Masterpiece Convoy 3.0 Revealed

[bowspearer]

Courtesy of TFW2005:

https://i.imgur.com/bHJZUW4.png

[bowspearer]

Thanks to TFW2005 (http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/06/09/masterpiece-convoy-v3-confirmed-365343) and courtesy of portarmy (https://twitter.com/portarmy), it's official, MP Covoy 3.0 is out and it's a complete shut up and take my money deal.

The mould looks completely new while the features are listed as follows:

Masterpiece Convoy V3 confirmed
Slender legs
Sounds from the show (Japanese)
Same size as MP-10
Original looking rifle
Releases 2019

[Jazzman]

Yeah, it's ok. Gonna have to wait to see the finished product before I shell out for him, though. MP-10 still looks great IMHO. :D

[bowspearer]

Yeah, it's ok. Gonna have to wait to see the finished product before I shell out for him, though. MP-10 still looks great IMHO. :D

I dunno, 2.0 looks pretty bloated compared to 3.0.

[Omega Metro]

Nah. Looks skinny.

[danny-boy]

Wow that gold MP-10 looks so old and dated next to it. The proportions are beautiful. No gorilla arms and no stumpy legs. It looks like it stepped out from the toon. :)

[Kranix]

Early days and I may do a 180 when we get better pics but from what I can see right now that v3 Prime looks horrible to me.

People have a go at the proportions of MP-10 but this looks really terrible to me, lanky and weird with too small a chest but huge legs/ feet. This makes the shoulders/ arms look out of proportion. I expected the diaper but still hate it.

MP-10 is a much superior version in my eyes. Still, people love new stuff so I'm sure v3 will be very popular.

[DELTAprime]

I want some less blurry shots before I decide if it's good or bad in my mind. That said I'm still expecting this Optimus to be my last G1 MP for quite some time.

[Ralph Wiggum]

My interest is definitely piqued, but of course will wait for more comparison pics.

[drifand]

See? When I said mp-10 gun was kinda short people didn’t believe me.

I don’t need the folding gun, just the right size.

Deciding now to whether to sell off my tt mp-10

[ZoonMaster5000]

See? When I said mp-10 gun was kinda short people didn’t believe me.

I don’t need the folding gun, just the right size.

Deciding now to whether to sell off my tt mp-10


But I bet It no longer comes out of back like the gimmick on mp-10 which I thought was kinda neat.

My main concern is the rising prices on mp’s if this goes over $300 I’ll have to seriously think about whether I get 2 or not

[drifand]

I don’t care for gimmicks when it distorts the proportion of the weapons.
This is why my mp-10 doesn’t hold the foldable gun.

[drifand]

Saw the latest pictures and I have to say, it looks like it has very thin legs.

[Thurmus]

I thought they had just reused Masterpiece Hot Rod's legs.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Saw the latest pictures and I have to say, it looks like it has very thin legs.

Compared to MP10, yeah. More cartoon accurate, if that’s your kind of thing.

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

Reminds me a bit of MP-1 (particularly with the slight kibble on the lower back):

https://i.imgur.com/arcHs74.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/DR6Z0iY.jpg

Truck mode looks better than MP-1 though.

https://i.imgur.com/QSKmUAt.jpg

[drifand]

V3 make mp-10 looks superior by first impression pictures.

Things that bug me.

the legs looks way to thin.
The head looks a bit big for the body >still ok
the gun looks way bad. (I take it back the folding gun is better) sigh....
I know is early days, but I am afraid it might be a pass for me.

I think the picture was altered so it may not be as bad as it looks but.....I dunno.

[M-bot]

I love my MP-10 to bits, so this is unlikely to supplant it. But I’ll keep an open mind until we get pictures of it that aren’t ridiculously blurry. Because premature adjudication is a scourge.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Is there going to be a displayed prototype at the Tokyo Show at some point or are these blurry photos going to be all we have for the time beimg?

[Deonasis]

OP v3 concerns me at this stage.

- The bot proportions seem exaggerated like the reference material was all taken from low angles (big calves, long legs, etc..).

- Worse is the cab, it has a thousand seams in it like chug Ironhide on crack. At least this OP can be a dark-red to hide them a little (unlike Megatron). But considering very little of the cab is visible in bot mode, I wonder if this going to be an enjoyable transformation or a panel fold-a-thon.


On the flipside, I’ve had no concerns with BW Megatron. Yes, he has a fair bit of a folded backpack but he looks amazing in both modes.

[Jetfire in the sky]

Can't wait for this.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

It looks cool from the early shots, but I still like my MP10.

[Jazzman]

It looks cool from the early shots, but I still like my MP10.

That seems to be the general theme so far...

[High_Q]

the cab, it has a thousand seams in it like chug Ironhide on crack. At least this OP can be a dark-red to hide them a little (unlike Megatron).

Yeah, here's to hoping that the paint job will make the seams on the cab less noticeable.

Based on the photo taken of the presentation slide from the front, the bot mode looks less gangly.

Since i don't have any of the MP-10 versions, I just might get this OP.

[philby]

Hmm, doesn't seem like anything amazing so far but still very early days.

[Robzy]

Looks good so far. Can't wait to see more!

[Trent]

Is there going to be a displayed prototype at the Tokyo Show at some point or are these blurry photos going to be all we have for the time beimg?

I saw a photo of the prototype on Twitter yesterday but it was from pretty far away.

[Lord_Zed]

As you'd expect with the third incarnation of Prime there are both pro and cons, I don't think it blows away MP10, but then MP10 doesn't blow away MP1 so that's to be expected. There really is only so much they can do with Prime.

I'm guessing they will for for the electric blue windows like on the recent cars to give him a more toon look.

So far it looks pretty good, but I'm not hyped for it like I am for the new Beast Wars MP's.

[Galvatran]

If it's only a little better than MP10 then why not just buy a V energy drink? A lot cheaper too.

[philby]

lol

[Galvatran]

I'm probably in the minority but I would prefer if the Masterpiece line was rebooted back to the MP1 scale. There's heft to MP1 Convoy figure that's lacking from the MP10 version. Add some improved articulation for better action poses. That would be a wallet / purse / man bag / shove it down your jocks (if that's your thing) destroying direction.

[drifand]

I'm probably in the minority but I would prefer if the Masterpiece line was rebooted back to the MP1 scale. There's heft to MP1 Convoy figure that's lacking from the MP10 version. Add some improved articulation for better action poses. That would be a wallet / purse / man bag / shove it down your jocks (if that's your thing) destroying direction.

You are not but however I want a total perfection series where they don’t cut corners and budget and skip paint or diecast. I know it be more expensive but if it was perfect, I would buy it. Plus rubber tyres.

It be a smart move after two years they offer replacement tyres as a product for a collectors display piece.

But seeing the direction, I don’t think Tomy cares and they rather sell good quality Tomy products over Takara trying to make one. Binaltech was the last best thing Takara ever did. From then on is all plastic.

[philby]

Die cast metal on its own doesn't necessarily make a figure better. My Alternity GT-R Optimus can barely stand! he has a good chunk of metal but it just doesn't seem to be balanced well.

[drifand]

Die cast metal on its own doesn't necessarily make a figure better. My Alternity GT-R Optimus can barely stand! he has a good chunk of metal but it just doesn't seem to be balanced well.

For argument sake this is what I want. Like what 3p does such as products from Fantoys. We can go about stupid silly arguments like rubber tyres can wear tear, plastic is better. I have already stated paint on metal is noticeably better.


I don’t think I care? And I just want premium finish. Buy a “masterpiece if you want to just keep playing “ I want a rock solid piece.

[Magnus]

People may have already seen it by now, but TFW2005 have posted a front-on photo of the slide, which means the proportions aren't skewed: http://news.tfw2005.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/06/masterpiece-optimus-prime-v3.jpg

Source article: http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/06/09/updated-pics-of-masterpiece-optimus-prime-version-3-2019-365408

I'm impressed with the fidelity to the character model, (https://i.pinimg.com/736x/10/0e/48/100e48a88f5d5266a5648ed8e927214f.jpg) in particular with the silhouette (https://c8.staticflickr.com/3/2346/2298925023_1ee0377238.jpg) - MP-10 looks boxy, almost ungainly, in comparison. I definitely like the look of the rifle - MP-10's rifle suffered because the designers wanted it to stow in his back.

Quite a few people seem to be asking 'why?' I get that a new Optimus may not be 'necessary', but given the Masterpiece line's new focus on the highest possible fidelity to the character models, a new Optimus makes sense. As good as MP-10 is, it's not screen-accurate and can look almost out of place next to MP-36.

Re: material - I don't care if this or any other Masterpieces are primarily made of metal or plastic. In my experience, the extra mass of a metal part makes joints loose more quickly, and unless the quality of the paint is very good, paint seems more prone to chipping on metal (an issue when there are lots of moving parts) than it does on plastic.


I have already stated paint on metal is noticeably better.

This was actually addressed a while ago.

(http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showpost.php?p=453618&postcount=43)
And I just want premium finish. Buy a “masterpiece if you want to just keep playing “ I want a rock solid piece.

The finishes on Takara's figures have been consistently good. If you really want a 'rock-solid piece', perhaps you shouldn't get Masterpiece Transformers at all, because of their complexity. A non-transforming figure might be better.

[drifand]

Like I said we are talking about a different line if rebooting. I am DONE talking about it. The masterpiece is a nightmare from my point of view but is the only G1 closest thing. My standards are high. And yes technically speaking I am also Done buying masterpiece line as I have gotten 3p to fill the gaps.

I know for myself paint on metal has differences and I will remain firm solid on the matter.

Let’s put a lid on this and please move one and just talk about V3 shall we?
Cheers

[bowspearer]

Like I said we are talking about a different line if rebooting.

Have you considered that the reboot already happened years ago and that this is simply a case of finally giving that reboot a Convoy figure. And yes, I am arguing that MP-10 in terms of the cartoon accuracy reboot we have had for ages now, is at best, a stopgap, and at worst, part of a second, shortlived reboot, which shifted the scale, but failed to pull of animation accuracy like releases which came only a few years after. That said, we really do need a Red Alert v2.0 as that is one figure dying for a redux.

[drifand]

Have you considered that the reboot already happened years ago and that this is simply a case of finally giving that reboot a Convoy figure. And yes, I am arguing that MP-10 in terms of the cartoon accuracy reboot we have had for ages now, is at best, a stopgap, and at worst, part of a second, shortlived reboot, which shifted the scale, but failed to pull of animation accuracy like releases which came only a few years after. That said, we really do need a Red Alert v2.0 as that is one figure dying for a redux.

The masterpiece line is a masterpiece line.
The so called reboot isn’t a reboot as it is purely non accuracy and inconsistent across the masterpiece line in going toy accuracy or anime accuracy.

The scale I am fine, is the quality I am not fine. I never liked mp-10 and despite buying both versions they never satisfied me in many ways. There are toy companies that reissue the toy and will make substantial changes to make it relevant or at least better but I find TT just reissue them as they are .

Now with the update pictures it looks more decent.

I actually saw a painted version of v3 as in the real toy just not sure if it’s legit. The cannon looks a lot better and different than the ones we see.

[hYpNoS]

I actually saw a painted version of v3 as in the real toy just not sure if it’s legit.

Good chance that would have been one of the many digi-bashes floating around giving us a very good idea of what it looks like.

I need to see the robots back, I swear I see a tiny bit of kibble there, as well as in proper color (need to know if the whole thing will be painted or straight plastic colors), I own all mp molds of optimus and while I want to add v3 to the mix I really don't want to encourage TT to think what they did for mp36 to be acceptable (lets face it, paint is amazing but not with the clearances and compromises they had to make)

[drifand]

I won’t talk about other company that made changes to fix.
Ultimately I feel Megatron is okay but expensive.

The mp-36+ is 27,000jpy and sold out. Calculate gst it comes to a whooping $360 estimate shipped.

[hYpNoS]

I won’t talk about other company that made changes to fix.
Ultimately I feel Megatron is okay but expensive.

The mp-36+ is 27,000jpy and sold out. Calculate gst it comes to a whooping $360 estimate shipped.

Considering less accessories the price jump on him would be explained by the chrome, now if only shockwave+ had the same excuse, oh boy

With megs he'd have been fine in plastic or least with tolerances that wouldn't let paint chipping be an issue, the whole silencer thing was stupid let alone the rest

[bowspearer]

The masterpiece line is a masterpiece line.


Yes and no. Yes the name and numbering suggest that, but the compatibility tells a different story.

The reality is that absolutely everything from MP-01 to MP-07 was actually an adjunct to the Binar[y]tech[nology] line (and yes, I still maintain that Binaltech is wrong because it doesn't mesh with the Japanese marketting gimmick of meshing 2 English words together to come up with some cool name - eg BigWest). In fact MP-02's cardboard trailer and MP-04's trailer were designed to be compatible with Binartech vehicles.

Then you get to MP-12 to current, where it has clearly been designed to be compatible with itself alone as a wider toyline.

MP-11 fits with they scale of MP-12 onwards, so it could be said to be part of the same line.

MP-08 to MP-10 however are a different story. They don't fit with the cartoon accuracy of the later figures, such as in the case of MP-10, but they are also too small for MP-01 - MP-07. As such, they could also be regarded as a shortlived soft reboot in and of themselves. In fact I wonder whether a case could be made for them actually serving as an adjunct to the Alternity Line (repurposing Alternity Convoy to Ginrai to make it all fit neatly).

[Ralph Wiggum]

Doesn’t sound like TT had any sort of long term plan with the Masterpiece line and were releasing figures based on whatever reasons. But since MP10 they’ve focussed on scale, and about MP22 (Ultra Magnus) on cartoon “detail”. Hence we’re back to V3 Optimus.

I didn’t start collecting the Masterpiece line (starting with Hasbro Starscream) based on slavish cartoon accuracy but have learnt to live with the evolution of the series. I really wish we get a new character soon though.

[Deano85]

Would be happy with more of the missing car autobots than a brand new Optimus

[drifand]

Doesn’t sound like TT had any sort of long term plan with the Masterpiece line and were releasing figures based on whatever reasons. But since MP10 they’ve focussed on scale, and about MP22 (Ultra Magnus) on cartoon “detail”. Hence we’re back to V3 Optimus.

I didn’t start collecting the Masterpiece line (starting with Hasbro Starscream) based on slavish cartoon accuracy but have learnt to live with the evolution of the series. I really wish we get a new character soon though.

absolutely, I just dont want to see 2019>
Wheeljack +
Magnus +
Optimus V3 Namisis
Ironhide black
Ratchet green
MP 36 Gold magtron

Long due items that people waited:
Trailbreaker
Hoist
Hound
Jazz
Mirage
Insecticons < I mean come on how hard?
Reflector
Blaster

I am sure there is more but yeah either we die of old age waiting.

[Jazzman]

absolutely, I just dont want to see 2019>
Wheeljack +
Magnus +
Optimus V3 Namisis
Ironhide black
Ratchet green
MP 36 Gold magtron

Long due items that people waited:
Trailbreaker
Hoist
Hound
Jazz
Mirage
Insecticons < I mean come on how hard?
Reflector
Blaster

I am sure there is more but yeah either we die of old age waiting.

I hear ya, Drifand! ;) It seems the molds need to be milked for all their worth in order to product new products...

[UltraMarginal]

My main concern is the rising prices on mp’s if this goes over $300 I’ll have to seriously think about whether I get 2 or not

HAHA, first world problems!

I'm yet to form an opinion about this prime. I don't think I need it, and I'm not sure I want it.

I still am looking forward to other G1 characters, especially Jazz. I just hope the vehicle mode for Jazz is realistic like the existing car bots. and the robot mode can have the wings up like the toy.

[1AZRAEL1]

absolutely, I just dont want to see 2019>
Wheeljack +
Magnus +
Optimus V3 Namisis
Ironhide black
Ratchet green
MP 36 Gold magtron

Long due items that people waited:
Trailbreaker
Hoist
Hound
Jazz
Mirage
Insecticons < I mean come on how hard?
Reflector
Blaster

I am sure there is more but yeah either we die of old age waiting.

Sad that I, among others, have gone the 3P route to fill our gaps. Funny that each one of those I have done so.

[drifand]

Sad that I, among others, have gone the 3P route to fill our gaps. Funny that each one of those I have done so.

Same, and I actually didn't want to go 3P.

But anyway, I want to see the V3 Optimus in colours, not digibash of course.

[ChlorHex]

I've gone completely third party now as:
1. I'm sick and tired of the never ending redecos
2. Pricing for the new MPs are skyrocketing beyond my comfort zone for responsible hobby collecting as a family man
3. Quality control ain't what it used to be
4. I dislike the smaller scale

Back to Prime, looks decent but it would have been better if they worked on something else entirely.
This kinda makes me really concerned that they'll start reworking all the other characters already released as masterpieces... that was what really ticked me off when they dropped the scale/size with the 2nd MP Op... now there's a third version. Sheesh.

[Jazzman]

I've gone completely third party now as:
1. I'm sick and tired of the never ending redecos
2. Pricing for the new MPs are skyrocketing beyond my comfort zone for responsible hobby collecting as a family man
3. Quality control ain't what it used to be
4. I dislike the smaller scale

Back to Prime, looks decent but it would have been better if they worked on something else entirely.
This kinda makes me really concerned that they'll start reworking all the other characters already released as masterpieces... that was what really ticked me off when they dropped the scale/size with the 2nd MP Op... now there's a third version. Sheesh.

Yeah... you can smell more + versions, and v.2 or v.3 remolds... :rolleyes:

[danny-boy]

My main concern is the rising prices on mp’s if this goes over $300 I’ll have to seriously think about whether I get 2 or not

I have a bigger dilemma, I don’t know whether to buy 2 or 3. I’ve got 3 MP-36 Megatron’s so I guess I’ll be going 3 of Optimus Prime. I might be looking at a cool grand to satisfy my thirst.

[ChlorHex]

I have a bigger dilemma, I don’t know whether to buy 2 or 3. I’ve got 3 MP-36 Megatron’s so I guess I’ll be going 3 of Optimus Prime. I might be looking at a cool grand to satisfy my thirst.

woah... now that's a plastic addiction! Lol :p

[ZoonMaster5000]

I have a bigger dilemma, I don’t know whether to buy 2 or 3. I’ve got 3 MP-36 Megatron’s so I guess I’ll be going 3 of Optimus Prime. I might be looking at a cool grand to satisfy my thirst.

And here I was thinking I was committed to the cause! Guess we will just have to all wait for a proper painted preview, what’s the eta on this guy, 2019?

[philby]

Maybe they thought this would be a 'safer' option but there is already a bit of debate about the merits of this version. The time and money spent doing this could potentially have been used on other characters who haven't had one MP yet, instead of a THIRD Optimus.

The aesthetic argument will probably go on forever. How can you commit to full slavish animation accuracy above all else when the very medium is subject to so many errors and inconsistencies. I think finding a happy medium between the essence of toy and animation looks is better but hey I'm not in charge haha.

[gamblor916]

Maybe they thought this would be a 'safer' option but there is already a bit of debate about the merits of this version. The time and money spent doing this could potentially have been used on other characters who haven't had one MP yet, instead of a THIRD Optimus.

The aesthetic argument will probably go on forever. How can you commit to full slavish animation accuracy above all else when the very medium is subject to so many errors and inconsistencies. I think finding a happy medium between the essence of toy and animation looks is better but hey I'm not in charge haha.

I agree so much with this. Where are the rest of the dinobots!

[spiderken17]

I have a bigger dilemma, I don’t know whether to buy 2 or 3. I’ve got 3 MP-36 Megatron’s so I guess I’ll be going 3 of Optimus Prime. I might be looking at a cool grand to satisfy my thirst.

Not having a go but why do you have so many versions of the same figure?

[Bidoofdude]

Excited for this. Probably expensive though.

[danny-boy]

Not having a go but why do you have so many versions of the same figure?

I don’t know. Two to display in both modes. The 3rd for figures with three modes (Sunstreaker, Tracks). Megatron and Optimus V3 I’m not sure.

I’ve really felt the change in this line with Inferno, Grapple, Megatron, and Sunstreaker. These four releases are the perfect representations of these characters I grew up with. It looks like it continues with Optimus Prime.

I don’t hate MP-10 but I’ve always thought it was a strange take on Optimus Prime. I’m not saying it’s good or bad it’s just neither here nor there. It just comes across as a mish mash of different ideas and fan art.

[Lord_Zed]

Sad that I, among others, have gone the 3P route to fill our gaps. Funny that each one of those I have done so.

I hear you, but when Takara released MP10 they set a precedent for concentrating on the big names, and I think it's folly for people to just assume they are going to give us all of G1.

Look at other Japanese collector toylines and super robots etc, the main heroes get released over and over again, while you are lucky to get a mold of lesser names or villains. I don't think the MP line is any different, some of those lesser characters probably represent a bigger financial risk then a big name character would, so Takara might not consider them worth the effort and hedges their bets releasing remakes of Convoy, Megatron and Starscream.

As someone who's collected toys for several decades now, there's always a new 'better version' (or one with a hat) on the horizon, yet people are always surprised when that inevitable new version is announced. I will remind everyone of this when Convoy 4.0 is announced in a few years time. :p

[Bladestorm]

I'll gladly take another Prime to add to my collection. If sales and reissues of MP-10 are any indication he is still a popular character and good seller for Takara.

I'll wait till we have much clearer photos before I start being critical of this new figure.
I love MP-10 but I'm open to diversity in the design and engineering of a new version; Maybe they're keen to try and implement some of that in this new figure.

[drifand]

In my honest opinion, I don’t think it would have bugged anyone if they didn’t make this and focus on the remaining g1.

I think I was one of the few who was underwhelmed how mp-10 was.
And to be clear it was just mainly paint issues they didn’t get right.

As much I am not a fan of beast wars but their masterpiece is more consistent.

V3 I am not sure if they sticking to translucent yellow on the waist but I rather they did it solid yellow pieces.

[Robzy]

Well, personally I am glad they're revisiting Prime for a more cartoon accurate version. I hope they do the same with Starscream.

[Trent]

A lot of people are getting all worked up at the MP line right now. The diversification into both Beast Wars and Movie Masterpiece over the last few years has put a bee in the bonnet of many G1 fans who had dreams of seeing a completed Season 1/2 cast due to the previous high pace of releases. Add to this the slow down in the release of new G1 characters, the myriad of repaints the line throws at us and the lack of any information or clarity about where the line is headed and this new Optimus is just another frustration on top of many.

I was initially in the “Don’t want it, don’t need it” camp, but the more I look at it and also consider that MP-10 was released in 2011, I find myself starting to look forward to this new version. I mean, 7-8 years between Optimus Primes isn’t too bad. Go ask a Soul of Chogokin collector to tell you about Mazinger-Z.



Well, personally I am glad they're revisiting Prime for a more cartoon accurate version. I hope they do the same with Starscream.

Despite what I said above I will spit the dummy if they announce a new seeker mould. I’m 6 deep in the MP-11 mould and do not want to start all over again.

...I’m not saying that MP-11 isn’t out of date and Starscream and co couldn’t greatly benefit from a new figure, just from a financial and perceived value standpoint, I’m gonna be pissed :p

[drifand]

Oh dont start about the Mazinger crap, not sure how many Bandai releases each year and we only get like ONE new chogokin or lucky two.

Optimus V3 looks okay, I just think is not that important.

[doublespy]

Didn't think a 3.0 was needed until I got MP-36 in hand. MP-10 looks dated and aesthetically out of place next to Megs. Personally am very glad they're doing a new one.

Very happy with where the MP line is headed now.

[Robzy]

Despite what I said above I will spit the dummy if they announce a new seeker mould. I’m 6 deep in the MP-11 mould and do not want to start all over again.

Haha yeah, I totally get that. It's one of the reasons I haven't bought all of the Seekers so far. I just don't like the design at all, but love Starscream as a character. It's sad when third party versions looks amazing by comparison.

[drifand]

Didn't think a 3.0 was needed until I got MP-36 in hand. MP-10 looks dated and aesthetically out of place next to Megs. Personally am very glad they're doing a new one.

Very happy with where the MP line is headed now.

You mean you are happy that we continue to get repaints and a tuneup version each year instead of new characters?

[doublespy]

You mean you are happy that we continue to get repaints and a tuneup version each year instead of new characters?

The last couple of years we’ve had lots of new molds each year, just not all g1. This year’s slowed down a bit but if you really count there are three new molds; two BWs and one movie. I don’t care for/collect repaints.

If you mean the more cartoon accurate aesthetics they’re going for. Hell yeah.

[UltraMarginal]

Maybe they thought this would be a 'safer' option but there is already a bit of debate about the merits of this version. The time and money spent doing this could potentially have been used on other characters who haven't had one MP yet, instead of a THIRD Optimus.

The aesthetic argument will probably go on forever. How can you commit to full slavish animation accuracy above all else when the very medium is subject to so many errors and inconsistencies. I think finding a happy medium between the essence of toy and animation looks is better but hey I'm not in charge haha.

I totally agree.

[Tober]

Magazine photos:

https://www.facebook.com/DaimChocReports/posts/675674192783011

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1838/41127932860_17cd6f3832_b.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1793/28069411097_c899cc2295_b.jpg

[Ralph Wiggum]

Hmm...looks like the entire chest is a faux part, not just the grill anymore.

Cartoon detail right down to the wire, not sure how I feel about that.

[bowspearer]

Notice the rifle folds up for storage as well.

[Shirokaze]

It looks okay I suppose. As a sucker, I will probably buy it at least twice :rolleyes:

[DELTAprime]

Ok Takara, take my money....

[Omega Metro]

If it’s very cartoony in colour/looks, I might just get this for my MP display. Will wait on better pics.

[FruitBuyer]

Okay, once again Takara surprise me, v3 definitely looks better than I originally thought he would.

[Jazzman]

Yeah, it looks ok, but I'm still not thrilled with the panel lines...

[kovert]

It will most likely have a complex transformation, so it will probably be priced higher than MP-10. For an interpretation of the animated version of Convoy/Prime, it looks great.

[SharkyMcShark]

The hardest of hard passes.

Is there a real truck piece on that robot mode, anywhere, aside from the stacks?

[Robzy]

Love it.

[High_Q]

Is there a real truck piece on that robot mode, anywhere, aside from the stacks?

:) Seems like with version 3, TT has a more animation model accurate bot mode but sacrificed animation accurate transformation in the process.

[MayzaPrime]

:) Seems like with version 3, TT has a more animation model accurate bot mode but sacrificed animation accurate transformation in the process.

So will we get version 4 that is 100% accurate for the 40th anniversary :D;)

[Ralph Wiggum]

Well...to be fair neither MP1 nor MP10 were 100% animation accurate in transformation, but clearly V3 has thrown it out the door.

The more I look at it the more I like, and I’m sure the final coloured pics will make it even more appealing.

If anything, I might get this simply to display alongside the previous versions to show the evolution of the series.

[UltraMarginal]

I guess I'm whelmed.

I am surprised, given the amount of hate a deluxe like generations ironhide/ratchet received for transformation panel lines that hardly anyone has even appeared to flinch at this.

the same goes for the level of complexity of recent Masterpiece moulds, when the comparative simplicity of the lambos and datsuns was praised as the greatest development in the line since it started.

[Tober]

I guess I'm whelmed.

I am surprised, given the amount of hate a deluxe like generations ironhide/ratchet received for transformation panel lines that hardly anyone has even appeared to flinch at this.

the same goes for the level of complexity of recent Masterpiece moulds, when the comparative simplicity of the lambos and datsuns was praised as the greatest development in the line since it started.

I don't mind complex transformations where it's necessary.

But yeah, simplicity is not a design fault, it's the result of refinement. MP Laserwave is one of my favorite MPs so far.

[DELTAprime]

I don't mind complex transformations where it's necessary.

But yeah, simplicity is not a design fault, it's the result of refinement. MP Laserwave is one of my favorite MPs so far.

Yeah I hate a lot of movieverse and similar era toys that seemed to be complex for complexities sake. It's fine to be complex when needed, but simplicity is something I prefer to a large degree.

[UltraMarginal]

I like both, simplicity and complexity, especially if it's elegant.

I thought I really liked the Inferno/Grapple mould but I transformed Grapple back to truck mode last night and found it more fiddly than I expected. a lot of the vehicle mode seems to just hold itself together.

[SharkyMcShark]

I guess I'm whelmed.

I am surprised, given the amount of hate a deluxe like generations ironhide/ratchet received for transformation panel lines that hardly anyone has even appeared to flinch at this.

the same goes for the level of complexity of recent Masterpiece moulds, when the comparative simplicity of the lambos and datsuns was praised as the greatest development in the line since it started.

I was reading the thread on TFW at lunch and there seems to be a lot more consternation about that there than on here.

[drifand]

I think the gun could be a bit beefier but overall this beats the 3P one that is also making an mp optimus.

waiting on colour and price.

[DELTAprime]

I was reading the thread on TFW at lunch and there seems to be a lot more consternation about that there than on here.

I'm not convinced all the panel lines are transformation based but could just be mould detail. That's why I'm not getting bent out of shape over it.

[Magnus]

:) Seems like with version 3, TT has a more animation model accurate bot mode but sacrificed animation accurate transformation in the process.


Well...to be fair neither MP1 nor MP10 were 100% animation accurate in transformation, but clearly V3 has thrown it out the door.


I don't mind complex transformations where it's necessary.

But yeah, simplicity is not a design fault, it's the result of refinement. MP Laserwave is one of my favorite MPs so far.

Nearly all Masterpieces lack animation-accurate transformations in order to get better robot mode proportions or articulation. It's really because the Floro Dery character models are simple for the sake of ease of drawing, and they didn't have to be physical objects that could actually transform. Now that TakaraTOMY seem dedicated to the maximum possible degree of fidelity to those models, the engineers have to design all these extra steps in order to get a realistic vehicle to turn into something that wasn't designed to transform.

I'd say the most accurate ones in terms of transformation are the seeker mould, Grimlock, the Datsun mould, Shockwave, and Inferno/Grapple, and all of those have extra twists and turns. In particular, Shockwave had the advantage of having an animation model that was very faithful to the original toy, so its transformation could be very close to the original toy and animation. It needed extra steps to give it thicker legs and to incorporate the muzzle of the gun, though.

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

High res scan of Figure King No. 245 (https://www.facebook.com/loopaza/posts/1883640831697423):

https://i.imgur.com/C3lThcy.jpg

[loophole]

I like it better than the 2.0 doesn't look short amd stumpy

[Trent]

They’re really going for that ‘86 movie headsculpt aren’t they?

[Bladestorm]

Looking at this image the whole chest area of Optimus (windows + grill) are different to the vehicle mode windows and grill. Does this mean his whole torso is folded in to bring out the truck bits?

I don't mind if that's the case I suppose since it happens with some of his other figures. Just curious how much of the truck is actually visible in his robot body.

I'm wondering if the extra lines on the current images are just part of the engineering of the initial model rather than the final version of the toy.
It will be interesting to see if/how that evolves when the next set of imagery is released.

[drifand]

All looks okay but I am afraid to ask, how’s the rear looks like?

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

Dengeki Hobby is reporting a 2019 release and that the figure will also include a voice gimmick:

http://hobby.dengeki.com/news/585258/

https://i.imgur.com/FXFHRei.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/7f9DzaE.jpg

[drifand]

nick pick on the waist body rear is not uniformed blend in

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

I'm probably in the minority but I would prefer if the Masterpiece line was rebooted back to the MP1 scale. There's heft to MP1 Convoy figure that's lacking from the MP10 version. Add some improved articulation for better action poses. That would be a wallet / purse / man bag / shove it down your jocks (if that's your thing) destroying direction.

MP-1 is too small, MP-10 oversized to 71cm and chock full of diecast is where it's at!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHNKCODov04

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Dengeki Hobby is reporting a 2019 release and that the figure will also include a voice gimmick:

http://hobby.dengeki.com/news/585258/


He will have Japanese Optimus Voice in him.

It makes me wonder why they bother with the trailer, I mean I know he always had the trailer in the cartoon, but it only Transformed once (and was quickly blown up) and will make the cost sky high. Curoious to see how the trailer will look. Also, a bit sad that (failing in the cartoon accuracy here) that the trailer wheels re not just long tubes underneath.:p
http://www.bradycarlson.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/transformerss1e2-11-1024x576.jpg

[Magnus]

It makes me wonder why they bother with the trailer, I mean I know he always had the trailer in the cartoon, but it only Transformed once (and was quickly blown up) and will make the cost sky high. Curoious to see how the trailer will look. Also, a bit sad that (failing in the cartoon accuracy here) that the trailer wheels re not just long tubes underneath.:p
http://www.bradycarlson.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/transformerss1e2-11-1024x576.jpg

Optimus wouldn't be complete without the trailer. People would complain if what was meant to be the definitive G1 Optimus Prime didn't come with a trailer.

Speaking of which, the trailer seems to have been reworked, judging by the photo of the vehicle mode. No idea if it's totally new or just substantially remoulded. Either way, it's hard to imagine the trailer being really complex, so it may not be contributing that much to the total cost of the figure - unless the sound chip with the voice recordings is in the trailer.

[drifand]

Optimus wouldn't be complete without the trailer. People would complain if what was meant to be the definitive G1 Optimus Prime didn't come with a trailer.

Speaking of which, the trailer seems to have been reworked, judging by the photo of the vehicle mode. No idea if it's totally new or just substantially remoulded. Either way, it's hard to imagine the trailer being really complex, so it may not be contributing that much to the total cost of the figure - unless the sound chip with the voice recordings is in the trailer.

Urm so why have Magnus without the trailer? I thought Magnus never go without the trailer armour on either but yet we have toys of white Optimus?

[hYpNoS]

Urm so why have Magnus without the trailer? I thought Magnus never go without the trailer armour on either but yet we have toys of white Optimus?
White prime is toy accurate, for show accuracy he needs a trailer, in short cheap mold reuse if its just a white prime

[Bemblebuu]

I wonder how many more MP Optimus Prime's will be released by the time I croak...

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

http://www.taghobby.com/archives/299462

https://i.imgur.com/wQc4j0S.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/xIPOm8l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/CpdgNkF.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/Z6Or2sN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IqDJgp8.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/fnJFb3t.jpg

[Bumbleb33]

I am just not sold on OPv3 I honestly prefer MP10s bulk...

[Ralph Wiggum]

Interesting how they can do a full colour reveal with Hound, yet Optimus still remains in prototype grey.

[drifand]

Probably because hound was ready long ago just poor marketing or hoping to get at Fantoys to reissue theirs and hit them.

[Ralph Wiggum]

There's a colour digibash on the TFW2005 forums and it looks oh-so beautiful in full colour. Might even sway me to purchase.

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/35th-anniversary-optimus-prime.1143396/page-341#post-16000533

[philby]

some of those pics make me want it even less than i already did :/

[Robzy]

I love it. Great design.

[Jazzman]

I'm sure I'll probably still grab him, but there's something a little off about the back pack and shoulders. The rest looks great.

[ZoonMaster5000]

Well considering I was expecting his back to be a bit messy like megatron I think they’ve done a great job. I’m expecting this to price around the same as megs or even a bit higher.

[UltraMarginal]

are the arms a little long, and dare I say it Monkeyish?

[MV75]

Can getting worse be a thing? Apparently it can. Truck mode cab still blows. Thought it would have an interior by now.

[hYpNoS]

It looks like the primary focus was on the robot mode, I like how those shoulders can be pushed in to be flush or extended like mp10 can but they're kinda ugly now.

And the truck mode, ok the rear of the truck on mp10 was his legs, now its the legs and obvious robot mode kibble, are they gonna paint both sides 2 different colors?

Maybe its because I have mp01 and mp10 in hand but they're gonna have to try harder to sell this to me

[danny-boy]

are the arms a little long, and dare I say it Monkeyish?

You sure you’re not looking at MP-10? Now there’s some gorilla arms if I’ve ever seen them. They almost touch his knees.

[Galvatran]

Can getting worse be a thing? Apparently it can. Truck mode cab still blows. Thought it would have an interior by now.
They are saving it for version 4.0 :D

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

From Figure King No. 247 (https://www.facebook.com/loopaza/photos/pcb.1988360254558813/1988359987892173/?type=3&theater):

https://i.imgur.com/gKIkHyr.jpg

[Galvatran]

Hound is painted yet Optimus 3.0 still ain't. :rolleyes:

[Jetfire in the sky]

Looks like he's been backpacked. It looks like the fuel tanks for Alt mode have been put behind his shoulders. Still look great from the front, very thick chest and back area now though.

[bowspearer]

Looks like he's been backpacked. It looks like the fuel tanks for Alt mode have been put behind his shoulders. Still look great from the front, very thick chest and back area now though.

Actually that is cartoon accurate. The only issues are that the fuel tanks are slightly too small on this figure and that the backpack doesn't taper into the back of the hips: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0FxMhJ-y8q0/TaqF3qfMUmI/AAAAAAAAAow/gPnh-0Wm3WI/s1600/TITLE.jpg

However my guess is that the decision was made not to taper in the backpack for the sake of articulation.

[GoktimusPrime]

Looks amazing. The level of slavish cartoon accuracy with such a streamlined body and the level of poseability is insane in the membrane. Lots of gaps and panel lines, which is to be expected, and it will no doubt look better in colour.

Not something that I would personally buy, but it does look very nice.

[DELTAprime]

Come on Takara, show us a painted prototype so I can get even more excited... Until I see the price tag.

[drifand]

the colour can make or break this piece. I think I prefer this over the Mp-10 design, but is still early days.

[Galvatran]

the colour can make or break this piece.
Unless it's GPS, it's more than likely to be heavy handedness that would break this guy.

[GoktimusPrime]

Unless it's GPS, it's more than likely to be heavy handedness that would break this guy.
GPS isn't so much the colour but a composition that's typically found in a type of metallic swirly plastic that's prone to weakness. It can happen in non-gold plastics (e.g. the blue plastics on Darth Vader/TIE Advanced and brown plastic on Transmetal Megatron), and there are some other gold coloured toys which doesn't suffer from this problem (e.g. Goldbug)

[FruitBuyer]

Come on Takara, show us a painted prototype so I can get even more excited... Until I see the price tag.

What? You don't think paying $400 for him is strange?

[GoktimusPrime]

What? You don't think paying $400 for him is strange?
It depends on whether or not the level of engineering justifies the cost or not. For example, MP36's RRP is about twice that of MP5's but the level of engineering on that toy is also twice as good so most people consider it worth paying. Same with MP Sunstreaker, also about twice the price of MP Lambor but a whole new level on design. $400 will make it $100+ dearer than MP10, but again, the higher tech level may justify the price.

I'm not personally planning on buying this toy, but I'm not going to immediately dismiss it as "overpriced" without having seen the toy. Paying $400 for the ultimate MP Convoy is probably easier to justify than paying $35 for any of the current Cyberverse figures (in terms of bang for your buck).

[Lord_Zed]

He's looking pretty good, using words like 'ultimate' might be too much, but like MP 10 before him, he certainly adds interesting changes to the design, which is enough to make it worth doing another Convoy, more so compared to the likes of Starscream who just had minor retools to the old mold.



I'm not personally planning on buying this toy, but I'm not going to immediately dismiss it as "overpriced" without having seen the toy. Paying $400 for the ultimate MP Convoy is probably easier to justify than paying $35 for any of the current Cyberverse figures (in terms of bang for your buck).

+1

I agree when you consider the engineering and parts count going into most mainline Transformers at the moment, and you look at the newest MP's you can see where the money is going.

I'm not saying that the cost is justified, just that if you look at Transformer toys a a whole we are paying more for parts and engineering across the line than we have in the past.

[drifand]

Is this price confirm?

Like I said, if this is done painted like what sun streaker is. I have no major issues except is mainly plastic and it should not be that high of a price.

[Galvatran]

Is this price confirm?

Like I said, if this is done painted like what sun streaker is. I have no major issues except is mainly plastic and it should not be that high of a price.
I'm going to regret asking but what the heck...

If Convoy/Optimus Prime shouldn't be mainly plastic then what material(s) should it be mainly?

[Trent]

I'm going to regret asking but what the heck...

If Convoy/Optimus Prime shouldn't be mainly plastic then what material(s) should it be mainly?

He thinks painted die cast is better than painted plastic and that he can tell the difference by looking at it.

[DELTAprime]

Ah yes, the die cast argument.:rolleyes:

Die cast wasn't used in G1 because it was a "better" material. It was used because it was cheaper than plastic. How economics have changed.

[drifand]

Before this become a bad ugly thread. I have my own reservations on thoughts of a toy which is totally made up of plastic and costing $400.

You can have your own opinion about the engineering etc involved, that’s your take on it.

If you enjoy paying $400 for a full plastic bot be my guess. I am happy for you.

FYI I don’t care about the diecast for mp at this point. But the paint should not be budgeted. If you feel my standards are too high for a mp, I suggest you should look at other brands producing at the same price range.

This is why I I don’t sell my mp-1 but no hesitation to get rid of the mp-10.

$400 is 32,000jpy, if that’s not expensive btw I have spent everything on my other toys at below this amount.

[Bemblebuu]

One major issue for me with Masterpiece figures: KO versions are cheaper and sometimes better. Hasbro/ Takara need to go 'all out' on their top of the line figures; whether it be paint, die-cast, or whatever.

Justify the price with quality, not just because your fans will eat up anything you put out.

[drifand]

One major issue for me with Masterpiece figures: KO versions are cheaper and sometimes better. Hasbro/ Takara need to go 'all out' on their top of the line figures; whether it be paint, die-cast, or whatever.

Justify the price with quality, not just because your fans will eat up anything you put out.

Exactly this.
Look at dinobot with the shoulder issue. And the price people pay for it.
If the quality stands out, I have no issues with material used or prices being high.

[GoktimusPrime]

He thinks painted die cast is better than painted plastic and that he can tell the difference by looking at it.
:/ It depends on what the die-cast is used for, but die-cast would obviously increase the cost of the toy and MPs are expensive enough as they are. The funny thing is that the reason why early G1 toys had die-cast parts was because it was cheaper than plastic. Then in 1986 they switched to plastic as it had become cheaper than die-cast metal.

I think that there are pros and cons with plastic vs metal, and it obviously depends on how the materials are used. But the fact is that metal is dearer than plastic and if you want these toys to be metal then it's going to cost you. Sure, MP1 had die-cast metal, but it also had fewer parts/components than MP10 and probably fewer than this new MP Convoy too. For one thing, it was only the cab-robot, no trailer or Roller car. MP4 gave us a trailer but it wasn't at the same level of engineering as MP10's, and still no Roller. And it was considerably more expensive than MP1.

[drifand]

Not as if the mp line is getting cheaper regardless of material nor even paint. So it isn’t adding up correctly.

I am afraid is just pure fandom fueling it’s okay to pay such prices are actually what’s pushing it.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I’m guessing the $400 price estimate being thrown around is based on what Megatron cost, plus accessories like the trailer.

For that amount I’d want to see a considerable amount of paintwork; all the fantastic engineering would be wasted if the figure looks like cheap plastic. I continue to be impressed with every new image and really look forward to the final product.

[millhouse]

If lights and sounds can be cut from the MP figures, I'd welcome it. Anything reasonable that can bring some costs down to the line at this point would be great.

[DELTAprime]

The sound feature is meaningless to me on the MP releases since they use the Japanese voice actors. If they could make a version of Optimus 3.0 with Peter Cullen then I'd actually be hyped for that feature.

[Galvatran]

:/ It depends on what the die-cast is used for, but die-cast would obviously increase the cost of the toy and MPs are expensive enough as they are. The funny thing is that the reason why early G1 toys had die-cast parts was because it was cheaper than plastic. Then in 1986 they switched to plastic as it had become cheaper than die-cast metal.
*snip*

^ DELTAprime already mentioned that ... only a few posts before yours.

Ah yes, the die cast argument.:rolleyes:

Die cast wasn't used in G1 because it was a "better" material. It was used because it was cheaper than plastic. How economics have changed.

[DaptoDog]

Who knows what it will cost, I'm going to wait for official confirmation. But I think it's going to be less than $400. A few reasons for this, firstly it's their highest volume selling character notwithstanding its prior versions. Second, it has ongoing repaint potential. For these reasons I don't think it is comparable to BW Dinobot and BW Megatron.

What kills us though is the weak $A against the ¥ and US$. Anything in ¥ is now costing 15-20% more than it did a couple years ago with the earlier MPs. And that is before the new GST (unless you order from somewhere that is not charging it).

[GoktimusPrime]

^ DELTAprime already mentioned that ... only a few posts before yours.
He's been on my block list so I can't see anything that he posts.

[Trent]

The sound feature is meaningless to me on the MP releases since they use the Japanese voice actors. If they could make a version of Optimus 3.0 with Peter Cullen then I'd actually be hyped for that feature.

This.


Who knows what it will cost, I'm going to wait for official confirmation. But I think it's going to be less than $400. A few reasons for this, firstly it's their highest volume selling character notwithstanding its prior versions. Second, it has ongoing repaint potential. For these reasons I don't think it is comparable to BW Dinobot and BW Megatron.

What kills us though is the weak $A against the ¥ and US$. Anything in ¥ is now costing 15-20% more than it did a couple years ago with the earlier MPs. And that is before the new GST (unless you order from somewhere that is not charging it).

Yep. All we have at this stage is a lot of angry speculation


One major issue for me with Masterpiece figures: KO versions are cheaper and sometimes better. Hasbro/ Takara need to go 'all out' on their top of the line figures; whether it be paint, die-cast, or whatever.

Justify the price with quality, not just because your fans will eat up anything you put out.

Comparing the cost of an official figure to a KO conveniently leaves out the literal hundreds of man hours that go into the design and development of a figure. Those guys don’t work for free.

[Bemblebuu]

Comparing the cost of an official figure to a KO conveniently leaves out the literal hundreds of man hours that go into the design and development of a figure. Those guys don’t work for free.

The point was that KO's sometimes are better quality figures.

Justify high prices with the end product. Saying that high prices are justified because you have to consider how much time went into development and design, holds no weight if the end product is a shiny turd.

[drifand]

In simple terms if you ask me to pay $400 for a figure and you give a $100 quality figure I feel let down because thats where KO does it as good easily because they can equal the quality.

You paid so much for Engineering and design, why not add the bit extra effort to ensure we get at least a >$250 quality figure? I am someone who is willing to pay for quality not just because he is Optimus.

For me if it is at least Sun Streaker's finish, I am okay. The so call my wish of Diecast , rubber tyres , etc are actually a wishful thinking, and I know is basically out of the question.

The last thing you want is a KO that outshines your product. Thats where I am at.

[GoktimusPrime]

The point was that KO's sometimes are better quality figures.

Justify high prices with the end product. Saying that high prices are justified because you have to consider how much time went into development and design, holds no weight if the end product is a shiny turd.
Do the ends justify the means? How do you morally justify counterfeits made by thieves?

[drifand]

Do the ends justify the means? How do you morally justify counterfeits made by thieves?

Same thing, how do you feel providing a bad product charging an arm for it?
Is is ethical? Do you feel mp dinobot should have been recalled?

[Tober]

It is a violation of forum rules to discuss KOs. Please refrain from doing so, weather you believe you have a valid point or not.

[FruitBuyer]

In other news I look forward to the plethora of repaints that MP-10 went through.
Takara
Hasbro
Nemesis
Ultra Magnus
Shattered Glass
YotH (unlikely)
Evangelion
Various BAPE
Golden Lagoon (unlikely)

Any I miss?

[Tober]

In other news I look forward to the plethora of repaints that MP-10 went through.
Takara
Hasbro
Nemesis
Ultra Magnus
Shattered Glass
YotH (unlikely)
Evangelion
Various BAPE
Golden Lagoon (unlikely)

Any I miss?

711 Inconvenience Store Convoy.

[FruitBuyer]

Should clarify that was the Ultra Magnus I was referring to.

[Galvatran]

It is a violation of forum rules to discuss KOs. Please refrain from doing so, weather you believe you have a valid point or not.
C'mon Tober. If you're going to come down hard on members at least do it with panache. Swing that banhammer as though you are Thor. :D

[griffin]

Do the ends justify the means? How do you morally justify counterfeits made by thieves?

Since this matter was reported by one of the members (which was the right thing to do for the staff to review the matter), I wanted to respond to it in regards to the board's rules.

The individual isn't telling people to buy KOs (which is against the rules here), so, the posts were not a promotion of them.
It was a very small comment about KOs that was actually using them as a way to highlight a negative element of the legit toys (over-pricing for poor QC). There is no other objective way to do that, as any other toy or toyline would be apples to oranges. The point raised here was that IF an exact version of a toy can be done cheaper (setting aside development costs) and yet sometimes have better QC, why can't the legit version have better QC.

Also, if we don't have moderate, constructive discussions or comments on how they relate/compare/differ from the legal toys (that doesn't advocate fans to buy them), we would be oblivious to why they appeal to some people, and it would be difficult to debate/contest their pros from a position of being in the dark about them.

It's just unfortunate that we've had such a bad run of quality issues with Masterpiece toys, that we are expecting future toys to have something wrong with them... and distract ourselves from the actual news in these topics by debating it before it even exists.
As such... back to talking about what we do know about this toy.

[graza78]

I would'nt have a problem picking this up, even at $400+, as long as Takara would stand by their product. Problem is, they wash their hands once their figures go into mass production.

Missing a piece or broken shoulder? Good luck contacting Takara to get a replacment part (Hasbro Australia is just as bad, they just tell you to take it back and get a refund). There is no afterservice care, and they never acknowledge there is a problem (look at Dinobot lol).

Compare this to some 3rd Party companies nowadays (Fanstoys ect) who stand by their product and ship out parts on request.

Takara should have the highest standards, but they fall very short nowadays because once they have your money they don't care.

[GoktimusPrime]

Missing a piece or broken shoulder? Good luck contacting Takara to get a replacment part (Hasbro Australia is just as bad, they just tell you to take it back and get a refund). There is no afterservice care, and they never acknowledge there is a problem (look at Dinobot lol).
You've had issues with TakaraTOMY's customer care? :eek: Because I've always found their customer care to be par excellence.

I've had 2 MPs that had QC issues and both times the issue was promptly resolved by Takara(TOMY)'s customer care:

1/ My MP1 came missing a small ladder panel for the truck mode. When I contacted Takara they were extremely apologetic and promptly sent me replacement parts via express courier. They also included free bonus Transformers merchandise for my trouble.

2/ My MP Rumble came with 2 of the same side piledriver. When I contacted TakaraTOMY they sent me replacement piledrivers with a printed letter of apology.

How did Takara(TOMY) respond to your issues? :confused:

[DELTAprime]

You've had issues with TakaraTOMY's customer care? :eek: Because I've always found their customer care to be par excellence.

The vast majority of us don't speak Japanese so we can't contact Takara at all. So we have zero chance if we have a Takara QC issue of sorting it if the retailer is not willing/able to help.

[griffin]

The vast majority of us don't speak Japanese so we can't contact Takara at all. So we have zero chance if we have a Takara QC issue of sorting it if the retailer is not willing/able to help.


That is true, as I had a defective toy from RK once, and they didn't want to have anything to do with it or me, as they have no obligation to.... and even if TT dealt with customers outside of Japan, people have to remember that there is a language barrier in addition to the geographical barrier.

[DaptoDog]

The vast majority of us don't speak Japanese so we can't contact Takara at all. So we have zero chance if we have a Takara QC issue of sorting it if the retailer is not willing/able to help.

No point replying since you're on his block list.


That is true, as I had a defective toy from RK once, and they didn't want to have anything to do with it or me, as they have no obligation to.... and even if TT dealt with customers outside of Japan, people have to remember that there is a language barrier in addition to the geographical barrier.

Oh wait, that's how you beat the block, just get quoted by someone else.

[Galvatran]

No point replying since you're on his block list.

Oh wait, that's how you beat the block, just get quoted by someone else.
:D Sh!t stirrer :D



That is true, as I had a defective toy from RK once, *snip*
That ol' chestnut popping up again hey...

[DELTAprime]

No point replying since you're on his block list.



Oh wait, that's how you beat the block, just get quoted by someone else.

Whatever the issue is it will blow over.;)

Then he'll read my reply.

[GoktimusPrime]

That is true, as I had a defective toy from RK once, and they didn't want to have anything to do with it or me, as they have no obligation to.... and even if TT dealt with customers outside of Japan, people have to remember that there is a language barrier in addition to the geographical barrier.
The existence of a language barrier, while unfortunate, isn't something that you can blame TakaraTOMY customer care for. They are based in Japan so obviously they're going to operate in Japanese, just as Hasbro Australia operates in English. And if Hasbro were to offer a similar level of care I don't think it would be reasonable to criticise them for not making that care available in other languages.

The issue that you would've had was that you ordered your toy from a store outside of Japan (RK = Hong Kong) and thus outside of TakaraTOMY's jurisdiction for customer care. In these cases you need to contact the store and demand an exchange or refund. My Combiner Wars Ultra Magnus came from RK and was missing a wheel so RK was contacted and provided a replacement wheel.

It was... wheelie good. :p

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

You've had issues with TakaraTOMY's customer care? :eek: Because I've always found their customer care to be par excellence.

I've had 2 MPs that had QC issues and both times the issue was promptly resolved by Takara(TOMY)'s customer care:

1/ My MP1 came missing a small ladder panel for the truck mode. When I contacted Takara they were extremely apologetic and promptly sent me replacement parts via express courier. They also included free bonus Transformers merchandise for my trouble.

2/ My MP Rumble came with 2 of the same side piledriver. When I contacted TakaraTOMY they sent me replacement piledrivers with a printed letter of apology.

How did Takara(TOMY) respond to your issues? :confused:

You can laud their CS all you want, but in the case of Dinobot (http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/takaratomy-masterpiece-dinobot.1099935/page-662#post-16037569), they're not doing anything:


Contacted my seller (HLJ) about the shoulder ratchet issue and they said Takara was unable to provide replacement parts. Fixed them myself and was given a partial refund from HLJ.

Notice it was HLJ that had to cough up the partial refund, while TT can walk away without any consequence.

We can condemn KO's as thievery, but when it comes to thievery by legitimate companies, then it's all good!

[GoktimusPrime]

Notice it was HLJ that had to cough up the partial refund, while TT can walk away without any consequence.
Contacting a retailer for recompense instead of the manufacturer is fairly standard practice. Like if I buy a toy locally and it's defective, I bring it back to where I bought it from for an exchange or refund rather than contact Hasbro directly. Whenever I've contacted TakaraTOMY for assistance, they've advised me to bring the toy back to the store but I told them that while the toy was purchased in a Japanese store, I was in Australia and therefore not in a position to physically bring the toy back. After explaining this TakaraTOMY happily sent me replacement parts both times.

I'd be curious to know why TakaraTOMY were unable to supply replacement parts to HLJ, but this is why I usually just skip the middle man and go straight to TakaraTOMY themselves when it comes to toys purchased from Japan.


We can condemn KO's as thievery, but when it comes to thievery by legitimate companies, then it's all good!
While not good, providing unsatisfactory service isn't the same as stealing from someone (2 wrongs don't make a right!) :eek: And at the end of the day, if you're still unsatisfied with the outcome you can still contact the ACCC, because all Australian consumers are protected by Australian consumer laws even when purchasing products from other countries. Because if TakaraTOMY hadn't provided me with replacement parts, you can bet that I would've taken it further. But personally their service has always been great for me. I've yet to hear a story of anyone directly contacting TakaraTOMY and getting poor service from them, although I agree that not supplying HLJ with spare parts for MP Dinobot is poor form. I would advise that consumer to see if s/he can contact TakaraTOMY's customer call centre directly for assistance - bypass the middle man. Even if this consumer is unable to speak Japanese and doesn't have any Japanese-speaking friends to help them, they could post an English draft and ask any Japanese speaking fans to translate it and submit it via text to TakaraTOMY's customer support online form (https://www.takaratomy.co.jp/support/privacypolicy.html).

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

I'd be curious to know why TakaraTOMY were unable to supply replacement parts to HLJ, but this is why I usually just skip the middle man and go straight to TakaraTOMY themselves when it comes to toys purchased from Japan.

While not good, providing unsatisfactory service isn't the same as stealing from someone (2 wrongs don't make a right!) :eek:

I'm not saying poor form on Takara's part justifies KOs, but putting out a faulty product and not offering after-service is at the very least questionable, and at the very worst thievery.

KOs are only relevant because the officials have fallen, whereas the KOs are improving and even exceeding in quality. This is not unique to TFs, my sister was telling me that one of the luxury handbag brands ended up using the same factory as the KOs because the quality was better.

Takara needs to be held accountable for faulty products, whether that's by improving QC, or providing adequate after-service of parts -- particularly if done through retailers. If a KO company like Wei Jiang can offer after-service through specific retailers (https://www.facebook.com/weijiangtoys/photos/a.869264476596176/916413021881321/?type=3&theater), Takara should be able to do the same.

Something like missing wheels or ladders or wrong pile drivers are pretty easy to address, but things like shoddy chrome (Hot Rod, Ironhide), paint flaking during transformation (Ratchet, Megatron, all the BW figures), mis-assembly and misalignment of parts (Ratchet/Ironhide, Ramjet), are harder to fix.

In the case of Dinobot, the shoulder problem seems in part due to poor design (and possibly material choice). That would explain why Takara is unwilling to offer parts because they're only going to break again.

[DaptoDog]

In other news I look forward to the plethora of repaints that MP-10 went through.
Takara
Hasbro
Nemesis
Ultra Magnus
Shattered Glass
YotH (unlikely)
Evangelion
Various BAPE
Golden Lagoon (unlikely)

Any I miss?

Ok I'll take a turn in trying to refocus this discussion back to V3 Optimus.

I know I did mention V3's repaint potentiaI. I'm all for repaints but I wonder what the appetite would be for all of these variants to be done again? Once I get Golden Lagoon Optimus I'll have every one of these except the elusive Green BAPE. I couldn't imagine doing it again! Would be worse than having to rebuy all the seekers once the inevitable V3 Starscream is announced! :p

[GoktimusPrime]

Something like missing wheels or ladders or wrong pile drivers are pretty easy to address, but things like shoddy chrome (Hot Rod, Ironhide), paint flaking during transformation (Ratchet, Megatron, all the BW figures), mis-assembly and misalignment of parts (Ratchet/Ironhide, Ramjet), are harder to fix.

In the case of Dinobot, the shoulder problem seems in part due to poor design (and possibly material choice). That would explain why Takara is unwilling to offer parts because they're only going to break again.
Ah, right. I see your point. Yeah, it's pretty disappointing when stuff like this happens. I still cannot believe how woeful Encore God Fire Convoy (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=25418) is. And I totally agree that when it comes to high end price toys like MPs, they really should be doing a better job.

I suppose the best way to let TakaraTOMY know about this is through the online survey... but unfortunately they've geoblocked it (groan) so none of us can access it unless we happen to be in Japan or have a VPN. I haven't been able to access the online survey since April 2017 when I got MP36 and MP Grapple while in Tokyo. :/ I personally did contact TakaraTOMY and suggested to them that they remove the geoblocking on the survey, but they've obviously decided not to take that suggestion. :(

P.S.: If people are able to access it and are finding new questions that I haven't translated yet, feel free to post screen shots here (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=201) and I (or any of the other Japanese-speaking members here) will get around to translating it. :)

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Ok I'll take a turn in trying to refocus this discussion back to V3 Optimus.

I know I did mention V3's repaint potentiaI. I'm all for repaints but I wonder what the appetite would be for all of these variants to be done again? Once I get Golden Lagoon Optimus I'll have every one of these except the elusive Green BAPE. I couldn't imagine doing it again! Would be worse than having to rebuy all the seekers once the inevitable V3 Starscream is announced! :pMaybe what they could do is do variants on the previous niche repaints.
Paint it in silver instead of gold and you have Hate-Plague Protected Optimus Prime.
MP10-version Ultra Magnus hasn't been done, so why not replace Black/Nemesis Prime with white/Best Friends Forever Optimus Prime! Or alternately, make it all black (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46kXH6GGtT0).
Instead of 7-11 Optimus Prime, they could do a Family Mart one instead.
BAPE has been done, so maybe Angelic Pretty next time.
Instead of Evangelion deco Prime, Death Note Prime. Or better yet, combine 2 renowned unpleasant fanbases and make it Love Live! Prime.

:D :p

[FruitBuyer]

Maybe what they could do is do variants on the previous niche repaints.
Paint it in silver instead of gold and you have Hate-Plague Protected Optimus Prime.
MP10-version Ultra Magnus hasn't been done, so why not replace Black/Nemesis Prime with white/Best Friends Forever Optimus Prime! Or alternately, make it all black (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46kXH6GGtT0).
Instead of 7-11 Optimus Prime, they could do a Family Mart one instead.
BAPE has been done, so maybe Angelic Pretty next time.
Instead of Evangelion deco Prime, Death Note Prime. Or better yet, combine 2 renowned unpleasant fanbases and make it Love Live! Prime.

:D :p

I suppose technically 7-11 Prime isn't Ultra Magnus but it's going to be the closest we'll get.

I agree with the cross-over stuff. Evangelion and Street Fighter was funny, not my jam but it was cool to see.

[ampoldj]

I suppose technically 7-11 Prime isn't Ultra Magnus but it's going to be the closest we'll get.

I agree with the cross-over stuff. Evangelion and Street Fighter was funny, not my jam but it was cool to see.

May be this Prime will finally cross over with Gundam which i will definitely get :rolleyes:o

[drifand]

May be this Prime will finally cross over with Gundam which i will definitely get :rolleyes:o

Don't go there.Just don't...

[Galvatran]

He thinks painted die cast is better than painted plastic and that he can tell the difference by looking at it.
It comes down to personal preference. I prefer soft plastic myself. The silicone type but I've heard it gets hard over time so needs replacing. It's not as heavy as die cast but around the 600cc a piece is about right. Now, the purest say silicone doesn't have the same feel as the real thing but that's a highly inflated opinion. I admit that I can't tell the difference by looking at it. Glad I got that off my chest.

[ampoldj]

Don't go there.Just don't...

Well even fingers crossed i dont believe Bandai would agree ;)

[drifand]

Well even fingers crossed i dont believe Bandai would agree ;)

At least they got a brain.

[Galvatran]

In other news I look forward to the plethora of repaints that MP-10 went through.
Takara
Hasbro
Nemesis
Ultra Magnus
Shattered Glass
YotH (unlikely)
Evangelion
Various BAPE
Golden Lagoon (unlikely)

Any I miss?
I wouldn't mind a Lucky Draw inspired Crayola Convoy as a 1st reissue of this new mould.

[DaptoDog]

So this happened....

https://www.facebook.com/ActionRobo/photos/a.323370134426625/1942901709140118/?type=3&theater

If this is true, the RRP prior to discounts will be 50,000¥!

Masterpiece collecting is starting to feel kinda like those awful mobile games that suck people in for free early on and then increasingly bleed them until people give up.

Don't know if I can keep ordering doubles of these.

Other news from this is that it's been designated as MP-44 and will be released in August 2019.

[DELTAprime]

50,000¥!


Hmmm. For that much I could get most of the years CHUG toys and feel a lot less buyers remorse. If there are not massive discounts on him I'm out.

[graza78]

Looks like 50000 yen per case of 2, so 25000 yen or around $300 AUD each. Seems to follow the Takara pricing trend; dinobot was $350 or something stupid yeah?!

[FruitBuyer]

Looks like 50000 yen per case of 2, so 25000 yen or around $300 AUD each. Seems to follow the Takara pricing trend; dinobot was $350 or something stupid yeah?!

Dinobot wasn't that bad, he was a bit pricier than MP-36 but his initial run didn't break $300 AUD.

BW Megatron did break that barrier and now so will Convoy v3.

[DaptoDog]

Looks like 50000 yen per case of 2, so 25000 yen or around $300 AUD each. Seems to follow the Takara pricing trend; dinobot was $350 or something stupid yeah?!

A couple people have speculated that but the consensus appears to be that the case size is 2 units but the price quoted is for a single figure. If it is 25,000¥ each then that would be very reasonable. We should know soon either way.

[Chewbs]

I was kinda expected it to be this pricey. If the August release is correct then its a big wait between MP-43 in January and this.

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

Looks like 50000 yen per case of 2, so 25000 yen or around $300 AUD each. Seems to follow the Takara pricing trend; dinobot was $350 or something stupid yeah?!

First glimpse of price for Dinobot was individual cost then pieces per carton:

https://i.imgur.com/LuVUdre.jpg

So it wouldn't surprise me if it were 50,000 yen per figure.

[Tober]

I really doubt the Japanese toy market could sustain that. When the inevitable Hasbro release is announce it will have to substantially drop in price for any major retailer to carry it.

A Playstation 4 Pro bundle costs about that much.

[FruitBuyer]

I suppose I should thank Takara for pricing me out of the MP game. I did need a reason to save money

[Shirokaze]

:eek:

This may seem like an extreme reaction at this point, but at that price, I'm done with collecting MPs. Even with an assumed 30% discount (Amiami has that on BW Megs), including GST and shipping we would be looking at over $500 to land one. :rolleyes:

[Ralph Wiggum]

If it was $300 for an awesomely popular new character then yeah, but when its for version 3 of a character that most collectors already have, it just leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

It will probably be the best mold of MP Optimus, but if it wasn’t for the fact that I wasn’t collecting any other toyline I’d be a lot more hesitant to purchase.

[Galvatran]

There goes my left kidney...

[M-bot]

It will be interesting to see how popular this is at that price point. It’s not nearly inexpensive enough for me to replace the brilliant (IMO) MP-10, which remains the best TF toy in my collection.

[Tha_Phantom]

I doubt it is going to $600 for one, if it is then Takara have well and truly lost their marbles. I'd say it is more likely that that price is for 2, so $300 each. Which is still pricey, but I expected around that number.

[GoktimusPrime]

Not sure why people are freaking out. Yeah, it's expensive, but consider this...

MP01 = 10290JPY
MP10 = 22000JPY
New MP Convoy = 25000JPY

MP10 was over 200% the price of MP1.
MP Convoy Mk III is about 13% dearer than MP10.

I... don't get it. :confused: This toy is obviously offering more in engineering in regards to screen accuracy, but that's obviously going to come at a cost. MP36 was about twice as expensive as MP5 and MP Sunstreaker also about twice the price of MP Lambor, yet nobody cared about that.

[DaptoDog]

Not sure why people are freaking out. Yeah, it's expensive, but consider this...

MP01 = 10290JPY
MP10 = 22000JPY
New MP Convoy = 25000JPY

MP10 was over 200% the price of MP1.
MP Convoy Mk III is about 13% dearer than MP10.

I... don't get it. :confused: This toy is obviously offering more in engineering in regards to screen accuracy, but that's obviously going to come at a cost. MP36 was about twice as expensive as MP5 and MP Sunstreaker also about twice the price of MP Lambor, yet nobody cared about that.

People are losing it because it looks like it could be 50,000¥ based off what Action Robo have quoted. If it is indeed 25,000¥ then everyone will calm down.

[FruitBuyer]

Not sure why people are freaking out. Yeah, it's expensive, but consider this...

MP01 = 10290JPY
MP10 = 22000JPY
New MP Convoy = 25000JPY

MP10 was over 200% the price of MP1.
MP Convoy Mk III is about 13% dearer than MP10.

I... don't get it. :confused: This toy is obviously offering more in engineering in regards to screen accuracy, but that's obviously going to come at a cost. MP36 was about twice as expensive as MP5 and MP Sunstreaker also about twice the price of MP Lambor, yet nobody cared about that.

Because we're (us Australians) not paying 13% more than MP-10, we will be paying considerably more than that.

[bowspearer]

If this is true, the RRP prior to discounts will be 50,000¥!

Are you $#@$#@$@#$@ kidding me?!?!?!?! :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Seriously Takara, what the hell?!?!?!?!?!


Dinobot wasn't that bad, he was a bit pricier than MP-36 but his initial run didn't break $300 AUD.

BW Megatron did break that barrier and now so will Convoy v3.

The other thing, as a youtuber I was watching the other day noted is that BW Megs has very minimal engineering from the looks of things and costs more than MP Dinobot does (yes there's electronics, but no more than MP-36, which was way more complex, and I don't recall that being priced into the stratosphere). MP Convoy 3.0 is a lot more heavily engineered than BW Megs, so based on MP-43's RRP, sadly, a ¥50,000 RRP isn't outside the realms of possibility.

[ampoldj]

Good bye MPs...see you again CHUG, time to hunt back

[DaptoDog]

The 50,000¥ RRP has been confirmed now by Loopaza Megastore (a reliable source previously).

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2119050938156410&id=932973100097539

Begun the Prime War has.

[Jazzman]

Wow... I remember thinking I was getting scalper prices when I bought MP4 Sleep Mode from RK for about $450AU a few years back... this one is really gonna hurt! :(

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

... this one is really gonna hurt! :(

Yeah, hurt TT when no one is going to buy the damn thing! ;)

Can you imagine how much a BAPE version is going to cost!? :eek:

[Jazzman]

Yeah, hurt TT when no one is going to buy the damn thing! ;)

Can you imagine how much a BAPE version is going to cost!? :eek:

And the EVA version... lol I smell a boycott coming on! :p

[Tha_Phantom]

And the EVA version... lol I smell a boycott coming on! :p

The stupid thing is, instead of lowering the cost on future MPs, I bet they will produce smaller numbers and raise the cost even more. :confused:

[danny-boy]

https://media1.tenor.com/images/721487cb92a7773c8844db5c71d40abf/tenor.gif?itemid=12115214

That's a bloody outrage it is! I'm taking this all the way to the prime minister!!! Hey, Mr Prime Minister.......AAAAAANNNNDDDYYYYYY!!!

[FruitBuyer]

They really are going the way of P2W and milking the heck out of all their whales

EDIT: Also that price equates to roughly $600 AUD which is nearly triple the price of MP-10. Ha ha ha ha, nice try TT

[philby]

MP36 was about twice as expensive as MP5 and MP Sunstreaker also about twice the price of MP Lambor, yet nobody cared about that.

Lol what??
Lots of people cared about the price increase of megs and sunstreaker

[Ralph Wiggum]

Is anyone still holding onto a small glimmer of hope that the price will still be 25,000 Yen?

[Jellico]

This better be the the best Prime ever. With Blackjack and Hook.

[Galvatran]

Don't people realise this is the Good Bye Convoy giftset. The Good Bye Megatron giftset is about to be announced any day now.

[griffin]

I remember that whole Dinobot pricing saga... with people thinking that it had to be a case price, but ended up being it's unit price.
Unfortunately, with it's success (it sold out pretty much everywhere), prices went up on future MP toys because they saw that the fandom was willing to pay a premium on them.
As such, I still haven't bought MP Dinobot or pre-ordered MP Beast Megatron, because the actual toys just don't justify those obscene prices. I may be willing to pay excessive amounts for a one-off loose end, but not for multiple items in a series.


And as people are saying, this new MP Optimus would never see a Western retailer at that price (about AU$625)... or even at half that price. The JP import of MP10 in Australia at ToysRUs in 2015 was $400, and it had to be heavily discounted before it started selling (because you could still import one from Japan for half that).

[DaptoDog]

I'm wondering whether Hasbro will even release this given the demise of Toys R Us? Perhaps through Walmart or Amazon?

[GoktimusPrime]

Here's the thing though... people are wanting a new MP Convoy at the same level of engineering as more recent MPs like Ironhide, Inferno, MP36 etc. You know that when you jump the tech level up that it's going to cost more.

MP10 was nearly twice the price of MP01
MP36 was about double the price of MP05
MP Sunstreaker was about double the price of MP Lambor
...etc

So it should come as little surprise that MP Convoy Mk 3 would be about double the price of MP10 (x2.27 to be precise).

Is the toy worth it? I honestly don't know. It depends on whether or not the toy's design and engineering can justify it. It's not so much the price but value for money. The MP Coneheads are examples of really poor value for money, and IMO MP9 was also not great. But you look at toys like MP36 and MP Sunstreaker, both pretty expensive toys. But I'd say that most people would agree that they are worth what you pay. MP36 is twice the price of MP5 because it's twice as good. MP Sunstreaker is about twice as good as MP Lambor. So if MP Convoy Mk 3 can be about twice as good as MP10 then it could be said that it's worth its asking price.

Or it could be like MP9 or the MP Coneheads and be rip offs. The difference is that MP9 and the Coneheads are the only MP toys of those characters (well, until Hasbro offered a cheaper MP Rodimus Prime sans trailer). MP Convoy Mk 3 is not the only game in town. We have MP01 and MP10. So really... if this toy is too much for you, then just stick with your existing MP Convoys! That's what I'm planning on doing. I don't need a third MP Convoy. :o

P.S.: There's a chance that this toy might shelfwarm, encouraging retailers to slash prices to move dead stock later. ;)

[danny-boy]

Details coming through;


MP44 Optimus Prime Master Convoy (Optimus Prime) Version 3. Official price 50,000 yen / box, 2 boxes /

box, content:

- main body X1 (Bot)
- compartment X1 (trailer)
- cabin anti-aircraft gun X1
- small ball X1
- energy axe X1
- beam special effects X2
- laser rifle X1
- energy treasure X1
- energy supply tube X1
- Spike X1
- Carly X1
- Spike Pula (Sparkplug) X1,
- Rocket Backpack X1,
- Starscream Head X1,
- Starscream Wings Accessories X1,
- An Unknown Item X1,
- Replacement Head Carving X1,
- War Damage Head X1,
- Battle Damage Chest Parts X1,
- character card X1

[Other]

The small ball has to be a basketball from when the Autobots played it in The Master Builders. It's nice they're including the Jetpack this time around, shame they never bothered to ever include one in any release of Sideswipe

[DaptoDog]

Here's the thing though... people are wanting a new MP Convoy at the same level of engineering as more recent MPs like Ironhide, Inferno, MP36 etc. You know that when you jump the tech level up that it's going to cost more.

MP10 was nearly twice the price of MP01
MP36 was about double the price of MP05
MP Sunstreaker was about double the price of MP Lambor
...etc

So it should come as little surprise that MP Convoy Mk 3 would be about double the price of MP10 (x2.27 to be precise).

Is the toy worth it? I honestly don't know. It depends on whether or not the toy's design and engineering can justify it. It's not so much the price but value for money. The MP Coneheads are examples of really poor value for money, and IMO MP9 was also not great. But you look at toys like MP36 and MP Sunstreaker, both pretty expensive toys. But I'd say that most people would agree that they are worth what you pay. MP36 is twice the price of MP5 because it's twice as good. MP Sunstreaker is about twice as good as MP Lambor. So if MP Convoy Mk 3 can be about twice as good as MP10 then it could be said that it's worth its asking price.

Or it could be like MP9 or the MP Coneheads and be rip offs. The difference is that MP9 and the Coneheads are the only MP toys of those characters (well, until Hasbro offered a cheaper MP Rodimus Prime sans trailer). MP Convoy Mk 3 is not the only game in town. We have MP01 and MP10. So really... if this toy is too much for you, then just stick with your existing MP Convoys! That's what I'm planning on doing. I don't need a third MP Convoy. :o

P.S.: There's a chance that this toy might shelfwarm, encouraging retailers to slash prices to move dead stock later. ;)

That's generally not how technology works. The prices of TV's, Computers, Cars etc have not doubled in price as technology has greatly improved. They generally stay around the same price. The main difference here is that those products are super competitive whereas Masterpiece Transformers face little competition and so Takara is exercising pricing power. The market will determine whether it will accept this.

I agree it could shelfwarm depending on the production run. I'm thinking I'll pre-order one and wait to see if it goes on sale before grabbing a double to display. If it sells well you know there will be a reissue at some point.

[Lord_Zed]

Oh, is it time for Takara Tomy's patented pre-release MP price hike panic again!

Yup sounds like it might be ridiculously expensive, however as we still lack official confirmation, I rather think everyone is losing their minds prematurely.

At least wait for confirmation before it's time...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzybAS7zltE



Not sure why people are freaking out. Yeah, it's expensive, but consider this...

MP01 = 10290JPY
MP10 = 22000JPY
New MP Convoy = 25000JPY

MP10 was over 200% the price of MP1.
MP Convoy Mk III is about 13% dearer than MP10.

I... don't get it. :confused: This toy is obviously offering more in engineering in regards to screen accuracy, but that's obviously going to come at a cost. MP36 was about twice as expensive as MP5 and MP Sunstreaker also about twice the price of MP Lambor, yet nobody cared about that.

Assuming that is the correct price then I agree with your assessment, however by my recollection we did go through this with MP Sunstreaker, Dinobot, Rodimus Prime, All three Coneheads, Megatron V2, the repaint, the Shockwave repaint, and the most recent Beast Wars toys.
Honestly it seems like this happens more often then not, I'm not defending their prices, but I'm surprised that people are shocked every time the prices go up.

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

TFSource has a preorder up for US$450:

https://tfsource.com/masterpiece/mp-44-convoy-3.0-optimus-prime/

And also at BBTS for the same price:

https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/84183

[DELTAprime]

With 6 months to save I can totally afford him. But at this point I don't think I will buy him on the grounds of this is a massive amount of overcharging that's going on here.

[hYpNoS]

Details coming through;

As expected, it'll come with damaged parts to go with mp36, didn't expect the starscream parts to recreate that *one* scene from g1.

Now I need to await the gimmick features, I'm certain it'll have a voice box like mp36 (its back looks like it has speaker holes) but it'll be built in, worth the 50,000yen though?

I don't think so and will be awaiting either a sale or some crazy repaint, another dead optimus would be a fine redeco if only so my mp10, mp10B and mp01L can have a unique place

[FruitBuyer]

Another thing about ridiculous pricing hiking each time is that they are making it harder for fans to purchase them.

The problem isn't the engineering may not be worth the cost (I have nothing but praise for Sunstreaker, Megatron and Dinobot), the problem is that if you keep increasing engineering and adding more and more accessories then costs will creep out of more people's range. There will still be lots of people that have the money that can afford this $500 Prime but logically it will be less than MP-10.

So what about all the fans with smaller pockets but still want a cartoon accurate Convoy? Takara is leaving them in the dust.

So you know who will win here? 3P. There are two 3P cartoon Convoys in development at over half the price. I'm not saying that I'm interested in them but there would be people that will give them a chance simply because they can't afford MP-43.

[1AZRAEL1]

I'd want one, but not at that price. And a 3P cartoon accurate Prime? Yea nah, I'd rather buy official. Just not at it's current rumoured price. Down to about 250 amd I'd think about it.

[Raider]

When looking at prices in retrospect, remember that MP-01 did not come with a trailer so you were getting more with MP-10. Then again, they may have priced it lower knowing that they were going to reuse the mold over and over for all the repaints.

The description above shows that this version has a lot more in it than MP-10 did, much more than MP-01. Does it justify the price tag? Probably not. That is an obscene amount of money for what is effectively a toy. However, even if it is a toy there is a passionate fan base and a lot of collectors (myself included) just must have them all. I will no doubt pre-order one but will be annoyed if when I obtain it I feel that it was not worth near the price I paid.

[bowspearer]

Another thing about ridiculous pricing hiking each time is that they are making it harder for fans to purchase them.

The problem isn't the engineering may not be worth the cost (I have nothing but praise for Sunstreaker, Megatron and Dinobot), the problem is that if you keep increasing engineering and adding more and more accessories then costs will creep out of more people's range. There will still be lots of people that have the money that can afford this $500 Prime but logically it will be less than MP-10.

So what about all the fans with smaller pockets but still want a cartoon accurate Convoy? Takara is leaving them in the dust.

So you know who will win here? 3P. There are two 3P cartoon Convoys in development at over half the price. I'm not saying that I'm interested in them but there would be people that will give them a chance simply because they can't afford MP-43.

Then there's the KO market. There's already many people in the fan base who go KO because they want MPs but can't justify the pricetag. You can bet that KO makers will KO this at a crazily low price and that even more people than normal will buy the KO.

Takara really is cutting its own throat here.

[yoshi594]

I’m defo going to get it. Those accessories look mint!

You can probably do what most ppl do with mezco and hot toys by selling the accessories and just keeping the main body/parts/trailer. Some of those assecories would sell for a bit (jetpack, starscream head/wings, battle damaged head/chest).

I anticipated this would be highly priced (~500) due to the trailer, recent mp trend,
and this is the 35th anniversary Optimus Prime Figure (1984 g1 release).

I do recall mp-10 being stupid expensive at the time cos we were at 70ish jpy exchange rate.

It’ll sting at first but it’s better than the aftermarket sting like Eva prime/dinobot.

I’d never consider a k.o due to ethics and it would be hard to offload later during any unforeseen budget needs.

[Galvatran]

When looking at prices in retrospect, remember that MP-01 did not come with a trailer so you were getting more with MP-10. Then again, they may have priced it lower knowing that they were going to reuse the mold over and over for all the repaints.

The description above shows that this version has a lot more in it than MP-10 did, much more than MP-01. Does it justify the price tag? Probably not. That is an obscene amount of money for what is effectively a toy. However, even if it is a toy there is a passionate fan base and a lot of collectors (myself included) just must have them all. I will no doubt pre-order one but will be annoyed if when I obtain it I feel that it was not worth near the price I paid.
I was like that a few years ago. With the attitude I MUST have them. These days they’re just toys albeit expensive ones. I have no problems passing these up. I know that many don’t share my view but they are just blobs of plastic with intelligent engineering designs. They end up collecting dust on my collection shelves. I don’t play with my toys. :)

[SuspectimusPrime]

Oh, is it time for Takara Tomy's patented pre-release MP price hike panic again!

Yup sounds like it might be ridiculously expensive, however as we still lack official confirmation, I rather think everyone is losing their minds prematurely.

At least wait for confirmation before it's time...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzybAS7zltE


TFSource has a preorder up for US$450:

https://tfsource.com/masterpiece/mp-44-convoy-3.0-optimus-prime/

And also at BBTS for the same price:

https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/84183

I'm going to be watching from a safe distance as Convoy version 4.0 summits US$1k by around 2027.

[graza78]

Looking forward to MP hound sitting around $400 :p

[ZoonMaster5000]

I’ll probably just do what daptodog is doing and pre order one then hopefully wait for a sale to grab the 2nd. But I was thinking when mp-36 was being released everyone complained about the price hike, but when it released it was sold out everywhere and a lot of people missed out. Then the re-issue happened and the price had gone up to close to $300 in some cases.

So I might just pre order 2 and deal with it.


Looking forward to MP hound sitting around $400 :p

I’d imagine this would be somewhere between sunstreaker and the diaclone repaint. Anymore and they are basically just scalping the market.

[Ralph Wiggum]

For a trip down memory lane, the conversation regarding MP-36 price started around here:

http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=23590&highlight=Masterpiece+megatron&page=18

I think there was less discussion around MP-36’s price, most people were worried about the legality of getting it. It’s also a little sad to see how many people jumped on the PC preorder and ended up with nothing.

TT have completely ballsed up the promotion/handling of MP-44. Most things we know about the figure have been through leaks or third parties. The only things we’ve seen have been uncoloured prototypes. No mention of die cast parts, rubber wheels or paint apps. All we have is a $600 price tag with none of the reasons, other than engineering, to justify it. I eagerly await more details but it has gone from “shut up and take my money” to “convince me why I should fork out for this”.

[ampoldj]

I was like that a few years ago. With the attitude I MUST have them. These days they’re just toys albeit expensive ones. I have no problems passing these up. I know that many don’t share my view but they are just blobs of plastic with intelligent engineering designs. They end up collecting dust on my collection shelves. I don’t play with my toys. :)

I agree there is no point staring at a 50000 yen box in plastic wrap ;)
May i should just start collecting MP boxes...

[valkyrie_76]

Yeah, hurt TT when no one is going to buy the damn thing! ;)

Can you imagine how much a BAPE version is going to cost!? :eek:

Ah who cares about that crapola :D:D:D .........


And the EVA version... lol I smell a boycott coming on! :p

OH DEAR GOD NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! :eek::eek::eek::eek:

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

Ah who cares about that crapola :D:D:D .........

Yeah, I have no interest in the BAPEs, as you're just paying for a brand name and advertising (and I have no interest in that type of street wear).

The price one will go for will be interesting though, maybe it'll surpass the 1K mark.

[Trent]

This will be the first time I’ve ever said this but I believe I’m going to wait for the KO. I cannot, under any circumstance, justify $600 for a toy. I have one non TF item in my collection that I paid more than that for, but my financial situation was radically different to what it is now. Plus I’m now a little older and wiser.

And it’s not like my MP-10 will cease to exist when this is released.

[drifand]

$615 at best with currency exchange excluding shipping and gst.

This is no where near a deluxe dx chogokin mazinger where include hangar and interior mechanics all well painted and metal and actually cost less.

Mind you is an unbelievable price I will not be supporting. Is a shame as I didn’t like the 3ps and I would buy this but at the asking price, I guess I am out.

Especially when I open a Fanstoys quietus and the quality exceeds even Bandai toys. TT is no where near it.

[Fungal Infection]

I skipped MP Dinobot and BW Megatron because of the price so yeah..... nah.

[GoktimusPrime]

It'd be interesting if Hasbro released this figure just as the cab robot with the human figurines, and skipped the trailer and other accessories but sold it at a much cheaper price.

Similar to what they did with MP Rodimus Prime.

[doublespy]

I've always wondered if the "brand unification" had anything to do TT's recent cash-grabbing moves. TT no longer have localized versions of the Hasbro figures that were arguably better/more catered to the Japanese market. Maybe by the time the TT versions come out in Japan a lot of collectors have already imported the Hasbro version since now there's no difference anymore. And maybe TT's share in sales of their logo-branded figures sold all over the world still doesn't justify the loss in domestic sales..

Hopefully we'll see painted prototypes at Tokoy Comic Con this weekend, and stock photos to follow. Then I'll see if it's worth getting.

[hYpNoS]

So what about all the fans with smaller pockets but still want a cartoon accurate Convoy? Takara is leaving them in the dust.


There is the recent g1 metacolle they released of optimus megatron and bumblebee, can't transform but IMO better sculpts :D

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/84183

https://i.imgur.com/6LVAi8Q.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/BN3uMnl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/gwUJPpB.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/bFIdUa2.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VsXOkz8.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/P90OCWy.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/93SVMEX.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/j2jVWq1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/he0P4Ph.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/0QDNxup.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/v2HTWgL.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/lqdEv8Q.jpg

[1AZRAEL1]

Whilst it does look downright gorgeous, just not the $500+ price tag.

[danny-boy]

Sweet Jesus that’s the best looking Transfomer figure that’s ever been created. I’m buying 2.

[TaZZerath]

This does look truly amazing... but the price tag just can't justify it for me. I preordered the Big Powered set purely on the fact you get three exclusive figures for that price and that was $200 which was hard enough...

[SuspectimusPrime]

He's magnificent!! :eek::eek:

The battle-damaged head is spot on. I can imagine it saying: "Do not grieve. Soon... your wallet will be one with the Matrix." :p

[GoktimusPrime]

So what about all the fans with smaller pockets but still want a cartoon accurate Convoy? Takara is leaving them in the dust.
How? Optimus Prime is one of the most oversaturated characters in Transformers. If you can't afford this new MP Convoy then you can get a lot of other cheaper G1 inspired/based Optimus Prime toys including:
* MP10 (the reissue was still massively shelfwarming when I was in Japan last year)
* POTP
* Siege
* Legendary Commander
etc etc etc

Okay, they're not as super duper accurate and fancy as MP Convoy V3, but each of those toys are just fine for what you're paying for. Masterpiece has always been a toyline for high end collectors. They're exotic luxury toys for a special niche market, these aren't meant to be for every collector.

I don't think the question is really one of whether or not this toy is worth its asking price, because from pictures that I've seen, it does look bloody impressive with a slavishly accurate robot and vehicle mode never seen before. That level of engineering is going to cost you, just as it did for Megatron and Sideswipe to Sunstreaker. And we were happy to pay for MP36 and Sunstreaker.

I think a more relevant question would be have TakaraTOMY over-estimated what collectors are willing to pay for. This is something that they seem to be experimenting in with toys like MP Dinobot, BW Megatron and now Convoy Mk 3. And bear in mind that in Japan, many other toy companies make similar toys that are ultra expensive for high end collectors, like Macross and Soul of Chougoukin etc. But the difference is that their mecha aren't oversaturated like Optimus Prime. Releasing a super expensive Hundred Beast King Go-Lion (Voltron) toy is different from Optimus Prime, because there aren't a plethora of alternatives. With Optimus Prime collectors have a CHOICE. Or at least more of a choice than Go-Lion collectors.

And yeah, I think that it may also be the case that Transformers collectors just aren't willing to spend as much as other robot mecha toy collectors. As I said, MP10 was a huge shelfwarmer just last year, and that toy was significantly cheaper.

At the end of the day, TakaraTOMY are giving fans what they want. I'm personally happy with MP01. I was fortunate enough to receive a free MP10, which is also a lovely toy albeit at about double the price of MP01, but I personally never felt that MP10 superseded MP01 per se. But people have been calling for a new MP Convoy - one that's more similar to what we've seen in recent MPs like Ratchet, Ironhide, Inferno, Grapple, Sunstreaker, MP36 etc. - that super duper slavish level of cartoon accuracy. People want MPs to look like the cartoon came alive and jumped out of their TV screens. And that's all lovely, but it's not cheap! Each of those MPs I just mentioned were pretty expensive for MP Cars, and MP36 was double the price of MP05. New MP Convoy is also double the price of MP10 (x2.27 to be precise). Is this really f'expensive? Yes. Am I really surprised? Uh... no. Each time we see MP's do a "tech level jump" (for lack of a better expression) we see prices double. But this is why I personally didn't want to see an new MP Convoy. Because obviously this would happen. You can't just wish for an idealised dream toy and then expect it to be cheap.

At the end of the day, this toy is like a Porsche or Lamborghini. It's a high end luxury item, and I don't see why TakaraTOMY should apologise for it. Can't afford this Optimus Prime? Get a cheaper one. Same with why most drivers don't own a Lamborghini. ;) And as I said, if this toy turns out to be beyond what most collectors are willing to pay and it ends up shelfwarming really badly, then there's a good chance that retailers will start slashing prices.

Remember when MP09 came out and we had a similar conversation then? I skipped that toy because I couldn't justify paying $205 for it... still can't. And even when I had the chance to get it without postage cost I still skipped it. I just looked on eBay and the cheapest one I saw is selling for $840+. So ya know... for now people will whinge about this price, then in a few years time people will sell it on the aftermarket for $2000+ and others will call it a bargain and tell me to shut up about historical prices. Can't wait. ;)

[Ralph Wiggum]

Agreed it looks amazing and is the best MP Optimus so far. The price is still stopping me from pulling the trigger and I’d like to know more about the quality of materials and paint apps before committing.

[GoktimusPrime]

If price is the main factor against holding back on this toy, then consider:
Pre-ordering to get an earlybird discount. Robotoyz is selling it atm for $515
If you don't have FOMO then just wait and see if this toy shelfwarms and forces retailers to slash prices - beat that Impatience Tax!
Wait even longer and see if collectors end up selling it on the aftermarket at even further reduced prices, especially if the toy is loose complete. If you're not an MISB collector then why not?

[drifand]

Or just don’t buy and be happy with mp 10

There are tons of accessories that I am totally NOT interested.

Nice figure, plastic wheels and spot on paint apps. Still can’t see $400 worth even. Still waiting on Japan offical release for pre orders.

[MayzaPrime]

I finally figured out why its so expensive... It comes with all the Lambos :D:D:D

I am very torn about this, I am impressed with the figure, but I am not sure if I want to pay the price. I think that I am not going to pre-order and make a choice once it is in stock. So its future Mayza's problem ;)

[philby]

I don't really see for me any drastic feature or look that makes me want to get this instead of the MP-10 I already have. Appreciate the official photos with colours. It just looks a bit...'stretched' or something. The colours don't really pop to me. I've never really wanted that level of cartoon devotion though but obviously a lot of people do and that's fine. Likely pass for me.

[drifand]

Waiting on mp 45 hound 25,000jpy lol

I think most of us here expect the price to be from $280-$390 not over $400 and definitely not $600. You just can’t help but compare similar toys at the price they asking and know this is a bit ridiculous in some way.

[DaptoDog]

Yeh it's nice but I'm not seeing $600 worth of toy. At least he and Megatron now have matching waist heights!