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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 4, 2012 10:22:40 GMT
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 4, 2012 10:25:11 GMT
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Post by Philip Ayres on Mar 4, 2012 21:06:28 GMT
Link no work!
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 5, 2012 0:35:49 GMT
Works for me, man!
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Post by Philip Ayres on Mar 5, 2012 7:31:23 GMT
The 2nd link gives me the main TFormers page not a particular page for a toy.
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 5, 2012 20:11:40 GMT
Blast! Maybe it was my old computor monitor. Try it now I've got a new monitor. (te he he)
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 5, 2012 20:13:43 GMT
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 11, 2012 9:19:44 GMT
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Nigel
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
Posts: 5,104
Member is Online
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Post by Nigel on Mar 13, 2012 9:59:36 GMT
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Dezzeh
Thunderjet
Wait, what?
Posts: 4,888
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Post by Dezzeh on Mar 13, 2012 11:28:59 GMT
I picked up the first part of the Maketoys set at the weekend, the figures themselves are very nice, and cheaper than Herc. Although...once I've completed this one the Herc re-release will be about due...
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Post by Toph on Mar 13, 2012 19:54:07 GMT
Third Party Companies is just a polite way of saying knockoff and IP thieves. That said, I prefer to see Third Party companies make accessories and weapons. To me, that's along the lines of Reprolabels. It's a grey line, but not really doing anything that hurts or threatens Hasbro. I enjoy Fans Project myself. Their engineers are exceptionally clever, the quality of their work is top notch, and until recently, everything they did required an actual hasbro toy. When they go off on their own, like their isecticons, then the designs are original. While they bring to mind the character they're based on, they still stand up as great designs in their own right and don't look all that much like who they represent. So they work as who they represent, and are still quite original. Plus, their designs have a lot of personality to them (The crossfire molds especially. City Commander, not so much)
I'm quite looking forward to Maketoys, with their Fans Project pedigree.
TFClub does not impress me. I find their designs to be fairly generic and devoid of personality. The only thing Hereculese has going for it in my opinion, is size. Outside of that, I have no real issue with them.
CrazyDevy I've heard nothing but horror stories about the quality of their work, destroying the toys they were ment to enhance.
iGear are just a bunch of overglorified knockoff artists. Until Rager, everything they did was a complete ripoff of something Hasbro or Takara made. Even their so called "new" things are stealing the engineering from an existing product. There is nothing remotely respectible about them. Worst yet, their thieving is going to ruin it for everyone. And from my understanding, they already have in japan. It's only a matter of time before Hasbro slams down on "third party" compainies, too. Though, their new minibot line is more impressive than the rest of their shlock. the new Brawn and Cosmos, near as I can tell are both completely original in design and engineering. Rager and Spray aren't bad, either.
Personal collection: I have a couple weapon accessories FP's Classics Prime traler FPs' City Commander armor FP's Superion Upgrade FP's Crossfire Bruticus upgrade
I've got Maketoy's Giant on preorder. (YAY G2!!!!) And I am planning on getting iGear's Brawn and Cosmos (And whatever they produce in the minibot line that *isn't* a legend.)
And I *really* want the Maketoys Battle Tanker armor.
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Nigel
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
Posts: 5,104
Member is Online
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Post by Nigel on Mar 13, 2012 20:32:07 GMT
Third Party Companies is just a polite way of saying knockoff and IP thieves. I don't like the term myself because it seems to legitimise companies that are essentially bootleggers. Of course, if Hasbro/Tomy were to properly cater to the same market as them, then the problem would solve itself. To be fair to Hasbro/Tomy, though, as a business they can't feasibly cater to everyone.
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Post by Toph on Mar 13, 2012 21:17:20 GMT
Third Party Companies is just a polite way of saying knockoff and IP thieves. I don't like the term myself because it seems to legitimise companies that are essentially bootleggers. Of course, if Hasbro/Tomy were to properly cater to the same market as them, then the problem would solve itself. To be fair to Hasbro/Tomy, though, as a business they can't feasibly cater to everyone. Bootlegger! Thank you, that's the term I wanted that vanished from my mind as soon as I started writing that post. (I hate when that happens) I agree with everything you said. And unlike a lot of people, I'm not harping on Hasbro for not doing enough. That also plays into why I enjoy those that produce weapons and accessories more than those that outright cop the actual toys (all of iGear's MP line). Weapons and accessories enhance the existing official product. Though I also do fully believe these companies are exploiting a market that obviously exists that Hasbro could venture into themselves. Mattel has been hitting this market for years, first with Matty Collector, and now their subscription services. Ultimately Hasbro always avoided the combiners, especially on large scale, because they felt they wouldn't sell. I personally see no reason why they couldn't have done a deluxe or voyager scale Classics Devistator themselves, by offering it as a subscription service, like Mattel is doing with Club Lion Force. That seems like an all around general win/win senario. The Transformer market is far more unified than any of Mattel's general collectors. I'm positive there would be far more sign-ups than any single mattel subscription. They would be marketed directly to the actual market without having to try to convence retailers they need to buy it. They wouldn't have to worry about trying to make tweaks and such to make it fit into a particular line or gimmick, and they wouldn't have to try to force every single member into one particular size class (this doesn't apply to the constructicons, but would any future combiner) Plus, any extras they would have to sell through Hasbrotoyshop (Or the club, or BBTS, or all of the above), and Tomy wanting to use the molds for themselves, they'd definately make enough to justify the endevor. Also, going beyond the combiners, there's a wealth of concepts and updates that fans want, that hasbro refuses to do because they think kids won't want it. Dinobots, Insecticons, and a dozen other G1 and G2 subgroups. Plus, with Beast Wars, the War Within, Hearts of Steel, the various GI Joe crossovers, there's so much more than an endless supply of G1 Classics to choose from. By avoiding direct markets like this, Hasbro really dropped the ball. For all of Mattel's problems, this is where they shine. And this is why the "Third Market" companies are florishing. Hasbro can't do everything and make everyone happy, but there's a lot more they could do. And if they reached out... even for one year, as an experament, that would kill a lot of the third party business. Sorry, dunno where that micro rant came from, lol! I never ment to say anything about that.
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Post by Benn on Mar 13, 2012 21:29:12 GMT
Lord only knows why Hasbro think that kids won't want Dinobots. Kids love Dinosaurs. Kids love Robots. I don't need to explain that any further, do I?
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Post by Toph on Mar 13, 2012 22:51:44 GMT
I know, right? And the rare few dinobot homages we do get, are always Grimlock and swoop, with Slag at a distant third, Snarl only rarely, and *never* sludge! (I do not count a dimetrodon as a Sludge homage.)
Ugh. I wish I hadn't thought about the best way to use a subscription for Transformers. Now I *really* want that to happen so I can get my dinobots.
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Mar 13, 2012 23:16:52 GMT
It's been a long time coming, but I think the quite blatant copyright infringement of some of these pieces and particularly at Botcon would have to be addressed at some point.
Andy
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 16, 2012 9:45:33 GMT
The Cone Head Strike Planes were too close to the bone. I think they look great, and I'd love all 3 of 'em, but that was taking the mikey. Completely newly engineered toys, such as Warbot Defender, and the Constructicons, aren't as bad by half, but I can still see why Has/Tak wouldn't like them either. But I agree with CJ, iGear may have spoiled it for the rest with their blatant copying of the Strike Planes.
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 16, 2012 11:44:16 GMT
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Post by Benn on Mar 16, 2012 13:15:53 GMT
That does make me smile.
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Post by Toph on Mar 16, 2012 21:11:06 GMT
It does have a Hi-Q. And somehow it supossedly even attaches to Classics Prime. No clue how though. Don't think it's compatable with the original PM cab, though, because it's a bit smaller than the original Hi-Q (And that one barily stays in, as it is)
And while I have no interest in TFC's Hercules, the rumors of them doing Computron and Abominus intigue me. And if true, I'll likely be picking them up. I just wish Fans Project had continued with their pleistocene combiner. That was neat looking, and completely original.
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 18, 2012 20:28:48 GMT
It does have a Hi-Q. And somehow it supossedly even attaches to Classics Prime. IT DOES?! HURRRAYYY!!! Now I'm officially interested!!!
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Post by Toph on Mar 18, 2012 21:38:28 GMT
It does have a Hi-Q. And somehow it supossedly even attaches to Classics Prime. IT DOES?! HURRRAYYY!!! Now I'm officially interested!!! Here you go, my friend!
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 19, 2012 0:51:43 GMT
Oh very nice!!! WANT WANT WANT WANT!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 27, 2012 19:20:46 GMT
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Post by glaug on Mar 27, 2012 23:27:42 GMT
Worst yet, their thieving is going to ruin it for everyone. And from my understanding, they already have in japan. It's only a matter of time before Hasbro slams down on "third party" compainies, too. Okay, I'm curious. Got a source on this?
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Post by Toph on Mar 28, 2012 1:08:43 GMT
Worst yet, their thieving is going to ruin it for everyone. And from my understanding, they already have in japan. It's only a matter of time before Hasbro slams down on "third party" compainies, too. Okay, I'm curious. Got a source on this? A few months ago (Not sure exactly when. If it was mid to late last year, or early this year), it was pretty big news and reported and frontpaged on several of the news sites, like TFW. Takara banned all third party items. Any japanese web site that deals TomyTakara product has to stop selling third party product, or else Takara will stop vending to them. If Hasbro ever got real serious, they could easily do the same thing. They can't target the third party companies, but they can go after the venders, and it'd hurt the online stores far more to lose Hasbro's product than to lose the third party stuff. EDIT- I went through 30 archive pages under "Unlisenced," which is over a year in time, and about halfway through last year under "Japanese Transformers" in TFW's archieves. So either it's quite a bit further back than I thought, or it's catalogued and tagged as something I can't figure. I'll look more later.
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 28, 2012 8:11:56 GMT
I remember the news story too, saw it on various sites. Stopping the venders selling Third Party would certainly make things difficult for the Thirdy Party companies. 'Suppose they'd have to sell to fans directly off their websites.
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Post by glaug on Mar 28, 2012 9:41:13 GMT
Ahh, cheers for that. I'm mostly out of the TF loop besides lurking TMUK and talking to Jaymz in person every now and again, so I miss things like this easily...
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Post by Shockprowl on Apr 10, 2012 1:15:10 GMT
Oh that Gears looks BRILLIANT!!!
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Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 10, 2012 7:39:15 GMT
That is fabulous, v tempted.
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