Devil's Kiss Vigor Bottle now available

[blingaling]

Way cool pictures Mortal. Looks great next to the MoC.
Thanks for taking the time to post those up

[OneLetter]

Hey all - I'm J Goldberg, Community Manager for Irrational Games (I can confirm my name via Twitter or email if you'd like - @OneLetter), but I wanted to stop in and answer a few of the questions I've seen pop up regarding the DK bottles.

- Why did the MoC bottles contain water, yet the DK bottles do not?

This purely comes down to Customs. Having a 100% sealed container with a mysterious liquid inside (it's actually just plain old water), is a really tough thing to get through Customs if we wanted to ship these all over the world. Sometimes they breeze right through, but other times it can take months, and this allows our fans to get their bottles very quick.

- Why are the DK bottles listed as "First Edition"?

To put it bluntly, it's because we have no idea what the demand is for these. There's only been one other bottle on the market before this, and that was in a VERY limited capacity. If there's a bunch of fans out there that really want this bottle, and we managed to sell through all 500 super fast (and there was still a non-ebay market for them), this leaves the door open for us to do a second run, and please those fans, without them paying a ridiculous amount in the second-hand market.

- Why is the signature on the front?

This was not an easy decision, but it's mainly because on a handful of the bottles, the numbering on the bottom (done by our manufacturer) took up almost the entire underside, with no room left for a signature. Due to that, we made the call to put all the signatures on the front for consistency and so there would be no surprises or squashed signatures.

Originally Posted by MortalMonday

The Devil's Kiss bottle has a great deal of weight to it. It feels solid as a rock, just like the MoC bottle. I'm sure the horns and flame are fragile though. They might easily snap off if you're not careful. Definitely don't play with this thing. Just set it in a nice safe shelf, and it should be fine.

This is one of the reasons we specifically state "Not a toy" in the description. Some of them are rock solid though, as we carried one around by the flame for a few minutes just to test the strength. Please DO NOT do this with your bottle. That particular bottle was fine, but it is a different material than the rest of the bottle, so do be careful.

I'll be around these forums now and again trying to answer questions, but feel free to reach out to me on Twitter if you have any questions ever regarding the IG Store.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by OneLetter

Hey all - I'm J Goldberg, Community Manager for Irrational Games (I can confirm my name via Twitter or email if you'd like - @OneLetter), but I wanted to stop in and answer a few of the questions I've seen pop up regarding the DK bottles.

Cool, thanks for taking the time to post and respond here. Appreciate the efforts!

[Crimson_Dragon92]

Originally Posted by OneLetter

Hey all - I'm J Goldberg, Community Manager for Irrational Games (I can confirm my name via Twitter or email if you'd like - @OneLetter), but I wanted to stop in and answer a few of the questions I've seen pop up regarding the DK bottles.

- Why did the MoC bottles contain water, yet the DK bottles do not?

This purely comes down to Customs. Having a 100% sealed container with a mysterious liquid inside (it's actually just plain old water), is a really tough thing to get through Customs if we wanted to ship these all over the world. Sometimes they breeze right through, but other times it can take months, and this allows our fans to get their bottles very quick.

- Why are the DK bottles listed as "First Edition"?

To put it bluntly, it's because we have no idea what the demand is for these. There's only been one other bottle on the market before this, and that was in a VERY limited capacity. If there's a bunch of fans out there that really want this bottle, and we managed to sell through all 500 super fast (and there was still a non-ebay market for them), this leaves the door open for us to do a second run, and please those fans, without them paying a ridiculous amount in the second-hand market.

- Why is the signature on the front?

This was not an easy decision, but it's mainly because on a handful of the bottles, the numbering on the bottom (done by our manufacturer) took up almost the entire underside, with no room left for a signature. Due to that, we made the call to put all the signatures on the front for consistency and so there would be no surprises or squashed signatures.



This is one of the reasons we specifically state "Not a toy" in the description. Some of them are rock solid though, as we carried one around by the flame for a few minutes just to test the strength. Please DO NOT do this with your bottle. That particular bottle was fine, but it is a different material than the rest of the bottle, so do be careful.

I'll be around these forums now and again trying to answer questions, but feel free to reach out to me on Twitter if you have any questions ever regarding the IG Store.

Thank you for all the info!

Do you know if there will be a second run of MoC vigor bottle?
Preferably a replica that doesnt cost an arm and a leg like the others seem to.

[OneLetter]

Originally Posted by asiak75

Thanks for the heads up...but I still have my reservations in getting one due to the price thinking that a signature cannot be 250$ worth...
Is it not a bit over the top?

I can't comment on the direct price, since I am not the one that sets it, however, this is why we have both the signed and unsigned options. The signed are extremely limited to just 50 pieces, and each comes with the signed certificate of authenticity. We've seen an increasing demand for signed work in the IG Store, which is why you've all seen a few different pieces come online in the past few weeks. We're certainly looking at all the feedback though.

Originally Posted by chemgear

Cool, thanks for taking the time to post and respond here. Appreciate the efforts!

I had meant to register here a while ago, but with the recent DLC launch, I had to put this on the backburner, so I apologize for not coming in sooner.

Originally Posted by Crimson_Dragon92

Thank you for all the info!

Do you know if there will be a second run of MoC vigor bottle?
Preferably a replica that doesnt cost an arm and a leg like the others seem to.

Serious question - What are you thinking in terms of size / price / materials? Our team, and our manufacturer, put a lot of time into sculpting these bottles (multiple iterations) to ensure they're the proper dimensions and have the right real-world feel compared to in-game.

We're always looking at new merchandise (and have a few more surprises we're working on right now), but I'd be interested to hear opinions, since like I said earlier, this is only our second time making a bottle.

Originally Posted by flatout

Thanks for the post OneLetter.

Does part of your post mean if there is a second run they will be cheaper?

No idea to be honest. There would need to be some sort of indication they were a second run, and we would not want to have them confused with the first edition if possible.

Originally Posted by vhal_x

Hi

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions, it's great when companies actually care to talk to fans about their items

Since there is possibly going to be a second edition of these, will those be unnumbered, or made from a different material, to differentiate them from the first run?

Also, do the non-signed first run ones include a COA?

And lastly, since a second run is possible on these, will a second run of MoC vigors be considered? Or will that be vetoed since they didn't have "first run" in their original description? xx

As stated above, unsure regarding the second edition at this time. It's too early to tell, but we'd certainly want to figure something out.

The unsigned DK bottles do not come with a certificate.

I doubt we'll ever do a second run of the MoC bottles. It's much better to make new vigor bottles (or other merch) and let those have their special spotlight.

[Crimson_Dragon92]

Originally Posted by OneLetter

I can't comment on the direct price, since I am not the one that sets it, however, this is why we have both the signed and unsigned options. The signed are extremely limited to just 50 pieces, and each comes with the signed certificate of authenticity. We've seen an increasing demand for signed work in the IG Store, which is why you've all seen a few different pieces come online in the past few weeks. We're certainly looking at all the feedback though.



I had meant to register here a while ago, but with the recent DLC launch, I had to put this on the backburner, so I apologize for not coming in sooner.


Serious question - What are you thinking in terms of size / price / materials? Our team, and our manufacturer, put a lot of time into sculpting these bottles (multiple iterations) to ensure they're the proper dimensions and have the right real-world feel compared to in-game.

We're always looking at new merchandise (and have a few more surprises we're working on right now), but I'd be interested to hear opinions, since like I said earlier, this is only our second time making a bottle.



No idea to be honest. There would need to be some sort of indication they were a second run, and we would not want to have them confused with the first edition if possible.



As stated above, unsure regarding the second edition at this time. It's too early to tell, but we'd certainly want to figure something out.

The unsigned DK bottles do not come with a certificate.

I doubt we'll ever do a second run of the MoC bottles. It's much better to make new vigor bottles (or other merch) and let those have their special spotlight.

I would really enjoy some cheaper bottles. Made of less quality material of course. I think the vigor bottles are something that many Bioshock fans want, but at the average price of $350 - 500 a bottle, that cuts down who can actually own them. I would not mind seeing some made of a lesser material. If I had the money then I would collect the whole set, but I simply cannot afford ones from this line.

I just feel like Bioshock is ripe for good merchandise but sadly there is very little in the store or it is super limited and expensive. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground.



Other than cheaper quality vigor bottles I would suggest limited lithographs/giclees like you see in various treehouse brand stores.


A shame there wont be a 2nd run of MoC.

[Boinkzoink]

Originally Posted by OneLetter

I doubt we'll ever do a second run of the MoC bottles. It's much better to make new vigor bottles (or other merch) and let those have their special spotlight.

Hi OneLetter, it is really assuring to have you answering our doubts "in person", so thank you for your efforts!

But.. about the MoC bottles... No second run is being planned for such a popular item? By offering another run of the MOC bottle for the fans, it would greatly help to diffuse the ridiculous eBay prices..

So.. Do consider another run for the fans! No matter how small it is.

Also, will the IG store consider cheaper alternatives for shipping internationally? The shipping charges to Singapore costs me USD$150+ for the DC bottle, which frankly, is kind of crippling..

Thank you for your time!

[SwiftDeath]

Originally Posted by OneLetter

I can't comment on the direct price, since I am not the one that sets it, however, this is why we have both the signed and unsigned options. The signed are extremely limited to just 50 pieces, and each comes with the signed certificate of authenticity. We've seen an increasing demand for signed work in the IG Store, which is why you've all seen a few different pieces come online in the past few weeks. We're certainly looking at all the feedback though.

Thanks for coming on here to comment

Who is responsible for the price setting?

Was it a general team decision then to start pricing the signature limited editions at such an incredible mark-up?

I only own one or two of the limited prints but already feel such a fatigue in collecting them

Having Ken sign pretty much every item you guys release to create a more expensive version of that item wouldn't be so bad if the markup wasn't so very very much

I mean you have greater than a 70% mark-up on an already 350 USD item

Does that not seem high to you?

Seeing the price differentials really turns me off from buying things in the store

I just feel it's such a lazy and uncreative way to make a more limited edition but I suppose that's my opinion

[Boinkzoink]

Originally Posted by SwiftDeath

Thanks for coming on here to comment

Who is responsible for the price setting?

Was it a general team decision then to start pricing the signature limited editions at such an incredible mark-up?

I only own one or two of the limited prints but already feel such a fatigue in collecting them

Having Ken sign pretty much every item you guys release to create a more expensive version of that item wouldn't be so bad if the markup wasn't so very very much

I mean you have greater than a 70% mark-up on an already 350 USD item

Does that not seem high to you?

Seeing the price differentials really turns me off from buying things in the store

I just feel it's such a lazy and uncreative way to make a more limited edition but I suppose that's my opinion

Is there a "Like" button somewhere? I agree with Swiftdeath. Having so many autographed items available just seemed to diminish the value of his signature..

My suggestion would be to include some subtle differences between the Limited and Normal editions. That will really help justify the costly mark-up I think.

[OneLetter]

Originally Posted by Boinkzoink

Also, will the IG store consider cheaper alternatives for shipping internationally? The shipping charges to Singapore costs me USD$150+ for the DC bottle, which frankly, is kind of crippling..

Thank you for your time!

This is something that we're always trying to reduce, because I feel bad about how high they can be sometimes. To be fair though, our shipping costs cover all VAT/Customs/hidden fees, so this way, it just arrives at your door and there's no fuss.

As you may have seen, a few months ago we got shipping down to just $1.99 for the US, and that also brought reduced shipping prices to the rest of the world. We're hoping to bring them down even more in the future, but it's quite the task since each individual country has to be considered.

Originally Posted by bazzaffc

Oh that's interesting, any clues you can give us to what you might be working on?

As you are here as well do you have any idea why the bucking bronco poster was limited to 300 and now just appears to be a free run without any mention??

Thanks for answering some of the questions!!

No clues just yet, but hopefully I can give you all a sneak peek in the future.

I actually saw the complaints about the Bucking Bronco poster on here a few weeks ago and looked into it. Somehow, the part of the description detailing it was limited to 300 was removed. I checked on our inventory, and there are still some in the warehouse, and we should have the updated description back up in the store soon. These are still the same initial run of 300, and we will not be doing a second run once those 300 are gone.

Originally Posted by SwiftDeath

Thanks for coming on here to comment

Who is responsible for the price setting?

Was it a general team decision then to start pricing the signature limited editions at such an incredible mark-up?

I only own one or two of the limited prints but already feel such a fatigue in collecting them

Having Ken sign pretty much every item you guys release to create a more expensive version of that item wouldn't be so bad if the markup wasn't so very very much

I mean you have greater than a 70% mark-up on an already 350 USD item

Does that not seem high to you?

Seeing the price differentials really turns me off from buying things in the store

I just feel it's such a lazy and uncreative way to make a more limited edition but I suppose that's my opinion

First off, thank you for the feedback. Signed items are still somewhat new to us. Currently, our newest items have been based around demand, since we've had a lot of fans asking specifically for these items, and asking for more signed merchandise. We also know not everyone wants a signature, or wants to pay for it, which is why our recent items come in both varieties.

As I said earlier, I'm not going to comment specifically on the pricing, but I'll be sure to compile all of the feedback here and present it with regard to any new items.

Originally Posted by Boinkzoink

My suggestion would be to include some subtle differences between the Limited and Normal editions. That will really help justify the costly mark-up I think.

Isn't the signature, individual numbering, and certificate of authenticity a subtle difference? I'm not sure what sort of difference you would be looking for when it comes to a poster / print / litho / etc. Would you want a bigger size? Different cropping?