Random idea: Nerf gun designed after Galvatron or a Megatron/Galvatron hybrid and colored like Galvatron.

 

Make that white a little more egg-shell and that's essentially Classics Megatron's color scheme.

 

Exactly!

I remember fans being mostly happy with that Megatron, too, until Japan revealed their version. The main things fans complained about were the wings and the cannon being placed underneath the arm so you couldn't pose him in too many classic G1 poses very well.

 

Problem with that: they can't portray him as such in fiction.

See, you have the cool robot dude turn into a handgun that shoots murder beams or something at people these days, you're advertising to kids "look! cool dudes shoot people! buy guns!". You have the cool robot dude turn into a NERF gun, there is no point whatsoever because he's firing foam darts at Optimus Prime. NERF guns aren't marketed as toy versions of guns that shoot lasers or something; they're marketed as guns that shoot foam darts. There's a pretty thin line there, but you can bet Hasbro doesn't want to cross over to "Let's have Megatron be a NERF gun that shoots lasers and then sell a Megatron that works like a NERF gun to simulate him shooting lasers". The problems with that these days are pretty self evident. Whether you like it or not, that's a thorny subject, and the more they can separate NERF guns from fiction that portrays them as something dangerous, the better.

Besides, there's way less play value in Megatron turning into a giant gun compared to Optimus Prime turning into a not-so-giant truck. You can't mass shift a toy in real life, and sure you could say "but a kid could pretend it's a flying gun", but let's be honest, you know if a kid wants to have a bad guy to fight Optimus Prime, they're going to want a tank over a big, disembodied gun. Tanks are more shooty. Tanks are more powerful. Tanks are armored. Tanks have treads that can go SKRCH SKRCH over other 'bots. Tanks have way more play value in relationship to other toys than giant guns do.

 

Hasbro is a Toy Company and will not choose a controversial alt mode, it simply divides toy sales.

 

This too. ^

 

Give kids imagination some credit. Nerf missiles are fine for laser blasts.

We kids had a great time with handgun Megatron. It has and can be done again with good writing.

And yet they have sold Megatron as a gun three times over the past 12 years.

 

Unfortunatey, this is where the whole “kids don’t have imaginations anymore” Schtick comes in. And too an extent, it’s kinda true.

“We kids” of yesteryear. We’re talking about current children.

again, Hasbro released him as a Nerf gun looking thing because of toy safety laws. And even though they rereleased it in that box set, I don’t ever remember seeing reports of sightings of that boxset. Now when was the third time? Anyway, in today’s current climate, it just isn’t a good idea anymore.

 

We'll see in the future. As for the third time, you forgot about RTS Legends Megatron. Yeah, he was pint sized...but still a gun.

And, again as a parent, the only ones saying kids don't have imaginations appear to be non-parents. I swear...

 

It's 2018

 

Yeah, OG Megatron has been primarily a vehicle since G2. This is not something that started recently. The kids who played with Gun Megs are running the brand now, and the vast majority of Megs since then? War machine.

 

This is why Hasbro has never made any mass retail Megatrons turn into guns since 2011 and why Hasbro has never reissued the original G1 Megatron mold themselves: For safety reasons - Transformers Wiki and https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2011-title15-vol3/xml/CFR-2011-title15-vol3-part1150.xml .

 

Oh yeah, Legends Class Megatron. Pretty sure that size is exempt from the part of toy safety laws that doesn't allow straight up gun toys. Ain't nobody gonna confuse that for a real gun.

Edit: Nevermind.

 

In a time where the police shoot people for pulling out their wallets after asking to see their license, the idea of selling a gun metal gun to kids is a non-starter. Nobody's taking that kind of risk just because "he was a gun in 1986".

Anyway why have a gun when you can have a tank? ?? I mean if you told me I was fighting giant space robots I'd pick the tank over a gun everytime.

 

Now I wonder how a rerelease of G2 Megatron with a G1 color scheme would look...

 

I feel like this is one of those episodes where Megatron and Optimus team up, when we agree on stuff.

 

The universe must be ending.    

 

2011 is a long way from 1989 (re: the GPO link). Hasbro is fine with releasing Megatron as a gun as long as it can't be confused with an actual handgun. Really, every argument presented so far flies in the face of the fact that NERF is Hasbro's top seller.

Really, I don't think anyone is asking for a handgun replica that transforms (aside from one or two fans). But the idea that Megatron CAN'T or SHOULDN'T be a gun of any sort is ridiculous and has been refuted even by Hasbro as of two years ago with the reissued Classics mold as an online exclusive.

I understand that Hasbro seems to prefer to avoid conflict where applicable when it comes to guns, even claiming TR Sixshot's upside-down gun mode is a submarine. And yes, as far as transport concerns, Megatron as a giant flying gun or a giant gun with treads makes sense if he isn't attempting deception and just wants to move into a battle and then leave.

But there are ways to write a story with Megatron as a gun that makes sense from a story perspective and a kids perspective.

What does that even mean? I said we'll see what happens in the future. You never know...someone as Hasbro may actually try designing a NERF Megatron. Heck, there may be a time where NERF is the gimmick of a Transformers line and all the weapons are air propelled darts. You don't know and I don't know. But we both know that NERF and Transformers are two of Hasbro's top selling brands. And they've also shown a willingness to crossover those brands.

 

Guys... Megatron turning into a gun just kind of sucks. It was weird that the leader of the Decepticon army turned into something that someone else had to wield. I also feel like it's a bit of a mute point when Megatron started turning into tanks allllllllll the way back in the early 90's.

 

I said at mass retail and no, getting released as an online exclusive does not count as getting released at mass retail. Getting released at mass retail means being sold at all stores have a decent toy section such as Walmart or Target or any other store that sells things including both online retailers and brick and mortar retailers.