Should Someone Else Get the Robotech License? Or is it Basically Done?

Shawn Driscoll · March 11, 2018, 12:52:31 AM

Anime sucks. Don't need any RPGs for it.

Omega · March 11, 2018, 08:13:56 AM

Quote from: Krimson;1028710Sorry but Gatchaman has Macross beat by a full decade, and even Battle of the Planets started airing in the late 70s, predating even Macross let alone Robotech.

Yes. But those were standalone instances where overall the imports were alot less heavy handed aside from some obvious editing and of course dialogue and name changes. It wasnt till Robotech that we got increasing amounts of mangling. This even extended to shows like Thunderbirds.

Gatchaman is a victim of the gradually increasing censorship that was going on at the time and you see it in alot of stuff around then.

Ras Algethi · March 11, 2018, 10:33:37 AM

While I'd personally want a different game system to run it, if it was to continue I think it only be right to have Palladium keep it going. It will be interesting to see what happens between Tatsunoko and Harmony Gold between now and the expiration of the deal.

Christopher Brady · March 11, 2018, 12:59:21 PM

Quote from: Krimson;1028710Sorry but Gatchaman has Macross beat by a full decade, and even Battle of the Planets started airing in the late 70s, predating even Macross let alone Robotech.

Uh, Gatchaman is Battle of the Planets/G-Force.

Lynn · March 11, 2018, 01:21:35 PM

The wikipedia entry on Harmony Gold and Robotech is quite interesting. Read the entire entry though to see just how slippery they are.

Malleustein · March 11, 2018, 01:26:43 PM

Palladium Books had the Macross license at the wrong time. Few people were interested in 1993. The audience would be bigger any time afterwards as it become better known and appears to be popular still, while Robotech has been allowed to die.

Had timing been better, the company could have shifted focus from Robotech to Macross.

Mordred Pendragon · March 11, 2018, 01:35:47 PM

Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;1028766Anime sucks. Don't need any RPGs for it.

Superhero Comics suck. Don't need any RPGs for it.

But to get back on topic, I think the time for a viable Robotech RPG has passed.

RandyB · March 11, 2018, 03:17:58 PM

Quote from: Doc Sammy;1028815I think the time for a viable Robotech RPG has passed.

Agreed. Robotech as a media property is dead, and as soon as Harmony Gold loses their rights (in a few years IIRC), Macross could be properly introduced as a "new" media property. From there, a Macross RPG would be possible. (I also echo the upthread sentiments about Mekton Zeta. IMO, that's the best mecha RPG ever done (and a reasonable universal-but-not-generic system in its own right).

fearsomepirate · March 11, 2018, 03:28:53 PM

Don't underestimate the value of a descriptive name for expanding to new customers. I know nothing about any of this, and I know "Robotech" is about people piloting giant robots to fight each other. "Macross" is a terrible name. I'm already bored just by hearing about it.

Someone smart could probably make a lot of money off Robotech by not caring too much about details of the anime, much like Guardians of the Galaxy made a lot of money mainly by capitalizing on being in space and Chris Pratt playing himself, not so much drilling down into the lore of the comic book.

Ratman_tf · March 11, 2018, 06:02:24 PM

Quote from: fearsomepirate;1028828Don't underestimate the value of a descriptive name for expanding to new customers. I know nothing about any of this, and I know "Robotech" is about people piloting giant robots to fight each other. "Macross" is a terrible name. I'm already bored just by hearing about it.

Someone smart could probably make a lot of money off Robotech by not caring too much about details of the anime, much like Guardians of the Galaxy made a lot of money mainly by capitalizing on being in space and Chris Pratt playing himself, not so much drilling down into the lore of the comic book.

The genius of the Marvel movies is that they do pull from the best of the source material, while making allowances for the needs of live action filmmaking.

And much as I love the source material, "Robotech" sounds awfully goofy. Like "Go-Bots".

Bren · March 11, 2018, 06:10:04 PM

Quote from: Ratman_tf;1028840And much as I love the source material, "Robotech" sounds awfully goofy. Like "Go-Bots".

Maybe Robotech sounds better in Japanese.

Krimson · March 11, 2018, 06:42:27 PM

Quote from: Bren;1028842Maybe Robotech sounds better in Japanese.

I believe that would transliterate to Robotekku.

Malleustein · March 11, 2018, 08:35:45 PM

Quote from: Krimson;1028845I believe that would transliterate to Robotekku.

That doesn't sound better. It sounds like a dated fad dance from the early days of Youtube.

Krimson · March 11, 2018, 09:02:49 PM

Quote from: Malleustein;1028852That doesn't sound better. It sounds like a dated fad dance from the early days of Youtube.

I'm willing to bet there's at least two guys in Japan who are Robotekku Hipsters, preferring it to the more mainstream Macross. It would take some searching but I bet a Japanese dub of Robotech exists somewhere.

Bren · March 11, 2018, 09:14:58 PM

Quote from: Krimson;1028845I believe that would transliterate to Robotekku.

OK, now I can't get the chorus of "Mr. Roboto" by Styx out of my head.