I actually don't believe Classics "Crasher" was on anybody's mind until Joe Kyde popped in randomly on the Allspark and threw out a bunch of random digibashes "just for fun".

Joe Kyde is/was a deco artist at Hasbro.

 

Actually it was on my mind since I first saw the mirage mold. Even bought an extra one to do it, but never got around to making one. I am willing to bet there are others that thought the same thing as well.

 

I understand Takara's stand, but MAYBE, just MAYBE, if they started making figures we WANT that LOOKED like the figures we want, then maybe we wouldn't NEED 3rd party groups to make figures and accessories for us. The only reason 3rd party companies exist, is because they are making the toys we WANT.

 

We, being a very small percent of their market. If you ran a business would you spend thousands on development of something that wouldn't return a profit? No. Neither would Hasbro/TakaraTomy.

 

so 3rd party companies are not making any money? hasbro cant figure out how to give us what we want and make money at same time?

 

Oh come one. You don't believe that do you? Have you not seen the MP figures? United/Generations lines? I'm not sure any 3rd party company could make a better jazz then United Jazz. Or a better Rodimus then MP Rodimus. Or a Better Grimlock then MP Grimlock....

 

3r4d paerty companies make money because they charge a lot of money for products that only a few people will buy. If they made them generally available, they'd shelf warm till the end of time.

 

Are you so sure ?   I don't believe so much that kind of things like Munitioner and Explorer could stay so much long on a tru shelf, especially if at an half of the original price  

 

3rd parties need to charge so much due to their operating costs. They do not have cheap supplies or factories like the big wigs do. That is why we pay a premium not because of scalping. They also sell to a much larger base and can afford to lower costs by mass production/consumption.

 

I hate this arguement, especially in this thread. We are in a thread about 3rd party groups that are being attacked by Takara. Then someone says well if HasTakTo made figures we wanted we wouldn't need 3rd parties. Then someone rebutes with "We are only 10%, we don't matter"

Well then I have to ask this. If we are only 10% and we don't matter, Why does Takara care about the scraps our wee 10% give to 3rd parties?

I know there is much more to this, and principle is involved and legalities. I get all that. I just hate hearing that 10% arguement...it makes no sense in this thread.

end rant.

 

60% of all statistics are made up on the spot.  

 

Actually, its 75%.  

 

You love your god-parents (3rd parties). They give you candy and gifts (add-ons & products) but they live far away (China) and only visit you for Christmas and your birthday. You love your parents also (Has & Tak) but all they do is provide food, shelter, parenting (child safety laws) and your birthday & christmas gifts aren't as extravagant (CHUG) or they are clothes (Bayformers...). Your parents also waste time trying providing and caring for your other brothers and sisters (kid's market). Your parents are no longer friends with your god-parents. What do you do?

 

You know, after reading this entire thing, it seems many of you have forgotten what has happened to Japan recently. Doesn't it make sense that they would want to stop imports for toys at a time like this? Doesn't it make sense they would rather have more money going towards domestic product and to domestic companies? This may be more of an economic move rather than an IP or competition move.

 

Your parents, out of their love for you and responsibility, will still give you gifts (CHUG), and clothes (bayformers). Hence the choice would be to ditch your parents (since they will give whatever you need anyways), and go with your godparents.

 

Love the analogy. I would love my parents and secretly email my godparents and have them mail my gifts to a rented mail box that my parents no nothing about.

There is plenty of room for all of us on this planet of ours.

 

^this

Also, our 10% of the market has much more money and passion for the product that the other 90%. It is us who buy multiples of 1 figure for kitbashes or to store away. It is us that pass on the legacy of transformers to our children and family (niece's nephews). It is us that cause BOTCON to go on, thats not a very cheap endeavor. Our small little niche market has a lot of influence over the brand overall. how many of us would buy something like classics metroplex or classics omega supreme or some other far fetched figure? A ton of us. It wouldnt be the mass movement of product the movie lines do no, but they would still sell their products well, just make less of them than a large line like for the movies. You constantly hear us bitching that we cant find product on shelves of older figures and some newer. Right there shows that there are a ton of us buying the things. If they sell out of generations jazz in a few weeks, yet movie figures are still on shelves, and people are still looking for Jazz? what does that tell you?

When i see BBTS or TFSource sell out of a whole wave of figures in 2-3 days and they are PREORDERS.... I think that says how much influence we have..

 

10% is still not the correct statistic, but more generally, we can accept that we are a minority, with the word defined as less than 50% (which is the majority).

However, for your statement above, do know, that passion don't mean a damn thing for the company, unless that means commitment of profit.

 

Riiiiiiiiight.  

So Has/Tak is getting aggressive about protecting a fraction of a percentage of their market, that they wouldn't be making a profit on anyway? Is that what you're saying?

I think it IS the principal of the thing. In terms of rare, overpriced, specialty 3rd Party items, I doubt Hasbro sees any losses associated with that market, which must be pretty damn small to begin with.

 

I'm not saying they don't give us some good figures. I love the Masterpiece line, and i loved the Binaltech line. honestly i love my binaltech jazz, my own personal pref. (united jazz looks great) but I want my figures scaled to the masterpieces. i may be in a minority it that regard, but thats not what i was getting at. I'm talking about the movie figures, i'm talking about the figures they make, that just don't capture the feel of the character. generations/united, are the only line (besides mp) that feel right. I waited soo long for a new Huffer figure, and i'm disappointed by the new figure. I'm looking forward to warpath. i guess what i'm saying is the hasbro/takara releases can be hit or miss, but most of the 3rd party items are spot on, cause the NEED to be to get us, the picky fans, to buy their stuff. hasbro/takara can slap a rubsign on anything, and sell it to the masses.