Maybe it was a nod to idw shockwave

 

Soundwave sure does want to be an autobot.

 

Wasn't he an Autobot before the Empurata?

 

Only in IDW.

 

Why is soundwave an autobot in these pictures! Are these mistakes?

 

...yes.

I'm going to assume you are not aware that the G1 cartoon was riddled with constant animation errors, such as putting the wrong symbol on characters of the other faction.

 

like how the game Transformers Devastation used pink energon in a cut scene that called for red energon?

 

The Megatron one isn't an error, though. He was an Autobot for a long time in IDW.

 

I know. I was just making fun of the sensationalist first post by collecting other examples, whether deliberate or accidental.

 

Oh that’s really funny!

 

Wait Shockwave used to be an Autobot?

 

He was a spy in Transformers animated...

 

This could also be an explanation. show how many he's killed.

 

Doubtful, G1 Shockwave is not one who would go so far as to have a kill scoreboard on his person.

 

Maybe everyone was an Autobot, but then became Decepticons when Megatron rose up.

 

I mentioned this in January on the beast wars movie thread (as it reminded me of Hearts Of Steel shockwave), and was promptly shut down. Great to see a full thread going about it, more than two months later.

 

There is no way this was intentional or done on purpose.

 

And you know this....how?

 

It's already been established that Shockwave's arm is reused from Optimus Prime, since he's only on screen for like, five seconds. It was effectively a rush job - a well done one - but people are reading WAY too much into effectively a modern animation error.