I just think it's bad form to brag about supporting IP theft while viewing official product.

 

If the 3Ps are so good why must they rely on HasTak molds to make a quick buck?

 

I find the head sculpt excellent

 

Agreed. Can’t wait to have him in hand.

 

Need!

 

You know, I’m not in for this guy...but the treads to wheel transformation on Scavenger is impressive! I can’t wait to see the final correct combined mode.

 

This is what you get with capitalism. It's nothing new.

Anyway, my headcannon is that the constucticons that form Devastator are smaller/larger than their counterparts that are fighting in the field. I just pretend Scavenger and Demolished are completely different in terms of size. Makes me sleep better at night.

 

They really don't. Are you okay? Have you not seen the vast majority of 3p figures?

 

It's called being hopeful. If the official product is sub par (which is a subjective matter, mind you) I'm going to choose the better option. You're just worried about the logo. Not the actual content of the brand. If someone else can do it better, I say let them. I'm sorry but I'm no ass kisser. IMO since 2012 the official product hasn't really been my cup of tea. Scavenger/Demolisher is the ONLY bayformer design I like. Theft would imply a 1:1 figure being sold by someone else. But that's not what I'm hoping for. I'm hoping for improvement. I have no problem paying more for better, If it's within reason of course.

 

See, Hasbro owns the likeness of the character, so the only reason they don't sue is that China (and maybe other countries) make it easy for the company to resume the same business under another name. While I have purchased 3P before, it bothers me that people are trying to promote IP theft, in effect normalizing a criminal activity. I would totally be into seeing 3P original offerings that weren't blatantly stealing IP from Hasbro. Yes they make a quality product, but maybe its time they branch off and compete by creating their own IP. Imagine if 3P made original characters. Sometimes is frustrating to see 3P produce what you've been waiting for, but at the end of the day it's HASBRO's IP (IP that they have invested in for decades). That said, we talk about 3rd party but it is tiresome to hear "I like what I see, so I'll wait till 3rd party makes it" in almost every thread.

 

Then where’s all the original characters in 3P?

Seems Hasbro are the only ones actually moving the brand forward and creating things. 3Ps just come around once the hard part is done. They make “quality” product only because they skirt the law and have no restrictions, which can be great if you’re after that one really great version they happen to put out, but don’t act like 3Ps aren’t literally leeching off the hard work of others. Just sometimes those leeches make a nice shiny toy that makes you forget they did nothing to earn that.

 

The argument here was that 3rd parties rely on hastaks MOULDS. Not character design. Again, something y'all are missing here, 3rd parties put more love and effort into their figures. Seriously why are y'all so damned butthurt over the idea that someone likes 3rd party more???

Wei jiang use pre-existing moulds and tweak them here and there, yes, but the majority of others utilize their own creative engineering to bring the characters on screen/page into real toys. 3rd party companies are just fans with resources to do what hastak won't.

It's almost as if you guys are COMPLETELY missing the point just to scream "but without hasbro/takara Transformers wouldn't exist"...smdh

 

No, it's not that we miss the point, we know what they do and the quality that they do it, but in a thread about the official product announcement or previews of unreleased official product you want to bring attention to the possibility of the mold being stolen or copied then modified with excitement as if that's something we should all celebrate. You want others to join you in this thought, -> you are seeking to normalize and celebrate a shady enterprise.

Like I've said before I have purchased 3P before I just don't feel the need to brag about in official forums, Even with it's high quality I'll always know, in the back of my mind that it is the result of IP theft and not something that makes me feel all good inside.

 

I want my favorite design represented correctly, that's all I want. do you consider Repro Labels IP theft too?

 

If you like 3P figures, buy them. If you don’t like the 3P figures, then don’t buy them. Nobody cares if you like them or not. Don’t get so upset that alternatives exist. It doesn’t matter if a figure is official or 3P. What matters is that a figure is perfect in the eye of an individual consumer.

 

Post deleted, too much, let's get back to Shockwave!


Would love a print of this, or even a high res version.

 

Finally someone who gets it!

 

NGL, my hype's getting deflated seeing that cannon, hand, and foot spikes are soft plastic (foot spikes are understandable since those could poke someone's eye out).  

Now I'm really hoping that DNA Design comes up with an upgrade kit that changes the arms and sword to something that's hard plastic.

 

The cannon is hard plastic, besides those two bits (the left hand and sword), there's not that much to be improved on SS Shockwave, unless you want to remove any references to the ROTF voyager Megatron (upper tighs and arm muscle), but even that someone would have to be a perfectionist to remove those bits, and not everyone has the ability/experience to remove integral parts of a figure