There's only (1) reason why I don't buy 3P: cost.
Granted, if there's a 3P and the same thing at Wal Mart, then official (in most cases) wins. An exception would be if HASBRO repainted PRIME Bulkhead to be Brawn, and 3P gave me something that actually looked like Brawn.

As for the IP theft thing: 3P is IP Theft. But I don't care.

So for those who do not support 3P for IP theft, just remember that HASBRO does it too. So even if you only buy licensed Has/Tak, then you are more often then not supporting IP theft.

It doesn't matter if you can actually drive or fly a toy. IP theft is IP theft is IP theft. Matchbox cannot make a toy car without licensing. Neither can Hot Wheels or Jada.
HASBRO learned the hard way that they are not immune from the need of licensing when they did R.I.D. Side Burn.

Hasbro takes an IP, and tweaks it just enough to keep the lawyers happy, and then sells it... just like 3P does.

And as far as I'm concerned Radicons are no different. They might make 1 instead of a thousand, but when they make a figure based on an existing figure and likeness and then sell it they are robbing IP.

So don't vilify 3P for IP theft while celebrating a customizer of HASBRO.

Agreed completely.

I don't think we would have as much as we do if 3P didn't exist.

 

Takara also made it clear that they intend to give all of G1--or early G1 at the very least--the Masterpiece treatment if they can. That means that barring any licensing issues with the original Astro Magnum, an MP Shockwave was already a forgone conclusion. We were always going to get one eventually, Quakewave or no Quakewave. At best, 3P might have affected the order in which we're getting MP figures. But it's not a causative factor in getting those characters at some point down the line. Claiming we got Shockwave early because of 3P is... hard to prove, but at least plausible. Claiming we got Shockwave at all only because of 3P is laughable.

 

I have only purchased a single 3P set (the TFA Bluster & Trench set, on clearance). Two big reasons:

1) There is just too much Hasbro/TT stuff coming out already, and I don't have the money to get into 3P.
2) By the time I finally say, "Ok, I need that character, so I'll get the 3P" - Hasbro/TT makes it. Like MP Shockwave: I finally went ahead and put a preorder in the for the Quakewave reissue, as I thought TT would never bother. Next thing I know, Laserwave is shown.

 

Personally, I think MP Shockwave is a joke of a figure, while the 3P looks infinitely better. Same goes with Ironhide.
Same goes triple for Devastator. Hasbro's is easily the worst looking one in all that's been offered. Takara's comes in at second worst. Or maybe better than Hercules.

 

I have Giant, which I consider to be the best of the 3P Devastators (but not strongly enough so to fight over that). If I try to divorce the toys from the character, then I'll grant that Giant is a much nicer figure(s) than Devastator. But normally I don't divorce the toy from the character, or I'd drift off from Transformers and start collecting just whatever. Call me crazy, but Devastator definitely looks more like Devastator to my eye, and that's an important factor to me.

 

I'm somewhat partial to official, but I am completely open-minded when it comes to 3P. In the end, the collection I have on the shelf matters more than the name on the box.

I don't care that the big, multi-million dollar company gets it's IP stolen; zero fucks given and not my problem. If 3P does something I like better, they get my money, and the same applies to Hastak. Simple as that.

 

My current collecting is a mix of MP and CHUG with, up until last year, 3P sprinkled in to fill any gaps. My decision to halt buying 3P (almost) entirely was based on my personal situation: we had a baby and that previous pace was simply not sustainable with those high 3P prices. So in essence: cost
*not going to engage in the whole IP debate as there's enough of it already happening here and, quite frankly, it was never a real factor for me anyways

There were a few exceptions to my "no more 3P" rule:
-have to finish off the FT and FP dinos since I already started those guys before my rule came into effect
-MMC Carnifex (Overlord) and FT Phoenix (Skyfire) are on my radar. And though they come at a hefty cost, they still may find their way into my collection since I'm such a huge fan of those characters.
Other than the above mentioned, that's it. Took quite a lot of willpower to pass on adding "current" MP-scaled Sunstreaker, Megatron, Mirage et al. but I think in the long run it'll pay off (see: upcoming MP Inferno)

This as well, by happy coincidence

 

Ahh but you wouldn't have any shock/laserwaves if has/tak hadn't licensed Shackwave in the first place. Same goes for all the diaclones, the weird company that made the original whirl and roadbuster, etc..

 

Woah, you are really stretching the comparisons here.

Regarding Hasbro using someone else's IP. Yes, they will either license it from the car manufacturer or they will tweak the design enough so it doesn't create an IP infringement lawsuit.

The BIG difference with HasTak versus 3P is that HasTak's "look-alike" designs (a) don't market themselves as authentic, licensed products and (b) clearly look like toys that resemble a real world product but don't mimic it.

For example, 3P products do market themselves as licensed TF in their appearance (ie, that's clearly War Within Optimus Prime), their marketing photos (oh look Fans Toys Iron Dibots are next to Takara MPs) and even their packaging (damn, this looks like an MP Takara box, with MP Takara collectors card and comic book).

When Hasbro and Takara make a "look-alike" vehicle, they don't market it as a "Hunda Cyvic," the toy is not deco'd to mimic a car brand's iconic or popular colors, its not marketed in such a way that utilizes a car brand's popularity, and it clearly looks like a toy and NOT model. The toys resemble real world items but they carry the HasTak design aesthetic.

No one who collects model vehicles would be confused by a HasTak product as a licensed vehicle (unless it was a licensed MP or BT/Alt).

You can take someone who grew up with G1 but has ignored the franchise and show them MP Sideswipe, Prowl and other 3P MPs and ask them to distinguish official from 3P. They won't be able to tell you.

So no, how HasTak licenses and borrows designs is extremely different from the wholesale copy IP that 3P engages in.

And you bring in Radicons? Really? Not even comparable.

 

Alternators?

 

He did mentioned further down his post...

 

Yes, but I'm sure they licensed those, even if they were meant to resemble but not mimic.

 

3rd Party are IP thieving crooks! Now excuse me while I go play with all my G1 figures with unlicensed, super accurate alt modes...and all the other alt modes from the lines throughout the years that heavily 'borrow' other car company's IP without license.

 

Alternators WERE licensed.
That was even a contributing factor to their demise.

 

Three main reasons:

1. They're not much better when compared to the extra expenses, especially me being in Canada where importing anything is expensive.

2. They rarely make anything HasTakTom hasn't already made or will make. Plus, depsite supposedly giving fans "what they want" they very, very rarely make anything from my favourite series. And that's assuming the final product would even be good.

3. It's IP theft. Plain and simple.

I don't get your point.

Alts were not lookalikes, they were licensed vehicles, complete with branding on their packaging denoting them as such.

 

I didn't buy MP Laserwave because of any 3P. What does 3P figures existing have to do with me buying an official? If there were no other Shockwaves available and Takara said, yup, here's your MP Shockwave... I'd have been like...



...regardless. I do not see what Quakewave existing has to do with my choice to buy an official.

 

Except when HasTak is doing the thieving. Then it's all good...cuz they're the good guys.

 

And I feel the total opposite, no 3P version of any of the three you said is as accurate, neither Quake looks like Shockwave enough, especially the legs. They look like overdetailed generic robots that look like they're supposed to be Shockwave.

And any 3PMP Ironhide is a joke.

I'm not happy with the designs of the individual robots, but at least the ones in Titanstator actually look like the characters. Any barring how the TW one looks are kind of inaccurate.

IMO...