I have to agree, they are using those popular designer names as marketing tool (THS-02, MP-10, MP-3, etc.). To those outside of Japan (or even Asia), we probably don't know who they really are nor do we can care about the designer name (at least not me). I only care if the toy actually have good design within.
I need him SO BAD. My collection is Sans Screamer, and I've been trying to get one for a while now! (In Bender's voice) And Damn the expense!
They are to scale, look at scale charts of Starscream to Megatron (use the new MP-10 or MP-9 as a reference for Megatron - they're to scale). Yup! I was referring to the TakaraTomy figure, we are talking about TakaraTomy's MP-11 afterall (and people are complaining about it rather than a Thundercracker which came out 3 years ago). Nope, Thundercracker (the Japanese version) was clearanced at stores in Japan and Asia. I got one for $60 just a couple years ago. Yes I do, which people were obviously missing out on back a couple years ago. Thundercracker in Japan too was clearanced at stores. As I mentioned, I got one from HLJ for about $60 a couple years ago. We are talking about the Japanese MP-11 afterall. Randy
Just remember, that was one poster's opinion, with no actual facts to back it up. Personally, I'm done with wishful thinking when it comes to Takara and Hasbro. Don't get me wrong - I'm not a hater and I understand why they make the decisions they do - but now that third party stuff is available, I'm not going to wait around for official products to come out. When they do, great, but you could wait YEARS before an MP Devastator gets released, if it gets released at all, and at the rate Takara's going, I'd say it's more likely we won't ever see one. Besides, they're not taking out anyone with this release. For every collector who decides to buy this one, there will be another who wants to save $60 plus shipping and pick up the iGear version. By that, I of course mean every collector who is even aware of iGear to begin with. I'm certainly not saying iGear's going to put a dent into Takara's sales - only that this likely won't affect iGear's release, which was always going to be limited anyway.
Yep I can confirm. There's a thread on tfw2005 about that HLJ sale from a few years back. MP Skywarp and TCracker for $60, a bunch of Henkeis for $10, and Encores for real cheap. Crazy sale. Too bad HLJ doesn't have these types of deals any more. As for MP-11 Screamer, so glad I'm in for one. The colors are glorious and blows away Walmart Screamer.
No doubt. And others look at the cost difference between this and iGear's "Traitor", or remember that they've already got an official MP Starscream... Then they think about the four more Hercules figures that will be going up for preorder, the impending unofficial MP Soundwave, Blaster, Shockwave and Sixshot... maybe the Fallen too, and iGear's Ironhide and Ratchet...
Agree & different collectors collect different products,some only collect iGear whereby some collect only Hasbro,TakaraTomy.
Conned? Occasionally they do, they've had some pretty good discounts on the Animated figures and such recently. Though it's usually only things that sit around. Like MP Thundercracker and the Re-Release of MP Skywarp (he sold out the first time but was re-released right before MP Thundercracker came out). Randy
And therein lies the rub, the fact that Takara's using 50% old molded parts and 50% "new" molded parts (and by new I mean using the even older pre-Kawamori original SS design, so how much of this is really new aside from the coronation accessory gimmicks?). They could have gone all in and given us a 100% brand new spanking mold like MP-10 did. This feels so phoned in and smacks of a knee-jerk haha-take-that-iGear cash grab. I appreciate your candor, TCracker, but I really expected better of HasTak but after the MP-09 QC and v2 debacle, and the underhanded way in which they marketed Last Shot and then sprung MP-10 on the fan base as a kind of "gotcha", I don't know why I even give HasTak the benefit of the doubt at all to begin with anymore. A company as big as HasTak shouldn't have to give two shits what some 3P company does with their relatively small time operations. Yes, HasTak has a right to protect its IP but at the expense of alienating a good chunk of their fan base with a literally half-assed mold rubs me the wrong way; the flip side to the coin of what iGear is doing with their "borrowed" Seeker clone mold (sans the Coneheads; at least those I can understand). Regardless, the coin is still a figurative slug no matter which side it lands on. PS: And the F-14 rumors I always took with a huge grain of salt, lol. It sounded way too fishy and out there even for HasTak, and with the only precedence being the GI Joe Sky Stryker crossover, which is how popular in Japan again? XD Still a good red herring.
I'll admit that I was, and am a huge cynic about things like this, but some of the discussion around here is getting a little silly. Now that I can see some clearer pictures, this is more than a remold. To remold something like this, with as many little detail changes as this has from MP03, Takara would need to cut entirely new molds for the factory. Some of these parts may come from the same old Seeker molds, but I'd be surprised if they didn't go whole hog into new molds for everything. Second, I really have to say that seeing this mold in color has changed my mind on a lot of things. The new head, in particular, just looks fantastic to me. I'm not crazy that there's more kibble visible in plane-mode, but I'm really willing to trade that for not-having those shoulder pieces that always pop off, as well as positionable intakes for the F-15. But seriously. How often will I display this in airplane mode? NEVER. EVER. As for the people who complain that this borrows too much from MP03, there's really only so much you can do to an F-15 and still make it look like Starscream. The canopy HAS to go on the chest. The afterburners HAVE to go on the feet. This transformation scheme is just about the only way it can happen. As for the iGear discussion, I can't imagine that anyone at iGear NEVER thought that Takara would release a new Seeker mold, or a conehead mold. They must have known that their run couldn't last forever. Their stuff is still the only way to get the Coneheads, as well as improved versions of the rest of the Seekers. I'd imagine that iGear has a good 2 or 3 years AT LEAST before their Coneheads are obsolete. This is the free-market folks. Let's face it. Takara put this out, iGear ripped it off. They did it well, and improved Takara's product, but they really ripped off the original design. Now, Takara is putting out a superior product to iGear. iGear can improve their product, or get out of the way. This is how it works. Competing products keep getting better than the-other-guy's, leapfrogging back and forth, and quality goes up for everyone. Oh... and as for the whole "Takara is using 50% new parts and 50% old parts" thing... you obviously don't build models. You'd be amazed how many "NEW RELEASE" model kits are old plastic with new decals or maybe a couple more missiles.
I have DMK-1 Optimus Prime and some Kotobukiya Rockman model kits, do those count? =) And what do model kits have to do with anything? These are Transformers we're talking about.
^ you make a great point about only being so many ways you can make a f-15 to switch sides for a moment some are calling it a 50/50 mix of old and new well looking at the uncolored pics. we saw new lower legs and arms and a head and it looks like the side of his abs were redone. that really only leaves his hips thighs wings and cannopy and the metal frame that comprised his torso and the associated panels on it. if thats the 50% they borrowed then realistically we are looking at a new figure becuase those parts alone are really nothing more than a frame and lets face it those parts worked well for the seeker bodies and their transformation. all i am saying RED makes a great point, reguardless of weather or not i myself am going to purchase it looks to be a great starscream and congrats to those just coming in or never bought takaras original because it was well not colored correctly
Good thing I didn't get the other versions, not that they're bad, just not as good as this one. Could someone please tell me if that is a new head.
