Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

Arctorro wrote:

Autobot032 wrote:I'm sure other sites will compete with BBTS. BBTS is getting out of hand. Amazon is excellent for TFs, price wise.

I'm not that fond of buying from Amazon. I often have trouble not only getting stuff shipped to Australia, but getting it shipped together to save a little cash

RAcast wrote:I'm throwing Captured Prey out there. They don't have any BH stuff right now, but I'm sure they will in the near future. As I undestand it they're still fairly new-ish, but their prices are at or less than BBTS for most things that I've noticed and their shipping rates are definitely at least a few bucks cheaper.

Some of Captured Prey's prices are quite nice, but their version of BBTS's PoL (from what I've read in their FAQ) is quite frankly a joke and at least half of my pre-orders on BBTS they don't even have listed. The policy of putting in-stock items aside only if you have something else on pre-order is one of the reasons I try to avoid TFsource, at least BBTS will put everything aside for 6 months. Captured Prey will continue to sell in-stock items until sold out even if some are supposed to be put aside for you

Considering they have Hegemon and Mobain Chaos Paladin arriving soon I might give them a go if I have the funds when those two items are in-stock. But without a proper PoL system and greater variety of stock I would rather pay a tiny bit more sometimes for better service.

That's fair. Hopefully they'll improve on the system where they feel they need improvements, we'll see. I can understand how a PoL system would be good, but I can also understand wanting to not sit on stock for a long time, if that makes sense? I'm sure that most people will follow through on the proposed purchase, but if some people don't, then you're stuck with stock after the initial hype has died down. Maybe it will still sell easily, maybe it won't; so I can understand their (apparent?) reluctance to commit to putting a 6 month hold on in-stock items.

I just wanted to throw CP out there, since I have no idea how well known it is yet, and I certainly had a good experience buying from them.

RAcast wrote:That's fair. Hopefully they'll improve on the system where they feel they need improvements, we'll see. I can understand how a PoL system would be good, but I can also understand wanting to not sit on stock for a long time, if that makes sense?

I can understand that, it is taking up space for stock they could be shifting.

RAcast wrote:I'm sure that most people will follow through on the proposed purchase, but if some people don't, then you're stuck with stock after the initial hype has died down. Maybe it will still sell easily, maybe it won't; so I can understand their (apparent?) reluctance to commit to putting a 6 month hold on in-stock items.

Paying up front for anything that is sitting in the warehouse and having a limited window to cancel is a good way to get around that. I'm happy to pay and be locked-in for anything I buy that is in-stock

RAcast wrote:I just wanted to throw CP out there, since I have no idea how well known it is yet, and I certainly had a good experience buying from them.

It was a good suggestion. I'd heard of them, but never checked them out (I think ) and with a few small improvements they go from (my point of view) the third best retailer, behind BBTS and TFsource, to the single best.

I'd prefer that arm kibble somehow swing up to fill his hollow back too but this is already leagues ahead of the Knockout repaint and more than adequate.

chuckdawg1999 wrote:

SKYWARPED_128 wrote:I like this a lot, especially the alt mode. But it's just this pet peeve I have against fake kibble. He's got fake chest kibble, and the actual kibble is on his forearms in two huge chunks.

I'd personally like to see more cohesion between the onscreen designs and the actual toys.

Back in the day the designer for Macros worked with Takatoku to make the transforming VF's and they were fantastic. I really think if the Has/Tak guys worked with the designers the toys would be brilliant.

Yeah, the divide between show and toy designers is starting to widen more than ever.

At least back in the days of the first and second movies, Hasbro had the resources and budget to make the toys look as close as possible to their CG/animation designs. But in light of all this recent cost cutting, the designers simply don't have the leeway to make the toys resemble their onscreen designs, and the guys who made the CG aren't making their jobs any easier.

PrymeStriker wrote:

SKYWARPED_128 wrote:I'd personally like to see more cohesion between the onscreen designs and the actual toys.

The only characters that haven't gotten "spitting image" toy representations are Knock Out and Airachnid. Otherwise, all the other characters have been represented as accurately as they could be.

Yes, but that's at the cost of using fake kibble. PRID Arcee, Cliffjumper and Ratchet all had fake kibble to make them resemble their CGI designs.

If the concept designers and toy designers actually got together and figured out what works and what doesn't, we'd have more screen-accurate and better looking toys, as the toy designers won't have to worry about being given designs that just can't realistically be made into toys.

I acknowledge that as far as the movies were concerned, the concept designers and toy designers did their own thing separately and we still got relatively accurate toys that didn't rely too much on fake kibble (aside from Sideways). But back then Hasbro designers still had the resources and budget to use more moving parts and more complex designs and transformations to achieve greater accuracy.

Of course, with the right design and the right designer, we can still get gems like PRID Vehicon and Soundwave, but more communication between CGI concept and toy designers can only work for the good of making better TF's.

Skywarp64 wrote:

XDMan wrote:

jamiko wrote:WOW! Without all the crap on him Smokescreen looks pretty awesome. Better than the Takara version. I can't believe I just said that.

Do you think you and everyone else have the right to insult Takara just because they made that kind of SS at the time!? NO! AM SS was made because his own toy wasn't made yet. Now that said company made him in the BH toyline, you give all the crappy thanks to the lazy Hasbro!? Unbelievable!

To hell with your propaganda, Hasblow! You can't simply take Takara's like 123!

This is hardly Hasbro's only victory over Takara. If you'll recall, Hasbro was also the first to release Masterpiece Starscream in the proper colors.

It's cool everyone, we should all just chill. I think both Hasbro and Takara are great. Why? Because they both give us pieces of metal and plastic that transform. I just happen to like the Hasbro version this time. Usually I like the Takara more but, I can't afford the premium import price so I go with Hasbro. Hasbro Smokescreen is a win for me and, all the other poor TF collectors out there.

From what I remember hearing at conventions, it sounds like Takara and Hasbro work hand in hand on the designs... that VERY seldom did one design ANYTHING without the other. (They were so few, they were able to list the rare instances, like Energon Grimlock and Swoop as examples.)

Point being, just because one company decides to RELEASE something first, doesn't mean they designed it... or that it's not coming out over here. Thinking Hasbro designed one Smokescreen and Takara did the other is, frankly, just wrong.

The companies have to look at what's selling well to their demographic, what stores like Wal Mart are interested on making room for on shelves, when new TV shows air, etc. Under all those circumstances sometimes toys come out in Japan first — or here first. (Remember Beast Machines coming out in Japan YEAAAARS later?) Same for looking at how toys are selling to determine when they cut off the line. Sad that some great toys get left out.

But yeah, point being... we have to stop taking jabs at each company, or pitting them against each other like it's some football game — when they're actually working hand in hand as partners.

If anything, hate that our two markets are different. Little USA kids who like bright colors buy most of the toys here — and shoot themselves in the eyes with missiles and drop Fort Max from 5 foot high and break him — while collectors have more of a market in Japan. That dictates these decisions.

gothsaurus wrote:From what I remember hearing at conventions, it sounds like Takara and Hasbro work hand in hand on the designs... that VERY seldom did one design ANYTHING without the other. (They were so few, they were able to list the rare instances, like Energon Grimlock and Swoop as examples.)

Point being, just because one company decides to RELEASE something first, doesn't mean they designed it... or that it's not coming out over here. Thinking Hasbro designed one Smokescreen and Takara did the other is, frankly, just wrong.

The companies have to look at what's selling well to their demographic, what stores like Wal Mart are interested on making room for on shelves, when new TV shows air, etc. Under all those circumstances sometimes toys come out in Japan first — or here first. (Remember Beast Machines coming out in Japan YEAAAARS later?) Same for looking at how toys are selling to determine when they cut off the line. Sad that some great toys get left out.

But yeah, point being... we have to stop taking jabs at each company, or pitting them against each other like it's some football game — when they're actually working hand in hand as partners.

If anything, hate that our two markets are different. Little USA kids who like bright colors buy most of the toys here — and shoot themselves in the eyes with missiles and drop Fort Max from 5 foot high and break him — while collectors have more of a market in Japan. That dictates these decisions.

Real talk homie!

Hey, guys? We were told to get off that topic. Why are you two bringing it up again?

Autobot032 wrote:Okay. You guys have had your say, please get this topic back on course. We all know where everyone stands on this issue now.

Shall we return to topic?

SKYWARPED_128 wrote:Yes, but that's at the cost of using fake kibble. PRID Arcee, Cliffjumper and Ratchet all had fake kibble to make them resemble their CGI designs.

If the concept designers and toy designers actually got together and figured out what works and what doesn't, we'd have more screen-accurate and better looking toys, as the toy designers won't have to worry about being given designs that just can't realistically be made into toys.

I acknowledge that as far as the movies were concerned, the concept designers and toy designers did their own thing separately and we still got relatively accurate toys that didn't rely too much on fake kibble (aside from Sideways). But back then Hasbro designers still had the resources and budget to use more moving parts and more complex designs and transformations to achieve greater accuracy.

Of course, with the right design and the right designer, we can still get gems like PRID Vehicon and Soundwave, but more communication between CGI concept and toy designers can only work for the good of making better TF's.

Ah, I see. So, your dilemma is faux kibble.

I don't have a problem with faux kibble, especially on Smokescreen here, but the chest really suffers because there isn't enough blue on it. Again, we can only hope Reprolabels does something about it.