The Energon Pub

News Credits: 226 · by **Burn** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 6:07 pm

Gauntlet101010 wrote:I'm hoping it gets backed, but it doesn't look as if it'll happen.

Only have themselves to blame. Extended it, what, another month and a half? Over two weeks into that extension and still no news about getting it distributed to the UK market and beyond.

It was laughable that they thought they could get this funded solely on US/Canadian orders.

News Credits: 1 · by **Gauntlet101010** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 6:20 pm

Yeah, I'm not sure why better distribution isn't a priority for them. I can only guess that they think deals with online stores are good enough. And I gotta say no free shipping to Canada is a freakin' joke when the US gets free shipping. It's a pretty big pill to swallow.

Or advertising. Like ... the galleries here or at TFW do a better job showcasing upcoming toys than this Unicron has got. The last I've heard was the extension and then not a peep. Meanwhile, given the opportunity, any fansite would have pics next to the last relevant version - Amazon or Premium Unicron - and show just how massive it is and why it's worth the buy. Maybe next to a Titan to show what you get. I dunno - something, anything. Get them a photographer!

News Credits: 226 · by **Burn** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 6:33 pm

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Or advertising. Like ... the galleries here or at TFW do a better job showcasing upcoming toys than this Unicron has got. The last I've heard was the extension and then not a peep. Meanwhile, given the opportunity, any fansite would have pics next to the last relevant version - Amazon or Premium Unicron - and show just how massive it is and why it's worth the buy. Maybe next to a Titan to show what you get. I dunno - something, anything. Get them a photographer!

I do find it odd that we haven't heard anything from them.

I don't think they're arrogant enough to think he'll get backed just on a few pics and videos of him, they seem to be coming across more inept at marketing, like they did very little planning to push him.

Definitely get them a photographer (one that actually knows how to transform figures. :lol:

)

News Credits: 1 · by **Thannak** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:12 pm

william-james88 wrote:While I never cared for 3rd party either way (always found it too pricey for my taste so I only ever bought 3 and only 1 actually impressed me) I am really surprised that there are people out there who think they have the right to exist and do what they do, and that Hasbro is wrong to intervene if they wish. That makes no sense.

But hey, with that attitude, I think there's some potential. Batman live action films are sorely needed, the demand is HUGE and we are not getting enough. We always have to wait years for a new one. So, since you guys are cool with all this IP stuff, how about you make a live action Batman film and distribute it online on Itunes and Google Play, charging people for it. Just dont call him batman (not too hard, everyone knows who he is and you can say dark knight or caped crusader or simply bat) and come up with your own variation of the Bat Symbol and you'll be good. Billions of dollars await you, and demand will be met. So get on it!

Need I remind you of the enormous amount of fan films about Star Wars that were made in the 90's and 2000's?

Hell, this one literally just got greenlit as a series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcoZBDIPDP8

News Credits: 4835 · by **william-james88** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 9:30 pm

Thannak wrote:
william-james88 wrote:While I never cared for 3rd party either way (always found it too pricey for my taste so I only ever bought 3 and only 1 actually impressed me) I am really surprised that there are people out there who think they have the right to exist and do what they do, and that Hasbro is wrong to intervene if they wish. That makes no sense.

But hey, with that attitude, I think there's some potential. Batman live action films are sorely needed, the demand is HUGE and we are not getting enough. We always have to wait years for a new one. So, since you guys are cool with all this IP stuff, how about you make a live action Batman film and distribute it online on Itunes and Google Play, charging people for it. Just dont call him batman (not too hard, everyone knows who he is and you can say dark knight or caped crusader or simply bat) and come up with your own variation of the Bat Symbol and you'll be good. Billions of dollars await you, and demand will be met. So get on it!

Need I remind you of the enormous amount of fan films about Star Wars that were made in the 90's and 2000's?

Hell, this one literally just got greenlit as a series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcoZBDIPDP8

How much do they charge for me to watch them? Were any ever distributed through the same online channels as the regular Star Wars films (are they sold next to eacother online)? And are they the same quality/lenghth as the official films?
Just so that we keep the analogies consistent.

And I was not aware that series (or a lot of star wars related stuff), thanks for pointing it out.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 10:53 pm

So, Zeta Toys has apparently canceled Core Star due to Hasbro's intervention.

News Credits: 340 · by **Stargrave** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 10:56 pm

Sabrblade wrote:So, Zeta Toys has apparently canceled Core Star due to Hasbro's intervention.

Where's the word Sabr?

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 11:04 pm

Stargrave wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:So, Zeta Toys has apparently canceled Core Star due to Hasbro's intervention.

Where's the word Sabr?

Found these pics elsewhere. First one is the original Chinese message announcing the cancellation on (what I presume to be) Weibo (with replies from a fan user); the second is an English translation of the first.

News Credits: 340 · by **Stargrave** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 11:52 pm

Wow. Well, there you go.

Hey thanks for the update Sabr much appreciated.

News Credits: 1 · by **Thannak** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 1:42 am

william-james88 wrote:
Thannak wrote:
william-james88 wrote:While I never cared for 3rd party either way (always found it too pricey for my taste so I only ever bought 3 and only 1 actually impressed me) I am really surprised that there are people out there who think they have the right to exist and do what they do, and that Hasbro is wrong to intervene if they wish. That makes no sense.

But hey, with that attitude, I think there's some potential. Batman live action films are sorely needed, the demand is HUGE and we are not getting enough. We always have to wait years for a new one. So, since you guys are cool with all this IP stuff, how about you make a live action Batman film and distribute it online on Itunes and Google Play, charging people for it. Just dont call him batman (not too hard, everyone knows who he is and you can say dark knight or caped crusader or simply bat) and come up with your own variation of the Bat Symbol and you'll be good. Billions of dollars await you, and demand will be met. So get on it!

Need I remind you of the enormous amount of fan films about Star Wars that were made in the 90's and 2000's?

Hell, this one literally just got greenlit as a series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcoZBDIPDP8

How much do they charge for me to watch them? Were any ever distributed through the same online channels as the regular Star Wars films (are they sold next to eacother online)? And are they the same quality/lenghth as the official films?
Just so that we keep the analogies consistent.

And I was not aware that series (or a lot of star wars related stuff), thanks for pointing it out.

Why, you're absolutely right. My analogy was incorrect.

Instead, let me just present you this list of complete mass-marketed knockoffs that are superior to the original.

https://www.quora.com/Which-knockoff-products-are-superior-in-quality-to-the-originals

by **Plutoniumboss** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 1:47 am

And here we see that Hasbro and Takara are fully capable of defending themselves when they deem it necessary. Regardless of anyone's feelings on third party products, if they reach a point where they threaten Hasbro's business, this shows that Hasbro will take steps to defend said business. They have teams of people whose job it is to figure out when action is needed and when it isn't. The sky is not falling, the ship is not sinking, and Hasbro will be okay. We don't need to panic. Hasbro will be okay.

News Credits: 340 · by **Stargrave** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 2:20 am

I love these characters and the names they have and the insignias they wear I’m glad Hasbro stuck up for Unicron. They worked hard on it and just personally i think it looks freakin awesome. I can’t wait to see all the fans get their orders.

I know many fans are or were looking forward to the Zeta version though and I feel for them. I’d be bummed and probably ticked off if I preferred it. I try to see it from both perspectives and see where everyone is coming from.

But in regards to HasLab Unicron we’ve got:
Three more weeks.
5669.

News Credits: 340 · by **Stargrave** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:12 am

They should make a HaslabEurope.

Drop the price $75 or make it available on two payments or something like that.

Include a Lithone :lol:

Just Monday morning and I’ve got death worlds on the brain. Usual thing.

News Credits: 4835 · by **william-james88** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:15 am

Sabrblade wrote:

The word cancellation is nowhere to be found in this.
Although we do now have solid proof of hasbro taking action.

News Credits: 25 · by **Ironhidensh** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:26 am

william-james88 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:

The word cancellation is nowhere to be found in this.
Although we do now have solid proof of hasbro taking action.

It’ll probably be like Fantoys Grinder, just delayed for 6 months to a year till Hasbro has moved on from this project.

News Credits: 1 · by **Gauntlet101010** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:30 am

Well, their timing was absolutely terrible. I like 3P toys a lot, but coming out right as Hasbro is making a crowdfunding campaign seems to be really seems too brazen. They could have waited a few months.

There's only a handful of projects that Hasbro or Takara has shut down. There's this, the 3P MP Seekers when G2 Ramjet was teased, and KO toys after the Dinocassettes were released. So I think they've been pretty cool about it all.

News Credits: 2 · by **Rodimus Knight** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 9:39 am

You can get cute with the names on the third party transformers, however, using "unicron" in the name is the likely reason it got yanked.

by **noctorro** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 10:01 am

Wow, huge discussion. Saw it on Instagram of the "takedown".

My opunion (which nobody asks for).

I think Zeta toys made a dirty move.
1. They steal a design from Hasbro
2. They steal a design that's made great (again) by Hasbro
3. They ride on the hype of the HasLab event (even if it isn't crowdfunded and won't be sold)
4. They try to grab real potential buyers (Zeta's design look good and the price is way lower)

That's why I say, let Zeta toys crash and burn.

The "Hasbro shouldn't crowd fund, they are rich" is absolutely not an argument to be bigger than all 4 points stated above.

As said somewhere in this thread. Third Party transformers developers are pirates/IP thieves. It's as simple as that. Without the Transformers 86' movie, Armada Unicron and the character in the comics and Haslab Uberpiece Unicron, Zeta toys would've had nothing. Don't forget that people.

News Credits: 10 · by **sol magnus** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 10:51 am

Burn wrote:
So again I have to ask, why does Hasbro even have to give it to you in the first place? It's bordering on entitlement.

Not that I disagree with anything in your post, but we're over the line on entitlement.

The very idea that Hasbro (who apparently has decided not to bother stopping 3P products) should decide FOR WHATEVER REASON to enforce their copyright is somehow Hasbro being "greedy" is peak 1st world entitlement.

Basically, these people are saying 'how dare you stop me from buying something just because you actually own the thing I want to buy?' as if there's no such thing as intellectual property.

I've been a 3P supporter since City Commander. Where it makes sense, I will buy it. Mostly, in my case, that's basically when HasTak hasn't/can't/won't make it. In all those things, when HasTak did/would/will make it, if I got the replacement official product, never was the 3P one "superior." I have to call BS on that point.

News Credits: 118 · by **megatronus** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 12:19 pm

The witch is dead.

Slammed by a tornado, crushed by an effing house.

Dibs on the slippers.

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 12:54 pm

I wonder if it was a question that the HasLab "figure" started to peter out noticeably, that brought this all to a head? I assume there must have been some kind of red flag, beyond a name drop.

News Credits: 118 · by **megatronus** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 1:45 pm

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:I wonder if it was a question that the HasLab "figure" started to peter out noticeably, that brought this all to a head? I assume there must have been some kind of red flag, beyond a name drop.

I don't doubt that they were watching it closely, and I suspect action would have been taken eventually given how brazen and how direct a threat Zeta was likely perceived to be - but, I think the name drop gave became the tip of the spear, and from a legal standpoint made initiating those proceedings much easier.

News Credits: 340 · by **Stargrave** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 5:03 pm

I love the line that says something to the effect of but well they never paid attention to us before! It’s like well I got away with stealing the cookie the first time I figured that meant it was ok to do it again... Oh? No that’s not ok?

How big of a target do you need to paint on your back before...oop nevermind Hasbro answered that.

News Credits: 331 · by **chuckdawg1999** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 6:21 pm

Stargrave wrote:I love the line that says something to the effect of but well they never paid attention to us before! It’s like well I got away with stealing the cookie the first time I figured that meant it was ok to do it again... Oh? No that’s not ok?

How big of a target do you need to paint on your back before...oop nevermind Hasbro answered that.

I believe it's a giant planet sized target, with horns.