Here is an oddity for you – the cool Transformers Prime Arms Micron Capsule Toys series just might be seeing them light of day outside of Japan. A recent catalog update (PDF link) for UK retailer Esdevium Games – distributor of hobby products including board games, collectible card games and other goodies – included on its final page under toys and collectibles a listing for “Transformers Figure Packet”, showing a picture of the Arms Micron capsule toy Optimus Prime and a previously unseen blindbag packaging featuring the Transformers Prime logo and pictures of the six toys in the first assortment of Transformers Prime Capsule Toys.
This would seem to indicate that at the very least the UK might be getting the first series of Arms Micron Capsule Toys at retail, marking the first release of these toys outside of Japan. However, Hasbro UK has stated they have no plans to release these items, creating some confusion. Although if you read into the product codes, you can see the first three letters on the page correspond to the manufacturer (TOP = Topps, for example). These are listed as TOM – possible shorthand for Tomy? Stranger things have happened – ultimately until we have a confirmed purchase at retail in the UK or elsewhere, this is only a possible release, but it seems likely given the popularity of blind-packed impulse buy items at the checkouts in UK supermarkets.
DatScot
Interestingly enough the Micron itself has Hasbro's copymark written on it, not that it's being marketed as a micron, it just says transforming figure collection on the bag. It does seem to be rather sturdy, compared at least to the older blind packed minicons we got over here. all of the joints are tight enough to hold and it can even stand well if you angle the legs right.
It's not -bad- for £2.50 if that's a widewpread price for them.
DatScot
Here is one with it's package, sorry about the quality but I figured it was good to prove it.
jackgaughan
So, these aren't exclusive to one store? Awesome!
DatScot
I got a few for £2.50, if it hasn't been confirmed already they are released by tomy with the Tomy and Gatcha logos on them and don't have any paint on them, at least the animal ones, don't know about prime and bumblebee. They also have clear gems with faction symbols inside, don't know if those are on the japanese release
Omnius
£4? Pah, I'll get them on my next order from Kapow for £3.49-3.99 instead.
TFtoycollector
Where abouts in TRU? i'm not sure where something like this would be stocked in the store, and i really wanna pick some up for that price.
Thenames9
They're in Toys R Us I've just seen them for like £4.
TFtoycollector
They're on ebay uk now. £24.99 FOR 1! WTF to that.
Transformers Figure Packet | eBay
TFtoycollector
I've emailed my local games shop about these. They get their stock from Esdevium Games, so hopefully they will stock them.
RedAlert Rescue
The only Two Candy Minicons I noticed had problems was a slight mould flaw on the helicopter and every single tank I bought being broken. and they did assemble the A-10 mould upsidedown.
The Dragon and Monster Truck moulds were great. It was a shame they didn't do some more – the company that made them seems to be a front company of some kind and never answers their mail or e-mail and has not made anything new for months so no luck from them.
Incidentally these are the same capsule microns also repacked for asian super markets in cardboard boxes not long ago – I hope they keep it up and produce the later wave too.
Oh and other than being preassembled they are the same thing as a Arms Micron you could argue that Optimus/Megatron/Bumblebee/Bulkhead/Arcee etc are more like classic Minicons – but the other ones like the Geko/Snake/Turtle etc are Arms Microns in the modern sense they are just preassembled and lack a sticker sheet. they even have the same complete lack of paint. so if you look at it that way is there any real reason that some of the other couldn't get similar treatment perhaps if they added a little paint or included stickers with them.
But it seems the Geko/Cobra are just like the Japanese capsule ones… as far as I know the supermarket toy version are only the prepainted kind. so we are already getting more than those in terms of characters….
Shame they didn't make them in new colours though.
payres
The Capsule Microns are a sub set of the Arms Microns: Arms Micron – Transformers Wiki
[Wing_Saber-X]
but aren't they essentially the SAME thing? just packed into capsules?
yetiboy68
We had blindbagged minicons here in the UK a couple of years ago as well but the plastic quality was terrible, they felt like a knockoff .
omega_prime
they could very well be a takara/tomy product as when dotm came out we had some phone dongle things over here and they had the tak/tom logo on so fingers crossed
Gingerchris
I'd raise some excitement if I thought I'd ever actually see any out in the wild.
lars573
Because Arms Micron was tailored specifically for the Japanese Market by Takara-Tomy (Hasbro has litterally nothing to do with it), as attempt to claw back some market share among the kids market. Model kits are very popular in Japan. Not so in Hasbro's markets. Also these are the capsule AM's. You know the pre-assembled and painted ones. That can, and have been, easily put in blind bags and released in the west.
zebramatt
It's funny how many people confuse the Capsule Microns for the Arms Microns!
RobotoChan
My local supermarket usually gets blind packed Transformers stuff so hopefully they will get these as well.
Bass X0
They'll be available to buy from this week.
https://www.facebook.com/EsdeviumGames/posts/157664957709677?notif_t=feed_comment
Voidsign
Yeah still in sunny MK.
All diff now though, moved, have a family etc.
How have you and yours been ?
Probably best to take this to PM ^.^