Forum - View topicAnswerman - Will The Macross Franchise Ever Be Made Available In The West?
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jdnation
Posts: 2108 |
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There is still Robotech merchandise coming out every now and then.
There's even an ongoing comic book series from Titan Comics. 
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D_2BxK2UYAct8EZ.jpg So Harmony Gold has been doing... some things... [Edit]: I changed your last image to a link because of its size. Errinundra. |
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MrBonk
Posts: 192 |
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Weren't those sub licensed Macross releases done as singles near the height of the bubble? Stuck in a sea of a million titles that no one knew anything about?
A ton of people didn't probably even know what Macross was. I remember being in middle school when the ADV release came out, being a kid of course I had no way to buy and support it. Always stopped and looked at it when I was at FYE at my local mall. |
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TarsTarkas
 Posts: 5925 Location: Virginia, United States |
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Nice to see a fair and informative summary of the situation for the Macross franchise. Thanks Justin.
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Zeino
Posts: 1098 |
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Couldn't the Gordian knot of super complex legal entanglements be cut if someone with enough money (Like say Netflix) paid every party ever involved with the Macross franchise off?
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Finny-chan
 Posts: 448 Location: West Virginia, U.S.A |
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Macross Delta has subtitled releases in Japan (but on CD Japan some are listed as not available so I'm guessing the subbed releases were a limited run sort of deal or maybe they are coming out with a boxed set soon and letting the singles go oop) and if the movies of Frontier is still in print on Bluray then those too. So even if HG never gets the newer series you can still get the Macross experience in English subtitles albeit at a hefty price tag. Or if you don't mind paying for subless or know Japanese then the previous entries in the franchise as well.
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SilverTalon01
Posts: 2417 |
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It seems to work for Aniplex, but their series get simulcast so people aren't blind buying Aniplex titles at JP prices. |
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Covnam
 Posts: 3818 |
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Oh? Such as? It'd be nice to think that a Region B BD may one day appear.
I suppose that as long as one of the companies involved didn't refuse out of stubbornness, then with enough money it could be resolved, but I'm sure it would take enough that it wouldn't be financially worth the investment. I also think a tactic like that might lead to future release of the property being equally costly to bring over. |
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KabaKabaFruit
 Posts: 1897 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba |
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I consider Clash of the Bionoids to be more of the exception, not the rule. It still didn't make Macek's initial handling of Robotech any more saintly nor does it except the need for Japan to front negotations with international media firms on a more responsible basis with any of their other titles.
Making money doing chores for your neighbours is usually a good way to build up those anime funds. |
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H. Guderian
Posts: 1255 |
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Harmony Gold sued Hasbro. The old Valkyrie toy model was also used for the G1 Transformer Jetfire. A few years ago Hasbro had the Jetfire character in a GI Joe combo anniversary pack. Harmony Gold sued over a character that once upon a time used the same toy mold many many generations back. Never underestimate how petty and vile Harmony Gold can get. The judge threw it out, but the drama that no one wanted is why people stay clear. As for me I imported most of my Macross. The Frontier movie box sits quite happily on my shelf. As to someone that said the original streams, that also leaves out the sequels of varying quality. |
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HamsterExAstris
Posts: 12 |
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"Shamelessly ripped off" isn't quite right. FASA did license those images. The question is whether the licensor actually had the rights to do so. If they sold something they didn't own... well, that can't exactly be laid at FASA's feet. (Unfortunately the settlement agreement isn't public.) |
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Cardcaptor Takato
 Posts: 5163 |
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MarshalBanana
 Posts: 5500 |
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So I'm a bit confused at the license part, HG have the license, but it is also wrapped up in issues. Does that mean they have limited use of it? Do they only have it as it is the only way they can have Robotech as an IP? Can they stream it but not release it on Blu-Ray?
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Marzan
 Posts: 518 |
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Big West has the Macross Delta trademark in the European Union locked up. The Macross trademark itself is currently in the legal process (I suppose HG must be challenging that one) at the relevant European agency. Europe is much more protective of original creators than other places, so someone like Kawamori has a strong card to play. I think BW is playing the long game here. Start small with toys/figures in markets were HG cannot touch them |
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Lord Geo
Posts: 2665 Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey |
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Harmony Gold has the license to Super Dimensional Fortress Macross, Super Dimensional Cavalry Souther Cross, & Genesis Climber Mospeada, and nothing else. With those licenses, HG can essentially do whatever they want with those shows, whether it be produce t-shirts, coffee mugs, board games, live-action movies, stream them online, or release them on home video. The problem, though, is that due to legal problems over in Japan with Big West, HG can only use what they currently have possession of, when it comes to Macross & Southern Cross, as Big West likely won't allow them to have access to any HD assets that it has created recently. HG can make an HD remaster using the film masters they have had since the 80s, but as Justin indicated on Twitter, they wouldn't look as good as Japan's currently existing Macross HD remaster, since HG has second generation masters; Southern Cross has yet to even be remastered in Japan. Still, HG has to do something in terms of remastering these shows into HD, because they can't just continue to rely on digitally remastered video that was done ~20 years ago. It'll be expensive, as HG said during the AX panel when someone asked about Blu-Rays, but it's absolutely necessary at this point. Mospeada, on the other hand, is 100% owned by Tatsunoko, so HG could likely get the currently existing HD masters for that show & have it look more or less like Japan's Blu-Rays. This is also why any "new" Robotech productions, like Shadow Chronicles & Love Live Alive's dub, rely on Mospeada characters, because there are no legal issues regarding that series. |
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Kadmos1
 Posts: 13615 Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP |
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Sure, it is nice that we have seen some official Macross releases in the West! However, HG is aware of the strong fan desire to have more Macross released here and HG doesn't act on it! Just as piracy is stealing from creators, HG is depriving fans in the West more opportunities to see other entries of a popular anime franchise. Well, at least the copyright of the original version of the first Macross series lapses its copyrights here on 12/31/2077. However, it's anyone's guess as to if an intact print still exists by then! Doubtful.
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