I think it's hilarious if TT actually makes business altering decisions based off a few leaked toys...I kinda hope they're that stupid because lol. Screw the profits, we gotta do what's really important and put an end to the toy leaks!

On a similar note, I once had a package stolen off my porch, but I showed those thieves! I took my family and abandoned our house and we're now homeless and living on the streets. Try stealing a package from us now, bastards! But I gotta go now, guys, my internet time is up as the library is kicking me off their computer. Talk more tomorrow.

 

gotta love it when a fandom finds fault with a company trying to combat theft of their property  

 

Let's assume for a moment either thing is legitimately true...you think making shoddy product with rampant quality issues or to stop making that otherwise profitable product altogether to stop a few leaked toys an acceptable resolution? Combating theft is well and good...but sabotaging your product or ending it altogether are immensely larger problems! You're causing major issues in attempt to resolve a very minor problem. Personally, I have a hard time believing a successful business is actually that stupid, but if they are...lol. I would at least hope it would be because the leaks are making their way to KO'ers and giving them huge head starts and THAT'S what TT is trying to combat...because that could actually cut into TT's pocket. But if it's because they don't want reviewers showing off the product...which if it's any fuggin' good is basically free advertising...umm, yeah...lol. BUT EVEN IF THE FORMER...don't have your supposed resolution be even worse than the problem! A ton of people are now specifically seeking a KO of MP Hound to fix TT's shitshow!

 

why would you assume it is solely to prevent reviewers? the masterpieces have been getting ko'ed for the last 30 some releases, takara HAS to do something and the easiest first step to take is to make it harder for a finished product to get stolen from the factory. is it working out for them currently? not exactly, but they are still trying to protect their product so its a least a step in the right direction.

 

I don't, but that's what was reported...TonTon and the like.

And again, I think it's well and good that they look to fight the KO fight, but don't turn your own product to shit in the process. I think that's know as cutting off one's nose to spite their face or something. Even with the KO problem, MP has been successful. Keep having issues like Hound's and MP might soon stop being successful...

 

and the qc issues is most likely an UNINTENDED side effect that they would be smart to correct. i seriously doubt they are intentionally sabotaging their own product

 

Agreed, I wouldn't say they're purposefully putting out shoddy product for the lols ...but continuing to do things with continued poor results is a choice. Either get it together or go back to what WAS working.

 

on that we definitely agree  

 

I guessing its more than a few leaks or thefts, thats been an ongoing thing for a while. I think they accept there will be some leaks but at least QC for the most part was acceptable. Shitty factory work and blatant theft is probably why we are where we all now. I''m more curious is this the only product subject to these issues. If theft is only occurring in the MP line only, then yeah Takara does have a problem. I doubt the rate of return is as great as people think it is , simply because Hasbro declined to pursue the MP line any futher and that's when they were cheaper to make. This is just a think Takara makes,not the thing, my worry is if the MP line starts being to much of a headache they'll move on to a more cost effective product.

 

I think that's just the market...I don't think the collector market is as big here. And other than online, there's nowhere to sell the product...especially at the new price points. Regardless of whether they charge AJP or BBTS prices, Walmart and Target aren't going to stock MP figures. They wouldn't sell.

I agree that MP isn't the be all end all product for TT...but it was successful enough that they changed up their release formula and ramped up the budgets for them. They probably don't do that on lines getting by on life support.

 

hell, im still shocked that target stocked the $80 siege rainmaker pack

 

Takara is not going to get a closer grip on security until they bring manufacturing back to Japan. Is that a possibility? I don't know. However, it'll be expensive, possibly to the point that more fans will be priced out.

I have suspected since at least 2017 that they have been skipping a traditional final qc check before mass production. Since then, I have had a few qc issues, some minor, some major(1st 2 MPM-04's copies). Something definitely went wrong with Hound. I don't think Takara is ever going to publicly say what happened. Maybe we will get a recall but otherwise, I think it'll be fixed(hopefully) when rereleased.

They are not the only Japanese toy company, let alone Japanese company, speeding through to get something to market quickly, sometimes when it's not entirely ready. You'd be VERY surprised.

Unfortunately at this point, it's safer not to be a 1st-run buyer.

Well it wasn't the designer(Yuki)'s choice, 12 days is all Takara corporate gave him. It wasn't reasonable at all on their part. However it's impressive to me, that he pulled off such a thing in 12 days.

 

I think we're all losing sight of the bigger picture here.

After Leno Magnus, Tarantinostreaker and Hound Stallone, I for one am really looking forward to debating a Rodimus or Galvatron with a chin that looks like Bruce Campbell ...

 

And that's the thing, without MP's, there wouldn't be KO MP's. Part of the demand for KO MP's is because MP's have gone up in price and had issues(like Hound more recently) whereas KO MP's used to be suspect but now at times, have higher quality for a much cheaper cost. Botched quality on a Takara MP is only going to fuel demand for a cheaper, higher quality KO MP. That's how Takara did their own MP Hound in.

Maybe Takara was worried a KO company was going to steal an early copy of Hound in Vietnam and beat them to market. Thing is, Hound was probably going to get KO'd regardless. And it's likely that the eventual KO Hound we get, will not only be cheaper, but more structurally sound than the official. The irony is that there's more incentive now since the official got botched.

So when it's all said and done, if Takara truly believed it was the right decision to delay assembly for Hound(if what was said was true), it only delayed the inevitable KO but ironically, also drove up its demand.

 

I still think MP-5 is an impressive figure. No, it doesn't fit one bit with what the line is today or even what it was from MP-8 and on...but I thought it was hella impressive when I got it. That alt mode, while bigger than real, is incredible still. And bot mode was decent for its time.....especially a time when we were accepting of Alts/BTs as MP stand-ins!

 

I think the importance of both KOs and spoiler reviewers to TT’s decision-making process is being over-stated. They may not like either but they are used to both being around.

KOs exist because they are a premium product. There is nothing special about Transformers in that regard. Yes it’s the thing we love but Masterpiece Transformers are no different to any other good operating at that end of its particular market - be it watches or fountain pens. Masterpieces are the Rolexes of the adult collectible market. Thus if you’re an unscrupulous business and you want to get some easy money, these things offer you a decent profit margin, plus someone else has done all the R&D (a substantial part of a Masterpiece’s cost for TT to absorb), advertising and market-building, plus you’ve got a nice big potential market of people who want the product but aren’t willing to pay for it. Consequently knock-offs are as inevitable as flies round a corpse on a summer’s day in a Florida swamp.

As for reviewers - yeah it probably frustrates them mildly but they would undoubtedly take a lot less drastic measures to handle that before using it as the basis to make such a dramatic decision as to change the production factory.

What is far more likely to have gone wrong with Hound is they bought and used substandard plastic to make some of the Hounds. Whether that was by accident (the supplier sent something below par) or deliberate (they specified something that was not up to the job) we’ll probably never know. But if you’re trying to figure out what went wrong here, think like a business.

 

Anyone willing to take a chance on the rerelease of Hound(whenever that comes) to see if it's any better?

 

Potentially yeah, even though my figure is fine I'm too afraid to transform it any more after seeing how even good copies will eventually crack. Ideally when announcing a second run Takara would do what they did with MP09 and acknowledge the flaws in the first release, and state what's been rectified in the second release.

Takara already gave us Rodimus John Kerry with MP09  

 

Probably, though I don't know if I'd open it until/unless my first run Hound finally cracks or breaks.

 

I see little actual evidence that TakaraTomy is doing anything to combat KOs or 3rd parties. The only real things we've seen from Hasbro recently are 1.) the addition of the "AUTHENTIC" logo on boxes and 2.) the Zeta Toys Unicron fiasco. The Unicron ordeal does indicate that they're willing to take action at least on some front, especially if it involves something as costly as the HasLab Unicron. Otherwise, it doesn't seem worth it. I think the company is more than content with just marching on with paying as little regard as possible.