Anyone else want to see a comeback for Alternators/Binaltech? This line arguably was the archetype for Masterpiece. It was way ahead of its time, and offered something no transformers have before, which was both a fully functioning model car and an awesome fully transformable toy. But hey, enough raving. Are we on board with a relaunch of this line?

 

They were great for their time but they didn't age well. The Binaltech half was especially vulnerable over time since the joints simply can't support that much metal. Alternators and Binaltechs were great alt mode display pieces for sure but the bot mode tended to suffer as a result and the weapons for the majority of releases were tiny. That and seeing as how they wouldn't scale with any current releases, I don't think a relaunch would be successful.

On the bright side, they are pretty cheap now so it shouldn't be difficult to track any of them down.

 

Yep, I've been capitalizing on them since their prices have gone down dramatically. However with current technology I feel they could be pulled off better.

 

I'd rather see Human Alliance again.

 

No way. They were awesome back then but they aged terribly. Besides, the current MP direction is essentially a drastically improved version of the same idea.

 

This, a million times this.

 

They sold pretty poorly before if I recall correctly, so trying them again would be a risk. At worst, they'd be in competition with the Masterpiece brand.

 

I'd love to see the concept return. Having interior details improves the alt-modes a lot, and I love me some realistic and in scale alts. Seeing it slowly die out after the Human Alliance and Alternity lines was a huge bummer. Both of those lines had much improved bot modes, I really wish we could see Takara-Tomy continue to iterate on the idea. I'd like to see them use the 1/24 scale instead of the smaller 1/32 they used with Alternity, and adding a few non cars in there would be awesome. A really good transforming bike is something I'd like to see more of. Construction vehicles, atvs, military vehicles, adding those would be a great way to vary the line. Just keep it from getting stale. Even if it was just cars I'd love to see it.

 

The alt modes of those toys look good but the alt modes of g1 toys from the 80s were already good IMO.

 

I'm good fam.

 

I would love to see more Alts. I still think they look great, to me they were Masterpiece cars before they were introduced into the MP line

 

I still enjoy my Alt/BT collection so wouldn't be averse to the line making a reappearance.

However with the change we've seen in TF pricing structures and production costs it's hard to see how they could fit into the current market at a competitive and attractive price point.

 

I love the Binaltech and Alternator lines. I have to find the Binaltech versions of them all but love them because they donor scream transformers on my shelves.

Unfortunately I don't collect any other lines currently and wish they would have made drivers for them other than the Kiss players and asterick line.

 

I don't want the old Alt/BT line back. They had their time but sacrificed far too much to make detailed interiors and opening doors/hood/deck lids a thing that I really didn't need after all.

I also now understand the folly of die-cast and rubber tires. Paint chips and flat spots make them a little too authentic in alt mode.

Buuuuut I would like to see the line of contemporary licensed alts mode come back in the new MP format. Something Transformission and Generation Toy are already doing an exceptional job of... without actually licensing the cars.

I would greatly enjoy having a [Random TF character] then and now bookends on my display.

I also wouldn't mind seeing the return of the twenty dollar price tag for a toy of their size.

 

Prices have been going down on Alternators? Well now, I may have to see about picking some up. I absolutely loved this line, only owned two of them myself (Rollbar and Skids), but I can think of quite a few I'd be into picking up.

 

+1

 

I think Alternators/BT was a fun experiment but in the end was a perfect example of the limitations of sticking with nothing but licenced alt. modes. There is the added problem with individual automakers in cases such as the S2000 where they outright forced the gunbarrel/drive shaft to be omitted because they didn't want the toy to have a gun (which is going to make securing Decepticharge, the only Alternator I need to complete my selective roster of the line, a pain in the ass), or how they don't want their cars to be used by 'evil' characters.

 

You might hate what I have to say, but you are being told it anyways. Because we tolerate you and hate how Megatron allows his Decepticon kids act.

My answer is... No.

Why?

WHY?!

It is because when it comes to Alternators, it had served its purpose for Hasbro. And with them juggling "Robots in Disguise", Generations, and the other niche lines... This would become more of a shelf warmer than any Bumblebee could ever dream of being.

And with Binaltech... As well as Binaltech Asterisk... It was also dubbed a splinter continuity that also served its purpose. More specifically, it was also used as an explanation to how Wheeljack, Ironhide, and a few others came back from the dead in the Japanese G1 continuity!

But, to be fair... I would like to see some of these concepts be recycled into future Hasbro and TakaraTomy projects. And maybe an improved revival to the Human Alliance concept.  

 

Admittedly, only Honda America made them remove the gun barrel, if memory serves. And the new MP Line [and, honestly, the movie lines] suggest things are different now. And Fremble's Civic still had the backpack cannons. When Alt/BTs came onto the scene, the first movie was still in concept and eventually production. Alts/BTs were pretty much dead before the first Bay movie was released. TFs were far from mainstream let alone cool. After the first movie, lots of recognition came back around and suddenly it was cool to have your car being any transformer good or bad.

Volkswagen should be a perfect example of how things have changed.

 

A large part of me actually likes that ALT/BTs are a bit more obscure now. It hardens back to the time period to which it's entrenched. I now have a lot of nostalgia for that time, as it was a good time in my life both inside and outside of the hobby.

The 1:24 scale, rubber tires, detailed interiors, officially licensed cars, integrated weapons, and opening car features ARE indicative of the line, though. Those are the things that make the line distinctive from the rest of the Transformers lines. To omit one of those things is taking away from what makes the line what it is, for better or for worse. They are basically model kits that transform. Done another way, and it's not the same thing at all.

I suppose if things were revisited, I'd prefer a handful here and there. I'd want characters that weren't done - no retreads of characters we already have. I think they need to be done a certain way, too. Figures need to blend with what we have and not stand out. I'd like packages to be reusable and much like BT-18 Rijie where the package was more high end. Even the blue boxes of the Alts would suffice. Binaltech could just reuse the same format, as there's no need to mess with perfection  

Going back to the niche aspect of where the line is now, I really don't think that such a line is sustainable in any way now. Masterpiece is REALLY what most collectors of the line originally wanted anyways, and it's proven to be sustainable to keep marching on. Others have moved to Classics/Generations. Most collectors have abandoned the Alt/BTs to focus on either of those.

Most of the people still excited about the line are the ones who post in our Appreciation thread. Having said that, if you're interested in the line, make sure to post in that thread!