Counterpunch wrote:How very disappointing. Goes well with my theory that the way in which Hasbro is addressing this 3rd party stuff is by releasing the same characters at retail.
Like the way Hasbro are releasing Hardhead to beat the third party add-on for...Hasbro's Hardhead? I agree with you in general but this is not the best example.
Rated X wrote:That would mean Hasbro actually aknowledges they have competition. Maybe it's time collectors stop using the term "Third Party" and start referring to them as legitimate Transformer companies. Were giving Hasbro way too much credit.
No. No they are not legitimate companies. They may be producing excellent figures and fufilling fan wants but nothing changes the fact that they are taking someone else's concept and making money from it.
And really if Hasbro are fighting the third partiers in this fashion I'm impressed. Rather than sending in the legal big guns or throwing a corporate tantrum they are apparently analysing what fans are demanding from the third partiers and producing their own general retail version of it.
Basically Hasbro needs to realize that just because they were the first, doesnt make them the best.
I don't even know what you mean by this. Third party companies produce high quality, veeeeerry expensive figures targeted exclusively at collectors. Hasbro produce low cost figures that are designed to appeal to a worldwide polydemographic audience. It's a faulty comparison.
EDIT: For some reason this topic always makes my blood boil, so apologies if I'm a little more effusive than usual.