MP-22 Revealed!? Ultra Magnus with trailer

[Cat]

Not to mention that little thing called inflation, I just hope that it's true we're getting a real Ultra Magnus would love to have one. It'd make sense to release him since we're getting all these MP cars be great to have a car carrier to put them on. Anyone here take pics of which cars fit on G1 Ultra Magnus? I only have Magnus and Hotrod is slightly too wide to drive into his car carrier. I wondered if many of the S3 cars could actually use him. I'm sure the G1 Datsuns can fit but never had them to try them out.

Inflation alone makes the costs pretty much dead-on equal.

[MayzaPrime]

Not to mention that little thing called inflation, I just hope that it's true we're getting a real Ultra Magnus would love to have one. It'd make sense to release him since we're getting all these MP cars be great to have a car carrier to put them on. Anyone here take pics of which cars fit on G1 Ultra Magnus? I only have Magnus and Hotrod is slightly too wide to drive into his car carrier. I wondered if many of the S3 cars could actually use him. I'm sure the G1 Datsuns can fit but never had them to try them out.

I got Ultra Magnus for my 8th Birthday (I still have him ) I used to put the Autobot cars in his trailer and drive them around the house along side was Optimus Prime.

[Trent]

According to the RBA's inflation calculator:

MP-04 RRP was $206 in 2006(ish), is equivalent to $242 in 2012.

MP-03 mould seekers at Gok's $113 in 2006(when the first one came out, is equivalent to $132.86 in 2012.

MP-08's $163 RRP in 2009 is equivalent to $176.35 in 2012.


So Gok, the price difference between MP-04 and MP-10 is $9 not $46. And the seeker mould has increased by $9 too, not $28 And as others have said, that is purely inflation. It doesn't take into account material and labour cost increases above inflation.

So at best case scenario (as we don't know how many external factors have affected costs and to what degree) we are paying equivalent prices.

[Tober]

As bad as it sounds (hey Im a basement resident anyways) Im waiting for somebody to KO that exclusive rocket launcher freebie they get from JP for MP Prowl. Ill most likely get four - just so Bluestreak can have them as well.

Dr. Wu apparently has a set of optional launchers coming. But I''m sure we'll see actual KO launchers coming soon.

[kup]

I've personally found the new smaller scale to be dearer, not cheaper when comparing the RRP of similar toys.

e.g.:
MP04 Convoy = AU$206 (18900JPY) vs MP10 Convoy = AU$251 (23100JPY)
MP03/MP06 = $112 (10290JPY)/MP07 = $114 (10500JPY), so let's say the avg. RRP for the old Seekers was $113 vs MP11 $141 (13000JPY)

So Optimus Prime has become $46 (4200JPY) more expensive; and I don't think the inclusion of Roller and Spike justifies that hike with the smaller scale and more simplistic core figure (as very nice as it is in its own right). Likewise the MP Seeker has seen a $28 (2605JPY) average price rise, and I don't feel the figure justifies that either (yes, the robot mode is improved, but the jet mode isn't as good; and IMO the coronation set doesn't feel worth paying nearly thirty bucks for).

I think he means that they are cheaper to manufacture which I believe to be the case. Yeah there is inflation to take into account that's for sure but one should not dismiss contemporary corporate greed either. If it is cheaper to make and they can charge more for it then the profit margin increases. This is specially so if sales continue to be strong as they can charge more for 'less'.

[Trent]

I think he means that they are cheaper to manufacture which I believe to be the case. Yeah there is inflation to take into account that's for sure but one should not dismiss contemporary corporate greed either. If it is cheaper to make and they can charge more for it then the profit margin increases. This is specially so if sales continue to be strong as they can charge more for 'less'.

On what evidence are you basing your comment that they are cheaper to manufacture now Kup? I worked in a global manufacturing market for 8 years (2002-2010) and in that time, costs did nothing but go up. Look at manufacturing markets in every industry across the world, costs are rising as people's wages and the cost of raw materials increase.

I have no doubt that TT are trying to increase their profit margins. As a publically listed company that is the responsibility the have to their shareholders. But to apply a blanket statement that that is the primary reason that MPs cost what they do today is a stretch, to say the least.

[kup]

On what evidence are you basing your comment that they are cheaper to manufacture now Kup? I worked in a global manufacturing market for 8 years (2002-2010) and in that time, costs did nothing but go up. Look at manufacturing markets in every industry across the world, costs are rising as people's wages and the cost of raw materials increase.

I have no doubt that TT are trying to increase their profit margins. As a publically listed company that is the responsibility the have to their shareholders. But to apply a blanket statement that that is the primary reason that MPs cost what they do today is a stretch, to say the least.

No evidence, just what I think given the way the corporate world works hence the "I think" and "I believe". I thought this was a discussion, not an official inquiry where I have to provide 'evidence' for any comment I say

To me, makes perfect corporate sense for them to minimize manufacturing costs and sell for more if the demand is still willing to pay it.

[drifand]

The alternators scale are definitely more appealing for me and definitely a better approach. Perhaps some of you think this whole thing is a good thing to scale down but personally it wouldn't have deter me at all and I would buy the entire car range. as it is I have skipped the lot.

If scale isn't a factor, you wouldn't have worried you if they stayed the same binaltech size. This is why I don't CARE about Starscream sizes nor Soundwave. However being I have almost the entire Binaltech sitting nicely with Mp01 and Megatron, I do care about what cars I be interested and also it be a different part of my display.

Chances is, if they had stayed all the same scale and increased price by $20 you ALL will still have bought it. Unfortunately I do not blame the mp scaling but the Alterninty range were the first to start and that put me off entirely.

With everything else, aren't you curious if you EVER going to get a proper scaled down Megatron against you mp10? My point exactly, we are all screwed in some ways.

I will stick to characters that I like and buy selective due to this, I could very well miss the entire car robots, but that's life.

Unfortunately Got's point is valid, if the whole idea was keeping cost down, it hasn't and we are all sucked in thinking it has if we comparing price to size ratio for these new mp cars.

[Tober]

TAKARA almost went bankrupt towards the end of BINALTECH (allegedly). That's why they merged with TOMY, to keep shared costs down.

One of their last moves was to release the BINALTECH ASTERISK line with a little figure at a 500jpy cost rise. Then came Kiss Players, plastic instead of diecast with a 1000jpy price hike again.

And now we have Transformers GT for about 8500jpy. Bless 'em.

[GoktimusPrime]

Paulbot: no sign of MP Bumblebee or Wheeljack on Amazon JP.

I'm still not entirely convinced that inflation can satisfactorily explain the sudden price hike of MPs around the time of the 'reboot.' Let's compare the prices of Deluxe Class Bumblebees released in the same years.

* MA-10 New Bumblebee (1st movie Deluxe 2009 Camaro Bumblebee), 2007; same year as MP-6 Skywarp (same RRP as MP-3 Starscream), RRP 2310JPY
* C-02 Bumble (Henkei Bumblebee) 2008; same year as MP-7 Thundercracker (210JPY (AU$2.30) more expensive than MP-3 & MP-6), RRP 2100JPY
* AM-02 Bumblebee (Arms Micron Bumblebee), 2012; same year as MP11 Starscream (2605JPY/$28 dearer than previous MP Seekers), RRP 2100JPY

So we can see that the price of Deluxe Bumblebees has remained fairly stable and has actually become a little bit cheaper (by about $2.30). I'd say if we looked at the prices of similarly comparable Transformers across the same years, we'd find that there hasn't been any significant fluctuation in prices. I don't quite understand why it's only been the price of Masterpieces that's risen (and only in Japan), while the Japanese prices for other Transformers has remained relatively constant. Even in Australia where we notoriously pay through the nose for Transformers, our prices have remained relatively constant too. The first Hasbro TRU MP Starscream sold for $99 in late 2007, and Acid Storm is listed at selling for the same price in late 2013.

I don't know the reasons why TakaraTOMY have increased the price of MPs so much since the "reboot", and I'm not going to speculate. But as an end consumer, I know that these products have become a lot more expensive than they were just a few years ago, and as such I do not feel that they are worth paying full price for. So I'll either:
* Pre-order it and get it at a discounted price
* Skip it and hope for a Hasbro release

How many people here are doing the same thing, or are we all happily paying full RRP for TakaraTOMY MPs? Because I remember when the old Takara MPs came out, we were all happy to pay full RRP for those toys. I know I was, and I felt that they were worth it and offered superior value for money to the local Hasbro releases (I'm so glad I got MP-1 over Hasbro's version w/ the shortened smoke stacks and ridiculous looking attempt at "battle damage" (that just makes him look pre-smudged); the only thing I think the Hasbro version did better was the black rifle). Now I feel it's the other way around (I wish that I'd skipped TakTOM Soundwave & Cassettes and waited for the Hasbro version instead).

One of their last moves was to release the BINALTECH ASTERISK line with a little figure at a 500jpy cost rise. Then came Kiss Players, plastic instead of diecast with a 1000jpy price hike again.

And now we have Transformers GT for about 8500jpy. Bless 'em.

Yeah, I didn't bother collecting the KISS Players BTs as I felt they were a rip off. And Alternity similarly felt like inferior value for money too, and I've only collected a small number of them; whereas I went nuts collecting almost all of Binaltech. Perhaps the price hike has only occured to the high end collector lines but not the mainstream lines aimed at children.

Either way, I'm not a fan of paying more for less.