Yeah, it's exact same location on both sides...You've got quite a point. Maybe I was a little hasty.
And can you show me Netflix Cheetor(which I also own)'s plastic part that you are warrying about? After hearing this, I have feeling that I should care about it too.
Also, just curious, is MPS short for Metallic Plastic Syndrome?

 

I thought it was established a while back that the plastic color is irrelevant in most cases. Most recent “GPS” incident was Unite Warriors Motormaster. His waste crumbled for many. It’s the type of plastic, which people note is either metallic, or if you look closely, you find swirls and flakes in the plastic, which was the case with Motormaster. It just so happened that this plastic was usually gold/bronze colored on most older figures.

 

i hope my zarak has gps just for the chatoic fun it will be

 

I know we've heard over and over that GPS is a thing of the past, that they've figured out the problem and fixed it. But I still think I would prefer yellow plastic in place of gold plastic in most cases.

 

Specifically:

The beast mode neck/nape (fur that would cover the Brachiocephalicus muscle on an actual cheetah) which is connected to the beast head.

The front most section (which is the empty/hollow section for the robot head to tuck into) of the "hump" that the trapezius muscles form between the shoulder blades.

I want to stress that I would feel the same way even if the plastic wasn't metallic. The plastic in those ares is super thin and, I don't recall seeing anything anywhere near as thin on a Transformer until KBW. The tabs on the forearms are also really thin but, they aren't subjected to the force/pressure/clearance/etc. issues that the other parts I mentioned are. I wouldn't necessarily say that I'm not worried about said tabs, I'm just not anywhere near as concerned. It could turn out that there was never any need fo worry/concern but historically/statistically speaking thin plastic doesn't have much or any longevity regardless of the application (e.g. the back of my 4K Firestick remote is thicker and wider/longer yet, the battery cover won't stay clipped in anymore even though I've only had it for 2 years, changed the batteries once, it has seen minimal use, it's never been dropped/tossed/etc., and I am extremely cautious/gentle with everything that I own).

Yes, that is correct. I should have made a notation about that at the end of my reply (I have edited one into it).

 

I would hope that GPS is a thing of the past after all the reports of the breakages over the years. BUT I am not saying it couldn't happen since Hasbro's QC has been less than stellar as of late. Out of all the choices, I would say Selects Black Zarak simply because of all the weight some of those plastic areas have to support like the ankles. Hell, I'm nervous about the ankles on my regular ER Scorponok and that's not gold plastic.

 

Crap. I agree with the observations that the symmetry of the cracking implies a different pathology than classic G/MPS but it is related in that the material has deteriorated and failed due to no fault of the end user. The fact that the material has a plastic sheen makes the comparison impossible to avoid, IMO.

It could be the manifestation of the same problem but presenting differently since it is a new type of base plastic.

YES! I was just enjoying this figure yesterday and that thought occurred to me and spoiled the fun. It would be an interesting case of history repeating. Fingers crossed that it doesn’t happen. I really dig that figure.

These are the two most recent examples that I can think of until @Minernick ‘s pictures in this thread. Keep in mind that there has almost always been a ~10 year delay before mass extinction. During much of those ten years, we had a design team that was aware of the problem. Times have changed since then and costs have clearly been cut from the materials budget in recent years.

The failing UW Motormaster has changes from outside the version released by the Warden team and that could explain why it’s an exception…totally a guess of course.

 

I'm pretty sure GPS doesn't exist anymore.

 

It doesn't until it does. Unfortunately, the process of deterioration usually takes about the better part of a decade before it starts to manifest itself. Clearly, UW Motormaster and LG Blackarachnia both suffer from a variation of GPS, unfortunately, and we're at the six year mark for both. UW Motormaster manifested quickly, though - like in a space of a couple years...there was enough time there to acquire Combiner Wars substitutes. If the plastic breaks down, that's how I'd prefer to see it go - with enough time to find a replacement.

Thankfully, we live in a time where people are able to make plastic parts at home or order printed parts from others for relatively cheap. If Black Zarak's feet self-destruct, I imagine there will be a couple of third-party guys ready to supply us with new ones for a nominal price.

 

Yeah. I remember ROTF Stratosphere wasn’t considered a victim until his gold knees started to break a few years back.

 

I know it's been reported before, but it seems everytime I look at my RTS Wreck-Gary it breaks just a little bit more. My t30 Godbug is fine, but he doesn't get messed with much.
Most recently I got Transmutate and the Worlds Collide Blackarachnia. While no issues yet, Transmutate worries me for the future as it seems the perfect plastic for GPS. Same with Blackarachnia's gold legs. Lot's of folks are swapping them on the retail version, but that gold plastic and tiny ball joints scared me enough that I didn't touch her and sold her off.
I also recently acquired Cybertron Defense Scattershot, who has gold plastic in his shoulders and other joints. I've looked it up and not seen many reporting's of breakage on him, so he may be mostly safe.
Interesting the figure I bought new in 2011 is disintegrating in front of me and the 2005 figure I bought loose second hand is perfect. So yeah, I know we've been told GPS has been fixed but I think it's in my DNA now to be weary of it.

 

I am more worried about a "new" syndrome like the rubbery-plastic melting regular plastic from ROTF Bludgeon's treads

-

 

Agreed. I think you did a better job of explaining one of my points. It’s not a problem until it is.

interesting point about preferring it to happen quickly enough to find a replacement but it occurs to me that this would only be helpful when there is another version that we can jump to when the first one fails. Most figures do get repaints but they’re not usually two different versions of the same character on the same mold. This applies to Motormaster and Transmetal Megatron but they seem like the exceptions.

3D printing does hold some hope for us when it comes to saving crumbling/beloved figures. I’d love to see someone reprint the 1998 Transmetal Megatron body pieces. Where pins are required, we can just pick the original hardware out of the dust pile and reuse it.  

I hear you. Considering how many of us enjoy making displays with the WFC blast effects and leaving them on display, there’s a lot of this coming.

I’m also worried some recent favorites like TR Ratbat. I just applied a tiny bit silicone shock oil anywhere that hard and soft plastics meet and packed him in his own acid free bag. I’m holding my breath for the next time he comes back into rotation on my shelf. It makes me glad that I didn’t drop $90 on that amazing Primal bat version…

 

It's already started, look what happened to my Transmutate just from normal play:

 

Wait, actually? Is there proof of this?

Nah, you just got the "ending-accurate" version.

 

There's frequent breakage on the elbows that isn't present in the Animated version, so while I'm not a chemist or an an engineer or anything, the difference does seem to be the plastic used.