I can't speak for anyone else, but I actually like his alt mode. I'm just having a bit of fun. Despite their commendable efforts at fan engagement of late, I seriously doubt HasTak care about some random forum users amusing themselves when designing their mass market release products with carefully allocated budgets and resource constraints in mind.

 

Right. I think this mode would've worked much better if there was a bit more detail engineered into the alt, like: intakes, jet exhausts, a slightly remolded "cockpit", narrow/close some of the visibly-open areas between the arms and torso, central mounts/5mm ports for the weapons, etc. I'm not expecting a nearly-Earth vehicle with sci-fi greeble tacked on, but just little extra touches to make it into a much more believable non-human-origin sci-fi/alien hovertank/glider/whatever.

 

Well I didn't mean Hasbro is looking specifically at YOU amusing yourself either lol. But they do check the consumer responses, feedback and sales when they make future releases. And when they see anything that's their own original design and ideas are looked at negatively, they immediately drop it and go back to their comfort zone of 40 year old G1 designs. That's what happened with Siege. They tried to introduce G1-esque Cybertronian designs with battle damage, both features were frowned upon, so they abandoned those and went back to 100% G1 with ZERO further paint detailing with Earthrise.

 

I'm trying to understand. You're upset that Soundwave transforms into Soundwave doing yoga, but you're also upset that he doesn't MORE resemble himself doing yoga?

 

For me, it’s not about the number of transformation steps, it’s about the end result. He doesn’t have to be a typical G1 rectangle, nor any of the other reductio ad absurdum arguments being put forth.

Here’s an example of an alien-but-identifiable Soundwave aircraft that can hold his minions and deploy them from a ventral bomb bay. I love this design.



I don’t need this toy to be a strict G1 homage, nor do I need it to be a clone of something that already exists, nor do I need it to have an Earth mode. I just want it to have a recognizable shape.

I like the design of Bumblebee Soundwave’s robot mode. If the robot has to be compromised for a vehicle mode, I’d prefer that vehicle to have a recognizable silhouette. Otherwise, skip it an give me an uncompromised robot.

This doesn’t, and that’s cool too. I don’t need to own every toy, and I’m happy for those who have differing standards and like this alt mode. Just means I won’t buy this version of this character, and may start seriously eyeing the non-transformable ThreeZero toy instead.

 

So what do you propose people do, then? Pretend they like something they don't like, and hold their tongues? Isn't the system working as intended if people offer honest feedback, it's seen, sales happen or don't, and then those dynamics are responded to accordingly? (Again keeping in mind that I actually dig this alt mode myself.)

 

Is it just me, or has there been a shift in the general consensus towards Cybertronian forms? Back in the days of Bayformers and Prime, a majority of fans seemed to hate all Cybertronian alternate forms, regardless of whether they could pass as a space vehicle; People always wrote them off as lazy. Suddenly, now everything's GeeWun, the response is always "the alternate mode doesn't matter, as long as the robot looks good", even when Hasbro shits out something as unidentifiable as whatever this alternate form is meant to be.

 

Recognizable silhouette as in have same aesthetics of an earth jet but in different color scheme? Why would an alien aircraft has to have the same features as the Earth counterparts. The one you posted is an amazing figure but it definitely didn't go for an alien aircraft, or didn't go far ENOUGH

It's one thing to dislike something because it's BAD, it's another to dislike because it's different and it's not what it used to be or it's out-of-the-norm.

 

And that’s your opinion. And that’s fine, as I keep reiterating. I’m not here to rain on your circus, but folks keep asking why some of us don’t like this alt mode, so I’m offering my perspective.

Hasbro gets a sale out of you, and ThreeZero may get one from me instead.

 

given the small amount of time between Siege and Earthrise, and how long it takes to develop these toylines (as well as some Earthrise figures still having battle damage), I'm pretty sure Earthrise moving to Earth modes without battle damage had nothing to do with any fan complaints or anything like that

 

It has a recognizable shape it's the original Tapedeck but flying and Cybertronian.



It's starting to get outrageous, how people are treating his alt mode.

 

It's like you forget he has BBM Soundwave as his bot mode. I think a lot of people have a real closed mind on what a "alien" Spacecraft might look like.

 

Most of these are cool - They have an immediately recognizable front and back, and wing-bits that imply flight. Not all to my specific tastes, but a kid looking at the back of the box would immediately recognize most of them as “an aircraft.” Thank you for posting better examples of what they could have accomplished.

 

Soundwave transforms into a crab. Cool

 

They clearly phoned it in on Soundswaves Alt.

 

I would call myself a fairly open minded Transformers fan, so long as the figure respects the source material it's referencing. Siege Soundwave, while transforming into a "space barge", did look like an alien spacecraft of some sort. Thrusters, cockpit, landing gear...I can see it.

SS83 Soundwave does not have an alt mode. I'm seeing "speeder" being thrown around but good god that thing needs wheels. Brawn, Cliffjumper, Ratchet, Wheeljack, Bumblebee, Starscream, and Thrust all have Cybertronian mode figures in the SS line, and none of them look like just an amorphous pile of polygons. Transformers need to transform into something.

 

And what's bad or not is completely subjective and acting like people are in the wrong for thinking this is bad is dumb.

 

They just need wide wings to make a space manta ray, and it’ll look like a UFO on steroids. I think those ports would love a nice addon.

 

The point is that Alien can be many things, but I'm glad they didn't use your standard he would have had to have a lot of kibble to be pointy, because that's all you people really want... Another Seeker. But this is Soundwave he's always been boxy in alt mode

Opens by saying he has an open mind, closes by demonstrating how closed it really is

 

Butthurt fan adding absolutely nothing to the conversation.

Opinion stands. SS83 Soundwave transforms into...nothing. No discernible alt mode whatsoever, not even if I squint. A blue mess.