Weta wants YOUR input on their next District 9 Weapon Replica!

[darthwhitey]

A point of clarification? Do you guys want people like me who, while they appreciate the sheer beauty of everything Weta produces, simply are not collecting the pieces to vote?

Ie., are they interpreting a "would not buy either" as "I would give you my money but neither of those pieces are interesting?" because that would be a false impression, I simply don't fall in their target demographic. I'm not enough of a fan, if that makes sense.

That's a great point. I would say that if you're not planning on buying one or the other to not vote. It seems that they're looking to guage interest from buyers and not just which one is coolest.

I hope that didn't come out the wrong way.:$ No disrespect intended!

**But...if you think you're gonna buy, please vote for the Microwave gun! :lol

brad

 

[Art Andrews]

A point of clarification? Do you guys want people like me who, while they appreciate the sheer beauty of everything Weta produces, simply are not collecting the pieces to vote?

Ie., are they interpreting a "would not buy either" as "I would give you my money but neither of those pieces are interesting?" because that would be a false impression, I simply don't fall in their target demographic. I'm not enough of a fan, if that makes sense.

:lol I suppose it could be taken either way. The third choice was primarily for those who can't help but click SOMETHING, but wouldn't want to buy either gun if it were made available.

 

[Art Andrews]

And for all those saying they want the fluid canister (even though we didn't ask), I am with you (even though no one is asking me either).

 

[Clutch]

I'll repeat what some have said. The arc generator was iconic. You can easily identify it with the movie and it stands well on its own. My space is limited, so adding more of these clunky, gunky, and rather large weapons does not appeal to me.

 

[kalkamel]

What I'm interested in finding out is whether Weta's planning to rerelease the Arc Generator.

 

[ThePhoenix]

I personally would not purchase if they came to market .

 

[Nwerke]

Art, a couple of nitpicks. Firstly, the Assault Rifle is actually somewhat cleaned up - most of the CNC marks are gone. Secondly, I hate to say this but I really think inviting the 'neither' responses is a mistake. Every single negative poll response and posted comment feels like a knife in my heart, to put it a bit melodramatically. I can't help suspecting that each negative will be taken into consideration at Weta when what should be focused on are the positive responses.

It'd be better that people who want neither just didn't respond, IMHO. Some of us would almost kill for more D9 merch and it's been really disappointing that no further licensing was announced - now we get this - wonderful, but people are invited to say 'no thanks, go away'...so some of them feel they must do so.

Couldn't we just have "Definitely would buy Option A/Definitely would buy Option B" and leave it at that? To my mind the negative responses just confuse the picture and surely must be seen as some degree of raining on the parade at Weta's end. Disclaimer; I am a tiny-brained blonde, so maybe I'm just being histrionic.

What i am surprised about however is why Weta have not, and seem to have no plans to release the fluid canister, which IMHO would be a big seller.

I don't want that piece of junk canister prop, and I think they'd lose money on it.

(I don't want it, but I do think they'd sell like hot cakes. But, you see my point?)

What i would like to strongly comment upon though, is Weta's consideration to the fan base. They are a fantastic company who really do want the input and opinions of the fans and collectors out there, this is a prime example.

Could not agree more here.

Anyway, we've learned we've got at least a few dozen people here alone who'd commit to one or other or both guns, and that in just a couple of days. Add in the other fora, the rest of the Internet and the Con crowds, I think there's still a market...

 

[Nwerke]

Vote microwave!

I voted both!!

i did suggest an unpainted sub machine gun for us to finish ourselves, a bit like the release of the unpainted bison gun.

I know Greg B really wanted to get it out there, and I suggested the same exact thing! He said he was going to look into it but I assume there could be license complications.

I will buy ANY 1:1 guns that Weta produces.

Seconded. The microwave and SMG are the available, practical options because their development costs will be lowest - they're derived from other weapons for which moulds still exist. Personally, I'd happily buy replicas of the teleporter and the organic retriever, even though they're huge and would cost the earth to re-create and mould.

 

[zorg]

a couple of nitpicks. Firstly, the Assault Rifle is actually somewhat cleaned up - most of the CNC marks are gone.

i would agree with this, the quality control of the later guns has definitely gone downhill.

i would also like to add on my assault rifles there are several areas of warping along the length of the guns, the resin is 15+mm thick (heat) in some areas and this must be the cause or the molds were not properly prepared.

lastly we no longer get paint chipping, we just get "blobs" of silver paint. no effort at all put into it. very disappointing.


i really do appreciate weta's efforts but they need to keep their eye on the ball.

sideshow no longer get any of my money simply because they can't be trusted to deliver what is promised. i would hate to see weta fall into the same pit.

-z

 

[G17RDY]

Secondly, I hate to say this but I really think inviting the 'neither' responses is a mistake. Every single negative poll response and posted comment feels like a knife in my heart, to put it a bit melodramatically. I can't help suspecting that each negative will be taken into consideration at Weta when what should be focused on are the positive responses.

It'd be better that people who want neither just didn't respond, IMHO. Some of us would almost kill for more D9 merch and it's been really disappointing that no further licensing was announced - now we get this - wonderful, but people are invited to say 'no thanks, go away'...so some of them feel they must do so.

Couldn't we just have "Definitely would buy Option A/Definitely would buy Option B" and leave it at that? To my mind the negative responses just confuse the picture and surely must be seen as some degree of raining on the parade at Weta's end. Disclaimer; I am a tiny-brained blonde, so maybe I'm just being histrionic.

I don't think it is a mistake at all, i can see that Weta are wanting to weigh up all options before making a decision to continue the D9 line.
Like it or not, when you are running a business you have to look at the good and the bad, they are simply gathering results to make a financial decision here.

If you remember way back when, Weta asked the RPF fanbase a similar question on a previous poll, which included an abundance of items from D9, following which they responded by giving us the D9 book, Exosuit scaled replica, Christopher Johnson statue and scaled replicas of the Assault rifle & Arc generator.
In the same poll, the Fluid canister came out very highly desired, and yet we are still to see one released.
What i don't get is why those two guns and two guns alone??

The D9 range is actually quite extensive giving that the film whilst popular, really in reality may only cover a small section of the prop collecting community.

I bought the Arc gun and was blown away by the sheer size and standard of this replica giving the amount of money it cost to buy. However i could not justify the price of buying any more, as much as i want everything from the D9 line, alas, and it broke my heart, i had to sell my arc generator, as it was a choice of keeping it or putting food on the table at the time.

Whilst i am in a better financial situation, I cannot justify spending hundreds of pounds on another big item, unless it was as iconic as the Arc Generator, these two guns don't float my boat, and i would pass on them. I think it's important Weta know this, hence the importance to me for the 'neither' option.

I think if anything else is released, and i hate to say it, this may be the last of the range, the best way to go out would be on a high note, are the two guns offered a high note?? I'm dubious.....

 

[Nwerke]

Like it or not, when you are running a business you have to look at the good and the bad, they are simply gathering results to make a financial decision here.

Oh yes, no argument. But how does a "no, I don't want EITHER of those" response contribute to that?

They know how many paying customers it takes before a project breaks even and they know how far past break-even they have to go before the whole exercise really becomes worthwhile. What they're looking for is surely some kind of rough guide to absolute numbers, not relative ones, I'd have thought?

In the same poll, the Fluid canister came out very highly desired, and yet we are still to see one released.

The canister is a great McGuffin, story-wise, but it isn't very visually spectacular. I suspect some of the folks at Weta have difficulty believing how desirable people consider it. :unsure

What i don't get is why those two guns and two guns alone??

Because they already have the moulds. The microwave gun is based on the Arc Gen chassis, and the SMG is a cut-down Assault Rifle. New moulding masters can be struck from those any time. And I'm guessing they're relatively easily accessed, rather than in deep storage - or they can use whatever intermediate stuff they have lying around from the commercial replica projects.

All the other guns - the big hefty things in the shack or testing scenes for example - were one-offs and made up from fabricated parts more than castings, so we wouldn't likely get those at any price.

For the canister, it too was probably a one-off fabricated prop which is likely on Neill Blomkamp's mantelpiece now, and would have to be re-recreated from Weta's refs. Hence higher development costs.

The D9 range is actually quite extensive giving that the film whilst popular, really in reality may only cover a small section of the prop collecting community.

Agreed.

I think it's important Weta know this, hence the importance to me for the 'neither' option.

But given the preconditions Art stipulated - don't ask for anything else, these are what's on the table, which is more appealing? - I can't agree at all. It just seems like raining on the *whole* parade, rather than improving the chances of the line continuing in any form.

On the other hand, have to admit, I'd sure love a scaled mother ship and dropship...damn, now I'm doing it too.

the best way to go out would be on a high note, are the two guns offered a high note?? I'm dubious.....

Guns = a far higher note than the canister, for mine.

 

[mikmik]

Personally im an owner of the WEAT "Arc Generator" and would certainly like to see the submachine gun version to compliment to Arc.

I would how ever like to make the point to WETA that I am disappointed in the shipping costs of each of their 1:1 scale District 9 weapons. I live in Australia which is just right next door to New Zealand and shipping for any full scale rifles has always been $222 US dollars to ship it to Australia. Almost 50% the cost of the replica rifle it's self just in shipping fee's, extremely excessive so perhaps WETA need to consider storing/shipping to other countries (not just the USA) since it cost them $24.95 to have a rifle posted too. Postage costs such as $222 would turn off allot of collectors.

 

[zorg]

Personally im an owner of the WEAT "Arc Generator" and would certainly like to see the submachine gun version to compliment to Arc.

I would how ever like to make the point to WETA that I am disappointed in the shipping costs of each of their 1:1 scale District 9 weapons. I live in Australia which is just right next door to New Zealand and shipping for any full scale rifles has always been $222 US dollars to ship it to Australia. Almost 50% the cost of the replica rifle it's self just in shipping fee's, extremely excessive so perhaps WETA need to consider storing/shipping to other countries (not just the USA) since it cost them $24.95 to have a rifle posted too. Postage costs such as $222 would turn off allot of collectors.

they have a european distribution hub also, all my guns delivered into the u.k. were pretty reasonable postage wise.

seems a bit strange they can't ship to a country next door for less than they currently charge.

 

[TymerDC]

What I'm interested in finding out is whether Weta's planning to rerelease the Arc Generator.

Weta rereleasing the Arc Generator may as well spit in the eyes of everyone who purchased one and especially would anger alot of customers who payed more for one on the secondary market. I for one wouldn't trust a company anymore if they announced a certain number production run then reissued it just to make more money and basically stab everyone in the back who bought the original run. Bad idea and I feel it would just have a negative effect on the company. After all these are "collectibles"....and they stop being collectibles when they just keep making unlimited runs of them.

 

[Art Andrews]

Weta rereleasing the Arc Generator may as well spit in the eyes of everyone who purchased one and especially would anger alot of customers who payed more for one on the secondary market. I for one wouldn't trust a company anymore if they announced a certain number production run then reissued it just to make more money and basically stab everyone in the back who bought the original run. Bad idea and I feel it would just have a negative effect on the company. After all these are "collectibles"....and they stop being collectibles when they just keep making unlimited runs of them.

Let's just nip this one in the bud. I don't think you are going to see Weta doing anything like that. That is why they are looking into other guns.

 

[Hirohawa]

I own the Assault Rifle and would definitely purchase the Submachine gun if they produced it.

 

[TymerDC]

I voted for the Sub Gun .......being able to pay for it if released is another thing. Wish Weta would start some kinda payment system for some of us who just can't shell out 100s of $$ all at once.

 

[Jonny B]

I ... Wish Weta would start some kinda payment system for some of us who just can't shell out 100s of $$ all at once.

1. Goto Walmart.
2. Buy a "Pre-Paid Walmart Money Card" for $5
3. Every week, put $5, 10, 20 or whatever you can on the card. (Me, I put $25 on it every week and 5 every visit to Walmart)

You'd be suprised how fast this builds up. As an example, this paid for my ENTIRE Dragon Con trip to Atlanta, Hotel 6 days 5 nights, food, ticket, autograph packages and even funded my Tshirt adiction :lol

 

[TymerDC]

1. Goto Walmart.
2. Buy a "Pre-Paid Walmart Money Card" for $5
3. Every week, put $5, 10, 20 or whatever you can on the card. (Me, I put $25 on it every week and 5 every visit to Walmart) You'd be suprised how fast this builds up. As an example, this paid for my ENTIRE Dragon Con trip to Atlanta, Hotel 6 days 5 nights, food, ticket, autograph packages and even funded my Tshirt adiction :lol

1) I don't do business at Walmart
2) Isn't a debit card from a checking account the same thing...only you don't have to do business with Walmart?
3) Every week most of us have bills to pay and don't have $5, $10, $20 or whatever to put away.....and when we do then another bill comes along and takes it away. So what might work for you doesn't work for me or alot of other guys.
4) Payment plans work better for me...enough said.
5) Walmart sucks and their prepaid cards are a rip-off...here's one reason why:
http://beyondtheconsumer.blogspot.com/2007/06/walmarts-prepaid-visa-fees-revealed.html

Apologies to Art.......wasn't trying to derail this thread.

I am interested in Weta props. Love their work and quality. I just wish they'd make it easier for some of us that don't have a consistent cash flow to afford more from them. I had to cancel the Assault Gun and the D9 Exosuit because of not enough cash at the time. Payment plans just work better for me......for others it does or doesn't.

 

[Doktor]

I'm all for the Microwave gun - what an amazingly unusual and unique weapon!

Sign me up!