Hasbro Mentions TFCU & The Future Of Transformers At The GCC 2015

Discussion in 'Transformers News and Rumors' started by SilverOptimus, May 28, 2015.

  1. DOTM Bumblebee

    DOTM Bumblebee Funny Little Man

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    Like it or not, the money Hasbro gets from the live-action Transformers movies and all their merchandise is what gives them the funds for Generations and Masterpiece figures.
     
  2. agent j 15

    agent j 15 Banned

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    If they really wanted to make the most money, you think they'd try and make a product that people actually want and that's actually good.

    People who make tons of money aren't evil. Marvel makes tons of money, and I love those guys. People who continuously turn out shitty product after shitty product just to turn a profit because ALL THEY FUCKING SEE is money are heartless scumbags. I don't give a shit if Hasbro makes money - I just want what they make money from to be GOOD. If they continue to tarnish the reputation of their own products by continuously making crap after crap, pretty soon people are gonna get burnt out, because Hasbro failed to make a product that not only resonated with the public eye, but that continued to last throughout the years because it was able to stand on its own. All they cared about was doing the same shit that draws a crowd.

    And you think if they really did care about the franchise, they'd try their best to make whatever products are derived from it as good as possible. But they don't, because, and I'll say this again, Hasbro is a single minded, greedy, and heartless entity. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they used lead paint in their toys to make more money, that's how fucking heartless I think they are. Love the toys, love the first movie, hope everyone who makes decisions for that company is mugged and tortured.
     
  3. Autovolt 127

    Autovolt 127 Get In The Titan, Prime!

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    I agree and I hope so. Hasbro and Transformers could save a little face.

    A Drift movie could maybe work. If it's based on the The Transformers: Drift mini-series, but not as a straight adaptation of course.

    Yes that's been brought up and please no.

    They make a lot of money as is but the respect and admiration....that would be rewarding in on itself.
     
  4. Railguard

    Railguard Battalion Commander

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    One thing they have never really touched on and I'm afraid to mntion it but the early years on cybertron before the war. The events leading up to it then the war and the ultimate decision to leave. I mean think about it the autobots got their asses handed to them back then and how many primes and decepticon leaders did they go through? Yes they have tried to tell he story before in comics and video games but it would be nice to see a true tf movie with characters we haven't seen before telling the story from the beginning that leads to the original story line from the eighties. At least it would tie in a huge story but it would not support anything done from the bay films and his floating cube or films made for money purposes. Oh well I'll just keep my story going.
     
  5. rapid_fire

    rapid_fire Banned

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    awesome, our heroic leader of the Autobots gets shoved to the side for the one that can't even talk.
     
  6. Afterburner

    Afterburner For your health

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    They have made money on the pop culture popularity of TF, which has always carried more popularity and longevity than any other 80's toyline outside of Star Wars and TMNT. They have made money on what ILM can do. It's pretty impressive.

    But at some point, we would like to see an actual TF movie. Actual TF designs, actual TF voices, actual TF storylines. Actual good storytelling and characterization.

    I think most of us probably don't even care anymore if they have a trillion jagged parts to them as long as they look like who they are supposed to be. No more cliched redesigns, no more ugly Camaros, no more flames on the wrong Prime. No more dreadlocks, balls, baby eyes, spit, mullets, or beer belly's. TF has its root in Japanese super robots, like it or not, and they should start to resemble something along those lines and not the uncreative monsters we always get for designs here in the US. No ape jets, no cow trucks.

    But it will all be too much to ask because there is a constant problem that can't go away - Hasbro's involvement and the Producers involvement. DiBonaventura, Goldner, Bay, etc just don't get it and don't care to ever get it, so we're screwed unless someone in this writers circle and the next director stand up and fight for what TF really is.

    Don't count on it. And by the time they are done, TF will have no capital left to spare, and will be known as stupid forevermore.
     
  7. Steevy Maximus

    Steevy Maximus Old School Snarkster

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    Giant alien transforming robots come to Earth to continue their war for survival/domination/freedom.
    Seems like we got that.

    Optimus Prime (disambiguation - Transformers Wiki)
    Megatron (disambiguation) - Transformers Wiki
    Bumblebee (disambiguation) - Transformers Wiki
    Which flavor are you referring to?

    Yes, because Robots in Disguise (2000), Energon and Cybertron were sterling examples of compelling story and characterizations.

    But if "they looked like who they are supposed to be", then why would they have a trillion jagged parts?


    I'm not saying I don't want a really good TF movie, but I think some need to keep a bit of perspective on where the brand has been for a majority of its existence, even before the films.
     
  8. Roufuss

    Roufuss Shots

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    Masterpiece figures are Takara, so this is a bit untrue. Hasbro does nothing other than slap them in a big ugly box.
     
  9. BladeStorm

    BladeStorm All Prime, All the time!

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    Please, no more Bumblebee. What is this fascination with focussing in on him by the movies?

    Now please don't get me wrong because I love the little yellow guy but he's already been the focus... move on, give us more team stories (with very little humans involved) and lots of great characters that at least interact with each other.
     
  10. YoungPrime

    YoungPrime Herald Of Primus

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    Please spare us your onesighted praise of Bay's garbage.

    Hasbro spreads money around so I could sooner thank My Little Pony or Easy Bake Oven's for the Classics line's initial run. (you know, since Bayformers wasn't even out then)

    Fact: If it wasn't for the G1 element that movie franchise would never have come to be in existence, not the other way around. Check off one more reason not to take some fans seriously. The CW line is highly successful despite that forgettable abomination they claim to be Devastator in the movie. And that's credit to G1 and IDW.

    So like I said, enjoy the Bayless seasons while you all can. I certainly will.
     
  11. OMEGAPRIME1983

    OMEGAPRIME1983 Well-Known Member

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    I want good toys again...
     
  12. Steevy Maximus

    Steevy Maximus Old School Snarkster

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    I don't see him doing ANY praise for the films, just stating a very real fact. Regardless one's opinion of the films, they are very much responsible for the explosive growth we've seen over the past ten years.

    Hasbro's investment into its brands are tied directly to how they performed prior, so the movies are very much responsible for the increased output Hasbro produces for the brand.

    And remember that Classics itself was produced in response to the first movie's schedule change from Christmas 06 to summer 07. And as a filler line, Hasbro didn't intend to continue it after the movie (hence the infamous Botcon 07 Seeker set). Classics/Universe only continued because of how successful thef film was and the ensuing increased retailer demand for more Transformers product.
     
  13. Autovolt 127

    Autovolt 127 Get In The Titan, Prime!

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    I have to agree with this.

    Though I can say I usually enjoy Transformers more during the non-movie years.
     
  14. Afterburner

    Afterburner For your health

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    You have this quite backwards. First of all, TF was doing quite fine before the movies, Cybertron was a HUGE line with lots of figures, we had Alternators, we had Beast Wars Classics, we had Titanium, we had Reissues, we had Star Wars Transformers, we had Masterpiece, all kinds of stuff on the shelves at the same time. Classics as a filler line, maybe, but they would not have continued Classics (still going) if it wasn't specifically well performing. They would just do more and more movie toys. If you hadn't noticed, you can still get plenty of AOE figures anywhere. So something more than just the movies is going on here.

    Hasbro takes profits and does whatever it wants with them, including keeping them and paying dividends. High sales of movie lines does not have to equal more TFs, better TFs, anything. This is never a guarantee at all, and not how business works. They will take the profits and decide where it is most profitable for them to allocate and invest for the future. There are tons of variables at play.

    Did the movies take it up a notch? Sure. But we would and could have easily sustained Classics and the rest without them - WE WERE ALREADY DOING THIS. In fact, Classics was yet another line people with this same line of reasoning said couldn't be done. Then it sold like crazy.

    Despite the movies' success, the line still did not reach G1 levels of popularity. TF will forever be known as and defined by G1, because that is what TF is. It can NEVER outrun it no matter how many mute muscle car Bumblebee's they try to throw at it.

    There is nothing wrong with updating and adapting, but that is not what the movies did. They took names, a couple of design cues here and there, a couple of personality quirks here and there, and said here we go. It was a complete reinvention - if it wasn't for Optimus, they could have called that movie "Robot Wars" and changed everybody's names and nobody would have ever known it had anything to do with TF.

    This is the root problem - we are not getting TF movies. Then the real slap in the face is despite all of these changes, we aren't even getting good movies or cool designs either. Ugly designs, terrible movies.

    At some point, people WILL stop giving these a chance. See Batman & Robin and billions of other examples. TF is actually very popular at it's core, and doesn't get enough recognition for that. It is VERY POPULAR. But that was the case before the movies as well. That will only take it so far though. At some point, they need to give people a reason to keep caring. Right now, there is zero.

    These movies made it on name recognition and admittedly amazing effects and action direction. But at the end of the day, they don't stack up to where cinema is today. If you really want the brand to last, it is time they start making fiction like adults and not demented children.
     
  15. Autobot Burnout

    Autobot Burnout ...and I'll whisper "No."

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    Just want to point out that the Unicron Trilogy - specifically Cybertron - was pretty profitable so the franchise wasn't hurting in terms of profitability.

    Additionally, the movie was originally planned for 2006 release, not 2007. I don't know the reason why the film was delayed, but that led to the first Classics line being pure filler. But movie toys were already in development and production in 2006 - that's the year printed on my Movie Landmine despite him not even being in the pre-AllSpark power offerings.
     
  16. kaijuguy19

    kaijuguy19 Keyblade Wielder

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    Yes the franchise was doing on it's own back then before the movies but there's also some things to consider. First off G1 was the first ever fiction to come out of the franchise because it was among the first toylines in the 80's to try soemthing new at the time so of course not a lot of TF series and lines are going to measure up to it since we're so used to it by then. Second of all, the franchise isn't just about G1. It's also about the series that came after it that also made their mark in it's history like how the Beast era saved the franchise for example,and how the first RID series got back a ton of fans back to it. G1 is important and famous no denying that but we shouldn't forget about the series after it that also did their share of awesome things.

    Finally even if we didn't get the movies there's no guarantee that it would be for the better either. Sure it wouldn't be at the levels of the type of slump G.I Joe's going through but I doubt it'll be as successful as they are now into surviving in a time where kids are more interested in electronic devices more then toys. Things aren't what like they used to be last decade.

    Didn't the Beast Era,RID,and Unicron Trilogy already did the whole taking names,couple of design cues and personality quirks thing already though? Because then they're just as guilty as the movies for doing this. So why do we solely condem the movies for doing it?

    There's still fans out there who do care about where the movies are going and they're always aware that there's room for improvement. Not everyone's going to share the same viewpoints as you.

    Also even if the movies reboot entirely and be more G1 in everything that doesn't mean it won't make it's share of flaws that may not be any different and that not everyone's going to like the reboot.
     
  17. Steevy Maximus

    Steevy Maximus Old School Snarkster

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    I never said it wasn't, but it did so much BETTER thanks to the infusion of pop culture attention (much less the financial rewards) the movies (and their success) have brought to the brand. As to your examples? Most of those side lines were dead or dying by the time the movie came out:
    Alternators was at its end (the final two molds being Walmart exclusive)
    Beast Wars Classics was a limited line which seemed to have limited success (I know many of the local stores I had didn't stock the line at all)
    Titanium was dead (again, final large molds being retailer exclusive, and the only the smaller figurines managed to hang on through the movie)
    Reissues were dead in 2005 (barring the occasional Optimus)
    Masterpieces were "once every couple years", not "several per year" like now.
    Star Wars Transformers would phase out the Transformers branding by 2008 (and wouldn't bring that branding back until 2011)

    Hasbro/Fun Pub EXPLICITLY stated the entire reason the Botcon 2007 set was done was because Hasbro had "no plans" in early 2007 to continue Classics as a dedicated line. Hasbro didn't plan to introduce Universe 2 until AFTER the movie came out and store shelves were wiped clean.
    Hasbro doesn't do "all movie all the time" because Paramount DOES get a cut from those products, and if you don't remember, Transformers 2007 toys were SOLD OUT for most of the summer and early fall of 2007 due to popularity.

    The movies were the spark, and Hasbro cultivated that spark into a fire. But without that spark, it is doubtful we would have gotten as much as quickly as we have.

    Yes it does. If a product is selling extremely well, should a company not capitalize?

    What reasoning are you talking about? Would a Classics (or similar line) have happened without the movies? Almost certainly.
    But would it have came as soon and continued so aggressively without the movies?

    This is my favorite image Hasbro has ever released:
    [​IMG]
    And how is that relevant to my point?

    Regardless opinion, clearly somebody seems to like them with the last 3 being billion dollar grossing films, and despite the underwhelming performance of Age of Extinction (to us anyway), the core lines (RiD2 and Generations) aren't slowing down from what I see.

    Before the movies, Transformers was that 80s cartoon and toys people vaguely remember (regardless the brand's continued success from Beast Wars until the movie)

    I don't disagree with that, and I think it is clearly obvious the brand has lost some of the luster since the first film. And I think this Paramount "think tank" has its work cut out if they REALLY want to try and salvage something from cluster-eff of a continuity the current movies are sitting in.
     
  18. jestermon

    jestermon Well-Known Member

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    No, Takara designs them Hasbro makes their own versions they are never the exact same as the Japanese version.

    Hasbro allocates their funds to what they wan to make in the US.
     
  19. KnightPrime

    KnightPrime Member

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    Why a spinoff movie about Bee? We've all had enough of him. Why not a prequel on cybertron, a movie from the decepticon's prespective, a spinoff about the dinobots, spinoff about the wreckers, a story about some of the decepticons who never got a chance to shine *shockwave*soundwave, why not a movie about ultra magnus, rodimus, the seekers, anything BUT BUMBLEBEE!!!!
     
  20. Automaster

    Automaster Eye Heart TF's!!

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    I can't imagine a prequel where there are no earth modes. We're mostly in agreement that Cybertron only modes as far as the movie series goes, just suck and don't look like anything.