didn't they before? Weren't Takara exclusives available via BBTS, TFsource, Kapow and others?

 

thanks to the brand unification takara is getting stuff like potp nemesis prime, sdcc18 primal, repugnus and grotusque etc etc, these would have been regional exclusives under the old system, when i meant access i meant as in not having to import them

 

Hasbro is not worried about the relative handful of sales they're losing to Takara - they might finally be acknowledging the collector part of their market, but they're still focused on mass selling to children.
Not going above and beyond Hasbro's offerings has allowed TT to price Transformers at a lower price (it appears to be about a 25% drop) which is probably a good thing in their home market, where TFs face a lot of competition.

 

--

When will Takara decide to give their Legends Target Masters their counterpart Autobots?! Takara Legends: Pointblank, Sureshot, and Crosshairs anyone?
I love my Legends collection and I think Takara did a great job with topspin and twintwist (not so impressed with windblade, partly due my not-knowing where, when, or how this character even fits into G1 Transformers history... she? looks like a splice between Thrust and Nijika), but I just think these guys deserve their true, original companions!!!

 

Might be some time, since Big Powered will only be released in march.
I hope they do them someday.