This is very interesting, might be a reason for me to get a masterpiece.

 

I've long criticized the trend (hardly limited to Masterpieces, or even Japanese toys) that forces all windows to be made transparent, thus causing significant other parts of the toy to have to made out of clear plastic. Black-painted windows are perfectly fine.

 

It depends the SKid test shots were removed from sites when they popped up, they haven't really paid any attention to these other leaks, which I guess is because a full reveal is imminent, maybe. Normally test shots are right before production and that's normally happening 4 months before release, maybe they're pushing production with the given situation and things may not better in the upcoming months. I had read somewhere that they sometimes gift higher up at the factory with this kind of stuff, which could be what we are seeing and something they normally would do after production. The fact they aren't going full Skids makes me thinks its something they were obviously expecting.

 

This’ll be great.

 

I only ever had the Takara JRX box set - were the RiD versions in solid plastic with painted windows then?

 

Anyone else buying 3? One for train mode, one for individual bots, and one for combined mode? Anyone else going to do 3 again if Diaclone colors are released? That’s 36 trains in my house. I MAY need help….. CARRYING ALL THOSE TRAINS TO MY IDGAF DISPLAY CASE

 

Yep, Hasbro version was molded in Opaque plastic so no fragile clear plastic. Clear windows were kind of a bad choice ofc tho

 

I'm still very surprised that Takara is not just making the Trainbots, but a MP version too. Definitely not the first set of combiners I would imagine being made for the MP line, but I'm not complaining. It would probably be a long time before I get these guys after they release, but I'm still very happy to see them in the first place.

 

Hasbro did two versions----both had the sides molded in same color plastic as the sides should be anyways, but one version has raw unpainted windows, the other version had the windows painted. (a somewhat sparkly blue IIRC)

Considering how popular model trains are in Japan, and that Tomy is one of the main manufacturers of them in Japan, I'd assume they could do like many model trains do, and use separate clear window inserts. Then you have both clear windows, AND the sides are molded in color to start with. If they can do it in N-scale for $40 trains, I'd assume much larger much more $$$$ MP trains could do it.

Heck, not long ago I bought a $23 loco from Tomy (because it's Railspike) and all the windows are separate and clear. But the loco itself is molded in color:

 

That would be ideal, but you have to figure with so many moving parts, that it might add a layer of complexity or fragility (to the window area) that would ultimately impede the design or durability of the figure.

 

You only need 1 or 2mm of thickness to do the "strip" version of windows. If that's too much space, you could do individual windows, but that costs more. But would take almost no room at all.

 

Ichiban Shouki!

 

I've been in the toy industry for almost a decade and I have worked with several major international toy companies including Hasbro and Mattel. None of them "gift" prototypes or test shots to anyone outside of the company. Let alone anyone at factories. And no, none of them "own" their factories. It is of upmost priority to control their brands and what information gets out. This is almost certainly an unauthorized leak as it does not conform to Takara's usual press presentation. Security must be lax due to a particular current "world event". Just say'n  

 

Thanks for the update on that, i thought that was how all the older prototypes got out on the market for people to buy, they were somebodies that got sold off.

 

So he's definitely CW Devs sized and not larger, right? I might grab him just to give Devs a rival.

 

Hopefully so, because right now I'm planning on a display with Raiden, UW Devastator and their G1 versions!

 

Those large clear plastic panels do not inspire confidence...

 

It’s a prototype. Prototypes are made using different plastics for different purposes.

 

Pretty much yeah, lol!   And with a chopped up train nose on the back of that.



Still the prototype looks pretty incompletely transformed. If you look at the CAD image on the front page you get a better idea of what we can expect. So that junk will fold up onto the back better, some panels will flip over the top of his shoulders, and those snorkelly things will appear from somewhere.

Not super super accurate though - seems very much in the Skids 'hybrid' style.

 

Looks good!

Now... I've never watched Headmasters (though I do own the boxset and plan on watching after finishing my G1 rewatch) and I've never been a MP collector... but I sure do love trains.

If they aren't too expensive, I'll have to pick these guys up.