can get toys of some human characters, like Sari, or maybe even Verity, or Kelly, or Simmons, or Dutch...

 

only if someone decides to model them.....speaking of which didnt someone model spike daniel and carly and printed in sandstone?

 

Very cool!

Hopefully this means that they'll consider expanding to Transformers too.