The FOXHOUND Prototype is ready for YOUR review!
Yes, Metal Gear Solid fans, the wait is almost over - the FOXHOUND Trench coat is almost ready for release! The only step left is one that most companies don't even think about: we're looking for feedback from you - the fans!
Your mission, should you choose to accept it:
1. Analyze these pictures carefully.
2. Keeping in mind that we used the original trench of Liquid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid video game as our main source of inspiration, compare our pictures to other screencaps and shots of the FOXHOUND coat from the Metal Gear series.
3. Leave your comments about our prototype here on the blog (using the handy "Post a Comment" feature below). If you think there are changes needed - let us know! If you think it's perfect - then make sure to tell us that too ;)
4. Check back to see what other "patriots" are saying too! That's half the fun really, and you might think of things differently by reading what other people have to say.
Please note: This mission will end on Thursday, November 20th, 2008! We want to get this coat released to you quickly, so any design changes will need to be compiled by that date.
So you have one week to let your voice be heard - now comment away! ;)
This is AbbyShot, signing off.
Over and out.
58 comments:
It looks great! The only thing, though, that bugs me a bit is I think the color is a bit off. :\ Every time I've seen it in-game it's looked a bit more green than straight brown to me.
But still awesome!
Can I get it in Black...?
This coat is breathtaking. I can't wait to buy one. Never mind about the colour. It's gorgeous.
Oooh.. Very nice, very nice.. Well made, and it looks like it'd be warm, never mind the game references. Though that's awesome too.
looks very good:D
but i get the feeling that the horisontal lines on the shoulder pads could be more defined?
it seems like they are a byproduct of the way the pads were created and not a design feature.
"but i get the feeling that the horisontal lines on the shoulder pads could be more defined?
it seems like they are a byproduct of the way the pads were created and not a design feature."
Come to think of it, I'd agree with this statement. It's still an awesome coat otherwise..I'd given up hope that you guys'd make it....~eyes all teared up and watery~ Thank you..I...I love you....(GIR reference)
I hope the buttons are on there good, my last two trenchcoats both buttons came off and I didn't have any similar replacements..
Hey AbbyShot! Great product teaser! I like the colour, it matches the MGS cut-scenes. I agree that the lines in the shoulder sections could be a bit more defined, thicker padding perhaps? Maybe they are well defined already though and the photo lighting doesn't show this? Overall, a great job! Can't wait for it to be available!
Would it cost anything more to have it made in a different colour? To me the coat in the original game always seemed more olive green.
Example video -- perhaps just the lighting, but it does seem more green. I don't particularly care what colour the coat's supposed to come in, so long as it's not much extra to get it made in a different color :)
It really depends. The 'Twin Snakes' Liquid Snake had a much darker coat, while the original was more of a karkei(spelling)-brown than a straight out brown.
Nice job…
Forgot to post example video....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaWVtZ1TCoA
The coat looks cool as! But It is very MGS1 style and colour I mean if you look that the original drawing you can see liquid, Ocelot and Big boss have the same coat only different colours and styles which seem to change with each game so I can see how hard to would be to get the right one!
MGS4 SPOILER AHEAD SO IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED IT DON'T READ!!
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Personally my fave coat and the one I would like to see is the big boss one from MGS4 at the end its not the same design as that one as it doesn't have the buttons all the way up and his is a Khaki colour but it is my fave.
Maybe you could do all 3 different versions one of each? All that would really need changed is the colour and taking away some buttons and adding fabric to the sleeves for Ocelot.
*very surprised face*
D=
this coat is sooo kOol.
It's so k0oOL, that, I don't have a reason to cry about the Matrix coats being gone anymore!!!
=D
I absolutely love this coat, and very much want to buy one when it's available. One note from the video posted: Liquid's coat seems to have a more tailored waist. I realize that part of this is Liquid's broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted physique, but I think taking in the waist on the prototype would make it look . . . classier, in a way. With the looser waist, it looks more like a rough-and-tumble duster - no bad thing in and of itself, but look at about 2:20-2:45ish on the video. Liquid's coat follows his torso a bit closer. It's an excellent coat as-is, but a more tailored look would make it perfect to my eyes.
Very awesome design. The color looks a bit dark to me, as the cutscenes in the game were closer to a tan or khaki (like desert military fabric) than straight brown. Also the shoulder epaulettes seem somewhat thin compared to the protective-padding look of the games. Additionally, the waist should taper closer to the hips to create a v-shape on the upper body as opposed to hanging straight down. That being said, I'm thouroughly excited and I have been waiting for months for this excellent item. I can't wait!
Hello.
I just read your new on the "Fox Hound Prototype"
and I'd like to help by offering whatever precision
it there's nothing in the back
no belt
Col will be larger to cover the whole neck
and the color is not good
the good will of brown clear
in the subject I would say that it's wool velvet
I leave you a video from YouTube to help you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvuI6srZYF8&feature=related
Hello.
I just read your new on the "Fox Hound Prototype"
and I'd like to help by offering whatever precision
it there's nothing in the back
no belt
Col will be larger to cover the whole neck
and the color is not good
the good will of brown clear
in the subject I would say that it's wool velvet
I leave you a video from YouTube to help you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvuI6srZYF8&feature=related
Oh man, I am so excited about this, that coat is awesome!
I would be posting bulletins on myspace, to spread the word!
The video I posted also shows that at least in the original game, the coat's cinched in a bit at the waist, and flares out again....a tighter waist, whereas the prototype coat's sides are straight up and down.
My God, that's awesome. Want.
However, I'm with Rai, regarding the waist. And it should be a lighter shade of brown, in my eyes, (this coming from someone who rarely wears anything but black clothing). Despite all this...very well done.
There needs to be less of a red hue, sort of a lighter brown. Otherwise, it looks spot on. Perhaps it's the Twin Snake's cinematic filter that makes it seem lighter with all the bright lights.
Great jacket. Seriously considering a purchase.
As the primary consultant of the project, if you will, I'll say this more to the others who have commented, since I've already emailed my comments to the AS team.
The main things that need to be fixed here is that the shoulder pauldrons need to be brought in, the lapels need to be made much smaller, and the shoulder line needs to not be so broad. Other than that, the cuffs shouldn't be so tall.
Other than that, it's perfect. The color is an excellent match to Liquid's from Twin Snakes, which is what I was mainly shooting for when I brought this project to AbbyShot's attention four years ago.
For the person who said there is no belt; Yes there is a belt. If you look through the character lineart for MGS1, you'll see it on the back view of Liquid Snake. Look here:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/SnakeMGS4/liquidback.jpg
Said "belt" is where the tapered waist effect that the others mentioned comes from.
It's been a lot of time and effort, but thanks to a lot of patience and campaigning for the product, it's finally here. Aside from the few fixes I mentioned, everything else looks dead on.
If it's for formal wear, then the button on the shoulders would be made of metal and shiny, but if its for officers to wear out in the field, then the button should be around the same color as the material and not stand out. Black trenchcoats for the navy have black buttons, that kind of thing. So it's good.
But I agree with some others, the horizontal lines should stand out, since the shoulders are whats defining this coat.
-Enoch
So you'll be able to cinch the coat tighter? Doesn't look like it from the pictures.
I was one of the ones pestering for the coat as well. Personally, I don't like Twin Snakes at all, the colour in Metal Gear Solid 4 is a lighter brown...to me the colour in the original MGS is a slightly green colour...that's how I've always thought of it, but the later games I guess contradicted me :)
I don't care so much about the colour as the design. I'm not wearing it for cosplay, I'm wearing it because I like the coat. Colour wise I might just end up ordering it custom in an olive drab, who knows. The lines were already stated, and give me the ability to cinch it tight and I'll be happy. I presume the belt at back can do that, but I can't really tell from the photos, I'm no clothing expert..
A colour like this would be appropriate, personally....but perhaps others would disagree.
http://www.thelongolivedrabline.com/images/uploads/Product-15-military-jeep-paints-lustreless-olive-drab-paint-large.gif
I think the coat needs to be more of an olive green (thank you to others who said what I was thinking but couldn't get out). Perhaps if it was offered with a brown/green/tan option? Then buyers could pick and choose from which color they best think suits what they're aiming for.
As it stands, if it does in fact stick with the brown, I likely won't buy one. Looks like a great coat, but the brown isn't really 'Liquid's' coat to me and so I don't really feel the need to shell out likely $200+ for it. :(
As Snake said, although personally I'm going from the MGS4 version of this coat, the shoulders should be de-accentuated a bit, less square and a bit smaller, the same thing with the lapels.
Now as someone who would like this to wear as a real coat as opposed to cosplay I'd love to see it in a dark grey or black color. Also, I've always loved Abbyshot's work but for the most part feel that it is usually more dressed up than this should be, I'm hoping this will be made of something very durable, so I could wear it as an everyday item.
I hope there'll be options on length, the prototype looks a bit...short to me.
But then I'm tall.
About the only thing I can think of is the definition of the horizontal lines on the "shoulder pads" (for lack of a better word). As some said earlier, I think they should be more defined.
When I first saw how dark brown the color was, I was shocked, but when I thought about it more, the more I liked it. S'long as it's made of a durable material (that could last for YEARS of regular wear), I'm a definite buyer.
Yes exact there is indeed a belt behind the mantle of liquid snake
But I take that model for Big Boss who has no belt in the back,
http://img528.imageshack.us/my.php?image=backbossmv8.png
I also post color
http://img404.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nouvelleimagebitmapdz6.png
although it will be the color and material of the mantle is optional
for me it will be cotton velvet
the shoulder when it will be much more marked on the photo
http://img510.imageshack.us/my.php?image=paulesyd0.png
Looks terrific, very on-par with the artwork of MGS1. Keeping my eye on this one.
The color is horrible however, I'd never purchase the coat in that dark bown color. Originally, the coat was Dark Tan.
Here's the color scheme for Dark Tan:
Hex triplet #918151
RGBB (r, g, b) (145, 129, 81)
HSV (h, s, v) (45°, 44%, 57%)
(from Wikipedia)
That's the color you'll want to apply for the true-blue FOXHOUND look; kinda olive, kinda khaki, perfect for a special forces-esque clothing article from both an authentic and functional perspective (re: concealment) as the color is almost the shade of the latest base color painted and molded for modern weapons/equipment (Flat Dark Earth).
Also, black would be a good choice(Probably preaching to the choir, right?), if only as an offered option.
Eh, all this debating about the colour..it's the design that's important. I'm starting to come around to the brown myself. Some people want to buy it in brown, some in tan, others in an off green......the coat has obviously appeared in various places in all of these colours, there's not a specific "official colour", it just depends what game you're playing.
Focus on the actual design I think, because everybody has different ideas about the colour. :)
This looks beautiful. The color may be a bit dark for my taste but I would still buy it. Some other suggestions posted by others are good. Either way this is still an awesome coat. Nice job!
All right, looked long and hard at a lot of source material and here are my thoughts:
1. Color and material: Lighter brown, less wooly material. I think a lot of people are looking for a lighter color, even though it's dead on for Twin Snakes. But frankly, Twin Snakes is an anomaly in the series and least canon of all. The green that everyone is many are thinking of comes from the ambient lighting in Shadow Moses. Look at the flesh tones when looking at in game footage for a comparison. Let's just stay away from too dark (as it is) or too khaki. A material that wasn't so wooly and more reflective/sheen (like trench coat material) would reflect more light instead of absorb it, killing two birds with one stone. I never imagined a wooly FOX-HOUND coat.
2. Cut: Yes, I agree with others that the waist needs to be cinched at least slightly, just so it does flare when worn open. I also agree that the cuffs need to be made smaller, it should be around a fourth, give or take, of the length of the forearm. I also agree that the lapels need to be made smaller.
3. Details: There should be a split in the tail of the coat. At least around 12 to 18 inches from the bottom. In the game it varies on length depending on scene and character, but it is always there.
4. Shoulders: I think that the horizontal lines can be accented more, too. Maybe a double stitched line instead of just a single? I agree that they can also be shortened on the sides just a tad. Not too much, though, since most times they are prominent.
This is a great start and with some changes, it would be perfect. To me, color and material are the biggest concerns, because it can be altered after the fact. I'd just hate to spend a lot of money and still have to make some changes to it. ;D
Thank you for all your hard work, AbbyShot! And thank you to everyone who is interested and has posted feedback!
I do not know if it was already has said, but the mantle has fallen even below the knees
http://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hjsn8.png
I also post pictures of the other party left shoulder, and my coat is cashmere
http://img291.imageshack.us/my.php?image=paulegaucheys0.png
the shoulder will be closer to the centre
and have four line in the back and face
http://img404.imageshack.us/my.php?image=backbosscl0.png
http://img404.imageshack.us/my.php?image=paulegauchexk0.png
I was really hoping the coat would follow the design of Big Boss' in MGS4. Colour aside, the buttons need to be hidden, the collar needs to be higher AND the same length at every point as opposed to winged. Also the cuffs are a lot shorter and very tight, as if they're sown onto the sleves. The collar was really meant to be worn up in the style of Blade Runner, and it just looks wrong being a wing collar. It really should have a symmetrical appearance, both buttoned and unbuttoned, instead of having one lapel buttoned to the jacket. As others have mentioned, the shoulders are too prominent and the waist needs to be cinched.
Big Boss' version also did not have a belt at all, but seeing as Liquid's was the inspiration for this one, might I suggest offering two different designs? MGS1 and MGS4. I'd say there are enough differences to warrant two coats: exposed vs. hidden buttons, belt vs. beltless, and brown/olive vs. tan. I very much want this coat but I'm defnitely holding off for a more elegant and less militaristic MGS4 version.
It's straight. A couple of things:
1. The trench looks a little longer in the pics and in-game.
2. At the back/bottom of the trench, it is split, not one continuous piece. Almost like a penguin tail or w/e it's called on tux's.
3. The shoulder pads should be divide. Perhaps sow it a certain way that it looks like it's broken into parts.
4. It should be broad at the shoulders and a little thinner at the waist.
See this site for what I am talking about in all 4 points:
http://mgs-saga.com/graphics/LiquidSnake.jpg
All in all it's looking great so far. I don't know if you will make any changes based on what you hear from your critic, but we'll leave that up to you. ^_^
Thanks for making this beautiful piece of clothing for your fans.
I AGREE TO THE SHOULDER pads they should be more defined. And the color to less dark at my advise more like sand.
Your prototype looks great
abbyshot rocks
Simply beautiful As soon as it is available i would love to buy it. FOXHOUND is great.
It's too dark, a lighter brown is needed.
Guys, trust me when I tell you, I've mentioned color options to them before. Specifically, I mentioned Olive Drab, Tan, Black, and Gray.
They said that if it sells good enough, they'll look into color options. Judging by the responses here, I'd say that this is possible.
As for the color brown, the reason it's so dark is cause they went with the dark brown color scheme of the Twin Snakes version of the coat, as per my instruction. That's what they'll stick with, I gave them this to go off of:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/SnakeMGS4/FOXHOUND/FOXHOUNDcoatTTS.jpg
I'd also like to add, for people coming in talking about what the Big Boss version of the coat has or doesn't have in comparison to this one.
This project was first commissioned in 2004. That is to say, it's always been based off of the Twin Snakes version of the coat.
The MGS4 Big Boss version (and the MPO Gene version, for good measure) weren't even around yet. By the time they were (the Big Boss version especially), AbbyShot was so deep into the design process that it wouldn't have made a difference.
So to clarify, this is SUPPOSED TO be the Twin Snakes version of the coat. Perhaps they'll offer configuration options for it, or make a slightly different version all together for the Big Boss kind, like they did with both of Morpheus' coats from The Matrix series. Hell, I'd buy the Big Boss version too, don't think for a second I'm telling you that it shouldn't be made.
But for here, right now, this design is based on the one worn by Liquid and Ocelot in Twin Snakes. Made of a durable and waterproof material based on the fact that it was worn in the field, so to speak.
The reason I sound so assertive is cause I wouldn't want this coat to look like something it shouldn't when the final product comes around because AbbyShot's staff has been confused by incorrect instruction, after I've been on this project like white on rice for the past three years.
This thing's been my baby for a while now, as you can tell. I wouldn't let wrong be done to it.
very nice coat!
i love it!!!!
id say, like a lot of people already said,
maybe the shoulder pad should be a little more define but its still really beautiful.
This looks very good indeed. If it turns out to be as sturdy as it looks I'm having one for sure. ^_^
i'ld say the color may be off... a little. however, for a prototype, i'm very impressed. i'ld be satisfied with the coat as it is. so i'll go with the majority rule on this one. winter here in Japan is about to set in. it would be great to have this ASAP.
We must not forget that everyone does not cosplay, I would like to bring to coat all day
and for the price, must be perfect (like the big boss)
The Lines and the shoulder blades could be brought out more and it could be a couple of shades lighter, but the coat looks freaking awesome!!!
1 - shoulders more brands and closer to the centre
2 - sable coat color
3 - material cashmere coat
Does it have pockets?
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/SnakeMGS4/ColonelCampbell.jpg
Yeah it has pockets. Look right here, you can see where the openings are:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JOn4qp7SpVA/SRx6TxKHthI/AAAAAAAABhk/ZLLHQtqCak4/s1600-h/AbbyShot-Foxhound-Front-Fullview.jpg
And just to repeat, the color's fine. Refer to the Twin Snake's character models for Liquid, Ocelot, and Mantis.
And... cashmere? The thing's supposed to be waterproof like an actual military trench. Where did the idea of cashmere come in?
Snake, with all due respect for working really hard with AbbyShot for making this coat possible, it's apparent that many people want a lighter/different color. Yes, you were the one who brought this idea to AbbyShot, and you certainly have my gratitude for that, but it's everyone else who will sell this item and make this worth AbbyShot's while. I love this coat, and thank you for making this possible.
But, if you wanted a coat only per your instruction, you could have commissioned an individual to make it for you. A company making a product is a completely different matter.
I agree that Gene's and Big Boss's MGS4 coat should not be majorly considered, so I definitely think that it shouldn't be tan, but a lighter brown matches better the original MGS coat, and anyone who wanted tan will have it a lot closer to what they want. I assert that the character models Twin Snakes were made by Silicon Knights, not Konami. Whenever you see flashbacks in games made after Twin Snakes, you still see the PS version of MGS.
Granted. However, whether anyone feels that Twin Snakes is canon or not, THAT was the one this project was based off of.
There are three reasons I would say that the selected shade of brown is fine. One is that the Twin Snakes character renders offered much clearer images of the coat for me to show AbbyShot's design team.
The second, is that if you look at all the peripherary Metal Gear items (primarily the toys), the 12 inch and McFarlane Liquid Snake and Ocelot figures feature the same color of dark brown.
Three, in comparison between the MGS1 and TTS versions, the MGS1 version (if you will) is more of a mustard/puke brown. It's just ugly. I wouldn't want to walk around in a coat that color, nor do I feel any of the other people who haven't spoken here would want to either. I'm not only speaking on my behalf, I'm speaking on theirs also.
When I started campaigning to drum up the support for this coat (a reason I will say most of you are here in the first place), I asked people which color they liked better between the MGS1 and TTS versions-- the Twin Snakes color was the one chosen the most, regardless of canon. It's brown, in a handsome dark shade, but not dark enough to be mistaken for black.
Hi everyone!
Thanks SO MUCH for these awesome comments. We were hoping to have a blog post up today to respond to everything mentioned in your feedback but there's so much we need to compile that it has to be pushed back until Monday (Nov-24).
Not to worry though, we'll cover ALL the topics mentioned in your comments, PLUS add some new pictures to show you certain elements that weren't clear in the original post, and we might even convince Mark to model the coat to show what it looks like on a person!
Be ready, this top priority transmission will hit the blog on Monday!
Over and out.
The AbbyShot Team
I'll be looking forward to the AbbyShot staff's report on this come Monday. Hopefully, in fairness, they will offer a dark or light brown option since there seems to be a split in opinion reflected here.
I do want to add to my previous post however, for there were a few things that occurred to me.
It seems to me that between MGS1 and TTS, graphically speaking, all of the coloring for the other characters stayed the same, with only the coat color changing (and only in some instances at that, since the lighting in each scene changed the color we would see.)
If this were really an issue, the color of said coat wouldn't have changed. Why change none of the colors except for one? This leads me to believe that it was due in part to the graphical limitations of the PS1 at the time.
Finally, if you REALLY wanted something that was PS1-version accurate, you'd end up with something like this:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/SnakeMGS4/mgs1liquid.jpg
Lighter color, much smaller pauldrons, etc. Almost an entirely different look. This is why the TTS version was used sourced for the design.
AbbyShot's response post has been transmitted, covering all issues brought up in your excellent comments!
Check out the latest on the AbbyShot FOXHOUND Coat!
Please, let it come in black!
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