I actually can see where you're coming from with WJ possibly being a FE in development, since he's got metal axles for his wheels as opposed to those craptacular clip ons. But while I understand the idea of a preview line, wouldn't it have made more sense just to skip the idea of FE's entirely and just have started the mainline instead? Hasbro just shot themselves in the foot with a shotgun in forcing the FE's out and proving that the toys CAN be significantly better than what most of them are in the PRID line (the only exception I can think of is the Vehicon, but I've never seen proof the FE Vehicon even exists honestly outside of some fuzzy shots of MOSC samples from last year), but the crappier ones are significantly easier to acquire. Like Makeshift's "true" form? Or Cliffjumper in general? (I consider him a waste because he's barely had a cumulative screen time of just a little over one episode, counting the flashback Arcee talks about) Or Shockwave? Or Vogel and his train? Or the Spacebridge? Or the scrapulets? Or the... You get the point. I understand the time and effort needed to go into a CGI model of any kind, much less the super-complex ones in Prime, but when I can make a growing list of examples of such efforts going into one-time models that haven't shown up again in any significant way, the argument becomes less of "they need more time and resources to make more models" and more of "they need to stop dicking around with things that are complete wastes of that time and effort, and divert them into things that are of actual significance in the show that doesn't get written out the first time it shows up".
Makeshift's "true" form was a shadow. Cliffjumper's been used numerous times since Darkness Rising, including the model's use as Tailgate. There's nothing saying Shockwave can't be used later as a character. Scraplets have been used since Scrapheap. The Spacebridge is a background. And Vogel is a generic human model. No, I don't get your point.
I'll give you Makeshift, Cliffjumper, and Vogel. Shockwave hasn't even been mentioned since that episode, so unless they manage to explain why the Decepticons haven't even acknowledged him even existing for the past two seasons, I count him as a waste. I don't remember the scrapulets being used again since the episode they were introduced, so unless you can remind me of when they got used again they're also a waste. Finally, the Spacebridge had multiple "sets" constructed for it, which the characters interacted with, so the fact they blew it up makes that a waste as well.
Orion Pax pt. 3. In Kaon. They ate an Insecticon. Not to mention, that it's one character model used a hundred times over.
I'm done with mainline TFs due to the size and design. I saw the FOC Combaticons at retail in my country and they looked like crap IMO. I'm not sure if it's the design or the colours but like Jazz and Shockwave, they reminded me of oversized 'Happy Meal' toys. Kinda tempted to go into 3rd party stuff like Hegemon and Green Giant as their aesthetic is very good.
This. I think Scraplets paid for themselves when they first appeared in 'Scrapheap', since there were so many of them. Appearning again in Orion Pax Part 3 when Jack was using Vector Sigma was just a bonus. As for the space bridge, the Decepticons have built another one, and it's up in space, like the previous one was. As far as I remember, it is the same model as well and since it's still up in space, it remains around to be used again, so I don't see the waste there as well.
Why even get into the toys when the cartoon isn't going to last.If it wasn't for 3rd party,i would have givin up along time ago.Unless you have a means of buying online,you don't even know most toys exist(sorry kids,transformers arn't for you aymore).Add the fact that the Hub is a extra channel you have to pay for.I don't know of 1 parent that would change their cable package so litle timmy can have his 1 cartoon station,when their are so many on regular cable.I WANT to collect transformers,but hasbro says otherwise.
The FEs were what they were originally intending the PRID line to be. The decision to implement their cost cutting measures and go with what we actually ended up getting instead was a sudden one that more than likely came after the production of the FEs had started. And of course Hasbro made their very poor call and cancelled the FEs mid-production instead of just going ahead with it, and then switching to the PRID designs for the full mainline.
While it is strange that we have so many non-show Voyagers instead of Shockwave, that's stupid. He hasn't been mentioned because he was caught in a collapsing space bridge. He's not a waste because he's in Season 3 and introduces Predaking to Megatron.
Patience people waiting a few weeks till thanks giving sales or Christmas offers is no chore - America gets most things eventually and you only miss the odd thing due to poor distribution - unlike say Europe where people wait months to get things if at all and something only show up one clearance as America has finished with them. Sure there are odd glitches that pop up like ; Bludgeon, Longhaul, Tuner Mudflap, and Alternator hound where you got items being dumped mostly on a single market. But overall it's not a huge issue very often.... that said I can't say I was especially happy about how I was never able to get Human Alliance Mudflap. But I'm not going to stop buying a line because of that - I still don't have a Starcom ShadowTrike but I'm not going to sell the remainder of the line due to that lack.
and if they stayed making quaity toys, i'd still be buying, the sheer attention to detail on the fes (particularly deluxe megatron and bulkhead's faces) was mindblowing, and had me hooked until the words cheap, shrunken, and hollow came out of a hasbro execs mouth
With how the future looks for Prime (going to the "Beast Hunters" toys), I could very well be done with Transformers once the new cartoon and toy line is out. I'm not sure if any of the current Prime toys will continue to be made along side the Beast Hunters, but we'll see. If it does happen this way, perhaps I will look at G1 figures and get a few of them. Or go back to Movies/Video Games for my main interest once more.
I'm gonna be taking a full break some time after early 2013 to pursue other stuff. Meanwhile, Beast Hunters will be destroying the store pegs.
This so much^. Im not gonna devote alot of my time to Tformers toys when they keep getting cheaper. I'll just buy em here and there when I see or think something is worth buying.
Which was only, what, a year ago? TFs are like the gasoline of the toy world. I think I just bought my last Transformer for a long while (FOC dx Brawl). With the way the school districts are set up around here, I won't get paid for any of my subbing until the end of November, and apparently rent/food/gas are pretty important things. Do not have as much money as I thought I did.
