MicroAce - New Releases

[JR 500系]

New releases from MA (official poster not in yet);

 

Tokyo Metro Series 08 Hanzomon Line (Basic 6... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

Tokyo Metro Series 08 Hanzomon Line (Add-On... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

Series KUMOYA193-50 D.C. Conversion Cus... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau Series 100... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

- Series KIHA283 `Super Oozora` (Basic 6-Ca... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Diesel Car

- Series KIHA283 `Super Oozora` (Add-on 5-C... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Diesel Car

- Keio Series 1000 Light Blue (5-Car Set) (Model Train) Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

- Tsukuba Express Series TX-2000 `TX Fruit ... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

- Series KUMOYA495 Cooler Extension/Three ... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

- Keisei Type 3000 3002 Formation/Examination A... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

- Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau Series 100... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

[Densha]

15 minutes ago, JR 500系 said:

(official poster not in yet)

Except it is:

 

[Fenway Park]

D52 and C54 delayed until October 2017. E10 not mentioned at all.

Oh well I hope the D52 is better than the pre production photos as there was a significant droop in the footplate area around the smokebox.

There is still a large motor in the cab despite MA's promise of a new motor.

Kato may produce the D52 in 2018/9 please.

[nah00]

I hope the Schnabel car at the top of their twitter is a subtle hint of a re-release...

[Fenway Park]

HS confirms the D52 has now confirmed release date. As the E10 has disappeared from MA's list for 2017, I expect the D52 to join the C54 as a future project which may not happen

[Fenway Park]

Sorry should state no release date

[Gordon Werner]

Something for Keio Line fans

 

 

[Fenway Park]

D52 release has slipped to November while the C54 has joined the E10 in the ether. 

 

I will not hold my breath.

[katoftw]

Tends to happen when they dont get enough pre orders. So they push the release back in the hope of more pre orders.

 

Is happening more often with MA recently. Especially nowadays that Kato and moreso Tomix are doing stuff the MA only used to do.

[cteno4]

Kato are you assuming this or have you seen news of them doing this?

 

jeff

[Fenway Park]

Leaves them more vulnerable to a competitor stealing their product , but I can't see Kato producing the C54 in the next 10 years. Steam models are more expensive to produce, so less attractive to the bean counters in MA.

[westfalen]

Things have changed, steam used to be one of the staples of Micro Ace especially the more unusual types.

[JR 500系]

Yes... and with Kato and Tomix venturing deeper into the Private Rails which was also one of MA's staples (like Odakyu, Kintetsu, Tobu, Tokyu, Keikyu etc) and with another upcoming GreenMax which bites in further into the niche painted trains markets, MA is facing a HUGE load of competition... and their prices aren't helping either...

 

By the way, I just happen to wonder, can a maker patent the model, example, only Tomix can produce the 485 series for example and any other makers who make them after patent is subjected to Tomix's legal claims? I haven't seen this yet, since I did see the E563-1000 Inaho and Shirayuki being produced by both GreenMax and MA...

[katoftw]

2 hours ago, cteno4 said:

Kato are you assuming this or have you seen news of them doing this?

 

jeff

Opinion based on obversations.

[Kabutoni]

Yes... and with Kato and Tomix venturing deeper into the Private Rails which was also one of MA's staples (like Odakyu, Kintetsu, Tobu, Tokyu, Keikyu etc) and with another upcoming GreenMax which bites in further into the niche painted trains markets, MA is facing a HUGE load of competition... and their prices aren't helping either...

 

By the way, I just happen to wonder, can a maker patent the model, example, only Tomix can produce the 485 series for example and any other makers who make them after patent is subjected to Tomix's legal claims? I haven't seen this yet, since I did see the E563-1000 Inaho and Shirayuki being produced by both GreenMax and MA...

 

IIRC patents can be issued on the models themselves so others don't reproduce them in the exact way, but because licenses are obtained from the owner of the prototype, I doubt this will is legally possible. The owner of the real model can choose to deal only with one manufacturer as part of an agreement, but this won't rule out another manufacturer approaching this company to reproduce the same model. The owner of a prototype can also choose not to deal with a manufacturer. The latter happened with Tokyu when MicroAce released a model of the Tokyu 5050 and Yokohama Minato Mirai Y500 Series. They were such a disappointment that Tokyo decided never to deal with MA again (and thus MA never released any Tokyu Dentetsu rolling stock any more). Instead Greenmax was favoured and later Kato for more N-gauge models.

Edited October 16, 2017 by Kabutoni

[cteno4]

Yeah it's up to the prototype manufacturer to license the model to model manufacturers and if they want to do exclusive deals or take any and all licensees. Usually exclusives require the model company to pay a lot extra for an exclusive to the prototype manufacturer. This can be for a set time or forever. Usually the prototype company will close to what they could get from all potential licensees combined to give exclusives as once they do it their hands get tied a lot. The licensor usually likes to try to hold the control in these deals, especially in these cases where the money for the licensor is a tiny fraction of their overall revenues, but the need for the licencesses to the licensee is mandatory for their business.

 

Also the prototype manufacturer can not license to whomever they choose not to for whatever reasons they want to.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[JR 500系]

aaahhh I see... thanks for the inputs Jeff san and Toni san!

 

2 hours ago, Kabutoni said:

 

. The latter happened with Tokyu when MicroAce released a model of the Tokyu 5050 and Yokohama Minato Mirai Y500 Series. They were such a disappointment that Tokyo decided never to deal with MA again (and thus MA never released any Tokyu Dentetsu rolling stock any more). Instead Greenmax was favoured and later Kato for more N-gauge models.

 

I see... now we know why Kato was producing Tokyu suddenly... I recall seeing the Tokyu done by MA, especially the blue Yokohama Minato one which is very rare now, and then the Shibuya Hikarie done by GreenMax ( I have this set) and suddenly Kato went ahead to do the Shibuya Hikarie too and the rest of the Tokyo series... That makes sense now...

 

Any idea in what way were Tokyu so upset and disappointed by MA ? I mean, I do believe the model sells well, since MA were the only guys doing Tokyu trains at the point of time...

[westfalen]

I wonder how licenses apply for modelling steam locos? For instance the C11 which has been done in N scale by Kato, Micro Ace, Tomix and Tramway and possibly others and the prototype I believe was built by four different companies. Did they all have to apply for licenses from all the companies that built and owned them, which now includes Tobu? Can Micro Ace still make C11 207 as an Hokkaido loco now it is owned by Tobu? Who holds the rights for the C54?

 

All hypothetical questions, I'm just mulling over how ridiculous it all can get.

[Densha]

You'd wonder if there's anyone actually having the right over such old JNR designs...

[cteno4]

Interesting question! Hard to say how old JNR stuff was parceled out in privatization. On the steam locos the originating design might have just been licensed to other manufacturers or sold. Rights can also get split. It can be nasty finding rights ownership even when it looks obvious. I use to hate when a rights question cropped up on projects, always headaches!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[katoftw]

Without knowing any details of the licensing agreements between rail companies and model manufacturers.  The questions are not answerable.

[Densha]

Tomix actually publicly provides data on their licensing agreements. If you just look at the product pages of their models, you'll find a line of text telling you what the licensor is.

 

http://www.tomytec.co.jp/tomix/products/n/2643.html (真岡鐵道商品化許諾済 > Mooka Tetsudou license agreement)

http://www.tomytec.co.jp/tomix/products/n/8405.html (JR東日本商品化許諾済、JR東海承認済、JR西日本商品化許諾済、JR九州承認済 > JR East, JR Tokai, JR West and JR Kyushu license agreement)

http://www.tomytec.co.jp/tomix/products/n/2003.html (鉄道博物館商品化許諾済 > The Railway Museum license agreement)

http://www.tomytec.co.jp/tomix/products/n/9516.html (No license agreement stated. All rolling stock retired already before 1987 under the now defunct JNR seems to have no license attached.)

 

I don't know what the difference between 許諾 and 承認 is though... the words sound very similar.

 

Sometimes you'll see license statements on models from other manufacturers pop up here and there as well, especially when new models are announced.

Edited October 17, 2017 by Densha

[railsquid]

Ditto Kato, e.g. http://www.katomodels.com/n/101kei/ :JR東日本商品化許諾済 JR西日本商品化許諾済 (the instructions sheet for the specific model I have from that page, 10-1170, says "JR東日本商品化許諾済" only).

 

OTOH I have a Kato 165 series from 1999 with no licensing info visible anywhere.

Edited October 17, 2017 by railsquid

[Kabutoni]

On 10/16/2017 at 2:57 PM, JR 500系 said:

Any idea in what way were Tokyu so upset and disappointed by MA ? I mean, I do believe the model sells well, since MA were the only guys doing Tokyu trains at the point of time...

 

I don't know the exact details, but it had to do something with the shoddy finish of the moulds. No matter how well the detailing was, the moulds ruined it for Tokyu. This post that compares both Kato, MicroAce and Greenmax product quite well illustrates it: http://tamaden-club.sakura.ne.jp/index.php?itemid=2270 Especially when you see all front cars next to eachother, it's easy to see why Tokyu was so upset with this result... Especially considering it as its first and only Tokyu product, this was a massive letdown...

[JR 500系]

Dang I just saw these on HS....

 

 

Kiha47 + Kiha140 Ibusuki no Tamatebako (3-Car... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Diesel Car

Keisei Type 3500 Renewaled Car/Diamond Panto... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

Keisei Type 3500 Renewaled Car/Diamond Panto... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

Series 811-1500 (4-Car Set) (Model Train) Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

- Oigawa Railway Type 3000 (5-Car Set) (Model Train) Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

- Series 701-1000 Morioka Color (2-Car Set) (M... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

- Series 701-100 Sendai Color Improved (4-Car ... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

- Series 811-100 Improved (4-Car Set) (Model Train) Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

- Series 485 Katsuta Revival Color (K7) (7-Car... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

- Oigawa Railway Series 3000 Improved (2-Car S... Micro Ace N Scale、1/150 Electric Car

 

 

So much for running away from MA.... That Ibusuki no Tamatebako and 811!!!  I really shouldn't have gone into Kyushu...