i just thought this would be fun as a topic

logistic reasons why hasbro wont make classics constructicons (all 6 that can form devastator)

i do know a third party is doing this, i just think from a business stand point they cant

to do this right and give us classics/universe style articulation and the connections and ability to do a combiner form that is also articulated i think they might have to skimp on the quality/playablitly (thinner pieces of plastic in some areas in order to accomadate the things needed to do this right and stay in deluxe scale) so a child would not really be able to play with it and it last. which is really why i think we get wierd cominbers granted it is my hope that the pcc line develops into something the fans can get into like arieal bots, stunticons and the likes which are true combiners.

im sure this topic has been beat to death but im curious on your thoughts
and if you have arguments for why they could please share them, but keep in mind a price point and quality constrictions

 

I think a good place to start for reasons why we won't get CHUG Constructcions/Devastator is because they were kinda done to death for ROTF. Hasbro likes to change things around for new lines and although we may see a few of the same characters across the lines (like with Animated and ROTF Lockdown) it's unlikely we will see a full range of characters based on construction vehciles, especially for a while at least.

 

with ROTF devastator being the menassing failure it was (to me atleast) i would think that would be a great reason to move forward instead of not

 

I totally hear where you're coming from but unfortunately for that to happen it requires Hasbro to agree with you (ie think their own creation is a steaming pile).

I quite liked ROTF Devs, but I think there is plenty of room out there for him AND a decent G1-styled version for Generations.

 

But I thought we already got Classics Devastator that was an exclusive somewhere?

 

Other people may consider it to be a success... so which one is right?

I bet the sales were pretty darn good for the ROTF line.

Walmart i believe.

 

Hmm, I guess it's got to do with the number of figures they can afford to produce for each wave. I guess the production costs for six (or five) individual figures (scout or deluxe sized i'd guess) with associated alt modes that are part of one combiner just isn't worth it for the moment. Maybe they'd rather release different, stand-alone figures to diversify each wave rather than risk a combiner that might succeed or not.

 

I think hasbro is incable of making a good combiner, look at the Powercore 5 pack crap that they are marketing. Grant it, they didnt have anything to do with the Superlink combiners that came out before their energon counterparts. Their horrible attempt at creating a Grimlock/Swoop combination was laughable and the best combiner within the last 10 years was RailRacer and they had nothing to do with it.

 

Yes but it was horrifically bad. I really hate that thing, and besides, it's not G1 in the sense that other CHUG figures have been.

PCCs are utter shite. Maybe it's for the best if Hasbro doesn't attempt any more combiners for a while, judging by their recent track record.

I mean, if it wasn't for FansProject, the Superion and Bruticus sets would have been a complete waste of time.

 

That's not Classics Devastator. It's just an Energon combiner with G1 Devastator colors slapped on it. But in all seriousness, I just can't accept it as the combiner we all know and love. It's an interesting standalone toy. I'm not huge on the combined mode, but I love the individual bots.

I don't think we'll ever get the ideal Devastator, unless it's through a 3rd party/garage kit company or custom. If we do, it's going to be teeming with engineering/production shortcuts. I think the PCC and Energon lines are the best we're ever going to get in terms of combining robots. I've love to be wrong, though.

I'd settle for 6 Constructicon scouts if production costs are an issue.

 

Classics Devastator is NOT horrifically bad. In fact, its highly underrated and is very well articulated. I would say that its the best of the Energon Combiners, but I admit that's not saying much. But still, it doesn't deserve to be sidelined and is every bit as deserving of its spot on the Classics line up as any other Classics figure.

 

I'd rather have the rest of the movieverse Constructicons in deluxe/voyager format.

 

Wait..... I remember that Walmart exclusive Devastator from the Energon line was not called Devastator.. wasn't it called Buildron???? I've never considered that as Devastator... Doesn't even look like it with the exception of the green...

 

The reason we don't have CHUG Constructicons is simple........Hasbro is a company and they can do whatever they want. For them combiners are expensive now a days and thus they don't hold up as good as G1 Combiners but G1 Combiners are smaller toys and by today standards are small toys and people want big.


The only reason they made a supreme class Devastator was because they wanted to be movie accurate and they needed to make one. I never got him....because he's so damn expensive. I mean what kind of parents are going to drop $100 on a Transformer when they could buy 2 Leaders class and a voayger or 5 voyagers or 10 deluxes for that kind of price.

 

Yeah the Walmart Devastator was just Enegon constructicon Maximus, just like ROTF Superion was Energon Superion Maximus.

Maybe since ROTF Devastator is out, but if Habro make enough with PCC, we maybe more combiner style lines. and there are other Gestalts to choose, Classics Abominus anyone? or Defensor?

Edit: Also Predacon and Piranacon re-issues, Hadbro seems on a combiner kick.

 

It's perfectly within Takara's engineering capabilities to do a good combiner.

But the North American market doesn't support such a thing. The wave-by-wave distribution method is mandate from retailers, especially Wal-Mart. They also enforce the loose guidelines about keeping multiple items on the shelves from looking "samey"; the same guidelines that generally prevent us from getting things like a full Dinobots set or full Constructicons set.

So due to the wave structure, combiners sold traditionally have to be split across multiple waves. It's not a practical business model for the target audience. This expects kids to be able to buy all the figures for that combiner. Barring birthdays/Christmas, a kid might only get 1-2 new toys a year. So how do expect them to be able to get, say, two new figures every second month in a regular manner? Most of us probably had difficulty convincing our parents to do the same when we were younger. But back then, the distribution model was different. The toys would be on the shelves all at once, and be constantly restocked over a span of a couple of years, even. So there was plenty of opportunity to go back and add another piece to the collection. In the current distribution model of constant refreshing, the poor kid buys the first piece, drools over the pictures of the big giant robot, and then doesn't get to buy a new toy for another 6-8 months, at which point, all the other pieces have long been off the shelves, and his parents have to go hit eBay.

The other option, of course, is giftsets. But that has other problems, namely in cost. Hasbro only has so many "slots" to work with each year for big-ticket items, like the Leader Class figures, and one-offs like Battle Ops Bumblebee. Combiners have a hard time fitting into these slots because they represent so much more investment for minimal gain. It's much easier and cheaper to engineer one single large figure then it is to engineer 5-6 smaller ones that combine into a bigger one, and often, due to extra gimmicks like electronics, they have much better shelf-presence, too.

Now, in the collector-oriented Japanese market, it's much more possible for Takara to initiate such a project on their own. But they won't, because of the significant financial effort for them, which they won't necessarily be able to share with Hasbro. So they'll stick to smaller-scale collector's items instead.

Powercore Combiners represent something of a compromise, trying to appease the fandom's fascination with Combiners, while trying to appease the retailer's demands for eye-catching gimmicks, all while fitting them into an affordable pricepoint. Your mileage may vary on their success.

 

Who cares? Wait for the TFclub version. Apparently nobody else is willing to do the character justice.

 

I'm pretty sure "willing" is not the operative word here. More like "able".

As I posted, essentially, the Constructicons are hostages of Wal-Mart.

 

I hadn't thought before how retailers must impact many of Hasbro's business decisions. Now I have a new reason to hate Walmart - wave-by-wave release structure.

 

They were "able" to do three or four voyager Constructicons amongst the crabtanks and yogaFallens. They were "able" to find shelf space for a hundred dollar giftset. Now do it again without it looking like a multicolored robot chimp.