Knock Off Generation 1 Metrotitan Delayed at Ages Three and Up

I just received an email from AgesThreeAndUp.com regarding their delay in shipping the KO Metrotitans. The reply said:

"As we have had problems with Hasbro regarding these there has been a bit of a delay on them. I think we have most of it sorted out and will be delivering soon."

Has TFsource.com shipped their KO Metrotitans yet? I remember hearing that they stopped selling them at Botcon due to Hasbro threatening them. I believe the days of KO goodness are over.

EDIT: The email was in response to one I had sent. I do not know if they are sending them to everyone.

Oh crap.

about damn time hasbro started putting the hammer down this ko garbage. hopefully eventually they'll stop them completely.

I love KOs. How else can the fandom get Pastel Transformers and other crazy colors?

Thanks for the info Allen. I had been wondering about this myself.

bummmmmmski

Well... I imagine with Metrotitan, the big problems would stem from the box.

Isn't it a replica Metroplex box?

Why would the box be any more problematic than the figure itself? One is a copyrighted image and the other is a copyrighted toy.

Well, Metroplex is copyrighted I'm sure - but they did never release it in those colors in the US, I think.

So that might change stuff - I don't know to be honest.

and here i was wanting to get a metrotitan and use the box for my metroplex i was getting(a real one) should i go ahead and take a chance to get the KO before they stop all together???

Wait a little bit longer, encore metroplex is coming and im willing to bet ehobby will have titan up in its original colors and not pink.

Knock-off goodness will never end, but the days of G1 replica boxes will. I can live with that .

Anywhos - after the big Hasbro panel, they seemed to be gone, but I saw the KO Metrotitan appear later at TFSource's booth (with a "last one!" sign in front of it). And some of the booths, like one near the back left corner, was almost all random bootlegs (but not the G1-replica style ones). I didn't see them put that stuff away ever.

I wonder why Hasbro is picking on AgesThreeAndUp then.

I don't have a real strong opinion one way or the other about the KOs, but if Hasbro wants to defend their IP, I mean, who can fault them?

Especially since it's almost certainly gonna be available from eHobby in a bit.

Cheap G1 KO in different color is one thing, but near-perfect KO in G1 replica box that could be passed as a real G1 is something I won't be missing if they dissapear.

I didn't get this email. Heh...and I was one of the ones that preordered one.

When he says the issues have been resolved, does he mean the pink color too? Because I heard the people making these were going to correct that issue in later runs.

I had emailed them for an shipping ETA... in MARCH. They just responded.

Ah, I see. The front page says that they were sending out these emails to all customers.

Fixed. I misread your original post, sorry for any confusion caused.

Thank God the days of knockoffs will soon be over I will be so happy if Hasbro sues everyone that sells BOOTLEGS

There are still a billion chinese stores selling the crap out of these. Because Hasbro pulls the plug on the three sellers that are sponsors here doesn't really change much if anything. I got an email this morning from my seller in HK.

We already know that Tomy is already going to reissue Metroplex. I would say the chances of Tomy doing an eHobby Metrotitan are very high.

Frankly, I think anybody buying this KO is a fool, considering you'll probably be able to buy a legal, legit version in few months for the same price or cheaper.

Actually, Law in China are 10x more complicated in USA.
The more you related the government, the more winning chance you have.

I don't see why they can change the name and the packing and it is fixed.

Metroplex is better then Metrotitan

You left off "high-quality". Free of lead paint, I imagine, too!

I wouldn't shed a tear if the lined up all the bootleggers and shot them... And in China, that actually could happen!

psycho

As I recall, the guy who runs Ages 3 and Up staunchly defended the right to make and sell KOs if the actual owner of the toolings and the IP didn't reissue them. I believe he accused them of not caring for their customers by not reissuing things.

If that is true, I have never seen it. Spenser did say he was reported or 'tattled on' which is why he was targeted.

But that 'position' does sound like the entitlement attitude that has crept into our fandom that seems to drive many of the opinions on lots of figure issues like availability, retail prices, exclusives and the Secondary eBay market. They have done an awesome job over the past 5 years in getting reissues to us but it is not financially sound to release it all at once and then keep them all at retail for the next 10 years so people can get theirs whenever they are ready to.

well then you are a foolish fanboy hoping they might send a reissue your way for metrotitan that might or might not now happen down the road....

whatever fan boys....

personally , yeah it is a KO Who The F*ck cares?

I like his garish G2 remenish colors......

And if they do a reissue metrotitan i will get that one too....

make educated decisions fanboys, remove your heads from your butts and buy what you want or don't buy what you do not want.....

END OF STORY...

and yes i did order from TFSOURCE.COM and it did arrive today so they are still being sold and being delivered ...besides whatever hasbro rattles the saber about.....

So people who avoid KOs because of:
*Quality issues
*Saftey regulations
*Damages to future reissues
*Lack of secondary market value
*Human rights abuses and criminal issues often associated via bootleg products

... are making the uneducated decision? Sounds like they have their own reasons for not wanting to buy KOs and shouldn't be insulted about it. Can you imagine the outrage there would be if someone made a comment that KO buyers had their head up their own butts for buying KOs? Such comments are irresponsible and shouldn't be made.

I believe it was in the thread where he announced the Metroplex KO, and it turned into a huge nerdfight about the morality and legality of KOs.

I know he has been a great asset in identifying and educating people so those who want to avoid KOs can keep themselves from getting snookered or buying items that are labeled wrong.

Though I don't think I can agree with the "OMG Hasbro hates fans" attitude.

no it was said because people like you who want to beat the dead horse of the evils of KO's yet again....over and over....

The human rights thing is freaking funny...all this plastic crack is made in china....WTF ...haha.....

my point is buy the damned TF if you want it ....if not ...move on.....

christ stop devolving every one of these damned threads into an ethical debate about people who buy KO's are evil or supporting bad causes....MOVE ON......

If it has to be explained to you, then you really don't know and you won't be open to a discussion about the 'impacts' bootleg items really have.

I choose to avoid KOs because I have had lots of exposure to the 'impacts' (especially on the bootleg electronics and software) because I am an avid news reader and I am not OK with it.

Stop devolving every one of these threads by throwing insults at people who don't agree with you but are interested in the updates on how Hasbro is handling the issue, which this thread is as it is an updated response about A3+ ability to sell products.

And yet another KO thread turns to shit.

Well, I like the KO Metrotitan. The colors look pretty cool. Would I be devastated if they were not able to sell them? Nope, I would just hope we get a reissue. I am surprised at how direct and harsh some of these comments are...

However, wasnt Metrotitan made by Takara? If so, has E-hobby ever reissued a character that was originally issued by Takara? I thought they only did repaints/retools. I really don't know, but I can't think of any.

Good call. I guess most of them have been Diaclones or customs schemes. But then again we did get a Stepper.

There was also Twincast (blue Blaster)

Good point.

Also, assuming E-hobby does make a Metrotitan, it would be expensive. The Guardian Robot repaint of OS is over $200.

OH...so Bootleg or KO's support bad human rights in China...BUT GOOD QUALITY HASBRO MADE TF's are s:

jesus...again...made in same factories by same people in china...China...the country where humans have NO rights...unless their government says they do.....

SO yet again you equate KO's to being evil.....

Yeah :

Human rights is a universal thing/problem that the United Nations needs to be on....But equating to KO's = bad/ Hasbro/Takara TF's = Good

is the logic of a hypocrite.....

But the Metroplex encore is a little cheaper than OS so we may get a cheaper repaint. I'd expect it to be in the $120(very unlikely)-$180 range. In the grand scheme of things, you'd probably be paying $40-$100 more for a legit version, which may be worth it to some people. Whether you buy KOs or not is your decision and I really don't care what you do either way,just don't try to screw me over by selling me a KO as the real thing. As long as they're clearly labeled KO I don't care either way. The thing I'm worried about is if this keeps going on, Hasbro may start going after all non-licensed TF products and try to shut down the awesome accessory kits Fansproject and Justitoys make. It'd be a real tragedy to see the awesome things those guys make for the fans that would otherwise not get them go away because of Hasbro's problem with KOs.

Do they really have a legal right to go after the accessory kits, things such as the City Commander armor, Starscream's coronation set, or the Cliffjumper upgrade? This things are not KOs, or labeled as being Hasbro products. I don't think they can stop those.

Yeah, but it is still *expensive*. I actually don't compare the KO to the original, simply because of the paint scheme and the accessories not being the same. I will own both, because I like the way both are done.

Again, I could care less. I see both sides - I can certainly understand those who don't like KOs, but I think the biggest issue is when they are being passed off as originals.

The thing is, they use Hasbro Copyright things on the cover, like the Ultra Magnus character and name in the comic as well as Starscream and Cliffjumper names on the packaging. If they where able to release these things with no reference to the copyrighted work, then they would have no legal right.

Oh yeah, I think we're in complete agreement Sunnyday. I have no problems with KOs in general, I may even pick one up if there is no way we'll get another one like with toys with broken molds, but I do have a problem with KOs being passed off as "re-issues". I think the main problem here is with replica packaging. That is what really needs to go away.