"Collect how you want" is something that 99% of the board can agree upon. But, if this was suddenly a 3rd party figure (disclaimer: I don't think it is). You know that some people would go from loving it, then to hating it, and then start bashing it on the boards. Which is pretty sad.

 

Tigerblade> No, you are completely right, Transformers were not the first to use the figures that the toy companies used to represent the Characters. However they were the first to use the characters and characterizations, the fiction and lore is why you call Despotron, Mightron, Apollyon, and this new prototype "Megatron" instead of "Gun Robo p-38". And while they are like every other money grubbing company out there, Takara and Hasbro have invested in the lore and the characters well over the past quarter century. Had they not invested in those cartooons, comics, movies, and other characterizations the third parties would have had to find something else to clone... I am in no way saying don't buy third party, you can buy whatever you want and I have an Apollyon sitting right in front of me now. But if everyone when 'rah rah hastak is teh junk only buy teh 3rd party' the franchise we all love, me and you and everyone else who comes on these boards would die. I congratulate them when they do creative stuff and actually create, but I don't think any 3rd party would step up and take over the franchise, it would just devolve into chaos or end completely and become even more niche.

I urge people to buy first party when they can, but by no means take it as a requirement. It's your money, do with it as you please.... I know I do. (I will not support Takara with their infernal exclusive Seeker pricing for one)

HandlesIT> If this turns out to be a third party figure it will be on my radar for the same reason I got Apollyon. It is an (even closer) vision of what I feel Takara would do. And if there is no proven actual Megatron by Takara or news there of such, the future of a Masterpiece Megatron will continue to be in doubt. I am going to get this figure irregardless of manufacturer barring actual news of a Masterpiece Megatron from Takara.

If this is Takara? YAY! If this is not Takara and Takara version continues to be vaporware when it releases? YAY! I can wait on carbots they have not released yet.. meh non leader figures, they will show up or not. Megatron, I need the best one I can get to go with Optimus.

 

Good reading here. I like overhearing different values toward this hobby. Nostalgia is strong and most of us here are, at least in a small sense, reliving our childhood. Apollyon, for me, is a nice stand-in for a MP Megatron, but the truth is MP05 is still the best MASTERPIECE MEGATRON that’s available. Is there better transforming gun-to-robot toys currently available? Absolutely, and that is why we need Takara to step-up here.

 

The problem there is you have no right to urge anyone to do what you prefer. Every individual has the information at their fingertips to make their own informed decisions based on their own tastes and wants. What's right for you isn't right for everyone else.

I do applaud you for recognising third partys are unique designs though, unlike some others who posted who seem to think they're direct kos. Which is just silly.

I'll point out I actually prefer the Takara figure shown even at this early stage so I have no horse in the overall official v unofficial race, I just buy what I prefer and my collection is better for it with some third party gems.

 

He's the best remake of the G 1 toy that is true to both alt modes.
But so far there has not been one megatron toy that really gets the animation model looking like it is. They all do their own thing. Which is fine. Who doesn't dig variety?
I love different art and styles etc. Pretty boring if everything looks the same.

I kind of feel the same way about Megs as Galvatron - their are a bunch or really awesome 3P toys out there, but it would nice to get even ONE that actually went with the original animation (rather than comic, game, live action movie, whatever) model for both Megs and Galvatron.

Imagine if your fav band recorded a great song, and never released it on an album. Then 20 other artists did "cover versions" of it. Nice to enjoy, but man I want the original thing that I enjoyed, rather than all the variations that came after it. I would not deny anyone any version of anything, variety is awesome. But their are like dozens of toon accurate primes and variations, and so far not even one Megatron, they all make sacrifices or weird changes for the sake of the transformation. There are like 10+ year old PVC non-transforming figures that manage to actually look like the character, so I know it's not impossible to do.

They are only toys, and nobody needs em. But man it would be nice to get one definitive MP ANIMATION style G1 megs, preferably one with a recognisable face and legs that are neither heroin junkie thin or bodybuilder whale fat.

 

I think this is the reason we are all crossing our finger this is Takara's effort. From some of the comments here, it seems to be the case. Even if a figure manage to hit all the marks you've mentioned, without it being a Takara/Hasbro toy, it will not be a definitive Megation, at least to majority of this fandom.

 

Do Takara/Hasbro even have legal rights to claim IP infringement due to these characters being ever changing designs? What I mean is, what Megatron looked like 30 years ago, he doesn't look like now. How can you keep legal rights to a design if you scrapped it 25 years ago. You can lose rights to trademarks like names, which we all know they have lost many times and can't legally use. Is it possible they lost rights to those original cartoon designs, and have no say anymore? Even some of the comic versions back then didnt match the cartoon.

While 3rd party companies make figures that resemble characters we all know and love, they do not call them those names, that brand, nor use any logos which Takara/Hasbro DO currently own and keep a tight lid on. While most look close to a design that was used 30 years ago, I dont believe there is a single one yet that matches an on screen character exactly.

Now don't get me wrong there are KOs of course, but I'm more so talking companies like Fan Toys, or Bad Cube making MP like figures.

Despotron and Mightron for example, do not match any current design used by Hasbro/Takara, do not use any logos, names, or trademarks, and do not even turn into P-38's to Infringe on any of that companies copyrights either. They resemble p-38's but so do a hundred other guns and toys.

Even if Takara/Hasbro still even have rights to those 30 year old animation designs, not a single 3rd party figure matches the on screen character exactly. This being because it's pretty much impossible due to the fact you want it to transform, hindering the ability to match more than 80-90%.

I dunno, it's early and I'm not awake lol but just my humble thoughts. Perhaps Takara/Hasbro have no say anymore, thus the reason they've never stepped in.

 

Actually, I am well within my right to ask people to support that which drives the Transformers universe forward as much as the next person is well within their rights to ignore me and do what they wish to do.

And humbly, when I said original designs I was speaking of those designs that were completely new and never before seen. Things like Glacial Lords, Fansproject female dinobots, Steel Core.. et al. These are figures with no basis in the lore and actually end up adding to lore if anything. I love those figures...

Although saying that, figures the original company will never tackle or have created and flubbed in some way to some people (for me.. I am looking at you tracks and hotrod mold) I think are safe enough if they don't want to be creative and create something new.

I guess my view boils down to this, a portion of what I give to the original company is going towards the continuation of the franchise, cartoons - comics - movies - games - lore - etc, but the money I pay to a 3rd party is only going to go in their pocket or towards tooling for the next figure. Is this true or not? Eh... I don't know. It sure feels fairly logical though. The amount of new characters, ideas, re-imagined alt modes and robot modes.. they mostly seem to come from one side.

I am not out there to flame or yell at anyone.. just stating my opinions. I respect if you hold different ones. I should probably drop it here though as I really don't want to create any hard feeling or anything.

Edit: Don't get me wrong, I think some of these 3rd party designs are highly creative and awesome to behold too, it's the subject matter lacks a bit of creativity not the construction.

 

Shouldn't we just focus on the discussion of this official MP Meg 2.0 instead of 3P nonsense? For those 3P lovers can leave this thread and have their endless appreciation in other 3P threads. Come on, isn't the thread title clear enough for you to see?

 

Unfortunately most people not interested in 3P are staying away from this thread because that's all the discussion seems to be about. I remember a time when you could enjoy a new MP release without a bunch of people coming in saying 'not as good as X or Y'.
Fucking miss those days.

 

There should be "Wars" threads for things like this. For instance, for this particular topic, there could be a thread called: Masterpiece Megatron Wars! 3P vs. TT! FIGHT!!!

As for the topic at hand, I want more news on this dude! I've been underwhelmed by the MP line for a while now - though Inferno and Grapple look pretty good - but this guy may end up restoring my faith! Hopefully we'll get more news in a week or so.

Have fun, all!

 

Somewhat bringing this topic back on track, I can't wait to set this guy next to MP starscream. It would really show how outdated that mold is. LOL

 

The name "Megatron" has changed characters appearances from year to year, but G1 Megatron is still G1 Megatron, he isn't the Dinosaur, or tank, or the movie walking junk yard Megatron, he's not the Prime Unicron roid juice injecting guy, he's not the lame guy who lost his head in Animated, he is G1 barrel on his back Pistol Megatron.

3P likely just doesn't cut that deeply, they have no retail presence here, plus Hasbro had banned all 3P from their convention, they have done some. Majority still buys official enough not the consider 3P or KO a threat. Only a handful, no matter how loud they are, of adults are the ones tossing the Hasblow bombs and all that nonsense and or just preferring supposed and highly subjective (but many, even precious Fans Toys can still break) superior toys.

 

Character designs fall under copyright law, which for corporate copyrights created within the dates of the original transformers is 120 years.

Copyrights protect unique creative expressions. There is no threshold for what constitutes unique; what is basically called generally the 20% rule. It isn't as if you can change an existing creative expression 20% and claim you changed it enough to now constitute a wholly new creative expression that does not violate existing copyrights. That means it's all subjective and would be dependent on a legal ruling deciding such a claim.

We can all argue whether designs of 3p figures have been changed sufficiently from the original to constitute a sufficiently different and new creative expression, but it's not copyright infringement until there is an absolute legal ruling on it. And if HasTak doesn't care to pursue claims for their character designs (not necessarily to original toy designs but the illustrations, animation models, etc.) then I'm not going to worry about it either.

 

I agree. I collect only G1 reissues and MPs. And we all know the Encore line has been dead for years, so I've been strictly MP for a while now.

I loved Ironhide and Ratchet and Hot Rod. I was very disappointed in Tracks. And I was so let down by the finish and materials on Shockwave I actually returned it.

So what's next? Animals. Not interested. Repaints. Not interested. Inferno and Grapple, my least favorite of the original Diaclone car robots, specifically done in the Season 2 Floro Dery Fatbot style. Definitely NOT interested.

At this point, my interest in MPs are flatlining. Just one dud release after another....

And then this glorious grainy pic of what looks like the greatest Megatron toy I've ever seen. Suddenly, there's light at the end of the MP tunnel.

I'm going to be so crestfallen if this thing is either an old rejected design or a 3P design. I'm sitting here peeing my pants to find out if it's legit or not!

 

Best I could do, using @Cheebs ' amazing bash with a photo of my Starscream and trying to guess at heights w/SS's legs bent and flying above him (not ideal I know lol.)

 

Gosh, they look good together! May I have Soundwave stand next to Meg please?

 

I think this Megatron looks...decent but I need to see more comparison pictures with MP-10.

The issues for me is that its too cartoonish and not as bulky as i like it to be.

On a side note...after all these decades of collecting, I still don't get the arguement between HasTak vs 3P.

Just get the version that suits one's collection and be done with it.

For instance, I'm very dissatisfied with Lazerwave. I only opened the box to check the contents and I never touched him since then.

I really dislike the colour and the size. I guess that's when it hit me that the G1 TFs that appeal to me were the Marvel comics versions...so I'm deciding between 2 different 3p options.

 

I'm hoping when they do show off Megatron it's on an awesome display flanked by Soundwave and Shockwave, with the three seekers and the three conheads beneath them. That would be epic!