Robotech 3000
Encyclopedia
Robotech 3000 was Harmony Gold's attempt to reboot the Robotech
franchise before the turn of the millennium. After the relative success of Voltron: The Third Dimension
and Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles
, a new Robotech
sequel was proposed that would use 3D CG visuals, with producer Jason Netter and writer Carl Macek
at the helm.
Some of the new concepts presented were Veritech Excavators, Proteus-group starships, but none of the trademark anime-look and transformable mecha of the earlier series were seen. The response to the Robotech 3000 promotional trailer at the 2000 FanimeCon
anime convention was disastrous. Much of the negative feedback concerned the distinctive artistic style of the original anime series were going to be replaced by generic CGI characters in a style that resembled ReBoot
. By the 2000 San Diego Comic-Con, it was revealed that the CG project had been cancelled, not only due to negative feedback from fans but also because American animation studio Netter Digital
, which had been hired to produce the project, had gone bankrupt earlier that year.
An attempt was made to salvage the series as an anime
-style production at Tatsunoko Productions (the original Japanese studio that animated Robotech) and some pre-production art was produced, but this too was cancelled as a new regime of staffers joined Harmony Gold
to once again reboot the Robotech franchise and begin development on Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
.
on November 20, 2007.
Robotech
Robotech is an 85-episode science fiction anime adaptation produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. and first released in the United States in 1985...
franchise before the turn of the millennium. After the relative success of Voltron: The Third Dimension
Voltron: The Third Dimension
Voltron: The Third Dimension was a computer-generated series was released in 1998 to a mixed response, because of its departure from the original Lion Voltron's animated look, as well as some character changes, such as the physical appearance of Prince Lotor...
and Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles was a CGI animated television series based on both the novel by Robert A. Heinlein and the 1997 film adaptation directed by Paul Verhoeven...
, a new Robotech
Robotech
Robotech is an 85-episode science fiction anime adaptation produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. and first released in the United States in 1985...
sequel was proposed that would use 3D CG visuals, with producer Jason Netter and writer Carl Macek
Carl Macek
Carl F. Macek was an American writer and controversial anime pioneer and producer of the 1980s and 1990s.-Robotech and Harmony Gold USA:...
at the helm.
Story and development
The story was based during an era of peace under an interplanetary federation a thousand years in the future, to avoid conflicts with Robotech's convoluted continuity.Some of the new concepts presented were Veritech Excavators, Proteus-group starships, but none of the trademark anime-look and transformable mecha of the earlier series were seen. The response to the Robotech 3000 promotional trailer at the 2000 FanimeCon
FanimeCon
FanimeCon is an annual anime convention run by the Anime Resource Group . It is the largest anime convention in Northern California and one of the ten largest anime conventions in North America...
anime convention was disastrous. Much of the negative feedback concerned the distinctive artistic style of the original anime series were going to be replaced by generic CGI characters in a style that resembled ReBoot
ReBoot
ReBoot is a Canadian CGI-animated action-adventure cartoon series that originally aired from 1994 to 2001. It was produced by Vancouver-based production company Mainframe Entertainment, Alliance Communications, BLT Productions and created by Gavin Blair, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell and John Grace,...
. By the 2000 San Diego Comic-Con, it was revealed that the CG project had been cancelled, not only due to negative feedback from fans but also because American animation studio Netter Digital
Netter Digital
'Netter Digital Entertainment was a company created by Douglas Netter in 1995. The company produced the show Hypernauts before moving to digital EFX work and replacing Foundation Imaging in the final two seasons of Babylon 5 as the sole producer of CGI special effects for that series as well as...
, which had been hired to produce the project, had gone bankrupt earlier that year.
An attempt was made to salvage the series as an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
-style production at Tatsunoko Productions (the original Japanese studio that animated Robotech) and some pre-production art was produced, but this too was cancelled as a new regime of staffers joined Harmony Gold
Harmony Gold USA
Harmony Gold is a television production and distribution company established in 1983. It is best known as the “creator” and main distributor of the anime series Robotech. It also partially dubbed the Dragon Ball series in the late 1980s....
to once again reboot the Robotech franchise and begin development on Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles is the 2006 animated sequel to the 1985 Robotech television series. It was released on DVD on February 6, 2007.- Plot :...
.
Release on DVD
Though Robotech 3000 seemed to have fallen victim to the "Sentinels Curse," the trailer was finally released as part of a collector's edition DVD of Robotech: The Shadow ChroniclesRobotech: The Shadow Chronicles
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles is the 2006 animated sequel to the 1985 Robotech television series. It was released on DVD on February 6, 2007.- Plot :...
on November 20, 2007.
External links
- Robotech Heaven - The Headquarters for Robotech 3000 fandom.
- Universe 3000 - The home for Robotech 3000 fandom.
- Robotech 3000 Trailer - The CG trailer seen at Comic-Con.
- Robotech.com FAQ - The official "line" about abandoned projects such as the Sentinels and RT3000.