Our very own Vangelus of WTF@TFW fame got some time to talk with Hasbro’s Clint Chapman (Global Brand Manager) and Joshua Lamb (Senior Director Design & Development) at Botcon 2013. During the course of his interviews with them he covers the whole breadth of new Botcon reveals including the Constructabots, the new Generations toys (including what the comic pack-ins will be for the rest of the new Generations toyline) and also touching on the Beast Hunters 2014 assortment upsizing controversy. The main message on that one from both we will share with you right here – complex transformations are not being dropped in favor of simple ones, rather, both patterns will run side-by-side to allow for both an entry level and also a level for those enjoying more complicated toys. The upsized Cyberverse thing is also stated to be a one-time deal, by Movie 4 Deluxes will be more than upscaled Cyberverse though still going for that simpler entry level.
Check out the full interviews below:
Vangelus interviews Clint Chapman, Transformers Global Brand Manager
Vangelus interviews Joshua Lamb, Transformers Sr Director Design & Development
Movie Convoy
Why not be referred to as a ballchinnian instead
Movie Convoy
What about neck, wrist, ankle, bicep, thigh, waist, and ab crunch articulation?
Movie Convoy
Well, I like everything about ROTF Leader Prime, including the complexity of the transformation. The only thing I didn't like about it is that the leader figure didn't come with his ion blasters. Thing is, I like the complex transformations. And, not to brag about it, but I figured out how to transform ROTF Voyager Class Mixmaster from vehicle mode to mobile artillery mode. You just have to transform it, stopping in the middle of the transformation to robot mode, leave the feet in vehicle mode configuration, plug the tab that is attached to the inside of the exterior hood piece into the slot in the arm that connects the cannon to the backend of the vehicle mode, fold the legs over the robot mode back plate, and rotate the rear wheel assembly 180 degrees at the swivel in the forearms, swinging the armor piece out of the way to make it easier to swing the rear wheel assembly around without snapping the armor plate off the ball joint, leaving the hands folded in as you do so and bend the arms forward at the hinge closest to the shoulder swivel.
Zylly103
Personally, while not interested in the upscaled figures, the idea of returning to somewhat simpler transformations appeals to me. I prefer my TFs to generally be on the complexity level of the various Generations seekers or Prime Bumblebee or the like. Something I can flip back and forth in about a minute.
Cha Chi
So they're not just doing MTMTE in Generations but whilst doing allot of MTMTE characters are also going to throw in other stuff too?
I'm curious what the intentions are for actual Cyberverse seeing as they are focusing on this simplification.
And yes, what's going on with the new show? When can we expect it and toys?
Autovolt 127
This is the start of another golden age….I hope.
RedAlert Rescue
I saw some people using Nordic walking poles the other day they look ideal for rambling.
Oh and shame they are not going to make many many more of those Legions upscales I wouldn't mind Soundwave that had a simple sturdyness without having to spend a couple of minutes adjusting his knees. Surely they should do Airachnid or Breakdown or Knockout just so there is some Decepticons…. but if they are large toys perhaps it's best to stick to the larger characters as much as possible.
I am left wondering at the moment if Beast Hunters 2013 Voyager Optimus Prime might actually be smaller than 2014 Upscaled Smokescreen as it stands. Which is an odd thought.
Fort Max
Glad I took the time to watch those. Sounds like some very exiting times ahead for generations and it's good to hear as Vangelus said that the brand is in safe new hands for the foreseeable future.
Digilaut
Hahaha, the current comics in IDW finally take the story places other than the same old 'Autobots vs. Decepticon war with humans in the crossfire', and you accuse them of 'failing to move the story forwards in any meaningful way'. Hah, ok.
Won't even bother reading the rest. I'm not saying you should somehow like things when you clearly don't connect with them, but the more of your posts I read the more I feel you're just rambling rambling rambling rambling rambling…
RedAlert Rescue
Fun comics ??
I liked the Dreamwave Energon comic does that count ??
Besides it wouldn't be polite for me to derail Chris' Thread by listing 30 reasons I don't like IDW. and frankly they comes a point where they are no longer even worth hating on any more -I'm at the point I am with Halo Games now – I don't expect them to provide anything other than the most distant approximation of entertainment either. Like IDW Halo games are far to self reverential and no longer fail to move the story of Transformers forwards in any meaningful way. other than the odd small idea that has some merit in the given context.
Perhaps it might have served everyone better to just have a FOC/WFC comic instead of two comics that are two different universe that are both just 30 year G1 cold cuts heated up and served as new.
Anyway my IDW ire aside my objection isn't to the existence of the comics like Masterforce or Beast Wars Neo's Cartoon it's existence does not mean I have to pay a blind bit of notice of it and yet I can I find enjoy something more by knowing less about it – an Imagination is more powerful tool of enjoyment than a hacks tropes are anyway.
And so as I know nothing whatsoever about IDW's Skids or Tailgate i'm happy knowing by staying as far away as I can for the most part – with just the odd peek to check to see if it' still terrible I can if I want at least suck some enjoyment out of the toys – if I make the mistake of finding out their feeble excuses for the characters I know I'll just be angry… which serves me other other to no great extent.
But that said I am still not especially pleased the stopped 90% of the classics line for Gundam fan art comic Transformers… that is for me as much of a nonseqituer as Heroclicks wannabee and a oversized legio Bumblebee is…
I have that 1988 feeling – where you see what they had for a whole year and think eeekk – is that wise ? And as others have pointed out they might as well call Generations a North America / China or TRU Exclusive line as it's not like it's stocked as many places as it should be, The retailers seem to like shows based on cartoons more than ones they have not knowledge of – and it looks like the marketing plan for the 30th has already fallen on it's face and will not got anywhere as soon enough the retailers will stop ordering all Transformers to clear the spaces for Movie 4 toys. So I suppose the only ones getting a sense of there even being 30th Anniversary celebrations are in North America and perhaps I shpuld chill about them – as it's not like i'm ever going to see them and No hasbro I'm not giving the store £30.00 for a springer where the panels don't fit that suffer from Transfromers Cybertron Soundwave leg issues..
Rodentus prime
That's because at that point off camera Vangelus had taken his shirt off and started rubbing on the baby oil – it's just a thing he does in interviews….
Digilaut
If all the toys of the Thrilling 30 line will make their way into the Dark Cybertron story, does that mean we will get Armada Starscream in there as well? What will happen, will he be an upgrade of King Starscream? Will he be his double from an alternate universe? Just a random new bot who takes up the same name?
Interesting!
Yup, and after having endured it for about 4 cycles now, it gets tiresome. People are always convinced the next movie / show / sidestep in toys will end Generations, but it always comes back, and it always comes back stronger.
Hasbro has given us exactly what we wanted , for years, alternating between main 'new' toylines and classic characters updated – but people forget this the moment they get what they've asked for, and continue ranting how Hasbro never listens to the fans, or whatever crap. Just wait, as soon as people get their hands on Skids and Swerve, Waspinator and Rhinox, the bitching will continue, just like how it happened with Springer. Or Trailbreaker. Or Jazz. Or Wheeljack. Or Scourge. I could go on, but you get the point.
About the simplified Transformers (upscaled legends): people have every right to fear that this will cross over into future toylines, especially with the shrinking and simplifying already going on the last couple of years, but so far that doesn't seem to be the case.
Unless Clint Chapman is outright lying, which nobody should have any reason for to believe, what he says makes total sense from a business perspective: Transformers HAVE been too difficult to play with for the main audience, kids, and this provides toys that provide a low level entry to help them ease into the process – there's absolutely no problem when they keep running the simplified toys next to the 'regular' toys.
As soon as they stop carrying regular Transformers and start only giving us this junk, then YES, it's time to raise your voice and complain, but right until then it's a novel but harmless concept: you get a much bigger deluxe or voyager at the trade-off of it being much more simplified. Sounds like fun for the younger fans.
Besides, all the show characters used for this line already have deluxe toys that are tons better than these – so nobody should feel bad that their favorite character doesn't get a proper toy (and only a simplified, upscaled legends figure).
Hey, I actually think that Predaking looks better than the original voyager, as I feel his proportions and colors are nicer, the hollow plastic gaps don't bother me too much on him, and I probably wouldn't do much more with him than place him in simple poses on my desk. So yeah.
Mechafire
I am seriously convinced that RAR legitimately hates fun
SPLIT LIP
You're funny.
Also, the IDW characters are new characters, not the same people from BW FYI.
And if you seriously don't think MTMTE is awesome or could at least see why people would find it awesome, then there's just no point in speaking to you then.
You're whole post is basically just "if it's not G1 it's crap" anyway so it's not like I or anyone else would be missing much.
Mechafire
What the fuck
RedAlert Rescue
They are "actually" putting Rhinox and Waspinator in the comics – er fine but IDW only barely qualifies as being the same Universe as Beast Wars by virtue of Simon Furmans input.
I bet no mention is made of Earth being interdicted in the 24th/25th Century or if they will even remember Rhinox & Waspinator are Human scale characters. (the Targetmaster suggests yes) the Deluxe suggests no.
Oh and the words IDW and Awesome don't belong in the same sentence unless other words are used to modify the meaning to a less gushing one.
I'm sorry to those who enjoy it but I consider it as problematic as when Animated aired as a toyline and cartoon – that was just so different to the thing it's supposedly based on while at the same time wanting to tie to it. This is the same disjunct I have here.
i collected Classics/ Universe and aside from the sligh side step into Movieverse spin off lala land the toyline was broadly consistant until the Videogame line and Prime came out – and now rather than go back to it and at least finish it – I feel they've started another line from scratch again – It's like Final fantasy sometimes.
I can't decide if the crazyness of the DOTM toylines is worse or not though – I guess ultimately I'm just irritated by being fed toys touted as a classic theme when they clearly are not – it's a case of being fed a line just like saying WFC/FOC is the same as Prime is a load of marketing nonsense too (no matter what TFwiki might try to make you think).
Slimaximus
No one ever listens, Generations will remain the way it is and get better, the main lines i.e cartoon or movie lines will be the ones that get some of the simplified transformations. In which I have no problem with because Generations has been the only line I collect besides 3p and MP.
RedAlert Rescue
Still says Construct-Bots on the box – I wonder what it says on the shelf tags, but then the boxes are not what we call things is it – after all who calls the 2006 "Classic Line" Robots in Disguise which is what it says in many place on the box and even shelf tags sometimes.
Likewise the whole RID / Revealer thing is best described as vague and I've even seen Legion/Legends toys listed as "Micromasters".
I was teasing a little really… and if hasbro want them to be called Constructabots they should have written it clearing in English on the box and not another two words with a logo in between.
I notice when Chris says the IDW partnership is working well Clint Chapman's blink rate goes through the roof – curious response body language fans.
Wheeljack_Prime
Actually, they confirmed a while back that it's Construct-A-Bots. They placed the Autobrand/Decepticon insignia between "Construct" and "Bots" as a stylistic stopgap for the "A" sound.
Anguirus
Or Generations if you'd bothered to watch the videos.