So here's a quick rundown of Amiibo and actual plastic prototypes (and part of the process). Keep in mind I personally do not collect Amiibo, but because there are issues with people saying some are prototypes I feel the need to clarify what is and is not a prototype Amiibo DO NOT ASSUME WHAT I TYPE IS COMPLETELY FACT. PLASTIC IS COMPLICATED AND QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ASKED TO BE CLARIFIED. WHAT CAN APPLY FOR SOME PLASTIC ITEMS DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN THE SAME APPLIES FOR OTHERS There's a lot of plastic types out there as well but generally speaking you will find plastic that has colour like such. This plastic is essentially what undyed plastic looks like (It's usually an off-white colour - sometimes described as "milk yellow". Sometimes it's also softer so its easier to remove defective spots easier as it's easier to cut through - but the colour is usually the same). Spoiler Here's an example of plastic with a white colour for dye looks like for comparison Spoiler And both next to each other just to be sure you see how different they are Spoiler Many factors play a role here so I'll just try and cover things as best as I can. In a very condensed version of how the production process works 1) Model is sculpted or 3D modeled in CAD software 2) Multiple parts made for an assembly of said item (impossible molds and such for example) 3) Molds are made via a complex milling technique (with or without scanning said model) 4) A batch of samples are made (anywhere from 50 to hundreds depending on why and the customer's request) 5) Samples are checked for defects and issues with the model itself (extra plastic flash, detail, etc. These usually have the plastic pictured above). <-THIS IS WHAT A PROTOTYPE WOULD BE 6) New molds are made with fixes in mind 7) More samples are made with fixes or changes and model is checked once again <-THIS IS WHAT A PROTOTYPE WOULD BE 8) Process is repeated until you have the production model molds. 8.5) At this point you make models that can introduce colour dyes if needed. This step can be done in step 8 or it can be added at step 9, but It truly varies based on what the process entails. SOMETIMES THESE ARE NOT USING THE PLASTIC PICTURED ABOVE BUT CAN SOMETIMES BE COMPLETELY BLACK AS A DYE TEST 9) Production model molds are finally made and decided on 10) The models get made and sometimes defects show up (usually marked to be destroyed for some reason, sometimes its due to defect in dye, silkscreening decals, parts with deformities. These often have that plastic in the picture above due to dye defects) <-THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL SEE ON EBAY. THESE ARE NOT PROTOTYPES BY DEFINITION BUT MANUFACTURING ERRORS What you will see on ebay and from other sellers 95% of the time -They will not have a chip for actual use (would make sense as this is basically the last step) -Production models with defects -Production models pulled off the line early and smuggled out of the factory -Production models that for one reason or another are marked to be thrown out but are instead saved What a real prototype would be -At a point before the final mold was created -Usually has mold line changes and extra issues not present on the production models -Can sometimes be dye test samples (there was a completely black plastic Peach Amiibo - this was a real prototype) Some important notes and some examples -If an Amiibo is not out yet and is up for sale, and does not look complete, this does not automatically mean it's a prototype. It can be from the production mold and merely be a defective model. -Many types of defects can exist. Anywhere from actual quality not being high enough to dye not reaching certain parts of the plastic (giving it a strange look) -The plastic and mold making process is complex and detailed. Squishing it into 10 simple points is very very bad to do, so many specifics are not covered (like injection molds and using plastic pellets, or actually dying liquid plastic. "Metalizing" or Electroplating is another complex process). -Just because it uses the undyed plastic does not make it a prototype (the picture I took of that part is a production mold part using this plastic. My other hobby uses it for "limited edition" batches for fun for collectors) Here's some images of defective Amiibo from the production molds. Note the pale off-white colour is not shown in these as I have not found a good enough image of it on Amiibo. Spoiler Here are some examples of what sample/test Amiibo are like. Spoiler On the Jigglypuff, note the feet colour. Despite having a standard stand that's defective, the dye used for the base pink colour is different from the top half of the model. This would be a defect normally, but in this case the top half was fitted onto the bottom half for a QA check. The bottom half is in fact a part of an earlier batch of some sort despite the top half being the production version. It's common to do this as they usually do not change the assembly aspect, but instead change the visual aspects. So somewhere out there, the top half of this model exists and is separated from the feet. This is the Black Peach sample I had mentioned earlier.
Nice info. I guess some clever sellers in China found a way to get some money out of defects that were supposed to be trashed.
This was posted in response to the thread asking if their Amiibo was a prototype I didn't read too carefully for where they got it, but sellers of these have been quite deceiving and I don't like that. There are some sellers that genuinely don't know what they have, and that's also what this is for. Plastic is a crazy and diverse world, and what can be a prototype/sample/etc usually isn't common unless its to the customer that specifically requested it (and paid because it's not cheap).
So the Link Amiibo I have would be categorized as a test run sample rather than prototype. But can the info / lack of info at the bottom of the figure determine whether it's from around the final mold stage or from a stage where it's ready to og but has defects? Does it make sense that prototypes don't have info underneath, samples are sanded and defects still have the info? Those Marth, Wii Fit and Mii amiibos are the ones I was talking about. They kept being listed as they sold and finally stopped selling. Leaves me thinking they were produced to look like test samples.
1st - 3D print 2nd - test model 3rd - final model (without paint) 4th - final model [GALLERY=media, 1412]Amiibo prototype by code1038 posted Aug 23, 2016 at 9:54 PM[/GALLERY]
It's very difficult to say what is and isn't since you have to know what mold was used for this. It's very likely yours was just a defective model but it's still possible that it was a test model of sorts. I'm certain yours is from the production mold and just a defective run one but I cannot be completely sure. They have value in their own right since they weren't supposed to leave the factories and instead be destroyed, so it's not like they don't have their own value. If you could take some more pics to show the details that'd probably help. Top bottom left right front back. I just want to see the details. THIS is a perfect way to show the stages from prototype to final. I like that they're even using a 3D printed model for the first model way in back. Edit - I also see you edited the post to state what stages they're at. I'm too on top of this. They're using a high res material that's quite fragile. Said material doesn't hold paint well but it's high in detail (and probably higher detail than the production mold).
more pictures [GALLERY=media, 1414]E3 proto by code1038 posted Aug 23, 2016 at 10:11 PM[/GALLERY] [GALLERY=media, 1413]E3 proto by code1038 posted Aug 23, 2016 at 10:11 PM[/GALLERY]
Ok. I don't have a released Link Amiibo to cross check for differences, but they look identical from pictures, so yeah, I bet it's of a very late / final mold as you say. And good to know it's got some value, as I'm considering letting go of it to finance a trip to the US. Gotcha. I'll try and take some more pics tonight.
nop, nintendo show them on POST-E3 event in France & on Nintendo Booth during Japan Expo 2016, with the demo of Zelda Breath of the wild Nintendo's staff says me : "you are the first french to see these amiibo !" but i don't touch them
Aha! Cool of Nintendo to bring that to events for people to see! That means they are concerned about preserving development history, and I bet they have tons archived at their Japan HQ Neat!
Sorry for not getting images up earlier. I've been a little busy. Not the most HD pics, but they were taken in a hurry.
Sadly no. I haven't handeled any other Amiibos, but the figure is very light weight, so I assume there's no chip inside. I don't know anyone who owns a WiiU, so I can't test it either. But if this was a pre-production unit, only made for display, I guess there was no use for a built in chip before producing the actually working E3/kiosk demo units. I have been considering selling it the past month, and even more so the past week. Funny you came to ask.
