Encore 18 is.....Skids.

[MV75]

Sigh, I still hate this about you ; ENCORE METROPLEX.

Anyway, skids is up for pre order at hlj. Projected october release. I'm still in two minds on whether to get this one as I do have the hasbro commemorative one and it's all chromed iirc, but since it's two months away, yea, bugger it, let's get it.

[Sleeve]

What exactly is the 'drop test'? Because it's reminding me of the story Casey Coller (of IDW comics) told me at Botcon of the stupidest thing he ever did regarding his Transformers. When he was 10 his friend suggested he drop his Fort Max from a second-storey balcony to watch it smash. Unfortunately, Casey listened to him...

[Sky Shadow]

What exactly is the 'drop test'? Because it's reminding me of the story Casey Coller (of IDW comics) told me at Botcon of the stupidest thing he ever did regarding his Transformers. When he was 10 his friend suggested he drop his Fort Max from a second-storey balcony to watch it smash. Unfortunately, Casey listened to him...

The 'drop' part is just like that. The 'test' is whether or not what's left after Fort Max is smashed into pieces could harm a child by scratching, choking etc. For example - drop an original G1 Optimus Prime and the smokestacks break off, causing a hazard. Solution: a reissue with short smokestacks and a subsequent epoch of listening to fanboys whine about it.

(Personally I think the most dangerous part of dropping Fortress Maximus from a great height would be if the child happened to be standing right under it at the time. )

[griffin]

I've actually heard three different explinations of what the 'Drop Test' is from Hasbro, at different BotCons.

1 - To see if it could crush or significantly injure a kid if dropped on them from a certain height. (weight of the toy)

2 - To see how easily it breaks into pieces that could laccerate a person. (fragility of the toy)

3 - To see if the toy would arrive to stores in its packaging in one piece (see how much it needs to be secured inside the packaging, to arrive on the store shelf the same as how it left the factory in China).

[fatbot]

I think the drop test only applies to the US and other countries that adopt such safety laws such as Australia.

I honestly don't think Fort Max would be released as encore unless its in very limited quantities as they would only be able to legally sell it retail in Japan and perhaps some surrounding countries and on top of that its likely to shelf warm because its so freaking huge that the casual fan will not jump up and get one to take to their tiny apartment.

What you said is all well and good, but why can't Takara set up a preorder type of system where people can register their interest\desire to get an encore fort max and if theirs enough, make them for those people who have registered for those figures? simply by making people prepay for the toy when registering would eliminate any wankers adding fake names to beef out the list, and we may get our encore fort max

[blackie]

What you said is all well and good, but why can't Takara set up a preorder type of system where people can register their interest\desire to get an encore fort max and if theirs enough, make them for those people who have registered for those figures? simply by making people prepay for the toy when registering would eliminate any wankers adding fake names to beef out the list, and we may get our encore fort max

best idea yet sir
you must go work for takara and implement this now

[fatbot]

best idea yet sir
you must go work for takara and implement this now

i would love to work for takara.

what a lot of companies need is someone to bring ideas out of left field, ( i prefer to say "pull them out of my !@# but this is a family site) otherwise you get situations like this happening, a company bringing out the same characters every few years, and not showing the love for any other molds that require a bit of radical thinking to bring to the market.

[Adzma]

Eh I suppose you have to look at it from their perspective: What brings in the most profit? Ever since Takara and Tomy merged they seem to have lost the former pride they had in keeping their customers happy. From my perspective it seems they work more for the money, not for customer satisfaction. The only real exception I can think of is when the QC got so far out of hand that they actually put effort into ensuring we didn't get faulty goods anymore. Just look at all those delicious yummy MP Grimlocks, sparkling away in their unspoiled goodness. Now this doesn't mean that TakTom have been unfaithful, I and I'm sure many others have been pleased with the work they've been putting out with new figures or old ones reissued but some must accept a change in business focus.

[fatbot]

Eh I suppose you have to look at it from their perspective: What brings in the most profit? Ever since Takara and Tomy merged they seem to have lost the former pride they had in keeping their customers happy. From my perspective it seems they work more for the money, not for customer satisfaction. The only real exception I can think of is when the QC got so far out of hand that they actually put effort into ensuring we didn't get faulty goods anymore. Just look at all those delicious yummy MP Grimlocks, sparkling away in their unspoiled goodness. Now this doesn't mean that TakTom have been unfaithful, I and I'm sure many others have been pleased with the work they've been putting out with new figures or old ones reissued but some must accept a change in business focus.

don't get me wrong, the transformers being made by takara are great, i don't have most of the encore figures being made, but at the same time, it would be better if they started thinking ahead and developing a process that allows the larger figures to be made, but not to become shelfwarmers, otherwise 90% of fans will never be able to own fort max, or scorpy or any other large figure because they don't sell well enough using traditional methods

[dirge]

I wouldn't say they're totally focussed on profit, Adzma - but you're right - there's a clear shift from customer satisfaction towards profit in TakaraTomy's Transformers activities compared to Takara.