Do you guys not like the Igear KO or are you against KO's?
Just curious. I'm not getting the knock offs because of price point and "unofficialness". Thats not a word.

 

I actually do like them, but considering the MP line seems busy expanding its' lineup, I'd rather wait and see. Plus, I don't have so much $$ for this sort of thing, used to have 3rd-party Hercules and sold him to pay some bills, so from now on, all collecting money gets accumulated in a separate savings account strictly for MPs, and just maybe for 3rd-party Hexatron, because I seriously doubt Sixshot will ever get the MP treatment. I do think at least a few of the old mini-bots will make the line.

 

igear huffer is great for classics scale, but not so much for mp

 

If they are so embarassed about their past expecially with "THE CAR, THE BUG" that was associated with Hitler, then why did VW release an updated Beetle and its updated one in the past 12 years?

I guess Jerry Seinfeld doesn't know Porsche was made in Germany and associated with Hitler and Jerry is Jewish. Its time to let shit go. I'm Chinese, do you see me hate on Japanese? Only when they make crappy products..cough..cough I'm looking at you MP Lambor and your QC.

 

The difference is that whilst they are not embarrassed by the beetle, they don't allow war toys because they actually made war machines for the third reich.

I agree with your sentiments about getting past this but most Germans are acutely embarrassed about WW2 and the companies have taken the stance of avoiding war toys. An MP Jazz or MP Bee are top of my wish list but honestly doubt it will ever happen officially.

 

i don't think its that they are against 3rd party's, they are referring to the concept design the designer for mp10 teased and said he wanted to make to go with mp10 or something along those lines , but think he did not get the go ahead to do it

Do not hotlink images

 

Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner! I want them to make the MP Huffer that was going to come with MP 10. The one that even links up with Optimus' trailer.

 

I'm curious. Which version of HasTak Huffer did they KO?

 

I think it's possible that VW could change their minds at some point. I can see where they're coming from, but maybe someone in their licensing department can understand that in this case, we're dealing with collectibles rather than something aimed squarely at kids. Plus, these characters already happened. They characters themselves exist and I can pick up a DVD and watch animated versions of their cars transform and fight everything in sight. Plus, we're dealing with models of their cars that certainly aren't being made anymore, unlike when plans for Binaltechs made from current models fell through.

So, maybe there's enough disassociation with their current brand image there that their stance may have some wiggle room. Or maybe the wiggle room requires a large check. There have been 3 monster hit films lately, and it's hard to not want a piece of that. Having their name on a war toy may not be appealing, but having their logo on a version of one of the biggest movie stars in the past decade? I could see that happening. Hopefully it does and the weapons don't get scrapped like Alternators Windcharger with his goofy shield thing.

 

He's referring to a knockoff of the character in general, not a knockoff of a particular toy of the character.

 

Well it isn't knocked off then as they haven't stolen/used any HasTak toy designs. IP infringment? Yes.

Why don't ppl get it?

 

^^^This is 100% legal fact^^^

also ip infringment is harder to prosecute cause it only looks similar, not a direct copy. most 3rd party stuff is only ip infringment... stuff like making faith leader and the seekers... severely knocked off and ip infringment.

 

It is available at Canadian TRUs. A bit difficult to get at first but from what I've heard, the collectors have more or less had their fill and he's a bit easier to find.

Of course, that depends on your local TRU.  

We'll get one eventually, I'm 99% certain.

This can't be overstated. I've known quite a few Germans (lived with some exchange students, took language course in university and more recently as well, and visited twice). It's a really, really big deal for them... a sort of "cultural embarassment" if you will.

Some of the younger ones DO want to get over it, but it's difficult. Other Westerners may not immediately associate VW or Porsche with WWII, but almost everyone still associates Germans in general with Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.

Is that unfair? Maybe... maybe not. They SHOULD be embarassed about it, even though anyone born after 1945 (and many of those born before as well, obviously) is not at fault.

But pleasantly surprised, I'm sure.  

You do have a point. What's true in Germany is certainly not so in the US, or elsewhere. Money talks, after all... There's certainly a case to be made whether VW could "get away with it", as silly as that sounds.

But ultimately, it's their decision. I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

Maybe BB could get away with it, if he was released without a weapon? And Jazz... I don't know. He kind of needs one, but that's what third parties are for I guess.  

The difference is the whole "war toys" thing.

Maybe not you, but plenty of others, I'm sure.

I remember teaching in Korea back in the day... an older, middle-aged couple I met there told me straight up that kids today looked up to the Japanese, but I should teach them that they were awful people for what they had done in WWII and prior. Kind of crazy, since I was teaching Kindergarten, but hey. Otherwise, they were the nicest, most normal couple I could imagine... And they did have a point, to be quite honest (and maybe something was lost in translation/second language skills).

Yeah, anything's possible.

No it's not.

Because that's where it ends.

There's a fine, blurred line, to be sure, but the reason they get away with it is because it's not illegal. If it was, Hasbro could and would take action.

Did I misunderstand, though? Am I making a tired old argument where none actually exists?  

 

Actually, it does fall directly within the dictionary definition of 'knockoff'.

 

Great discussion. The wife and I even visited the Yasakuni shrine during our last visit to Tokyo (the museum dedicated to their WWII heroes / war criminals) not because we support Japan's actions during the conflict but because we were both curious about how the other side viewed things. We were taken aback by the propaganda we encountered therein the museum (Japan "liberating" the rest of Asia from the West as being the reason given for their campaign of conquest). Still, it was interesting to see things from their perspective (and lots of historical artifacts on display too).

Maybe embarrassed isn't the right word. Shame and guilt go only so far as teaching tools, but definitely a sense of open-mindedness and social awareness would go a longer way to mending the wounds of the past. For this, I find Germany commendable. Japan, well, that's more complicated but I won't go into that much further for being too off-topic (not to mention a sensitive issue).

As far as Bee goes, a possible official MP figure being weaponless wouldn't bother me at all. Third parties would be quick to jump in and offer us accessories, no doubt about that. Jazz, the same, though I still question if Porsche would be bothered at all about lending their brand name to toys.

 

Did Bumblebee even have a weapon in the cartoon?? He was usually just a scout hanging out with Spike, wasn't he? If he didn't come with any weapons, I wouldn't even be bothered to get anything for him. Cliffjumper on the other hand.. HE needs his BAZOOKA!

 

If a weaponless BB is the only way to get a MP G1 BB, then I'm fine with that. It's not like BB was ever a hard-nosed soldier in G1. In fact, I can't remember him having a gun in his hand all that often, if ever, anyway.

Jazz, I could also be persuaded into accepting without a weapon so long as he has his hip speakers and some other accessories that fill the gap. I mean, sure his toy had a giant shoulder cannon but I don't remember seeing his cartoon version ever using it.

 

In the pilot ep of MTMTE, Jazz used his grappling hook arm attachment an awful lot (at least twice). Maiden Japan even made a custom grappling hook for RTS/United Jazz. If an MP Jazz were to be weaponless, I'd hope he at least come with a grappling hook for his arm. XD

 

That's why VW had all those Star Wars related commercials about a year ago? War is in the frickin title for Gods sake.

 

I forgot about those. Interesting.