Sigh, here we go again. There are two reasons why things tend to get skipped over:

1. Retailers aren't interested.

2. Hasbro's US arm decides what Hasbro Europe, as a whole, get. If a particular wave is popular Stateside, Hasbro US will reduce the amount they let Europe have, or even keep them for their domestic market (eg ROTF Long Haul).

 

Well, I guess I better hope Kapow gets restocks in of generations from america. Their pre orders are full.  

Glad that RTS is coming out over here (not expecting it to last long though - and I'm half expecting it too to be cancelled).

I wonder if the success of stealth force in the uk (and the failure of main line action figures) is down to something I overheared in Tesco the other day. A woman refused point blank to buy her son any transformers, only the stealth force because (it doesn't break first time). Naturally i smirked at the time, and reached past her to grab the toys she'd just belittled, but now I'm wondering - do many parents have such a dim view of their childrens toys? Are the toys overcomplicated (as in, is satisfying an adult audience now damaging the primary users enjoyment of the toy)? How do these lines sell successfully in america and not here? What are the differences in the public opinions? Are british children clumsy idiots? Are the parents ignorant of their childrens opinions and thoughts?

Possibly a little deeper than it should be, but it's got me thinking about things.

 

hooray uk RTS *waits for high five* but it's a shame about generations   (almost worse than no human alliance news  ) but replacing transformers with cars with flip out weapons? they have gone way too far

 

I often look at some of my Transformers and wonder how long they survive with their intended audience playing with them. I'd imagine Battle Blade Bumblebee wouldn't last too long with most kids. Having said that though, those Stealth Force things haven't exactly been flying off the shelves round these parts, whereas the actual Transformers seem to shift quite nicely.

 

oops double post   so there saying "we have generations which is really popular but since stealth force is getting no buyers we'll send them stealth force instead of generations"

so basically we're always 2nd class to america  

 

I can see Creaky's point about some parents being wary of buying some TFs due to their "fragility"; which may go some way to explain why Hasbro came up with the monster brick parts-former that was RoTF Devastator. But to push Stealth Force / Speed Stars over the main TF line does seem a bit like putting the cart before the horse....

UJ

 

Interesting, round here I've noticed the stealth force section always changing (now there's nothing but soundwaves), wheras the actual transformers always seem to shelf warm like mad.

Maybe it's regional, I know up north there's a reputation that were tight fisted gits with our money, perhaps there's a ring of truth to it.

 

Good consolation I guess...

 

It could well have turned out like that for all we know - a lot of the anger directed at Hasbro UK over distribution issues is often misguided. After all, how can Hasbro offer HFTD Deluxe Wave 3 to retailers if they haven't even been given any?

 

Definitely *not* PCC 5 Packs Wave 5:

Tescos & TRU have both had Wave 2 PCC.

 

I found PCC Wave 2 in John Lewis at the weekend too.

 

PCC wave 2 hasnt been offered to independent retailers   TRU and Tesco both source stock from outside of the UK which tells you all you need to know about the supply offered domestically

 

Oh that opens up the possibility of some major embarassment in a few months then  

 

But stealth force are transformers. They do transform, just not to robots.

 

How come ?

I know TRU source some stock from a large company in london which specialises in board games.

 

Thank god RTS will have generations toys in it. not just jazz and tracks but Perceptor and laser prime are in the assortment. I just hope more new toys we've seen are RTS now just so theres a slim chance we'll get them.

sucks not being able to cheaply armybuild sweeps here though.

we do know that Hasbro US controls what we get now though since they decide what stock we get and the uk is basically a warehouse. (see hasbro's response to spastic and stunticons)

It would be nice too see a full line here at some point but with the new movie next year i can guarantee a lot of the toys we want will have to be imported.

 

Step 1: Hasbro UK scrub a wave.

Step 2: Righteous indignation from 'true fans' who can't or wont take
measures to ensure they get said items from an alternate source.

Step 3: Go back to step 1.

*repeat indefinitely*

 

Why does Hasbro UK ripoff the fans who would rather want Generations.

I mean Speed Stars/Stealth Force or whatever it is are so lame.

 

Hasbro UK refuse to supply the PCC Stunticon sets.

"A retailer" buys them in through another channel.

It turns up on the shelves here with the US name on the packaging......

Yeah, that'd go well.

 

Thanks for the info Andy.
Good to know that RTS is coming out here, but by then most collectors will already have them. And no more HFTD is a real shame; Stealth Force, although vaguely interesting, isn't something I'd ever buy.
Time to start buying exclusively online, methinks. If retailers don't want my money, they won't get it.