Takara's not going with the Soundwave name on this one. Animated Activator TA-25 will be going with the Soundblaster moniker. Images can be seen here of this fine figure in both bot & alt modes.
You know Takara, hellbent on tying everything into g1.. I'm amazed they didnt try to pass safeguard off as superion.
Electrostatic Soundwave was a Soundblaster reference from the start. So this is fine. it makes perfect sense.
I was surprised Hasbro didn't go with Sounblaster in the first place, but I'm guessing Takara has laid dibs on that name (I guess?).
It's more like, as miscreant said, Takara tying EVERYTHING back to G1, and Hasbro being more willing (due to movie profits) to stretch out and come up with new character names (that Takara will later retcon into "they were always there. Just offscreen. You know. Crosscut? Road Rage? Always there.")
I think in Hasbro's case it was more like that Soundwave is the more recognisable character, and he got the top billing for the toy since there wasn't any other character that it really could be with that design. Takara on the other hand has an established history in Soundblaster. Though what Miscreant said is also fairly accurate. Look at Bulkhead, he's suddenly named Ironhide which really does not fit at all.
No Ratbat though? Did the Takara SW come with Laserbeak? Edit: Maybe I'll learn to read all the way through, and I'd have seen that this is an Activator and not a Deluxe
Me too. As soon as I heard of/saw ES Soundwave, I wondered why they didnt just call him Soundblaster. I dont think it would have too difficult to come up with a semi-plausible explaination of a new character in a series/toyline thats being phased out. *head scratcher*
Because the show was still running. It worked better in the show as an upgraded Soundwave since we knew he was still functioning.
Well, it kinda wasn't even an upgraded Soundwave. The one giant white Soundwave aside, all the representations of Soundwave in the virtual world were all colored in the ES Soundwave colors (abit with more black in place of the gray). The real-life Soundwave never changed from his original colors. However, there's no law that says you CAN'T call the deluxe SW repaint Soundblaster, as that's what I do.
Oh crap it all to hell. How do I sate my insatiable desire to OWN EVERY GODDAMN FREAKING PIECE OF TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED MERCHANDISE THAT EXISTS ESPECIALLY WHEN THESE JAPAN THINGS ARE SO VERY EXPENSIVE?!!!
It's not a bad repaint, If Hasbro would release this I'd get one, Their finally be a decent activator repaint that was not from the starscream mold.