A mold already exists for Trailbreaker. It is the Swindle/Rollbar mold. If Hasbro or Takara really gave enough of a damn about Trailbreaker, he would have been released as such initially. Also, Cybertron Overhaul was conceptually supposed to be named Trailbreaker and the name was later changed. The universe spychanger Ironhide was decoed to look like trailbreaker in vehicle mode right down to the stripes and writing on it. Hasbro currently does not own the rights to the name Trailbreaker. However I am unaware of any toy company owning the name either preventing Hasbro from using it. Truth be told, since Sunstreaker was released then there was really no reason to release Rollbar instead of Trailbreaker other than they really don't care enough about Trailbreaker to release an updated version. Sorry if all that was a little off topic, but I guess I am in the minority in thinking that the Ram mold doesn't make me immediately think of Trailbreaker when I see it.

 

Well if I was TakaraTomy there is no way I'd stop putting out Microman, or even pause it's production. Look at the engineering costs...almost ZERO! They all use nearly identical bodies and they can milk that cow over and over and over simply with new heads and a few new accessories thrown in (And I'm one of the guys who'll buy 'em up   ) The only Zoids releases I've heard mentioned are also recolors...no retooling at all there. Takara sounds like it was really reluctant to put a truck out at all, in the merger ist usually projects that have a bit of uncertainty that get the axe.

 

Aye carumba! I wouldn't put that on the front page of my resume'.

 

http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/Mega-Dinobot/mega-dinobot.htm

http://www.tfu.info/1995/Decepticon/Bulletbike/bulletbike.htm
http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/IronhideEur/ironhide.htm
http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/Meanstreak/meanstreak.htm
http://www.tfu.info/1995/Decepticon/Staxx/staxx.htm

 

I say: "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" And weep...

My wallet says: "YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!" And throws a party...

My question is, was this decision by Takara to make the Ram into Convoy before the merger??? If so, then I can't really blame them for that... I mean, I for one knew they weren't doing that great financially, but I never foresaw a merger with TOMY...

So if they made this decision to force Hasbro into calling it Optimus Prime/Convoy before they had any inkling of a merger, I can't see why I should blame Takara for backing out of a BT Ginrai/BT*Black Convoy...

This is just bad news either way you look at it... If you're a Hasbro fanboy, you didn't get your Trailbreaker Alternator... If you're a Takara fanboy, you're not getting a BT Ginrai/BT* Black Convoy and possibly seeing the end of both lines...

If this is the end of the BT/BT* line (which I really hope is not going to happen,) I'm hoping the Japanese design team stays on board with Hasbro somehow... I just can't see Hasbro pulling off Alternators on their own... The thought of E. Mega Dinobot engineering for Alternators makes me want to faint...

 

A lot of posters seem to be of the opinion that this mold should have been trailbreaker or ironhide in the first place instead of prime, I wouldn't be offended if he got remolded into either, although ironhide is very unlikely cos hes red as well, and i can imagine the uproar if ironhide was anything but red..............
A magnus remold would be a nice change as you mention, but then isn't magnus a lower rank than prime anyway?

 

This doesn't change anything for me. I was always gonna pretend that Prime didn't exist. But now I want him recolored and remolded as Cup.

 

Well if the BT and BTA line is gone then no more figs for me since I dont get Alts and I wont get one even if its a new character. I would however perhapps get another one of every BT and BTa to have them in both forms btu that decision is totaly dependable if the line is totaly cancelled or just on hold.

 

The price difference isn't based on the die-cast, it's due to the relative inflation of the Yen. Everything we get here in the US costs signifigantly MORE over there, even if it's not any different in terms of materiels of paint apps.

I do believe Hasbro noted once that they just didn't want to use die-cast, but that the use of it would only have meant perhaps $5 higher price for the US releases of these toys.

 

You know, instead of just saying nonsense, you could do some research...

Even without looking at TakaraTomy's home page, but simply looking at what Takara products a major online store like Hobby Link Japan stocks, we can find the following:

- Dolls (Blythe) and dolls clothing
- Scale armour trading kits
- Figure trading kits
- Airplane trading kits
- Ships trading kits
- Train trading kits
- Various Microman products, many of which do not in fact use the same body designs, as each series get new mold parts...
- VOTOMS action figures, which are pretty good.
- Brave reissues and Masterpieces.
- Magazines, books, and calendars
- Radio-control tanks
- Action figures (not Microman)
- Beyblade
- Choro-Q cars and motorcycles
- Merchandising for various of their series
- Rockman toys
- Live action sentai stuff
- Thunderbirds
and I'm probably forgetting stuff...

 

Quoted for the absolute truth.

That whole situation was completely ******ed, now it's a slap in the face. Thanks Takara.

 

Oh for the love of god, somebody call for a Waaahbulence for this thread  

 

Part of it is due to the yen / dollar amount. Japanese people notoriously pay more for things - with the plausible exception of some technology. Rice even cost more there than it does in the US, DVDs are extremely high, toys aren't really though.

For example - it's easy to get Galaxy Convoy, Master Megatron, and Master Galavatron for cheaper in Japan than it is in the states. It's very very common not to pay full retail for toys there, the larger figures who retail at 5200 yen (45 USD) can be found for 4400 yen (38 USD) with a lot of ease - unless you have to shop at Toys R Us. The 2000 yen priced figure, the most desparingly different in price can be had for about 15 USD if you again don't mind not going to TRU.

Keeping that in mind, if diecast really only adds $5 to the cost of the toy they're still at a higher markup. These are a more expensive markup. The general theory I have about it, and again this is theory on my part, is that Takara is a little more honest about how much these cost to develop. Again as stated they do diecast as a sort of compromise to have development count for a slightly smaller percent of the overall figure. If I recall Takara made it clear that BTs weren't very profitable for them - they didn't sell very well and they made less money on them. Again this is all my theory and what I recall - I do pay attention and I do talk with Takara from time to time but it's not fact.

Thanks,
-Blake

 

Well if Binaltech is cancelled what will this mean for Alts ? Does this mean that Production Costs will go up since Takara wont be sharing in production/ sales of these molds? Or am I jumping the Sharkticon?

 

Hopefully, Takara's engineers will still work with Hasbro's to design Alternators.

I like this line too much for it to simply fade away.

Very disappointed over the Prime mold...wish they still had time to change the head sculpt.

 

http://waaahmbulance.ytmnd.com/

 

Well, by rank I mean leader or leader class. As far as I can recall, Optimus remolds/repaints have always been Magnus, Scourge/Nemesis Prime, Rodimus, or some other Prime.

 

No need for the hostility there buddy...The reply was directly in refference to the fact that Microman has releases upcoming while BT, BTA and Transformers seem to be on hold...So I really only meant to bring up Microman, probably should have left Zoids out of the post. But since you seem to feel I haven't donr my homework I'll humor you and I'll do some quick reserach...on look, there's my display cases full of Microman figures...

Millitary Force...identical figures? CHECK, 8 figures using IDENTICAL body parts (different colors), 2 headsculpts, 4 different weapon options. 2 more on the way for a total of 10

Acroyear EXO....identical figures? CHECK AGAIN! 4 figures using IDENTICAL body parts (again different colors), 4 different headsculpts and different exo-armor for each figure. Still VERY cost effective to use existing figures.

Magne Force...Identical Figures? Hey watta ya know...8 figures, 6 new headsculpts and 6 different armors. (The 2 Toy Dream Project figures use recolored Microforce figures with no new accessories)

Material Force...5 different bodys if you count the 3 different female breast sizes and the new "steroid" male version. An absolute rainbow of colors, ZERO new accesories or headsculpts.

Godzilla/Gamera figures...Same body as Material Force, but with distictive heads and different costumes.

Road Spartan Set...4 figures, 3 identical male bodies with individual heads and colors, 1 female. Vehicles are individual...

Microforce...4 figures, same body, different headsculpt, color, and weapons. Body also used for Microman Falcon

Ga'Mede...Weapons and body from Microforce Micro Commander, head from Godzilla suit Megalon (just painted instead of chrome)

Micro Sisters...4 figures, identical bodies with new heads and accessories, same body also used for Manon from Falcon/Manon 2pk

Even with the figures that are 90% new sculpts it still retains exactly the same form/size/articulation...pretty easy to keep recycling and keeping the line cost effective, which was my entire point as to why I'd keep Microman releases ongoing durring the merger process.

 

Wow...I dont think there is much more to add here, however i would just like to add my dissappointment in all this....I sincerely hope that the continue the BT's again eventually....however if they do not...hasbro needs to incease the amount they release and really improve the distribution of the alternators so eveyone can get a chance to get one.

 

I think it's a piss poor excuse Takara and Hasbro has given us for the lack of trucks and SUV's in the Alternator line. Japan has no trucks therefore it will be hard for them to relate. WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP!!!! Last time I was in Japan I didn't see any cars transforming into robots. As I walked around Tokyo I failed to see any hamsters/mouses throwing lightning or electricy or whatever. For whatever reason that sort of stuff is easy to relate to, but a truck!! Holy crap a truck is just too much a stretch on the imagination.
Yes it is crap that we are only getting one truck in this line with no SUV's in sight. I can accept that, lightly. But I think they should have given us a better excuse/reason than what they did. I feel we have lost out on what could have been some great molds.

Yes, I will take a seat on the waaambulance.