Is Universe Classics Really Going On Hiatus When The ROTF Line Comes Out?

Discussion in 'Transformers Toy Discussion' started by GrimlockAutobot, Nov 25, 2008.

  1. godsenddeath

    godsenddeath . TFW2005 Supporter

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    Like Classics? Here's a sneak preview of First Aid.


    [​IMG]


    The numbers from the last movie indicate they will not be making a mistake.

    A large chunk of those who buy Transformers these days weren't around 25 years ago, 20 years ago, or even 15 years ago. To them the 25th anniversary means little. First time I saw Classics Deluxes on the shelves a kid referred to Sunstreaker as Bumblebee. Wheeljack, Trailbreaker, Tracks, these early characters matter little to people who weren't even close to being born when Transformers started.

    How do you know Hasbro are ignoring the 25th anniversary? If you have inside information on everything they're doing next year i for one would love to hear about it.

    G.I.Joe is continuing with the 25th theme because the line has stalled and spluttered since the early 90s. Transformers meanwhile has done much better.

    If you think G.I.Joe fans are getting a better deal than Transfans spend sometime around Hiss Tank: A lot of 25th figures have parts recycled from other figures. Parts that don't really match the character for which they're used, but the parts are used nonetheless to keep costs down.

    Consider that fact that some Transfans may prefer new movie toys instead of new Classics. You get some new Classics, they get some new movie toys. Classics will be back and if that's the biggest problem you have with Transformers these days you have little to complain about.
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2008
  2. Mister D

    Mister D Bloosh Compatible

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    I don't think it's because more collectors care about G.I. Joe than they do TFs do you?

    I'd like to see Hasbro learn some humility for once and if that means one of the toylines failing then so be it. Look what happens with movie toylines. The toys from the first movie usually sell well then when the sequel comes out the toys don't sell as well. If there's another sequel the toys usually shelfwarm. Hasbro suddenly doesn't realize this?

    Why is this? Because kids, parents, and collectors watch them milk a movie line until it becomes stale and boring. Hasbro is pushing the 25th anniversary aside for more of this corporate movie-milking garbage and it's wrong IMO.[/QUOTE]


    1) GI Joe figures are much, much cheaper to produce than TFs. Buying the original 25A lineup cost about as much as a Leader or Supreme Transformer. That makes it much more collector friendly. With TFs, fans complain when there is more than one repaint. Most of the 25A Joes share bodies and can make a lot out of minimal retooling/new accessories. That gives Hasbro the ability to churn out a lot of new product with minimal cost. It also helps that they have basically the same scale as the original toys, so they can just rerelease old vehicles again and again, something TF fans generally wouldn't like.

    3) The 25 A figures also caught Hasbro by surprise. It was just 3 years ago that they canned the 3.75 line for lack of interest, and the vehicles were mostly dropped long before then. But once they realized they had a hit, there was literally nothing to compete with. They have rushed to get new product out there, and it seems like a lot because there was so little before. But where GIJoe struggled to find an audience, Transformers have had upwards of 4 different lines at one time - main line (Cybertron, Classics, Animated), alternators, titanium, universe, heroes. Go look at the shelf space devoted to the toylines, and you'll see far more turned over to the Transformers. Add up the cost of buying every Transformer released in the past year, and I bet it far exceeds the cost of buying every Joe.
     
  3. Dinobot Nuva

    Dinobot Nuva Johnny 3 Tears Veteran

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    Speak for yourself, I cannot WAIT for the ROTF line, and I'm betting it'll be all anybody will be talking about in here once it hits just like the last movie line.

    Hasbro said they would continue Universe through the movie run with various store exclusives throughout the summer, its taken care of.
    DN
     
  4. GrimlockAutobot

    GrimlockAutobot Volcanicus Torso

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    I wasn't aware of the Universe Classics store exclusives that will be released during the movie line. Is that referring to Bruticus Maximus and Superion or something else we haven't seen yet?

    That would be really cool if they did something like that. Though I hope it's something other that Bruticus Maximus and Superion. I don't really like those sets.
     
  5. ams

    ams Generation All Veteran

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    But just because Walmart has a bunch of leftover Premium leaders and a couple of unpopular deluxes, that doesn't equate to a third active TF line. The movie line is over*. Energon and Cybertron were on the shelves together for a while as well, but Energon was done.

    Animated and Universe are the two lines currently shipping from Hasbro (to my knowledge). And as Vangelus and SF stated, the Universe line is filling the movie-style-toy gap until TF2. At that point, the ROTF toys will take over that aesthetic and Animated (being a completely different animal) will continue. I don't know, it all kind of makes sense to me.


    *sans a couple of Target scouts that were actually produced 6+ months ago but haven't shown up yet
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2008
  6. lars573

    lars573 Well-Known Member

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    Movie lines last new wave was the premiums. Other than the exclusive stuff. Universe is a side line to the main lines of Animated and the movie. If something is going to get the boot it's going to be universe. I suspect what happened with the movie line will happen with universe. Wave 5/6 will sit there for 8 months with nothing new coming.

    When you think about it classics and 25th joe fill the same gap. That is the gap between the end of the last main line (Sigma 6 and Cybertron) and the start of the next one (movie lines in both cases). Difference is classics had to cover a what 8 month gap? 25th joe looks like it's going to cover a 2.5 year gap. Universe is also covering the gap between movies.
     
  7. Omega Charge

    Omega Charge CHARGE ON

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    I'd have to agree with everything ams said.

    Kids and movie fans outnumber collectors and do account for most of the money Hasbro makes, and they know the consumer market very well. The movie WILL sell. That's the whole reason these blockbusters are being made. To sell toys and market the franchise.

    We should be thankful for the homages and love we've gotten already(with Thanksgiving here too!). As a business, Hasbro's purpose is to make money, so the generous amount of collector-aimed product should be appreciated. We've gotten plenty to keep us in the business.

    It's just a hiatus, so they more than likely will return. And yes, if the Joe movie came out sooner, that 25th anniversary line would have been shorter.
     
  8. Dinobot Nuva

    Dinobot Nuva Johnny 3 Tears Veteran

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    It was on one of the site's Hasbro QnA sessions, not sure if it was the TFW one, could've been one of the others.
    DN
     
  9. QmTablit

    QmTablit BotBot in the what, I said BotBot in the what

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    As I said elsewhere, the hiatus is a very good thing, and I mean for us, the fans and collectors.

    Why?

    Think about it. We've gotten a lot of Classics repaints/retools in recent months, and I think it's due to the development of the ROTF line, creating the new molds and new characters for that line.

    Now, with the ROTF line being focused on distribution taking center stage and Universe on hiatus, what can happen for the Universe line? New molds and new characters being developed.

    I welcome the hiatus, the line is going to come back better. And I could sure use the TF fund (as I don't buy movie figures) to nab up some Henkeis and a City Commander set.
     
  10. Torque

    Torque The WORDSMITH

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    to my understanding, there are 2 reasons Universe Classics 2.0 even exists

    1) Classics 1.0 was fairly successful
    2) THE MOVIE LINE WAS SUCCSESSFUL

    if the movie line had tanked, then i doubt we would have gotten ANOTHER line of toys based off of realistic vehicles. again, the reason they made Unviverse Classics 2.0 was to continue the trend of fairly realistic alt modes until ROTF comes out.

    so if you get your wish and ROTF bombs, then its basically saying that the realistic alt modes are a bad idea and Universe Classics 2.0 (or maybe 3.0 at that point, depending) may not come back at all, as they can be (with some people) mixed up with the movie line.
     
  11. Magnus' Mate

    Magnus' Mate Well-Known Member

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    I welcome any hiatus. I think the OP is over-reacting a bit. Hasbro knows what it's doing - that's why TFs have been in continuous production for 25 years (at least for us UK fans. We didn't get the break between G1 and G2 that the US did :thumbs2:  ). Think about that for a second: 25 years. Very few boys toylines can make similar claims.

    Hasbro is right to mix things up. I love Universe/Henkei, but am also looking forward to seeing what ROTF brings us. I don't care for Animated, but just love the high praise and attention its getting.

    Ultimately, all of this is good for the franchise. A healthy franchise means many more years of this great hobby. Classicsverse will return, and we'll all soon be gushing over leaked pics of Trailbreaker, the rest of the Dinobots, Shockwave, Bludgeon and whoever-the-heck-else people have been yearning for. *

    It is a GREAT time to be a TF fan.

    * When we see Classicverse Mega Pretender Vroom or a similar nobody (sorry Vroom fans!) it may be time to call it a day.
     
  12. Foster

    Foster Haslab Victory Saber Backer #3 Veteran

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    The hiatus will just give me an opportunity to finally spring for a Fort Max. So thanks!
     
  13. Thundercrackah

    Thundercrackah Well-Known Member

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    I'm grateful for the hiatus, I can't wait to get ROTF figures, and with Universe gone for a bit it'll save me some money.
     
  14. rodimusconvoy

    rodimusconvoy Well-Known Member

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    Just to add a little something to what Autobot Grimlock just said, remember, economics are not the same of 2007, meaning that maybe more of the people that used to buy entire lines, wont be able to do the same thing this time, believe me.
     
  15. Johnator

    Johnator 'Til All Are Gone!

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    I agree with what you're saying OP but think of it this way. Classics/Universe was very successful. Hasbro knows this. They aren't going to do away with it altogether believe me. I could care less for Animated and probably for ROTF too but it gives us time to save up for some really cool toys in the future. I would love Universe Stunticons or Insecticons. How about a Universe Shockwave? We are going to get more Universe toys down the road so we just have to be patient. I know it sucks and I wish they could just get rid of Animated now (since I know ROTF will be here regardless) but it is good to know at least that we will get back on track eventually.
     
  16. Rewind

    Rewind Swoosh!

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    I'm really, really going to miss walking into a store and buying a Universe figure, but the upshot is that I'll have more money to throw at the damnably expensive Japanese robots I'm addicted to. I still think the franchise could easily survive running all three lines, but I'm no expert and I don't work for Hasbro so what do I know?
     
  17. Metal Chaos

    Metal Chaos The Spark of Chaos

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    I'm hoping they keep TFU going through the movie and finally cancel that worthless TFA line that makes a mockery of all things TF.
     
  18. MushroomPrime

    MushroomPrime ******

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    They won't. Animated will run concurrently with the movie. Universe may return.
     
  19. lars573

    lars573 Well-Known Member

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    If animated wasn't succesful. Since it is that won't be happening.
     
  20. Ravenxl7

    Ravenxl7 W.A.F.F.L.E.O.

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    I was disappointed when I first heard about it, but I've gotten over it. Unlike most other lines the Universe line has almost guaranteed to come back after a hiatus. We already know we'll be getting a third movie, so they'll have to have something for the time between this second one and the third one. That and it'll give us a bit of a brake so we don't have to worry about buying from three separate lines at the same time. It's also not going completely away, as they said we can look forward to some store exclusives during the hiatus, and possibly some more reissues later on in the year.