In defense of Hastak designers.

Discussion in 'Transformers Toy Discussion' started by HotRodDidNothingWrong, Jul 15, 2021.

  1. HotRodDidNothingWrong

    HotRodDidNothingWrong Still salty about TLK Hot Rod

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    Anyone else feel sorry for the Hastak designers? Not only do they probably have to deal with a bunch of corporate bullshit from overpaid higher ups, but they also get told by some fans that they are are incompetent idiots who deserve to lose their jobs because they made a toy that they didn't like. Sure they make a fair amount of figures that I have issues with, but do they really deserve all the flak they get?
     
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  2. Shin Densetsu

    Shin Densetsu I WILL DESTROY YOU Content Contributor Veteran

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    Having communicated with some of them in years past, they’re more concerned about you leaking something they told you out of confidentiality more than any random criticism they’ve received online or otherwise.
     
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  3. jametron

    jametron Halfway to Heaven, under horsepower of my own…

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    No. No they do not deserve the flak. I might not always agree with certain engineering decisions, however, as I recently rewatched the video review for MP-44 (Optimus V3.0), for example, I was completely (again) blown away by how insane that transformation is! I couldn’t even begin to engineer something like that. It’s seriously bananas! Kudos to them!
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2021
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  4. AutobotAvalanche

    AutobotAvalanche Number One in Boogieland

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    They don't need anybody to defend them. If someone posts some long screed about the designers, short of doxxing them it's just said user being irrational and way too invested. However far you take it is on you, but on the other hand there is no real problem with it. None of them care that some random person on the internet hates them and the toys they make. There is no need to go to bat for a corporation.
     
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  5. Chaos Muffin

    Chaos Muffin Misadventure Veteran

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    They’re still corp no matter what.
    I fig’d the designers get caught in the crossfire like writers do between producers & directors.

    I totally get those who
    felt burned on Unicron. That was alot of money, and they still cut corners.

    Right now a funny corp joke is being played on consumers.
    There’s an invisible figure for the My Hero Academia line who is literally just feet and hands in the package. For $30.

    I bet the designers will get alot of crap about this one. :lol 
     
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  6. fschuler

    fschuler Post Count Inflated With Hot Air TFW2005 Supporter

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    That one is a travesty…
     
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  7. Dinobot Snarl

    Dinobot Snarl Well-Known Member

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    Off the charts. No sizzle sticks

    Picture2.png 787926108590_one.jpg
     
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  8. Ottertron

    Ottertron Moon-faced assassin of joy

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    It ain't the designers that hollow shit out and cut corners.
     
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  9. Excikaiser

    Excikaiser Well-Known Member

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    That being said, I don't understand why it's all secred and no credit given to them.

    It looks like the old comics / game designer situation before the 90's, where they were not allowed to put their names on their creations.

    Why toy designers are not allowed to get credits for their creations ?
     
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  10. HotRodDidNothingWrong

    HotRodDidNothingWrong Still salty about TLK Hot Rod

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    Except I'm not trying to defend the companies themselves. Hasbro and Takara can both rot in hell for all I care. They keep fucking up distribution and making figures exclusives, which has turned my favourite hobby into an infuriating chore. All I'm saying is that we should maybe cut some slack to the employees who are just doing their damn job.

    Say what you will about neca as a company, but even they have have the decency to credit their designers.
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2021
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  11. marvel b

    marvel b Bearer of the Matrix of Smash

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  12. peddlerofwine

    peddlerofwine Starscream's Robot Gun

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    A fellow Joe collector, I presume? The Cobra Island shit is worse than any Transformer stuff I’ve tried to get.
     
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  13. Mister D

    Mister D Bloosh Compatible

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    I think there's weird stuff going on with Joe that'd different than with Transformers. Hasbro is trying to be an international brand with a very jingoistic American toyline and I think they are afraid to lean into that. Then there's the issue of guns and military which doesn't play well in some corners of the States. I don't think Hasbro realized how strong an appetite there was among the fan base given the tepid reception of some of their more recent offerings. And I think this might be true for the stores as well. I'm not sure everyone was sold on GI Joe being as successful as it has been, which is why they ended up going the exclusive route. This is complete conjecture on my part though.
     
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  14. harrismonkey

    harrismonkey Well-Known Member

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    Yup. Although if I ever decide to sell it, I'll likely make a tidy sum, so I don't feel too bad about it. But I'm ultimately far more impressed with the cheaper 3P version.
     
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  15. DarkAxalonSyde

    DarkAxalonSyde Excessively Angry Decepticon

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    I mean, there aren't really many names or faces to criticize. Most of the complaining is just aimed at the group, which isn't really that personal. I'm sure the individuals working in the group can take it. If they can't, they can just not look at the forums. It's not like people are tracking down their social media pages, not when we don't really know who they are, outside of the leads. Frankly, I'm more shocked by how certain people lose their minds at the mere suggestion that the designers aren't good at what they do. Maybe the designers aren't the right people to blame, but I've seen someone get called toxic and shouted out of a thread, just for saying they're incompetent. People really need to learn that criticism of the things they like aren't criticisms of them.
     
  16. Billie94

    Billie94 Banned

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    They're ehm... doing their job?
    Many employees have to deal with bullshit from higher-ups and customers.
    It's kinda the way of the world and not something a designer needs our sympathy for just because they work in the entertainment sector and thus are special.

    I know! Let's start a sympathy thread for the guys who pick up dirt with their cart and long tweezers!
    Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen. :lol 
     
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  17. Mark Moorhan

    Mark Moorhan Banned

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    I would like to play a song for those poor designers.
    upload_2021-7-16_10-14-8.png
     
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  18. Pillowman7

    Pillowman7 This gonna be bananas

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    I feel bad for some of the complaints that they get when some rando complains that X figure has fake parts or a figure is trash for Y reason. Objectively speaking Hasbro puts out good stuff this day and I don’t think a lot of people in this fandom know how hard it can be to make a functioning transformer figure.

    I also don’t like it when HasTak designers are called stupid, lazy, incompetent, or anything else along those lines. The engineers are smart and the reason a figure may be have some engineering shortcuts (like a big backpack for example) is most likely due to budget limitations instead of lack of creativity on the part of the HasTak designers.
     
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  19. harrismonkey

    harrismonkey Well-Known Member

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  20. Suboptimal Optimus

    Suboptimal Optimus Burn it all down

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    If people blame the toy designers for bad or gimmick-laden crap, its not the designer's fault. Blame the executives who decide what gets made and what doesn't or whoever at Hasbro/Takara its fine to flood store shelves with bad one step changer or gimmicks-impaired Cyberverse garbage. They're just doing their job, not designing the toyline nor the character as that is somebody else's job. If anything, aside from the price creep, recession and all related issues we've seen some absolutely stellar work since Prime Wars and War for Cybertron (especially the latter). I honestly can't recall the last time I have been truly mad at a mainline figure. Disliked a few things, sure, but we've overall come a long way from weird eras like early Beast era or Armada. On the engineering and toy design front I'd even go so far as to say we are very much in a golden age as far as Generations is concerned.

    The real thing worth complaining about is Hasbro's price gouging, the exclusives and the damn QC issues! The toy themselves are well designed and clearly pushed to the limit of their price point in many cases. The engineers are on a roll, its kind of everything else that suck these days.
     
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