FF14 personal figurine

[Abriael]

Even still, it's super expensive and very very time consuming with no guarantee of a perfect result.

Oh I know, but it's no less fun

[Seirra_Lanzce]

Even still, it's super expensive and very very time consuming with no guarantee of a perfect result.

I'm still jelly.

[KaMuiSouZou]

I would LOVE a personal figure. Looking through the FigurePrints website, the price seems fair for a custom figure, especially with the number of pose/base options and how we can use any existing gear/weapons we have ($129.95 for full figure, $69.95 for bust). I'll also say that I personally prefer statues/figures with no joints like FigurePrints offers, rather than have pose-able joints. So whether it's through FigurePrints or a similar company, SE please make this happen one day!!!

[Abriael]

Ultimately, it's just a matter of success. If ARR goes well, this'll very possibly happen. If it doesn't... no

Hopefully it will.

Oh, and if it does... Kotobukiya please.

[KaMuiSouZou]

^Agreed, all the more reason to hope ARR will be a great success! Japanese model companies like Kotobukiya and Good Smile are known for their quality, but I don't think they do custom orders. If they do (or in the future do) then yes, Kotobukiya please!

[Abriael]

^Agreed, all the more reason to hope ARR will be a great success! Japanese model companies like Kotobukiya and Good Smile are known for their quality, but I don't think they do custom orders. If they do (or in the future do) then yes, Kotobukiya please!

They don't, but I'm quite sure that they wouldn't have too many problems working on it if the chance to cover a very successful MMORPG would arise.

The reason why you can do it with WoW is two-fold. It's big, providing a reasinable flow of business for an item that is essentially a luxury item (the cost is fair, but it isn't small), and it has a armory that lets you access a character's looks and equipment externally via an API.

Japanese companies like Kotobukiya don't really do that because there's no successful MMORPG in Japan that also has an accessible armory API.

Final Fantasy XIV actually has the basic framework for it, via the lodestone, but at the moment it lacks the success, and the support of equipment (it only supports basic looks so far).

So basically this would require the game to be sucessful AND square Enix to expand the lodestone API to support equipment worn by our characters.

Once you have the API, you can work on it pretty easily. If it was Kotobukiya i could even see them converting the game's models to give the option to create full fledged bishojo figurines out of the female characters. it'd be quite awesome.

I'm kind of bringing the idea to the extreme here (creating bishojo figurines automatically out of our characters would require an extensive 3D redesign of quite a few character parts by the manufacturer, made more work intensive by the fact that they'd need to be fully modular and integrated with SE's character design), but considering how the Japanese are fond of their figurines, I can see a business like this getting very profitable very fast if the game works and SE provides the license and API.

[KaMuiSouZou]

True, but I also think the procedure for actually making the models is very important. What I mean by this is that FigurePrints uses a 3D printer that utilizes the armory from WOW to make the documents to do the 3d print. (they have a video on their site explaining the process) As you said, FFXIV has this same foundation so it's possible for other companies to do this. However, it's the 3D printer specifically that makes this custom figure affordable at ~$130 by streamlining the process to easily "mass-produce" custom figures. I'm not sure of the exact method Kotobukiya uses to make their models, but I believe they have a modeler make a prototype figure, make a negative mold from that, and then mass produce copies using the mold. Since you would need someone to personally model your character and only one final figure would be produced, it would prob cost astronomically higher (my guess is at least $500 or more?). So unless they use/implement a similar method as FigurePrints, I can't see Kotobukiya ever doing this. Would the quality of Kotobukiya be worth the increase in price? Probably (God knows I'd want one), but I definitely wouldn't be able to afford it...

[Abriael]

True, but I also think the procedure for actually making the models is very important. What I mean by this is that FigurePrints uses a 3D printer that utilizes the armory from WOW to make the documents to do the 3d print. (they have a video on their site explaining the process) As you said, FFXIV has this same foundation so it's possible for other companies to do this. However, it's the 3D printer specifically that makes this custom figure affordable at ~$130 by streamlining the process to easily "mass-produce" custom figures. I'm not sure of the exact method Kotobukiya uses to make their models, but I believe they have a modeler make a prototype figure, make a negative mold from that, and then mass produce copies using the mold. Since you would need someone to personally model your character and only one final figure would be produced, it would prob cost astronomically higher (my guess is at least $500 or more?). So unless they use/implement a similar method as FigurePrints, I can't see Kotobukiya ever doing this. Would the quality of Kotobukiya be worth the increase in price? Probably (God knows I'd want one), but I definitely wouldn't be able to afford it...

Oh yeah, I know that. But 3D printers are pretty affordable for a company like Kotobukiya. What I meant is that given the chance and the infrastructure, they'd probably be able to get the equipment running without many problems.

[mbncd]

My mother is looking into getting a 3D printer (combined with a CNC machine) sometime next year and I'd definitely like to start out with one off figurines. 3D printing is becoming much more mainstream these days so I'm surprised a lot more companies aren't making a killing selling the 3D print models over the internet, to be downloaded and printed locally. That cuts out so much expense that it provides almost pure profit, without any excess materials to store or transport to worry about, rental costs, salespeople, insurance, etc. I imagine they could even automate the process to convert your own character's data into a printable model, making purchases instantaneous and unique, and minimising the likelihood of theft of said files (peer to peer sharing of someone else's character probably wouldn't be very popular).

So much possibility... I just wish more companies would embrace the 3D printing technology! It saves everyone money (they don't have to charge as much because they don't have to spend as much), there's no week(s)/month(s) waiting for the item to be delivered, repairs (or a whole new reproduction) can be done from home quickly and easily without the need for the company to lift a finger, etc, etc, etc.

[Dannythm]

This would be awesome, but I'd have to get my darklight gear/relic/bahamut gear or whatever before ordering one...

But I want a Nael and Louisoux figurines first.