maybe...for instance, more and more products are coming out for MIKI ... that means less and less for other figures. So if you don't have miki, you maybe start thinking, hey, this is supported and David isn't, so better buy her. Now why isn't there the same level of support for Stephanie Petite, or David ??? Look at RDNA...other then the huge amount of mango/anime/toon character support, they're now going miki...a lot same here...even Posewrworld

Could it possibly be that Merchants have discovered that if they make Miki Products, they sell?

No doubt several of them tried SP3 and D3 and found that they didn't return enough in sales.

Sort of like the Chicken and the Egg Theory.

I found two Koji items at RMP in the past week and promptly bought both of them. I have also bought several Miki items in tje past week as well.

I do not use any of the Unimesh figures anymore, archived to DVDs.

I applaud those Merchants who have stepped up to the plate and come out with items for other than the stock Unimesh figures. I am willing to support them by buying their products.

Cheers
DR

Message edited on: 03/01/2006 06:36

My sp3 characters sell well just wish there was more clothes for them especially free ones lol It is even harder to find things for the kids - clothes / poses - I can make hair fits for them and usually modify adult poses for them

With us its a case of folks asking for clothes for her is making me make them, that in turn may tempt folks to buy her. But on the other hand i think maybe she's a tempting figure to buy as she is different from V3 and SP3 and now shes getting clothes it may be worth getting her.....its a nightmare Dave i just read what i wrote and as Mariner says its the chicken and the egg, what came first LOL......Steve

I just released some catsuits for Jessi, Kate, Miki, and Terai Yuki yesterday. One purchase was for the entire bundle, and the remaining have been divided equally between Miki and Terai Yuki. So there is interest in them!!! The sales figures aren't what they would be for the Mil figures, but it's a start! I will continue to develop products for them in addition to the Mils. I think they are worthy of clothes too. 8-D

To a point I guess it's also a question of.. well, jumping the bandwagon while it's still gaining momentum and not after it has stopped. It's hard to come up with new things for V3 that hasn't been made 100 times before. I know there's still lingerie and stuff coming out for her and personally I don't quite understand that, but that's just me. OTOH I buy close to any new texture that is out for M3/David... In the case of my Koji Face Morph Pak, it all started because I needed them myself. Same with the genital morphs I've made for him on Rotica I've bought a lot of stuff for Miki. Not everything but quite a bunch. And I don't even use her much. I'm still waiting for more clothes for Koji. Not to mention more for David. I can ALWAYS use more stuff for David... But yes, it's the egg/hen thing. Combined with a "what sells?"

For me, being a merchant is a hobby. Maybe I'll make a little money, and maybe I won't. BUT one thing for sure is that I'll continue working with my favorite model: David. There really isn't enough for him, and I'm working on changing that, but it takes me a long time to do stuff cause it is a hobby, and I'm still fairly new. I have 3 clothing projects in the works for David, and some others in mind, however none are quite near completion. I constantly check out the David wishlist forum on Daz, and look in the wishlist forum here. At this point, I don't plan on working with the other characters except if I do more props that will work with multipul characters. Just my 2cents, --Naylin

I have bought a figure twice, due to accessories offered by a Merchant. I think the market is the other way. Customers adopt a new figure and demand content. A few merchants that support it do well, because that is all there is for the figure. Soon, other Merchants want to get in on the game and they too produce something for the figure. This is what starts triggering the interest in the figure for other customers. What I find real unique about Miki and Koji is that both have prompted real world clothing and content for the figures. Most other figures the first thing would have been some skimpy armor or fetish outfit. Granted Miki 10/20 came with a mild fetish outfit (leather or latex look), real world clothing has been the common offers. I find that refreshing. (Though I would love to see some good Historical outfits for both, including Armor. I would not mind seeing some Fantasy Armor, but not the Chain Mail Bikini variety!)

RE:I just released some catsuits for Jessi, Kate, Miki, and Terai Yuki yesterday. One purchase was for the entire bundle, and the remaining have been divided equally between Miki and Terai Yuki. So there is interest in them!!! The sales figures aren't what they would be for the Mil figures, but it's a start! I will continue to develop products for them in addition to the Mils. I think they are worthy of clothes too. 8-D And I thank you very much for doing so Deecey. Miki and Jessi are already in my WishList, recovering a wee bit from February purchases. As per the poll at Rdna, most popular usage is A3,V3 (very close to A3) and Miki is 3rd. TY2 in the mix as well, above several of the other know names. Cheers DR Cheers DR

RE:In the case of my Koji Face Morph Pak, it all started because I needed them myself. I'm still waiting for more clothes for Koji. Not to mention more for David. I can ALWAYS use more stuff for David... Ernyoka1 - Thank You. I know of several, including myself, who have purhcased the Face Morph Pak for Koji. Hint: We are all waiting for a Body Morph Set to pop up some day. Cheers DR

RE:What I find real unique about Miki and Koji is that both have prompted real world clothing and content for the figures. Most other figures the first thing would have been some skimpy armor or fetish outfit. Granted Miki 10/20 came with a mild fetish outfit (leather or latex look), real world clothing has been the common offers. I find that refreshing. (Though I would love to see some good Historical outfits for both, including Armor. I would not mind seeing some Fantasy Armor, but not the Chain Mail Bikini variety!) A very valid point RC. I have seen all of the Skimpy, fetish, MakeUp V3s that i can take over an extended period of time. The new family of P6 Figures do seem to have some more realistic clothing as you mention, maybe that is part of their appeal? What I have been doing as of late is sending an e-mail to a merchant, when I come across one of their products that I feel would be wonderful for Koji or Miki. There is a wonderful selection of Feudal Samari for M2 here at RMP. Koji is made for just such a set. Cheers DR

Hint: We are all waiting for a Body Morph Set to pop up some day. I actually srated a muscle morph for James once, but then some of the muscles..er.. turned out weird, so I never finished it. In theory, James and Koji should be able to share body morphs, though there is "something" about the american version of Koji where James' morphs doesn't work properly. And I can't remember what the problem is, the morphs transfer fine with Morph Manager. They just won't work... I'll do some tests with the muscle morph I have for James and see if it works on Koji. I'd prefer if all I needed was to do it once ;)

i kinda like the fact new figures are being created...keeps up the interest level, but I'm afraid I can't see the need for most of them. I'm getting jaded :) I was wondering about all the lingerie as well...there must be a thousand sets now, just for v3 ... and textures/characters are popping out by the hundreds...they're all starting to look the same, other than a few of them. it still seems strange that v3 stuff is around by the tons, bu the other characters are avoided...other than A3 ...

Well, it's a little bit strange with Koji, his joystick has no "wake up" morph but this can be transferred from James. Also the FBM's from James work except the chest and neck (as far as I remember, not connected to my exteral HD atm), very strange. But the good new, at CP there is now, at the end of winter, as winter set of winter clothes (gloves and scarfes) available for him for free.

I'm afraid I can't see the need for most of them

For too long, there has been a void of characters that are truly "non-European" in appearance. We don't all look like runway models.

Yes, there are lots of figures available that have morphs, but so few who have the ability to change the base figure into one that looks authentically Asian, or African, or Indian. As a result, a lot of Poser art looks the same, and even with ethnic textures we still see the same underlying features beneath them.

I am glad we are not only seeing diversity in faces, but in body shapes. It is a refreshing change in the market to see this happening. Victoria has her place with fantasy art, but so many of us want and need characters that are more realistic.

Message edited on: 03/01/2006 17:13

In a word, no. I have five figures that I use regularly and I have a ton of stuff for all of them. Until someone comes up with a new figure that can do some truly spectacular things that the figures I use can't, I have no need of a new figure. I would never buy a figure based on what is available for it.

I do think it's great that people are coming out with new figures, I just don't have any use for them.

Coldrake

Deecey, I think this is Right On:I am glad we are not only seeing diversity in faces, but in body shapes. It is a refreshing change in the market to see this happening. Victoria has her place with fantasy art, but so many of us want and need characters that are more realistic. Jules53757 RE:Also the FBM's from James work except the chest and neck (as far as I remember, not connected to my exteral HD atm), very strange. I couldn't get the Left and Right Collars,Shoulders & Chest to work. Cheers DR

I am also just a hobbyist. I used to buy figures based on what was available. Eventually I wanted to take on the challenge of creating all my own content for a scene. I can make my own pair of jeans or baseball hat. (admittedly amateurish but I like them anyway). However, making a decent human figure just proved too time-consuming. Now if I have to choose between a figure that is very similar to existing figures but has lots of content versus a figure with a different body shape but has less content I will definitely go for the figure with a different body shape.

I couldn't get the Left and Right Collars,Shoulders & Chest to work. Though I haven't verified this, that seems to be a good indication that the upper part of Koji's body was grouped a little differently than James.

I don't buy figures based on things I see out there for that figure. If that were true I'd not have purchased Apollo when he came out because other than at RDNA there isn't much out there for him. I buy a figure because I like the figure and want to use it. I still primarily use Vicky and Aiko and there is enough content out there to keep those figures outfitted for many years, at least for me anyway.

@ Mariner:

Quote - I couldn't get the Left and Right Collars,Shoulders & Chest to work.

I checked it and the James FBM don't work on: chest, lCollar, rCollar and neck. Shoulders work. As I read somewhere, the Japanese Koji takes all of the James morphs for the body.

However, Miki seems a bit limited in terms of ethnic potential. However good or bad the ethnic morphs in V3 are, at least you can turn her into an approximation of various races. Miki is Japanese and that's that. Correct me if I'm wrong (I don't actually have the figure).

Miki is Japanese and that's that. >> Correct me if I'm wrong Nothing handy to show you, but you are certainly wrong. Miki creates the most accurate unique ethnic looks I have ever seen. OperaGuy, who seems to have made a study of characteristic regional Asian types, has played with shifting her to them quite successfully, and he has at least one Japanese face that is unrecognizeable as Miki but uncannily like the vengeful wife in Ran. The new Samyra texture at RDNA extends her potential into some interesting areas, like Filipino, and I have seen a number of black Mikis that are right on to the point of tribal identities. There is even a milk-white and utterly persuasive Slavic Miki here at R'osity. No Indian types yet, but I'm hopeful and watching RDNA, where this stuff seems to matter more than most places. Compare Miki's potential to the Debra Paget Indians you can make with Vickie, the shoepolish blacks, and the "look what I can do by pulling up the corners of my eyes" Asians that the various DAZ figures yield up. I did a huge (and ultimately futile) rant about V2's so-called Native American dials, which did nothing but make her nose and jaw bigger, when she came out. (Indians: You know, the "big-nosed squaws" like Wilma Mankiller, Marie Tallchief, Buffy Ste. Marie, and Joy Harjo.) Vickie et al. can make "ethnic types" who look like white folks in disguise, Hollywood's racist cartoons. Miki has the capacity to create these "foreigners" accurately. For years we've heard that ethnic morphs are "so hard" because of limitations in mesh technology, whatever that is supposed to mean. Apparently meshes can create Frankensteins and aliens from the planet Testaustarown and cat people but not Navajos. It was BS, and Miki proves it. Failed ethnic morphs are caused by mesh designs that don't allow for divergence from the "ideal beauty" that is oval-faced, sharp-nosed with a cute little buttony turnup, 20% narrower at the jaw than the forehead, collagened at the lip, doe-eyed, bulb-breasted, salon-styled, and very very white under that makeup. Being unable to imagine the beauty of other races makes it hard for mesh designers to create them. M

Re:As I read somewhere, the Japanese Koji takes all of the James morphs for the body. Has anyone one ever found a location to purchase the Japanese Koji?? As I understand it, you have to purchase the Japanese version of Poser 6??? Cheers DR

Well, it's a little bit strange with Koji, his joystick has no "wake up" morph Uhm.. I've made such a morph pack for Koji (and James) - but the PTB here didn't think they could have such things here so it's avalable over at Rotica instead...

DR: Look at those Japanese faces!! Whoo-eey!! LOL M

OK, that's better than I thought, though neither of those pictures is much of an advert for ethnic realism. I would be interested to know how well Miki can be made to look Chinese. Incidentally, before ranting about V3's ethnic support, look at the parody in the P6 figures. It's hardly even a parody, it's so utterly lame.

Diversity drives my purchases, actually. I look at the figure meshes as actors to animate with. I can either use one actor, and spend a lot of time in wardrobe and makeup insuring that viewers don't say 'Hey, that's the same guy/gal!', or use a different actor. Between Wardrobe Wizard and dynamic cloth, quite a few of the so called 'dead' figures are quite useable now.