So why exactly was the Beast Machines line so show-inaccurate?

Discussion in 'Transformers Toy Discussion' started by NGW, Aug 8, 2012.

  1. NGW

    NGW Rawr

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    With stuff like the tank drone figure being a much better representation of Tankor than the Tankor figure, to colors chemes being way off, to even certain designs just flat out being wrong? What the hell was up with this line?
     
  2. Sideways77

    Sideways77 #1 flareup simp

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    Because people are stupid.

    I'm sure there's a better reason.
     
  3. SPLIT LIP

    SPLIT LIP Be strong enough to be gentle

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    I think it was an attempt to merely make good toys rather than follow the plainly impossible show designs. Or maybe they decided a more... abstract, aggresive style would be more popular than the show's? (Personally I like Blackarachnia's toy design more than the show's)

    If you look at the concept art it's much more in line with the toys. Technically the show models were the ones being inaccurate.
     
  4. Jetbolt

    Jetbolt Maximal Air Commander

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    I don't know, but wish Generations would of given the figures a much needed proper color and scale correct figures.
     
  5. LCDR Blindside

    LCDR Blindside Banned

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    The Blackarachnia toy is beautiful. The show design is something out of Coraline. I'd prefer the former anyday.
     
  6. MidnightBliss

    MidnightBliss Well-Known Member

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    I thought they changed the designs after the toys were in production.
     
  7. mx-01 archon

    mx-01 archon Well-Known Member

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    Parallel design development

    Much in the same way RotF Leader Megatron wound up so different to his onscreen counterpart.

    The toys were developed based on early stage designs, while the show's general aesthetic and thus designs continued to evolve beyond that.
     
  8. Scaleface

    Scaleface Well-Known Member

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    Didn't they design the toys first then modify the CG models?
     
  9. Phenotype

    Phenotype Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, that's what I remember reading too.
     
  10. QmTablit

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

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    It's easier to change CGI models during development. Changing a toy during development is an expensive pain in the ass, and really not worth it overall.
     
  11. Transbot90210

    Transbot90210 Banned

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    The original Prime figure is a copy of the original Beast HUNTERS design. Everything chaged drastically by the time it all became the Beast Machines we know now.

    That explains some of the early ones...the later stuff...beats me. Actually some of the later stuff was really spot on aside from the fact that they made them all basics vs deluxes or megas. (ya kicking the size classes old school)
     
  12. Transbot90210

    Transbot90210 Banned

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    sorry for some reason I can not edit my post to add a picture...
     

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  13. Rexidus

    Rexidus Autobot

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    [ Tounge in cheek]

    They were told to not look at the designs of the show because they didn't want it to be to self referential.
    [ /tounge in cheek ]

    ( To explain the joke, the writers were told to not watch Beast Wars so Machines wouldn't be so self referencing that viewers would have been required to have seen Wars. This is the reason for the drastic character changes. )
     
  14. Pravus Prime

    Pravus Prime Wields Mjolnir!

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    Because of the show.

    Remember, it's not show accurate, it's toy accurate. Toys come first and it's the job of the show to replicate them. Or not to replicate them.

    In the case of BM, you've also got Dan Didio, who among his acts including telling BW Writers to ignore G1 and BM writers to ignore BW because it was too continuity heavy, who may have had a hand in the drastic changes as well in the animation department. And he cancelled ReBoot.
     
  15. LCDR Blindside

    LCDR Blindside Banned

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    Wow, really? That seems pretty counterintuitive. I've seen three Star Trek series, and the references to major events in other series are pretty self-explanatory.
     
  16. Nevermore

    Nevermore It's self-perpetuating a parahumanoidarianised!

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    Sometimes the execs in charge just think that viewers are morons.
     
  17. stepsongrapes

    stepsongrapes Well-Known Member

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    Actually, that sounds more like they think the writers are moron.

    Operating on the assumption that the viewers haven't seen the previous show has nothing to do with estimating the viewers' intelligience. It is, in fact, a safe assumption to make.

    What's dumb is assuming that the writers aren't good enough at their craft that they can't reference the previous show (as to provide fan service) without being subtle enough about it that new viewers are left puzzled, either for lack of explanation or making the reference so critical that missing out on it is jarring.
     
  18. TrueNomadSkies

    TrueNomadSkies Well-Known Member

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    Not gonna lie here. The 1st time I saw Airachnid in TF Prime, my 1st thought was of the Other Mother from Coraline ahah.
     
  19. Feralstorm

    Feralstorm Good Morning, Weather Hackers! TFW2005 Supporter

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    That's more or less the way I heard it. Supposedly the development timeframe was shorter than usual, or running behind, and Mainframe was going off concept art rather than toy prototypes. Toys went one way, and TV designs went another (perhaps further afield), ending up in different places while retaining some base similarity.

    It's always interesting to see the later Beast Machines toys where Hasbro worked to narrow the visual gap between toy and show, though there were still plenty of curious choices, like all the bright yellow/red/orange on otherwise fairly accurate toys like Silverbolt and Blast Punch Primal,
     
  20. strangeguy32000

    strangeguy32000 Well-Known Member

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    maybe its just the fact that the show was made in Canada while the toys were designed down in Cincinnati, Ohio?