More iGear Presser Prototype Images: Robot and Alt Mode

Yeah, that's a 100% retool of warpath, I'd pay up to 20.00$ for it.

Yep seeing the robot and alt mode pics for this guy, he looks great but I agree with cylor that he's basically a deluxe warpath retooled as impactor. Still a great looking figure though.

If Hasbro were smart enough...

Looks great but the stupid open mouth ruins it. Reminds me of dumb superhero comics muggs.

On the flip side, this is one instance where I hope Hasbro steals the idea from Igear. Just like Hasbro stole Igear's improvements to MP Starscream. Hasbro might earn back my respect if they start stealing some 3rd party ideas, instead of whining like a bunch of b**chs in court. If this is a re-tool of Warpath, Id rather pick him up for $13.99 at Walmart.

Retool or copied transformation I don't care. He is awesome and I will have him. But I can't help noticing that iGear is again pushing the envelope of 3rd party I.P. theft. That molded Autobot insignia is blatant. If any 3rd party company pushes things to far, it's these clowns.

So defending the rights to their designs is "whining" now? Really?

This figure must come with another head. I mean, iGear has to know there are people who'd be turned off by the open mouth. I really like the way it look right now, but there's just too much out there that I want. Blowing $100 on a cool character I don't really know wouldn't be a good idea.

The transformation seems inspired by Warpath, but its hard to recognize the 2 as similar when not side by side, I'd even say this figure looks better as Impactor than Warpath does as Warpath. And the leg transformation seems to have some differences. siimply calling this a retool is an understatement. not one part is the same as it is on Warpath.

And consider this, if Hasbro at any point decided that Warpath would make a good Impactor, you know that it would only be a purple and yellow repaint with maybe a new head.

Also, love the molded Wreckers symbol.

You can keep your Devastators, Seasprays and Powerglides... I'm having this!

Love it.

However, that moulded Autobot symbol is taking some liberties is it not?

Gauntlet101010 wrote:So defending the rights to their designs is "whining" now? Really?

This figure must come with another head. I mean, iGear has to know there are people who'd be turned off by the open mouth. I really like the way it look right now, but there's just too much out there that I want. Blowing $100 on a cool character I don't really know wouldn't be a good idea.

Yes it is whining. Respect the G-code, Hasbro stop snitching.

If Hasbro wants their market back, then make an impact or keep drowning in the sea of perfection known as 3rd parties. I don’t even know why we still use that silly outdated term. Hasbro is just another drop in the bucket now. IGear, Fansproject, TFC, and CHMS are all major players in the game. Just because you did something first, doesn’t mean you do it best. Ask Henry Ford…

I'll take one absolutely!

Rated X wrote:If Hasbro wants their market back, then make an impact or keep drowning in the sea of perfection known as 3rd parties.

And how many figures has Hasbro made in the last 6 months vs 3rd Parties?

Rated X wrote:I don’t even know why we still use that silly outdated term. Hasbro is just another drop in the bucket now.

More like Hasbro is the bucket of water and third parties are the food colouring that adds colour.

Rated X wrote:IGear, Fansproject, TFC, and CHMS are all major players in the game.

iGear hasn't really released any recent product on time according to their original ETAs
Fansproject has been dead silent since July last year
TFC was plagued with poor offerings before Herc, and Herc figures suffered some major QA issues in their early runs - though to their credit they did supply replacement parts.
CHMS has yet to produce a product that, even when copying Hasbro's, can match Hasbro's quality (i.e. joint tightness and face details)

So yeah, why should Hasbro have anything really to worry about?

Rated X wrote:Just because you did something first, doesn’t mean you do it best. Ask Henry Ford…

And yet Ford is still the 2nd largetst US-based Auto-maker.

So the moral of the story is - yes, 3rd Parties add some nice bling to a collection - but Hasbro is still the bread and butter on the Transformers Franchise, whether you like it or not.

Rated X wrote: Just like Hasbro stole Igear's improvements to MP Starscream.

Actually, iGear stole those improvements from a customizer.

Rated X wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:So defending the rights to their designs is "whining" now? Really?

This figure must come with another head. I mean, iGear has to know there are people who'd be turned off by the open mouth. I really like the way it look right now, but there's just too much out there that I want. Blowing $100 on a cool character I don't really know wouldn't be a good idea.

Yes it is whining. Respect the G-code, Hasbro stop snitching.

If Hasbro wants their market back, then make an impact or keep drowning in the sea of perfection known as 3rd parties. I don’t even know why we still use that silly outdated term. Hasbro is just another drop in the bucket now. IGear, Fansproject, TFC, and CHMS are all major players in the game. Just because you did something first, doesn’t mean you do it best. Ask Henry Ford…

You're talking about two different things here. Using the Autobnot symbol is no different than me going out and building a car in my backyard and selling it with a blue Ford logo on it. That's why the Alternator lines were licensed. If Hasbro has to play by the rules and ask to use someone's car, then so does someone else. Plain and simple.

Where Repro fits into all this I don't know, but even then that's more a restoration market, largely.

JRFitzpatrick7 wrote:The transformation seems inspired by Warpath, but its hard to recognize the 2 as similar when not side by side, I'd even say this figure looks better as Impactor than Warpath does as Warpath. And the leg transformation seems to have some differences. siimply calling this a retool is an understatement. not one part is the same as it is on Warpath.

There are a few differences, but the Transformation is nearly identical. The feet are obviously the front treads, you can see that in the vehicle mode if you nevr saw the robot. They did a nice job moulding the bottom ofg the legs with vents so that it sorta hides the fact,but that's Warpath's stand up transformation. The torso appears to eb folded the same way, the hands are hidden in the same place, there can't be that many ways to fold the hinges for his arms, and if yopu want to get nitpicvky the moved the Nerf Bars (Oh, excuse me, 5mm clip bar) to the side and not the top of the rear treds, but it is Warpath. I mean, come on! There's a million ways to unfold a tank, let's stop copying a transformation that works and come up with something new. Othewsise, I'd rather save the money and see if Hasbro does a repaint, cause it won't be that different.

I always thought RTS Perceptor was ripe to be repainted into Impactor, I guess Hasbro didnt think the character was marketable enough...

Pretender Skywarp wrote:I always thought RTS Perceptor was ripe to be repainted into Impactor, I guess Hasbro didnt think the character was marketable enough...

Well to be fair, ourple and yellow are not the most pleasing colours to sell to a mostly boys market.

Pretender Skywarp wrote:I always thought RTS Perceptor was ripe to be repainted into Impactor, I guess Hasbro didnt think the character was marketable enough...

How? The only things that version of Perceptor and Impactor have in common are the shoulder cannon (which is wrong for both characters) and the rough shape of the head. The build, proportions, and most importantly altmode are pretty close to the exact opposite of Impactor. I do however wish Hasbro had put out the Reflector repaint of Perceptor they had promised.

Well, it sure does look nice...

Looks great. I am surprised to see the etched faction symbol. No hiding that.

I'll make you a deal iGear: you produce this, and I'll buy it. How does that sound? And that goes for anyone from the Wreckers. So please, get on it.

I cannot wait for Impactor!! I love how the transformation is similar, but not exactly the same as Warpath. It looks better then the WP version. But only because it gives him his unique look. Just like WP has a very unique look.

I'm almost sure that iGear will also have a non-open mouth alt head, so don't worry folks. And this guy should be a little bigger then FP Defender (Springer), about a head, so he will actually tower over Hasbro's Warpath. And I loooove the Wrecker Autobot insignia.

Mkall wrote:I'll take one absolutely!

Rated X wrote:If Hasbro wants their market back, then make an impact or keep drowning in the sea of perfection known as 3rd parties.

And how many figures has Hasbro made in the last 6 months vs 3rd Parties?

Rated X wrote:I don’t even know why we still use that silly outdated term. Hasbro is just another drop in the bucket now.

More like Hasbro is the bucket of water and third parties are the food colouring that adds colour.

Rated X wrote:IGear, Fansproject, TFC, and CHMS are all major players in the game.

iGear hasn't really released any recent product on time according to their original ETAs
Fansproject has been dead silent since July last year
TFC was plagued with poor offerings before Herc, and Herc figures suffered some major QA issues in their early runs - though to their credit they did supply replacement parts.
CHMS has yet to produce a product that, even when copying Hasbro's, can match Hasbro's quality (i.e. joint tightness and face details)

So yeah, why should Hasbro have anything really to worry about?

Rated X wrote:Just because you did something first, doesn’t mean you do it best. Ask Henry Ford…

And yet Ford is still the 2nd largetst US-based Auto-maker.

So the moral of the story is - yes, 3rd Parties add some nice bling to a collection - but Hasbro is still the bread and butter on the Transformers Franchise, whether you like it or not.

3rd parties have been keeping my wallet busy all year. It takes them time to design the stuff so we get em in spurts. And if you count upgrades, garage kits and KO’s, the fun never stops coming. As far as Hasbro, the last new figures I bought from them were Black Shadow and Junkheap. Runamuck, Runabout, and SG Drift, will be the first new Hasbro figures I get since November. And all that I have mentioned have been repaints with slight re-tooling. So I just can’t see Hasbro as the dominant force for us classics collectors. Maybe for Michael Bay stuff, but not classics.

As far as cars, I’m a Chevy guy. From my first car, a 1977 Caprice Classic lowrider, to my current Avalanche, I think GM beat Ford at the game they invented. Even Hasbro endorses GM.


I-Gear: Better late than never, loving my new Huffer and Seaspray.

Fansproject: When they are silent, they’re up to something big. Happy to have real Insecticons before Hasbro finds a way to screw them up.

TFC: We both got Hercules, don’t we ??? (Nuff Said)

CHMS: In my honest opinion, CHMS nailed it on the dot with Powerglide, Hothouse, Bad Boy, and Cobra Rattler (Tailwind for me) And the fact that they enlarged the Jizai Toys mold and gave it new joints makes it 95% an original product. They also did one hell of a job on Wildrider and SG Rodimus.

Rated X wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:So defending the rights to their designs is "whining" now? Really?

This figure must come with another head. I mean, iGear has to know there are people who'd be turned off by the open mouth. I really like the way it look right now, but there's just too much out there that I want. Blowing $100 on a cool character I don't really know wouldn't be a good idea.

Yes it is whining. Respect the G-code, Hasbro stop snitching.

If Hasbro wants their market back, then make an impact or keep drowning in the sea of perfection known as 3rd parties. I don’t even know why we still use that silly outdated term. Hasbro is just another drop in the bucket now. IGear, Fansproject, TFC, and CHMS are all major players in the game. Just because you did something first, doesn’t mean you do it best. Ask Henry Ford…

*Psssshhh* yeah, right. I'm sure Hasbro will respect that as soon as the KO companies respect the G-code and man up when they're caught red-handed, right? Not cry like little bitches and try to fight the accusations in court by making some lame BS excuse, right?

Rated X wrote:Just like Hasbro stole Igear's improvements to MP Starscream.

First off, Hasbro has nothing to do with MP-11, second off, iGear took that idea from the MP Starscream prototype.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:

Rated X wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:So defending the rights to their designs is "whining" now? Really?

This figure must come with another head. I mean, iGear has to know there are people who'd be turned off by the open mouth. I really like the way it look right now, but there's just too much out there that I want. Blowing $100 on a cool character I don't really know wouldn't be a good idea.

Yes it is whining. Respect the G-code, Hasbro stop snitching.

If Hasbro wants their market back, then make an impact or keep drowning in the sea of perfection known as 3rd parties. I don’t even know why we still use that silly outdated term. Hasbro is just another drop in the bucket now. IGear, Fansproject, TFC, and CHMS are all major players in the game. Just because you did something first, doesn’t mean you do it best. Ask Henry Ford…

*Psssshhh* yeah, right. I'm sure Hasbro will respect that as soon as the KO companies respect the G-code and man up when they're caught red-handed, right? Not cry like little bitches and try to fight the accusations in court by making some lame BS excuse, right?

Court is for punks. Everytime Hasbro elects to go to court instead of making better toys, they are just envoking their b**ch card. With the resources Hasbro has, how hard could it be to build a collectors division that specializes in figures not for kids ? Obviously, these companies got Hasbro's attention. So why cant Hasbro beat these companies at their own game ???

Because they are too busy making zillions of Bumblebees I guess...

cannonfodder4000 wrote:

Rated X wrote:Just like Hasbro stole Igear's improvements to MP Starscream.

First off, Hasbro has nothing to do with MP-11, second off, iGear took that idea from the MP Starscream prototype.

Heres what I mean:

1. Takara makes MP Starscream mold, (with hip kibble)

2. I-Gear hears the fans complaints, steals the MP mold, gets rid of the hip kibble and introduces MP coneheads.

3. Takara gets hold of an I-Gear MP seeker, and steals the new and improved design without hip kibble.

That is the best thing Takara has ever done. They didnt get mad, they got even. That's the type of s**t I respect. And the new Takara MP Starscream looks better than the I-Gear one.

And remember Takara and Hasbro are business partners. So MP-11 is in the Hasbro family. Im betting the mold will see a Christmas 2012 release in the US in the form of one character or another.

The funny thing is that Botcon is sponsered by Hasbro, but Funpub has no problem letting TF Source set up a huge booth and sell tons of I-Gear products right in front of Hasbro's face.

Rated X wrote:

cannonfodder4000 wrote:

Rated X wrote:Just like Hasbro stole Igear's improvements to MP Starscream.

First off, Hasbro has nothing to do with MP-11, second off, iGear took that idea from the MP Starscream prototype.

Heres what I mean:

1. Takara makes MP Starscream mold, (with hip kibble)

2. I-Gear hears the fans complaints, steals the MP mold, gets rid of the hip kibble and introduces MP coneheads.

3. Takara gets hold of an I-Gear MP seeker, and steals the new and improved design without hip kibble.

Umm, I just showed you the MP Starscream prototype, Takara didn't steal nothing, they just retooled MP Starscream without hip kibble like he was originally designed to not have, it's iGear that stole the idea from Takara, not the other way around.

Rated X wrote:

cannonfodder4000 wrote:

Rated X wrote:Just like Hasbro stole Igear's improvements to MP Starscream.

First off, Hasbro has nothing to do with MP-11, second off, iGear took that idea from the MP Starscream prototype.

Heres what I mean:

1. Takara makes MP Starscream mold, (with hip kibble)

2. I-Gear hears the fans complaints, steals the MP mold, gets rid of the hip kibble and introduces MP coneheads.

3. Takara gets hold of an I-Gear MP seeker, and steals the new and improved design without hip kibble.

You don't know what you are talking about.

I'll buy him. LSoTW was outstanding. I'll buy him just for that. I hope they make the other Wreckers as well.

Rated X wrote:

cannonfodder4000 wrote:

Rated X wrote:Just like Hasbro stole Igear's improvements to MP Starscream.

First off, Hasbro has nothing to do with MP-11, second off, iGear took that idea from the MP Starscream prototype.

Heres what I mean:

1. Takara makes MP Starscream mold, (with hip kibble)

2. I-Gear hears the fans complaints, steals the MP mold, gets rid of the hip kibble and introduces MP coneheads.

3. Takara gets hold of an I-Gear MP seeker, and steals the new and improved design without hip kibble.

That is the best thing Takara has ever done. They didnt get mad, they got even. That's the type of s**t I respect. And the new Takara MP Starscream looks better than the I-Gear one.

And remember Takara and Hasbro are business partners. So MP-11 is in the Hasbro family. Im betting the mold will see a Christmas 2012 release in the US in the form of one character or another.

The funny thing is that Botcon is sponsered by Hasbro, but Funpub has no problem letting TF Source set up a huge booth and sell tons of I-Gear products right in front of Hasbro's face.

It's posts like that that actually make me WANT Hasbro to take action against guys like iGear. Are you on autopilot? Did you even see the picture of the original prototype lacking the hip kibble?

Okay, just to clarify here, and honestly, I'm not trying to be a prick or anything, but for those of you against 3rd party items - is the argument that the rest of us should just sit on our thumbs and wait in vain for Tak/Has to make characters we all know they never will?

What is the actual issue here? That 3rd party items are more expensive? The copyright infringement, what?

Because it seems to me, aside from the obviously flawed "iGear did it first" argument, which I'll admit is bs, what is the problem with any of this? Tak/Has is going to churn out profit items, the same 5-10 characters they always do for each line. The rest of the cast gets left behind. Classics/Generations is the only line that actually did a decent job of expanding past the 5 main A/D characters, but there's a lot out there. I would love to have a set of Wreckers on my shelf, so why is that a problem if I'm willing to pay for it?

ViperEye82 wrote:Okay, just to clarify here, and honestly, I'm not trying to be a prick or anything, but for those of you against 3rd party items - is the argument that the rest of us should just sit on our thumbs and wait in vain for Tak/Has to make characters we all know they never will?

What is the actual issue here? That 3rd party items are more expensive? The copyright infringement, what?

Because it seems to me, aside from the obviously flawed "iGear did it first" argument, which I'll admit is bs, what is the problem with any of this? Tak/Has is going to churn out profit items, the same 5-10 characters they always do for each line. The rest of the cast gets left behind. Classics/Generations is the only line that actually did a decent job of expanding past the 5 main A/D characters, but there's a lot out there. I would love to have a set of Wreckers on my shelf, so why is that a problem if I'm willing to pay for it?

To my eyes, very little. You want to design a transforming tank, paint him purple and yellow and come up with a wordplay name like Pressor for Impactor, go right on ahead, I see no problem with doing that. There's room in the toy market for transforming vehicles, just look at those chunky things Walmart carries next to the Transformers. Hasbro doesn't seem to be concerned about them, after all. heck, I'm not even neccesarily against the guys doing Devvy, and he's actually close enough to call mainstream. Time will tell if Hasbro is interested in Combiners long term, he might be cheaper that way if so.

My problem is that they've ripped off a toy (This case Warpath) as close to idenically as they can, and branded him with a smudged Autobot symbol. As I said in my previous post, Ford would not like me if I built and sold cars with a blue oval on the grill, so why should Hasbro? And I'm not going to pay eighty bucks for a figure that is neck down nothing more than a stylized and maybe largerversion of a figure I already have, and quite like. For them to do that, I'd rather they have just sold me the turret portion (pay what, thirty five?) with instructions on how to remove Warpath's and slap this one on, like an oversized Headmaster.

Not that I;m neccesarily a skilled hand at painting, but if you're going to blatently rip Warpath, then just rip Warpath. Otherwise, come up with something new.

ViperEye82 wrote:Okay, just to clarify here, and honestly, I'm not trying to be a prick or anything, but for those of you against 3rd party items - is the argument that the rest of us should just sit on our thumbs and wait in vain for Tak/Has to make characters we all know they never will?

What is the actual issue here? That 3rd party items are more expensive? The copyright infringement, what?

Because it seems to me, aside from the obviously flawed "iGear did it first" argument, which I'll admit is bs, what is the problem with any of this? Tak/Has is going to churn out profit items, the same 5-10 characters they always do for each line. The rest of the cast gets left behind. Classics/Generations is the only line that actually did a decent job of expanding past the 5 main A/D characters, but there's a lot out there. I would love to have a set of Wreckers on my shelf, so why is that a problem if I'm willing to pay for it?

I myself don't have a problem with 3rd party companies, they make some quality stuff most of the time, I just don't like it when people glorify 3rd party companies like Rated X sorta does, since you really can't compare how Hastak products are made compared to how 3rd party stuff is made, they don't have to worry about things like, character marketability, budget per figure, or child safety, unlike HasTak who obviously has to really take those things into consideration.

Okay, thanks fellas, I guess I can't understand that all just fine.

For me, I would hands down rather have Impactor than Warpath. I think the colors, and design of the figure (in the comics at least) warrant me willing to shell out what I need to for this, though I'm not going above a certain price for sure.

ViperEye82 wrote:Okay, just to clarify here, and honestly, I'm not trying to be a prick or anything, but for those of you against 3rd party items - is the argument that the rest of us should just sit on our thumbs and wait in vain for Tak/Has to make characters we all know they never will?

What is the actual issue here? That 3rd party items are more expensive? The copyright infringement, what?

Because it seems to me, aside from the obviously flawed "iGear did it first" argument, which I'll admit is bs, what is the problem with any of this? Tak/Has is going to churn out profit items, the same 5-10 characters they always do for each line. The rest of the cast gets left behind. Classics/Generations is the only line that actually did a decent job of expanding past the 5 main A/D characters, but there's a lot out there. I would love to have a set of Wreckers on my shelf, so why is that a problem if I'm willing to pay for it?

I'm not against 3rd party companies AT ALL. Actually I have herc, Battle Tanker, and Sonicron right in font of me on my desk as I type.

But I AM again overglorification of KOs AND blind Hasbro / Takara bashing. Which is what Rated X does in spades.

I also take issue with the idea that, somehow, Hasbro/Takara are IN THE WRONG for protecting things THEY MADE. What is this, Bizarro World? I'll buy whatever I want to regardless of who makes it, but I won't shed a tear if they get busted (in regards to KOs).

I just sold a bunch of stuff and picked up Herc/Devs myself. Can't wait.

Also, I just want to go on record that I don't have any issue at all with Tak/Has protecting their stuff. I do just hope they recognize that 3rd party items are for fans of their work that they don't get around too. But the law is the law and I agree, iGear sure is pushing it by having that symbol on Presser's chest. Iron balls...iron balls.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:

Rated X wrote:

cannonfodder4000 wrote:

Rated X wrote:Just like Hasbro stole Igear's improvements to MP Starscream.

First off, Hasbro has nothing to do with MP-11, second off, iGear took that idea from the MP Starscream prototype.

Heres what I mean:

1. Takara makes MP Starscream mold, (with hip kibble)

2. I-Gear hears the fans complaints, steals the MP mold, gets rid of the hip kibble and introduces MP coneheads.

3. Takara gets hold of an I-Gear MP seeker, and steals the new and improved design without hip kibble.

That is the best thing Takara has ever done. They didnt get mad, they got even. That's the type of s**t I respect. And the new Takara MP Starscream looks better than the I-Gear one.

And remember Takara and Hasbro are business partners. So MP-11 is in the Hasbro family. Im betting the mold will see a Christmas 2012 release in the US in the form of one character or another.

The funny thing is that Botcon is sponsered by Hasbro, but Funpub has no problem letting TF Source set up a huge booth and sell tons of I-Gear products right in front of Hasbro's face.

It's posts like that that actually make me WANT Hasbro to take action against guys like iGear. Are you on autopilot? Did you even see the picture of the original prototype lacking the hip kibble?

I dont read Japanese buddy. I see a grey prototype without hip kibble, but no readable company name or date.

To my knowledge, the modified hips without the kibble were first invented by some famous Kitbasher with the MP Coneheads. I believe he sold 6 sets on e-bay. Within a year, I-Gear copied his modifications and mass produced the MP Coneheads. Shortly after, I-Gear introduced re-tooled versions of the original 3 seekers in anime colors, Sunstorm, Icestorm, Acid Storm, Translucent purple seeker and G2 Ramjet. Somewhere inbetween this barrage of I-Gear seekers, Takara got smart and used the modified hip idea for themselves to create MP-11 which is Starscream in G1 colors with an add on coronation kit. Long story short, the modified hips design has been raped by everyone and their mother. But the fans are the real winners because we get a great choice of obscure MP seekers

I'm going to throw my hat in the ring here... For me, there is a huge distinction between making a whole new figure based on a neglected one and ripping off someone else's mould.

FansProject get my respect because they either produce decent addons to existing HasTak moulds or come up with their own unique moulds. I don't think that anyone in their right mind should really have a problem with that. Ditto Maketoys etc.

iGear steal moulds that do not belong to them, fanny around with them a bit, resize them, and give them stupid, pretentious names and expect people to be OK with it. They disgust me, as does anyone who rips off someone else's intellectual property. I hope HasTak sue the arse off of them. I think I prefer 'honest' KO's to the iGear approach.

Having said all that, Impactor does look very nice indeed. It's unlikely that Hasbro or Takara will bother producing a figure who basically turned up, got his half his head blasted off and died. Then came back as a zombie. Even Last Stand of the Wreckers is unlikely to move HasTak to make a mould for him.

Still, I think I'll pass on this one even though I want him, as iGear's 'business model' makes me retch.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:

ViperEye82 wrote:Okay, just to clarify here, and honestly, I'm not trying to be a prick or anything, but for those of you against 3rd party items - is the argument that the rest of us should just sit on our thumbs and wait in vain for Tak/Has to make characters we all know they never will?

What is the actual issue here? That 3rd party items are more expensive? The copyright infringement, what?

Because it seems to me, aside from the obviously flawed "iGear did it first" argument, which I'll admit is bs, what is the problem with any of this? Tak/Has is going to churn out profit items, the same 5-10 characters they always do for each line. The rest of the cast gets left behind. Classics/Generations is the only line that actually did a decent job of expanding past the 5 main A/D characters, but there's a lot out there. I would love to have a set of Wreckers on my shelf, so why is that a problem if I'm willing to pay for it?

I'm not against 3rd party companies AT ALL. Actually I have herc, Battle Tanker, and Sonicron right in font of me on my desk as I type.

But I AM again overglorification of KOs AND blind Hasbro / Takara bashing. Which is what Rated X does in spades.


I also take issue with the idea that, somehow, Hasbro/Takara are IN THE WRONG for protecting things THEY MADE. What is this, Bizarro World? I'll buy whatever I want to regardless of who makes it, but I won't shed a tear if they get busted (in regards to KOs).

Yes I glorify 3rd party figures and high quality KO’s.

With all the people on this site that would donate a kidney for Hasbro, what’s wrong with me being an advocate for Hasbro’s competition ???

If you are anti-3rd party, then why even click on 3rd party threads ???

If you want to live in a Hasbro world and have a shelf full of Bumblebee repaints, I’m not knocking you. But there is no need to come on here complaining about Hasbro’s rights, unless you own Wall Street stock in Hasbro’s assets. Every time a 3rd party thread comes out, it is plagued by unofficial Hasbro lawyers and legal consultants.

Can you please just let us enjoy collecting ???

Go open up your car engine and make sure every part was made by the dealer. If you find one label that says made in China, have your mechanic fed to the Sharkticons.

Sheesh…

I'd further state that I don't think anything from IDW will ever be produced by Tak/Has.

Anyone see the latest issue of RiD, with Skids? How about a new, cooler mold of Skids? ..........*crickets*...Hello? TAK/HAS? No? *sigh*......


That's why I guess I'm more inclined to be okay with this iGear set. While I agree, its BS what they're trying to get away with, no one else is bothering with LSoTW, so....I'll take what I can get.

Rated X wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:

Rated X wrote:

cannonfodder4000 wrote:

Rated X wrote:Just like Hasbro stole Igear's improvements to MP Starscream.

First off, Hasbro has nothing to do with MP-11, second off, iGear took that idea from the MP Starscream prototype.

Heres what I mean:

1. Takara makes MP Starscream mold, (with hip kibble)

2. I-Gear hears the fans complaints, steals the MP mold, gets rid of the hip kibble and introduces MP coneheads.

3. Takara gets hold of an I-Gear MP seeker, and steals the new and improved design without hip kibble.

That is the best thing Takara has ever done. They didnt get mad, they got even. That's the type of s**t I respect. And the new Takara MP Starscream looks better than the I-Gear one.

And remember Takara and Hasbro are business partners. So MP-11 is in the Hasbro family. Im betting the mold will see a Christmas 2012 release in the US in the form of one character or another.

The funny thing is that Botcon is sponsered by Hasbro, but Funpub has no problem letting TF Source set up a huge booth and sell tons of I-Gear products right in front of Hasbro's face.

It's posts like that that actually make me WANT Hasbro to take action against guys like iGear. Are you on autopilot? Did you even see the picture of the original prototype lacking the hip kibble?

I dont read Japanese buddy. I see a grey prototype without hip kibble, but no readable company name or date.

To my knowledge, the modified hips without the kibble were first invented by some famous Kitbasher with the MP Coneheads. I believe he sold 6 sets on e-bay. Within a year, I-Gear copied his modifications and mass produced the MP Coneheads. Shortly after, I-Gear introduced re-tooled versions of the original 3 seekers in anime colors, Sunstorm, Icestorm, Acid Storm, Translucent purple seeker and G2 Ramjet. Somewhere inbetween this barrage of I-Gear seekers, Takara got smart and used the modified hip idea for themselves to create MP-11 which is Starscream in G1 colors with an add on coronation kit. Long story short, the modified hips design has been raped by everyone and their mother. But the fans are the real winners because we get a great choice of obscure MP seekers

You don't need to read Japanese. Just do research before stating 4th handed knowledge likes it’s factual, especially when people keep telling you otherwise.

This picture above surfaced in 2006 before MP03 Starscream was released in 2007, which started a firestorm of anger towards the creator.

MP Starscream was originally designed without hip kibble. But, the Japanese creator, Shoji Kawamori, famous for his Gundam designs, modified the designs with the hip kibble along with several other modifications for two main reasons - 1. To make the alt mode more realistic. 2. To give Starscream a "Samurai sword carrying astetic". These changes along with the original MP03 greenish coloring brought about a branding of hatred and even death threats towards the designer from Japanese and international Transformers fans.

Fast forward, iGear takes Takara's idea and makes their version.

Fast forward again, Takara revisits their original idea for MP11.

All of this info resurfaced when iGear released their molds, and again last quarter when Takara released their MP11 photos. And this information is accessible on the web.

I don’t want to hear again that iGear invented this design or else I am going

And for the record – the coronation set: cape and crown were also part of the original design for MP03 back in 2006.

Stormrider wrote:

Rated X wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:

Rated X wrote:

cannonfodder4000 wrote:

Rated X wrote:Just like Hasbro stole Igear's improvements to MP Starscream.

First off, Hasbro has nothing to do with MP-11, second off, iGear took that idea from the MP Starscream prototype.

Heres what I mean:

1. Takara makes MP Starscream mold, (with hip kibble)

2. I-Gear hears the fans complaints, steals the MP mold, gets rid of the hip kibble and introduces MP coneheads.

3. Takara gets hold of an I-Gear MP seeker, and steals the new and improved design without hip kibble.

That is the best thing Takara has ever done. They didnt get mad, they got even. That's the type of s**t I respect. And the new Takara MP Starscream looks better than the I-Gear one.

And remember Takara and Hasbro are business partners. So MP-11 is in the Hasbro family. Im betting the mold will see a Christmas 2012 release in the US in the form of one character or another.

The funny thing is that Botcon is sponsered by Hasbro, but Funpub has no problem letting TF Source set up a huge booth and sell tons of I-Gear products right in front of Hasbro's face.

It's posts like that that actually make me WANT Hasbro to take action against guys like iGear. Are you on autopilot? Did you even see the picture of the original prototype lacking the hip kibble?

I dont read Japanese buddy. I see a grey prototype without hip kibble, but no readable company name or date.

To my knowledge, the modified hips without the kibble were first invented by some famous Kitbasher with the MP Coneheads. I believe he sold 6 sets on e-bay. Within a year, I-Gear copied his modifications and mass produced the MP Coneheads. Shortly after, I-Gear introduced re-tooled versions of the original 3 seekers in anime colors, Sunstorm, Icestorm, Acid Storm, Translucent purple seeker and G2 Ramjet. Somewhere inbetween this barrage of I-Gear seekers, Takara got smart and used the modified hip idea for themselves to create MP-11 which is Starscream in G1 colors with an add on coronation kit. Long story short, the modified hips design has been raped by everyone and their mother. But the fans are the real winners because we get a great choice of obscure MP seekers

You don't need to read Japanese. Just do research before stating 4th handed knowledge likes it’s factual, especially when people keep telling you otherwise.

This picture above surfaced in 2006 before MP03 Starscream was released in 2007, which started a firestorm of anger towards the creator.

MP Starscream was originally designed without hip kibble. But, the Japanese creator, Shoji Kawamori, famous for his Gundam designs, modified the designs with the hip kibble along with several other modifications for two main reasons - 1. To make the alt mode more realistic. 2. To give Starscream a "Samurai sword carrying astetic". These changes along with the original MP03 greenish coloring brought about a branding of hatred and even death threats towards the designer from Japanese and international Transformers fans.

Fast forward, iGear takes Takara's idea and makes their version.

Fast forward again, Takara revisits their original idea for MP11.

All of this info resurfaced when iGear released their molds, and again last quarter when Takara released their MP11 photos. And this information is accessible on the web.

I don’t want to hear again that iGear invented this design or else I am going

And for the record – the coronation set: cape and crown were also part of the original design for MP03 back in 2006.

I started collecting in 2007. I don’t know anything about what was proposed in 2006. But it does prove my point that everybody and their mother raped the “no hip kibble” design. Now you can add the famous kitbasher to the list.

I kind of find it hard to believe they made this change in 2006 to give Starscream a samurai like appearance. I mean if that’s the case, where are the freakin swords ??? There must be some other reason we will probally never know.

But on the other hand, if I-Gear had the money to resurrect the “no hip kibble” design and they actually influenced Takara to use it again, then why not give I-Gear their props ???

Rated X wrote:

Stormrider wrote:

Rated X wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:

Rated X wrote:

cannonfodder4000 wrote:

Rated X wrote:Just like Hasbro stole Igear's improvements to MP Starscream.

First off, Hasbro has nothing to do with MP-11, second off, iGear took that idea from the MP Starscream prototype.

Heres what I mean:

1. Takara makes MP Starscream mold, (with hip kibble)

2. I-Gear hears the fans complaints, steals the MP mold, gets rid of the hip kibble and introduces MP coneheads.

3. Takara gets hold of an I-Gear MP seeker, and steals the new and improved design without hip kibble.

That is the best thing Takara has ever done. They didnt get mad, they got even. That's the type of s**t I respect. And the new Takara MP Starscream looks better than the I-Gear one.

And remember Takara and Hasbro are business partners. So MP-11 is in the Hasbro family. Im betting the mold will see a Christmas 2012 release in the US in the form of one character or another.

The funny thing is that Botcon is sponsered by Hasbro, but Funpub has no problem letting TF Source set up a huge booth and sell tons of I-Gear products right in front of Hasbro's face.

It's posts like that that actually make me WANT Hasbro to take action against guys like iGear. Are you on autopilot? Did you even see the picture of the original prototype lacking the hip kibble?

I dont read Japanese buddy. I see a grey prototype without hip kibble, but no readable company name or date.

To my knowledge, the modified hips without the kibble were first invented by some famous Kitbasher with the MP Coneheads. I believe he sold 6 sets on e-bay. Within a year, I-Gear copied his modifications and mass produced the MP Coneheads. Shortly after, I-Gear introduced re-tooled versions of the original 3 seekers in anime colors, Sunstorm, Icestorm, Acid Storm, Translucent purple seeker and G2 Ramjet. Somewhere inbetween this barrage of I-Gear seekers, Takara got smart and used the modified hip idea for themselves to create MP-11 which is Starscream in G1 colors with an add on coronation kit. Long story short, the modified hips design has been raped by everyone and their mother. But the fans are the real winners because we get a great choice of obscure MP seekers

You don't need to read Japanese. Just do research before stating 4th handed knowledge likes it’s factual, especially when people keep telling you otherwise.

This picture above surfaced in 2006 before MP03 Starscream was released in 2007, which started a firestorm of anger towards the creator.

MP Starscream was originally designed without hip kibble. But, the Japanese creator, Shoji Kawamori, famous for his Gundam designs, modified the designs with the hip kibble along with several other modifications for two main reasons - 1. To make the alt mode more realistic. 2. To give Starscream a "Samurai sword carrying astetic". These changes along with the original MP03 greenish coloring brought about a branding of hatred and even death threats towards the designer from Japanese and international Transformers fans.

Fast forward, iGear takes Takara's idea and makes their version.

Fast forward again, Takara revisits their original idea for MP11.

All of this info resurfaced when iGear released their molds, and again last quarter when Takara released their MP11 photos. And this information is accessible on the web.

I don’t want to hear again that iGear invented this design or else I am going

And for the record – the coronation set: cape and crown were also part of the original design for MP03 back in 2006.

I started collecting in 2007. I don’t know anything about what was proposed in 2006. But it does prove my point that everybody and their mother raped the “no hip kibble” design. Now you can add the famous kitbasher to the list.

I kind of find it hard to believe they made this change in 2006 to give Starscream a samurai like appearance. I mean if that’s the case, where are the freakin swords ??? There must be some other reason we will probally never know.

But on the other hand, if I-Gear had the money to resurrect the “no hip kibble” design and they actually influenced Takara to use it again, then why not give I-Gear their props ???

"Congratulations IGear. Your falsly aquistioning a Takara protoype startled the major manufacturer who creates the market for your bread and butter to release an improved version of their own figure." [/dry sarcasm]

Rated X wrote: I started collecting in 2007. I don’t know anything about what was proposed in 2006.

Is this an acknowledgement that you were wrong?

breastforce wrote:It's unlikely that Hasbro or Takara will bother producing a figure who basically turned up, got his half his head blasted off and died. Then came back as a zombie. Even Last Stand of the Wreckers is unlikely to move HasTak to make a mould for him.

Never say never, my friend, as Has/Tak gave us Straxus, who appeared in two issues of the US comics and then came back as a severed head in some other Marvel Uk story. The only problem is that Impactor showed up JUST in the UK comics and LSOTW...

ViperEye82 wrote:I'd further state that I don't think anything from IDW will ever be produced by Tak/Has.

Have you ever heard about a toy named Drift? And what about the IDW influenced Blurr retool? You're totally right about Skids, I'll add also Trailbreaker, Chromedome, Brainstorm... if Hasbro will come up with these figures sure is going to have a LOT of money from me!

That said, I own and love many 3rd party items. My only gripe with Igear is when they border on the KOing of someone else's mould and also charge a lot of money. Same problem with X-Transbots's stuff.

So I've bought Kup's head and have paid for PP005 (both version), but I could pass on this one...

Rated X wrote:I kind of find it hard to believe they made this change in 2006 to give Starscream a samurai like appearance. I mean if that’s the case, where are the freakin swords ??? There must be some other reason we will probally never know.

The designer in question is Shōji Kawamori and he actually worked on the original Diaclone line. He is known to have said that he really wanted to make an accurate jet model and the robot was not the focus, hence all the opening flaps and panels in altmode. He actually argued against putting red on Starscream at all because real jet don't have it. He wanted the underside to look more like a real F-15s the the point of ridiculousness and to the detriment of the robotmode as a whole. The guy who designed the original Convoy made the Masterpiece least deserving of the title (not counting the ROTF ones) and we all own at least 3 of it. He wanted Starscream to look like he had swords without actually giving him swords because in the lines just prior to this (Armada and Energon), Starscream was made out to be an honorable swordsman like they have in every crappy anime. If memory serves, he was also unaware that later Thundercracker and Skywarp would be made using the same mold so the other 2 rotating heads were designed after his involvement ended.

The guy has my respect for being one of the original Diaclone designers but he clearly didn't understand what he was supposed to do for the Masterpiece line. There is a highly sanitized version of his work history on MP-03 on the wiki but it glosses over the controversial as it tends to do.

cylor wrote:

breastforce wrote:It's unlikely that Hasbro or Takara will bother producing a figure who basically turned up, got his half his head blasted off and died. Then came back as a zombie. Even Last Stand of the Wreckers is unlikely to move HasTak to make a mould for him.

Never say never, my friend, as Has/Tak gave us Straxus, who appeared in two issues of the US comics and then came back as a severed head in some other Marvel Uk story. The only problem is that Impactor showed up JUST in the UK comics and LSOTW...

God point Straxus is awesome. Although he also possessed a clone of Megatron for a while, so you could argue he was in all of those stories too (in spirit at least.)

I would love HasTak to give us the following as deluxes:

Hoist, Trailbreaker, Skids, Blitzwing. I would also like a voyager Shockwave that properly fits the 'classicsverse' aesthetic (FOC looks very cool but a bit too stylised for my liking, still getting him though)

I'm actually looking forward to this myself, but I'm uncertain as heck whether or not I'll be buying it. Giant's already got my wallet on one end, the desire for a blue Music Label Soundwave on the other, and then there's the Ratchet and Ironhide duo.

Yeah, the transformation is very similar to Warpath, but it makes sense too. Both are similar tank designs, right? As a result, it makes sense to go with the most straightforward route, both for ease-of-use for the consumer and production for themselves. To be honest I'd rather they'd implemented a cover for the arms rather than that gaping hole, but eh.

Either way, the sooner they finish this the sooner we can hopefully see their other overdue works.

Just weighing in on RatedX's unfaltering support of 3rd party/KO. Go get 'em Tiger. If you like it, buy it. I just went and counted, I have 57 aftermarket products out of a 1400+ collection. Not much of a threat there. I would like to also add, that I do not collect for value or resale. I open my stuff, I tranform my stuff, I enjoy it. But if the hammer came down hard from the legal action of HAS/TAK, would that not boost the value of 3rd party products? How much would a City Commander cost if the entire 3rd party movement was crushed? I feel content right now. Let me get my Hegemon, and I'm good either way. Honestly, one shelf of classics Decepticons has maybe $200 of official, and a $1000 in third party. I need a break.

Unfaltering support is one thing ... being blind to all evidence is another.

I mean, you don't have to "betray" 3rd party support to see that Takara had early plans to make a kibble free Starscream with a crown and everything. The prototype is right there! It shouldn't be an argument.

And the whole suing thing is an even bigger segue considering that I can't think of a single time HasTak actually brought a 3rd party producer to court. The only thing that comes even close is what's going on with KO Toys.

And, bringing that up, let the games begin.