NEW from Grindhouse games~JUNK robots (01/11/10) My project added!

[ancientsociety]

Unless Ashley Wood (creator of World War Robot) gave them permission to use his IP, I sense a C&D letter incoming shortly - these junk-bots are way too similar to his.

[Inso]

Very cool...I could certainly see these as opposition for a Weird War foe...

...Tommy Tin-Bots!  The latest invention to send the evil Bosche home!

[TheShadow]

for mash get smash !

[WarGameGuru]

Unless Ashley Wood (creator of World War Robot) gave them permission to use his IP, I sense a C&D letter incoming shortly - these junk-bots are way too similar to his.

I don't think Mr Wood created the whole tin can look, this has been around since black & white sci-fi serials dating as far back as WWII technically.

[ancientsociety]

I don't think Mr Wood created the whole tin can look, this has been around since black & white sci-fi serials dating as far back as WWII technically.

Not sure where else you've seen pill-type bodies, skeletal legs & arms, single eyes, and webbing around the waist on any other "tin can" robots....these are an almost exact copy of Bertie from WWR.

Look at the pic below and the middle RPG robot in the OP.



They are similar right down to the pose! I call shenanigans....

[Conquistador]

Weirdly cool robots.   

Nice.   

I see you point but if it meets the 10% difference rules (or whatever rule applies in the appropriate country) then there should be no legal way to stop production.

Too bad I have this list (loooong list) that means I won't be buying these soon...

Gracias,

glenn

[Commander Vyper]

Saw these on the new Grindhouse forum, very nice.

[Dr.Falkenhayn]

Not sure where else you've seen pill-type bodies, skeletal legs & arms, single eyes, and webbing around the waist on any other "tin can" robots....these are an almost exact copy of Bertie from WWR.

what about this one?

http://www.shop.battlefield-berlin.de/index.php/katalog/artikelinfo/19341-1-show-streetbot_willy.html

[WarGameGuru]

what about this one?

http://www.shop.battlefield-berlin.de/index.php/katalog/artikelinfo/19341-1-show-streetbot_willy.html

That's the "other one" I recalled, but couldn't remember where I saw it before.

[johnbailey]

Hey guys, thanks for all the compliments on the new line.  Jim and I are really pumped to be working on something that isn't SoTR or Incursion for the first time in more than 3 years.  

With respect to Mr. Wood's amazing work, it's always good to see loyal fans looking out for their favorite designers.  However, our new minis no more infringe Mr. Wood's excellent creations than ThreeA's Queen Reimi infringes Gearbox's Lance Assassins/Athena  (it doesn't).  We all work off common genre themes, memes and visual elements, the evoking an R2D2 element is an effective way to achieve a "humanizing" or "personification" effect on a combat robot.  

As a small design company who certainly would not want anyone copping our stuff, and as an attorney myself, we are very sensitive to these types of issues.   Looking at all of the really cool stuff that ThreeA is coming out with in the near future (love those posters), we and ThreeA are going in different creative directions which will become more and more apparent as we flesh out the JUNK line....

Thanks again for all the kind words!

--
john bailey

[captain apathy]

Looks like Robots vs Zombies to me.  Count me in.  



UPDATE - I made my purchase.

[Engel]

Dammit...
First Clanmacs exelent scavenging bots http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=23019.0 and now this.
Its getting harder and harder not to want a group of robotic tin cans.

[elysium64]

Firstly in response re crappy IP issues which though I am against theft of ideas seems to get bsandied around a little to often.
On the Grindhouse Forum Jim Bailey wrote this:
All:

It has been brought to my attention that some people out there think the new Combots are “too similar” to a design from a small but very cool Chinese toy company named 3A. One fan says they purchased the models _because_ they look similar in his opinion. That made me stop and look around for a minute. I do not think they are “too similar”. I made concept models out of plastic oil barrels and copper wire. The final models ended up with more orky detail than my concepts so I can see how others might see it differently than I. 

I consulted the Grindhouse legal dept. yesterday.  John had to explain to me yet again how IP law works… legal stuff: in one ear, out the other. This isn’t even on the same planet as IP infringement. After “checking that box”, I realized that this was still causing me a great deal of concern. We have built a reputation for plain dealing and brutal honesty over the last 3 years we’ve been in business. We also strongly support all the other “little guys” out there. We would never do anything intentionally to cause anyone grief, especially other designers that we respect. To that end, I sent an email to the guys at 3A asking them their opinion. If 3A feels this is somehow harmful to them, then we will pull down the models. As you guys know, John and I have “real life” careers and we’re in this for fun. If what we do causes someone to not have fun then we have failed. This is about doing the right thing…whatever that ends up being. Regardless, all orders made as long as they are in the store will be honored.

Hopefully I will hear from them soon so we can either fish or cut bait on the Dog Face pack…


Now on to the fun bit.
Whilst thinking about Junk I remembered the SALUTE 2010 Robot, so I dug him out of the Lead Pile, and thought C3PO so here's where it gets crazy......

Ted (Translation & Etiquette Droid) was at a loose end after the Apocolypse, with no one to translate for and help with smooth runnng of all the international business meetings. Whilst wandering the waste he discovered an unoccupied/neutral area of land which had still standing in a decrepitude state an old TV Station studio with a working access to the Internet.
Ted moved in and started to use the internet to find the skills to repair the building and improve the interlink access. One auspicous day he was looking to turn the airconditioning and humidifiers down as the moisture was rusting his components, when he happened on a small clip of two droids on a desert planet, he was obsessed, from their he has found all their numerous adventures that are available, the Movies, Cartoons, TV Series, Family Guy, Curry's advert, holograms, Road safety videos..... the lot.
Wow! Ted could really relate to this golden god amongst robots, so with a few bolts now definitely a bit loose, Ted painted himself Yellow (I imagine the original T.E.D's to come in a black livery, with the Triangular body plate White, and a chrome head, resembling 20 th century butlers). Next task was to start scavenging parts to build a companion and so was born R"D", Ted now logged himself in as C~PO (Teds slightly Dislexic, a faulty chip) and almost forgot his previous existance, inspired by the worlds and adventures he had found and now with the brainwashed R"D" they set up a investigation, translation, Secure messanger transfer, and delivery service. Dyslexia creating CoPRoD 32. Also stops other robots realising what geeks they are
Before you get two bored heres a Photograph of what I have so far.

As the business has become more succesful along with a booming side trade in dealing recovered scrap and since the knowledge of their Internet access has got out they have now aquired protection in the form of five Dogbots (on order)

A few other ideas.

Base paint schemes of Dogbots on the original main story characters
         White and Cream with a Yellow Dome ~ Luke
         White, Brown Dome ~ Leia
         Black, with a White Front Panel, Brown Dome ~ Han
         Brown with a Grey Dome ~ Obi
         Brown with a sharp toothed mouth design on base of dome ~ Chewie
All pouches to be painted as per the film. All paint work crude as performed by our daft heroes.....


CP~O is still working on R"D" and is scavenging for all the gadgets as seen on the net, he already has a Holo projector and can deliver a powerful electric charge. the next gadget they are collecting scrap for is to build the flamethrower

I have a skimmer model  I plan to convert to represent asalvaged skimmer with a few custom additions and paint job.

Finally a concept sketch of the idea for their workshop/dwelling/base, need to look for Dolls house lights for this now


Please tell me I haven't completely lost it.
     

[kidterminal]

These are really nice.

[Conquistador]

Firstly in response re crappy IP issues which though I am against theft of ideas seems to get bsandied around a little to often.
On the Grindhouse Forum Jim Bailey wrote this:
All:

It has been brought to my attention that some people out there think the new Combots are “too similar” to a design from a small but very cool Chinese toy company named 3A. One fan says they purchased the models _because_ they look similar in his opinion. That made me stop and look around for a minute. I do not think they are “too similar”. I made concept models out of plastic oil barrels and copper wire. The final models ended up with more orky detail than my concepts so I can see how others might see it differently than I.  

I consulted the Grindhouse legal dept. yesterday.  John had to explain to me yet again how IP law works… legal stuff: in one ear, out the other. This isn’t even on the same planet as IP infringement. After “checking that box”, I realized that this was still causing me a great deal of concern. We have built a reputation for plain dealing and brutal honesty over the last 3 years we’ve been in business. We also strongly support all the other “little guys” out there. We would never do anything intentionally to cause anyone grief, especially other designers that we respect. To that end, I sent an email to the guys at 3A asking them their opinion. If 3A feels this is somehow harmful to them, then we will pull down the models. As you guys know, John and I have “real life” careers and we’re in this for fun. If what we do causes someone to not have fun then we have failed. This is about doing the right thing…whatever that ends up being. Regardless, all orders made as long as they are in the store will be honored.

Hopefully I will hear from them soon so we can either fish or cut bait on the Dog Face pack…


<snip>

A very nice and honorable decision (but totally unnecessary IMO) that may result in application of the law of unintended consequences resulting in the stopping of production of a perfectly valid and superlative lines of miniatures.  I hope not.

If all the similar items in the world were treated to such extensive paranoia there would be very little innovation in the world.  Common roots doe not constitute IP infringement.  I feel these miniatures, the one pictured in the "comparison", and R2D2 are different enough that no claims of IP infringement is warranted.  There is enough real IP infringement/recasting on sites like Ebay that this kind of claim seems (polite word) intrusive.  Hell, even my wife (who loves R2D2) could see they are not the "same" but variations on a theme.

Gracias,

Glenn