Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese

Posted by william-james88 Dec 21, 2018 at 8:51am CST 27,465 views

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While most people know it's important to reiterate that the brand unification for Transformers toys between Hasbro and Takara also includes Masterpiece releases. No more waiting years for a Hasbro release, you will get the same toy the same year. And now we know that by "same toy" they really mean it. Takara has been adding voice clips to their Masterpiece figures recently and we were unsure what that would mean for the Hasbro releases of these toys. For instance with MP-44, while buying it at EB-Games Canada for $600 CAD might seem daunting, the fact that it may have English voice clips instead might have swayed some fans. Imagine Peter Cullen voice clips on a Masterpiece Prime.

However, Hasbro PR did confirm with us that the upcoming MP release will not differ in any way across markets. The toy you can now preorder at EB Games (and Entertainment Earth) is the same as the one offered in Japan by Takara, Japanese voice clips and all.

While speaking of MP-44, we have some more news for you. These are images of the production prototype of this toy, where we can see the different plastic used. We do see some die cast on his crest. These were posted by Takara on Twitter.

Transformers News: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese

Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese

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Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by galvatron00 Dec 21, 2018

Well, there goes that idea.

Why would anyone NOT order it from Amazon Japan now? You'll save the price of MP Hound probably!!

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by Octobotimus Dec 21, 2018

All the more reason not to buy it, sweet. now to go spend that money on a house payment.

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by ZeldaTheSwordsman Dec 21, 2018

"Japanese voice clips and all."
Now that's just lazy.

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by blackeyedprime Dec 21, 2018

I'm happy to have reissue galvatron in never done before cartoon colors that screams in Japanese at me & even my RID magnus/convoy first releases but for a figure the price of this...hell no.

Does this mean Hasbro MP Beastwars Megatron is getting the same treatment??

They could at least include a soundbox with it if they wanted to be lazy like one of the versions of MP1.

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by william-james88 Dec 21, 2018

blackeyedprime wrote:Does this mean Hasbro MP Beastwars Megatron is getting the same treatment??

Yes 100%, no David Kaye, no Yessss

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by galvatron00 Dec 21, 2018

blackeyedprime wrote:I'm happy to have reissue galvatron in never done before cartoon colors that screams in Japanese at me

Haha!! He's great, isn't he? Fun fact you probably already know, that's the same voice clips that came with MP-36!

But yeah, no David Kaye (or Peter Cullen, or Frank Welker) is kind of lame. I wonder what the ratio is to people buying it in Western voice actor regions compared to Japanese.

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by Nemesis Maximo Dec 21, 2018

william-james88 wrote:
blackeyedprime wrote:Does this mean Hasbro MP Beastwars Megatron is getting the same treatment??

Yes 100%, no David Kaye, no Yessss

Noooooooo

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by Mr.MicroMaster Dec 21, 2018

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by blackeyedprime Dec 21, 2018

william-james88 wrote:
blackeyedprime wrote:Does this mean Hasbro MP Beastwars Megatron is getting the same treatment??

Yes 100%, no David Kaye, no Yessss

*&,@ Hasbro up the @~!* with a Melon

and a spikey one at that

Have to hope for a third party upgrade like for the MP Soundwave, I'm sure the hasvro people have their own companies on the sly so they can make money p the side from leaving out things on figures.

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by Ironhidensh Dec 21, 2018

This keeps getting easier to pass on, thank god.

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by william-james88 Dec 21, 2018

Ironhidensh wrote:This keeps getting easier to pass on, thank god.

I truly fail to see how EB Games/EE would sell any of these toys. Because if you are tech savy enough to purchase from them, it doesnt take much more to purchase from ANYONE ELSE, including Amazon Japan which is 100$ cheaper. The only thing i see happening, is a rather wealthy fan decides spur of the moment to purchase it if they see it in stores, but I would be surprised that it would be stocked there.

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by no-one Dec 21, 2018

Are you sure those are pre-production shots and not what Hasbro is releasing? Just saying

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by hausjam Dec 21, 2018

A replacement fusion cannon was released for MP36 with clips of Frank welker and they sound better than anything Takara could have done.
The same will be done with MP44s backpack and Peter Cullen's voice.

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by hausjam Dec 21, 2018

william-james88 wrote:
Ironhidensh wrote:This keeps getting easier to pass on, thank god.

I truly fail to see how EB Games/EE would sell any of these toys. Because if you are tech savy enough to purchase from them, it doesnt take much more to purchase from ANYONE ELSE, including Amazon Japan which is 100$ cheaper. The only thing i see happening, is a rather wealthy fan decides spur of the moment to purchase it if they see it in stores, but I would be surprised that it would be stocked there.

Does that $100 cheaper include shipping? I doubt it. And I don't think Prime free 2-day shipping applies here.

I think I'll spend the extra $40-50 and buy it locally. Assuming I buy this at all.

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by mesh Dec 21, 2018

WOW, just WOW!
This has made it so much easier to pass on now.
Even for the $450 CAD price point you get a Japanese sound chip. Really? This is absolutely insane. Thanks for all you've done Takara but I think you've bit off more than you can chew.

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by william-james88 Dec 21, 2018

hausjam wrote:
Does that $100 cheaper include shipping? I doubt it. And I don't think Prime free 2-day shipping applies here.

I think I'll spend the extra $40-50 and buy it locally. Assuming I buy this at all.

Amazon Japan is 315 shipping included and you get it in 3 days. Go ahead and spend 125$ extra to buy it locally.

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by Cyberpath Dec 21, 2018

Even if the sound bites were in English I still wouldn't care. I think sound gimmicks don't have a place in the Masterpiece line. Just how I feel. Wish they had stuck it in his trailer or something If they just had to have it. Hope it didn't take too much space.

So refreshing to finally have a Prime with such accurate legs.

carytheone wrote:Are you sure those are pre-production shots and not what Hasbro is releasing? Just saying ;)

The thought had crossed my mind, too. :)

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by no-one Dec 21, 2018

Cyberpath wrote:I think sound gimmicks don't have a place in the Masterpiece line.

*slow

*

or anywhere else

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by ZeroWolf Dec 21, 2018

I do think that adding electronics in is extremely silly but if Takara's home market go crazy for them, who are we to judge. I do wonder though, how much less it would be minus the electronics.

Re: Hasbro Confirms that their Release of MP-44 Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be Speaking Japanese (view post)

Comment by no-one Dec 21, 2018

ZeroWolf wrote:I do think that adding electronics in is extremely silly but if Takara's home market go crazy for them, who are we to judge. I do wonder though, how much less it would be minus the electronics.

It's not the cost that bothers me about electronics. It's the space they take up and the potential to forget to remove the batteries and they decay. Lights and sound are just a little to gimmicky for me, but that's just me.

william-james88 wrote:(MP44) Amazon Japan is 315 shipping included and you get it in 3 days. Go ahead and spend 125$ extra to buy it locally.

Free international shipping? When I clicked details it still seemed to lead to the international shipping cost. While their shipping is fair, it's always more than what's listed (at least to the US).

EDIT: I added it to my cart for giggles and they would have charged me ￥1200 to ship (which is damn good).

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