More answers from Hasbro UK thanks to TFAuctions

Nevermore · 01-28-2006, 01:15 PM

http://www.allspark.com/forums/index...howtopic=91831

I found question 15 the most interesting one.

Quote:

Beast Wars

1) Is the UK going to get the BW anniversary figures anytime soon?

Answer: There is a strong possibility that the UK will see the beast wars anniversary products this year but Hasbro.co.uk could not commit to anything more specific at this time.

2) What other Beast Wars re-issues are planned after Tarantulas, Rattrap,
Dinobot, Optimus, and Megatron? What about other size class reissues?
3) When will we see the new Optimus Primal and Megatron?

Answer: Hasbro.co.uk cannot comment as to what new products will be shown on this line. The only comment they gave us was that of the possible release of beast wars in the UK.

Cybertron
4) - How many new mold Cybertron releases are left (ie. not repaints or
remolds?)

Answer: Cybertron will now run until the release of the movie, there will be more figures coming up but how many and in what light is unsure at this moment in time.

5) - What will Hasbro include w/ Primus that will make us want to buy the
Cybertron version even if we already have the Galaxy Force version? (This
is a reference to a comment at Botcon by a Hasbro rep, saying that there was
something the US version of the toy would have which the Japanese version
would not have.) Also, what's the target release date for Primus?

Answer: No date has been announced as of yet. We have been advised the planet keys have some kind of use in the chest cavity of Primus, but what its full use will be is still unknown. There were strong hints that the keys may be placed on the tool and then inserted into his chest, I believe this would work either on a spring mechanism or simply turning the keys once inserted. More concrete info on Primus this coming week.

Alternators
6) Can you please outline Hasbro's plans for Alternators, as they stand right
Now? Specifically, can you please tell us details about characters and car
models we haven't seen, release dates for Mirage (Ford GT), Rumble (Civic),
and the Jaguar you mentioned elsewhere this week? Also, how close are we to
a Bumblebee Alternator?

Answer: There are plans to possibly bring a Transformers Alternators comic book series out. This all depends on fans reaction to this idea. TFAuctions.com will be running a poll to establish fans thoughts on this project. Bumblebee is something they have always had in mind so don’t count out seeing him sometime soon.

7) Will we see any more new Alternators who are Decepticons (like Rumble)
instead of all the Decepticons being remolds of Autobot Alternators? What
prompted the decision to make the Civic a Decepticon from the get-go instead
of starting out with an Autobot like the others?

Answer: Hasbro are developing Alternators and hope to improve and expand further with a great range of different vehicles and characters. No specific reason was given for the decision relating to the Civic.

8) Will we see more straight recolors (like Ricochet and Rollbar) or will
you go back to remolding for second or third uses of each car model?

Answer: Hasbro UK was unable to provide an answer.

9) Can you tell us what these "2-in-1 Alternators" repacks of older
Alternators (Swindle, Shockblast) are for?

Answer: Hasbro UK was unable to provide an answer.

10) re: Ricochet, did you decide to do another WRX and then pick Ricochet
for the character, or did you decide to do Ricochet and then pick the WRX
for the mold? Why the WRX and not the RX8, arguably a much nicer mold?

Answer: Hasbro UK was unable to provide an answer.

Hasbro UK and Misc
11) What is the current status of the G1 reissue license? If Toys'R'Us is
no longer the license holder, have any other companies shown an interest in
selling reissues?

Answer: No interest as to date, keep trying e-hobby but nothing at this moment in time.

12) Can you tell us any details about the G1 Classic line?

Answer: Hasbro UK was unable to provide an answer.

13) Any news on the G1 Seacons set that was shown during OTFCC '04, but
since then has been homeless?

Answer: No plans at this moment in time for the Seacons.

14) There is a large UK Transformers fan community, with sites like
www.thetransformers.net, www.transformertoys.co.uk, www.autoassmebly.org.uk.
Additionally, there is a convention in the UK called Auto Assembly, which
draws a lot of attention. Does Hasbro UK know that we are out here, and do
they have any plans to make more contact with the fan community (like
attending the Auto Assembly convention!)

Answer: Hasbro.co.uk are fully aware of the various fan sites in the United Kingdom and are also aware of the auto assembly. They cannot commit to anything at the moment due to various projects they’re currently working on but were very keen to attend the show in June with TFauctions.com. We can only hope and see what happens as the months pan out.

15) Can you please elaborate on some of the answers you've given this week
regarding Hasbro UK, European distribution, etc?

- Why are Transformers in the UK so much more expensive than in the US?
- Why does it take SO long to make decisions one way or the other about
toys like 20th Prime? How can you still be trying to decide if you should
release him, when he came out in January 2004 in the US?
- Distribution in the UK makes no sense. We've had some explanations that
there's no way to avoid releasing toys long after the US, but then sometimes
various European countries get toys very shortly after, or even BEFORE, the
US. What would help is a concrete, detailed explanation for how
distribution works, who decides the timing of releases, why some countries
get toys but not others, and why lines are released in an incomplete,
haphazad way. This is the big question on MANY, MANY UK and European
Transformers fans' minds. The toys come out late, sporadically, or not at
all, and consumers are forced to import from the US, but then when toys DO
come out, they don't need them any more, and the line doesn't sell as well.
What is the obstacle to releasing toys concurrently with the US, or at least
releasing them in a timely manner, consistently, across Europe, and making
sure that all toys from a line make it out in decent numbers (instead of
gobs of one or two toys and little or none of the others)?
- Given the obvious difficulties in getting product to the shelves, have
you considered making entire toy lines (Cybertron, for example) available
through Hasbro.co.uk, or a UK equivalent of www.hasbrotoyshop.com?

Answer: The problem with the United Kingdom getting the hottest lines later than everyone else is because Hasbro.co.uk have to wait for the UK Toy Fair to showcase all new lines to the UK’s retailers. They cannot answer why there are some pieces missing from the line but this is something they are now looking into. The Hasbro team did say that the success of American companies in the UK (such as Walmart) would ultimately lead to earlier availability for the UK fan, as they would carry similar lines to their American counterparts. We can also announce that we were assured that the Hasbro.co.uk online store would return very soon and that fans will be able to purchase transformers figures from the site once it re-launches.

Motor_Master · 01-28-2006, 01:27 PM

Wow not a lot of info out of that Q&A

SKowl · 01-28-2006, 01:28 PM

"I cannot comment at this time as to wether or not I find these answers helpful"

Gotta love Hasbro UK. I wish these question could be asked again to Hasbro US at next month's North American Toyfair, I'm sure we'd get some much better answers.

An Alternators comic sounds cool, but, c'mon, gimme those frikkin' Seacons already.

FreshDebesh · 01-28-2006, 01:30 PM

Wow, I had no idea they were trying to still decide on whether 20th Prime should come out or not.

Draven · 01-28-2006, 01:31 PM

I hope they're right; despite numerous reports of Cybertron toys being available in the UK, there is literally NOTHING in Luton except 2 or 3 Energon combiners at TRU. The sooner Hasbro UK start releasing things properly, the sooner they'll start getting my money again instead of eBay sellers. Hopefully this forthcoming Hasbro UK online store will carry more than a couple of TFs and a crapload of Action Man (which I really would not be surprised to see).
I love the way that they neatly sidestepped a lot of the issues, though; especially why we pay so much more than the US for every single TF we ever buy.
I'll keep my fingers crossed that they'll stop gypping us, although I won't be counting on anything.

Vialli · 01-28-2006, 01:53 PM

Interesting reading indeed, the fact that hasbro intend to roll out Cybertron toys up to the movie could be good and bad..

-good for the fact the UKers could get more toys shipped in with
a longer distribution period, ie long they roll out more chance we get later molds.

-bad because I cant see hasbro shipping two full lines of transfomers at the one time (g1 neo & Cybertron), ie we could get cybertron basics and and deluxes while we only get G1 neo ultras, or visa versa.

As for the Alts, not much seems to be changing anytime soon, but maybe with this new packaging like on the meister re-release, the ones which were skipped would arrive here down the road.

All that being said while my island neighbours might prosper in some way or form, its not uncommon for myself or my Irish brothers to suffer, we only got landmane scorponok in the very latter ends of the energon supplies, I dont think I even saw any deluxes after the combiner torso's and in my opinion if the World of wonder shops in either Carlow or Newbridge don't have em, they are not available, they have carried every available TF toy (not including the Alts, Argos have them first but they do receive them in time) that has been relased so far.

So there is my opinion on it, be it right or complete shite. (that rhymed, that

)

Fort Max · 01-28-2006, 03:49 PM

A lot of those questions made no sense to even ask these people. Alt Ricochet for example, what exactly would Hasbro UK have to do with that.

Nevermore · 01-28-2006, 03:53 PM

When people were asked between here, the Allspark and TFansto post questions to ask Hasbro, it wasn't specified that those questions were for Hasbro UK.

Some people realized this, others didn't.

Fort Max · 01-28-2006, 04:10 PM

lol, fair enough.

Vialli · 01-28-2006, 04:23 PM

Maybe they read all the questions and weren't able to answer em so the threw Hasbro.uk to the hungry wolves

or maybe not