Which kid-friendly requirement in TF toys do you hate the most?

Discussion in 'Transformers General Discussion' started by Smokescreen38, Dec 23, 2005.

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Which kid-friendly requirement in TF toys do you hate the most?

  1. Simplified transformations (Adult TFs like Alts are more sophistocated)

    2 vote(s)
    22.2%
  2. Choking hazard considerations (missles, etc)

    2 vote(s)
    22.2%
  3. Drop test requirements (limits styles, size, joint types, etc)

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  4. Garish kid distracting/contrast filled color schemes

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  5. Forced play patterns (gimmicks)

    3 vote(s)
    33.3%
  6. Emulation of other popular kid lines (like E-Prime's resemblence to Power Rangers)

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  7. Character paradigms (the assumption that kids only understand certain formulaic character roles)

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  8. Restrictions on projectile power, restrictions on pointy things

    2 vote(s)
    22.2%
  9. That "fresh from the womb" feeling

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
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  1. Smokescreen38

    Smokescreen38 Fight fire with smoke!

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    Which kid-friendly requirement in TF toys do you hate the most?
     
  2. Cheebs

    Cheebs Well-Known Member

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    The "line-wide gimmick" requirement. The current key thing is beyond stupid.

    But the toys are still good anyway. I really can't complain about anything else either. The designers really do a great job overall considering the guidelines they have to work within.
     
  3. SPLIT LIP

    SPLIT LIP Be strong enough to be gentle

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    I voted the no more pointy things, thanks to that wing sabre is just wing_____ with no swords
     
  4. Liokaiser_bf

    Liokaiser_bf Kaiju-bot

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    Needs an all of the above really. or a multi-choice, I could ramble on but whichever one covers why they shorten the smokestacks on the GI Prime & Magnus reissues. The idea we always need a Optimus & a Megatron, I would like to see like in Japan, it is a convoy but he has a different name in front. Guess one reason I liked Rodimus a little.
     
  5. Queen Dork

    Queen Dork Banned

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    if i had to vote it would be on all of em....just my opinion here but when i see a parent buying there kid a tf i cringe and pity the poor autobot or decepticon who within a period of 3 days will be broken and missing all of there weapons :stick: 

    silly kid tfs are for adults :rock 
     
  6. Smokescreen38

    Smokescreen38 Fight fire with smoke!

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    Come on, folks... just pick the one you hate the MOST! :D 

    I listed these because they all irk me from time to time..but I picked the one that I think comes up most often, or is most offensive.
     
  7. GALVATOM

    GALVATOM Better off Pred

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    I voted on th one gimmik thing. There is no need for it really. The fact that a toy can transform in to another toy should be appealing enough to children. Beast Wars was successful!

    I also wanted to vote on the fact that there are no sharp edges aloud and weapons are mada out of rubber that gets on my nerves.

    I really don't think the transformations are simple at all! Watch a 5 year old kid try to transform Cybertron Megatron, they can't do it. My 12 year old sister transformed LoC Hotshot wrong for crying out loud, even after I walked her through it and showed her instructions.

    Missiles and Projectiles do not bother me at all. I do not fire them and I would be happy with guns like you get with Alts that don't fire anything. I suppose the fact that it is appealing to kids is good and Hasbro can keep doing it as far as I care. Pretty soon though safetey rules will tighten up and the projectiles will be made of foam :lol 
     
  8. Neomarsala

    Neomarsala Transform and Roll Out

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    I voted for the gimmick thing. However, it's not the idea of gimmicks that I don't like, it's when every toy has the same one. I'd like to see some more variety in the gimmicks. One of the things I think made G1 so interesting was the various subgroups of TFs.

    I think variety would help the show too. A variety of gimmicks, especially if not all the characters had a gimmick, would help prevent the gimmicks from being a central part of the show. Also, having some characters without gimmicks would make those that do seem more special.

    I'm also not crazy about the current requirement that Prime has to have a super mode and combine with other TFs. I guess the current Prime's Supermode is ok, because it really is just Prime with some extra weapons and stuff, rather than a whole different form.
     
  9. Cruellock

    Cruellock Disney Villain

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    Character paradigms, I hate its I does. I haven't watched any of the shows since Beast Wars. I HATE human characters. Always have, always will. When I was a kid, I didn't like Spike at all. When we played Transformers at recess, NO ONE ever wanted to be Spike or a human character.

    They simply don't need to add humans to the show so kids have someone to relate to, it's just plain stupid.
     
  10. Neomarsala

    Neomarsala Transform and Roll Out

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    I do think that having kids hanging out with the TFs is kind of dumb, but if the TFs are on Earth then there really should be some humans of some sort. It be nice if they could befriend some humans that are more useful and less goofy than kids.
     
  11. Dio

    Dio Well-Known Member

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    I voted Gimmicks, but hesitantly - it's more the "corners cut" with regard to gimmicks that I can't stand, like a hideous half-assed powerlink shirt mode just so a character can do it, or a transformation that DEPENDS on inserting a mini-con, etc.

    The current line I have no problem with whatsoever, because they can build a key-release mechanism into a relatively small part of the toy (even into a gun accessory) and it doesn't detract from the overall experience. But they realized with this one - not every character has to fold himself inside out over a Force Chip, so they've had a much better design available for most of the characters. Same thing goes for electronics being removed and making room for the toy itself to do cool stuff - so long as the gimmick's out of the way, it's just fine.
     
  12. Queen Dork

    Queen Dork Banned

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    i voted for choking hazards......i was never dumb enough to try to eat primes gun.was anyone else?
     
  13. rattrap007

    rattrap007 One meme mutha f’er TFW2005 Supporter

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    I voted pointy things because i see it being part of the choking hazzard bit. thus we have more blunt objects. So mine was a two for one. This would be closly followed by garish colors. I hate when a good toy is ruined by making him ugly neon colors and such. I don't mind a slightly simplified transformation, but when it is an auto-transformation like Override or the first BW basics, then i get cheesed.

    Gimmicks I really don't mind actually. Only when you loose the parts to them does it become a problem. I actually like the gimmicks. Armada was neat because of the minicons. They were cool little robots that were neat on their own but could also activate special features on the larger robots. Energon you could take two bots of same size and make a bigger bot. Cybertron. Cool robot and then you activate the key switch and a special weapon pops out. I see it as adding playability to the toy. Plus a lot of the features are hid nicely so you don't really know they are there.

    The drop test doesn't bother me much. Only thing ti is really preventing us from getting is a Fort Max reissue. I can live with out it frankly.
     
  14. Lance Halberd

    Lance Halberd oh hai

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    Were it not for the choking hazard considerations, the drop-test requirements, and the poke-your-eye-out/accidental blinding by projectile and pointy bits considerations, Transformers could very well meet the same fate as Lawn Darts.

    And we wouldn't want that now, would we?
     
  15. Darth Fitch

    Darth Fitch Herald of Golobulus

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    I voted... Drop test kept me from getting a re-issued Fortress Maximus!
    I also despise the poor "choking hazard" excuse.

    I disagree with simplified transformations. I like 'em easy too.
     
  16. Backscatter

    Backscatter Autobot Brainmaster TFW2005 Supporter

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    I voted the same way. What right-age child would be dumb enough to snap off 20th Optimus Prime's smoke stacks and then try to eat it? (I replaced 20th Prime's stacks with some metal versions anyway.) Are Japanese children smarter that those in the West? Maybe, but a child old enough to luckily receive a 20th Prime wouldn't try to eat it. If the kid were that stupid, he/she will grow up and perhaps have a lot of stupid kids. Soon, everyone will be stupid and dumb. YAAAAHHH! :lol 
     
  17. Aernaroth

    Aernaroth <b><font color=blue>I voted for Super_Megatron and Veteran

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    I think Hasbro goes over the top with child safety requirements, but hey, that's their company image, and their choice.

    As for what irritates me the most, I have to say the projectile power / sharp edges thing. I remember back in the day having missiles the size of a cigar that could fire clear across the room, and little tiny ones that probably could have taken out an eye. I miss that element of danger. :p 
     
  18. Greyryder

    Greyryder Kitbashed

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    Not all of the choking hazard stuff can be blamed on Hasbro. This country has some downright draconian toy safety laws. Some kid chokes on a Colonial Viper missile, and the rest of us have to suffer. It used to be if you were dumb enough to shoot a missile down your throat, you didn't survive untill adulthood, and therefore couldn't pass on your stupidity to the next generation.

    Line wide gimmiks are what annoys me the most. Energon had so many toys that could have been so cool, if they hadn't had to have that stupid gimmick. At least only one faction was crippled by it.

    As someone else said, I'm not fond of Prime having to have a supermode, either. Cyb Prime's supermode isn't too bad, but Prime never needed a supermode. All he needed was his mind, and his rifle. A babysitter for Hot Rod would have been usefull, though.
     
  19. Ramberk Magnus

    Ramberk Magnus Well-Known Member

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    Sig worthy quote! HA!

    My 2 cents. I put down gimmicks as worst offender. And to my surprise, I used to complain about easy transformations but after Binaltech/Alternators, I want easy transformations. Not to the level that we had in G1. But more like BT Prowl, Skids and Tracks like easy transformations. I love/hate BT Grimlock because of his difficulty.
     
  20. RandomFerret

    RandomFerret Fuzzy Forever

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    Definitely the drop test requirements. They're the reason for the short stacks, rubber wings and off-limits reissues that we all hate.
     
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