The Energon Pub

Hey Hellscream, I saw your question on whether or not Hasbro can use a mold Takara made in house and I dont know the answer. I have had that question for as long as I have been collecting. In G1, the design was all Takara and Hasbro licensed out the toys. But with Beast Wars, it was all Hasbro's idea. And they commissioned Takara to do the engineering based off their designs. Takara then made their own in house designs and Hasbro never distributed them (Korea did though, in the same way that Hasbro had licensed Takara toys for G1, which is why you can have dirt cheap Beast Wars Neo toys made in amazing Takara quality). However, Hasbro did eventually use some of those molds in later lines, like Guiledart for it<s Dinobot line and Big Convoy as Nemesis Prime for the Universe line. So there is precedent for Hasbro repurposing a Takara design.

Even recently, funpub used the Takara in house designed Tranformers Prime Breakdown mold to make their Botcon 2015 Megatron (which sucks cause its a mold everyone wanted and it's now here as simply another megatron toy and more expensive than the actual Takara product).

So there is precedent for Hasbro using a Takara designed mold but I have no examples of using it for the same line aside from the Masterpiece line (with years in delay and far from every figure accounted for). Which means that I am really not sure this cool Optimus toy will see a stateside release, and same goes with the Takara deluxe Groove.

Also, Hasbro never distributed the Takara Infinity toys either. That's a whole line of Takara designed molds we will never see here and it is a very recent example.

william-james88 wrote:Also, Hasbro never distributed the Takara Infinity toys either. That's a whole line of Takara designed molds we will never see here and it is a very recent example.

Did you meant "Alternity"?

william-james88 wrote:Hey Hellscream, I saw your question on whether or not Hasbro can use a mold Takara made in house and I dont know the answer. I have had that question for as long as I have been collecting. In G1, the design was all Takara and Hasbro licensed out the toys. But with Beast Wars, it was all Hasbro's idea. And they commissioned Takara to do the engineering based off their designs. Takara then made their own in house designs and Hasbro never distributed them (Korea did though, in the same way that Hasbro had licensed Takara toys for G1, which is why you can have dirt cheap Beast Wars Neo toys made in amazing Takara quality). However, Hasbro did eventually use some of those molds in later lines, like Guiledart for it<s Dinobot line and Big Convoy as Nemesis Prime for the Universe line. So there is precedent for Hasbro repurposing a Takara design.

Even recently, funpub used the Takara in house designed Tranformers Prime Breakdown mold to make their Botcon 2015 Megatron (which sucks cause its a mold everyone wanted and it's now here as simply another megatron toy and more expensive than the actual Takara product).

So there is precedent for Hasbro using a Takara designed mold but I have no examples of using it for the same line aside from the Masterpiece line (with years in delay and far from every figure accounted for). Which means that I am really not sure this cool Optimus toy will see a stateside release, and same goes with the Takara deluxe Groove.

Also, Hasbro never distributed the Takara Infinity toys either. That's a whole line of Takara designed molds we will never see here and it is a very recent example.

That's it exactly; I new that hellscream big convoy and breakdown have been used; and that sometimes hasbro licences molds from TT, and sometimes TT licences molds from hasbro.

It really irritates me that a toy line aimed at being fun for kids continues to regurgitate crappy bricks, when vastly superior versions exist. It probably wouldn't be too expensive, hell they could even drop the electronics if they had too. This just seems to be a conscious effort, on the part of pr or the bigwigs, to make these bricks as a way to rebrand themselves, when it kinda isn't working - like a half-a$$ed publicity stunt.

Yes they sell some places - not anywhere I live though, but they aren't fun, don't have much longevity, and just kinda blow for the pricepoint of some of them.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Also, Hasbro never distributed the Takara Infinity toys either. That's a whole line of Takara designed molds we will never see here and it is a very recent example.

Did you meant "Alternity"?

lol, I actually googled it and got a bunch of beyblade type stuff; so now I have no idea what anything means anymore

One thing is sure, the Alternity line is Japan exclusive. My and my friend both ordered that sexy mofo. One for each of us. Pretty expensive at 80$CAN shipped (each), but WE NEED IT!

-Kanrabat- wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Also, Hasbro never distributed the Takara Infinity toys either. That's a whole line of Takara designed molds we will never see here and it is a very recent example.

Did you meant "Alternity"?

Yes, I meant Alternity. Those molds were never licensed.

I still love this very fatalist line from BBTS:

Please Note: These items are bought at retail in Japan and marked up before being sold to us - the price is high for an Alternity, but it is the only option.

Hellscream9999 wrote:You might want to close the bracket around my username to fix the quote, it makes it a little difficult to read.

My bad man. I'm sorry.

Don't forget the Transformers Go! Optimus EX Prime we never got as well.

bvzxa wrote:Don't forget the Transformers Go! Optimus EX Prime we never got as well.

Oh man, and all those combiners!

william-james88 wrote:

bvzxa wrote:Don't forget the Transformers Go! Optimus EX Prime we never got as well.

Oh man, and all those combiners!

Yeah, and they were bloated, kibbly, ugly, and based on the same failed design of rid railracer Still don't miss that line, the beast hunter beast redeco's HOWEVER were all sexy beasts.

Optimizzy wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:You might want to close the bracket around my username to fix the quote, it makes it a little difficult to read.

My bad man. I'm sorry.

It's cool, just wanted to point it out.

william-james88 wrote:

bvzxa wrote:Don't forget the Transformers Go! Optimus EX Prime we never got as well.

Oh man, and all those combiners!

The EX Prime as a robot was great. Reminds me of the current TT Shinkansen line. The dragon mode and torso mode Really for the diehard fan if you want to track them.

Why it never made the cut to the domestic market.......mystery for the ages (that or Hasbro wasn't interested).Also noticed that TFGo! combiner teams were very limited. Not even hobbysearch carried it.

Hellscream9999 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

bvzxa wrote:Don't forget the Transformers Go! Optimus EX Prime we never got as well.

Oh man, and all those combiners!

Yeah, and they were bloated, kibbly, ugly, and based on the same failed design of rid railracer Still don't miss that line, the beast hunter beast redeco's HOWEVER were all sexy beasts.

Hell yeah they were! We got some of the all time best headsculpts to come out of Japan:

fenrir72 wrote:
Why it never made the cut to the domestic market.......mystery for the ages (that or Hasbro wasn't interested).Also noticed that TFGo! combiner teams were very limited. Not even hobbysearch carried it.

I didnt know they were limited. That means their current low prices are even more indicative of the lack of interest.

william-james88 wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

bvzxa wrote:Don't forget the Transformers Go! Optimus EX Prime we never got as well.

Oh man, and all those combiners!

Yeah, and they were bloated, kibbly, ugly, and based on the same failed design of rid railracer Still don't miss that line, the beast hunter beast redeco's HOWEVER were all sexy beasts.

Hell yeah they were! We got some of the all time best headsculpts to come out of Japan:

fenrir72 wrote:
Why it never made the cut to the domestic market.......mystery for the ages (that or Hasbro wasn't interested).Also noticed that TFGo! combiner teams were very limited. Not even hobbysearch carried it.

I didnt know they were limited. That means their current low prices are even more indicative of the lack of interest.

They were so beast The sexy paint jobs and minute detailing on some of them; Kinda wish the sky lynx mold was re-released as a fembot, slightly retool the chest and give her straxus' pick axe

so far thats the best looking robots in disguise optimus prime toy i have seen

william-james88 wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

bvzxa wrote:Don't forget the Transformers Go! Optimus EX Prime we never got as well.

Oh man, and all those combiners!

Yeah, and they were bloated, kibbly, ugly, and based on the same failed design of rid railracer Still don't miss that line, the beast hunter beast redeco's HOWEVER were all sexy beasts.

Hell yeah they were! We got some of the all time best headsculpts to come out of Japan:

fenrir72 wrote:
Why it never made the cut to the domestic market.......mystery for the ages (that or Hasbro wasn't interested).Also noticed that TFGo! combiner teams were very limited. Not even hobbysearch carried it.

I didnt know they were limited. That means their current low prices are even more indicative of the lack of interest.

The Ninja lion was hard to get hold off during the first release (amiami even cancelled my order. as I had to go through other channels to get him). Same with the Samurai team. I wasn't even able to score the special weapon that came with the early release version.

EX Prime , well hlj carried him, same as amiami (both sold out quickly). So online wise, it was limited from my usual suppliers.

fenrir72 wrote:
The Ninja lion was hard to get hold off during the first release (amiami even cancelled my order. as I had to go through other channels to get him). Same with the Samurai team. I wasn't even able to score the special weapon that came with the early release version.

EX Prime , well hlj carried him, same as amiami (both sold out quickly). So online wise, it was limited from my usual suppliers.

Well they are now easily obtainable from Amazon for at most the price they were originally at.

In regards to whether or not Hasbro can use molds that Takara makes independently from Hasbro, it might have less to do with "Can Hasbro use them?" and more to do with "Will Hasbro want to use them?" Recall all those Prime toys that Takara made which Hasbro never released at retail (i.e. - War Breakdown, Gaia Unicron, Jet Vehicon, etc.). Every time Hasbro was asked if they would release them, Hasbro never once gave a definite "No", instead always giving their typical answers of "maybe" or "when the time is right" or "if there's the right outlet for it" or "not at this time" or the ever infamous "Stay tuned". They kept leading fans on with a false sense of hope on the off chance that they might decide to release these molds in some way, but ultimately never did.

As far as things like this TAV Optimus mold or the Unite Warriors Groove mold are concerned, they're most likely in the same boat as the Takara-only Prime molds. It mostly depends on whether Hasbro would want to release them since whatever they release would have to fall in line with what their (Hasbro's) plans are. And right now, Hasbro has already released both an articulated "all ages" RID 2015 Optimus mold and a Combiner Wars Groove mold, even if both are much smaller than was several fans would prefer. Thus, Hasbro probably views both cases as unnecessary redundancies that both clash with what they have already released and might be too expensive endeavors to warrant pursuing.

I know it's not what many of us would want to hear, but business is what business does.

Sabrblade wrote:In regards to whether or not Hasbro can use molds that Takara makes independently from Hasbro, it might have less to do with "Can Hasbro use them?" and more to do with "Will Hasbro want to use them?" Recall all those Prime toys that Takara made which Hasbro never released at retail (i.e. - War Breakdown, Gaia Unicron, Jet Vehicon, etc.). Every time Hasbro was asked if they would release them, Hasbro never once gave a definite "No", instead always giving their typical answers of "maybe" or "when the time is right" or "if there's the right outlet for it" or "not at this time" or the ever infamous "Stay tuned". They kept leading fans on with a false sense of hope on the off chance that they might decide to release these molds in some way, but ultimately never did.

As far as things like this TAV Optimus mold or the Unite Warriors Groove mold are concerned, they're most likely in the same boat as the Takara-only Prime molds. It mostly depends on whether Hasbro would want to release them since whatever they release would have to fall in line with what their (Hasbro's) plans are. And right now, Hasbro has already released both an articulated "all ages" RID 2015 Optimus mold and a Combiner Wars Groove mold, even if both are much smaller than was several fans would prefer. Thus, Hasbro probably views both cases as unnecessary redundancies that both clash with what they have already released and might be too expensive endeavors to warrant pursuing.

I know it's not what many of us would want to hear, but business is what business does.

Well, I guess that was what I was angling towards. Personally I don't think it's terribly redundant, the rid line has 4-5 versions of each character across various sub-line, and this one stands out as being a good figure; and Hasbro has to know that the deluxe groove would sell as well as any nemesis prime, even if they offered it exclusively through online retail again. From that stand point it doesn't make sense to hold it back, but whatever, it's not like we'll ever actually know

Hellscream9999 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

bvzxa wrote:Don't forget the Transformers Go! Optimus EX Prime we never got as well.

Oh man, and all those combiners!

and based on the same failed design of rid railracer

DEM'S FIGHTIN' WORDs. Choose your pistol, and start your 10 paces. I'm taking 3, so you best be lucky.

Seriously though, Railracer was a much better overall than the Go! Combiners. Sure, they suffered from long legs, but then so do I. And really, RR's only excess parts were Rapid Run's legs, which were I believe intended to be jetpack or wings and just not fully executed. (Rapid Run's feet have round black things that look like thrust nozzles uner his arches. If you point the rail wheel down and the toes down, instant ducting.) Otherwise, he's got small waist armor and that's it. And all his parts integrated. No goofy head-dresses, no overly clunky bot modes or humongous blocks hanging off their backs.

Hellscream9999 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

bvzxa wrote:Don't forget the Transformers Go! Optimus EX Prime we never got as well.

Oh man, and all those combiners!

Yeah, and they were bloated, kibbly, ugly, and based on the same failed design of rid railracer Still don't miss that line, the beast hunter beast redeco's HOWEVER were all sexy beasts.

It's nothing like Rail Racer...not even close I use to own JRX almost over 15 years ago. Failed...nah he is actually one of the best Prime's of the whole Prime series except for First Edition and the Year of the Snake RID edition...with JPN Battle Shield Optimus Prime an honorable mention. The remolded head sculpts and colors are vastly superior to Hasbro's. The Go! Combiners well, you either like them or hate them. And Guren Dragnotron is a nice shade of fiery red.

Flashwave wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

bvzxa wrote:Don't forget the Transformers Go! Optimus EX Prime we never got as well.

Oh man, and all those combiners!

and based on the same failed design of rid railracer

DEM'S FIGHTIN' WORDs. Choose your pistol, and start your 10 paces. I'm taking 3, so you best be lucky.

Seriously though, Railracer was a much better overall than the Go! Combiners. Sure, they suffered from long legs, but then so do I. And really, RR's only excess parts were Rapid Run's legs, which were I believe intended to be jetpack or wings and just not fully executed. (Rapid Run's feet have round black things that look like thrust nozzles uner his arches. If you point the rail wheel down and the toes down, instant ducting.) Otherwise, he's got small waist armor and that's it. And all his parts integrated. No goofy head-dresses, no overly clunky bot modes or humongous blocks hanging off their backs.

Rail Racer is awesome and no one can/will convince me of otherwise.

Sabrblade wrote:

Flashwave wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

bvzxa wrote:Don't forget the Transformers Go! Optimus EX Prime we never got as well.

Oh man, and all those combiners!

and based on the same failed design of rid railracer

DEM'S FIGHTIN' WORDs. Choose your pistol, and start your 10 paces. I'm taking 3, so you best be lucky.

Seriously though, Railracer was a much better overall than the Go! Combiners. Sure, they suffered from long legs, but then so do I. And really, RR's only excess parts were Rapid Run's legs, which were I believe intended to be jetpack or wings and just not fully executed. (Rapid Run's feet have round black things that look like thrust nozzles uner his arches. If you point the rail wheel down and the toes down, instant ducting.) Otherwise, he's got small waist armor and that's it. And all his parts integrated. No goofy head-dresses, no overly clunky bot modes or humongous blocks hanging off their backs.

Rail Racer is awesome and no one can/will convince me of otherwise.

I just wish my Midnight;s hips weren't so loose now, he falls over too much. Otherwise, Train+transformer+Combiner=AWESOME.

fenrir72 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

bvzxa wrote:Don't forget the Transformers Go! Optimus EX Prime we never got as well.

Oh man, and all those combiners!

The EX Prime as a robot was great. Reminds me of the current TT Shinkansen line. The dragon mode and torso mode Really for the diehard fan if you want to track them.

Why it never made the cut to the domestic market.......mystery for the ages (that or Hasbro wasn't interested).Also noticed that TFGo! combiner teams were very limited. Not even hobbysearch carried it.

I could never bring myself to get go! Optimus. Go prime, however, is one of of my favorites. And I love the "predacons" from transformers go. Those head sculpts are worth every penny.

william-james88 wrote:

fenrir72 wrote:
The Ninja lion was hard to get hold off during the first release (amiami even cancelled my order. as I had to go through other channels to get him). Same with the Samurai team. I wasn't even able to score the special weapon that came with the early release version.

EX Prime , well hlj carried him, same as amiami (both sold out quickly). So online wise, it was limited from my usual suppliers.

Well they are now easily obtainable from Amazon for at most the price they were originally at.

Depends if the vendor sends it to the country you live in. Amazon Japan is no problem of course, I just use BigInJapan to do my dirty work proxy but back then, when it was pre-released, the prices are kind of more expensive than the online stores.