MP Sideswipe Anime is the best comparison point for this. MP-12 is an old mould with fundamental problems (as bad as Hot Rods chest is, he has nothing on Sideswipe for toon inaccuracy) Takara had the perfect opportunity to tweak/fix that mould, but opted to repaint and hike the price. I don't expect anything different for Hot Rod.
If they aren't prepared to update the mould on a figure as old as MP-12, what makes folks think they'll do anything to the still new MP-28? This will be MP-28 with a Target Master.
Maybe they'll slap on a new coast of paint. How different was Targetmaster Hot Rod's colour to normal G1?

 

They won't if no one buys the initail realese because we are all waiting for the targetmaster re release.

 

I knew someone would find something to pick about my statement   I wasn't aware of those changes, but still stand by my basic idea: If MP40 is just MP28 (not repainted) + targetmaster - accessories, then that matches what happened in the mid 1980's with G1 Hotrod.

 

They won't if no one buys the intial release because people wait for the possible target master re release

 

Why are people flipping their lid about this?

Look what came out in 1986:



Guess what came out a year later in 1987?:



They even released Rodimus in between these. You'd think they were trying to run a toy line.... What do you want them to do? End up with Hasbro's schedule?

 

As opposed to the 11 pages of people saying MP-40 is a cash grab, they'll only buy if Takara remoulded the figure, and pages of speculation about MP numbering convention? Because this thread has been filled with super insightful new ideas so far. But that's fine. I'm used to the ridiculously over-powered anti-3P attitude around here. If that's not what you meant than all good.

 

And were those '86/'87 figures released at the original MP-28 price of $80 or the MP-40 price of $90?  
Everyone expects some repaints and mould re-use in the TF toy line. But when it's this blatant in a line priced as high as this, people get agitated.

 

But in that case, it would still at least have different accessories. If this were to be a straight re-issue but with a Targetmaster on top, that's a problem. It depends on what it is that they end up releasing. If it's the former, that's annoying but it's less valid to complain about. If it's the latter, then it's a lot more complaint-worthy.

And this, as far as I can tell, is what most people are upset about - the potential that it is a straight reissue. I was going to debunk some of the stuff said earlier in the thread but long story short, all the other reissues with changes so far have had changes, not just new accessories, including MP-38 who has less painted details and such all around (plus Amazon-exclusive accessories already exist - they weren't created just for these reissues), and most of them were exclusive figures or retooled/repainted, often extensively (especially in the case of repaints).

 

And to think they haven't even seen it yet  This board can turn a fun thing like a new reveal into a prostate exam .

 

This:



 

I mean I personally am disappointed and bored by this announcement, but yeah, there's no reason to be all "Fail Takara" about this. It's just another repaint to get some more mileage out of an already finished mold. Standard practice.

Maybe it was just bad timing? People expected a lot from Wonfes and got nothing, now the next announcement is a repaint and that’s grinding their gears? Or maybe it's that this is just another Hot Rod with a Targetmaster and we don't know if the deco will be dramatically different. A Black Hot Rod out of the MP-28 mold would've probably been more interesting to fans.

 

Yeah, I've already commented on that. But for sheer repetitiveness, nothing matches your post.

 

Are they gonna change the cardboard sign chest for this? If not it'll be a pass for me. If the Targetmaster is decent I'll pick up a KO version like I did for Ratbat.

 

The "hate" isn't for the mold, a standard re-release or even recolour; it's of the SAME character with accessories that people feel SHOULD have come with the original.

 

Great! Did it cost between 50-100 dollars and claim to be a masterpiece?

No?

Moving on, then.

 

This line has me disappointed with the second half of 2017. If it weren't for MP-39 and the implications of MP-15/16E, I'd have the feeling that it was winding down.

After Megatron in April - whose price didn't leave a good taste in my mouth - we got Artfire ("Pass!"), MP-38 Convoy repaint ("Pass!"), MP-11ND ("still damn floppy and loose"). MP Dinobot, who I'd swear we were shown a silhouette for over a year ago, still doesn't have even a number designation or final pictures. MP-39 doesn't excite me, seems a bit pricey, and is still five months off. MP-15/16E are a mixed batch and we don't know exactly when they're coming out (do we?).

Even some nice repaints would make me feel better about the line's direction/momentum: Hotlink/Air Warrior, Ghost Starscream, Slicer, black Ironhide, Nemesis Hot Rod, Shackwave, Megaplex and/or "toy" Megatron, Deep Cover, etc.

It is a little nice, some rest for my wallet.

 

SHOULD it have come with it? Keep in mind that Targetmaster Hotrod was never released in Japan outside of reissues and the original Masterpiece is painstakingly cartoon accurate... and that Hotrod only became a Targetmaster in the (originally skipped in Japan) Rebirth. The Targetmaster is basically a toy-only accessory (and not an original one at that) so let's break down how that's been handled in the Masterpiece line.

Did (Blue)streak come with his toy's launchers? No, that was only with his reuse Bluestreak. Did Tracks come with his toy's gun? No, that was only with his reuse, Roadrage. Did Optimus Primal come with his toy's mace? No, that was only in his reuse, Supreme Commander Optimus Primal. Did Megatron come with his toy's gun and sword? No, but I'd expect them in his eventual reuse.

I don't get why people are acting so shocked by this. For the entire line Takara have been reusing molds and giving them new accessories based on things like (but not limited to) what the toy came with that wasn't present on the show. If this release comes as a surprise you obviously haven't been paying close attention to the Masterpiece line. Literally the only thing new about this is that it's Hotrod again and not a new character... but they already did that with SC Optimus Primal.

 

a g1 toy deco and target master was inevitable

 

though i dont buy KO, but to pissed-off TT:
- release immediately, flood market with some KO targetmasters, in varieties of color.
- release immediately, a KO MP-28 w/ a or two targetmasters and renamed it as MP-40+
- release immediately, a KO MP-10 with 7-11 recolored.
- release immediately, a KO MP-28 in Shattered Glass recolored.

 

I'm not pissed off per se but I will be a little annoyed if this is exactly the same as MP-28 but for the Targetmaster only because, had I known they'd do this, I would have waited. It is true that previously additional accessories (let's face it that's pretty much what a Targetmaster is) have come with repaints/remoulds but as far as we can tell this is not that, it's the same figure. Now if he comes with a new deco or some sort of remoulding I'm gonna be fine with this and probably pre-order one..if not...I'll be thinking twice.

 

I'm gonna take a guess and say he probably doesn't come with MP-28's buzzsaw and fishing rod accessories, so there's that at least.