Unicron.com's Interview with Hasbro's Ben Montano on HasLab Unicron

I know this figure cost me a bit over $600, but it's honestly going to pay for itself.

The heat generated by people fussing about it will warm my house for years to come.

Counterpunch wrote:The heat generated by people fussing about it will warm my house for years to come.

This is why I like you.

Sabrblade wrote:

o.supreme wrote:Wow...so they are going to stick it to each customer for extra shipping, harsh...

They said a long time ago that the free shipping wouldn't apply.

Pretty sure Pulse said the same thing for this one too, no free shipping.

For lots of reasons, I am glad I cancelled and didn't lose anything for it, but I hope you guys do enjoy it, whether it be the figure or the joy of others not liking it

That's not accurate, Pulse membership did include free shipping and it's still showing the free shipping on my order.

AcademyofDrX wrote:That's not accurate, Pulse membership did include free shipping and it's still showing the free shipping on my order.

That's only for AMERICANS who order from Pulse and are members.
Canadians and others can't be members and we never have free shipping.

Australian's who ordered through EB Games/Zing had free shipping.

Counterpunch wrote:I know this figure cost me a bit over $600, but it's honestly going to pay for itself.

The heat generated by people fussing about it will warm my house for years to come.

Pretty sure when the anime accurate one gets announced in a future fans get fucked but not in a nice way day there will be more heat

I'll buy that one too.

Still not regretting ordering Unicron. I went the "more expensive" route through BBTS so I could pull my finances together. Part of me still thinks I am nuts for paying 75o for a TF, my model trains aren't usually this rich, but I am in no way dissapointed by the value.

Frankly, what I AM disspointed in was this interview. It felt like it was SUPPOSED to be candid, but the answers still felt like canned non-answers that we get at conventions. The guy couldn't even say "we chose to leave the part of the maw unpainted because the type of plastic needed there would npt hold paint well and we didnt want to risk it flaking off quickly." Even though thats what he said. No industry secrets or anything, just a straight up fact of reality and they still couldn't just say it.

Not painting the bot mode teeth is an odd oversight, and one I am surprised the interview did not touch on. I can forgive the planet maw, heck, I actually like it more as it makes the teeth pop asthetically, but not painting his upper mouth doesnt impact any dynamic parts movements. Then again, I would likely not have noticed it so soon had the fandom not pointed it out like immediately.

blackeyedprime wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:I know this figure cost me a bit over $600, but it's honestly going to pay for itself.

The heat generated by people fussing about it will warm my house for years to come.

Pretty sure when the anime accurate one gets announced in a future fans get **** but not in a nice way day there will be more heat

When that Unicron gets announced two things will have happened:

1)Hell will have Frozen Over.
2)The first Unicron will have been so long ago people will have largely forgotten about its exclusivity.

Haslab IS NOT running Unicron again anytime soon. Maybe... MAYBE 25 years from now but this is notvtheir usual redeco fodder. Its not happening.

I'm honestly surprised they are not recycling the tooling. Maybe they are holding onto it to retool for an eventual Primus?

Burn wrote:Australian's who ordered through EB Games/Zing had free shipping.

Pretty sure the mark-up made the "free" shipping not so free.

Still, I just paid 120$CAN in taxes and shipping alone for a 250$US Botcon box, just from USA to Canada. So that free shipping may be more relevant than I thought. Especially for such a HUGE box that is HASLAB Unicron.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Burn wrote:Australian's who ordered through EB Games/Zing had free shipping.

Pretty sure the mark-up made the "free" shipping not so free.

Can pick up in store, didn't require payment up front, can still pay it off if we choose too, if there's any issues people can deal with local businesses not some online one.

Yeah, totally worth the few extra dollars.

Flashwave wrote:I'm honestly surprised they are not recycling the tooling. Maybe they are holding onto it to retool for an eventual Primus?

I'm not. Part of the price of HasLab projects is surely them knowing they only get one shot at using the molds so they have to price them in such a way that the molds make the maximum profit the first time rather than smaller margins and multiple reuses over time.

If they do decide to do another but different Unicron with this mold I would probably buy that one, too. I used special financing for mine so it cost me a little under $700, but I had 12 months of $58 payments to pay for it which was much more manageable than the lump sum of $607 it would have cost me. I got to buy directly from Pulse and got all the benefits that come from it like directly contributing to the goal and free shipping.

Emerje

I don't think they'll release another version of this, a new mold maybe, but not another version of this mold.

And even if Haslab ever makes their stuff available for me so I won't have to go through the extra hassle to get it, I won't. Them cheeping out on an expensive item we had to pay almost two years in advance, ad then trying to make it go away with a disingenuous interview with a shill, just so they can save a cent on paintapps doesn't really build trust.

I don't regret backing it, but the interview just doesn't sit right with me.

Making another with any corrections would be such a slap in the face to anyone who backed this project. But I don't think they'd do it.

I .... guess they could make Primus with similar tooling. But G1 Cybertron looks nothing like Unicron. And it's full of holes; I don't think it could work. Maybe if they made it nothing like G1 Cybertron or Cybertron's Primus.

They had wanted to make it even bigger, eh? I've seen the transformation videos, and while it's a good figure, there's way too much plate-folding for my taste. Everyone who has it seems terrified to transform, or pose it, for fear of breaking it in some way. (I guess that's logical since they paid so much for it)

You have to have some pretty serious shelf space set aside to accommodate this thing. And you have to wrestle with him in order to do anything with it. Seems too high-maintenance for my taste. As for it being 'to scale'? In order to be TRULY 'planet sized' compared to that little plastic Galvatron? The Unicron would have to be the size of a city block at least. Right now, he's maybe building sized by comparison.

All I want is just a normal retail titan class Unicron.

I'd rather any new Primus we get be from Commander class Rodimus Prime.

Those pack-in comics are absurd, I personally don't understand why anyone uses them as a basis for characters or collections. No skin off my nose, everyone can like what they like.

For me, I'll take callbacks to 35 year old children's cartoons and characters exclusive to the UK edition of the comic that ran after the US moved on. That's the real good stuff.

Sabrblade wrote:I'd rather any new Primus we get be from Commander class Rodimus Prime.

Unless I'm missing something, how can we turn Rodimus Prime into a planet?

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:I'd rather any new Primus we get be from Commander class Rodimus Prime.

Unless I'm missing something, how can we turn Rodimus Prime into a planet?

Primus was also a golden G1 Rodimus Prime. Like in the Legends comic.

AcademyofDrX wrote:Those pack-in comics are absurd, I personally don't understand why anyone uses them as a basis for characters or collections. No skin off my nose, everyone can like what they like.

For me, I'll take callbacks to 35 year old children's cartoons and characters exclusive to the UK edition of the comic that ran after the US moved on. That's the real good stuff.

If you're referring to my Primus comment, Primus-resembling-Rodimus goes all the way back to his very first appearance in 1988:



Which was then fine-tuned to look more Rodimus-like for his reappearances in 1989 and 1990:




And was first made reality in toy form as a Lucky Draw figure by Takara back in 2004:

Hmmmmm..... That could be an easy Select that Takara would make.

-Kanrabat- wrote:Hmmmmm..... That could be an easy Select that Takara would make.

Precisely.

'Twould even be most apt and relevant for their Selects manga.

Sabrblade wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:Those pack-in comics are absurd, I personally don't understand why anyone uses them as a basis for characters or collections. No skin off my nose, everyone can like what they like.

For me, I'll take callbacks to 35 year old children's cartoons and characters exclusive to the UK edition of the comic that ran after the US moved on. That's the real good stuff.

Which was then fine-tuned to look more Rodimus-like for his reappearances in 1989 and 1990:

Oh dang, what issues had that? I have the Titan reprints that I can dig out, or else I'll have to go trawling through the internet.

AcademyofDrX wrote:Oh dang, what issues had that? I have the Titan reprints that I can dig out, or else I'll have to go trawling through the internet.

Issues 61 "The Primal Scream" and 74 "The Vold!"

Being a fan of the comics mostly, this is my favorite origin story. Which is Why I always refer to the Matrix as the Creation Matrix and not the Matrix of Leadership.

And yes, if we got a gold Commander Rodimus to pose as Primus, I'd be all over it, even though this Rodimus is a pass otherwise. Great robot mode, but the vehicle mode is a fail and thus not worth the price.

Anyway, let's try to steer this back onto Unicron, shall we?

-Kanrabat- wrote:All I want is just a normal retail titan class Unicron.

Might be hard to do since the Ark is going to be the last Titan for a while

Sabrblade wrote:I'd rather any new Primus we get be from Commander class Rodimus Prime.

Only if it's a Haslab project for $300, and it's over and backed before we learn that Rodimus was a retool of Earthrise Leader Prime. The screams would be music to my ears.

chuckdawg1999 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:I'd rather any new Primus we get be from Commander class Rodimus Prime.

Only if it's a Haslab project for $300, and it's over and backed before we learn that Rodimus was a retool of Earthrise Leader Prime. The screams would be music to my ears.

Where is that silly rumour coming from?

ZeroWolf wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:I'd rather any new Primus we get be from Commander class Rodimus Prime.

Only if it's a Haslab project for $300, and it's over and backed before we learn that Rodimus was a retool of Earthrise Leader Prime. The screams would be music to my ears.

Where is that silly rumour coming from?

Could you be a bit more specific good sir, I have quite a few silly rumors going there.

The one of the retool

chuckdawg1999 wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:I'd rather any new Primus we get be from Commander class Rodimus Prime.

Only if it's a Haslab project for $300, and it's over and backed before we learn that Rodimus was a retool of Earthrise Leader Prime. The screams would be music to my ears.

Where is that silly rumour coming from?

Could you be a bit more specific good sir, I have quite a few silly rumors going there.

He was asking about the asinine idea that any Rodimus might in any way be a retool of ER Prime.

Again, this thread is about Unicron, and should be returned to its topic. CC Rodimus has its own thread, more than one, in fact.

What I'm affectionately referring to as Unicron #1 is in the house!



really impressive weight and dimensions when you have him put together...

somewhat nerve-wracking trying to figure out how much force to apply to crack the shell open though

what I affctionately refer to as Unicron #1 has arrived!

very impressive heft and dimensions in planetary mode

nervewracking trying to figure out how much force to apply when cracking open the shell

screwhole covers are a nice touch to finish the appearance (thought one of the pincers was misassembled at first)

bearytrek wrote:What I'm affectionately referring to as Unicron #1 is in the house!



really impressive weight and dimensions when you have him put together...

somewhat nerve-wracking trying to figure out how much force to apply to crack the shell open though

Congrats!

Let's see some more updates.

Where is everybody at?

I have a notice in my FedEx account about a label being made, but otherwise no shipping info.

Counterpunch wrote:Where is everybody at?

Work. Because I needs the monies for the Unicrons.

Burn wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:Where is everybody at?

Work. Because I needs the monies for the Unicrons.

Same here. I'm typing this while on my break, which ends in two minutes as of this typing.

No shipping update yet, checking my email regularly. I just got the latest Kingdom Voyagers today, so I have things to tide me over.

If you've ever been curious as to how Australian's unbox things...

I'm seeing a LOT of people who have FedEX tracking numbers in their accounts, who only see the label has been made and that the package has not been picked up. The same folks have not had a shipping update at all from Pulse.

It's super frustrating to see people who not only have tracking and/or shipped figures, but others who have them delivered and in hand.

But...It seems there are more in that spot than the other, so don't feel like there's a problem or anything. Haslab just seems to have no rhyme or reason as to when anyone gets their figure.

It's not you, it's them.

Yeah, mine has been sitting at label created since 3/8. No emails or updates. If I didn't have a FedEx account I would have no idea.

Emerje

I didn't have any info until I woke up to pulse's "an item from order XXXXXX is on it's way" email this morning. Label was created back on the 8th, shipped the 19th, and is estimated to arrive friday. Any irritation at how i was out of the loop even as it progressed has been smothered by the anticipation.

Emerje, when was the last time you double checked your label for updates? It might have progressed without notifying you.

Unicron has arrived today, moments ago. No flicks yet but note for other buyers.
Fedex did NOT need me to be there to sign.
They left it on my side porch and signed for me.

I still have not even received a tracking number/shipping label created notice to my FedEx account, so I called Hasbro Pulse (which is never helpful) this morning. The customer service rep confirmed that indeed there is no shipping label generated yet for my order but to keep an eye out for when they send an email to inform me that it has shipped Hopefully I’ll get mine in time for quarter 2

UPDATE: An hour after this morning's fruitless call to Hasbro Pulse and their assurance that I had not yet had a shipping label created and that there was nothing they could do to provide me an estimate of even when one may be provided, I received a text FedEx alert of "Signature req'd by someone at your address for package delivery 03/24' along with a tracking number. The FedEx Tracking details state that it's from Chino, CA with a 14 lbs weight description, which lines up with the origin and weight description described by others who have already had their Unicron shipped. The FedEx shipping details also state that the shipping info/label was sent to FedEx (BY HASBRO) on March 8 as most have stated their labels were created with no further movement. Had I not been enrolled in FedEx Delivery Manager I would have never received info notifying me of my impending shipment. Again, all of this after contacting Pulse and still no email update from Pulse stating it has been shipped. What if I wasn't home tomorrow? I know I'll be satisfied with my Unicron. I've seen too many reviews to know that its highly unlikely to be the contrary. But I would hope Hasbro could do better on their communication when customers are expecting an item this big and this expensive. I shudder to think of how things are going to go when it's time for my two Sentinels and the Razor Crest to ship while juggling my end of quarantine work schedule.

Another day, another lack of notice or anything.

alekese wrote:Emerje, when was the last time you double checked your label for updates? It might have progressed without notifying you.

About 5 minutes before that last post and again just now, still no change.

Emerje

Regimus Prime wrote:UPDATE: An hour after this morning's fruitless call to Hasbro Pulse and their assurance that I had not yet had a shipping label created and that there was nothing they could do to provide me an estimate of even when one may be provided, I received a text FedEx alert of "Signature req'd by someone at your address for package delivery 03/24' along with a tracking number. The FedEx Tracking details state that it's from Chino, CA with a 14 lbs weight description, which lines up with the origin and weight description described by others who have already had their Unicron shipped. The FedEx shipping details also state that the shipping info/label was sent to FedEx (BY HASBRO) on March 8 as most have stated their labels were created with no further movement. Had I not been enrolled in FedEx Delivery Manager I would have never received info notifying me of my impending shipment. Again, all of this after contacting Pulse and still no email update from Pulse stating it has been shipped. What if I wasn't home tomorrow? I know I'll be satisfied with my Unicron. I've seen too many reviews to know that its highly unlikely to be the contrary. But I would hope Hasbro could do better on their communication when customers are expecting an item this big and this expensive. I shudder to think of how things are going to go when it's time for my two Sentinels and the Razor Crest to ship while juggling my end of quarantine work schedule.

UPDATE: And FINALLY at 6:30 pm PST I get an email from Hasbro Pulse telling me my order is on the way. Just this morning they told me on the phone they had not even had a tracking number yet. It's just a really good thing that I'm on quarantine from my job (if there is a silver lining to find during a pandemic), otherwise this confusion could've been a lot more stressful.

Did Hasbro ever show what the Unicron prototype's face looked like without the lower mouth / chin piece? I'm trying to find a picture of what that part of his face looks like to figure out how they handled the silver teeth. If I took a silver sharpie to the bottom teeth, should I do it to the top ones as well which are covered up by the top part of his face? Thoughts and suggestions please. Unicron's bottom blue teeth are bothering me!

Counterpunch wrote:Another day, another lack of notice or anything.

Are you signed up with Fedex?