I go by their official names. Only one that I call anything different is Speed Dial, who I will forever refer to as Steven the Cell Phone.
I can't remember where I first saw this, but I instantly made the change in my head. Battle Unicorn has been renamed Equinox. SO much better.
Whatever it says on the box, unless it's Shockblast who I always call Shockwave. I had an Alternator Silverstreak on my desk for the longest time that my co-workers named Garry.
Nothing. Anyone renaming Barricade to Evil Prowl just enjoys complicating things. Besides, Barricade is the awesomest awesome to ever awesome, so is untouchable. Funny, my office mates renamed my Alternators Grimlock Carl. Wonder why that happens?
i only change the name if i have the same name from a different line... or very seldomly, have a double. this is a small chunk of my collection. Big Convoy (Arm. Prime) Optional Prime (spy changer prime) KOfftimus Prime (dollartree) Nitro Convoy (Override) Mini Fire Convoy (spychanger flame convoy) Pipes (cyb Armourhide double) Skylinx (a Jetfire) Bluestreak (Cyb Hotshot) Wheeljack (E Downshift) Jazz-Z (black Sideburn) Smokescreen (cyb Crosswise) Daytonus (RM Mirage) Crosswise (spychanger Mirage) Trailbreaker (E Ironhide) Devistar (A Scavenger) Sandstorm (E Cliffjumper) Mach Alert (CD Red Alert) Sureshot (CD Hotshot) Galvatron (e Megatron) Dirge (A Skywarp) Megastorm (cla 2pack megs) Bludgeon 'shell' (cyb Unicron) Decepticlone Air (E WindRazor repainted) Decepticlone Land (E Strongarm repainted) Dumpstar (E Demolishor) changing it soon Crowbar (a Wheeljack) Runabout (movie Swindle) Duststorm (g2 Jetstorm) Nightbird or Potshot (2nd e Hotshot repainted) Sickshot or shockwave (E Sixshot) Dirtbag (cyb Dark Crumplezone) Hellstorm (Universe Skywarp) Hawkeye (BM Silverbolt) Leo jr (BM Snarl) Fangwolf (Cyb Snarl) Swoop (U Skydive) Gigatron (RiD Galvatron) Ravebomb (e Divebomb repainted) Chro (BM blue Rav) Trypticon (cyb Scourge) Predicon (BW Cyb Megatron) Reptilion (TM Iguanus) Slapper and Gaskunk (TM Spittor and Stinkbomb) i sometimes let characters have the same name, if they are a world apart. (cybertron, beast planet, and Micron)
since i gave up collecting alternators,where i used g1 names,the only alternate names i really use are "hot rod" instead of "rodimus",i call the 2007 movie tank "brawl",as that's on his package,and drop any faction-based titles,such as on "decepticon brawl" or "autobot jazz".
Most have mine have been left as the official names. Some of them, like G1 Reissues and Alternators, get changed for the sake of practicality. As in Rodimus Major and both G1 and Alt Silverstreak are still Hot Rod and Bluestreak, and Alt Shockblast is Shockwave. My Japanese G1 Reissues also have their original US names. I sometimes prefer to call some of my Energon and Cybertron figures by their Superlink and Galaxy Force names, but that doesn't always happen. The ones that I have definitely changed the names of are... RiD Mirage GT - Sunstreaker RiD Yellow Grimlock - Scavenger RiD Yellow Heavyload - Long Haul RiD Yellow Hightower - Hook RiD Yellow Wedge - Scrapper RiD Yellow Landfill - Devastator (btw, they all have Decepticon symbols now) RiD Smokejumper - Darkwing Armada Air Assault Jetstorm - Night Raven Armada Air Assault Runway - Skystriker Armada Air Assault Sonar - Defiant (I felt like naming these guys after GI Joe vehicles) Armada Road Assault Dirt Boss - Backfire Armada Road Assault Downshift - Fastlane Armada Road Assault Mirage - Road Rocket Armada Road Assault Skyboom - Skyshadow Energon Insecticon - Bombshell Cybertron "Energon Saber", which never had a given name - Star Seeker Universe Micromaster Prowl - Clampdown Universe Micromaster Hot Spot - Deep Cover Universe Micromaster Red Alert - Hot Spot Universe Micromaster Hightower - Hook Universe Micromaster Quickmix - Mixmaster Universe Micromaster Buckethead - Scrapper Universe Inferno (Sunstorm's Mini-Con) - Sunspot (I had the same idea as Scrapper6) "RiD" Dinobots Triceradon - Slag "RiD" Dinobots Terranotron - Swoop (as some releases of the toy had him named)
Ultimate Battle Megatron: Megastorm Energon Hot Shot: Posieashot( a little nod to ACT) Energon Megatron: Chad
Cybertron Soundwave: Soundwing Optimash Prime: Potato Prime or Primus RiD Prime: Orion Prime Movie Prime: Artemis Prime RiD Megatron: Gigatron Revoltech Prime: Convoy Revoltech Megatron: Destron Most of these are because I only want one of my Transformers to have a name, I don't like having so many of one name.
The only ones I was inclined to rename were the extra mini-figures that came with Barricade and Blackout, mainly because these are well-known names. Frenzy got changed to Infilitrator. Scorponok got changed to Sandscrubber.
Okay, here's a question for you fellas.... As this thread clearly indicates, an awful lot of people come up with alternate names for their toys. I'm guilty of this too on occasion. But what do you do when other people (non-fans, say) ASK you what that character's name is? Do you give them the alternate name, or the proper name.... or a complicated explanation about what his name really is and why you call him something different? I find myself telling people the official names, even if I have re-named a figure mentally. I'm not sure whether it is out of embarrassment at having renamed a toy, or out of a desire to give accurate information.... probably a mix of both. The only exception to this is when a character clearly IS mis-named for the benefit of the HasTak copyright/legal department (i.e. "Rodimus" or "Shockblast").... because I feel in those cases it is reasonable to give their adjusted name. But if anyone ever points at Cybertron Armorhide and says "who's that little guy?" I would probably answer "Armorhide"..... even though he is filling the role of Pipes on my Classics shelf.
I call them Marklar. Shameless South Park reference. I just use the official name, then again, I don't have much of a collection.
T-Rex Megatron: T-Wrecks Classics Jetfire: Skyfire Cybertron Leader Megatron: Galvatron Cybertron Megatron T-Rex: Tyrabite RID Megatron: Gigatron RID Optimus Prime: Opitimal Optimus Classics Ultra Magnus: Mega Rig Cybertron Optimus Primal: Ape_X Cybertron Defense Hotshot: Hotrod