How do they determine XB production...

[JOCKTHEGLIDE]

just curious what determines or makes it to be an XB model? How come they never made an TLT XB version pre built and all?

[4wdmt]

I think XB is their RTR version. Pre-built with radio and esc. Some regions even have a battery pack and wall charger.

Why not a TLT XB version? That's a good question.

[McFig]

As far as I know, they only do the XB on certain cars and trucks. A lot of them are kits.

[janderson]

Assembly time would be a factor

[Mouton]

A really interesting question, that must boil down to some sort of marketing decision. Perhaps it comes when parts in stock begin to pile up?

Assembly time might be a factor, but is it really? Several of Tamiya's models that require significantly less time in assembly than several XB-offerings have not been offered as XB?

I.e., the High-Lift is available as an XB (in Japan), the semi truck-series is announced as XB. They are all time consuming to build but still no TA-05 XB or DF-03 buggy (Dark Impact) XB.

[JOCKTHEGLIDE]

Assembly time would be a factor

I know you work there anderson, but that cant be the true reason I mean come on look at the high lift that takes longer than say a wild willy 2 XB version to be built. It has to be some kind of formula because right now im waiting on hot shot to be XBizied among other models. I like to buy the XB version and kit version for parts. I cant paint so I like those XB version all nice and perfect from tamiya for myself.

[Thorsteenster]

Beets me, but I wonder how much they pay to assemble them. It would be kinda cool getting payed to build RC's.

[janderson]

It is the reason, the highlift and semis are not going to be XB's from my knowledge.

They will be more in the line of masterwork R/C type

You ask what is the difference?

They are way more expensive and more detail that would be my answer.

[Mouton]

If it is called XB, XB-G (expert built glow engine model), Masterwork, Factory Finished, RTR, Pre-built or what have you is more about marketing terminology than the actual decision to offer a model as both a kit and a version that "only requires battery installation".

What I believe the thread is about is:
What determines if Tamiya is to offer a prebuilt version of a model or not?

Build time, I would say, is not a factor for Tamiya - it only plays a role in what label it will have (XB/Masterwork) in the catalogue. I say that because we have seen on your web site (under the XB heading) the announcement of both the Hilux and the semi series. Thus even the build time consuming models are coming.

Of course build time is a factor affecting the price - but apparently not the yes/no decision itself.

What would interest most of us is how Tamiya thinks when deciding upon offering a prebuilt/finished model of an existing kit.

[janderson]

If it is called XB, XB-G (expert built glow engine model), Masterwork, Factory Finished, RTR, Pre-built or what have you is more about marketing terminology than the actual decision to offer a model as both a kit and a version that "only requires battery installation".

What I believe the thread is about is:
What determines if Tamiya is to offer a prebuilt version of a model or not?

Build time, I would say, is not a factor for Tamiya - it only plays a role in what label it will have (XB/Masterwork) in the catalogue. I say that because we have seen on your web site (under the XB heading) the announcement of both the Hilux and the semi series. Thus even the build time consuming models are coming.

Of course build time is a factor affecting the price - but apparently not the yes/no decision itself.

What would interest most of us is how Tamiya thinks when deciding upon offering a prebuilt/finished model of an existing kit.


I disagree the thread title says "How do they determine XB production"

AGAIN it is due to build time. XB only includes what is XB at this time, down the road that may change.

[shodog]

To the original question as to why there wasn't and XB TLT. I guess the real question to ask is does anybody use their tlt in stock form? Really I think the tlt was a way to ge a nice set of axles out the back door at Tamiya

[backtomyroots]

It is the reason, the highlift and semis are not going to be XB's from my knowledge.

They will be more in the line of masterwork R/C type

You ask what is the difference?

They are way more expensive and more detail that would be my answer.


Ah - Ha ! I knew there was a difference ! XB does NOt equal Masterwork. I can almost justify buying one now . . . . .

[Mouton]

I disagree the thread title says "How do they determine XB production"

AGAIN it is due to build time. XB only includes what is XB at this time, down the road that may change.
janderson, people sometimes use one 'term' while the marketing/sales people would have used another...

What if the creator of the thread incorrectly used the XB name for all "prebuilt" Tamiyas but still meant all cars, including the High-Lift and the semis you have announced on Tamiyausa.com in the XB category? That is my interpretation of the question. Right or wrong, it makes the question all the more interesting since we then move to include the time consuming builds in the picture.

Would you care to comment on what the deciding factor is for offering a Masterwork model (or whateever the name for the series will be for the prebuilt High-Lift and semis) then? I.e. come as a a "prebuilt" or not (disgarding what "label" it will carry)?

That can clearly not be time as these are the most time consuming RC models to build in Tamiya' lineup.

I keep repeating this question since it is interesting to many of us.:sorry:

[McFig]

Personal opinion follows:
*XB is for easy/inexpensive kits like Midnight Pumpkins that were built by an "expert"
*Masterwork is for harder/expensive kits like Semi's and Hi-Lifts
*In both cases, the vehicles all come as kits too. So, they started as kits and then Tamiya pays some factory full of people to build them.
*RTR is from the factory, ready to go. They are not first kits and then built. They are only RTRs, like the TNX.

I think Factory Finished and Pre-built are more just marketing terms.

[janderson]

I understand that the person might have meant something other than XB, but I'm not a mind reader so I can only answer the question in front of me.

Deciding factor?

masterworks up until today has been models only
XB has been more easy to assemble kits and popular ones as well (It is also based on interest and cost)

TLT-1 would have been to expensive in current form to assemble for sale

As far as these new vehciles that are RTR, yes they are found in the XB area of tamiyausa.com but that is only until we find how Tamiya Japan is boxing them for sale.

We had to choose a place for them to go in order to show on our site in the mean time.

If you noticed they are a different # series so I will expect them to be outside the XB line when its all said in done, but I could be wrong....

[Larrio]

From a marketing and production stand point, it's basically a sales-per-unit formula. And when I use the word 'formula' i'm not implying that there is a mathematical one in existence, but that isn't entirely important to answer the intial question at hand. This sales-per-unit formula usually consists of beginner or popular kits.

The Expert Built RTR's you see usually exist because they are easier to produce. In the case of the TT-01, one chassis can cover about 50 different vehicles. Which makes production costs that much cheaper. Since the sales-per-unit of the TT-01 chassis is so high, it would be reasonable to produce a RTR from the normal kit, since it's marketed towards beginners.

Then there are the usual nostalgia kits such as the Lunchbox, Grasshopper, Frog, etc. (1) We sell enough to justify a market and (2) they are designed for beginners.

Then you have the occasional oddity released by Japan (XB Hi-Lift, 1/16 scale R/C tank, etc). Those are on limited quantities and the price point is already so high that it's really done as a "wow factor" more than anything else.

And the TLT-1 was considered as a RTR before but the price point would have ruined it since 90% of the original kit is purchased for parts anyways.

[Mouton]

Sorry for beeing persistent with my question but I believe many of us were intersted in the answer.

Larrio, thanks for an excellent answer!:yourock:

[JOCKTHEGLIDE]

My questions has been answered thanks tamiya employees I understand now...and oh by the way thanks for the XB of high lift :Tamiya1::yourock: I do plan to buy one even if I have to get in credit card for it.