nashuaworldcup Chapter 272 Future Planning and Gauss's Arrangements
Chapter 272 Future Planning and Gauss's Arrangements
In the studio, Gu Nan couldn't help but laugh as he looked at the later comments and feedback from Lao Tang's unboxing video and the marketing department's analysis report.
"Hey, isn't this an old acquaintance?"
"Hey, next time they release a new style, I'll just send one to Old Tang!"
However, Gu Nan had to admit that Group B's product tiering strategy was truly unethical.
The upgrade in form directly corresponds to the upgrade in consumption!
Not only are they raking in the hearts of adult friends, but in today's underage student circles, how much money you spend on toys not only determines how much happiness you get, but also your "social status" in class.
Especially now, with the renewed success of Light Chaser Animation, the Ultraman IP has become almost a national phenomenon.
Although it's not encouraged, sometimes it's like the caste system: kids who buy the V1 regular soft vinyl figure can't hold their heads up in front of kids who have the V2. And kids with the V2 can only obediently stand aside in front of kids who have the SHF True Bone Sculpture Supreme Gaia.
A hierarchy of toy brands belonging to tokusatsu fans was thus created by Bandai Namco, which collaborated with Light Chaser Animation Studios.
But what's even more interesting is another set of data from the marketing department.
Among the many dazzling array of Ultraman peripheral toys, the "Blue Cone," which is the core transformation tool, is surprisingly the lowest-selling of all three "Heisei Ultraman" transformation devices.
Gu Nan was initially taken aback when he saw the data.
As a new Ultraman series airing that season, it's understandable that the sales of the Blue Cone couldn't match those of the Sparkle, given how difficult it is to surpass Ultraman Tiga's peak.
How come it's slightly inferior to the Flash Sword?
If it's because of its unattractive design, then the original Sapphire Cone does indeed have a somewhat plasticky feel.
But in this world, Gu Nan has already had the art team and industrial design team rework the Sapphire Cone.
The redesigned Sapphire Cone is full of technological feel. The metallic paint texture and the mechanical structure that looks like it's spreading its wings make it look several times better than the original.
Why are sales figures not satisfactory?
Out of curiosity, Gu Nan asked the marketing department to conduct a sample survey of primary school students in various offline stores.
The report that came back left Gu Nan both amused and exasperated.
The reason why kids don't buy sapphire cones isn't because of their attractive design, but because, in their eyes, they're "lacking in class."
Ultraman Tiga's Spark Lens features wings that spread out, and his Flash Sword delivers a satisfying slap as the blade pops out.
The Sapphire Cone, with only sound and light effects and no mechanical structure, isn't really that appealing.
Furthermore, according to the plot, the Blue Cone is a transformation device that Goga Mu, a genius college student, handcrafted in the laboratory using the light bestowed by the Earth.
It also pioneered the concept of "human host hand-crafted transformation device" in Ultraman history.
For adult viewers or those who appreciate the concept, this setting is indeed novel, showcasing the fusion of human wisdom and the light of Earth, with a strong sense of technology.
But what about seven- or eight-year-old children?
Their logic is very simple and crude.
There's no mechanical transmission, no tactile feedback!
Moreover, this thing can't really be considered an Ultraman transformation device; it's more like a container for storing light, or even something that humans made themselves.
Of course, it's not as high-end as the transformation devices of other Ultraman!
Gu Nan rubbed his temples and tossed the sales report about different age groups aside.
Children's thought processes can sometimes be so direct and ruthless. Gaia's concept achieved great success in terms of plot depth, but it ran into a snag with the psychological expectations of toy consumers.
This also served as a reminder to Gu Nan.
Although the Ultraman IP has gradually expanded its audience to all age groups, as a toy, its core sales still come from a large number of young people and children.
No matter how profound the premise is, if they don't buy into it, it won't translate into real money.
If new equipment or cheats are released in the future, a different reason or setting will be needed.
Gu Nan's fingers tapped unconsciously on the table as he frantically flipped through the chronicles of the Land of Light from his original world.
Human defense forces cannot be allowed to create them, because "artificial Ultraman" and "artificial Ultraman power" have always been extremely dangerous and taboo topics in tokusatsu dramas, and are prone to backlash.
What if the Land of Light builds it themselves?
A name instantly popped into Gu Nan's mind.
A certain cheat manufacturer, the Blue Tribe Ultraman - Hikari!
Ultraman Hikari, arguably the biggest mastermind in Ultraman history, has wreaked havoc on the "peace" of the Land of Light that is no less than that of any ultimate boss.
In one universe, there was even a pseudo-Hikari who wreaked havoc and evolved to the point of wanting to launch a counterattack against the main universe...
Gu Nan looked at the financial report while mentally ranting and raving.
If we were to choose the Ultraman that Bandai's top executives most wanted to honor in the original world, Hikari would definitely be at the top of the list.
Without his continuous research and development capabilities, what would the new generation of Ultraman use to borrow power? What would they use to sell their forms?
Perhaps, in the future expansion of the Ultraman universe, Hikari's presence could be even greater.
However, the corresponding security measures can be reduced proportionally.
Hikari's incredible equipment, like the Rising Device and the Zeta Rising Device, always makes the Land of Light's security system look like it's made of paper, and it gets stolen by aliens every time it's developed, thus triggering new plot developments and new crises.
It became an annual staple, making the Land of Light known as having the strongest security in the universe.
Every time Hikari's new technology is stolen, the evil forces can immediately reverse engineer it and create a "counterfeit" with the opposite properties.
Is Hikari's anti-counterfeiting technology really that bad, or is the evil force's reverse engineering ability maxed out?
These amazing concepts will all be showcased in the next series, "Mebius".
Lay the groundwork early and make plans early!
Planned JPG~
Of course, these ideas are just foreshadowing that Gu Nan has laid to enrich the world view, and there is still a long way to go before they are actually filmed.
The more pressing issue now is how to choose the next project after Gaia and even Mebius.
Should we finish filming the storyline of Si Si?
Besides Mebius, there are also Cosmos, Max, and Nexus.
The order in which the next few Ultramen will appear also needs to be considered.
In his previous life, regardless of whether fans acknowledge it or not, Gaia was indeed the last peak and dawn of the Heisei era.
After Gaia, Tsuburaya Productions' viewership and revenue began to decline.
If it weren't for Ultraman Zero's sudden emergence and its ability to extend the brand's lifespan, coupled with the new generation craze sparked by Ultraman Ginga's toy sales, this once-golden brand would have long since faded away.
"After the Heisei Three, in order to maintain their popularity, they must undergo a stylistic transformation."
For example, in the original world, there was the Ultra Warrior who succeeded Gaia.
Gu Nan closed Hikari's document and reopened a folder named "Project Cosmos".
Ultraman Cosmos, the compassionate warrior.
In the original universe setting, Cosmos is an Ultraman who advocates peace, does not kill, and attempts to coexist with monsters.
Gu Nan will not discuss the plot for the time being.
From a commercial perspective, Gauss is an extremely important "advanced fusion material," and future legendary warriors like Legend and Saga cannot do without the power of Gauss.
His worldview played an irreplaceable role in expanding the entire Ultra Universe.
But as Gu Nan looked at the outline, his brows gradually furrowed.
He wasn't really interested in filming Gauss's TV series.
When Tsuburaya Productions initially proposed Ultraman Cosmos, they clearly stated that he was "a brand-new Ultraman who combines strength and gentleness." The initial intention was very good, attempting to explore the theme of coexistence between humans, nature, and monsters.
However, in actual production, Gauss's TV series took a turn for the worse. In order to highlight "compassion," the protagonist Musashi's character became too soft and weak, which is what people in the anime and manga world often refer to as "kindness."
In Japan's specific market environment, due to historical reasons, audiences might have found this "absolute pacifism" premise appealing. However, in today's domestic market, audiences live at a very fast pace and face immense pressure; they watch tokusatsu (special effects) dramas to relieve stress.
In this parallel world, if a TV series with over sixty episodes were to be filmed, where the protagonist always gets beaten up before slowly trying to reform the monster, the audience's patience would definitely be exhausted.
Domestic audiences prefer to watch Gaia's fluid and hardcore combat, or Dyna's street-smart personality of fighting anyone who dares to challenge them.
Moreover, during the filming of the original World of Gauss, the lead actor was involved in an assault scandal, which led to the show being temporarily suspended and even the finale being forced to be re-edited.
Although that actor doesn't exist in this world, the dark humor of "a compassionate warrior striking hard in reality" always made Gu Nan feel that Gauss's TV script had a structural flaw.
An unlikable persona is fatal.
A gentle, kind-hearted Japanese male protagonist might be acceptable in anime, but in live-action tokusatsu that emphasizes realism, he can easily come across as extremely hypocritical and hypocritical.
"We can't film long-running TV dramas."
Gu Nan pressed the delete button directly, completely erasing the long-term project for the Gauss TV series.
"But we can't lose Gauss's fusion properties and cosmology." Gu Nan leaned back in his chair, looking at the ceiling. "Since the balance of strength and gentleness is prone to collapse in long-running series, let's condense it."
He sat up straight again and typed out the new project direction in the document.
"Transform Gauss's project into a full-fledged theatrical film and high-quality OVAs, or even a theatrical version of a web movie!"
Yes, since making it into a TV series would be too slow, let's just put all the budget into a few top-notch theatrical versions.
Through several high-density films, the origin of Gauss is quickly explained, including the benevolence of the Luna form, the strength of the Corona form, and the final Eclipse form.
There's no need for dozens of episodes of drawn-out narrative; the story of Musashi and Cosmos can be told directly using the pacing of a film.
This not only perfectly preserves Gauss's role as a "high-level fusion material," but also avoids the loss of viewers due to a weak character design.
Compared to TV Ultraman series that require long build-ups, Ultraman Cosmos, with his own independent universe and later involvement in multiverse travel, is more suited to the high-end "movie Ultraman" route.
Gu Nan watched the new project gradually taking shape on the screen, his fingers lightly tapping the Enter key.
With Gaia's deification, his Ultra Universe has only just begun to unfold its grandest chapter.