19 replies to this topic

[Armored Yokai]

Not sure if it would work, but It's some crazy Idea I thought of.
1% chance to work and the idea is to stop harmony gold from ruining the fun

Edited by Armored Yokai, 20 July 2019 - 05:15 PM.

[Prototelis]

Wut

[Valdarion Silarius]

Nah. Tatsunoko are a part of the problem for renewing HG's license and your suggestion wouldn't make sense at this point in time. The only ones I feel really bad for are the Robotech fans that hate HG and NA Macross fans that are gonna get screwed for the next few decades. Maybe the live action HG and Sony movie that's planned will bomb hard in the box office enough that it will cost all three parties a significant amount of revenue loss. That is really the best outcome to hope for in this situation.

[Prototelis]

I mean.. the only thing macross fans are getting screwed out of is what would undoubtedly be a really ****** dub.

[Valdarion Silarius]

Prototelis, on 20 July 2019 - 07:29 PM, said:

I mean.. the only thing macross fans are getting screwed out of is what would undoubtedly be a really ****** dub.

I thought HG had a stranglehold over the Macross merchandise for North American markets. I guess that excludes imports from Japan since they can't legally do anything about that.

[Prototelis]

Just keeps it from being on crunchyroll.

TBF, macross is kinda even more niche than battletech. It probably wouldn't be popular here due to all the jpop.

[Armored Yokai]

Hmm, what if PGI and HBS just bought the Mech Design rights?

[Prototelis]

What if tatsunoko wants more money than that could possibly be worth, the redesigns are fine, and it barely matters for the board game anyways.

[Random Carnage]

Hell. No. We hold some shred of hope that one day someone competent will gain the rights.

[Lord Sevenous]

https://www.sarna.ne...botech-license/

tldr: After the settlement with PGI (subsequent HBS) Harmony Gold has regained/extended their Robotech license with Tatsunoko.
So the idea of OP is a bit late....

Edited by Lord Sevenous, 21 July 2019 - 02:07 AM.

[Sjorpha]

Looking at the mechs in MWO and the minis in the clan invasion Kickstarter, those rights don't really seem to be an issue for battletech products anymore. I wish we could put the marauder model catalyst is using in mwo but no biggie Alex version is nice too.

[MeiSooHaityu]

I don't think this benefits anyone.

PGI and HBS aren't in the market for translating and distributing anime, so this would hurt fans of Macross and Robotech. This wouldn't benefit PGI or HBS as well since their issues with HG were already settled (with Predjudice) so that the issues they previously had can never be taken to court again (as long as they uphold their settlement agreement). This doesn't even seem to be a bad thing given we are seeing Classic designs in MWO, MW5, TT and upcoming in HBS BattleTech.

Maybe there is a stipulation that BattleTech can't make animated/live content, but I doubt it since Topps and Disney I think control both those licenses and they weren't involved in the suit.

So essentially, No, I don't think PGI and HBS should go down that route. I will say this though, I would have thought Tatsunoko would have looked for a better distribution partner this time around. One that actually distributes their content, but that is a whole other topic of conversation.

[MechaBattler]

Think you'd have more luck trying to convince the current makers of Macross in Japan. It would make more sense for them to want to break into the US market. Than two video game companies. Besides PGI retained the right to use "classic battletech designs". So it's not really any skin off their back if Robotech stays in HG's hands.

[Nightbird]

As consumers, we only pay for goods (digital or otherwise), and it's PGI's job to roll in the costs legal or otherwise into their budget. So no.

Edited by Nightbird, 22 July 2019 - 10:01 AM.

[Fae Puka]

Allow PGI to screw up another iconic game system - you are having a laugh!!!!!

[CMDR Sunset Shimmer]

It's already too late, Harmony Gold has the rights back already.

https://www.denofgee...ended-exclusive

[Armored Yokai]

CMDR Sunset Shimmer, on 23 July 2019 - 01:36 AM, said:

It's already too late, Harmony Gold has the rights back already.

https://www.denofgee...ended-exclusive

But if PGI had the rights also, then would that mean they cannot sue?

[MeiSooHaityu]

Armored Yokai, on 23 July 2019 - 10:03 AM, said:

But if PGI had the rights also, then would that mean they cannot sue?

In theory, HG can not sue over the imagery of the Classic BattleTech Designs ever again anyway. The settlement between BattleTech and HG was reached "With Prejudice" which means...

In general, an action taken with prejudice is essentially final; in particular, "dismissal with prejudice" would forbid a party from refiling the case, and might occur either because of misconduct on the part of the party who filed the claim or criminal complaint or could be the result of an out of court agreement or settlement." - Wikipedia: Prejudice

So essentially, as long as all parties involved adhere to the agreed upon terms of their settlement, the case can never be brought up again in court. We don't know the details of their settlement (it has, and will probably never be released), however it appears to be favorable for BattleTech as we have the classic designs in MWO, MW5, TT, and soon in HBS BattleTech (part of the Heavy Metal DLC this winter).

Of course this won't ease many fans as HG has had a tendency to loom over the franchise in the past like a specter. This time however, there should be legal precedence to keep them from getting involved.

Overall, IMO, I wouldn't worry too much.

Edited by MeiSooHaityu, 23 July 2019 - 11:32 AM.

[jss78]

I'm not sure what'd be in this for PGI and HBS.

All they've wanted is to use the new redesigns. Following the court case, this is not a problem.

Unless PGI/HBS really want to do something with the anime specifically, I don't see the point.

[Dee Eight]

Arnold The Governator, on 20 July 2019 - 07:34 PM, said:

I thought HG had a stranglehold over the Macross merchandise for North American markets. I guess that excludes imports from Japan since they can't legally do anything about that.

They actually don't since its been confirmed through past court cases that Tats never held the rights to 41 of the characters of macross (which included the artwork of the mecha) and thus could never have re-licensed that to HG, nor could they own the rights to any sequel series based on that artwork. All they owned were the international broadcast rights for the original SDF:Macross anime series of 36 episodes. Now they could have licensed more for Super Dimensional Calvary Southern Cross and for Genesis Climber Mospeada since both of those series were wholly their own productions, and in fact the last new piece of "Robotech" created by Harmony Gold, the Shadow Chronicles movie, was a sequel that picked up after the final episode of the New Generation (mospeada) chapter of the overall robotech storyline. It used the mecha, character and ship artwork of Mospeada and Southern cross with nothing seen from the original Macross.