Fan outcry over Henkei Powered Commander.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

I was checking out Seibertron.com and noticed the (IMO great) news that FP are releasing a henkei version of the Powered Commander armor. While I'm only after the City Commander version myself, the fact that more fans (especially poorer fans like me) will be able to enjoy such an awesome TF struck me as something to be celebrated, not decried. Yet heaps of people seem really POed over this, most noticeably those who got it as a convention exclusive at rather more cost. I can understand being upset at paying a lot for something and then seeing a cheaper/similar/possibly better version come out (to which my response is Patience, grasshopper), but a lot of the anger seems to be over a perceived loss of 'exclusivity'. The comment that really made me do a double take was this:

Posted by Blurrz on May 11th, 2009 @ 1:50pm CDT
Booooooooooooooo. This is terrible. This is like releasing the Henkei seekers.

I think releasing the henkei seekers was great (as would be Hasbro versions) - now more people (i.e. me) can enjoy them without selling our internal organs. Ignoring that there is sufficient difference to tell the 2 similar versions of the PC armor apart & thus it still technically is an exclusive, and ignoring the hopefully isolated cries of overeager scalpers, I'm just not getting the attraction behind this 'exclusive' business.

Seriously, what's the deal? How on Earth does someone else having/not having a TF detract from your own enjoyment of it? Sure, there are some things I don't want being widely available - swine flu for example - but TFs aren't one of them. I wouldn't like Animated Wreck-Gar (cheers again Zippo) any less if every second fan in Oz had one - in fact it'd be better IMO inasmuch as he'd have been much easier to find, probably cheaper, and it'd increase our chances of getting more cool Animated TF stuff down the track. IMO the more widespread (good) TFs are the better, if only because it makes it easier for me to get my hands on them. Is this 'exclusive' emphasis common amongst collectors, or am I some kind of freak for enjoying my TFs for their own sake instead of how many other people don't own one?
All thoughts/opinions welcome of course.

[kup]

Here is what I wrote on a similar thread in another board regarding this 'outcry':

I think this is being taken out of proportion. The people bit**ing are mostly those who spend up to $500 for it on ebay because they thought it was a super unique exclusive which in reality it is, the Comic Con version is a unique and limited version accurate to the original release of Powered Convoy in colors.

Fan Projects is now going to release a Japanese version of the toy with chrome to represent the Ehobby reissue of Powered Convoy which had added chrome which also serves to fit with Henkei's chrome theme. It will likely cost as much as what Powered Commander cost at TFCon for a local Japanese fan so from a 'retail' point of view it will cost the same.

If you were silly enought to win it in an ebay auction for some insane amount of money then who's fault is that?

[Sky Shadow]

Hear, hear, Grasshopper.

The only people who are disadvantaged by more toys being available to the public are scalpers and speculators who buy toys not to play with but because they think they might be able to sell them for more money later on.

Screw them both.

[k.wong23]

Scalpers going down is good, quit yer whinging I say!

[Tober]

There's a 120 odd page thread on TFW2005 as well. I don't really understand the fuss, then again I'm not American...

Ok, ok... the real thing they are upset over is being given the impression that these were basically going to be really rare like the origional Cliff Jumper sets are. So if you really wanted a Power Commander set it was going to cost you a TON unless you could actually go to the convention. So some people paid a TON for it and now are being told they will be widely available with a better paint scheme... etc... so those people are feeling ripped off. And it looks like they don't know weather to blame FansProjects or TFCon, or both.

It's should hardly be suprising that convention exclusives don't end up as exclusive as many people think they will be. The BotCon seekers being a prime example as well as the SDCC exclusives that were released in Asia/Oceania.

Self-rightous statement - Buy a toy because you want it and are willing to pay that much for it. Similar to winning an auction on eBay for $50 and then someone else wins the same thing for $40... you didn't get ripped off just cos someone else got it cheaper.

[TheHandsomeCrab]

Basically, there are two types of TF collectors.

Type 1 is me, you, probably the majority of the fandom. We buy toys because toys are awesome and jets and robots are awesome so toy jets that turn into robots are awesome cubed and FWOOOSH THERE ARE THE AUTOBOTS FIRE ZE MISSILES BLAM BLAM BLAM


Then, there are type 2, who are the less common but more vocal type. A typical quote would be "In this sealed acrylic case I have a very rare exclusive limited to 500 mint in sealed box HHNNNNRRRR... *fapfapfapfapfap*". That is, the type who buy rare toys for the sake of owning something rare and then masturbating over the fact. They're crying in anguish about their wank material suddenly being worth a quarter of what they paid, and now it doesn't turn them on.


Occasionally you will get the odd in-between type like Jgon who only like the boxes, but they're just weird.

[TheDirtyDigger]

Basically, there are two types of TF collectors.

Type 1 is me, you, probably the majority of the fandom. We buy toys because toys are awesome and jets and robots are awesome so toy jets that turn into robots are awesome cubed and FWOOOSH THERE ARE THE AUTOBOTS FIRE ZE MISSILES BLAM BLAM BLAM


Then, there are type 2, who are the less common but more vocal type. A typical quote would be "In this sealed acrylic case I have a very rare exclusive limited to 500 mint in sealed box HHNNNNRRRR... *fapfapfapfapfap*". That is, the type who buy rare toys for the sake of owning something rare and then masturbating over the fact. They're crying in anguish about their wank material suddenly being worth a quarter of what they paid, and now it doesn't turn them on.


Occasionally you will get the odd in-between type like Jgon who only like the boxes, but they're just weird.

I like robots and jets and fwooshing and stuff but for some deep-seated, darkly psychological, possibly satanic and definitely selfish reason I derive a satisfaction almost erotic from owning something no one or not many others have.

[TheHandsomeCrab]

Oh, so do I. I think everyone does a bit (regardless of whether they admit to it). The difference is when that's the only pleasure you derive from owning things, and spend thousands on acquiring more.

I mean, I love the fact I own a blue Microchange Bumblebee. Boxed, even. Never opened when I got it. Of course as soon as I got it I opened that fucker up and transformed him! Feels good man.

[dirge]

Self-rightous statement - Buy a toy because you want it and are willing to pay that much for it. Similar to winning an auction on eBay for $50 and then someone else wins the same thing for $40... you didn't get ripped off just cos someone else got it cheaper.

...my thoughts exactly. I paid $360 for (original) Landcross because I wanted Landcross. A few years later he was reissued... and the reissue set was $20 at Case Fresh at one stage. I'm not bitter about that - I got Landcross and was willing to pay that price. I'm glad others got the chance to purchase/enjoy Landcross (:

Then, there are type 2, who are the less common but more vocal type. A typical quote would be "In this sealed acrylic case I have a very rare exclusive limited to 500 mint in sealed box HHNNNNRRRR... *fapfapfapfapfap*". That is, the type who buy rare toys for the sake of owning something rare and then masturbating over the fact. They're crying in anguish about their wank material suddenly being worth a quarter of what they paid, and now it doesn't turn them on.

...and those who like to show off their super-rare stuff, which they picked up _because_ it's super rare and they _can_ show it off - not because they actually want the item in itself. Like the guys who were upset by the Henkei Seeker release making their BotCon toys less exclusive. I have the BotCon Seekers but I was happy TakaraTomy gave others the chance to complete their Seeker set (:

I mean, I love the fact I own a blue Microchange Bumblebee. Boxed, even. Never opened when I got it. Of course as soon as I got it I opened that fucker up and transformed him! Feels good man.

Dude, I so want to see this guy sometime!

[Sky Shadow]

FansProject's response:

http://www.fansproject.com/?p=259