Why doesn't TakaraTomy employ more MP designers?

[kurdt_the_goat]

Specifically, designers from the 3rd party realm who've proven themselves.

The success of the recent MPs - it seems by far the most popular line at the moment - makes me wonder why they don't just crank out more. I don't know their workload nor what really goes into making them (sketches to production), and don't know the costs (other than the vague "molds are expensive"). I'm sure many designs are on the drawing board, but for whatever reason, the actual releases are really spread out for the most part.

It seems that they only have 1 Masterpiece designer working at a time (forgetting Star Saber since it's an anomaly). The collector market, however small it may be compared to the children's market, has basically said they will eat up any and all Masterpiece toys that come out. It must be a profitable venture, so you could only assume that making more would be even more profitable.

The third parties are cranking these things out at a rate of knots. Fans Toys in particular - half way through their Dinobots, Perceptor and Reflector incoming. I don't see how what is presumably just a tiny company can put out such high quality toys (often at comparatively cheaper than official prices, considering the size and materials used), so quickly! And while they're the most obvious choice for MP grade toys, several of the other 3rd parties have exhibited extremely capable design skills as well. TakaraTomy is a huge company, you'd think it should be no challenge whatsoever for them to compete with "the little guys" - and if you can't beat em - hire em! These days all it'd take is a Facebook message for them to get in contact with say xTransbots, work out a deal so their Apollyon became Megatron for real, and laugh all the way to the bank.

Masterpiece has already run for 11 years, so it stands as one of (if not the) longest running toy lines as it is, which is a feat in and of itself. But those 11 years have only amounted to 22 basic releases to date, even less when you subtract redecos. There's a huge number of popular characters remaining, and i'd argue they could straight up release any character from G1 and collector fans would buy them in droves. There's enough characters left that at the current snails pace, the line could go on for decades - but why not get some more talented people on deck and really go hard at the collector market and give the fans more!

I don't really believe there's any risk in "flooding" a collector market with fantastic toys. The example that springs to mind is Mattel who have released one or more MOTUC toys at a monthly pace since 2010! Obviously Transformers are more complex but the point is, fans are still buying, even as they release characters who only showed up for a single episode (or none at all!)

Is it a Japanese honour kind of thing or do they just not want my money?!


http://i.imgur.com/AHbyWnd.png

[DELTAprime]

Are the 3rd Party designers Japanese? Takara doesn't seem to employ many non-Japanese designers in general.

[CoRDS]

at this stage i think Takara/hasbro should just license fans toys to make their masterpiece line and MMC for combiners


in fact i would be more than happy if they did that

[Trent]

There is a whole team of designers. It's not just Hasui/Yuki/etc sitting in a room all by themselves. They are just the lead designer. And Takara have determined the release schedule based on what they think the market can handle long term.

[Deonasis]

I am completely happy with the speed at which Takara MPs are released.

[CBratron]

I am completely happy with the speed at which Takara MPs are released.

Because we'd be even more broke if MPs came out faster than they are now.

[GoktimusPrime]

kurdt_the_goat: have you considered just calling TakaraTOMY and asking them directly? :o Ignore the phone number on the bottom/back of your Japanese TF packaging, that only works for domestic calls. There's now a separate number for international callers (although you(r wife) will still need to communicate in Japanese), which is +81-3-5650-1031.

Speculation: Third Party Knock Off designers can produce toys faster because those designers are probably exclusively working on those products. TakaraTOMY's designers don't just exclusively work on Masterpieces, but also other Transformers lines as well, such as Age of Extinction, Robot Heroes, Generations, Combiner Wars etc etc. -- even if they're not the lead designers in other lines, they may very well be contributing in other capacities as part of the design teams. Also, for many of the other lines, they do need to collaborate with designers at Hasbro, and for the movie stuff, screen model designers at Dreamworks/Paramount. In the case of animated series like TF Prime and RiD02015, they also work with Hasbro Studios/Polygon and whoever's animating RiD'15. And bear in mind that they do work within the confines of limited time spans, and there's various other jobs that are done w/ KO producers may not necessarily go through, such as marketing, licensing etc. - and also the sheer number of toys that need to be manufactured for market.

If these 3rd party KO makers want to work for TakaraTOMY, then why don't they apply for jobs there? Or continue working for themselves but acquire a licence from TakaraTOMY or Hasbro (which some legitimate 3rd party companies do, like the makers of that gigantic Scorponok)? I imagine in order to get a job as a designer working for TakaraTOMY, aside from the valid qualifications, you would need to obtain a work permit to live/work in Japan, and of course, live there. You would probably also need to have a working proficiency in speaking Japanese, since most people in TakaraTOMY speak Japanese (just as you would need a working proficiency in English if you wanted to work for Hasbro). Otherwise you might end up wasting time (and thus money) correcting oversights or mistakes made through misunderstandings or things "lost in translation." They obviously have translators when dealing with Hasbro, but as far as in-house work in concerned, I'd imagine that it would be in Japanese.


Are the 3rd Party designers Japanese? Takara doesn't seem to employ many non-Japanese designers in general.
There are a few non-Japanese people who have worked or are working at Hasbro. A friend of mine used to work on Takara's Microman packaging design team, and one of his colleagues was a South Korean national. And as many of us know, Australian designer Alex Kubalsky (http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Alex_Kubalsky) worked on several Classicsverse, TF1 and Animated figures. But AFAIK anyone can apply for a job at TakaraTOMY, so long as you satisfy the valid criteria of qualifications, language proficiency, and visa/residency.


Because we'd be even more broke if MPs came out faster than they are now.
lol, tru dat! :D

[Ploughmans Lunch]

I think it might be a mixture of releasing only what they believe their market can tolerate, and probably not wanting to work with people who are (pretty much) guilty of outright IP theft (not that I care).

[nexusnixx]

I believe Takaratomy wants to keep the masterpieve line slow to release to create an "exclusive" feel and not cater to mass production mass market type of product.

After all good things come to those who wait.

[GoktimusPrime]

Also keep in mind that Masterpiece is a line that appeals to a special niche market; the majority demographic for Transformers is still the mainstream stuff for kids, which is where they're probably going to invest relatively more time/effort. And remember that TakaraTOMY do allow consumers to give direct feedback (including what characters they want to see released for future toys) in their online survey - which has regrettably recently become geoblocked to users outside Japan, although I have personally requested that they consider lifting this geoblock. IMHO if you want answers from TakaraTOMY, just ask them directly. They're very friendly and approachable; the only thing is you'll need to speak to them in Japanese or have someone do do an over-the-phone translation :o).
http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/support/other.html

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Is it a Japanese honour kind of thing or do they just not want my money?!Neither exactly, though closer to the latter than the former.
Basically, every time this question (or a similar one) gets asked at Botcon etc., the answer comes down to "Because HTTs main Transformers income stream is from mass-retail sales to kids/parents of kids". It's ultimately more profitable for them to make a (usually sub-standard) product that many Mums and Dads will buy for Junior than a higher-quality product that Collectors will buy but your average parent will probably baulk at spending $50-$100 on. A penny from the masses beats a pound for the few, that sort of thing. They know high-end lines are profitable, but they're not as profitable, so they don't invest all that much time and/or money (relatively speaking) into them.
Which is partially why I personally am just fine with 3rd party offerings - it's 'the market' at work. HasTakTom could at the very least cripple - albeit probably not destroy outright at this point - the 3rd Party scene within months if they wanted simply by producing more high-end products themselves, but it's not part of their business strategy. Fair enough, and I still enjoy a lot of official HTT TFs, but I'm not going to skip on better offerings (if I want them enough to justify the price) because of their brand name either. Just my opinion, mind you.
As for why they don't just subcontract their Collector-grade stuff directly, it's partially because of the aforementioned business plan, partially because of the IP issue (not theft exactly, given that aside from outright KOs most 3P stuff just skates inside the legally-distinct line in the same way that Universe Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's alt-modes are legally distinct from actual Lamborghinis), and probably mostly about safety standards. If Hasbro were to co-opt, say, Unique Toys pseudo-Terrorcons, and some more-dollars-than-sense parent picked one up for their kid who them tried eating it and choked on a small piece or broke it and hurt themselves trying to eat the shards, then that'd be lawsuit city. HasTakTom has to pay more attention to child safety standards etc. than 3PPs.

TL;DR version = More money + less effort + less risk.

[kurdt_the_goat]

You all raise good points that i should have thought of but didn't cause i posted too early in the morning :D


kurdt_the_goat: have you considered just calling TakaraTOMY and asking them directly? :o Ignore the phone number on the bottom/back of your Japanese TF packaging, that only works for domestic calls. There's now a separate number for international callers (although you(r wife) will still need to communicate in Japanese), which is +81-3-5650-1031.

I hadn't considered it - i can't speak fluently and I could never convince my wife :) Not only that - it's ok on the forums to be a whining entitled fanboy but i'd rather not say it aloud :D

[drifand]

I believe Takaratomy wants to keep the masterpieve line slow to release to create an "exclusive" feel and not cater to mass production mass market type of product.

After all good things come to those who wait.

Almost everything from TT are reissued for masterpiece line. I have never regarded any transformers masterpieces in any form of exclusiveness to be honest. It be kind of dumb if they did as we have new collectors every year.

There is also an issue where WE ARE ALL GETTING OLD, if you don't come out items in time, the generation that actually appriciates this line will go astray.

Even I get pissed off with Bandai at times being so slow in releasing old establish characters not release yet in their popular Master Grade line. Why? because the older I get, the more "I want it" becomes really less. This same goes for masterpieces. If I waited long enough and nothing is really coming out except same old bunch of seekers repainted and transparent Soundwave for the decepticons...... I think I am almost done with this line.

The Eva prime, the Bupa Prime, just tells me, there anint anything really left to sell. I have a reserved list of Autobot cars that I will buy and something for the Decepticons. Other than that, my cabinet is full, that will be it. Hence my neglect for G2 bee, its not that it isn't nice, I have started to draw a line.

I have began regretted buying Exhaust due to the recent changes. I think I am quite done.

[CBratron]

I'm not a fan of their tangential repaints either but there are plenty of other characters that haven't been done yet. The line is far from dead. Guys like Ironhide and his inevitable Ratchet repaint will get everyone interested again.

[griffin]

Masterpiece toys are like BotCon toys...

When they release one or two a year and they become exciting with added anticipation (and more affordable to collectors who have a tight budget).

But if they release 15-20 per year because of how well received the 1-2 per year are, each one becomes less exciting because it's about every two weeks (which results in many getting 3 or 4 at the same time to save shipping), so the concept itself also becomes diluted to the point of it being treated as no more special than any other main-line... and then there is the cost means many collectors have to sacrifice ones they want because they can't afford that many in a year.


That's what happened with the BotCon toys when FunPub took over. They just don't hold the same excitement anymore because FunPub flooded the market with "BotCon toys"... and the rare times that they had a good year of toys, many can't afford all the ones they want.

So for me, "less" is "more" when it comes to Masterpiece toys. Keep the number limited, and even though it can be a frustrating wait, it is also an exciting wait in the final weeks.
Like hand-crafted artwork over mass-produced printings - quality over quantity... if they turn it into a major source or revenue to spit out 20+ a year, they will streamline the process to the point of producing toys that will become no better than mainline deluxe toys.

[drifand]

I would think releasing 5-7 max is the tipping point. Most of the mps release are not actually new anyway, and are repaints and hence why people are feeling bored.

Magnus, Wheeljack, Bumblebee were what I liked. Skywarp, green/purple prime, gold megatron are not what I be considering as a release.

Starsaber would be something for me to look forward to than mp Exhaust.

[kurdt_the_goat]

Yeah i was just thinking it'd be nice to have 4 new moulds a year (1 every 3 months). I agree that the wait helps build appreciation but at ~6-9 months (longer usually if you're disregarding redecos) from reveal to release, when i look back i feel you spend so much more time waiting than enjoying them! I'm probably more excited when they're first shown and promo pics come out, than when they actually release!

Last year was good for new moulds but on a poor schedule imo, why release Bumblebee and Magnus just a month apart? A more even spread would be better.

Ideally i'd love for them to be surprises and be able to buy at the shops after discovering a new one was out; no early announcement. I could avoid news but the need to preorder and there being virtually no retail presence (here) makes that impossible.

[griffin]

Yes... too long a wait, and if there are flaws or criticisms, they seem worse for making us wait so long for the next toy.

One every three to four months is good with a couple redecos each year, as we get about 6 months of hints, designs, prototypes and colour product images, which can then overlap with the previous one to cover those who are more selective and skip some.