The obvious answer is to use live action Energon designs.

That way nobody's happy aside from me that is  

 

Ironic, given Energon actually has largely G1 based designs as it was also simultaneously the franchise's 20th anniversary.

 

Well we should do what the Energon and the Armada Optimus designs did, except apply the right names to the characters cough cough Downshit cough cough.

 

There's a happy middle ground of honoring the roots of the brand and modernizing things, and then there's just including stuff from the '80s cartoon for fan appeasement, even if it makes no sense. As much as I've been defending new approaches, I'm honestly not against G1 faithfulness where it works. I'm all for getting Optimus' personality right and making Bumblebee a small hatchback and whatnot. But I am against blatant fanservice just for the sake of it.

Honestly, a green and purple Devastator in live-action would just look stupid. Personally, I think it looked stupid in the cartoon. It always felt like a big Incredible Hulk ripoff, right down to his way of speaking. It was fine within the corny tone of the show, but we don't ever need to see that in live-action. The more realistically colored construction vehicles in ROTF was a great modernization, and I personally liked the more animalistic design...it actually fit the character's personality. I do think there's a better middle ground to be found (I wouldn't be opposed to a slightly more humanoid stance or one of those green cement mixers being used as a component...and I'd definitely like to see him less cluttery), but Devastator is a character that desperately needs to be modernized in any live-action incarnation.

And as I've said several times, the particular type of altmode these characters turn into doesn't matter. It's silly to get hung up on brands and badges and makes and models. It's silly to put these characters in such limited boxes, based on decisions toy designers made before Transformers was even Transformers. What matters is picking something that suits the character's personalities. Does this Porsche 911 fit Mirage? It's fine if you don't think so, but I personally feel it suits him fine. Who cares if it looks like Jazz?

 

Agree.

Well, I'm good where toys are concerned. I have no objection if they decide to move on. There's maybe a few oddball characters they could still do, and maybe a few that could still be improved upon, but I have all I really need and I'm fine with it. I don't care if they spend the next 5 years updating Beast Machines, Car Robots, and Armada. I can sit that one out, but if the figures were really good, I'd probably buy some.

The Bumblebee movie showed how the 1980s TF aesthetic can translate for a movie, and it would be a shame if all that promise and potential was just abandoned. It worked brilliantly, it looked appealing and refreshing. What is so wrong with a whole movie with a full lineup of TF characters like that? Just do it and then we can move on and put all of this antagonism behind us.

Some say: what about other segments of the franchise? Well, who's been waiting the longest? What's the logical place to start? Get G1 right and then you can branch out.

 

Doubtful, we’re not in with Hasbro the way the you guys were. Some of you guys left but likewise for some of the old Hasbro team you were in contact with.

 

Yeah, it's sadly a different era