Transformers Haslab Omega Prime Has Reached Funding Goal

Yessssssssssssssssss

Wow, that was fast. At this rate, all the extra tier items will be added in no time.

Looks like a winning choice for 2000s nostalgia from my nephew and niece's generation. Very happy and pre-ordered from Day 1 ...

DS needed 17K to pass the 2nd tier, and it ultimately ended with over 27K (10K more than needed).

Omega Prime needs 16K to get the stands, 10K over that would be 26K. If it gets that many units funded (trying to temper my expectations here)... Do you think it would be out of the realm of possibility to include 3 (of the 6) spy changers at Gen Micromasters scale? I know it would be new tooling for 3 toys, (perhaps some existing Micromaster tooling could be used?) but they did 2 for DS which was less expensive. I mean I think its certainly more reasonable than a deluxe, voyager (or bigger) toy, even if form a pre-existing tool.

Just extrapolating into the future, if the Next Haslab was Devil Gigatron/Rid2001 Galvatron, then it could come with the other 3 spy changers to complete the set.

o.supreme wrote:DS needed 17K to pass the 2nd tier, and it ultimately ended with over 27K (10K more than needed).

Omega Prime needs 16K to get the stands, 10K over that would be 26K. If it gets that many units funded (trying to temper my expectations here)... Do you think it would be out of the realm of possibility to include 3 (of the 6) spy changers at Gen Micromasters scale? I know it would be new tooling for 3 toys, (perhaps some existing Micromaster tooling could be used?) but they did 2 for DS which was less expensive. I mean I think its certainly more reasonable than a deluxe, voyager (or bigger) toy, even if form a pre-existing tool.

Just extrapolating into the future, if the Next Haslab was Devil Gigatron/Rid2001 Galvatron, then it could come with the other 3 spy changers to complete the set.

I sure hope not. The Spychangers were little in the cartoon but they weren't tiny. They were about only a head or so shorter than the Autobot Brothers. I wouldn't want to them to be any smaller than Core class at the tiniest. Ideally, if they could bring back the old Basic/Scout class or make them short Deluxes, that'd be perfect. The old G2 Go-Bot molds they were originally made from did no justice to their in-show size.

Sabrblade wrote:The old G2 Go-Bot molds they were originally made from did no justice to their in-show size.

I totally get it, especially when it comes to what Hasbro is doing with Dinoking.

o.supreme wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:The old G2 Go-Bot molds they were originally made from did no justice to their in-show size.

I totally get it, especially when it comes to what Hasbro is doing with Dinoking.

Same with how the members of Team Bullet Train were each only Voyager height in their toys but towered over everybody in the show.



Then again, almost every original toy in the Car Robots line was out of scale with their onscreen depictions. The only ones who seemed to fit with their show sizes were all five Predacons, the Autobot Brothers, Skid-Z, and Tow-Line. Everyone else's sizes were out of whack between the toys and the show:

• Optimus was too tall, which made Ultra Magnus even more too tall. But to be fair, Optimus's basic robot mode was made to scale to the height of the original G1 Laser OP mold that was used to make Scourge, but he too was smaller in the show.
• All five Decepticon Commandos were much taller in the show than their G1 Combaticon mold toys were. Mega-Octane alone was much taller than both Scourge and Optimus's basic robot mode.
• The Build Team members were each pretty big dudes, though Wedge wasn't too far from the heights of the Autobot Brothers, but he was smaller than the other three.
• And Fort Max's Cerebros component was the same height as the Autobot Brothers, meaning the toy of Fort Max himself needed to be at least four times bigger.

I'm not surprised that Omega Prime was founded so easily.
And I'll be even less surprised when it will reach all of the stretch goals.

And a vocal minority insisted this would never fund.

Hopefully we doe get a secret third tier like Deathsaurus got. Maybe repaint Mirage into Skid-Z? They've used that mold so many time surely it would be cost effective by now. Still feels unlikely though so maybe some mini figures of T-AI and Koji?

Emerje

I wish we could say that "10,000 in 10 days" means there was an average of 1,000 per day, but it was more like 200-300 per day after the first reached about 4,800, plus a couple of significant bumps on Monday and Wednesday boosting it up. So we'll see if the first tier can be reached three days from now or not.

I really hope this shows Hasbro just how much the fandom loves RiD/CR and we'll start seeing more representation in the main retail lines as well.

I highly doubt Spychangers will be included, they would have been announced as a tier if they were. But doesn't mean they can't be in Legacy United or whatever line comes after.

As for the next HasLab, I really hope Hasbro stays in the same vein and we get the bullet trains. Or if they don't want to, just put them as either the next Titan or sell them separately as leaders or commanders.

Emerje wrote:And a vocal minority insisted this would never fund.

Emerje

I really wonder why they thought that? Even the Takara reissue that was sold for around DOUBLE the original retail price sold like hot cakes. Plus it's a motherfokking Optimus.

The day a Transformers HASLAB fail will be the day push something no one care about like the Reva Lightsaber. What would be the TF equivalent? ROTF Skids and Mudflap's blaster?

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Emerje wrote:And a vocal minority insisted this would never fund.

Emerje

I really wonder why they thought that? Even the Takara reissue that was sold for around DOUBLE the original retail price sold like hot cakes. Plus it's a motherfokking Optimus.

They were just bitter it wasn't Primus. I guarantee Primus wouldn't have sold this well this quickly.

Emerje

-Kanrabat- wrote:The day a Transformers HASLAB fail will be the day push something no one care about like the Reva Lightsaber.

HasLab Unicron failed. The original backer window didn't get it funded. It required an unprecedented extension to get it made, because Hasbro couldn't afford to let Unicron fail. It was a gamble they lost, so they changed the rules to make it win.

Hasbro.has the advantage of owning GIJoe & having a competent partner in TT with Transformers. Since Marvel and Star Wars are Disney licenses, there obviously was some influence there on the last 2 failed Haslabs. Hasbro I think had to push back and finally make them understand it's classic stuff that sells , not modern, this the return to form and the successful results.

Any Haslab,if poorly chosen could fail. Even Transformers. Adventure play accessories would probably be a hard sell. Costumes etc. as long as they keep making actual Transformers that are complimentary to the main line, and aren't too expensive, it should work.

Unicron was unique in that it was only the 2nd Haslab ever, so they were still trying to figure things out. The black series Rancor is still puzzling. It came so close at the very end, even a 1 day extension would have allowed it to fund. It was almost like someone wanted it to fall. The others I get because the backers needed wasn't even close, but that Rancor was just an odd situation all around.

As of this typing, the count is just 11 backers away from 11,000, in less than a day after being funded.

Sabrblade wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:The day a Transformers HASLAB fail will be the day push something no one care about like the Reva Lightsaber.

HasLab Unicron failed. The original backer window didn't get it funded. It required an unprecedented extension to get it made, because Hasbro couldn't afford to let Unicron fail. It was a gamble they lost, so they changed the rules to make it win.

Ah yeah. That did count. But unlike The Rancor, maybe the initial investment was too much.

Emerje wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Emerje wrote:And a vocal minority insisted this would never fund.

Emerje

I really wonder why they thought that? Even the Takara reissue that was sold for around DOUBLE the original retail price sold like hot cakes. Plus it's a motherfokking Optimus.

They were just bitter it wasn't Primus. I guarantee Primus wouldn't have sold this well this quickly.

Emerje

Given Unicron's history, I really doubt that a 600$ Primus would be funded.

Unicron at least had the advantage to have appeared in the 1986 Movie and Armada (Prime counts a bit too.) Primus is only a Cybertron one-shot. So if the "popular" Unicron had to be cheated into being funded, the less popular Primus could be a sureshot failure that couldn't be cheated.

To be a little fair to Primus, he appeared in robot mode in the Cybertron cartoon for 10 episodes, whereas Unicron only appeared in robot mode in Armada for just 4 episodes. Same with his head only appearing in 4 episodes of the G1 cartoon, but that was only his head and not his full robot body. In Energon, he was in planet mode for most of that series, but his robot mode appearances kinda blurred together since, by that point, the show became so unmemorable. And Prime never depicted him with a full planetary robot mode, just avatars made of dirt and rock.

Counting the few minutes Unicron's robot mode appeared in TFTM, Primus has had more cartoon screentime in his planetary robot mode than Unicron had in both TFTM and Armada combined.

Sabrblade wrote:To be a little fair to Primus, he appeared in robot mode in the Cybertron cartoon for 10 episodes, whereas Unicron only appeared in robot mode in Armada for just 4 episodes. Same with his head only appearing in 4 episodes of the G1 cartoon, but that was only his head and not his full robot body. In Energon, he was in planet mode for most of that series, but his robot mode appearances kinda blurred together since, by that point, the show became so unmemorable. And Prime never depicted him with a full planetary robot mode, just avatars made of dirt and rock.

Counting the few minutes Unicron's robot mode appeared in TFTM, Primus has had more cartoon screentime in his planetary robot mode than Unicron had in both TFTM and Armada combined.

Maybe Primus "beat" Unicron with minutes of on-screen appearance, but Unicron was the main threat for a movie and two huge seasons and a half of transformers shows. That leave a deeper mark. Then, his Armada toy were more produced and repainted than Primus by a large margin. Furthermore, Unicron got a lot of random figures after, transforming or not. That leave an impression that Primus could never achieve.

-Kanrabat- wrote:Maybe Primus "beat" Unicron with minutes of on-screen appearance, but Unicron was the main threat for a movie and two huge seasons and a half of transformers shows. That leave a deeper mark. Then, his Armada toy were more produced and repainted than Primus by a large margin. Furthermore, Unicron got a lot of random figures after, transforming or not. That leave an impression that Primus could never achieve.

Not to mention Unicron had a 15 year lead as an icon over Primus. Sure, Primus appeared in the comics as a being and got a few mentions in the cartoon, but not very many people even remember that. Plus even after Primus did appear in the Cybertron cartoon, I think most people will agree that Unicron has the more visually outstanding design. The wings/rings, the horns, the maw in planet mode, the beard, the clawed fingers and feet, he's a very unique looking bot compared to generic looking robot that turns into a simple ball.

o.supreme wrote:Unicron was unique in that it was only the 2nd Haslab ever, so they were still trying to figure things out. The black series Rancor is still puzzling. It came so close at the very end, even a 1 day extension would have allowed it to fund. It was almost like someone wanted it to fall. The others I get because the backers needed wasn't even close, but that Rancor was just an odd situation all around.

The Rancor was a victim of timing. For starters they were doing that one simultaneously with the G.I.Joe Skystriker campaign which made things really tough, there was a moment when it seemed like neither would fund. As it is the Skystriker is one of the few (or only?) campaigns that got funded and didn't get all of its stretch goals. The other problem with the Rancor is if they had waited a month they would have passed the episode of the Book of Boba Fett that features him riding a Rancor and would have given them some additional stretch goal options. It wouldn't have been screen accurate, but they could have included a saddle and maybe a Boba Fett figure. Shame the show wasn't very popular so I don't know if it would have really helped but it would have ridden the hype. And then there's that people seemed to really want it to be in 4" scale not 6". Hasbro got way too ambitious having stretch goals that were too many and too far apart (every 3,000), which people were complaining about being regular retail figures to begin with.

Emerje

Are we really debating Unicron's importance to the franchise? He was the primary antagonist of the movie that changed everything for Transformers. He had numerous appearances in the comics in that form. He had cameos in Beast Wars and BW Neo (can't say how much; never watched that).

Primus, as a Transforming planet, is important in Cybertron. And Cybertron the planet is shown very differently throughout the franchise. But maybe they could find a way to make it work? I dunno.

I'm also unsure if it's fair to say Unicron would have failed. It was the first round of Haslab funding. I don't think store and international orders were calculated in there until the very end when it just skyrocketed after all the orders were tallied. But they sure didn't want to take that risk.

Well here's a minority.

I just don't see a lot of improving on the original figure.
I understand the choice since it's a nice 2 pack.
But c'mon the original Optimus has good articulation and a good mode.
And the partsforming is still there.

You can also still get that Optimus and Magnus new unopened for an acceptable price online.
SO I understand the choice but also don't.

RID is just to modern to reissue in such a special way. It could've easily been a Legacy Commander/Leader and people would be just as happy.

I say reserve Haslab's for old Transformers or just reissue Fortress Maximuss again or something. Not update a leader that was already a good action figure.

Anyway my 2 cents, I would've rather seen the Euro Exclusives re-done or only the 2 leaders and modernized.

I can't say I'm surprised nor disappointed that once again people have thrown their money at HasLab, without thinking. Those self-same people should likely reflect. While never complaining again about prices rises in the other lines, as a knock on effect. Much like MP-44's insane success and the subsequent price rise of the whole MP line.
..You caused this.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:I can't say I'm surprised nor disappointed that once again people have thrown their money at HasLab, without thinking. Those self-same people should likely reflect. While never complaining again about prices rises in the other lines, as a knock on effect. Much like MP-44's insane success and the subsequent price rise of the whole MP line.
..You caused this.

Prices do increase because of inflation. There's nothing we can do about this. And if you still want quality and high parts count, there's a price to pay.

As for the MP line itself, the prices increased way less than the current Generations line. Any and all MP were pretty damn expensive from the get go. Add more intricate transformations and the price increase further. At least some MP remain "the same price" as the old ones like the Skids family, but they are a bit smaller than the Datsun and Lambo.

And let's face it. If people weren't buying, they'd just pull the plug from the line.

There is a difference between price increase and price hike. The hike comes from Hasbro picking a random number out of the air IE MP-44 and the fanbase enabling them by throwing money at them. Which leads Hasbro to grow bolder with prices in the future. While selling people on the party line about more moving parts and detailed designs being the actual pricing factor. Which it isn't. Because retail price never even nears that of manufacture. The difference between the two is just gross profit.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:There is a difference between price increase and price hike. The hike comes from Hasbro picking a random number out of the air IE MP-44 and the fanbase enabling them by throwing money at them. Which leads Hasbro to grow bolder with prices in the future. While selling people on the party line about more moving parts and detailed designs being the actual pricing factor. Which it isn't. Because retail price never even nears that of manufacture. The difference between the two is just gross profit.

Congratulation, you have found out the goal of a business.

Now, if only corporations would just do that and STFU about any and all politics, we will be golden.
Meaning, voting with our wallet.

As for "price hikes" I can see some figures being "hiked" to no end, like the Reactivate toys. But MP could be any price they want because the market is only for the hardcore collector who have too much money. So, if you find something that is "grossly overpriced" for your tastes, just do not buy.
I skipped most Masterpieces for that reason. Plus, ironically, some Generations toys are BETTER than their MP counterpart. Like SS86 Hotrod and Siege Jetfire.

-Kanrabat- wrote:As for "price hikes" I can see some figures being "hiked" to no end, like the Reactivate toys. But MP could be any price they want

Basically the definition of a price hike, in this instance. The prime example is the comparison from MP-44 to MP-49. Trying to justify the significant price drop between one and the other, as the cost of the "trailer". That was basically Hasbro pointing and laughing at those who paid the initial price tag for MP-44.

Red flags keep appearing EG HasLab Unicron, Omega Prime etc and some are just blind to the warnings. Fund it and fall for the hollow justifications from Hasbro marketing, over and over again. That's why I say I am neither surprised nor disappointed by news like this anymore. Hasbro knows how to fleece their willing fanbase.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:As for "price hikes" I can see some figures being "hiked" to no end, like the Reactivate toys. But MP could be any price they want

Basically the definition of a price hike, in this instance. The prime example is the comparison from MP-44 to MP-49. Trying to justify the significant price drop between one and the other, as the cost of the "trailer". That was basically Hasbro pointing and laughing at those who paid the initial price tag for MP-44.

Red flags keep appearing EG HasLab Unicron, Omega Prime etc and some are just blind to the warnings. Fund it and fall for the hollow justifications from Hasbro marketing, over and over again. That's why I say I am neither surprised nor disappointed by news like this anymore. Hasbro knows how to fleece their willing fanbase.

In the case of MP-49, I did buy it and it was still ludicrously expensive, but all you get is the ax and the gun compared to MP-44. The very elaborate trailer along a bucketload of accessories is missing. That's pretty much half the box. And if the tupperware that came with Earthrise Optimus is good enough to justify the leader price...

It was still just a trailer. Now if were talking about Powermaster Prime, Car Robots Prime or any of the UT variants. That means something. Because the trailer is part of the figure.

There is a real discussion to be had about standardising pricing in collector lines. About honestly stating that pricing is indicative solely of the popularity of the character and not manufacture at all. Also how for the price point of HasLab, common faults attributed to cheaper retail-line figures. Such as balancing/posing issues when figures are standing on their own feet. Should not exist, nor be given a pass.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:It was still just a trailer. Now if were talking about Powermaster Prime, Car Robots Prime or any of the UT variants. That means something. Because the trailer is part of the figure.

There is a real discussion to be had about standardising pricing in collector lines. About honestly stating that pricing is indicative solely of the popularity of the character and not manufacture at all. Also how for the price point of HasLab, common faults attributed to cheaper retail-line figures. Such as balancing/posing issues when figures are standing on their own feet. Should not exist, nor be given a pass.

"Just a trailer" is what you judge. But compared to the emptiness that was the Earthrise trailer, who was effectively JUST a trailer, the MP-44 trailer was complete and had multiple fonctions and features, including Roller. Not counting the humain characters, extra weapons, and the Starscream "cosplay". The whole shebang was much more justifiable than the empty box that came with ER Optimus. The MP-44 price was 100% justified compared to ER "leader" Optimus, who was clearly "hiked".

If you do not want to pay for stuff that you don't want, well, you do you. But accusing "price hikes" is just coping.

As for Omega Prime, both Optimus and Magnus were 5000 JPY originally in 2005. Today, that would be 5600 JPY. That's not too bad for the base inflation.
Then, there's the 2 pack reissue of Omega Prime that was a whopping 30000 JPY. That's more than DOUBLE the price (almost triple!) it was supposed to be if the toys were just following normal inflation.
Now THAT'S a price hike. Maybe a limited production run justify that price?

Then there's the HASLAB version who will have a limited run, better engineering, and will be bigger than the original for the same price as the Takara reissue. THAT one can't be considered a "price hike" because there is no precedent. And if the precedent is the flawed Takara reissue of the original, the HASLAB will be overall cheaper ironically.

Now, whenever you judge if the thing is worth the money is up to you.
Personally, for me, that character is not worth the CAN400$+ it would cost me so I'm skipping it. But anyone who love the original would definitely be better off getting the HASLAB instead of hunting the old one on eBay or getting the Takara reissue.

-Kanrabat- wrote:"Just a trailer" is what you judge.

No that's objective. It is just a trailer for the altmode. As per the ignored context from the other examples. It doesn't augment the base figure in any way.

-Kanrabat- wrote: But compared to the emptiness that was the Earthrise trailer, who was effectively JUST a trailer, the MP-44 trailer was complete and had multiple fonctions and features, including Roller. Not counting the humain characters, extra weapons, and the Starscream "cosplay". The whole shebang was much more justifiable than the empty box that came with ER Optimus. The MP-44 price was 100% justified compared to ER "leader" Optimus, who was clearly "hiked".

ER Prime was a retail-line release, after MP-44. So that's a redundant comparison. Between figures in different lines and considerably different budgets.

-Kanrabat- wrote: But accusing "price hikes" is just coping.

No, just objective assessment. As I said some are blind to these things and just shrug in acceptance. Much like touting the asinine "voting with your wallet", to improve things. If one person doesn't buy something out of principle and fifty do. There is zero impact made. A raindrop in the ocean.

-Kanrabat- wrote:As for Omega Prime, both Optimus and Magnus were 5000 JPY originally in 2005. Today, that would be 5600 JPY. That's not too bad for the base inflation.
Then, there's the 2 pack reissue of Omega Prime that was a whopping 30000 JPY. That's more than DOUBLE the price (almost triple!) it was supposed to be if the toys were just following normal inflation.
Now THAT'S a price hike. Maybe a limited production run justify that price?

Then there's the HASLAB version who will have a limited run, better engineering, and will be bigger than the original for the same price as the Takara reissue. THAT one can't be considered a "price hike" because there is no precedent. And if the precedent is the flawed Takara reissue of the original, the HASLAB will be overall cheaper ironically.

False equivalency. Plus, a point wasn't made on the price of Omega Prime. But the speed that the crowdfunding was achieved. The Marvel Legends collectors briefly looked like they were getting wise to the HasLab shenanigans with the cancelled Ghost Rider and the brief pause in Giant-Man's crowdfunding. But alas, they still fall for it. To a lesser degree though.

noctorro wrote:Well here's a minority.

I just don't see a lot of improving on the original figure.
I understand the choice since it's a nice 2 pack.
But c'mon the original Optimus has good articulation and a good mode.

Have you handled them before? They look nice but they aren't fun figures to play with. The Super and Omega mode torso armor doesn't really snap on well and comes off easily when handled and the extension doesn't do a great job of supporting the body. The new figures fix this through stronger connections and using the backpack as added support since it doesn't have a battery pack. The original had good articulation for the smaller bot modes, but the joints on Super and Omega weren't strong enough for the weight of the armor. The new figure has better joints, just look at those chonky thighs on Prime.

And the partsforming is still there.

I'm not sure how these would be done without partsforming. Ultra Magnus even does it to change between bot and truck mode in the cartoon, it's part of his character. They even got rid of UM's thighs on the side of Omega Prime and replaced them with cartoon accurate panels.

You can also still get that Optimus and Magnus new unopened for an acceptable price online.
SO I understand the choice but also don't.

"Acceptable" seems to average around $160+ on eBay looking at sold auctions. These work out to $125 each, are bigger, more cartoon accurate, add a third figure, and will include more accessories when all the goals are unlocked. Seems like an easy choice considering all the issues with the original and others seem to agree.

RID is just to modern to reissue in such a special way. It could've easily been a Legacy Commander/Leader and people would be just as happy.

23/24 years isn't very modern. Just because they had decent articulation for the time didn't make them ahead of their time or anything. Afterall, they were just rehashing what Beast Wars had done years earlier. Nobody claimed it was too soon to reissue G1 Optimus Prime for the first time in 2000 (if you don't count the 1990 reissue) after 16 years or that 20 years was too soon for MP-01. This was as good a time as any. Heck we had an actual reissue in Encore just a couple years ago and that thing goes for around $400+ new now, it cost much more than $250 at release even at the best prices. For what we get the HasLab is a bargain.

I say reserve Haslab's for old Transformers or just reissue Fortress Maximuss again or something. Not update a leader that was already a good action figure.

The Encore release of Fort Max wasn't a great seller, those things lingered on sale for a long time, it's never coming back. They sell for high prices on eBay, but that doesn't mean demand is high, it just means $500~ is what the people looking for them are willing to pay now. Either way that would never happen as a HasLab.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:

I say reserve Haslab's for old Transformers or just reissue Fortress Maximuss again or something. Not update a leader that was already a good action figure.

The Encore release of Fort Max wasn't a great seller, those things lingered on sale for a long time, it's never coming back. They sell for high prices on eBay, but that doesn't mean demand is high, it just means $500~ is what the people looking for them are willing to pay now. Either way that would never happen as a HasLab.

Emerje

This tends to be the flipside of Titan Class. They do seem to shelfwarm or become dramatically reduced in sale bins more often than their smaller counterparts. Some are popular enough to always sell out. Others like Guardian Robot or Cybertron Metroplex, don't.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:There is a difference between price increase and price hike. The hike comes from Hasbro picking a random number out of the air IE MP-44 and the fanbase enabling them by throwing money at them. Which leads Hasbro to grow bolder with prices in the future. While selling people on the party line about more moving parts and detailed designs being the actual pricing factor. Which it isn't. Because retail price never even nears that of manufacture. The difference between the two is just gross profit.

I don't think Hasbro is picking random numbers. The price is based on what it would cost to produce and ship 10K plus profits since they are in the business of making money. The price is as "made up" as any from any company for anything anywhere. By your logic the cost of food, cars, houses and anything else is "made up". Even if Hasbro sells 30,000 of these they're probably still selling less world wide including Japan than any Commander Class figure, therefore the price increase of $125 each/$250 for the pair makes sense.

Also should be pointed out that Hasbro didn't price MP-44, Takara Tomy did for their market like every other MP release (outside of MPM releases which are Hasbro's to begin with). When Hasbro stopped doing their own versions of MPs and started "importing" them from Japan they had to go with the Japanese prices to prevent Japanese fans from reverse importing from the US.

Emerje

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:

Emerje wrote:

I say reserve Haslab's for old Transformers or just reissue Fortress Maximuss again or something. Not update a leader that was already a good action figure.

The Encore release of Fort Max wasn't a great seller, those things lingered on sale for a long time, it's never coming back. They sell for high prices on eBay, but that doesn't mean demand is high, it just means $500~ is what the people looking for them are willing to pay now. Either way that would never happen as a HasLab.

Emerje

This tends to be the flipside of Titan Class. They do seem to shelfwarm or become dramatically reduced in sale bins more often than their smaller counterparts. Some are popular enough to always sell out. Others like Guardian Robot or Cybertron Metroplex, don't.

I think when it comes to Titans Hasbro has a VERY hard time judging demand and how many to make. The Nemesis seemed to avoid massive price cuts for the most part and I think Tidal Wave is going to sell particularly well as well based on the immediate reaction.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:By your logic the cost of food, cars, houses and anything else is "made up".

The Masterpiece line is my primary focus for TF collecting. I make distinctions based on what I am informed on. Not baffling trains of thought outside of the example given. Much like "companies are in the business of making money" is a redundant, somewhat patronising concept to present to adults.

Emerje wrote:Also should be pointed out that Hasbro didn't price MP-44, Takara Tomy did
Emerje

Let's nip that in the bud as well. Takara doesn't dictate price adjustment through exchange rates. Hasbro does. Again, passing the buck and giving them a pass/excuses to keep charging whatever they want.

Emerje wrote:I think when it comes to Titans Hasbro has a VERY hard time judging demand and how many to make. The Nemesis seemed to avoid massive price cuts for the most part and I think Tidal Wave is going to sell particularly well as well based on the immediate reaction.

Emerje

Yeah, while I'd love to see the Quintesson Corkscrew Cruiser, the Revenge or the Autobot Shuttle made into bots ala the Nemesis and Ark. To HasTak, Titan Class is likely a really apprehensive line to add to.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:Snip beccause screw overquoting

The Optimus Prime trailer is still part of the overall toy. Even if you don'T think so, that does not change the fact.

Also, why ER Optimus and MP-44 are "false equivalency?" The ER Optimus alone is a voyager and would sell for a voyager price if it weren't for the trailer. With the trailer, you end up paying almost double the price. And that trailer was bare-bone and incomplete.
MP-44 is around double the price of MP-49, but his trailer is COMPLETE and come with even more accessories. If you count the price ratios, you get much, much more bang for your bucks with MP-44 than you'll ever get with ER "leader" Optimus. This not an "opinion", this is a fact.

As for Omega Prime, PEOPLE PAY FOR WHAT THEY WANT. Despite the ludicrous price, the Takara Omega Prime reissue sold like hot cakes. So people really, REALLY wanted that Omega Prime. So it's no surprise that this Omega Prime is one of the fastest HASLAB to be funded. If you think they are "suckers" for doing so, that's just your opinion, not a fact.

And speaking of facts, all of these failed HASLABS like the Reva Saber, Ghost Rider, and even the Rancor are proof that no matter the price, if people WANT the thing, they will pay the price. And if they do NOT want it, the thing will simply be ignored and fail. THAT IS "voting with your wallet." Literally.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:

Emerje wrote:By your logic the cost of food, cars, houses and anything else is "made up".

The Masterpiece line is my primary focus for TF collecting. I make distinctions based on what I am informed on. Not baffling trains of thought outside of the example given. Much like "companies are in the business of making money" is a redundant, somewhat patronising concept to present to adults.

How is that baffling? The rules apply to everything you buy. It isn't patronizing to talk about profits when you seem to be actively ignoring the need for them to be included. You say this is what you're informed on, but it really just comes down to that you don't like the price and could care less about the actual reason things are priced the way they are. You don't have any basis to say the prices aren't right, it's really just your feelings, and when people give you a reasonable and accurate answer with examples it isn't good enough.

Emerje wrote:Also should be pointed out that Hasbro didn't price MP-44, Takara Tomy did
Emerje

Let's nip that in the bud as well. Takara doesn't dictate price adjustment through exchange rates. Hasbro does. Again, passing the buck and giving them a pass/excuses to keep charging whatever they want.

Choosing to create your own narrative over facts doesn't make you right. I told you why Hasbro prices MPs like they do. Hasbro isn't making the figures, they're importing them from Takara Tomy and therefore have to price them accordingly because, again, they need to make a profit so whatever discount they get from Takara Tomy gets lost in that profit markup. This is a fact. Japan takes reverse importing very seriously, the anime industry is even more draconian about it since North America and Japan are in the same Blu-Ray region. Imagine if Hasbro was able to release MPs at half the price, it would cause chaos for their relationship with Takara Tomy, nobody in Japan would buy MPs from them again, they'd just import from HK or Korea. Exchange rates are constantly changing, they may be in Hasbro's favor now, but when these are released some nine or so months later it could be an entirely different story, they can't predict that so it's better them to find a standard and hope they don't take a hit later.

Emerje

I'm honestly surprised and pleased at this. I think this SHOULD tell Hasbro that fans are in to more than just G1 Redux over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Maybe we can see some new stuff in the near future. Earthspark isn't doing well at all (pretty much all Earthspark molds are in "Outlet" on Pulse right now, meaning they are having difficulty getting rid of them).

I am worried. Transformers are seeing a fall off. Unless something new and fresh comes along soon (see "Beast Wars" and the live action movies), the brand is going to suffer loss of a generation of potential fans.

another *slight* bump this afternoon added about 1000. Its just passed 12,650 (only 350 from the 1st tier goal).

I gotta say, I have some new respect and opinions on this haslab after getting the OGs.

I got them for $200 combined, with boxes, though Prime was missing 1 missile. Still, the pair was well priced compared to the market right now.

Also, having played with them, they are really awesome figures, and are really cool. But, the leg joints mean that while the 2 bigger Primes can pose, they are very difficult to pose. Omega especially is difficult thanks to no heels. and the tires hurt me physically to see cracked.

I can definitely see the improvements done in the new Haslab. They confronted those issues/shortcomings head on, and they really do appear to have perfected the figures. And you know what, I am really excited to have both.

Finally got around to backing Omega Prime. I am backer #12,728.

o.supreme wrote:another *slight* bump this afternoon added about 1000. Its just passed 12,650 (only 350 from the 1st tier goal).

Jumped again, now at 13,757. So that's the first tier crossed.

Emerje

The more this is going on, the more I want to back the thing.

-Kanrabat- wrote:The more this is going on, the more I want to back the thing.

I feel ya. Actually, my mind told me I just couldn't back this for practical reasons from the beginning. But I might actually be trying to negotiate with my wife for more shelf space . There is one spot in our room where I could build another shelf, and that would make me good for the foreseeable future...But I'm not sure she'll go for it.

o.supreme wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:The more this is going on, the more I want to back the thing.

I feel ya. Actually, my mind told me I just couldn't back this for practical reasons from the beginning. But I might actually be trying to negotiate with my wife for more shelf space . There is one spot in our room where I could build another shelf, and that would make me good for the foreseeable future...But I'm not sure she'll go for it.

I have bills to pay and I recently got a PS5. My mind say I don't have 400$CAN+ for this, but my heart is YOLOing harder and harder.

I once owned the original. It was great looking, but NOT FUN due to how unstable the thing was. So I sold it. The HASLAB have all the bells and whistles plus the presence of the original, is bigger, have more features, and should logically be like the Legacy Armada Optimus Prime in terms of stability and solidity.

I'm really tempted.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

o.supreme wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:The more this is going on, the more I want to back the thing.

I feel ya. Actually, my mind told me I just couldn't back this for practical reasons from the beginning. But I might actually be trying to negotiate with my wife for more shelf space . There is one spot in our room where I could build another shelf, and that would make me good for the foreseeable future...But I'm not sure she'll go for it.

I have bills to pay and I recently got a PS5. My mind say I don't have 400$CAN+ for this, but my heart is YOLOing harder and harder.

I once owned the original. It was great looking, but NOT FUN due to how unstable the thing was. So I sold it. The HASLAB have all the bells and whistles plus the presence of the original, is bigger, have more features, and should logically be like the Legacy Armada Optimus Prime in terms of stability and solidity.

I'm really tempted.

Testify!!!! I remember how cool it was when I got Fire Convoy! I got it at a local collector store and sad to say it closed many years ago. When I saw God Magnus in the inserts included I was so thrilled. But I when saw UM on retail shelves I bought it on impulse and for me it was awesome combining the 2.

Damnation I feel the need to pull them ol'boys out and give them a go with all this talk! So I too will need to back this very amazing modern set.

As I end my 2 cents I think back to all the Sonokong counterparts that came out and I wonder if the quality of those figure were good or was it a hit and miss type of thing....'nuff said!

There's a new video up on Youtube showing handpainted models and answering a few questions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqvJx2CNWP0

Hasbro Pulse on YouTube has released a video showing off HasLab Omega Prime completely hand painted today. It should be mentioned that this is purely representative of the final figure which will be molded in colored plastic with painted details and not fully painted. The video also shows off some of the features that were skipped or glossed over in the initial reveal like the storage for Blue Bolts in Ultra Magnus, his compatibility with carrying Deluxe cars and Prime's extending ladder. The video also features several comparisons to the original figure.

The Omega Prime set campaign runs until March 14 at 11:59 EDT for $249.99. As for this writing it's only about 1,200 units away from reaching the second tier with 23 days remaining. As of yet a bonus 3rd tier has not been mentioned, but they did surprise us with one at the end of the Deathsaurus campaign so anything is possible, just not promised.

The wheels still look pretty bad, especially on ultra magnus truck mode and his fake windows on the cab are eeew.
Too many raised parts to have autobot symbols on magnus truck sides and primes symbols look dissapointingly small. But some bonus points for prime being titan master compatible in truck mode.