While a 4th film will move some action figures it seems like the movie line isn't the force it used to be. Perhaps once people had 20 versions of Bumblebee and the movies didn't change the look of the robots there wasn't as much need on the part of kids and collectors to get more of the same. Even a gimmick for the kids wasn't enough to help retailers move enough Dark of the Moon figures to want more.

But yea between action movie figures, Transformers Prime figures, Generations, game characters, Bot Shots, Kreo, the Rescue line, and all the other figures with retailers willing to give shelf space to the brand it seems like Transformers is running strong even if everyone doesn't like every last thing being released.

 

One of the biggest problems with Hasbro side lines is that the prices for those sidelines are too high when compared to other products. For example, Fast Action Battlers were the same price or higher than the Deluxe toys, and people bought the Deluxe toys because they were superior in every way. Generations Activators were also the same price as Deluxes, and it could not sell as well. When Hasbro offers competing products at the same price, customers will pick the better product. The better product is never the side lines. If Hasbro cannot make a product at a lower price point than their mainlines stuff, then they will not sell well. Robot Heroes were not cheap either. Any non-converting Transformers is always a bad idea.

 

A line like FAB is aimed at a different age group, pre-schoolers. It's not competing with actual deluxes, it gladly hands the price point over to the main line once the kid turns five or so.

 

As others have said, those sidelines indicate a desire for a wider range of Transformers product. The fact we HAVE sidelines (which include "secondary" lines like Generations or Classics) is a pretty solid indication on the strength of the brand as a whole.

Have TF sales softened in the past couple years? Absolutely, but that still doesn't mean we aren't still taken well care of and the brand still isn't EXTREMELY robust. I will readily argue that short of Star Wars, Transformers fans are among the best taken care of right now.

After all, we could be like GI Joe (struggling to keep a few paltry figures at retail, BEFORE the movie delay) or Masters of the Universe (which can't even get product TO retail)

 

I think Hasbro/Takara may be experimenting on what might sell more. They do improve their products when they don't sell well, e.g. Kre-O, the ones recently released and forthcoming seem like improvements to me.