BinalTech or MasterPiece Devastator

Discussion in 'Transformers General Discussion' started by Skids the Theoritician, Dec 13, 2006.

  1. Skids the Theoritician

    Skids the Theoritician Member

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    Hi All.

    As a big fan of the Takara Binaltech and Masterpiece series, and lets face it, they are a rare breed of quality amongst the fast tacky shite that hasbro has been throwing at TF fans around the world for many years, cashing in on past glories (i.e. G1)
    I personally would love to see Takara assume their collective mantle of quality collectable/toy manufacturing, and design a binaltech 1/24th scale series of the constructicons, but the icing on the this TF cake would be that you could combine them to form the mighty and much loved Devastator.

    Just imagine people, a set of constructicons, beautifully designed to resemble modern day construction vehicles that are highly detailed and have complex transformations, and then being able to combine them all. I can imagine that we would have our first 'triple changers' of sorts as I reckon you would have to transform them further to enable them to connect to each other. How amazing that would be!

    Of course they won't do it because, they (takara) will soon realize that they won't be able to bleed the concept dry by ripping us off by having multiple re-sprays.

    Still, one can dream, yes, one can dream...
     
  2. Crimson87

    Crimson87 Senior Member

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    I had the same idea about a year or two back, I think it is a great idea. However I agree that Takara will never do it, and if they did.... It would be nothing like what we really wanted.

    All six individual construction vehicles from their original forms, or updated models that combined to form a old style transformation or modernized equivalent and with each charater sporting their original headsculpt and colors. Fully articulated.

    Won't ever happen. They don't feel there is a market in which they can milk it.

    But I'd buy it.
     
  3. MagiRanger

    MagiRanger Banned

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    Classics Devastator makes both of those ideas obsolete.
     
  4. Grimlock_13

    Grimlock_13 Currently facepalming at your post

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    First off, Binaltech is dead. In it's place is that Kissplay bullsh*t.

    When BT/ Alt Smokescreen was first released, I remember a thread about how awesome Menasor would be, which eventually turned into how awesome Devestator would be. Many agreed, but the point was brough up that construction vehicles would be massive in 1:24 scale, and even if they were smaller, the overall weight of working individual Constructicons would make Devestator unable to support it's total weight.

    Personally, I think a plastic Masterpiece version would be awesome. I think Devestator seriously needs a good update...I like the Energon Constructicon Maximus, but it's definitely not Devestator.
     
  5. Chaos Incarnate

    Chaos Incarnate Not just a name.

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    Well, at 1/24 scale, assuming Hasbro is intelligent enough to NOT listen to fans, and they keep the die cast out, each Constructicon would be huge, and in the $30-$40 range. The combined Devastator would be almost three feet tall and cost more than $200. Figures like that are simply too huge to realistically play with, so all it would do is sit somewhere, gather dust, and look cool. For that matter, and for a lot cheaper, you could get that cool Devastator statue, and still keep part of your house.

    Now, what Hasbro SHOULD do is put Constructicons in the Classics line. If each one was Deluxe, then it would be big enough that they could be detailed, articulated, and badass, yet small enough that the combined Devastator would be Supreme class, right where he needs to be. The combined price would be about $60, and fanboys and new bloods alike would rejoice.
     
  6. ams

    ams Generation All Veteran

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    Well, you may discover that many folks here wouldn't agree with that. On the whole, the last few years of U.S. Transfomers from Hasbro have been pretty well-received by fans and kids alike. And several of Takara's recent releases in the Masterpiece and Binaltech line (MP-03 and the BT Asterisk series) have been frought with quality control issues. Both Hasbro and Takara have their plusses and minuses.

    As to your idea, yep, sounds cool, but $50 (average Binaltech price) times six makes a $300 toy, certain to be out of the price range of most people. Even though you might be able to mitigate some of that by selling them separately (one every three months or so).

    Considering Binaltech isn't viewed as having been a resounding success in Japan (so much so that they did away with it) I can't see green construction vehicles doing well either.
     
  7. Nerd Bomber

    Nerd Bomber Consulting your needs

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    I don't think we'll see combiners in either. It'd cost too much and it'd take up releases so that we'd just have devastator parts for 3 years. People not that into a masterpeice devastator wouldn't be buying it when they could be buying an autobot or a different decepticon. I don't see it as profitable.
     
  8. WhiteMocha

    WhiteMocha Well-Known Member

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    While I would love a transformable, poseable "Masterpiece" Devastator, I think it's near-impossible for several reasons. First off, you couldn't do it 1:24 BT/Alt scale; construction vehicles are so much bigger than cars, that the combined Devastator would be about five feet tall.

    But mostly, the cost involved in engineering and producing it would probably not be offset by the sales numbers. A figure of that magnitude would be massively expensive, and thus would be purchased by only a handful (relatively speaking) of the most rabid collectors.

    Now, having said that, a smaller-scaled (say 1:40 or so) set of figures could still easily be called a Masterpiece if it got everything else right: six articulated, one-of-a-kind molds (ideally containing die-cast parts) that combined to a sturdy, poseable Devastator. If they could get the price down to around $300 or so, I bet there are quite a few folks who would eagerly shell out for it (I know I would).

    But as Magiranger said, Classics Devastator seems to be about the best we'll get for a while. With all the other cheaper-to-produce characters to choose from, I have a feeling that an adult-collector-oriented Devastator is pretty far down the list.

    EDIT: Oops, took too long to type, most of these things have already been said! :)  Feel free to ignore me.
     
  9. butz

    butz slippery when wet

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    I'd rather a Classics version. I don't care for MPs or Binaltech.
     
  10. Switchblade

    Switchblade Well-Known Member

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    I wouldn't want Takara in charge of making a new collector-targeted Devastator. A Masterpiece version would, if the past MPs are any indication, be heavily focused one one mode (likely the gestalt form) to the detriment of the other two. We'd end up with an awesome Devastator, decent vehicles, and possibly dodgy individual bots.

    And, of course, the only other line they could put Devastator in would come with six pantsless girls in a variety of cheesecake poses (who may or may not be able to combine to form Lolitron).
     
  11. Ops_was_a_truck

    Ops_was_a_truck JOOOLIE ANDREWWWWWS!!!!!!

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    Wrong. If Hasbro sees a point in the future where they imagine they could make a lot of money off of a toy like the one Skids the Theoretician is describing, we just might see it.
     
  12. Tekkaman Blade

    Tekkaman Blade Professor of Animation

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    we'd stand a better chance of a masterpiece menasaur
     
  13. Vangelus

    Vangelus Long Live the New Flesh Moderator Content Contributor

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    Alternators/Binaltech scale, I'd be very VERY surprised. More than likely they'd have to be an entire assortment, and with no direct supporting media + combiners being "gotta get 'em all" + $20+ apiece + no Autobot figures, it's more than likely that they'd tank Stateside. As higher priced collector's items it's a maybe, but that'd be a Takara thing and they seem pretty locked into Kissplay and $100 Masterpiece releases at the moment. Stateside, Hasbro needs to make everything TRU-sellable. Granted that may change in light of the new movie, but who knows.

    Would be very cool toys, I just don't really see a realistic scenario for their release at this point.

    Maybe at a much smaller scale (like Classics) it's more likely, but even then I have doubts. The Energon repaint as Devastator's already nixing that as a possibility, in my opinion.
     
  14. LadyStarscream

    LadyStarscream Queen of Cybertron

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    I'd buy it, but I doubt it would hold together well, but if it did it would be cool!
     
  15. The Phazer

    The Phazer Well-Known Member

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    A Masterpiece Devastator would be great, even if it was released in separate componets and wasn't 1/24th scale. As long as the combined robot mode was about twice as tall as MP Convoy I think that'd be enough.

    As to if it's likely? I doubt it. But then, everyone thought the chance of a Masterpeice gun Megatron was nil too. Stranger things have happened.

    Phazer
     
  16. Smokescreen1980

    Smokescreen1980 Well-Known Member

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    I agree that a 1:24 scale Devastator will never, ever happen, but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be a thing of utter wonderousness, because it would. I'd buy it, but sadly one 26-year-old journalist in London does not constitute a profitable market.
     
  17. godsenddeath

    godsenddeath . TFW2005 Supporter

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    I stopped reading right there.
     
  18. Omegatron

    Omegatron Mandatory Fun. Buy it now TFW2005 Supporter

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    An all-die cast Devastator would have to have exceptionally stronglegs to support itself, and a solid waist so it doesn't flop over. I think it'd be too unwieldy to pull off as 1:24. But, if you aim at MP Op height, it could work. But MP Wreckgar is the way to go. I wan't a 1:12 scale motorcycle that transforms into a Junkion leader! Let's make it happen!

    -Tony!
     
  19. Omnius

    Omnius Guest

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    The more I think about, Constructicons with Alt/MP-style articulation would make an unworkable Devastator - as Scrapper's outstretched arms hold up one of the big guy's legs, he'd keep falling over if articulated elbows were featured!
     
  20. Switchblade

    Switchblade Well-Known Member

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    They wouldn't have to use the same exact design for all the Constructicons. I'm sure they could make Scrapper into a stable foot that didn't rely on his arms to stay upright.