Do you think we could ever get the perfect CHUG Megatron

WishfulThinking · Sep 19, 2016

Pravus Prime said: ↑

I don't think the argument was ever that it was a specific federal law that was preventing it, but a collection of policies in accordance with the orange plug law and Hasbro taking the safest roads they can to avoid law suits. More than a few idiots have painted over those plugs and gotten themselves killed, held up stores, etc. Hasbro doesn't want to be part of that bad press and inevitable law suits. Hasbro either sells to all 50 states or they don't, simple as that. This isn't even a Hasbro issue, this is a vendor one; Target, Walmart, etc. their distribution network can't go around differentiating between which product goes to which state for a low profit item in certain cases. Because all it takes is one misstep with a Walmart selling a toy gun that's illegal in that state and Walmart will drop Transformers as a line like a bad habit after paying the penalties. Losing Walmart as a vendor would be a pretty severe blow to Hasbros bottom line, so why risk it over 30+ year old nostalgia?

More specifically, most schools now have a zero tolerance policy, to the point where, stupid or not, a kid was suspended for having a LEGO gun. Again, Hasbro doesn't need the rep by making toys for children that children taking them to school gets in trouble for having.

Part of Hasbro's job is making toys that they can sell to all of their markets within their set budget so they can make a profit.

On a personal note, even as a kid I didn't like the major size changers because playing with them was always awkward. This went double for Megatron who just became a weapon for someone else (and it felt like twisting the knife when Targetmasters came out; it was also part of the reason why I liked Galvatron, because he didn't require another bot to operate), so I'm all for new forms. They may not be iconic, but they aren't nearly as stupid. (Again, IMHO)
Click to expand...

I've tried to explain this but a certain someone wasn't understanding it. Also:

Toy guns can't be sold in New York City unless they are colored bright green, blue, red or another neon color. Over the past seven years, city officials have seized over 7,200 illegal toy guns from stores and levied $2.4 million in fines. Retailer Party City paid a record $500,000 in fines for 800 violations of the city's toy gun law.

New York City passed even tougher toy gun laws to take effect in 2010. Fines for selling illegal toy guns will go from $1,000 to $5,000 for a first offense and up to $8,000 for repeat offenses. It'll also be easier for the City to temporarily close stores that continue to break the law.
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New York Targets Illegal Sales of Toy Guns - Lawyers.com

In other words, Hasbro doesn't even want to mess with something like that in the largest, most populated city in the United States.

So, even RtS Legends Megatron will have to be some sort of neon color in order to sell in New York City.

EarthGBilly · Sep 19, 2016

To my knowledge, there is no U.S. federal law prohibiting the manufacture and/or sale of toys that look like guns.

There are U.S. federal regulations in place over the look/design of the toy guns to try to prevent people from being shot and/or killed while holding one.

There are U.S. states that have stepped in and made stricter state laws banning the sale of toys that in any way resemble an actual gun.

There are various and many groups that are openly against the production and/or sale of toy guns.

Between the states that have laws in place banning the sale of toy guns and the groups that would encourage public outcry against any toy that looked like a real gun, Hasbro has likely decided that production of an updated version of the P38 Megatron for the CHUG line for a limited market isn't worth the hassle and bad publicity.

It doesn't matter to me, though. I always hated Megatron as a gun, and much prefer him as a tank. UW Megatron is my perfect CHUG Megatron.

Applejacktimus · Sep 19, 2016

So I just found this thread and I don't feel like reading the 80+ posts that follow, so here's just my 2 cents over why the alleged "perfect" CHUG Megs shouldn't be a handgun.

CHUG is about modernized, updated looking reiterations of G1 characters. (At least, it was, before Titans Return) If you want a well-articulated, slavishly G1 Megatron, you're looking in the wrong place. Masterpiece is the line that values cartoon/toy accuracy. If you don't want to go with one of the various 3P Megs, there's probably an official V2 MP Megs down the pipeline. Yes, Classics Megatron did indeed move on from being a P-38 while still being a pistol, and he did turn out awesome, but he still turns into a gun that can't move. People also want Megatron to stay as a gun because it's symbolic of warfare. Both of these points are immediately remedied by making him a tank. If Megatron were a tank, he'd literally be a freaking moving gun without the issue of having to mass-shift or be wielded by someone else. And just because two or three tank Megatrons didn't turn out "perfect," (Though I thought the CW one was close) maybe another attempt will for someone.

Although on a completely different note, I'm glad the flying wing design is getting another shot, this time as a Voyager, even if only by 3P. That design was sexy.

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Do you think we could ever get the perfect CHUG Megatron

WishfulThinking The world has moved on...we've always said.

EarthGBilly Sucker for a GERWALK Mode

Applejacktimus Still see the Sunshine

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Do you think we could ever get the perfect CHUG Megatron

WishfulThinking The world has moved on...we've always said.

EarthGBilly Sucker for a GERWALK Mode

Applejacktimus Still see the Sunshine

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