So a while back Maisto announced their "Robo Rods" line.

http://www.maisto.com/roborods_home.asp

And we all laughed our asses off.

But now they're out, and they suck.

I noticed that the two new-car molds are cars that the Alt. line doesn't have from manufacturers that the Alt. line has courted in the past. The Dodge Charger and the Scion tC.

Now, as I understand it, toy licensing works by genre. If you want to make action figures of Batman, you bid on that contract, if you want to make cars with Batman on them, you bid another.

What I'm wondering is whether the Roborods Charger precludes an Alt. Charger because Maisto has the license now for "changing robot toy car charger type" and Hasbro doesn't.

Did Maisto move to block Hasbro?

Check them out on eBay:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22robo+rods%22&btnG=Search

 

*cough*zemont/gobots/barf*cough*

 

I highly doubt this would have any effect on Hasbro or Takara on getting the license to make an Alternator/Binaltech out of the Charger, that is of course if Hasbro or Takara even want to make one in the first place.

 

These are beyond gay

 

I doubt it. Happywell has a GT in their Road Bots, and as I understand it, those Robo Rods are also to be getting a GT. It hasn't stopped Hasbro from giving us a GT Alternator.

 

It's possible.


Although annother way of looking at it would be that the TC and Charger are both cars that Toyota and Dodge want to make into robots from several different companies , and that they're interested in Hasbro doing something with them too.



Saying Alts take longer to design than Robo-Rods is something of an understatment... so we may just have to wait longer for an Alt TC and Charger.

I'd rather like an Alt Charger myself. A TC not so much, but i'd still buy it.

 

Which would make them what, exactly?

Straight?

 

bi?

 

I think its more complex than that, sure big media properties like Batman, Aliens or the X-men are sold as exclusive licenses in the toy market, but theres no reason to assume that means car manufacturers work their licensing contracts the same way

 

There's no reason to assume Maiso's licence is exclusive, and if it isn't Hasbro could licence it as well if it wanted too.

It has always appeared that Dodge has a pretty good relationship with Hasbro, and I doubt they'd grant an exclusive licence to a competitor.

Phazer

Phazer

 

Liberace.

 

ooh. nice.

 

Most of the time car licenses are case by case rather than just exclusive. Like with Die Cast cars...the same car ends up in Hot Wheels, Johnny Lightning, Dub, Maisto, etc....the companies like having their car likeness out there so as many uses as possible are likely to be granted  

 

I think you can also get around it by saying that the toys would be in different scales. So that they really would not be directly competing with each other.

 

Shrapnel!

 

i lold at the insecticon joke...joke.

 

I've wanted a Charger Alt. to be announced since I bought mine back in January  I'd break my 'no more Alternators' rule if they made one.

 

LOL I dunno if it's the artwork or what, but that chargerbot is so goofy looking, it makes him cute. An Alternator would rock seven different kinds of ways.

 

Well, there are Ford Mustangs in this line and the Alt. line so there should be no reason why an Alt. Charger wouldnt be possible.

 

I'm pretty sure it's possible...like stated, all the different die-cast brands doing the same car... I'd LOVE to see a Charger Alt.