OTFCC Hasbro panel overview

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 2:12 pm

News Overload. So does he mean we will see primus turn into cybertron?

Allowing the fans to choose from unused designs is the idea I've been waiting for.

Even better news on the hasbro reissues. I hope they release metalhawk and keep him metal!

If they are planning to take elements from different lines for the movie, I hope they don't do it the same way as Universe.

And we might get Beast Wars Neo Unicron on 10th aniversary, If they are going to release a MP BW figure that would be my personal choice.

RID Scourge · Post by **RID Scourge** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 5:12 am

Originally posted by davetherave
Even better news on the hasbro reissues. I hope they release metalhawk and keep him metal!

Prolly not. If metalhawk's that pretender made out of the terrible gold plastic, he'll break into too many small pieces and be a choking hazard. Besides, why would you want a toy that turns to dust when you breath on it?

*looks at G2 Slingshot, and Slingshot explodes*

See?

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:26 am

I thought the inner robot was all die cast! He's ment to be the only metal pretender. Sorry I know nothing of G2. Couldn't they just use different plastic.

Roadstripe · Post by **Roadstripe** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 5:50 pm

I think, Paladin Prime, that you're talking about Roadblock, a US G1 Decepticon Ultra Pretender from 1989. Metalhawk was a Japanese exclusive Pretender from the 1988 Masterforce line and the only Pretender to feature diecast parts.

Pretender Roadblock and G2 Slingshot both suffer from 'Gold Plastic Syndrome' in which there are swirls of unmixed plastic that now serve as convenient fracture points. However, that problem is overcomable as Laser Rod Electro, made mostly of gold plastic, isn't a victum of GPS.

I should think there would be a decent market for a repro parts maker to offer properly mixed replacement parts for Transformers with GPS (provided Hasbro doesn't shut them down).

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 6:42 pm

I got that pretender, I got him off ebay he's been played wiyh so I cleaned him up and his in good nick. He's the one with the green car and a transformable suit? I'l be careful with him now.

Their are still some clasics that I haven't got, quite a few actually such as wheeljack & sunstreaker. So I hope they don't totaly turn their back on the usual suspects. They know that we are waiting for certain figures, and they keep teasing us, I wish they'd just bring the big guns out, what is it they're waiting for?

Alpha Trion · Post by **Alpha Trion** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 9:53 pm

Originally posted by davetherave
They know that we are waiting for certain figures, and they keep teasing us, I wish they'd just bring the big guns out, what is it they're waiting for?

You don't consider Predaking to be a big gun?

Every collector is hoping for different figures to be reissued, so it's not as if they're purposely dodging the toys the fandom wants. I personally desperately hoped Stepper would be reissued someday, and it happened. That, to me, was a "big gun."

Also, it's possible that the Sunstreaker and Wheeljack molds are damaged beyond repiar. Note that neither mold has been used since 1985.

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 9:56 pm

Yeah of course predaking is, but that is a takara release. I was refering to hasbro's comments at the top of the thread.

Pun-3X · Post by **Pun-3X** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 10:34 pm

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Wheeljack sold in the "Classic" line (not the "Legends" line, where they packaged the inner bots of the regular character pretenders) issued in Europe? I thought that line came out in the later 80's (88? 89?) The mold might still exist for Wheeljack. Though, that means that they'd have to get it from storage in Europe, and that's saying it still exists.

Alpha Trion · Post by **Alpha Trion** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 10:46 pm

Oh yeah, I'd completely forgotten about the Classics line. I know next to nothing about it, however, so I couldn't say if either figure was used there.

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:01 pm

Anything that is plastic and metal can be recreated, their are methods today like 3d scanning etc, that can be done and it can then be corrected. It's done all the time in the industry. Takara pay their designers loads of money. In an interview with the predaking designer he said, he made loads of designs and hardly any got chose. It's the same case for all their designers. Ressurecting a mold isn't that expensive compared, and seeing as you can get your hands on virtualy any tf on ebay.

Wasn't one of the seacons destroyed, now they are releasing all 6. And aparently predakings mold was destroyed to.

Post by **Denyer** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:52 pm

Reproducing one component of a gestalt is fair cost-effective, I'd imagine. Especially since the "Scramble City" -type combiners used relatively few parts each.

Whereas, say, Sunstreaker has a great many small parts.

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 12:10 am

Considering the amount of knock offs, A whole devastator has more parts than sunstreaker & is only £5. With a bit of love and care or better techniques those knock off molds could be as good as the real thing. As many people seem as interested in devastator as sunstreaker, I still thinki it's cost effective. hasbro and Takara do many things that begs belief, so I don't buy their excuses of lost molds. Im just using sunstreaker and devastator as examples.

But their have been many knock offs which aren't that bad, I have a zone diatlus that ain't tobad, if they used better materials and stickers it would be almost perfect.

If predaking's molds were broken or lost, this reissue could show they maybe pulling their finger out. I think we were all shocked when we saw MP Convoy. I just want some continuity in the lines & I want people to stop saying why aren't they releasing this mold and that etc. Why figures like hoist when there is so much better stuff like soundwave.

Post by **Denyer** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 12:20 am

The reason companies won't reissue gestalts is because the knock-offs have flooded the market—most people are happy with a $5 repro which'll sit on a shelf and gather dust.

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 12:40 am

Sorry didn't explain myself well. I was saying a gestalt has more pieces than sunstreaker, yet he can be replicated fairly well really cheap. So sunstreaker can be made with all his many pieces really well at a higher price than £5. I was trying to show my theory on cost effectiveness regarding recreating lost molds.

Post by **Denyer** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 1:05 am

From what we've seen, there's no indication Takara are moulding from existing toys—the appearance of the sixth Seacon doesn't prove a recreation; it may be a repair job on a newly-refound mould. We know, for example, that the reissue Soundwave used retooled Soundblaster parts.

Bootleggers by necessity are geared up towards certain production methods—Takara may feel their reputation as a toy manufacturer at risk by employing these methods.

Why figures like hoist when there is so much better stuff like soundwave.

Soundwave won't pass US toy safety restrictions, therefore can't be sold at TRU and won't be handled by Hasbro.

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 3:48 pm

It's not illegal to copy your own molds. And the safety issue can be sorted. They did it with prime and they do it withh all non Japanese TFs all the time. Nothing is impossible, it's simply down to someone in the company with the authority to say to get the job done.

Nevermore · Post by **Nevermore** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 4:27 pm

Originally posted by Alpha Trion
Oh yeah, I'd completely forgotten about the Classics line. I know next to nothing about it, however, so I couldn't say if either figure was used there.

Wheeljack was IIRC. Not sure about Sunstreaker, though.

Originally posted by davetherave
It's not illegal to copy your own molds. And the safety issue can be sorted. They did it with prime and they do it withh all non Japanese TFs all the time. Nothing is impossible, it's simply down to someone in the company with the authority to say to get the job done.

I might toss in the analogy of comic book companies in the process of reprinting older stories running into problems when the original material has been damaged. They occasionally simply scan the respective pages from the original release. I don't see why an analogous process should be deemed legally questionable for HasTak, especially since the quality of toy molds restored via reverse-engineering should still be several classes ahead of scanned comic book pages.

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 4:48 pm

Exactly! And of top of that their are processes my M8 has used, He works with car parts, but some of the processes are being used by really small companies. I've read kitbashing pages and they do their own molds in their bedroom.

So come on Hasbro & Takara pull your finger out.

Roadstripe · Post by **Roadstripe** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 10:25 pm

As for classic molds like Sunstreaker and Wheeljack, I'm sure Hasbro/Takara know that we want them and we know they've got the capability to replicate them. As I figure it, it's only a matter of time before they do reissue them, but, for one reason or another (from office politics to licensing difficulties to safety problems), it may take them sometime before they do. For one thing, they're going to have to figure out how to cheaply give Sunstreaker that chromed appearance without using chrome.

Quoth davetherave:
I got that pretender, I got him off ebay he's been played wiyh so I cleaned him up and his in good nick. He's the one with the green car and a transformable suit? I'l be careful with him now.

Um, no. Metalhawk was just like your standard Autobot Pretender of 1988 (non-transforming, armored human outer shell) and he turned into a jet fighter (of sorts). He was colored blue and gold with red wings.
See here on Prime Saber's page: Metalhawk.
From your description, I'd guess that you have Decepticon Ultra Pretender Roadblock (as seen here on TFU).

Quoth Pun-3X:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Wheeljack sold in the "Classic" line (not the "Legends" line, where they packaged the inner bots of the regular character pretenders) issued in Europe? I thought that line came out in the later 80's (88? 89?) The mold might still exist for Wheeljack. Though, that means that they'd have to get it from storage in Europe, and that's saying it still exists.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the Classics line sold in Europe essentially Hasbro's overstock from earlier in G1, just repackaged to fit in with the rest of that year's releases?

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 10:51 pm

Yeah I know that, I was refering to roadblock who has the gold plastic, which apparently breaks easy.