I'm sure cost cutting is part of it. I also suspect they're selling fewer than they want to in general and are just trying anything in desperation with no rhym or reason trying to find a magic sweet spot where their toys fly off the shelves and retailers can't get enough again.

Somebody knows someone somewhere who's child had a problem transforming his toy. Maybe that's what's wrong with our sales. Let's make them simple. Let's make them into non transforming legos. Lets make them into shoddy, cheap construction sets. Lets make them into cute little baby esq transformers that transform in one move. Let's make them into non transforming action figures (which could have been great btw if they'd been MORE detailed than the transforming toys rather than less). Let's make giant nontransforming figures with absolutely no detail or paint. Lets give them giant spring loaded guns. Lets make Starwars transformers. Let's make 60% of all figures we ship be Bumblebee. Let's make matchbox style cars with robots molded on the bottom.

They have absolutely no idea what they're doing. They just know they're not as popular as they have been and they're desperate to find something that works. While I don't appreciate the cost cutting, it does have roots in sound business theory. It's the desperate try everything under the sun using our brand name that's the worst.

 

See what I mean? He doesn't transform into a truck, he rides inside of it.

 

If this were $20 I'd buy it for the alt mode. As is, I will not be buying.

 

I have to agree with someone a few posts back about the solid blue windows. That is quite telling about the cost cutting they decided to take. Instead of making that in translucent plastic and painting the part blue and topping it with flames, they decided it didn't really need windows. That IS cost cutting.

I do think they set out with the kids in mind with him, but also saw ways to cut corners along the way. All those flat panels that fold back look very thin and cheap. They didn't even put any mold detail into it.

That said, a part of me strangely likes him. Not at $60, but at $30, I would probably bite. He's big like a leader, has a decent alt mode, and I kinda dig him at certain angles in bot mode. If he goes on one of Amazon's crazy half price sales, I would grab him up.

He wouldn't be displayed with my Buster, APS-01, jetwing, or FWI-03 figures though.

 

If I had a kid I'd buy this. But I don't, so I won't.

 

Me too,the new design of the cab mode sure look awesome,better than his old design of the cab mode.

 

What the actual fuck are you droning on about?

I wasn't exaggerating, even in the slightest.

 

I can't help but giggle a little when I see this.
"Driving trucks you happen to transform into is the right of all sentient beings"

If I were to ever buy this figure, it would be to display him with the top section of his truck shell open. He'd never get to use the sword or shield, He'd just be displayed Sitting in his truck mode as if he were driving it.

 

Optimus likes to sit inside himself. Creepy.

​

That bugs me so much! Yes. There are so many corners cut on this thing, it's just gross. The body color windows being one of the worst. And they didn't even chrome all the way across the front bumper like they should have, and they only chromed a small part of the smoke stacks. Cheap! Cheap! Cheap! And then there's too much chrome on his chest making him look more like Pimptimus Prime or Optimus Pimp than an Autobot warrior leader. I'm not giving Hasbro $60 for this thing. I was thinking about it and trying to convince myself, but I just can't.

 

This makes me want it more.

 

lol

I HAVE to buy this figure, totally a shellformer. We had a lot of time without seeing one.

Plus, the first figure of the line. lol

 

A little kid is not a 12 years old person.

 

LOL! No!
Transformers: Age of Extinction First Edition Optimus Prime - Transformers Transformers IV - Age of Extinction First Edition

 

LOL

His entire chest requires no Transforming. Optimus might actually have kibble on his chest like he did in his original design.