The Energon Pub

[Crosscheck]

So is anyone still excited for Orange-off?

I am excited to see what Hasbro will release him as in the US. I wouldn't mind seeing him in actual Blast-Off colors with a different name attached as a stand-alone figure. Release him and Groove as new characters in their G1 colors, then let people swap out Rook for Groove and ...Orbiter for Blast Off. Win for everyone. Personally, now that I have Bruticus fully assembled (yay ONE DAY shipping from BBTS!), I don't mind the jet Blast-Off. He has good symmetry with Vortex in terms of size and shape. He just needs a new head for robot mode (a mode he will almost never be in anyway). I am hoping that a 3PP will make one for him with a facemask.

I do like that Takara attempted to make the chest piece on Bruticus look like the cartoon version. Unfortunately, it looks awful due to the orange. C- for effort.

[megatronus]

Also, its pretty interesting how we feel towards those coloured feet. If they were flip out feet from the actual deluxes (like G1 Liokaizer or RID Landfill and a ton of other combiners), we wouldnt mind. But since these are extras to add on, our sense of the figure's uniformity changes. Since it is not part of the actual leg, we dont accept the illusion takara is trying to put on for show accuracy.

That's a great observation!

With FOC Bruticus, it was never issue; even the Microblaze Creation add-ons purposely did matching color feet that looked great because they felt integrated.

[Ultra Markus]

Also, its pretty interesting how we feel towards those coloured feet. If they were flip out feet from the actual deluxes (like G1 Liokaizer or RID Landfill and a ton of other combiners), we wouldnt mind. But since these are extras to add on, our sense of the figure's uniformity changes. Since it is not part of the actual leg, we dont accept the illusion takara is trying to put on for show accuracy.

That's a great observation!

With FOC Bruticus, it was never issue; even the Microblaze Creation add-ons purposely did matching color feet that looked great because they felt integrated.

yeah, how would they look as arms with colored hands
of course i would like to see perfect effect do a set with the silver hands and the green and yellow feet
i wonder why Bruticus is the only 5 team combiner that doesnt have matching feet as in the cartoon models

[DedicatedGhostArt]

Lot more paint yes. Doesn't look bad at all, but I am still content with Hasbro. Even so, still looks good

Currently no-one on Amazon sells the Hasbro Combaticons for a good price. You people don't know how hard it is for me to decide which ones I should get. I am wanting G2 Superion with the PE upgrade kit, I want Computron, I still need Cyclonus and the other deluxe Stunticons for photoshooting the prototype for my custom Menasor torso when I finish that, And on top of that I still have not gotten UW Devastator!!!

If you cant find Hasbro for a good price, then just get the takara one. You'd end up paying the same but at least getting the new molds and better paint apps. Preorders for $88 USD at anime-export end Febuary 26th http://www.anime-export.com/product/29861

Hmm I'll think about it. Aren't they usually 150 dollars for normal online price?

No never. Anyone selling for that amount is reselling it and did not get it from Takara proper. The retail price in Japan for first party retailers is usually between 11,000 and 12,000 yen (94-102$ USD), 88$ is special for the preorder.

Nup, on TFsource they sell the UW sets for about 150 dollars each. I just checked.

[megatronus]

Hmm I'll think about it. Aren't they usually 150 dollars for normal online price?

No never. Anyone selling for that amount is reselling it and did not get it from Takara proper. The retail price in Japan for first party retailers is usually between 11,000 and 12,000 yen (94-102$ USD), 88$ is special for the preorder.

Nup, on TFsource they sell the UW sets for about 150 dollars each. I just checked.

Exactly. TFsource probably doesn't have a direct relationship with Takara; the likes of TFsource and BBTS mark up Japanese products significantly over Japanese retail. It's the cost of doing business.

That's why a lot of my business has moved to import sites; they're generally way better for this sort of thing.

[MasterSoundBlaster]

Damn... I had JUST ordered the Hasbro ones the other day.

[King Kuuga]

If you're going to buy a Japanese transformer new, your cheapest option is to buy from an English-friendly Japanese exporter, like HLJ, amiami, 1999, or Nippon-Yasan.

[Emerje]

Hmmm... At first I was thinking I'd skip the Hasbro Combaticons for the Takara Tomy versions, but now seeing how drastically different the two are I might be willing to double dip. I'm really excited about finally having a TV version of Bruticus, but I also want a set that's somewhat original toy accurate.

If anything about this disappoints me it's that both Hasbro and Takara Tomy went with a brown Brawl instead of green like the original figure.

Emerje

[fenrir72]

Hmmm... At first I was thinking I'd skip the Hasbro Combaticons for the Takara Tomy versions, but now seeing how drastically different the two are I might be willing to double dip. I'm really excited about finally having a TV version of Bruticus, but I also want a set that's somewhat original toy accurate.

If anything about this disappoints me it's that both Hasbro and Takara Tomy went with a brown Brawl instead of green like the original figure.

Emerje

Once we get a better image The military brown of Brawl might just be a green brown type.

[fenrir72]

https://twitter.com/TFYUKI/status/695857853492363264

Colored images this Saturday (US time) in Wonderfest Sunday (JP time)

[Emerje]

Once we get a better image The military brown of Brawl might just be a green brown type.

I'm doubtful, the colors seem to be the same as those on the animation art. Even if it is a green-brown it wouldn't be the same as the deep green of the original figure.

Oh, and I forgot to comment on something:

So I have to assume this conversation took place at Robot Kingdom HQ:

"Boss, I've got a great scoop! I just scored the first color photos of the UW Bruticus! If we put these up on our website, it'll drive a lot of traffic there!"

"Excellent. But first, slap a gigantic watermark on it so no one can really see the image clearly."

"Perfect!"

All RK did was put their name on it and did it discreetly where it wouldn't cover the figures, the red text all comes from Takara Tomy. They're supposed to receive these images confidentially as a seller so they know their product and not share them with the public until ready. You rarely see these images on Japanese sites, but since when did anyone in China care about that?

Emerje

[MemphisR56]

Can we stop calling him orange-off? He's the same colour as the stripes on the chestplate. It's all chocolate brown, it's just a rubbishy photograph.

[Crosscheck]

Can we stop calling him orange-off? He's the same colour as the stripes on the chestplate. It's all chocolate brown, it's just a rubbishy photograph.

Yeah, everyone, stop calling the orange bot orange!

He is more of a rust color, but he is by no means anywhere in the same ballpark of the colors of either the original G1 toy nor the G1 cartoon character. Takara failed miserably on his colors. People may not like the fact Hasbro's Blast Off is a jet, but at least they got his colors halfway right (he needs some black in there).

[fenrir72]

Can we stop calling him orange-off? He's the same colour as the stripes on the chestplate. It's all chocolate brown, it's just a rubbishy photograph.

Yeah, everyone, stop calling the orange bot orange!

He is more of a rust color, but he is by no means anywhere in the same ballpark of the colors of either the original G1 toy nor the G1 cartoon character. Takara failed miserably on his colors. People may not like the fact Hasbro's Blast Off is a jet, but at least they got his colors halfway right (he needs some black in there).

Fail? You based that conclusion on a low def grainy image with a watermark?

[Burn]

Fail? You based that conclusion on a low def grainy image with a watermark?

You should know by now what this fandom can be like!

[Crosscheck]

Can we stop calling him orange-off? He's the same colour as the stripes on the chestplate. It's all chocolate brown, it's just a rubbishy photograph.

Yeah, everyone, stop calling the orange bot orange!

He is more of a rust color, but he is by no means anywhere in the same ballpark of the colors of either the original G1 toy nor the G1 cartoon character. Takara failed miserably on his colors. People may not like the fact Hasbro's Blast Off is a jet, but at least they got his colors halfway right (he needs some black in there).

Fail? You based that conclusion on a low def grainy image with a watermark?

Most of the other characters look correct so...either they got Onslaught, Swindle, Brawl, and Vortex are right and Blast Off wrong or they got all four of the others wrong and Blast Off right. Which do you think is the more likely scenario?

I will tell you off the bat, the orange isn't turning to dark brown without everything else looking wrong.

[Evil Eye]

Dayum, Brutikins is looking nice. Really, really nice.

I just hope Blast Off can be a leg. I kinda want him and Brawl to trade places.

(Also I REALLY hope poor Brawl can turn his turret now, if for no other reason than to give Bruticus a shoulder cannon...)

[william-james88]

No never. Anyone selling for that amount is reselling it and did not get it from Takara proper. The retail price in Japan for first party retailers is usually between 11,000 and 12,000 yen (94-102$ USD), 88$ is special for the preorder.

Nup, on TFsource they sell the UW sets for about 150 dollars each. I just checked.

So read what I wrote:

Anyone selling for that amount is reselling it and did not get it from Takara proper.

TFSource is a third party takara seller, the same as those people on amazon charging higher than amazon.

[-Kanrabat-]

Oh please, do keep crying us a river on how bad Canada has it compared to the rest of the world.

Your right, in terms of distribution, we are doing pretty well in comparison.

But it is pretty sad to wake up one day and realize that the value of your money has dropped and that things you took for granted, like looking for deals on e-bay and buying from BBTS, is now off limits.

1$US = 1.30$CAN.

Correction:

1$US = 1.40$CAN

Holy crap.

I remember the good old days when our dollar were 1:1 compared to the US. It was the time when I bought MP Starscream, Ghost and G1 versions for 120$ shipped each. No surcharge, no customs. And so many other things on Ebay. Now, if I buy from Ebay, I only check the Canadian listings in Canadian $ and I buy from Japanese stores in yen.

Also, it's true that distribution improved a lot. Often, we are the first to get the Platinums and other exclusives and CW so far have been distrubuted fairly well without missing anything. We are far from the time when it took a full yearafter the US for the TF Prime deluxes Wave 2 to hit stores.

[fenrir72]

Can we stop calling him orange-off? He's the same colour as the stripes on the chestplate. It's all chocolate brown, it's just a rubbishy photograph.

Yeah, everyone, stop calling the orange bot orange!

He is more of a rust color, but he is by no means anywhere in the same ballpark of the colors of either the original G1 toy nor the G1 cartoon character. Takara failed miserably on his colors. People may not like the fact Hasbro's Blast Off is a jet, but at least they got his colors halfway right (he needs some black in there).

Fail? You based that conclusion on a low def grainy image with a watermark?

Most of the other characters look correct so...either they got Onslaught, Swindle, Brawl, and Vortex are right and Blast Off wrong or they got all four of the others wrong and Blast Off right. Which do you think is the more likely scenario?

I will tell you off the bat, the orange isn't turning to dark brown without everything else looking wrong.

I might be sounding like a Rated X but I'll repeat this again, the colors in the PC monitor image or sometimes in the package image differ with the real item. I don't know what phenomena you call that. Maybe it's these dang blasted digi cams will all their megapixel counts etc. But it seems to muck up our brain's sense of color perception.

The blue in G1 UM and the orange in Sandstorm. Also, remember how derpy MP IH face looked like? It's a bit different now using Ryan's images as reference.

So I wouldn't want to rush to judgement just yet. That's all I'm saying.

[ZeroWolf]

All I think crosscheck is trying to say is that a computer or image phenomena can not be the fault of just one area if the picture. It's all are wrong or all are right.

Also occams razor would be applicable here, with the simple answer being that they mucked up blast off's colours. Not to say the final retail model won't be changed of course.

[shajaki]

I COME FROM THE FUTURE AND BRING YOU A MESSAGE.

ORANGE-OFF BEGINS A CHAIN REACTION THAT DESTROYS THE FRANCHISE. TAKE WHATEVER NECESSARY ACTIONS IT TAKES (like complaining on internet forums) IN ORDER TO STOP IT.

Surprised its not Ironhides panels? We were too.

[ZeroWolf]

Ironhide's panels? I've not been focusing too much on him but I can't say I've heard anything.

[Stuartmaximus]

[Crosscheck]

All I think crosscheck is trying to say is that a computer or image phenomena can not be the fault of just one area if the picture. It's all are wrong or all are right.

Also occams razor would be applicable here, with the simple answer being that they mucked up blast off's colours. Not to say the final retail model won't be changed of course.

Precisely this. I hope they do fix his colors, but I am not counting on it.