Something that I don't understand...

Discussion in 'Transformers Toy Discussion' started by Alucard77, Dec 10, 2012.

  1. Alucard77

    Alucard77 Kaon Gladiator Champion

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    So I was wondering, why would HasTak make NEW molds of Characters that don't appear on Transformers prime, and not make NEW molds for Characters that do show up on the series.

    So far, we had seen new molds for Kup, Rumble, Thundertron and Ultra Magnus. None of these have appeared on the show, and there doesn't seem to be any news (unless I missed it) that they would appear on the show.

    Meanwhile, Hasbro will never release Unicron or Breakdown here in the states and Smokescreen is stuck with the Knockout mold which doesn't work for him without his AM (which we are not going to see in the states).

    Wouldn't show figures sell better then non show, less known figures? Think of this from a non collector stand point. I mean, don't kids want what they see on TV?
     
  2. jbot

    jbot Disciple of A3

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    Cartoons are really long toy commercials, so yes, it does seem weird that Hasbro doesn't sell all of the characters in the show as toys.
     
  3. Molina00

    Molina00 Well-Known Member

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    Hasbro not releasing Smokescreen didn't make much sense to me. I would think a new autobot would have been a big seller. I guess they had already announce all the deluxe waves, but it seems like they could have squeezed him in somewhere.
     
  4. Starscream Gaga

    Starscream Gaga Protoformed This Way

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    I came to terms with the fact that we'd never get some on screen characters back when ROTF never got the last bike sister (except through a repaint and even then, not the right colours) but hundreds of original characters.
     
  5. zebramatt

    zebramatt Well-Known Member

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    I think things have changed somewhat from my day.

    Hasbro's a toy company. They come up with new toys - that's what they do. Used to be they'd get a new character on the show roster to promote the new toys they had coming out. S'why the show so often didn't make any damned sense. They did well with what they had, mind you.

    So the real question you should be asking is why don't they write all these new characters they've moudled into the show?

    And I think that's where your answer is: Prime's character roster appears to be less geared around introducing new toys and more geared around developing characters and plot. It's a product in its own right. And probably a lot more coherent for it.

    But man, I want them to introduce new characters more frequently than they do!
     
  6. process

    process Hanlon's razor Veteran TFW2005 Supporter

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    I always thought Ultra Magnus' name sold itself. :lol 
     
  7. Smashs

    Smashs Internet: Pure Truth Moderator

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    I understand them not making new molds for certain characters. I remember reading that developing a mold is a very long and costly process. But yea, no idea on the non-show characters. You'd think they would just repaint something that was already made.
     
  8. Satomiblood

    Satomiblood City Hunter

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    I'm not an expert on this, nor am I some kind of Hasbro insider, but I'd like to think that the Kup and Rumble molds were produced long before the Prime line. In fact, I think they were produced with the Classics/Generations banner in mind. Many of the design cues are similar to Classic/Generations-styled figures. And I believe Rumble's instruction manual showed him with a completely different head than what came with the stock release. I think the AM releases of Frenzy and Rumble will boast the head originally intended for the mold. Also, I want to say that Kup was either intended to be a modernized Rhinox or one of those hybrid figures for the HFTD line.
     
  9. Cracka J

    Cracka J judas in my mind TFW2005 Supporter

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    they could just be concepts that were approved for the show as well, but never made it in. though since they did have a working concepts, they toys were produced anyways.

    seems like a decent way to still get a bit back on a r&d investment that didn't make it to the show. you know, kinda cut your losses a bit.
     
  10. wildfly

    wildfly Fermenting pork tube.

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    Basically all the result of Hasbro chopping and changing, possibly bringing BH forward, in a doomed attempt to reach their ludicrous profit expectations.

    I'm fairly sure this is why some hints dropped in the cartoon, such as Magnus, never came to anything, and why Smokescreen doesn't have a proper toy.

    It might also explain why the first wave of BH is so retool heavy, they were developed in a short time frame.



    I think solicitation pictures showed the blue one keeping the original head, and the read one with the head from the instructions?
     
  11. Nightrain

    Nightrain Senior Villain

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    Hasbro is horrible at thinking ahead. Have been for years.
     
  12. Hosta

    Hosta Banned

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    funnily enough...there hasn't been a mold of Shockwave yet! & he HAS appeared on the show + no sign of a mold for him in the Beast Hunters toyline yet either
     
  13. Molina00

    Molina00 Well-Known Member

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    I'm thinking the FoC Shockwave is supposed to cover both Prime and FoC. The AM Shockwave is the same mold as Hasbro's FoC Shockwave.
     
  14. RKillian

    RKillian http://www.rktoyandhobby.com

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    It's an industry-wide phenomenon, a consequence of nobody actually manufacturing their own products compounded by too many people making decisions with no understanding of the market(s) in question.
     
  15. s_cren

    s_cren Banned

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    I hope not it looks nothing like his prime self, and this all makes it hard to complete the show cast which youd think shouldnt be a problem at all but it is, There is no sign of a prime insecticon, or shockwave . I do think we will get them eventually tho.
     
  16. Knightdramon

    Knightdramon Hasbro LIES to the US

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    Um, WHY would they not bring out new moulds for new characters? BW didn't have more than 7 bots on each side at any time, yet the toyline was big enough. BM was even worse, with around 5 bots on each faction.

    The only bots really missing from the toyline was Breakdown and Smokescreen, and I'm pretty sure Smokescreen will get a toy in the BH toyline. He was only on the show for what, two months? During which, I think the solicitations for the final waves had come out way earlier.

    Sooner or later we'll see an Insection, especially since the BH line seems beast oriented.

    People seem to forget that we didn't get lots of bots who appeared on Animated. And ROTF and DOTM had their "losses" as well.

    And by the way, Shockwave appears only for one episode with about 6 minutes of air time. When do you think Hasbro should promote him, at the 6 minutes of air time or half a year later when he joints the main cast [assuming that from the S3 trailer]?
     
  17. Alucard77

    Alucard77 Kaon Gladiator Champion

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    Well, this wasn't a complaint, more of a head scratcher on my part.

    So the basic question is not really answered here. You just mentioned 3 or 4 characters that were on the show, for maybe a second. But were on the show.

    But then we have 3 or 4 completely non show characters that appeared. That's the head scratcher.

    I am just thinking my son would want something that he knows the character for, then someone else that doesn't exist in what he has seen. That's all I am saying.

    Not taking away the fact that UM looks totally bad ass, but still.
     
  18. changepas39

    changepas39 Well-Known Member

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    That's a good question that I don't seem to understand either...
     
  19. Aernaroth

    Aernaroth <b><font color=blue>I voted for Super_Megatron and Veteran

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    There's a saturation point in terms of variants of single characters, and an equilibrium point between benefits of a wide product range in a toyline and the costs involved in promoting various characters. "Off the shelf" and "gotta have them all" impulse mechanics are still powerful purchasing factors.

    There are also factors in terms of adapting certain characters to toys, such as engineering, safety, scale, etc. which can make some figures unsuitable for release in certain markets.

    Unfortunately, there's a lot of factors that go on at once, and decisions are often made months (or years) in advance, meaning those in charge have to make educated guesses and either risky/conservative gambles.
     
  20. Knightdramon

    Knightdramon Hasbro LIES to the US

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    Ultra Magnus technically appeared on the show as the hologram Megatron masquerades as the Autobot leader in Ep 1 and 2 of S2, but Magnus wasn't solicited at that point.

    There's time we're underestimating the minds of children as well. When I was younger sure I wanted the show cast from BW, but when I got a different figure, I sure as hell played with it and imagined stories with it until I got the bot I wanted, if I got it. Can't tell you how often my Ultra Primal spent time folded down with cannons overhead as Rampage, for example.

    In my opinion, by spicing the waves up like that with non show characters as well, Hasbro it out to make more money. The chances of, say, buying Kup if you had a full cast would be lower than buying him before even the main cast is complete, in your collection. Might seem like a dumb move but the more I think about it the more I understand hasbro's logic behind that one.