It's not quite an accurate fact though. By giving the fandom a list of rules for selling fan-made works, they've issued an informal, conditional blanket license. As long as a 3P stays within the rules Hasbro outlined for everyone, they effectively have Hasbro's permission. And in that case, it can't be considered "theft".

 

Not arguing with you but I want to make sure I understand this part of your statement. Every time you say "like Starscream", you are talking about his recognizable image, right? As in to say, a jet that is Grey, Blue, and Red, and a robot mode that looks like his g1 cartoon representation.

 

No, that's taking their perceived "rules" and stretching them to an extreme inth degree to try justifying it, and also in no way adheres to any so-called conditional blanket license on Hasbro's part. That's just some convenient interpretation. We all know that if ANY of these active/popular 3P's like Fans Toys tried operating out of pretty much anywhere except China (or Russia), they'd be threatened and/or shut down faster than most people could even comprehend.

Of course. It's called the character likeness, which is exactly what the intellectual property aspect of all this is. This is hardly a unique concept to Transformers, Hasbro or Takara - it has applied to Disney and all of its characters since forever - watch what happens to anyone that ever tries releasing, let alone profiting, off anything just resembles Mickey Mouse - and countless others where creative output in concerned... and is subsequently protected under copyrights & trademarks.

 

I don't have any 3rd party figures just a bunch of Perfect Effect combiner hands and feet for Combiner Wars and POTP Volcanicus. I have zero quality issues with the add on sets and highly recommend.

 

I don't care who makes what, just as long as the build and quality justify the price.

If your product's well made and stands the test of wear and tear: I'll sample your stuff at least once.

 

FWIW, that's still theft of an IP. They're still toys clearly designed off of official Transformers characters, regardless of the name or faction logos being present.

Not that I much care. Generally I avoid 3Ps because they just don't interest me or accomplish what I want. I got Peru Kill because I really loved Lockdown, but he just feels so off and doesn't capture the character. He lacks that, I dunno, "life" official figures have.

 

Don’t care about IP.

MakeToys mtrm-09 Downbeat with the Toyhax.com stickers is the best Jazz figure I have ever seen and is a pleasure to display.

 

I just got my first 3P figure last week, and it was a legends class figure. The only unofficial figures I will most likely buy are in the legends class size: Iron Factory and Magic Square Toys.

I hate KOs to the bone. People complain about the price of officials and use that as their reason to purchase them. I'm 15 years old, with no job, with only chores/allowance to rely on for purchases, and can afford a MP over time, so I personally don't see how others can complain about the price.

Something I'm indifferent to is the massive amount of G1 3P "MPs". I suppose you could claim that they serve as stand-ins, but if you read through the Masterpiece Hound thread, you'll notice people say that Takara copies so-and-so. However, it's technically the 3Ps who copy Takara and Hasbro, in my opinion.

Add-ons are the closest things to be acceptable from 3P, in my opinion.

 

I appreciate your response to this thread, and I hope that my tone isnt seen as combative, but the reason you cant see why someone else would complain about price compared to you being 15 and saving allowance money to buy figures is because you are 15 and using allowance money to buy figures. When you have to go to a job to earn money, and then budget between groceries, family expenses, vehicles, and other life expenditures that you just do not have at 15, it becomes a lot clearer why someone would complain about prices.

 

I realize this would be a stronger argument if I could actually find where Hasbro laid down their rules, but they did. I think it was around 2006 or so. But rules dictated by Hasbro are not "perceived" rules. If Hasbro tried to sue anyone, and that person could find and cite Hasbro's rules, it would hold up in court. (Hasbro could then revoke the "license" but wouldn't be able to do anything about what was done before that.)

The rules they gave us way back are also similar to rules that are better-advertised and kept up to date by other entities within Hasbro. Things like the WOTC Fan Content Policy and the blanket license for Shapeways indicate that lenience toward Transformers fan works is not an anomaly. The difference is that while WOTC doesn't allow any sale of fan works whatsoever, the Transformers team wanted fans to be able to sell their art prints, plushies, and even custom figures at BotCon and other fan conventions. They just didn't expect people to start mass-producing them.

FansProject is based in Japan.

More generally, even when Hasbro can't reach a 3P company, they still have recourse with resellers. They'll never be able to police eBay effectively, but they could bring the pain to any of the online stores in our sponsor links up top--most likely by withdrawing their business, but they'd also be in their rights to sue. And evidently they've threatened to pull their business for that reason before. But you'll notice that every one of those stores is still selling 3P figures and most are still doing business with Hasbro. What's happened is the stores have dropped the borderline KOs and the companies that make them. The others get to stay. Why's that?

 

Tbh I was initially very hostile against 3P but over time my opinion changed because:

HasTak can’t give me the “version” of a TF I want. Example, a CHUG G1 Megatron.

Another turning points for me was Master Piece Shockwave...the colour and the size were disappointing. But to be fair, in terms of size, he was shorter.

I also find the QC and quality of plastics on some of the 3P figures I bought to be good and solid.

Unlike Masterpiece Rodimus Prime with its various QC issues.

 

I like masterpiece Shockwave. Just wished was a little darker purple and I didn’t like the lightpiping in the eye. I fixed the eye by painting it gold, but I refuse to paint the body.

I agree, it’s great 3P gives us options that HasTak doesn’t and variety can never be a bad thing.... can it?

 

I used to be really anti-3P on principle, but now I'm mixed on it; I still think it's ethically kind of iffy, personally. Also, most 3P stuff is usually too expensive for me; I really don't care about the constant flood of pseudo-MPs, but for the most part I also don't care for the official G1 MPs by Hastak.

Now, Iron Factory's Legends scale toys? They're a different story, especially since Legends class is taking a break during Stege. I couldn't resist Burning Slug; he looks like such a fun little figure.

 

Yeah, that’s how I feel with 3P. I mean look at the CW combiners - some of them can’t stand properly which is a basic requirement for me.

Sure 3P stuff have their own share of QC issues but - I hold the official stuff to a higher standard.

With regards to MP Shockwave, yeah I concur with you on the colour. I would have appreciated it more if it’s had a darker shade of purple - like the upcoming re-release is going to have.

 

Bootlickers vs Freedom Fighters

 

 

I love watching people getting heated over toys lmao

 

Some of the posts here make me wonder if they are in the running to be the next public official or something, each trying to show that they are more pure than the other.

I really wonder if they have ever held a Thunder Erebus (Nucleon Quest Powermaster Optimus Prime) in their hands. Or Toyworld Constructor (Devastator). Or FansToys Rouge (Arcee).

 

actually it started on the third post

 

I'm a g1 MP collector and generally I buy official is official is available but since Hastak only seems concerned with molds that can be repainted a half dozen times as potential releases I've grown tired of waiting.

It's nice they're now catering to beast wars and Bayverse fans but those aren't things I'm interested in for my own collection..I've added a lot of third party bots to my collection and don't feel bad about it at all. Hastak would've gotten my money but they'd rather do a sixth Datsun repaint.

If third party continues releasing characters I want in my collection they'll continue getting my money. If Hastak wants to continue giving up money,that's their choice but I'm not going to feel bad about it.

 

I would buy more official Transformers if they didn't typically suck so bad. MP aside they are shitty. I just don't really want glorified Happy meal toys sucking up shelf space. Maybe if I was 5 they would have more appeal.