Wolfman Jake wrote:Fans just don't know what they really want.
Ironhidensh wrote:
I think this is about as wrong as can be. The thoughts expressed about this set, both negative and positive, have been very clearly stated. I think the fans very much know whatnot we want, and for a lot of us, this isn't it. There are many who do want it.
I think fans know what they want today more than any period in the past.
Black Hat wrote:
This, pretty much. The problem isn't fans not knowing what they want, it's fan opinion being heavily divided. Some people think that because he's made of equally sized robots that he's perfect. I'm of the opinion that making him out of equally sized robots is a bad idea that's doomed to fail; Feral Rex had a kinda small torso with bloated feet, and this Predaking is a huge pile of compromises for the admittedly interesting transformation scheme.
I know what I want in a Predaking, and this isn't it.
Wolfman Jake wrote:
This is exactly what I mean when I say "fans don't know what they want." It is super divisive, and not just in a "love it or hate it" sense. The "haters" all have completely different ideas about what would make the figure ideal for them, and frankly a lot of them want magic. A figure that is perfect in every way to their untenable ideal for less money than is reasonable in this market. We go through this almost every time too. There was much gnashing of teeth over the Devastator reveal, and now most people agree it's a must have, especially the Takara Unite Warriors release. Fans have VERY short memories about these things.
What gets me really about a lot of the naysayers on Predaking is the, frankly, delusional belief that the G1 version is somehow superior. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the only thing the G1 original figures have over the new Power of the Primes version is swords. These PotP figures have better engineering, articulation, and proportions (especially in the gestalt mode). The original had way "blockier" figures, with limited possibility. The combined form looked like it suffered from gigantism of the legs and arms. People are complaining about a skinny waist on this new PotP version!? That's the kind of insanity in the nitpicking that has made me really dismissive of a lot of the complaints this time around. They're just nonsensical.
Black Hat wrote:Wrong on all counts. I'm still thoroughly unimpressed with HasTak Devastator- even the UW version lacks articulation, is overly hollow, is awkwardly proportioned and is farcically out of scale with the other combiners. Predaking continues the trend of sacrificing quality and design (especially in the individual modes) in favour of sheer size.
The G1 version of Predaking isn't superior objectively, no, but that's because it was made over 30 years ago. And honestly, this newer version inherits a lot of the flaws from the original toy. The robots all being the same size means that in order to get a vaguely proportionate combined mode, the individuals suffered immensely (poor Headstrong and Tantrum...). The beast modes are just jokes that somehow manage to look dorkier than the G1 originals. No melee weapons (not even for Predaking himself). The combined mode has very weird proportions, notably his child-birthing hips and supermodel waist. The hands are hollowed out inarticulate blocks that are leagues less impressive than the ones on Unicron, and that's a 15 year old toy. Oh, and STICKERS.
Sure he has more articulation than the G1 figures but that isn't hard. Honestly, he looks like the worst Titan Hasbro has made thus far, and that's saying something. I think some people are determined to like him just because he exists and isn't an icky third party figure. It's not "Magic" to make a figure that doesn't suck (Abominus actually looks damn cool). It's application of common sense. Don't make him so big that in order to keep in budget you have to hollow him into oblivion. Make him bigger and bulkier than the average combiner, sure, but not THAT much bigger. If you must have him that big then you'll have to up the pricetag. And for the love of God, DON'T TRY AND MAKE A FIVE MEMBER COMBINER OUT OF EQUALLY SIZED FIGURES. IT WON'T WORK (See FOC Bruticus).
If you like it, that's fine. I question your taste, but fine. But don't tell people who aren't willing to settle for that...thing that they've got unrealistic expectations. I'm not asking for a 3 foot tall combiner with a billion custom-tooled steel parts, a perfect transformation, Figuarts-tier posing in all modes and automotive paint. But considering this is likely the only official Predaking we're gonna get for at least 5 years, I expect a bit more care put in.
Wolfman Jake wrote:
I didn't say you liked Titan Class Devastator. I said most did, and the majority of those who were upset when it was first revealed had to eat some serious crow later.
Transformers have been "hollow" for years now, and Predaking isn't even the worst example of such. The initial Fall of Cybertron toys hold that dishonor. And yes, it's a cost cutting measure to hollow out parts where able, because parents aren't going to buy their children a $300-$400 big "Megazord," certainly not on a whim, and likely not even for a big birthday or Xmas gift.
Predaking is big because he was always a bigger combiner than the other G1 combiner TOYS. Hasbro isn't as fussed about what characters looked like exactly in the old Sunbow cartoon. Their focus has always been on the original toys. Devastator was chosen to be big because he was considered special, being the first combiner in Transformers. The Contructicon alt modes are actually in relatively accurate scale with the deluxe car characters, by the way. None of the other combiners pay attention to scale at all either, not between teams and not even within teams. Deluxe sized jets, planes, shuttles, motorcycles, and even tanks create all sort of problems when you look at scale, whether realistic or even internally consistent in the cartoon, so that's your own little burden to shoulder if you think Devastator and Predaking are "farcically out of scale" with other contemporary combiners.
Stickers!? You're still made about stickers!? Guess you hate every Voyager and Leader figure Hasbro has put out for the past couple of years too. Yes, everyone wishes the stickers would go away, but they aren't any time soon, it seems. ALL Titan releases, starting with Metroplex, have relied on stickers, btw, so this is also not something new to PotP Predaking. It's not even new to ANY G1 Predaking as the original had stickers too. Even the special reissues, like Platinum Edition Predaking, had revised stickers instead of going for paint apps.
Honestly, I think you just don't like Transformers now. Things have been as they are for years now, and Predaking isn't turning the past five years or so on its ear. It's entirely consistent with everything Hasbro has been doing with their toys since Dark of the Moon and Fall of Cybertron. Just admit that you have a personal expectation that Hasbro can't realistically meet in this market and go have fun with your third party options.
Adding my 2-cents, enough already. I have to agree with Black Hat. The reason Hasbro initially “re-classed” all of the Transformer’s core characters, (Scout, Deluxe, Voyager, Leader, etc.,) was to give the brand a sense of uniformity and to appease longtime complaints regarding “scale comparison” issues. While I will concede Predaking and Devastator were 2 of the biggest
Gestalts –
NOT COMBINERS- of the series,
AND that being comprised of voyager vs. deluxe figures is warranted, statistically speaking most who were initially upset with Devestator on its reveal are
still upset.
And, if by “eat some serious crow later” you are referring to those that went ahead and purchased the set later? They did it because they didn’t have the $300-$600 available to purchase a better alternative; (i.e. Generation Toy’s Gravity Builder, TFC’s Hercules, etc.) -the former being composed of Voyager-class figures, the latter Deluxe-ish. I bit the bullet and acquired the Gravity Builder for just under $500, but let me tell you… it was one of the best investments I ever made. I also snagged a G2 coloration KO in the Deluxe-class for $33. It scales with other CW Gestalts and packs a surprising level of articulation per figure.
I admit Predaking is not as lame as Devastator, and the more “in-hand” photos the are released the less critical I am. However, there is a valid concern surrounding the haphazard engineering; in particular the whole, “I’m not a leg, I’m a backpack,” kibble on Tantrum and HorriBull.
Furthermore, the complaints about scaling are valid. If TAKBRO is going to make Devastator and Predaking out Voyager-class figures, why not Volcanus? Don’t tell me making the Dinobots out of Deluxe’s and a Voyager is acceptable “artistic liberty.” Next someone will be trying to sell the idea of a Scout-Class Scorponok with a Titan-Master head as acceptable.
You can’t convince me that all of TAKBRO’s legendary designers couldn’t make Volcanus out of 2 Leader-class and 3 Voyagers; give me a pencil and paper and even I could do that.
I’m an “Old School” TF Collector/Fan/Big Kid, my kids are TF Collectors/Fans. That said, spare me the whole justifiable “cost cutting measures.” Hasbro is just padding its pockets, and unfortunately the TAKBRO unified brand just means there’s no hope for innovation from Takara. If KO companies can pull off a G1 accurate, articulation packed, non- hollow, voyager–class “Combiner” for under $150. (Look at Machine Boy’s COD Bruticus for an alternative to CW’s version.) Don’t make me pull out my collection and do a pic-by-pic comparison, it’ll crash the internet.
Hasbro has NOOOO excuse. Will I pick up POTP's Predaking? Maybe, if the offering price is right...but with Jinbao Feral Rex KO for only $140 max w/upgrades
We can’t expect perfection, but don’t accept mediocracy…demand quality. If TAKBRO doesn't up its game, the day is coming when we will be able to acquire a better product elsewhere, or even fabricate our own products cheaper and with a higher quality. Then we'll just slap some faction stickers on them and call them Transformers.
fixed with UW. Predaking is just an anomolly now. There is no reason to believe 
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