Dom just texted me about the stickers thing, and I was incredulous because I couldn't imagine Hasbro asking us to spend $125+ on a figure that requires STICKERS! Stickers, which haven't been used in the line since, what, the Machine Wars line from 18 years ago? But Dom was right, TFW has pictures of the whole set unboxing, and there ARE stickers for all the small details:
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-new ... ew-177673/
Honestly, the figure doesn't look that bad without them, the majority are pretty minor things, but FUCK man, I hate stickers, they're hard to put on and they peel off over time, this is not something that should be acceptable on a figure created for collector interests - it's saying "this will not withstand the test of time".
Other than that, I'm really not feeling either alt mode now, this may end up being a pass for me, but I do love that leggy bot mode still.
First look at production Metroplex, who needs stickers
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JediTricks
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First look at production Metroplex, who needs stickers
See, that one's a camcorder, that one's a camera, that one's a phone, and they're doing "Speak no evil, See no evil, Hear no evil", get it?
Re: First look at production Metroplex, who needs stickers
I got that text as well and confirmed it with the tfw info (I had just been on there looking at the pics). Honestly, I don't get the hate for the stickers. Sure, if we were kids who were likely to paste in Metroplex's face as opposed to wherever they actually go, sure, but we're adults, most of us over 30 who should be far more skilled at placing something as simple as stickers by now. Having seen the pics, I'm more interested than ever. This is one thing I am still really looking forward to.
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BWprowl
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Re: First look at production Metroplex, who needs stickers
And I was the one who told Dom about the stickers originally, but failed to come and post the news here right away, because I'm incompetent!
Anyway, I do wonder why Hasbro went with stickers on this thing, they've been doing tampo's and paint for, like, years now. I don't have too many misgivings about them, and as JT said, the figure hardly looks terrible without them, it's just...there's a lot of friggin' stickers there! Dude said it took, what, a couple of hours to get them all on? That is the opposite of fun.
Allegedly Takara's Metroplex will actually use paint and such for all these details. I find this funny, since they've otherwise been pushing the shit out of stickers in the Arms Micron line for like two years!
Anyway, I do wonder why Hasbro went with stickers on this thing, they've been doing tampo's and paint for, like, years now. I don't have too many misgivings about them, and as JT said, the figure hardly looks terrible without them, it's just...there's a lot of friggin' stickers there! Dude said it took, what, a couple of hours to get them all on? That is the opposite of fun.
Allegedly Takara's Metroplex will actually use paint and such for all these details. I find this funny, since they've otherwise been pushing the shit out of stickers in the Arms Micron line for like two years!
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JediTricks
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Re: First look at production Metroplex, who needs stickers
I don't have steady hands, I have not much more skill with a tweezers than I did as a kid. When I get close and try to get the sticker lined up properly and keep my hand from minutely shaking, the damn sticker flops down and sticks wherever it wants, and I have to hope the adhesive isn't bonded so well that it rips coming up. I hate stickers. And then no matter how good you make them look, they still catch dirt and oils, they still lift over time, they ultimately end up being ruined just sitting on a shelf, and they never ever look as good as paint. Some stickers are cut to the wrong shape, so you have them undersized and not looking right, or overlapping and they stick up out of their channel so they get caught and removed more easily; they have white borders; they are on thin paper that rips easily... it's not like the sticker technology has kept up with the paint, manufacturing, electronics, or design that goes into these.
Stickers are used to save money, period. It's expensive to put on a lot of intricate paint masks, and expensive to tampograph paint - especially in fine areas that are hard to reach. Hasbro just didn't care enough about the customer experience over time, they wanted to save money to put into something else other than how good the item looks.
Stickers are used to save money, period. It's expensive to put on a lot of intricate paint masks, and expensive to tampograph paint - especially in fine areas that are hard to reach. Hasbro just didn't care enough about the customer experience over time, they wanted to save money to put into something else other than how good the item looks.
Yeah, that'd be quite ironic if they pulled that stunt, the old switcheroo. But on the other hand, Takara does understand the merits of a "premium" product experience where Hasbro doesn't. Hasbro charges $125 and expects that parents will buy the product come Christmas; Takara charges more and expects that fans will buy the product when it's released.Allegedly Takara's Metroplex will actually use paint and such for all these details. I find this funny, since they've otherwise been pushing the shit out of stickers in the Arms Micron line for like two years!
See, that one's a camcorder, that one's a camera, that one's a phone, and they're doing "Speak no evil, See no evil, Hear no evil", get it?
Re: First look at production Metroplex, who needs stickers
And this probably why they are charging more. Hasbro likely looked at the Takara model and decided that at ~$200+ no one ever was going to buy this thing so they made some of the tampographs stickers in order to be able to cut the price so that they'd be able to even sell it here at a reasonable price. And even then, a lot of people were still iffy about the price tag. Stickers have never bothered me. Even as a kid I was very good at applying stickers and now, at 38 I certainly have no reason to assume this will be an issue for me.
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BWprowl
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Re: First look at production Metroplex, who needs stickers
This is something I was talking to Dom about the other night, while he was getting all buttmad about the Takara Metroplex having an extra gun. It's entirely plausible that retailers like Target grabbed Hasbro by the balls on this and said "We will not sell this toy if the MSRP is over $125". So to make it work, they had to trim a few things, like the gun, and replace some tampos and paint apps with stickers. It's a compromise, to be sure, but if it came down to Hasbro having to sell Metroplex with stickers and not being able to sell Metroplex at all, I'll take the damn stickers.Shockwave wrote:And this probably why they are charging more. Hasbro likely looked at the Takara model and decided that at ~$200+ no one ever was going to buy this thing so they made some of the tampographs stickers in order to be able to cut the price so that they'd be able to even sell it here at a reasonable price. And even then, a lot of people were still iffy about the price tag. Stickers have never bothered me. Even as a kid I was very good at applying stickers and now, at 38 I certainly have no reason to assume this will be an issue for me.
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Tigermegatron
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Re: First look at production Metroplex, who needs stickers
I don't need any further convincing,Because I was getting this toy from day one when Hasbro first revealed it months ago.
I would have preferred Hasbro/Takara added some skyscrappers building sculpts in the arms & legs,to give it more of a city-former feel. because the 1986 Metroplex toy did come with skyscrappers building accessories that attached to the toy in all modes.
The stickers don't bother me,Because they look like they were added to give the toy a more G-1 1980's feel. Similar to Hasbro adding some stickers to TRU MP Rodimus when it wasn't needed. Clearly this titan Metroplex has enough painted on highlights/details that the stickers are not a necessity but more a veteran fan homage sort of thing.
I don't know why everyone is making such a big deal about Takara's version having 2 guns & Hasbro's version having one gun. Because in my area local stores 60 miles range,the TF fans are stealing the weapons/accessories right out of the box either in the store or buying it,taking out the weapons then returning the toys for a full refund.
I would have preferred Hasbro/Takara added some skyscrappers building sculpts in the arms & legs,to give it more of a city-former feel. because the 1986 Metroplex toy did come with skyscrappers building accessories that attached to the toy in all modes.
The stickers don't bother me,Because they look like they were added to give the toy a more G-1 1980's feel. Similar to Hasbro adding some stickers to TRU MP Rodimus when it wasn't needed. Clearly this titan Metroplex has enough painted on highlights/details that the stickers are not a necessity but more a veteran fan homage sort of thing.
I don't know why everyone is making such a big deal about Takara's version having 2 guns & Hasbro's version having one gun. Because in my area local stores 60 miles range,the TF fans are stealing the weapons/accessories right out of the box either in the store or buying it,taking out the weapons then returning the toys for a full refund.
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JediTricks
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Re: First look at production Metroplex, who needs stickers
Hasbro generally builds to the intended pricetag on big-ticket items, and either they always planned for stickers, or they planned for paint but a budget change necessitated a tough compromise choice.Shockwave wrote:And this probably why they are charging more. Hasbro likely looked at the Takara model and decided that at ~$200+ no one ever was going to buy this thing so they made some of the tampographs stickers in order to be able to cut the price so that they'd be able to even sell it here at a reasonable price. And even then, a lot of people were still iffy about the price tag. Stickers have never bothered me. Even as a kid I was very good at applying stickers and now, at 38 I certainly have no reason to assume this will be an issue for me.
According to the reviewer, one of the stickers is half an inch too long, and a pair are misnumbered but very obvious due to the sizes.
See, that one's a camcorder, that one's a camera, that one's a phone, and they're doing "Speak no evil, See no evil, Hear no evil", get it?
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BWprowl
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Re: First look at production Metroplex, who needs stickers
Yeah, see, that just makes me think that these were a last-minute addition that was necessitated by the budget/MSRP getting cut down unexpectedly at the end of the development cycle.JediTricks wrote:According to the reviewer, one of the stickers is half an inch too long, and a pair are misnumbered but very obvious due to the sizes.
Re: First look at production Metroplex, who needs stickers
It is bullshit, plain and simple.
I am not paying over $100 for a toy made after 1995 that has stickers. (JT's points about stickers are spot on.)
Hasbro managed to kill my interest in the US release of this toy. (Money allowing, I might buy the Japanese release.)
On a semi-related not, I hit Family Dollar yesterday. The Marvel figures they have at Family Dollar are a buck less than the similarly constructed "Iron Man 3" and "Spider-Man" figures at Target. And, the Family Dollar figures have better paint. At some point, this is going to hit Hasbro in the mainstream market.
Dom
-may well be out of toys by the end of this year.
I am not paying over $100 for a toy made after 1995 that has stickers. (JT's points about stickers are spot on.)
Hasbro managed to kill my interest in the US release of this toy. (Money allowing, I might buy the Japanese release.)
On a semi-related not, I hit Family Dollar yesterday. The Marvel figures they have at Family Dollar are a buck less than the similarly constructed "Iron Man 3" and "Spider-Man" figures at Target. And, the Family Dollar figures have better paint. At some point, this is going to hit Hasbro in the mainstream market.
Dom
-may well be out of toys by the end of this year.