Transformers 30th Anniversary Masterpiece Fan's Choice

[Trent]

I'm not sure if TakTom gives two shits about the western market. The agreement they have with Hasbro doesn't allow them to sell outside Japan.

TakTom will make MP toys according to what they believe Japanese consumers want, not us.

They would be silly to ignore the international market though. BBTS, TFSource, Chimungmung, RK to name but a few all sell Takara Products and are all located outside Japan. The numbers that they sell are not insignificant so I'm sure Takara would consider it when they want to maximize sales.

I agree that their primary market is Japan, but if the percentage of international sales is 50% or even only 30%, it's still a big enough number to influence decisions.

[Shirokaze]

I'm sure Star Saber will be an amazing toy

I'm don't really understand Japan's love for Armada Prime though. For me he'd be right down the bottom next to Energon Prime....

[Zommael]

If they're making Star Saber then I'd say odds are they'll make Victory Leo as well. They'd damn well better. Victory Saber FTV.

[Hursticon]

BTW those sketches are from the design of the original toy. They were just showing some reference material like the sketches and some animation cells. Aparently they did ever so briefly show some of the MP design but it was more of a "we'll show you so quickly that you won't actually see much."

Well, shows that I clearly don't understand a lick of Japanese!
Still, they're wicked design sketches and the animation Cels were rather cool too.

If they're making Star Saber then I'd say odds are they'll make Victory Leo as well. They'd damn well better. Victory Saber FTV.

Hmm... I don't know about that as this particular Masterpiece figure is apparently meant to be a 30th Anniversary once-off - That said, there's little to stop them from following up with an MP Victory Leo at some point though.

[GoktimusPrime]

I never had the original (please reissue!) but I'd definitely pick this one up.

The G1 toy is rubbish IMHO (although I would still buy a reissue if they made it). An MP Star Sabre would be most welcome.

They would be silly to ignore the international market though. BBTS, TFSource, Chimungmung, RK to name but a few all sell Takara Products and are all located outside Japan. The numbers that they sell are not insignificant so I'm sure Takara would consider it when they want to maximize sales.

I agree that their primary market is Japan, but if the percentage of international sales is 50% or even only 30%, it's still a big enough number to influence decisions.

It's not a matter of whether or not TakaraTOMY wants to consider the international market - as fatbot pointed out, they are contractually forbidden from doing so. Both Hasbro and Takara have a long standing agreement between each other that disallows them from cross-competing with each other's markets. So when Takara develops products they have to disregard any considerations for anything outside of their market, and likewise for Hasbro.

There have been times when both companies have agreed to collaborate on developing products to suit both markets - Transformers Armada is an example of this. But Takara won't develop a product for their market while explicitly catering for Hasbro's nor vice versa. This is why TakaraTOMY goes ahead and produces toys that Hasbro can never release such as G1 Megatron reissues and MP Megatron. And they have reissued Japanese exclusive G1 figures before that Hasbro are unlikely to release such as Landcross and Star Convoy. Hasbro were able to release their own version of God Ginrai, but marketed as Apex Armour Powermaster Optimus Prime (even though the Ginrai mould has some notable differences from PMOP).

[BigTransformerTrev]

Personally I wouldn't mind a Star Sabre or Dai Atlas. As for the other top 3 of the top 5, I already have them as well as about a million other iterations of Optimus, so would most likely bypass them.

[Trent]

The G1 toy is rubbish IMHO (although I would still buy a reissue if they made it). An MP Star Sabre would be most welcome.


It's not a matter of whether or not TakaraTOMY wants to consider the international market - as fatbot pointed out, they are contractually forbidden from doing so. Both Hasbro and Takara have a long standing agreement between each other that disallows them from cross-competing with each other's markets. So when Takara develops products they have to disregard any considerations for anything outside of their market, and likewise for Hasbro.

There have been times when both companies have agreed to collaborate on developing products to suit both markets - Transformers Armada is an example of this. But Takara won't develop a product for their market while explicitly catering for Hasbro's nor vice versa. This is why TakaraTOMY goes ahead and produces toys that Hasbro can never release such as G1 Megatron reissues and MP Megatron. And they have reissued Japanese exclusive G1 figures before that Hasbro are unlikely to release such as Landcross and Star Convoy. Hasbro were able to release their own version of God Ginrai, but marketed as Apex Armour Powermaster Optimus Prime (even though the Ginrai mould has some notable differences from PMOP).

That's the case officially but the fact remains that almost any online retailer that wants them can stock and sell Takara TFs. When BBTS put in their order for Encore Fort Max or MP Prowl Takara didn't say "Sorry, you're covered by Hasbro's market, you'll have to wait for them to release it." They sold them as many as BBTS wanted knowing that they were mostly for the American market.

[GoktimusPrime]

That's the case officially but the fact remains that almost any online retailer that wants them can stock and sell Takara TFs. When BBTS put in their order for Encore Fort Max or MP Prowl Takara didn't say "Sorry, you're covered by Hasbro's market, you'll have to wait for them to release it." They sold them as many as BBTS wanted knowing that they were mostly for the American market.

That's because they're specialist importers. If regular overseas retailers like say Toys R Us, Target, Kmart etc. wanted to release TakaraTOMY TFs, they would refuse. The only way they can do it is to import it through Hasbro. That's how we've had Takara(TOMY) TFs sold in regular Australian stores in the past (e.g. MP Ultra Magnus, MP04, MP Ghost Starscream etc.) - they would have been distributed by Hasbro Australia. Those store chains didn't source them directly from Takara(TOMY). Specialist import stores would, but of course in Australia they get slapped with loads of import taxes, duties, levies etc. which often doubles their original prices when sold here.

Hasbro would sell their stock to specialist importers in Japan too (e.g. Mandarake, Jungle, Hero Gangu etc.), but regular store chains in Japan (e.g. Daimaru, Itoyokado, Bic Camera, Seibu, Tobu, TRU etc.) normally don't sell Hasbro TFs, and if they did it would be distributed by TakaraTOMY. So Hasbro and TakaraTOMY can sell products in each other's markets with permission from the other party -- but they don't develop products with each other's markets in mind, unless it's a dual project where they're developing something in tandem. This is what Takara have explicitly stated. Is there any evidence to the contrary or only speculation?

[Deonasis]

I don't really understand Japan's love for Armada Prime though. For me he'd be right down the bottom next to Energon Prime....

Just thinking about the toys (not characters, not series) in this poll, imagine a very much improved Armada Prime. The placegetters are all the bricks that are most in need of articulation. And just like the Starsaber toy, think of the combinations he can form with other figures that could be released later if it sells well. Also the improvements that can be made to Armada Prime are far greater than say the already pretty great Cybertron Prime.

And yes, Fort Max is also a brick and he finished last but many people just bought an Encore of him.

I think the combining abilities of the top 3 will not be lost on Takara. Fans want Masterpieces to explore this territory.

[liegeprime]

I wonder if, they'll do another poll with Decepticons this time in the list? I still want a MP 10 sizing match MP (G1) Megatron.