We are getting reports that those who preordered the Hasbro version of Masterpiece Prowl with the UK branch of Toys R Us are receiving cancellation notices for their preorders. According to the cancellation note, Toys R Us have been informed by Hasbro that Masterpiece Prowl will no longer be available in Europe.
This is a blow to European Masterpiece collectors – though some may take some limited solace in the knowledge that it is potentially cheaper to import a Takara-Tomy Masterpiece Prowl than it is to buy one domestically.
The future of other Masterpiece releases for Europe, such as Grimlock and Sunstorm, is now in doubt, with all signs pointing to no European release for either of these toys.
Brooticus
Good call!!
Swoop
Someone has to be angry about this! And theres never been a more appropriate use of this gif.
Rijie78
I was more surprised they were announced for sale anyway, the MPs being a Japanese toy made for a Japanese market. Given how straightforward & frankly inexpensive it is to buy online from Japanese retailers, are there people who avidly want MPs really waiting for a release in their own market, anywhere in the world? I can understand a collector/completionist being interested in what is essentially a packaging variant, but that of course is the definition of a tiny potential customer base.
Acteon
I never count on Hasbro for anything over here, if I see anything on a peg that's of interest (Jazz and Windcharger being the last 2 I remember) then I consider it a pleasant surprise.
If it isn't Optimus of Bumblebee Hasbro UK are useless.
[Wing_Saber-X]
Well glad I'm not affected because Hasbro Asia does an ever stellar job distributing all TF toys over here in Malaysia, HK, S'pore etc.
DeceptiEd
I like the Hasbro message: Sorry, We're not sending you the MPs anymore, but if you buy our other crud, we'll send you a crappy, cheaply made diecast figure!!!…. Oh boy! Thanks Hasbro! Your the Greatest! LOL..
DarkPrinceofKaon
And AGAIN no love to the U.K. fans. Why does Hasbro do this time and time again to our friends from across the pond? I…just don't get it. (sigh).
Vanessa
Well here's some fan rage:
AAAAAARGHHHH! Hasblow UK/EU you bunch of twats!
Grrrr, gnash teeth, flip tables! Etc…
I might be alone in being the one UK based fan who wants the non-Takara MP boxes, and who deliberately didn't buy TT Prowl, but I don't care.
I'm extremely pi**ed off!
Now I'm going to have to try to import one. It ain't about the money, it's the damned principle.
>:-(
They better release MP Sunstorm over here, or I'm gonna be one angry TF fan.
Again.
Brooticus
I'd hazard a guess that this is mostly down to scant interest. The lack of rage in this thread either indicates that there weren't too many folk eagerly awaiting a TRU release, though another probable cause is total lack of surprise! Most UK fans would have never dared dream that MP prowl would get a UK release, so those that wanted him imported him.
As a UK fan, you should never count on a domestic release for anything. If you really want something, you buy it on import! Even generations figs are TRU exclusives over here (bar the AOE leaders, which are at argos), and they rarely get past wave 2. Otherwise, you're pretty much stuck with one-step changers and power battlers!
Renidragon
Well, at least in the US, the Hasbro one is just as expensive as the readily-available Takara one. Hopefully you're not missing out on much. Still, I feel bad for people in Europe who were looking forward to a domestic release.
Autovolt 127
That sucks a lot for you guys.
iconbot
Yep, the KO's are just as good if not better. And cheaper.
jackgaughan
So why bother posting?
motorthing
Fuck Hasbro UK and all who sail in them. Clueless on price, clueless on stock, just clueless twats.
Or perhaps not, because I'm half convinced they don't actually exist anymore.
Lycanthropic Tendencies
Probably neither. They didn't release MP Thundercracker here either, yet gladly released Acidstorm later, so it seems to be random.
Then again, iirc correctly, they didn't release Alt Prowl because they thought black and white police cars wouldn't be recognized, so maybe there's a similar (faulty) logic here.
BWfan86
Interesting – wonder if it's a licensing issue that only affects the prowl release OR if they are canning the MP line completely in Europe…
LegendAntihero
Well I don't care because I live in America
SPLIT LIP
Nobody in the 80's gave a shit about anything.
Blitz.
basically this. Back in the 80's the laws were not quite at strict and frankly many just didn't care.
However at somepoint in the early 90's car company's suddenly started see $$$ in licensing.
Nevermore
Not a single G1 toy had a licensed alternate mode. Back then, car companies didn't care about toys based on their cars as much as they do these days.