The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next

[Mechapilot77]

26 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

Um, yeah. 

Quoted from the TFW frontpage: "We have a clear look at a colored sample and the plethora of accessories that will be included with this release. This new mold brings us a very cartoon-accurate representation of the Decepticons Air Commander with an impressive posability and a beautiful F-15 fighter mode. "

 Have they ever seen an F-15?

much like the robot mode its best viewed from one vantage point only and that ain't it.  lol

[Mechapilot77]

mp-03 pic found on internet for referece....how far have we fallen?

[derex3592]

Dear LORD AND BABY JESUS that thing looks TERRRRIIIBLE!!!   - The new one that is - That weathered MP-03 actually looks good. 

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by derex3592

[danth]

5 hours ago, technoblue said:

Why get so wound up by what others think and feel about a piece of plastic, especially if they’re enjoyment has no bearing on your own? It makes no sense.

I can't justify it with logic, or any sort of ethical argument, but let's just call it a gut feeling I have:

People who uncritically accept hot garbage, and pretend that huge, glaring flaws don't exist, are deserving of at least some level of ridicule. Whether we're talking $300 toys, or politicians, or anything.

Because in effect, they're gaslighting. It's a form of dishonesty, and it's grating to have to read or hear it. It puts the onus on the reader/listener to reconcile what they're seeing with their own eyes against what the gaslighter is saying, and that's exhaustive work that could be avoided with a little honesty.

Okay, so maybe I did have an ethical argument after all.

Edited October 8, 2020 by danth

[mikeszekely]

I'm not digging Starscream's jet mode from any angles but above.  And on a board dedicated to an anime about transforming jets I'm certainly not going to argue with anyone who thinks that jet mode is a deal breaker.  That being said... in all but a few cases (like, say, the Dinobots) I prefer sacrifices to the alt mode for a better robot mode, and that's what Takara did.  The robot looks light years better than MP-11.  Now, could you still have a good-looking robot without sacrificing so much of the alt mode?  Probably, but this is what's available.  If you have MP-11 and can stomach the price then MP-52 looks like a upgrade.  I don't think it's a huge difference over Maketoys, though, and since I have all their Season 1 Seekers I'm passing on MP-52.

Speaking of MP Starscreams, you might want to check if your local Targets have any of the MPM left.  Sure, the jet mode is worse than the Studio Series, but the bot mode is pretty great (as Bayformers go), and it seems they've dropped the clearance price to around $45.  Kicking myself for paying full price a month ago, but it's not like there's any left at my Target.

Stopped at a mostly-local Walmart (not my usual one, but one that's only 15 minutes further).  Found six of the G1 reissue Blasters.  This, despite my preorder from all the way back in June still showing as "Delayed, check back soon" on their website.  I've got several of the next set of Netflix figures preordered, and Walmart better not screw me out of them because they keep sending stock to stores instead of filling preorders.

[Chronocidal]

4 hours ago, danth said:

I can't justify it with logic, or any sort of ethical argument, but let's just call it a gut feeling I have:

People who uncritically accept hot garbage, and pretend that huge, glaring flaws don't exist, are deserving of at least some level of ridicule. Whether we're talking $300 toys, or politicians, or anything.

Because in effect, they're gaslighting. It's a form of dishonesty, and it's grating to have to read or hear it. It puts the onus on the reader/listener to reconcile what they're seeing with their own eyes against what the gaslighter is saying, and that's exhaustive work that could be avoided with a little honesty.

Okay, so maybe I did have an ethical argument after all.

See.. I'm just baffled.  Can you even call it gaslighting if the people doing it are unaware of how ridiculous what they are saying sounds, and genuinely believe it?  All the comments I see are just people who seem genuinely enthusiastic about this being a huge improvement over the older versions, and are simultaneously trashing the MP-3/11 molds left and right.. which I am just learning to read as "I don't give a damn about the jet, I just want a cool cartoon robot!"

There's really no discussion about the jet at all, and the few critical comments are just buried under waves and waves of praise for the bot mode.  So...

It really all just goes back to Takara knowing their audience, I suppose.  The jet is beyond fugly at any angle except directly above, but that doesn't matter, because no one's going to display it that way.  They don't want a jet, they want Starscream, the character from the cartoon in physical form.  Him having an alternate mode is just a footnote to their intention to display him in all kinds of iconic poses with other robots that just happen to turn into various vehicles, but will never be displayed that way either.

Me.. I'm not attached to characters, I just like things that transform, because it's fascinating seeing something unfold into something else.  That's pretty much spoiled for me when half of the "something else" is just hanging off of the "something" to begin with.  It's my own fault for being too picky, really, but in the end it's just money saved for me.. that will probably end up spent on Macross stuff instead.  

Edited October 8, 2020 by Chronocidal

[danth]

52 minutes ago, Chronocidal said:

which I am just learning to read as "I don't give a damn about the jet, I just want a cool cartoon robot!"

Right. If that's the case, great.

It's only a problem when those people start pretending that all criticisms of glaring issues are invalid

And to be clear, I'm not accusing anyone of doing that. I just know it happens on toy forums, like, a lot.

[JB0]

9 hours ago, ghostryder said:

Looks like there's a mushroom peg joint on the armature, so maybe you can just pop the whole dang belly plate off. The fake canopy would be showing, however. 

I actually meant the armature hanging the null rays under the wings that lets them move to the arms without detaching. Though I think this toy would look better with a fake canopy hanging off the bottom than with the big plate laying on top of it. It is wildly obvious there's an entire robot torso down there, why hide just a tiny bit of it?

[M'Kyuun]

1 hour ago, Chronocidal said:

See.. I'm just baffled.  Can you even call it gaslighting if the people doing it are unaware of how ridiculous what they are saying sounds, and genuinely believe it?  All the comments I see are just people who seem genuinely enthusiastic about this being a huge improvement over the older versions, and are simultaneously trashing the MP-3/11 molds left and right.. which I am just learning to read as "I don't give a damn about the jet, I just want a cool cartoon robot!"

There's really no discussion about the jet at all, and the few critical comments are just buried under waves and waves of praise for the bot mode.  So...

It really all just goes back to Takara knowing their audience, I suppose.  The jet is beyond fugly at any angle except directly above, but that doesn't matter, because no one's going to display it that way.  They don't want a jet, they want Starscream, the character from the cartoon in physical form.  Him having an alternate mode is just a footnote to their intention to display him in all kinds of iconic poses with other robots that just happen to turn into various vehicles, but will never be displayed that way either.

Me.. I'm not attached to characters, I just like things that transform, because it's fascinating seeing something unfold into something else.  That's pretty much spoiled for me when half of the "something else" is just hanging off of the "something" to begin with.  It's my own fault for being too picky, really, but in the end it's just money saved for me.. that will probably end up spent on Macross stuff instead.  

I'm half and half: I am attached to Transformer characters, specifically all the first season characters, as they probably had the most impact on me as a kid. The whole transformation gimmick was the initial appeal, but as I watched the show, my attachments grew. That said, I just generally like things that transform, for the same reason- the puzzle factor and the engineering involved are greatly appealing to me, and always have been.  It's why I like pretty much any media with transforming mecha. Like Chronocidal, sometimes I don't care about the show at all- I just want the mecha.  I also like the 52Toys's stuff, which just turn into cubes, but they have a charm to them. 

As to a fandom that will accept an egregiously poor alt mode, but worship at the altar of Sunbow, I'm not a member of that particular cult. I like Transformers, but after thirty-plus years, I expect to see a maturation of the design approach, especially on the high end, that treats all modes with equal attention to detail, as much as possible. Starscream 2.0 is anathema to what this Transformers fan wants in a Masterpiece figure.  I will concede that the bot mode looks nice- Takara generally do a good job with that, big backpacks and assorted panel-formery notwithstanding. But the alt mode suffers terribly, and, looking back at MP-03, which had a far better F-15 mode, beggars the question why this figure wasn't better than its predecessor in this regard as an evolutionary step forward.  I'd love to interview some of the Takara designers and ask them why so much attention is given to ground vehicle accuracy, but plane alts are generally an afterthought, with little to no effort put forth to make them more realistic and accurate. Again, of the fans that embrace this, I wonder why they'd spend the money on a transforming Starscream figure which they have no intention of transforming when there are statues and high end non-transforming figures that do the job perhaps better.

3 minutes ago, JB0 said:

I actually meant the armature hanging the null rays under the wings that lets them move to the arms without detaching. Though I think this toy would look better with a fake canopy hanging off the bottom than with the big plate laying on top of it. It is wildly obvious there's an entire robot torso down there, why hide just a tiny bit of it?

Right? It's silly. One thing I liked about MP-03 was how the chest intakes rotated to become the aircraft's intakes; it was a nice implementation of a bot part to serve the alt mode, and I wonder why they didn't carry that idea forward to minimize the profile. Likewise, use some of what they learned from MP-36 to minimize and flatten the lower legs so they match the actual profile of an F-15. Things they could have and should have, done, but couldn't be bothered to try. Masterpiece, indeed.

[ghostryder]

37 minutes ago, JB0 said:

I actually meant the armature hanging the null rays under the wings that lets them move to the arms without detaching. Though I think this toy would look better with a fake canopy hanging off the bottom than with the big plate laying on top of it. It is wildly obvious there's an entire robot torso down there, why hide just a tiny bit of it?

Ah, gotcha. I can't tell for sure,  but I think the null ray armatures actually collapse to become part of the biceps. 

[Dobber]

Why is the armature thing...well... a thing now? Every other figure accepts that the weapons detach and reattach. Seems like as long as there is some place to store them people were happy. Yet the seekers now need to keep them attached during transformation?

 Chris

Edited October 9, 2020 by Dobber

[mikeszekely]

2 minutes ago, Dobber said:

Why is the armature thing...well... a thing in thing now?

Didn't the MP-11 mold have them, too?

[Dobber]

2 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

Didn't the MP-11 mold have them, too?

Yeah it did, and was a novelty...IMO. At least MP-11’s were far smaller and less intrusive. Of all the things to carry over and all the things sacrificed from the earlier designs...as have been been pointed out already....why the are the armatures the thing people want to have and “upgrade” for. I say “Upgrade” sarcastically as this new design is hideous and super bulky. 
 

Chris

[M'Kyuun]

I like the idea of the weapons armatures, but done in a far less obtrusive or obvious way, like maybe a thin die-cast armature that blends with the wing's underside becoming virtually invisible in fighter mode. It's not so much that there's an armature, but the execution that's questionable. If they were dead set on having it as a feature, it surely could have been done better. But everything about this toy's alt mode belies a near absolute lack of care. I think once they decided to junk it up with the extra canopy and then a canopy cover and huge shoulder areas where the intakes should be, they just said F-it towards any real effort to make it remotely accurate and concentrated on making the best Sunbow Screamer they could, alt mode be damned. 

I do like how the weapons transform from whatever those are supposed to be (they're not bombs, fuel tanks, or any recognizable missiles) to null rays. Again, it would have been nice if the null rays turned into something that looks real. I give credit for the attempt, but the execution, not so much.

Screamer2 is fast becoming an abused horse corpse. While there's something oddly cathartic about complaining, ultimately, it's not going to change anything. At this point, I'm just sad that this is yet another entry in the MP line that I find unsatisfactory. We waited a long time for this toy, and I had my hopes up that it would better its only real contender, Maketoys, especially when that fig has been out for a couple of years, giving Takara ample opportunity to see what they did right, wrong, and where they could improve on it. Opportunity flushed.

[Alex GS]

Preorder up in AmiAmi for the new  Starscream , already order mine I think it looks great . 

https://www.amiami.com/eng/detail?gcode=FIGURE-119377

Also what kind of gerwalk is this lol  

[Chronocidal]

On the bright side.. maybe I'll have a chance at grabbing an original MP-3 when people start unloading their collections?  I still love that one, and never got the original, just the Wal-Mart Skywarp when I saw him on a shelf by chance one day.

[M'Kyuun]

I still have MP-3 Screamer (Walmart exclusive), Greenscream, and, I think, MP-3 Skywarp. They're all boxed up somewhere around here. The only one I ever opened was Greenscream. I never picked up any of the MP-11 remolds, although I would have liked to have had one of them just b/c. Now I'm more interested in picking up Maketoy's Thundercracker and Starscream to complete my MP Seekers. I've been holding out in the event Takara made a new Seeker, and having that wish come to a most unsatisfactory fruition, I'm hoping I can pick up some Maketoys Seekers cheap.

[mikeszekely]

On 10/8/2020 at 9:52 PM, M'Kyuun said:

I do like how the weapons transform from whatever those are supposed to be (they're not bombs, fuel tanks, or any recognizable missiles) to null rays. Again, it would have been nice if the null rays turned into something that looks real.

They turn into the animation model.

Well, as much as I'm enjoying the debate over whether MP-52 is good or trash (spoilers- it's both, depending on how you look at it), I didn't just see that they discounted MPM-10 Starscream.  For the sheer novelty of walking into a store and walking out with a Masterpiece Transformer, I went home with MPM-11 Ratchet.

Although the passing 13 years have caused me to begrudgingly accept their place in the Transformers canon I'm not a fan of the Bayverse designs, and of all the character designs in the 2007 movie I think Ratchet might have been my least favorite of the Autobots.  Prime, Bee, and Jazz at least took some design cues from the G1 designs.  Ironhide decidedly less so, but if Ironhide isn't a vanette then a pickup seems like the next logical choice, and black was at least the color of the Diaclone vanette.  But changing the Autobot's medic to a nuclear tennis ball-colored Hummer was a bridge too far.

I guess the question is less about whether or not I like the design, though, and more "is MPM-11 movie-accurate?"  It's mostly accurate, I suppose.  The wheels behind his shoulders could stand to sit a little further apart and a little lower, along with his neck.  Some of the silver details, both the painted stuff and the unpainted gray plastic, should actually be gunmetal or silver on gunmetal.  He's missing some red markings on his shoulders and forearms, and where the movie model had "FIRE" in the inside of his lower legs this guy just has some folded-up kibble panels (side note, the kibble pops off the right leg on my copy because someone forgot to put a screw in at the factory).  Speaking of kibble, a few things like the doors on the backs of his shoulders and the fenders don't actually lock into place so I'm kind of guessing if I have them right based on the photo on the front of the box and the tiny, hard to follow instructions.  Based on screenshots and the Prime 1 statue maybe the doors on the backs of his shoulders could be rotated differently, and the fenders on his chest should really be part of his shoulders.  I've seen photos of the fenders positioned more like the movie model, but they are very much in the way positioned as in the above photo, and moving them more off his chest and toward his shoulders actually makes it worse.

You know, despite the bad (IMO) designs and the slew of bad sequels, at the time I actually really did enjoy the 2007 movie, and I collected a lot of the toys from the first movie line.  Despite not really liking his on-screen design I remember thinking the original Voyager-class toy was pretty good at the time.  Today it seems so chunky, simple, and not particularly screen accurate, but I was rather surprised to note that it's actually slightly bigger than MPM-11.  Oh, and if you're wondering or it gives you a better idea of the size, MPM-11 is about half a head shorter than MP-30 Ratchet.

A quick look at the sides and back.  MPM-11 folds up a bit more stuff and tries to tuck it away better than the smaller Studio Series figure, but ultimately they're both stowing part of the the sides on their legs and shoulders and carrying the roof and rear on their backs.

MPM-11 does come with a few more accessories than the Studio Series toy, though.  He does come with the sawblade, but he also goes with a pair of tiny missile racks and a... y'know, I don't remember him using it in the films, so is that a weapon or a tool?  Either way he's got it.

Ratchet's articulation is... awkward.  His head is on a hinged swivel, so he can look up a little but not down.  His mouth can open, like MPM Starscream's.  His shoulders rotate and even have a bit of a butterfly joint due to transformation, but you have to watch that the doors on the backs of his shoulders don't get caught on his wheels plus (as noted) the fenders in front of his shoulders/on his chest are going to get in the way.  A ratchet joint will let you move his shoulders 90 degrees laterally.  His biceps swivel.  His elbows are a single-jointed ratchet, good for 90 degrees.  His wrists swivel.  His hands can bend downward, due to transformation.  His three fingers are molded together, but they are pinned at the base and at the middle knuckle.  Meanwhile, his two thumbs are hinged at the base and can move independently.  His waist does swivel, but not very far before his backpack gets caught up on the wheels that dominate his hips.  Speaking of hips, they ratchet forward 90 degrees and backward about 60 degrees before his backpack gets in the way.  They can also move about 90 degrees laterally on a ratchet.  His thighs swivel.  His knees can bend 90 degrees on a single ratchet.  His feet can't tilt up, but due to his transformation they can tilt down 90 degrees on a ratchet.  He does have a little ankle pivot, but it's pretty limited due the sculpt of his foot and the sculpt of his shin not giving him a ton of clearance.

The little missiles have tabs that fit into slots on Ratchet's left arm.  In between them you'll see a bigger slot, and a similar slot on his right arm.  Those larger slots are for tabs on his gun/tool and sawblade.  I tested both in both arms and they do fit, but the gun/tool does seem designed for his right arm.  Oh, and note that the sawblade can be deployed while his hand is out, but you'll have to fold it under is forearm to attach the gun/tool.

Transforming Ratchet isn't hard, but it can be a little annoying.  Part of it is trying to line up his arms just right, part of it is having his unfurled backpack flopping around until you get his legs in place, and part of it is clearances.  The section with his arms, wheels, and head spins 180 degrees like the Studio Series toy, but while the Studio Series toy allowed you to rotate the entire front end then rotate the very front with the grill back you can only rotate the part with the head/arms/wheels.  Oh, and the the fenders are on that rotating part, so you have to be careful to not get the wheels, shoulders, and doors caught on his backpack while also making sure the fenders clear his chest.  Then, just to irritate me more, the windshield keeps popping off.

When all your hard work is done you get a Hummer that is, again, much larger than the Studio Series Deluxe but slightly smaller than the original '07 Voyager-class.

If there is one thing that truly sets MPM-11 apart from the original or the Studio Series toys it's the details.  While I complained that the robot was missing some markings MPM-11 does a much better job picking out the details.  Of course it has the large red stripe along the side, but they also painted the vents and hood latches black, they but caution marks along the door's runner, it's got the Autobot insignia'd Search and Rescue badge on the door.  The door handles and and the fuel cap are painted.  The lights on the sides and rear are painted.  The tools on the top are painted, although the skid plating behind them isn't.  They really only missed the latch on the storage compartment on the sides and the H2 logo on the door.  I suppose the yellow Fire Department markings could have been painted to stand out more; I don't know if it's the shade of yellow they used or if the color used for Ratchet's plastic is too yellow.  A little robot kibble can been seen underneath from most angles, but c'est la vie.

All of Ratchets accessories can store on his alt mode, but like MPM Starscream it's not always pretty.  The missiles tab on to the inside of the front wheels, and that's fine.  His gun/tool plugs into the spare tire on the roof.  It's super obvious there, but at least the tire can tilt so the gun is level.  Finally, the sawblade can clip onto his rear bumper.  It looks a little ridiculous to me, there, bringing to mind some kind of murderous streetsweeper.

I've maintained for years that much of the reason why I don't care for the Bayverse designs is because they look like random shards of metal assembled into a humanoid shape that often bears little resemblance to the G1 character.  Spending time with MPM-11 makes me realize that it's also because they don't actually transform.  The designers had the alt modes and they designed robots with some features of those alt modes, sure, but they didn't actually work out how to get from vehicle to robot or vice versa.  Nor did the animators, who moved around thousands of "parts" as they anime magicked their way through a transformation.  HasTak's solution has largely been to make much of the alt modes a shell that folds into a backpack over more screen-accurate limbs, a solution which is acceptable enough of a $20 Deluxe-class figure.  But as he joins the MPM line the engineering advances Ratchet enjoys seem largely focused on folding up the shell into a tidier backpack.  Is this, then, the best and most screen-accurate Ratchet toy?  Yes.  But it's not a particularly great toy, either, especially compared to what companies like Unique Toys had been doing with movie designs.  For me, it kind of begs the question- do you need MP versions of the movie characters, or is the Studio Series good enough?  I'm kind of thinking the Studio Series is good enough, and I wouldn't have bought Ratchet (or Starscream) if it weren't for the fact that it was sitting on a shelf in front of me during a Target run.  However, if you've been collecting the MPM line and you've been satisfied with figures like Starscream or Barricade then Ratchet's roughly on part with them.

As for me, well, I'm 3 out of 5 on MPM Autobots now.  Plus digging out that old Ratchet figure made me recall how satisfied I was to have the characters from the first movie together, even if those toys were pretty bad.  Even though I'm going to have to look beyond Target I have a feeling I'm going to have to track down at least Jazz and Ironhide.  Probably Megatron, too; if they announce and MPM Blackout, Brawl, or Bonecrusher I'll assume we're getting all the '07 characters.

Edited October 18, 2020 by mikeszekely

[technoblue]

1 hour ago, Alex GS said:

Preorder up in AmiAmi for the new  Starscream , already order mine I think it looks great . 

https://www.amiami.com/eng/detail?gcode=FIGURE-119377

Also what kind of gerwalk is this lol  

 

Thanks, @Alex GS. Got my order in too. Right on the line at $200 (before shipping). Hope that stands through June.

That Amazon Japan pre-order was a blink and you miss it opportunity. It went up and went out of stock while I was busy at work.

The constant debate does get exhausting. I'm going to step back from it. 

[M'Kyuun]

As much as I abhor the Bay films, and dislike the character designs, for the reasons Mike elucidated, I've admittedly bought a fair share of the toys over the years. The complexity of the figures, at the time, was really a serious advancement for Transformers, even if I didn't always care for the look of the bot mode, and I found that aspect very appealing. It was a positive direction. Eventually, they started getting maybe a little too complex, but that's an argument for another day. Anyway, I still have my '07 Ratchet, and although he's a chunky beast that looks very little like his CG model, the old school chunkiness made him feel like a "regular" Transformer to me. He's the only version of Bayverse Ratchet I own. Anyway, I appreciate the unintended trip down memory lane. Thirteen years- gah, where has the time gone?

As for Starscream2's weapons, they're based off the animation which is based on the G1 toy, so even though they're not realistic, they are true to the source, so I can't fault them. I should have done my homework before complaining. Sumimasen.

[mikeszekely]

It's been pointed out that MP-52 probably doesn't have a waist swivel.  Who do they think they are, Fans Toys?

No, seriously, I think for robot mode it's still an upgrade from MP-11, but that really cements my decision to stick with Meteor.  Maybe I'll still get a chance to look at it and if not review it at least give some impressions like I did with MP-44, but I'm definitely not buying one.

[technoblue]

More MP-52 Starscream links, for those interested:

• HLJ (22960 JPY): https://www.hlj.com/mp-52-transformers-masterpiece-starscream-ver-2-0-tkt13904
• N-Y (21030 JPY): https://www.nippon-yasan.com/figures/32633-transformers-masterpiece-mp52-starscream-ver20.html
• AE (19600 JPY) pay now: http://www.anime-export.com/product/49558

The usual forum caution of "your mileage may vary" applies to such things as speedy delivery and responsive customer service. There is also the option to wait for more sold/shipped from Amazon Japan pre-order slots to pop up (AJ has a nice pre-order low price guarantee). 

[sh9000]

$10 off $50 and $25 off $100 of toys with Target Circle app.  Works in store, on online orders, and on preorders.  Ends today.

I adjusted my orders and applied one of the offers to Gigawatt and some other toys I ordered.

[Mechapilot77]

18 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

I'm not digging Starscream's jet mode from any angles but above.  And on a board dedicated to an anime about transforming jets I'm certainly not going to argue with anyone who thinks that jet mode is a deal breaker.  That being said... in all but a few cases (like, say, the Dinobots) I prefer sacrifices to the alt mode for a better robot mode, and that's what Takara did.  The robot looks light years better than MP-11.  Now, could you still have a good-looking robot without sacrificing so much of the alt mode?  Probably, but this is what's available.  If you have MP-11 and can stomach the price then MP-52 looks like a upgrade.  I don't think it's a huge difference over Maketoys, though, and since I have all their Season 1 Seekers I'm passing on MP-52.

Speaking of MP Starscreams, you might want to check if your local Targets have any of the MPM left.  Sure, the jet mode is worse than the Studio Series, but the bot mode is pretty great (as Bayformers go), and it seems they've dropped the clearance price to around $45.  Kicking myself for paying full price a month ago, but it's not like there's any left at my Target.

Stopped at a mostly-local Walmart (not my usual one, but one that's only 15 minutes further).  Found six of the G1 reissue Blasters.  This, despite my preorder from all the way back in June still showing as "Delayed, check back soon" on their website.  I've got several of the next set of Netflix figures preordered, and Walmart better not screw me out of them because they keep sending stock to stores instead of filling preorders.

walmart's allocation system is screwy.   i had a netflix mirage perordered either the day or the day after it went  up.  it didn't get fulfilled after i see other people got theirs both in store and online.  i contact customer service to see what is going on.  they assure me they will send it out soon (the next business day in fact).  at the same time i see it is in stock online (while i am chatting with the customer service on the phone).  i quickly order a couple (just in case as returns are free) more online as i finish my call.  turns out i got the two i ordered that day about a week later and my original preorder still hadn't shipped....needless to say i just cancelled it.  so yeah...something is screwy with their allocation of stock....and this is just WITHIN the online store not even counting what is shipped to brick and mortar.  on a good note, looks like my smokescreen just shipped from them...

still, its probably better than my experience with target's buy online and pick up in store with cybertronian villains 2 pack.  "somehow",  all the stock (which showed multiple available) was bought before the store person was able to pick it off the shelf and set it aside.  STill i got an email saying the order was ready to pick up.  they hold it up to 3 days so i was thinking no sweat...even though this was in the high days of the pandemic (well past peak but still bad), i ventured out to pick up my seekers 2 pack.  i get there and the store person had picked 2 random voyager figures and set them aside and was going to give them to me.  i was LIVID.  target was so unaccomodating and the only thing they offered was a 20% discount on the same item if i could find it again online.  i'm like WTF, i'm never going to be able to find it online (i was checking multiple times a day at that point so i knew i wasn't going to find it easily and even had stock alets set up and no dice).  so yeah screw target exclusives.  i ended up having zero patience  for teh BS and bought a marked up set on ebay.  yeah i know i could have just waited several months but i didn't want to risk it.  the ER S1 seekers MUST be completed!  lol.  so yeah exclusives suck target more than others.

speaking of exclusives...anyone here able to snag a netflix soundwave PO?

Edited October 9, 2020 by Mechapilot77

[M'Kyuun]

Man, I totally empathize. I was able to get the Target Seekers by chance when they finally , and briefly, became available online. I don't recall who now (I have a goldfish memory on the best of days. Best days are fleeting and few), but somebody here pointed it out when they became available, so my fervent and sincere thanks. For the Decepticon Clones, I was  checking Target's website sporadically, and just happened to hit it one evening when they were available; I drove over to the store the next day. I waited over an hour for the picker to deliver it up front, and finally when the manager with whom I'd spoken on arrival saw me still standing there empty-handed, he told me he'd cancel my online order and I could just go back and pick one up off the shelf, which I did. In the end, my online order wasn't cancelled, but I didn't go back for it, so it presumably went back to the shelf and I wasn't charged for it. In hindsight, I wish I'd grabbed two sets, as I could have helped a brother out here. Alas, regrets.

I've been checking Walmart's site everyday (I have a direct link to the Soundwave page), and it's always out of stock. My brick and mortar store hasn't had it either, so I don't know if it's a distro issue, or availability, or what. But yeah, I'm sick and tired of all the exclusivity, as it makes an already hard to get product just that much harder (these are toys, for Pete's sake. You should be able to walk into any store that sells toys and find these things). Moreover, it just fuels the scalper market. Only Hasbro and scalpers benefit from these exclusivity deals. It certainly doesn't benefit children or us adult collectors. "Where fans come first" indeed.

I remember how much fun it used to be to go toy hunting, right up until the turn of the millennium. Stuff was available; you needn't be rushing to secure a preorder to ensure the faintest chance of getting a toy. It's totally unfair to kids, as most will never see these things in their store. It's a shame that a few greedy adults, as well as poor market availability on the part of Hasbro, have conspired to limit widespread availability of toys. It's rather bizarre, if you think about it. And a little sad.

As to Screamer2's waist rotation, or possible lack thereof, it seems an unlikely omission given their move towards greater articulation. The ab crunch is there (I really hate that term, but for the lack of any other, I use it). But, it's noticeably absent in every pic of this figure, and that canopy sits very close to his adult diaper, so maybe he doesn't have it.  As I'm pushing 50, I can attest that my own waist rotation is rather minimal these days, so it's not that essential.

And yeah, one more feather for Maketoys if indeed it can't turn at the waist. 

[mikeszekely]

MP-52 up for preorder on Pulse. $265.

44 minutes ago, Mechapilot77 said:

walmart's allocation system is screwy. 

As previously noted, this thing with Blaster is the third time this has happened (the other two being Hotlink and Netflix Mirage). So far Walmart has never filled any of my preorders.

47 minutes ago, Mechapilot77 said:

still, its probably better than my experience with target's buy online and pick up in store with cybertronian villains 2 pack.

But at least Target got me my preorders.

48 minutes ago, Mechapilot77 said:

speaking of exclusives...anyone here able to snag a netflix soundwave PO?

I managed to get POs for Soundwave, Bee, and Prime (they cancelled my order for Elita-1, then relisted her and told me I could order again, but ordering her alone would hit me with an extra $10 for shipping). The date listed for Soundwave is the 21st, but you'll understand if I don't have a lot of faith in Walmart at this point.

[Mechapilot77]

2 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

MP-52 up for preorder on Pulse. $265.

As previously noted, this thing with Blaster is the third time this has happened (the other two being Hotlink and Netflix Mirage). So far Walmart has never filled any of my preorders.

I managed to get POs for Soundwave, Bee, and Prime (they cancelled my order for Elita-1, then relisted her and told me I could order again, but ordering her alone would hit me with an extra $10 for shipping). The date listed for Soundwave is the 21st, but you'll understand if I don't have a lot of faith in Walmart at this point.

hah, good luck to us all then!   hope you get yours.  being screwed 3 times got to be super annoying.  as for blaster, i been getting the walmart g1 reissues mostly for the boxes TBH, don't know why i dn't want blaster.  my original is actually still in great condition somehow (toy not box) after all these decades.

 

3 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

 

I've been checking Walmart's site everyday (I have a direct link to the Soundwave page), and it's always out of stock. My brick and mortar store hasn't had it either, so I don't know if it's a distro issue, or availability, or what. But yeah, I'm sick and tired of all the exclusivity, as it makes an already hard to get product just that much harder (these are toys, for Pete's sake. You should be able to walk into any store that sells toys and find these things). Moreover, it just fuels the scalper market. Only Hasbro and scalpers benefit from these exclusivity deals. It certainly doesn't benefit children or us adult collectors. "Where fans come first" indeed.

I remember how much fun it used to be to go toy hunting, right up until the turn of the millennium. Stuff was available; you needn't be rushing to secure a preorder to ensure the faintest chance of getting a toy. It's totally unfair to kids, as most will never see these things in their store. It's a shame that a few greedy adults, as well as poor market availability on the part of Hasbro, have conspired to limit widespread availability of toys. It's rather bizarre, if you think about it. And a little sad.

 

 yeah tracking stuff down is super annoying these days.  i  didn't start collecitng again until around the time of mp-1/binaltechs/alternator days so i can't remember when it was fun to hunt.  lol.  TBH i didn't find it annoying back then.  guess i'll have to bookmark the soundwave page and keep checking back.  care to share? haha

[M'Kyuun]

2 hours ago, Mechapilot77 said:

hah, good luck to us all then!   hope you get yours.  being screwed 3 times got to be super annoying.  as for blaster, i been getting the walmart g1 reissues mostly for the boxes TBH, don't know why i dn't want blaster.  my original is actually still in great condition somehow (toy not box) after all these decades.

 

 yeah tracking stuff down is super annoying these days.  i  didn't start collecitng again until around the time of mp-1/binaltechs/alternator days so i can't remember when it was fun to hunt.  lol.  TBH i didn't find it annoying back then.  guess i'll have to bookmark the soundwave page and keep checking back.  care to share? haha

Transformers Generations War for Cybertron Series-Inspired Soundwave Battle 3-Pack - Walmart.com - Walmart.com

Good luck!

[valhary]

In my dictionary what are doing Hasbro/Takara is called involution is not possible that can't overcome oldest releases or 3rd Party products even when this last has less resources and infrastructure

[tekering]

You forgot one, @valhary...

Honestly, though, I can only look on with bemused disinterest.  

Once I've got my "Thomas," the last significant hole in my Masterpiece collection will be filled; I couldn't care less what characters TakaraTomy make next, 'cause I've already got third-party representatives superior to anything they're likely to produce officially.  Starscream 2.0 3.0 is merely the latest in an increasingly long line of characters that have already been done better by MMC, Maketoys, Magic Square, FansToys et. al.  Masterpiece has officially jumped the shark.  

I'm far more interested in what the Studio Series does with the Sunbow characters, 'cause that's clearly where the talented designers have been assigned.  

[technoblue]

Not sure if this was posted earlier, but the first wave of WFC Kingdom is up for pre-order. Not limited to a specific store? Anyway, I'm not collecting the majority of this wave, which includes the first Fossilizers along with BW Purple Megs, Black Arachnia, Primal, Cheetor, and Ratrap too.

I did pick up Warpath and Cyclonus. Pre-orders for both are still available at amazon and dorksidetoys for those who like to shop there:

• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HGHQH34/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HGDNR79/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• https://dorksidetoys.com/collections/pulsecon-recap/products/transformers-generations-wfc-kingdom-deluxe-warpath-pre-order
• https://dorksidetoys.com/collections/pulsecon-recap/products/transformers-generations-wfc-kingdom-leader-cyclonus-pre-order

Alas, Pulse is sold out of Cyclonus. 

[mikeszekely]

8 minutes ago, technoblue said:

Not sure if this was posted earlier, but the first wave of WFC Kingdom is up for pre-order. Not limited to a specific store?

Preorders began after Kingdom was officially announced at Pulsecon, about two weeks ago.  IIRC the only store-exclusive is an Amazon two-pack for the Autobot clones.  Oh, and some TF Prime reissues, including Breakdown and Jet Vehicon (which were never released outside of Japan) were Pulse-exclusives.

10 minutes ago, technoblue said:

Anyway, I'm not collecting the majority of this wave, which includes the first Fossilizers along with BW Purple Megs, Black Arachnia, Primal, Cheetor, and Ratrap too.

I did pick up Warpath and Cyclonus.

I'm not a huge fan of Beast Wars (I liked the show, but I'm not really a fan of robots turning into organic-looking animals) but I preordered almost the entire first wave at Amazon.  Now I'm just waiting for some stuff we know exists but hasn't been listed in the West yet (Runabout, Bluestreak, Barricade, and the leaked Studio Series '86 stuff).

[technoblue]

24 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

Preorders began after Kingdom was officially announced at Pulsecon, about two weeks ago.  IIRC the only store-exclusive is an Amazon two-pack for the Autobot clones.  Oh, and some TF Prime reissues, including Breakdown and Jet Vehicon (which were never released outside of Japan) were Pulse-exclusives.

I'm not a huge fan of Beast Wars (I liked the show, but I'm not really a fan of robots turning into organic-looking animals) but I preordered almost the entire first wave at Amazon.  Now I'm just waiting for some stuff we know exists but hasn't been listed in the West yet (Runabout, Bluestreak, Barricade, and the leaked Studio Series '86 stuff).

Odd. I pre-ordered Prime Breakdown/Vehicon on Pulse, but I don't remember seeing the Kingdom pre-orders at all. I must have missed them at the time. No surprise, to be honest. I was laser focused on trying to secure that Prime anniversary reissue. It'll be really cool if this isn't a one-off thing and Hasbro is planning more Prime Anniversary releases in the coming year.

I hear you on Beast Wars. The show was something that I got into after it aired on television. It's a solid story, although the toys are not really my thing either. The only one I own is MP Primal—and that's to fill out my Prime collection. Much respect to all the BW fans, though. This time must be really exciting for them, given all the dedicated releases. 

I'm looking forward to the '86 releases too. Between Kingdom and SS86, I hope to finally have the movie bots covered. I was thinking of going FansToys at one time, but after Rouge and then Sheridan, QC issues have me pausing on future FT purchases.

[M'Kyuun]

I'm still  peeved that they're doing BW and some limited Prime stuff, but they never did anything for Animated for it's anniversary. I know it wasn't for everyone, but it definitely had a following (the show was well done whether or not you liked the art style- it grew on me, but I thought the storytelling was great. It was a fun show), and quite a few cool toys to go along with the show. I was really hoping for Animated Omega Supreme/the Ark for the tenth, but all we got from Hasbro was the sound of silence. 

Looks like ER Bluestreak is going to be a Walgreens exclusive. https://news.tfw2005.com/2020/10/10/transformers-earthrise-bluestreak-out-at-us-retail-walgreens-exclusive-421815

What fun.

Edited October 11, 2020 by M'Kyuun

[mikeszekely]

57 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

Looks like ER Bluestreak is going to be a Walgreens exclusive. https://news.tfw2005.com/2020/10/10/transformers-earthrise-bluestreak-out-at-us-retail-walgreens-exclusive-421815

What fun.

That sucks. At least there's one near me, and another by my parents' place I can start checking...