So, I know that repaints are common, and I know manufactures need repaints to help fund their business. But to me there are "fair" repaints that don't hurt original buyers and then there are repaints that are more "correcting " the figure and they do get the blood boiling. Example... Any and all Black (nemesis ) Optimus repaints. No one is going to say "dam, I got rooked I should have waited and not bought my red and blue optimus". Of course not, at that point, the optimus is actually a different figure and toy altogether. Those repaints like the upcoming Black Orion from Toy World actually breathes new life and interest in the mold. You may buy it or pass on it but if you own the original you do not feel slighted. Same deal if you repaint voyager Spinger into Hot Rod, or Deluxe Skids into Crosscut, that brings something new to the mold making a different figure But repaints like the Platinum Grimlock or Unique Toys Mania king, those just kill me cause after buying them, these new versions don't do anything but Fix or Correct the toy making it more accurate. That's a whole different story because original owners of say, leader grimlock would probably want a movie accurate version in the first place, but after buying it , to see a more correct version coming out really bites. Again repaints are Aok, but repaints that just look more accurate are aggravating and especially so soon after the 1st releases. What do you think? Already we see better more accurate leader aoe optimus primes coming, same deal on Grimlock, same deal on deluxes, mania King, etc etc.... All just after buying them. I don't think Ive dusted mine yet , they're that new, and I'm already seeing more accurate repaints in the pipeline.
I know the AOE "Autobots Assemble" 5 pack will piss people off. Crosshairs fixes most paint issues, including stripes on both sides of the car. Hound has movie accurate camo in vehicle mode, and paint improvements. Evasion Prime has a much more detailed scheme going on. Drift is also fixing lots of issues others had with the lack of paint.
I want to get the Autobots pack, but I also want the one with Rollbar and Vehicon, and I also like the Platinum Optimus and Grimlock pack, but all three come with the same Optimus voyager figure. I've actually held out on a lot of figures for now to see if better ones come out, because a lot of times in the past I wish I had waited for a cooler version to come out.
It pisses me off immensely. It's a strategy designed to hurt those who buy early, and only those. It's not really pleasant to TOTALLY avoid any announcement of those sets so the collectors (who are the primary buyers of those sets anyway) don't know until they have to double dip.
I fail to see your point with the Springer/Rodimus and Skids/Crosscut examples. Namely in that they're different characters. They aren't improvements of the same toy at all for that reason. And if the fact a later version of a toy has better paint apps when you already have the same toy only with slightly less, then maybe next time you should just not bother with Hasbro and wait for the Takara release, which is garunteed to be covered with paint apps to your heart's content for accuracy. Sure, it costs an assload more money, but since those few extra paint apps on a toy mean so much, clearly it's a justifiable expense.
Not me. I held out on the AOE toys except for Takara Evasion Mode Optimus (such a great mold I wouldn't mind owning two of him), and would be happy to pick up the Autobots Assemble pack to get the main on-screen AOE cast in one shot with premium decos and reduced pricing as a set. My enthusiasm for AOE toys isn't nearly at the level of ROTF/HFTD and DOTM, which works out for my wallet, to be honest. Ditto with Mania King. Was never a huge fan of Galvatron as a character so I held off on the first run, but the 2nd run with the LED cannon and more G1 accurate colors are enough to make me pick him up (incidentally to pose opposite Cloud Rodimus, another redeco whose colors I like).
Yeah I'm definitely annoyed by the improved Autobot five pack. Hasbro did this to me with their Avengers movie toys too. After I finally got around to getting the main cast figures they're like "Hey here's a pack with all the figures together and they have improved paint apps and none of the giant gimmick weapons you hate!"
The first part of your post references examples where OP specifically mentions they are different characters and thus aren't part of the criticism. The second is just silly because Takara figures are nice, but they're not always better as far as deco goes, and in the case of AoE, I feel Takara's releases of black Leader Grimlock and the Autobots in the United set are simply weaker offerings than the Hasbro equivalents. United has more paint on the figures than the Takara versions!
I am a little pissed cause i paid for em all already. I will not be getting the 5 pack since i own all toys in it except Bumblebee and i will be waiting for his single carded release.
Movie toys will be more prone to this. They are usually based off of early, non final designs. slightly later redecos usually smooth those issues out. (and the molds themselves are like this too. Remember the movie 1 toys for Optimus and Bumblebee? yeah, it took until ROTF and the '10 line to get good toys of them. That's why I'm also hoping movie 5 with give us a better version of the aoe new Optimus, a design I'm in love with.)
We've literally had to deal with superior premium releases for an entire trilogy, why on Earth would the trend stop now? I really don't know what to say if this kind of thing still surprises you.
Yeah, I'm super pissed about Mania King. That was a very classless move and they have lost me as a customer.
ok an example that the OP was talking about....platinum grimlock vs bruticus....you got a very similar paint scheme that the SDCC combaticons got and then you get a chromed out grimlock.
