Henkei Ratchet

Figures, collectables, customs and collecting.
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Nevermore
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Henkei Ratchet

Post by Nevermore »

http://item.rakuten.co.jp/amiami/hob-fig-9510/

Original release date was November 20. New release date is January 22.
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Jaynz
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Post by Jaynz »

A little surprising, since I thought that Henkei was actually doing well. Maybe they got a little pressure to not release Ratchet BEFORE the Hasbro version? That would seem a little odd, though...
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Turbo 07
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Post by Turbo 07 »

How many people are passing on Henkei Prowl because they've already been suckered into the lousy Universe version? Who's to say this isn't a ploy to get us to buy a similarly inferior Universe Ratchet and potentially double-dip later?
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Post by Jaynz »

That's just it, I wouldn't think that the couple of hundred American and European 'Henkei' buyers would matter squat-all to Hasbro for the Universe line. I mean, honestly, all the Henkei importers combined would just be, what, a couple of shipments to a single Wal*Mart?
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Turbo 07
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Post by Turbo 07 »

For starters, I don't buy the line that this fandom's collectors are actually just 25 Americans who make alot of noise. It's right behind the absurdly wrong figures that somehow "prove" G1 was worse about repaints than the modern lines.

If you take board membership at face value, between the big 4 (2005, Allspark, TFans, Seibertron) you're looking at _88000_ potential customers. Even assuming alot of those are duplicates, not every informed fan registers on a board and not every fan is a waiter living hand to mouth.

Were production numbers for the Ultra Magnus armor ever posted? I vaguely remember them being significantly higher than the sold-out Cliffjumper set, which was somewhere around 300. And that's a $75 add-on to an exclusive alot of people didn't even have access to in the first place. Official Henkei seems to be doing really well outside of Japan and you're telling me you don't expect a $25 import to break 200 worldwide (let alone if it has a time or QC advantage)?
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Post by Jaynz »

Turbo 07 wrote:For starters, I don't buy the line that this fandom's collectors are actually just 25 Americans who make alot of noise. It's right behind the absurdly wrong figures that somehow "prove" G1 was worse about repaints than the modern lines.
I'm not saying 'fandom collectors', I'm saying the number of people who are going to order Henkei Ratchet over Universe Ratchet, which is a small subset of the online fandom, which is a small subset of the fandom, which is a small subset of the target audience.

I just cannot see Hasbro all that concerned about largely numbers of North Americans and Europeans not buying Universe Ratchet because the Henkei version comes out. I just can't.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

TBH, if Henkei or any Japanese release was making that significant an impact on US sales, something would probably happen... Hasbro and TakaraTomy are partners, but at the moment (and for the past few years), one of them is a big successful toy manufacturer, and one of them is a two-bit also ran who's spend most of the last ten years trying to keep off the rocks (which is why TF lines have gone from Takara taking the lead and Hasbro importing [CR/RiD] to co-productions [Unicron Trilogy] to Hasbro taking the lead [Movie/Classics/Animated]). If it was that much of a factor, I'm sure Hasbro could lean in and make something happen to the Japanese variants to make them less varied.

Besides which, I'm pretty sure the ardent Jafanboys would simply wait.
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Post by Arminius »

So there is going to be a Universe Ratchet? When is it set to come out in the US? I'm also waiting on Galvatron, Acid Storm, Ironhide, Silverstreak, and Sideswipe. I'd love to see Universe Wheeljack, Trailbreaker, and Jazz.
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Post by Jaynz »

Arminius wrote:So there is going to be a Universe Ratchet? When is it set to come out in the US? I'm also waiting on Galvatron, Acid Storm, Ironhide, Silverstreak, and Sideswipe. I'd love to see Universe Wheeljack, Trailbreaker, and Jazz.
I haven't heard a thing on either Wheeljack or Trailbreaker yet. There's been some rumor-noise that both Jazz and Ratchet will be coming in spring. (Jazz as a substantial retooling of the Prowl mold, and Ratchet more or elss as we've seen him.)

No idea how reliable the info is, though.. but I would imagine, given the popularity of both characters, and that they would be 'out of production' for Transformers: Animated at that time, it would make sense.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

IIRC, Hasbro have big copyright problems with Trailbreaker, and have tried several times to get it for Alternators, old Universe and so on, without any luck - hence Trailbreaker being in the Universe comic in his G1 model rather than (IIRC) the mooted RiD X-Brawn redeco body, and the Spychanger who was blatantly him being called Ironhide. Whether they'd sling the money into a Classics mould that they then might not be able to call anything like it (IIRC, the Autobot/Decepticon modifier only works on names too vague to trademark, such as Jazz, Grapple, Skids, Ravage and so on, whereas I believe there's some sort of clash with Trailbreaker) would be interesting. They did it with Octane, of course, but then they had a perfectly good copyrightt hat fit nicely kicking around... Dunno, they could call him Highjump maybe? ;)

For Wheeljack, Energon Downshift, with the green replaced by silver or grey and maybe the deco hammed up a little (literally copying the G1 stripes, add on the racing number) would be a cheap option.
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Post by Clay »

I think the problem with Trailbreaker is that Chevrolet makes a truck called that, so any secondary marketing licenses given to toy companies would be to make models of the actual vehicle, which a Hasbro Transformer toy would then be in competition with.

Of course, Hasbro managed to make Mirage out of a Ford GT while Mitsubishi makes a car called Mirage, so who knows?
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Y'know, I've always wondered why they didn't go for Trailblazer... it's an alright name, it's near enough, it'd be a cute injoke, it's nowhere near as wince-inducing as Silverstreak, and so on.
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Post by Notabot »

Professional basketball team from Portland is named the Trail Blazers, so that one might be out. Of course, if you take out the space, that's a whole different beast.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

No idea, I'm a step removed from making this up as I go along.
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Post by Nevermore »

*sigh* :)

Once again. The word you're looking for is "trademark". If a name could be copyrighted, Hasbro could sue any of you who write the name "Optimus Prime" on an internet message board for copyright violations. Does that sound right to you? :)

Second, a car's name has **** to do with trademarks for a TOY's name. Otherwise there wouldn't be any Transformers toys named "Autobot Jazz" for the past couple of years, since there's a car named the Honda Jazz. :)

Apple Music and Apple Computers could peacefully coexist for many years (until Apple started to venture into the music sphere, that is). You could theoretically also start a car business named "McDonald's Used Cars" as long as you don't use a big golden arch-shaped "M" as your logo. You'd only get into trouble with the fast food company if you started a "McDonald's Finest Food" restaurant. :)

So if Hasbro want to use a name for a toy, it must be okay to use in the TOYS field. The most likely suspect standing in the way of a new "Trailbreaker" toy appears to be M & C Toy Centre's "Trailwalker" (to be used for toy action figures and toy vehicles, among other things).
Looking for a complete Energon Sky Shadow (from Superion Maximus).
Offering: Binaltech Hound, Swindle, Ravage (Corvette), Skids.
Can buy in stores: Robot Heroes Tigatron/Inferno, Ricochet/Predaking.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

I said trademark. Any chance you can dispense information without talking down to everyone?
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Post by Gouki »

Turbo 07 wrote:How many people are passing on Henkei Prowl because they've already been suckered into the lousy Universe version? Who's to say this isn't a ploy to get us to buy a similarly inferior Universe Ratchet and potentially double-dip later?
Is that Hasbro or Takara's problem if someone feels the need to compulsivley buy every version of a childrens toy?

Why is the Universe toy so bad, out of curiousity? I mean, didn't the just change the sirens shape and add some chrome?
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Post by Nevermore »

Cliffjumper wrote:I said trademark. Any chance you can dispense information without talking down to everyone?
Er...
Cliffjumper wrote:IIRC, Hasbro have big copyright problems with Trailbreaker
You sure about that? :)
Looking for a complete Energon Sky Shadow (from Superion Maximus).
Offering: Binaltech Hound, Swindle, Ravage (Corvette), Skids.
Can buy in stores: Robot Heroes Tigatron/Inferno, Ricochet/Predaking.
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Post by wolfbolt86 »

Turbo 07 wrote:How many people are passing on Henkei Prowl because they've already been suckered into the lousy Universe version? Who's to say this isn't a ploy to get us to buy a similarly inferior Universe Ratchet and potentially double-dip later?
Everyone has a right to their own choics, but I don't think people are really suckered into buy a quote "lousy" version of a toy. I got Hasbros version because I can find it cheaper than having to order one online. I think most are buy the things for their kids, or they don't have the money for importing it.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Nevermore wrote:You sure about that? :)
Mentioned trademark a few lines down, specfically in relation to toy names. The first use was a slip of the keyboard (I guess I should go back to meticulously pedant-proofing every post, because that's so much fun). It was entirely obvious what I was saying.

Even if I hadn't, that gives you what right to speak down to everyone again? I have no particular issue with you correcting me over misusing a word once, but I'd rather you didn't act like everyone else is a spastic who needs things explaining in the most patronising fashion.
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