November 24, 2011 by dracs
Puppets War have published some concept art for a Necron style jetbike. Check it out.
This is a really nice looking piece of concept art. It will be interesting to see how this looks as a miniature.
What do you guys think of this? How do you think it might play in the game? Could it prove useful?
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First thing I thought of when seeing that was the first Alien movie, and the dead alien they found in a chair right at the start.
That aside, it looks quite good.
While I think it’s neat to get alternate sculpts for stuff, I think it’s getting way out of hand… especially when other companies making models based directly off GW’s intellectual property are starting to hold them back from releasing the models themselves.
Don’t get me wrong, I certainly don’t care much for the way GW does things, but enough is enough, it’s only going to get worse if this kind of thing is allowed to keep sliding…
” when other companies making models based directly off GW’s intellectual property are starting to hold them back from releasing the models themselves”
I don’t think this is the case at all.
I think there is concern that the Tyranid fiasco is stopping figures being released. As for this, I’m not a fan. I think it’s lazy to take an established style and do a slight variation on it. I’ve no problem with people houseruling new troop types but seeing other companies trying to make money off it is lame. I realise I may be in the minority but as someone who can draw and has photoshop and a tablet I could chuck out half a dozen of these ‘concepts’ in an afternoon. I’ve got Jes’ artwork book GW did a few years back and I could happily sit down and tweak his sketches to produce something that ‘looks neat’.
Personally I see this kind of thing as parasites feeding off GW. At the same time I am aware of the similarities of some of the Necron designs with many Science Fiction classics and new series. I like to see new companies like Privateer press provide genuine competition in the market place. Their Hordes stuff is great. I’m also glad to see Mantic doing more of their own thing, I’m just not a fan of their comparatively low quality.
I think GW need to be challenged but this tagging on to a popular release doesn’t impress me. I want to see different and better things not kind of the same for a non existant troop type and worse as a ‘concept’ sketch.
I agree…
Parasitism isn’t challenging the authority, it’s scavenging the big beast for all it’s worth.
I long for content, and I long for originality… More than most, because I’m a painter and not a gamer, in this case… So I don’t even care if it’s compatible with the game.
Besides, why would Necrons have a big necron head up front this vehicle ?
How uncharacteristic ! I know they now have commanders with names and all, but they don’t have to go “full Space Muhreen” and get the bike with the skull up front as well…
I see necrons as slow, but implacable, anonymous, silent, walking (not running) at you ceaselessly in ever-rising waves, with monoliths and structures that are almost blank and devoid of details… Yet completely recognizeable.
All the more frightening !
Not exactly the biker type…
Oh well.
BoW Romain
I have the same feeling about this sub industry of alternate GW models and parts. It’s just lazy and unoriginal. All these studios that are springing up have some talented sculptors but they are just ‘selling out’ in my mind for making GW proxys. More originality and individuality is needed. The companies that impress me are the ones that create their own game fluff and mythos around their own styles and game concepts.
The jetbike Necron concept artwork looks like an unreleased Hasbro 80’s Skeletor vehicle from Masters of the Unverse so it will look awesome in a Necron Horde.
“I see necrons as slow, but implacable, anonymous, silent, walking (not running) at you ceaselessly in ever-rising waves, with monoliths and structures that are almost blank and devoid of details… Yet completely recognizable.”
That is how you see them, but could you not allow for someone who has a bit of a different take? Perhaps the jet bikes are slow? Perhaps I play Necrons, but I have come up with some really great fluff to justify the presence of the bikes, and it makes the army a lot more fun for me to play? Another point to consider, variation on theme has produced some of the greatest art the world has seen. You’re a painter, so I am a bit surprised at your view.
@ubiquanon – I’m not against it per se, I just don’t like that example… I find this concept lacks originality and elegance.
There are amazing new takes on old stuff that are better than the original, or that completely renew the genre (some non-GW space soldiers come to mind)…
… And there’s some other stuff that are just pale copies or simply not that cool (again, some non-GW space soldiers come to mind)…
I think this bike falls into the second category, as it seems to say “jetbikes are cool, necrons are cool, big skulls are cool, let’s mix them all together to obtain something mega-cool !”… To me, it just falls flat.
You may have a different opinion, or course… It doesn’t mean either of us is right or wrong, by the way, it’s just opinion.
Over all thats rather nice concept.
“Every Artists is a cannibal, every poet is a thief.” – Bono
“There is nothing new under the sun.” – One of the guys who wrote the Bible.
A few points to ponder.
1. All art is derived from previous expressions of art. “New” art is, by definition a response to a previous form, (a modification, transformation, or rebellion from that original form). Way back when someone first slapped some clay into a shape, or someone stained a rock purple, that person was original, but since then, everything has followed in some way from what they did. So is it really a good idea to break out the Intellectual Property hoo ha to defend a company that really, when you look at it, is not all that original?
So as for intellectual property, lets think about how GW have themselves, in their business practices, honored the idea. How much of GW’s army concepts are truly original?
“I think it’s lazy to take an established style and do a slight variation on it.” – sorry to break this to you, but this is EXACTLY what GW does.
The Necron’s are James Cameron Terminators with Egyptian symbolism thrown in for style and fluff. They created neither the Terminator nor the Egyptian culture. We all know the Tyranids are a ‘rip off’ of Ridley Scott’s Alien movie – who got his ideas from HG Geiger. 40K stole the Orks from fantasy, just spelled it with a K, while Fantasy took the idea from Tolkien, who took the idea from Finnish and Scandinavian mythology. (Back to those original guys carving symbols in stone eh?) Eldar are elves (back to Tolkien and Morris, and the Germans), and their iconography is a blend of traditional Celtic and Japanese symbolism and culture. The Empire is derived from the Roman Empire (all those pig Latin names / banners), and the mythology of the one Emperor as savior of man is pretty much straight out of Christianity. The Horus Heresy – a combination of et tu Brutus and here is your silver Judas. The Chaos Gods & mythos all come from Michael Moorcock, with a little HP Lovecraft thrown in the mix. Their arguably most iconic brand – the Space Marines, are merely knights in space, modeled of the Crusader Knight chapters – who had their own priests, and their own relics, and their own codes – Hospitaliers, Templars, etc.. (And while we are at it, why are they called Marine’s? There really isn’t a whole lot of water in space?) Anyway, you can see that for as much as GW wants to bust out the IP stick to defend their product, they have violated that so often on their own that they would look like, and often do look like, hypocrites.
Point the second:
I have yet to read the Necron Codex, but if there are no Necron Jet Bikes, then this model will have zero impact on tournament players, or GW sales of Necron mini’s. The only way you will be able to play this mini is with house rules. So really, whats the big deal? If I think the model is cool, and I think Necron Jet Bikes would be fun, then serously whats the big deal. Why do you think you have the right to say this is somehow wrong. The IP argument holds no real weight. If this model were an exact copy of an existing GW model then yes, you have an IP violoation, but its not, so you dont’. If you dont want to play my army that includes Necrons on Jet Bikes, no problem, I take them out. But hey, I like the model and think its cool. Why would you tell a fellow hobby enthusiast that his purchase of those models is wrong?
Point the third:
GW is famous for loading up a codex with cool stuff that they never produce models for. So if there are jet bikes for Necrons in the codex, then at least now I have a model I can use. Personally I think this is great. When GW wants to present a new codex, the competition is going to force them to make sure the the line of models represented in that codex will be complete, otherwise the competition will jump in and fill the gap. This is good for us. If GW wants to take their toys and go home, then there are other miniature companies already breathing down their necks who might give us something better. Not necessarily ”new”, because we all know there is nothing new under the sun… (read your Ecclesiastes).
In Necrons codex on page 42 there is unit called Tomb Blade thats unit type is jetbike so that thing is coming eventually.
Yes, art can be derived from other pieces of art. But when you derive so much that there is really little to no originality, we loose creativity in the piece. That is what irks most people.
See my answer above…
Yes, art can be derivative.
In this case, is it really more than copying ? Is there a new take, something original, or better than the original ? Something that isn’t just fan-art-ish ?
I don’t think so. I may be wrong, and this is subjective, but I really don’t think so.
I think the fact that other companies are able to release things based on GW ideas is a problem all of GW’s own making. They just need to make sure models are available for all the rules they put out there in the Codexes. In my view it’s much better to have models without rules than rules without models. We can’t all make (or afford to make) conversions, but we can all make up temporary house rules to use models that haven’t had official rules yet.
I don’t fully agree with other companies feeding on GW scraps, but like someone above has said, it’s much better to have a model available, no matter which company makes it.
And I also agree that Necrons shouldn’t have Jet Bikes, or anything really fast moving. Teleporting is much more their style. But that’s just my opinion.
While I appreciate the effort put into the release of alternative models and parts, I have to say that the giant skull on the front really kills it for me. As a long time Necron player, I feel a bit disappointed in the fact that one of the better units in the codex is out of touch with the original feel of the army.
Now, IMHO I think it could have been better done as a weapons platform that is phase to anywhere within 12″ of it’s current location during the movement phase, or can phase 36″ but will skip the shooting and assault phase. It could even gain the 3+ cover save by saying that the haze of released energy provides some protection as shots dissipate into the residual pocket dimension shards, or something.
Sorry, kinda got off topic there 😛
Personally the model didn’t do it for me but I think it’s great that small companies can do a few alternative GW sculpts. Demanding that every small company make their own world and their own rules is pretty naive.
To make a game you need at least 20 sculpts to make a few factions etc. For a small company thats pretty dauting. If they want to make a few models to build a rep why not make them for a already established universe. That way they might even sell some of them.
My 2 cents
So by your reasoning, ignoring another creative studios intellectual property copyrights is just fine and dandy if you cannot be bothered to create your own original work.
In other words, ‘Selling out originality to make a few bucks’.
Regardless of the money the big companies are making, If it was your style or concept artwork or sculpts being copied then sold for profit how would you feel about it?
The only thing we can do is not financially support leaching behavior. If it sells well, they’ll continue to do it. If it doesn’t sell well enough to justify IP theft, then they’ll move on to making their own models and hopefully they will thrive in that market.