Playing with the MP Cassettes and watching the show. If we get a V2 of Soundwave someday I feel like the only cassette that needs a V2 too would be Ravage. If they do it for the others it would be more for added articulation and not to make them more show accurate. Another reason to make V2 of everything would be if they change the size of the cassette modes.

 

I think this idea of Soundwave V2 is really reflective of what is ultimately going to be the dividing line between Masterpiece fans - between those who want the central cast repeatedly improved and redone as technology improves (and aesthetics change) and those who want to see a wider variety of characters - even, perhaps, harbour hopes of completing, say, the Ark or Nemesis crews or the ‘84-‘85 cast.

That divide has always existed - I mean there have been demands for a new Grimlock ever since Rodimus Prime’s release - but I think Soundwave is the faultline because unlike, say, MP-5 Megatron or MP-11 Starscream, there are no obvious flaws with MP-13’s mould. He’s the right height, the right colours (depending on your POV), has a fluid and smooth transformation and got all the key bits like the silhouette and head sculpt bang on. BUT - he can’t pull off super-crouching poses and he has silver where the cartoon has white. If poseability and bang-on toon accuracy are the things you really want, you’re going to want that upgrade. However, that takes up another release slot - and when you then factor in redone cassettes, Soundblaster etc, you’re looking at a LOT of release slots on top of all the new Seekers (I’d like to teach the world to sing) and the other Beast Wars characters. If that happens, I don’t think you’re looking at Trailbreaker, Skids, Reflector etc til something like 2056...

 

I’ve come across many sources that did that very same thing.

I’m not 1 of them.

 

I am also happy with Soundwave. Personally I say give him a + redeco and maybe some retooling. I think Soundwave has aged amazingly well.

 

Grimlock has been at the top of remake lists for a while, mine included and I thought the prime opportunity was in 2014 when AOE was hitting theaters.

I really do hope we get 1 but it’s never something I heard about. Another note, I’m not in constant contact with who you would label as a source. Maybe 3/4 of the time I was actually asking them about something else entirely. I go down my own rabbit hole of what I want to see and sometimes end up hearing about things that are cool but not what I was asking for. So there’s new MP’s being worked on that I’ve possibly never heard about. Not saying this to cover my ass, just being honest.

I’m also glad this thread exists because if not, every MP news thread in the news/rumors forum about the reveal for specific MP’s would become speculation threads for completely different characters in the MP line.

 

I have to say I agree. I think Soundwave is exceptional and, personally, I can’t get excited for the idea of seeing him again. I’m happy to have him ticked off and move on. But, I know that other collectors - very smart people whose opinions are often the most interesting on this board - massively disagree, and want the full range of ankle tilts and ab crunches and deep knee bends and all the rest of it. To them, MP-13 is hopelessly out of date (hell, to some of them, Ironhide is, and he left the warehouses only just before Britain left the EU).

Incidentally my suspicion is that TT are leaning towards servicing that side of the collector line. And to be honest from a business point of view it’s understandable because hey, it’s another go at an old and popular favourite. It’s like - if you were pulling together a bunch of songs for a compilation by your favourite artist (for this example I’m picking the Pet Shop Boys). Obviously you’ve got to put in West End Girls and It’s A Sin and Go West, but at some point, you’re getting to the tracks like Two Divided By Zero that only a hardcore group of the fanbase know, and you’ve got to wonder if they’re worth including on the album.

 

I think they’re doing it because having that level of articulation on a perfect transformation(as in, no parts removal/swapping needed) Transformer has never been done before. Their biggest competitor in Japan is Bandai and Bandai only has that kind of articulation on either figures that don’t transform, or transform with parts-swapping/removal. Megatron needed a redo since MP-09/10 set a scale to abide to in robot mode and MP-05 was too big. The previous 2 MP Starscreams had the joints needed but articulation was hindered, so poseability wasn’t as good as even some of the Hasui MP’s, so a V3 is justified. Adding to that, 1 wouldn’t think a cartoon accurate design with that level of articulation could even transform, yet it can. In Japan, nostalgia is riding high for cartoon accurate collector toys since the modernized/realistic designs have been done since the early 2000’s. Nostalgic look + super articulation + perfect transformation was a bar raised by Takara.

I don’t think Takara will be making all new figures for characters made in the line prior to Inferno. However, I do think whichever new figure makes it to the line, will be just as articulated as MP-36 and Sunstreaker, if not moreso. Bumblebee V2 was some IMO, as part of the 35th anniversary and since a Bumblebee movie was on the way too.

 

Actually if all they did was swap some paint on Soundwave I would be more concerned with the chances for Blaster. More importantly it gives them a chance to redo the tapes, at this point Rumble and Frenzy look pretty meh, and they can address the cracking problems the birds and Ravage had. And there's always Soundblaster who would go great with Galvatron as outside of Scourge and Cyclonus I don't see many season 3 Decepticons getting made.

I don't really see Starscream and Galvatron happening in the same year, but I'm hoping with Arcee's PO numbers they feel they can announce another movie bot if not this year hopefully next. Wheelie actually had screentime in headmasters so he wouldn't really surprise me with a Daniel.

 

I would not describe Takara doing what you're describing as "in their best interest," especially with a character whose MP version will cost people a lot more than spending $20/each online or at Target. If not paying for licensing were a matter of convenience, a lot of other characters would get made by now.

As for Seeker redecos, maybe they'll rush them, or maybe Takara won't feel moved because asking people to pay, what, $150ish on the low end, $200+ (or that equivalent based on region), for a bunch of characters they did not that long ago with varying levels of popularity could burden the market with too many expensive Seekers too quickly. If Hasbro Asia is still the driving factor behind Seeker redecos anyways , I think we'll only see them at all, let alone quickly, if the Asian market still wants them, and not because Takara's in a hurry to beat KO makers to the punch.

 

I was probably getting part of it from what HolyCulture was saying in the Hound news thread. He placed the blame entirely on the factory. But as for where I read that Takara was actually ending their relationship with that factory over the incident, I'm not sure. It could even be in the same thread and I missed it.

 

Unfortunately, that’s the curse of the better mousetrap.

 

Haven't been keeping up with this thread for a while, and now I'm catching up on Shin's latest clues.  

Okay, about this one...

So the mystery MP "shares 1 aspect of an MP with a 2 digit number"… which I take as meaning that it has one thing in common with a specific MP between MP-10 and MP-51. That's… um… that's a lot of possibilities.

Shin, I commend you for continuing to come up with such abstract clues.  

 

When I first read that, "shares 1 aspect of an MP with a 2 digit number," I was so exhausted and sleep-deprived from working so much that I thought he was saying there's a two-digit number, somewhere between 10 and 99, that somehow "shares an aspect with this MP." And I actually thought, "y'know, the number 22 can look like a 'ZZ'... Jazz has a zz in his name..." Crazzy!

 

This one is kinda out there and I’m doubting it myself, but what if “shares 1 aspect of an MP with a 2 digit number" refers to all MPs with 2 digit numbers? Articulation? I dunno. Probably not.

 

No kidding. Between car parts, travel, and this hobby, my wallet frequently cries tears of blood...good thing I've gotten much better at saving so that I can handle it when these kind of purchases come up. Preparing myself to spend at least $250 on Starscream here...

 

"An MP", so not all. And MP-10 and later all have two digit numbers.   That one aspect might a hook like Grapple has, but not visually the same as Jazz as he's a Porsche and has it attached to his arm.

 

Yup, the v2s will not be the end all be all. There will be v3 and beyond for the top tier characters as long as people keep buying. Same with Star Wars, Turtles, Marvel, DC, G.I. Joe, He-Man, etc.

 

I personally find that unlikely... not impossible, but unlikely. MPs are “definitive” and they will probably branch out to different series or the line will eventually die from doing the same thing over and over again. I feel like this applies more to official CHUG - every new line has almost always has a prime

 

If anything, these will be the definitive versions for a very, very long time. I'd say it's more likely we see other lines and versions of the popular characters as this decade progresses. HasTak undoubtedly is paying attention to how well the Beast Wars and Movie Masterpieces are both doing...so how much longer is it really gonna be before we see Transformers Prime or Animated Masterpiece figures? They'd do the same thing with those lines and start with the main 4: Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee, Starscream. My dream is to one day get Hearts of Steel Masterpiece figures, even if it's only of Optimus Prime and Megatron, although I know how unlikely even that is. As for these G1 V2s and V3s? They can milk the ever-living HELL out of these molds, and don't think for even a moment that they won't. It's only a matter of time before we get a Shattered Glass version of MP44(would admittedly also love to see a Ghostbusters version), and I'd dare say that we may get more Shattered Glass decos this time around, out of other characters. (Quick, someone do a digibash of this V2 Starscream in Shattered Glass colors for me.) If we're lucky, we'll get a Ghost Starscream out of this V2...I never got the original Ghost Starscream due to waiting for an MP11 version, so really hoping they make it for this one. All I know is that, based off of what we know of this upcoming V2 so far, I think it may have quite a fair bit of potential, and will undoubtedly be a definitive figure for a while.

 

I dunno man, people will pay that money; it happens every time. Begrudgingly, but they will. And I'm sure people will do the whole "paint chipping here" and "wish it had a ratchet there" and "for x-dollars they should do this or that", but it'll still be on their shelves. Ppl complain about pricing all the time, buuut... they buy it anyways. No, we buy it anyways.

Starscream always sells, been like that since '84. And they know that. Even when they aren't selling SScream, it was selling for more than they sold it originally (at least until ppl got fed up with the same model in circulation since the start and the flood of "cheaper" KO). Shit, even some of the KOs started going for more than original cost even as ppl bashed the damn thing. On top of all that, 3rd party Meteor is almost double aftermarket; Takara knows their getting that MP investment back.

Now, true, Takara may not be the one to push the other seekers out right away; Hasbro, on the other hand, will repaint the hell out of anything in a heartbeat. Those f***ers will repaint the repaint. And, they KNOW for a FACT the seekers sell; it's no coincidence they haven't hesitated to get them out with Seige.

Concerning other obscure MP, it may be that they don't have the confidence in characters like Reflector or Gears, etc. Again though, I think Seige is allowing them to get a better gauge on how hungry collectors are for fhe oddballs they wouldn't normally consider. Best example, Arcee bursted out with multiple iterations in the past few years and is now getting an MP.