Good post! Just one point - Takara didnt license shit back in the 80s. You got away with it then. Now you dont.

 

Yeah pretty true.

 

Anyway this Skids thing! I really dont know what to say (guess I'm sure gonna try though!   ). Hmmmmm very interesting. I think we need to pay more attention to @Dudicus' translation up thread than the google translate. He says the hybrid is of the familiar transformation (i.e. the G1 figure?) and modern MP articulation. So basically a super articulated G1 figure. Not necessarily a return to Hasui hybrid of toon plus other media - cos other than the head I see zero toon in this. Just g1 toy and imagination.

And that's the vibe i get off it too - it seems pre-Hasui MP to me - even more simple and retro. Has an Alternators vibe (not a good thing imho). I'm somebody who proudly displays my Hasui era stuff with modern MPs and think they all look great together when you stand back a little and pretend you aren't an excruciatingly nitpicky geek fan!   Didnt even feel the need to pick up the + releases. But this I dunno - seems a little too retro to me maybe. It will depend how it's painted - Hasui MPs look ok with modern MPs to me as they generally have a simple toon accurate deco that mutes the excessive greeble. If that's the case with Skids it may fit in and I'll pretend it was released a decade ago. If they paint up the details like G1 stickers and it looks like Artfire or 36+ I dont see myself picking it up.

Even if I do I think I'll be somewhat underwhelmed. I cant help look at, for example, those greebly arms totally lacking the restraint, refinement, subtle curve and taper of recent figures and be a little disappointed. It's so 10-years ago! I liked 10-years ago, but I think they are on another level now in their artistry and sculpting. Doesnt look to be much genius engineering to look forwards to either. And the feet - eww! Both g1 toy and toon have the calf car section reach the floor like flared jeans, while this has these ugly extra planks sticking down. Why?

Still having just gone through Starscream V2's reveal - so toon accurate they couldn't even use the jet canopy in bot mode - I just cannot see this as a shift for the full line. More likely something on the side. What i wonder is perhaps it's an experiment testing the water for Raiden? Maybe they are playing with handling Raiden this way - to reduce the cost (cos an articulated G1 figure has to be cheaper than Sunny, Hound, etc) so the full combiner price isn't insane, and to give maybe wider appeal to Diaclone and other non-toon fans? Makes sense Skids could be that experiment - very little screen time so toon fans hopefully not too upset, but a strong following based on other media, Diaclone, and the alt mode.

Certainly will be following this with interest, but yeah - wheres muuh Jazz damn you TT etc etc.

 

I dont see it. If that happens it's totally unprecedented at least. How often has a design significantly changed after a reveal with juicy info? MP-3...

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Like with Starscream V2, this is CAD model straight out of the computer, and 99% likely what we are getting. If they planned to release a business as usual toon accurate Skids, they'd just wait till the design was done and post that, and there wouldn't be all this talk of hybrid style, etc. This is MP Skids.

 

Seriously more decepticons please Takara... But skids looks cool. Bit out of left field but hey oh.

 

Yeah I was thinking the same thing about the point you made. That this will be sandwiched in between a few more "substantial" names/, releases. This IS just a taste of what's to come. Not sure I was overthinking it or not yet, but I always love others intelligent insight.  

 

I am curious how this question relates to my post but are you asking if the new one will shatter OR was the latest release like the original? Please let me know.   All I know is the latest one had MAJOR face swap problems!! Like it didn't work at all in MANY CASES unfortunately.

 

If this is a return to the hybrid toy/toon style, I'm out.

Well, I'd still have BW and Starscream v3 recolors to buy.

 

Maybe we're taking these CAD drawing too seriously? To me they don't look like the CAD drawings of a transforming Masterpiece, but more to visualize the robot and its details. I don't see ratchets, screw holes and such. The CAD drawings of the actual Masterpiece still need to be revealed I think. These CAD drawings seem to be a starting point for the real design and nothing more than that. But maybe I'm wrong? Time will tell. I'm hyped anyway for a proper Skids.

 

Don't mention it! I'm actually having a lot more fun with all this than I thought I would, haha.

I too love that they retooled the head, definitely looks a lot more alluring than the toon or toy models. Not to mention that it kinda gives off IDW vibes.

Well how about that? Haha. Never thought i'd hear Otomo working on something like that, but hey, whatever helped to fund Akira I guess  

But yeah the fact that the model kit exists is nuts in itself.

If you take a look in Skids' elbows, you can kinda make out what looks to be ratchet joints. But so far that's the only one I caught.

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Now if I may keep my promise from last night...

Jumping straight out of the cartoon, Skids... still is trying to find out what robotic insecticide is. Not to mention trying to go back in time and getting himself at least 32 more seconds in the cartoon so he can break that 1-minute threshold.

Thanks again to @Protoman for his latest episode of the Slag Podcast giving me an idea to put this one together!



I'm gonna try to remember to keep a pallete of colors on the side to show what I used, i've kinda been on and off with that, haha.

 

To me these look at exactly the same level as the Starscream CAD images - final design detailed engineering model. Like with Starscream the fasteners aren't shown but you see the holes. Also split lines for moulding/assembly.

From what we know of their process they are with hand sketches on paper and very crude engineering models during earlier development stages. I dont see them making a 3d model of this detail just as a guide for design. This is the final pass.

Still this is kinda uncharted happenings, maybe a new team, so I can be wrong!

 

Holy shit! Let it go! MP-52 was just REVEALED as a silhouette not that long ago. Then the CAD drawings were shown. Then an early prototype. Then the final painted prototype. The term REVEALED is referring to Takara announcing that the figure is coming at some point. Revealing the next character to be done. Why are you so hung up on what REVEALED actually means? Nobody else gives AF!

 

I dont know. Why do you give 2 shits on what i am or am not hung up on.

 

Not my cup of tea, but I could see retools being the Omnibots if takara had any kind of go-get. Instead they will make a black repaint.

 

My 2 cents:

I suspect by “hybrid” TT might mean a new Masterpiece sub-line. One where they would do more characters at a faster pace but the figures would be simpler and cheaper. I was thinking about what Bandai does with the Macross figures. They have the large 1:48 scale DX figures that are more complex, have more accessories and a larger scale. Then they have their Hi-metal R line which are smaller, simpler and less expensive figures but there are way more characters being made.

Perhaps TT is attempting to make the fans that don’t like the toon direction and high prices happy? Also the people that want a faster release pace?

I’m wondering if while developing MP Raiden they realized that it’s very expensive to have a 6 member combiner team at the same level of paint etc. as the other MPs so they’ve decided to release combiners, dinobots and less popular characters like Skids in this new cheaper line. And if that’s true what is the scale of this potential new sub-line? The same scale or a new smaller scale?

The SS86 figures are sort of mini-MPs so I’m wondering if TT are thinking about introducing a line that fits in-between CHUG and MP.

The only issue for someone that loves the current MPs like me is that it may cause a split in my collection where I have to keep the two lines on two different shelves because they don’t match. Or worst case scenario I hate the direction of this new sub-line and I don’t bother with it at all. Skids looks pretty terrible to me so I’m dreading the combiners etc. potentially looking like this.

 

A sub line of hybrid designs again could be possible, especially if it meant they could produce more figures for a cheaper price (don't need to deliberately hide vehicle details), but I doubt it would be something like SS86 and is still very much MP, as they did call this guy "Masterpiece Skids".

 

This looks like it was designed for release in 2013.

 

Just as long as they don't go with blue windows, he won't be lonely and can hang out with the other S2 characters.