Masterpiece style has changed

[Raider]

I like them all in their own ways. Could some be better? Sure. But I'd rather have them as they are than not at all.

To an extent many of the issues identified do have merit but I'm not going to piss all over fans rights to have their own opinions - so long as they aren't stupid or a whinge for nothing more than the sake of a whinge.

[primatives]

Where have you been these past few years?!?!

I?d say the cartoon style with less detailing started with Ultra Magnus though was more obvious with Ironhide onwards.

For me personally I prefer the older style which balanced real-world detail with cartoon accurate design. It wouldn?t bother me so much if not for the fact that the pricing has also increased which gives the impression we are getting less value for money.

Haha yeah its been a while. I check in every now and then and I'm not a MP collector, with the exception of the Gigapower figures. They looked too good!

Yeah I didn't notice the cartoon design until I saw Hound recently.

[hYpNoS]

The changes are driving my bonkers, I liked what mp10 had, a homage to the g1 toy (transformation) and its own thing in terms of design aesthetic (it was just a damn cool looking robot) , sure it wasn't a "collectors" figure like mp01 was but it was a more functional toy and still worth of being a masterpiece.

But take mp36, yeah it looks amazing and its transformation is worthy of that design award takara got, but...why so much paint, on areas far too close to panels, even if you're being ultra careful but without following the manual step by step 100% you're gonna scratch it off...I offer applause to anyone who'd transform him on a daily basis on sheer memory alone

And that's another thing, their designs have went from a way where you can work out a transformation by "feel", you can FEEL where parts go and which order to do them, but now you need to study the given order or risk damage both the paint and parts themselves, not to mention the qc has been degrading (thank you mp coneheads -_-), its why the mpm line was making me happy since they're close to those old ways until we got mpm bumblebee movie version which is a slap in the face (as its not accurate to anything on screen), rushed or giving 3a that little edge I don't know, and honestly don't care, it just sucks.

So in short transformation design isn't to what I prefer and accuracy can be questionable at times (especially since so many g1 mp's now are all front some sides and no back, well the new prime has a good back but its huge and bumblebee 2.0...big yikes from me)

[Trent]

bunch of "fans" supported this move

What is this supposed to mean? Are you implying that because I really like MP Wheeljack I'm not a fan? I didn't realise that there was a minimum standard we are all required to expect to determine our level of dedication to the line. Where does one obtain a copy of these rules? Is there also a secret handshake?

I was never a 3p collector, but when I see how much better Fantoys makes TFs, I was easily converted.

Right. FansToys Springer says Hi. So does Rouge. And Cyclonus. And Omega Supreme. And Hot Rod, Hound, Kickback and Perceptor. They all agree with your assesment of how they are superior products and not in any way complicated, unintuitive, fragile messes.

I am just waiting for MP44 and be done with TFs

Haha. Ahahahahhahahahahaha. yeah right. Just like all these times below that you were done with the MP line yeah?

I just don’t think I can justify paying that much. I would have bought at the $175 marked delivered.

I bought mp44 btw. I just think hound is pushing it a wee too far

Yup, I am out of the MP scene, unless a good MP Jazz appears, I am finding toy companies pushing the prices way to high now. I feel sad. Happy for those who want it.

After seeing the price. I am done with MPs. Exit out of this line. It was great, urm wait not so great.

I can clearly see why TT decided not to release hound now.

I have a lot of issues about this line and several reasons I am out.
Take note I did purchase mp 44 but that’s probably my last toy I am buying for the entire tt line not just mp unless a jazz maybe since 3p doesn’t cut it for me in this instance.

I feel TT has the potential but are not delivering. To me the masterpiece line is just frustrating and has no proper direction. I have heaps of toys with better quality and does transform and cost a lot less than a mp 44.

I said this before, I am willing to pay top dollars but in return I want top quality and materials. Now I only see partial in mp 44 and is not entirely meeting the mark especially at 35,000 not even to mention 50,000jpy.

I don’t even want to discuss about the other toy lines as you hardly see me in any as I felt the toys were expensive and not collectors grade.

Pretty sure I am quite done with the greed of TT. I will not be buying hound now regardless of price point.

This thread should be updated with the latest MP-44.

IMO MP-44 has definitely out priced the product. I am pretty sure we are not paying what it is worth regardless of engineering, paint involved.

As much as I love the piece, but I can't help to say this piece actually crossed the line for me to continue to support. Yes, I bought this but I think I am very done with this mp line unless Jazz comes along.

I have no longer any interest in Hound MP.

Out of interest - what DO you like about TF’s if you don’t like the toys or movies? The cartons & comics?

G1 cartoon.
For Toys, I have lean towards Fan Toys, not all of them, but the latest few as it seems to cater to what I am expecting. When you actually have fun from a product and compare it, you know the differences. But I am down with only Arcee to purchase and I am really quite done. I had never dream of getting these much TFs even to begin with.

I only just lost interest of the MP line lately, hence why I am quitting. Unless TT does a Jazz, I am just observing on the side lines for TT.

The topic if you observe, people are stating the normal line and MP line arein discussion of the extra premium added. But if we know TT the premium is only in engineering, everything else is being cut corners. There are only a handful of mps that TT has wowed me over these few years.

I only know one thing, it is time for the MP line to end.

That is my overall feeling of it. Good in many ways, save me a lot of money.
As for normal toy line, I have not bothered with it.

TT toys quality have not been on par to the toys I do collect. and I have decided to quit thanks to certain retailer as well.
I will not discuss about quality or premium to TT toys and I felt there isn't much. When you see people justifying and allowing compromised quality, I knew this was it there and then.

I hate to say it but the 3p has done a "what is the MP line is supposed to be" and sorry to say they did very well in many areas and even exceed expectations.

I thought for a MP, this should have chrome finishes. But yes I can see people agreeing and disagreeing with this. I can see a price increase lately for masterpieces and is to a point I am thinking whether I really want to vote with my wallet for the quality I am paying.

Good review btw.

Good times.

[Raider]

Quick! Someone call the fire department!

[Autocon]

MPs am I right!

Oh wait this isnt politics...

[BigTransformerTrev]

Quick! Someone call the fire department!

Primus yes - call MP Inferno and Ratchet right now! We need them to deal with a massive Masterpiece of a BURN!

[Seraphim Prime]

I think the biggest change we have seen is the shift from a single designer to a design team with a lead designer and the shifts in that lead designer.

Almost every Masterpiece between MP-10 and MP-23 was Shogo Hasui (who has since moved to the Prime Wars & WFC lines). It's believed that Hironori Kobayashi took over from MP-25, which is where we first started to see the changes in design choices happening. My understanding is that at some point it moved from being just the one designer to being a design team led by Kobayashi and

MP-24 was a special case, designed by someone outside the main team who helped get the fan choice Star Sabre completed without disrupting the other schedules.

So we had:
MP-10 - MP-23 - Shogo Hasui - Balance between vehicle licensing, cartoon likeness and playability
MP-25 onwards - Hironori Kobayashi - focus on cartoon likeness and detail leading to higher engineering to get exact likeness of both modes, at expense of playability. Greater parts counts and accessories as the wider design team gets involved.

[Magnus]

While I agree that the newer figures that placed a greater deal of emphasis on screen-accuracy lose out on moulded detail (at least, the G1 figures do), it does seem that newer figures 'justify' their higher prices from their R&D costs and part counts - they're more complex in order to achieve that greater fidelity to the Floro Dery and Mainframe character models that were never meant to work as actual, physical objects. Cheetor, Dinobot and Beast Wars Megatron look incredible. Sunstreaker is more complex than any Autobot car that came before him.

With regard to the 'loss of playability' - I wonder if TakaraTOMY have figured that since owners (by and large) aren't 'playing' with their toys, they can design them to work better as display pieces and get that greater screen-accuracy and articulation, which is bringing in the more complex transformations and higher part counts.

[Kranix]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the straight toon look, I preferred the earlier Hasui designed figures. They hit the sweet spot for me. Hound was going to be my last MP (on the assumption there will be no MP Jazz) but I can't get into this figure, much the same as with MP Sunstreaker. If I hadn't opened Sunstreaker to check his QC, I would sell him off.