New images of MP Tracks on display

[BruiseLee]

Took me a bit longer to find the MP Tracks thread but copy and paste from the MP Road Rage update:

From TFW member Sam comes a link to a flicker page showing a nice clear closeup pic of MP Road Rage MP Tracks. Legs are a wee bit hollow but still looks good.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/979395...n/photostream/

[Bidoofdude]

He's looking a lot better in colour. The proportions are actually decent.

[leej84]

I just got shipping notification from premium collectables of my mp tracks being sent. ETA 26th august?? Has it been released already?

[drifand]

Havent got any notifications. I thought is next month.

[griffin]

Tracks comes out September 26th. Maybe it's blue Bluestreak that is shipping, as it is due out next week, but some HK sources get their stock early.

[MV75]

This is bugging me. Doesn't seem like masterpiece anymore, more like just a tracks toy.

Too many seams in car mode, the things on the door windows, the plastic wheels. Erh. Is there even a cockpit?

There's just no real detail there anymore. Alternators were superior. Just looking up at my alt hound box. Wow, now that's great details. This just looks like a deluxe toy in comparison. As I said, it's bugging me.

[drifand]

This is bugging me. Doesn't seem like masterpiece anymore, more like just a tracks toy.

Too many seams in car mode, the things on the door windows, the plastic wheels. Erh. Is there even a cockpit?

There's just no real detail there anymore. Alternators were superior. Just looking up at my alt hound box. Wow, now that's great details. This just looks like a deluxe toy in comparison. As I said, it's bugging me.

Where were you since Sideswipe? THIS is a Masterpiece man.

What you expect from a Top of the line Transformers toy?
Rubber wheels?
Steering wheel looking from inside and seats?
Pop up bonnet?
diecast body?

Sorry, you get premium box.

BTW, I do agree with you. My Binaltech still wins as a Masterpiece over the actual Masterpiece toys atm. These are just FUN accurate action figures.

I don't bother to compare anymore, You either be happy we have Tracks or love the people who would scream for a Red bumble bee. I take Tracks.

[GoktimusPrime]

To be fair, Binaltech/Alternators never had to translate show-accuracy into intuitive toy form. They had far more creative freedom as their modus operandi was about making super realistic licensed vehicles and having them transform into robots that more resemblance to their G1 characters, but weren't actually direct imitations of their G1 robot forms. Translating G1 cartoon designs into toys isn't an easy feat, as the G1 cartoon frequently flouted reality and had parts just morphing, (dis)appearing etc.; things that toys just cannot do. So designers are working within the confines of making toys that...
* Look like their G1 cartoon counterparts
* Obey the laws of physics (no choice)
* Are intuitive to transform and fun to play with. Most MPs are fun and intuitive; the main exceptions would be the Seekers (intuitive but not fun to play) and Megatron (neither fun nor intuitive). Although the relatively slim nature of Megatron's and the Seeker's alt modes does make it a lot more difficult to render as MP toys than bulkier cars, trucks, walkman/cassettes.

Binaltechs simply weren't hindered by these creative constraints. I do agree that BTs were better value for money, but nobody wants to hear me harp on about prices again, so let me just say that if the price bothers you, then just pre-order it and pay earlybird discounted prices. And compared to 12 years ago when BTs came out, we're relatively spoiled for choice these days with the number of online import stores all competing for our business, most of whom offer pre-order discounts.

[drifand]

would have been easier if they didn't scaled it down to begin with. I would have proudly display them with my binaltechs.

[MV75]

To be fair, Binaltech/Alternators never had to translate show-accuracy into intuitive toy form. They had far more creative freedom as their modus operandi was about making super realistic licensed vehicles and having them transform into robots that more resemblance to their G1 characters, but weren't actually direct imitations of their G1 robot forms. Translating G1 cartoon designs into toys isn't an easy feat, as the G1 cartoon frequently flouted reality and had parts just morphing, (dis)appearing etc.; things that toys just cannot do. So designers are working within the confines of making toys that...
* Look like their G1 cartoon counterparts
* Obey the laws of physics (no choice)
* Are intuitive to transform and fun to play with. Most MPs are fun and intuitive; the main exceptions would be the Seekers (intuitive but not fun to play) and Megatron (neither fun nor intuitive). Although the relatively slim nature of Megatron's and the Seeker's alt modes does make it a lot more difficult to render as MP toys than bulkier cars, trucks, walkman/cassettes.

Binaltechs simply weren't hindered by these creative constraints. I do agree that BTs were better value for money, but nobody wants to hear me harp on about prices again, so let me just say that if the price bothers you, then just pre-order it and pay earlybird discounted prices. And compared to 12 years ago when BTs came out, we're relatively spoiled for choice these days with the number of online import stores all competing for our business, most of whom offer pre-order discounts.

But this is the thing. Alt hound looks like cartoon hound with amazing detail.

The detail just isn't there and is something of a let down with a premium name attached to it. You only need to look at your mp optimus prime to see my point. Something with masterpiece as its moniker should have premium details. Don't worry about price. It seems that the creators of the line do and so it's gotten cheaped out in quality big time.

I think drifand has hit on it too, scale. Should have been bigger.

I'll put one more example; Human alliance sideswipe. I have it on my desk right now. Car looks great, minimal seams over the car mode, (you wouldn't pick it transforms). Go back to the first post of this thread and look at those seam gaps and clumsy looking match ups. Looks like a very floppy figure. Sideswipe has human figure that sits in the seat behind the steering wheel, after getting into the scissor doors! Transforms to movie accurate figure. Sure there is kibble, it is toy grade, but the details of the doors, seats, how it looks in car mode, etc are great. It's the detail in this MP line that bugs me. Sure it looks like g1 tracks, but very cheaply done with no wow factor details.

You should be protesting this sort of thing and be annoyed by it, not apologise for it.