The excitement from Toy Fair 2013 continues! A careful ear from board member Scaleface catches a discussion between an attendee and a Hasbro representative from a Toy Fair 2013 video (linked below) discussing the possibilities of the recently-announced (and now, highly anticipated) Generations Metroplex. During this discussion (around the 4:45 mark), one such possibility is Metroplex redecoed into – Metrotitan!
You can view the video here: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTEzMjI5ODA0.html
EDIT: You can view the embedded version here (and thanks to fellow board member opoptimus for the assist there!):
For those of you unfamiliar with Metrotitan, if you click the resource link in the previous statement, you will discover that Metrotitan is a Japanense exclusive deco of G1 Metroplex as a Destron (Decepticon) from the Japanese series Transformers: Zone. Hasbro certainly has created modern toys with obscure references, such as Generations Sky Shadow. That coupled with the obvious necessity for such a large toy as Generations Metroplex (!) to have a good redeco in order for Hasbro to recoup some of the mold costs as well as the referenced discussion of this news bit, certainly makes this a possibility!
Now, while all of this certainly seems like a very possible reality, we are still posting this as a “rumor”, as this is not an “official” confirmation of Metrotitan actually being produced, so take this with a grain of salt, so to speak.By all means, join in on the discussion already taking place by clicking the link below. Also, certainly feel free to check out our coverage of Toy Fair 2013!
Insane Galvatron
I'm going to go with incredible mystery. I wasn't told WHY they requested it be sent there, so I could only speculate.
WheelWave140
But how did they find it since molds aren't marked? And why was it at a Kenner office in the mid-90's? This is either some incredible bullshit or an incredible mystery.
Insane Galvatron
That was the office I was referring to, even if I mis-labeled it "headquarters".
Insane Galvatron
Yes, but they usually stay in the factory so they can be used by either company. In this case, the mold was actually shipped to the old offices in Ohio that I don't think Hasbro uses anymore.
The way I heard it, it was shipped over not long after it's initial use in the early 90's by Takara. I wasn't told why Hasbro requested it be sent there, only that it was. This is totally a "he tell me" situation that I probably shouldn't have shared at all. So I can't say who, but it came from an ex-employee that is friends with my friends. Feel free to call me crazy if you wish. I'm only sharing what I was told, for what it's worth. For all I know, I was fed a bunch of bologna just to see if I'd believe it.
That is partially true, assuming I was told correctly. Fun Pub ( because of some FP employees who are friends with said ex-employee ) suggested checking the old storage places in Ohio since they were told it was last seen there. That is when Hasbro found it.
PowerMastah555
I was merely stating they never had headquarters in Ohio, nothing about operations, or all boys toys or anything like that
Poor Kenner, their star burned fast and badly articulated. May they live on in infamy and hazy memories of Christmas mornings lost past.
stad
Correct. For a while there, in the 90's, the old Kenner offices in Cincinnati were the HQ for Boy's Toys under Hasbro, until they folded the "Kenner" brand altogether.
Nevermore
Hasbro did have an office in Cincinatti, though. It was the old Kenner headquarters, and after Kenner was taken over by Hasbro, they continued the Cincinatti facilities for nine more years. When Hasbro abandoned all Cincinatti operations in 2000, about five percent of their corporate workforce was cut.
And Beast Wars was originally a Kenner-headed relaunch of the Transformers brand.
So no, the "Ohio" part is not what makes this story implausible. It's the fact that it makes no sense to ship heavy and spacious manufacturing equipment from an overseas factory to the company's corporate heardquarters. What are they going to do with it, use it as a paperweight?
PowerMastah555
This is easy to identify as what we in the scientific community call "complete Horse shit" because Hasbro is headquartered in Rhode Island, not Ohio. Duh.
Source: I live in RI, it takes 10min to drive across the state and everyone is related to everyone else. Hasbro is a big deal here.
WishfulThinking
Bought mine MISB for $150 at Botcon back in the early 2000's.
WishfulThinking
Also, heavily stressed pieces and broken parts on some copies. The ebay'ed FM's were generally broken or missing parts but were great for folks who were willing to piece old G1 copies together on the cheap or just wanted a stand-in until they got a better copy.
Knightsword
Spike and Cerebros had misassembly errors ranging from backwards parts, missing parts, two of same (left/left etc.). Parts of Cog were missing or came with two of the same arm. Fort Max had missing small guns from hands and arms. Finally some just had missing guns and or Master swords.
GizmoTron
What was the major issue, though? I don't remember there being that big of a fuss over Fort Max having problems when he came out.
WishfulThinking
The QC was so bad, BBTS had an Ebay fire sale on all of the returns.
stad
That was my understanding as well. One thing Fun Pub deserves credit for, despite the people who will hate on them no matter what.
TF@TM
Completely agree, the rumour sounds like one that has been made up by assumptions that it must have been with Hasbro in order for Fun Pub to use it without thought of how it would have ended up with Hasbro, why'd they'd want it, or the cost / logistics involved.
From my understanding (which is based on conversations with people connected to Fun Pub but one I still consider to only be a rumour) is that it was Fun Pub who lead to the discovery of the tooling in the factory which TakaraTomy and Hasbro thought they no longer had. This was in the last couple of years which is why it could not be used for the encore release as it was deemed as "lost". The understanding I have is that records were lost or poorly kept from the 80s/90s of where the tools were which is why it was assumed to have lost.
MpCollector81
That was a joke.
flux convoy
Google.
MpCollector81
Thanks for the info! That was probably the fastest reply I've ever gotten online. Hey, know where I can get cheap, reliable home insurance with extensive coverage on collectibles?
prfctcellrulz
Back at the near end of the G1 toyline in Japan, right when Zone came out, there was a Decepticon repaint of G1 Metroplex which was called Metrotitan. Article: Metrotitan (Zone) – Transformers Wiki
MpCollector81
What is Metrotitan? Is that the Titan Class Metroplex?