New designer for 2014 MP line

[Trent]

Admittedly, I'm a little concerned myself too - I'm sure we'll get awesome figures regardless but I'd definitely like to hear why Hasui has been taken away from Masterpiece Development.

How do we know he was taken away? He might have wanted to move on for all we know. Besides, I'll save my judgement until we see the first new MP which probably won't be for a while. I'd say that as Mayza said most of the design work for Wheeljack, Bumblebee and Ultra Magnus is already complete

Really? - This is a thing?

It's a size thing. There are people that think every MP should scale with MP-01

[Hursticon]

How do we know he was taken away? He might have wanted to move on for all we know. Besides, I'll save my judgement until we see the first new MP which probably won't be for a while. I'd say that as Mayza said most of the design work for Wheeljack, Bumblebee and Ultra Magnus is already complete

It was just a turn of phrase; basically I'd just like to know why he's no longer performing that job.

It's a size thing. There are people that think every MP should scale with MP-01

Much like the whole "Wingblade"-thing, the TF fandom is really starting to show some ugly faces in certain areas.

[GoktimusPrime]

I don't object to MPs getting smaller... what I don't enjoy is seeing the prices getting higher at the same time! Bad enough that Deluxes and Voyagers are getting smaller, but prices are remaining the same (so we're paying the same for less), but in the case of MPs we're paying more for less. Hasbro and Hasbro Australia have been really good with their pricing of the new MPs though I must say. Kudos to them.

[Ploughmans Lunch]

I don't object to MPs getting smaller... what I don't enjoy is seeing the prices getting higher at the same time! Bad enough that Deluxes and Voyagers are getting smaller, but prices are remaining the same (so we're paying the same for less), but in the case of MPs we're paying more for less. Hasbro and Hasbro Australia have been really good with their pricing of the new MPs though I must say. Kudos to them.

I dunno, like anything I'd just blame the GFC.

[GoktimusPrime]

Perhaps it was the constant condemnation of the shoulders that caused Hasui to step aside?

Haha, yeah, it totally broke him. Michael Bay on the other hand...

I dunno, like anything I'd just blame the GFC.

But consider the following:
+ The price of MPs released following the GFC didn't see an increase. The significant "less for more" increase started with MP10.
+ Hasbro AU's prices for their versions of the new MP moulds are much cheaper than TakTOM's.
+ Prices of other Transformers series (except Super GT) have remained relatively stable. e.g. the cost of a Deluxe and Voyager Class Transformers still cost more or less the same today as it did before the GFC. The cost of a Deluxe Transformer or G1 reissue in Japan hasn't changed much.

[DELTAprime]

Haha, yeah, it totally broke him. Michael Bay on the other hand...

But consider the following:
+ The price of MPs released following the GFC didn't see an increase. The significant "less for more" increase started with MP10.
+ Hasbro AU's prices for their versions of the new MP moulds are much cheaper than TakTOM's.
+ Prices of other Transformers series (except Super GT) have remained relatively stable. e.g. the cost of a Deluxe and Voyager Class Transformers still cost more or less the same today as it did before the GFC. The cost of a Deluxe Transformer or G1 reissue in Japan hasn't changed much.

Don't forget that Deluxe and Voyager molds have had their engineering changed over the last several years to keep the price down. Hasbro has said it can't use the old molds (pre 2011 I think) anymore cause of cost. I bet if they didn't dumb down the Deluxes and Voyagers they would have gone up in price. Excluding MP-05 and 09 the engineering on MP's still seems fairly similar to what it always has been.

And don't forget Hasbro doesn't have to pay for the development of the mold, but Takara does.

[Lord_Zed]

A little concerned, despite the cost MP's have been the ray of sunshine in the cloudy Hasbro sky for me. While it's nice that Hasbro are continuing the Generations line, most of the toys released this year have been subject to such cost cutting that they have felt much like KO's, or lesser toys. The MP's however have still retained some of the quality and ingenuity that really appeals to me as an adult collector.

If the MP's start following similar cost cutting to the basic lines then Hasbro may as well hand over the adult collector market to the third parties.