Rumour - MP-25 Megatron?!

[UltraPrimal]

Originally Posted by jjwankenobi

That's cracking news if true, but do 3P offerings really motivate HasTak that much? Doubtful, since MPs really just cater to a niche market within a brand that is much more viable through other offerings (i.e., movie-tie-ins, wide-release toys, merchanidising).

I'll play Devil's Advocate and say 3P offerings that were "killed" by official releases were just victims of bad timing.

I totally think HasTak is motivated by what 3rd parties are doing.

Look at the Masterpiece line's release schedule. Not including the Hasbro versions, we used to get a new MP figure every year or two. In 2007, once the movies started and Hasbro/Takara had more money, we started to get them a little more often and new molds at that. Not just repaints of MP-01 and MP-03. But now that the 3rd party scene has really exploded and has bigger than ever? Now we've gotten twice as many MPs in the past 3 years than we have in all previous years combined.

Not only that, but look at the next line. "Combiner Wars". If that doesn't spell it it out right there, nothing will since we've already had all kinds of 3rd party "combiner wars".

3rd party is a niche market. And unfortunately, that's where the toy market in general in headed. Kids don't buy toys anymore. Pretty soon it'll just be adult collectors buying highly detailed, highly articulated versions of characters from the TV shows and movies they loved growing up.

[thebobkat]

Originally Posted by Darth Cylon

Saw same rumour on FB yesterday and it was apparently BS. Some one just slapped "MP-25 Megatron" on some completely random Japanese text.

Yup. So the picture with the text posted on ACTOYS.net that mentions the MP-25 is weird. My best stab at translating it (I speak Japanese):

"Transformers Masterpiece Whatever you you think about all day in your head, additonally you want to teach Erotica and there's no one else like you. You still haven't prepared and events mp-25Megatron right? The review starts immediately, come inside here and the time for lazy people, prepare and let's work. Immediately occurring I made busy."

This includes a couple of kanji errors and the whole thing, while the individual words and phrases are real Japanese for the most part, is grammatically horrid and obviously nonsensical.

So the source obviously isn't a leak from Takara...someone seems to have stuck MP-25 Megatron inside random Japanese text to make it seem so.

That being said, I do hope it's true - the Apollyon looks great, but I've been disappointed with pretty much every X-Transbots item I've bought, at least in terms of quality. If Takara/Tomy / Hasbro can pull of a great looking MP Megatron, I'd rather have that.

[Wheeljack Off]

Originally Posted by jjwankenobi

That's cracking news if true, but do 3P offerings really motivate HasTak that much? Doubtful, since MPs really just cater to a niche market within a brand that is much more viable through other offerings (i.e., movie-tie-ins, wide-release toys, merchanidising).

I'll play Devil's Advocate and say 3P offerings that were "killed" by official releases were just victims of bad timing.

Uhh...
Isn't that the exact market for 3p?
All you have to do is look at all the releases that are labeled as "unofficial masterpiece" by the guys that are buying them or the companies that are marketing them.

It might not be worth the cost of suing, and really, companies bases in asia you really can't do anything to other than maybe go after their na based distributors or maybe retailers but Hastak is 100% aware of 3p and their share of that market.

This is one way to hit 3p where it hurts without making a scene or racking up legal fees.

It's EXACTLY what a savvy industry leader would do in my mind.

[jjwankenobi]

Originally Posted by UltraPrimal

3rd party is a niche market. And unfortunately, that's where the toy market in general in headed. Kids don't buy toys anymore. Pretty soon it'll just be adult collectors buying highly detailed, highly articulated versions of characters from the TV shows and movies they loved growing up.

Gotta agree with you there. I tend to be the one excited at the toy store while my kids are either overwhelmed or indifferent. The products that cater to my nostalgia always get my attention and the Masterpiece line is the apex of that idea. Takara knows this to be true and thus begat the assault on our wallets via the onslaught of this year's MPs.

Whether motivated by 3P offerings or not, one thing is certain: HasTak has got me by my plastic crack-collecting short and curlies.

[Rodimus Prime1]

Originally Posted by UltraPrimal

I totally think HasTak is motivated by what 3rd parties are doing.

Look at the Masterpiece line's release schedule. Not including the Hasbro versions, we used to get a new MP figure every year or two. In 2007, once the movies started and Hasbro/Takara had more money, we started to get them a little more often and new molds at that. Not just repaints of MP-01 and MP-03. But now that the 3rd party scene has really exploded and has bigger than ever? Now we've gotten twice as many MPs in the past 3 years than we have in all previous years combined.

^ Yes this, I think that kick started it into high gear,

Also I think as well as it about 25 -27 years after the original show and most kids the watched the show would be adults and ready to start buying again

Originally Posted by UltraPrimal

3rd party is a niche market. And unfortunately, that's where the toy market in general in headed. Kids don't buy toys anymore. Pretty soon it'll just be adult collectors buying highly detailed, highly articulated versions of characters from the TV shows and movies they loved growing up.

^ Yes this too,as well 3 rd party has jumped on the band wagon and they all seem to be pushing as much as they can as quick as they can.

I also wonder if toys and TF's we are collecting now will go the way of the dodo like record players, tape players and VHS

Originally Posted by jjwankenobi

Gotta agree with you there. I tend to be the one excited at the toy store while my kids are either overwhelmed or indifferent. The products that cater to my nostalgia always get my attention and the Masterpiece line is the apex of that idea. Takara knows this to be true and thus begat the assault on our wallets via the onslaught of this year's MPs.

Whether motivated by 3P offerings or not, one thing is certain: HasTak has got me by my plastic crack-collecting short and curlies.

^ yes this too, most the kids that I see in the toy stores are under 7 or over 30. I always liked going down the toy isle when I was a kid (still do) in fact that used to be my babysitter when my parents went shopping. I personally migrated to hobby store in my teens. That's another thing you don't see too much of now is plastic models, model rockets and train sets.

[DuG]

Originally Posted by Rodimus Prime1

I also wonder if toys and TF's we are collecting now will go the way of the dodo like record players, tape players and VHS

Everything, just like fashion has it's cycles. Transformers are one of the few toy lines that still has a huge following 30 years later. They've survived this long by adapting and changing wether it be for good or bad and still maintain a strong respect for their origin, hence the MP line. Much like how records have and even now tapes (I really don't understand why) are making a reurgence in the music industry with new releases being released on both formats and selling out due to collectors, there will always be Transformers as long as there are collectors!

[CanBot]

PLEASE BE TRUE!...please

[down_shift]

I love how people think Takara would be doing anything in response to third party stuff.

Hell, Takara endorses the stuff.

[PrimeCron]

Nevermind...

[venksta]

Originally Posted by down_shift

I love how people think Takara would be doing anything in response to third party stuff.

Hell, Takara endorses the stuff.

Thats totally different. Those kits, like Jizai's, are home made resin kits, with a fewer than 100 piece runs, and most of the time even less than that. In order for Japanese garage kit makers, like Jizai, to sell their TF kits at Wonderfest or other events in Japan, they have to get a temporary license to sell from Takara. Its possible for a 3rd party company to try and get a license from Takara to sell something as an officially endorsed product, but their probably are some restrictions on what they can and can't do.

And 3rd party has caused Takara to take the collector market seriously. Its quite easy to see how much money collectors are spending on 3rd party company products. Now that Takara knows most serious collectors will spend easily $100 on a 3p product every other month, they've ramped up their plans for the MP line.