A Toymaker3D file. Just wrapped it up a few minutes before those pics. Getting ready to start a couple of his TF files before diving into more PR builds.
I'm pretty confident that Takara COULD work on Power Rangers, much the same way that I could make a Peter Pan comic not for sale in the UK (they have a perpetual copyright there I think as a special deal with a charity?) and hire a British person to help make it. The difference is, Hasbro would need to pay Takara to work on it, whereas the rumor is that they don't pay for TFs that both companies share distribution over. That isn't an insanely bad deal though. Hasbro typically has to pay other people to assist in design. Virtually none, if any, of their 6 inch figures are sculpted by Hasbro employees. They get freelancers who work for other companies like Boss Fight and Spero. When they did the Ghost Rider Engine of Vengeance, they outsourced most of the work. Allegedly according to posts on these forums, Hasbro buys G.I. Joe vehicle art assets from 3D sculptors they find online. Heck, part of the reason why Power Rangers have inconsistent team costume decos is likely because each wave is outsourced to different freelancers. So if you're paying to outsource asset production to freelancers, it's not like outsourcing to Takara would create an expense where there was none. It likely isn't like there's a staff at Hasbro who would be doing nothing if you outsourced. It would just cost more. I've only met one American Transformers engineer at Hasbro, years ago at a convention. He was a guy with an engineering degree on an internship and he did the Titans Return Legends Class figures. I THINK what Hasbro does internally in terms of TFs is Legends/Core class, Authentics, assorted kids gimmick figures (flipchangers and so forth), and the retooling for Collaborative/crossover releases. They probably also do the Shattered Glass and retailer exclusive retool retooling in cases where the alternate parts aren't part of the original mold, since they do typically have Takara sculpt several retools into the initial mold. (Part of why the term "partial" that they use is better since in many cases two or three significant versions of a character were probably always in the original mold.) In terms of the kinds of things Hasbro does internally, the mainline/kids Power Rangers toys probably fit. But Lightning Collection is likely heavily outsourced. And the only difference between outsourcing to Takara and outsourcing to someone in Brazil or Kansas is price. But it's probably a good thing for Hasbro overall to kick money back Takara's way because Takara is a stakeholder, a vendor, a sometimes-licensee, and a partner. What's good for Takara is good for Hasbro to an extent.
Neck-deep in tangent city. The "can't?" was based on statements far earlier in this thread, shortly after the purchase and everyone assuming Takara engineering would come to Zords next, but not aware of anyone ever verifying them. The rest *shrug*.
I never said anything about Takara-Tomy helping them on Power Rangers, I said they could use what they learned from Tak-Tom on Transformers and apply it here. I also said they had worked with Bandai before. You're trying to twist what I said for some reason. And I never said they *would* work together (Hasbro and Bandai) but that they could. Big difference. WTF, man? Not stupid at all. Happens to all of us. What *is* stupid is that design. I see now what you're talking about. That would annoy me to no end. Seems intentional, too as those clips clearly serve a dual purpose. 1.) So the hinge doesn't break. 2.) To snap it on and off without said breakage. I'm not one of those people, thank you very much. Gosh, you sound bitter and passive-aggresive. It's toys, don't take it so seriously. Geez.
We have figures like Tenga and Goldar (disappointing shade of gold aside) who are fantastic representations. Then there's Finster who's a masterpiece made with so much love and care, adding a bunch of accessories to make him the definitive toy of that character. These are all unique and relatively complex molds too that won't get tons of use (forced Tenga two pack aside...). It's the Rangers that confuse the heck out of Hasbro when they should be mostly copy and paste. They can't keep a team consistent between releases, blatant inaccuracies, mismatched limb shades, inconsistent and random accessories... ZAP is a letdown with the poor QC and random stylized elements nobody asked for. Now all of a sudden they push accuracy to an arbitrary scale with no screen evidence when this is one time that fans probably want a consistent size for the Megazords.
I didn't say you did either. That was to elaborate on my earlier reply. I didn't even remember you bringing up the below part either. Couldn't remember anything of yours besides what I quoted. Which was decades ago, so not relevant enough to 2023 decisions. I don't think you read my post entirely (lol did you twist what I said?). I'm talking about when Hasbro first bought Saban, nothing recent. Every so often someone would assume that TakaraTomy could or definitely would work on Zords now. Go dig through this thread if you don't remember. There'd have to be a reason for anything about this to be bitter about. I'm not that invested in Power Rangers one way or another, just pay attention to lots of toy stuff. Sometimes on the passive-aggressive though! Not in this moment though.
Got OniTaijin today from AJP, and I’m sad to say I don’t really “get” it. Like it looks cool, and the added articulation in combined mode is definitely a great addition, but the legs are lacking effective joints (ie the ratchets are at weird intervals) and the individual mechs just don’t work for me at all. From the red mech who’s arms don’t go forward and back (and why do they fold up into lobster claws on the combined back), to the overly long wolf which has legs that pop off if you look at them, and the yellow mech who’s arms pop off when you extend them, all the individual mechs have weird issues. It just seems like they designed a mech and just slapped some extra bits on it to make the figure come apart. It just feels so half baked. I wish I liked it, I dug it in the pictures. Maybe it’ll grow on me.
Weird, mine just came in from AJP today too. Haven’t had a chance to open it up yet though. I already have the bonus robotaro with better articulation pre ordered. I have a feeling Onitaijin is a case of the main Mecha being greater than the sum of its parts. This is pretty much how I feel it goes for all Sentai mechs and PR Megazords. The individual zords are pretty much always just okay on their own. It is only when combined does the set really shine.
ya, I’m not sure what it is. Maybe it’s a combination of being absolutely huge and the blandness of the individual mechs? I haven’t really felt hugely let down by the main mechs in the past. I have the extra articulated robotaro on the way, maybe that’ll change my mind
So I purchased Ultimates Goldar. I've decided to only purchase: Finster Lord Zedd And any season 1-3 Zords. As I've content with the Lighting Collection MMPR.
I hope you have better luck with Goldar than some others had. Seen some reports of the wings breaking off.
I think the big reason for all the love for it is that it is the first mecha in over a decade that didn't have some sort of gimmick shoe-horned into the design.
Yowza. For their prices that should not be happening. Hopefully S7 are offering quick and easy replacements.
Goldar shipped. According to a UPS email the ETA is tomorrow? And yet when I check the website it says "The delivery date will be provided as soon as possible." I'm fairly sceptical. On a side note the local Toy Vault had (has) the first wave. Sans the Green Ranger and Putty Patroller. Newbury Comics only had (has) the T-Rex Zord.
What a surprise no tracking updates beyond the aforementioned details will become available soon. I just received an email this morning stating that the delivery date has been rescheduled. Also that a signature is required. I live in an apartment apartment complex. This ought to be fun.
Rangers! So I spoke with a UPS representative. And she stated that there was no signature required. Even though that's what the email stated. I just don't know man
Decided not to collect the monsters of the week anymore from Lightning Collection. Selling my Pirhantis Head and Pudgy Pig in a lot on eBay if anyone is interested. Link to the left.
