Some people say yes. Walky sas no.

I'm inclined to put my money on Walky.

 

Isn't Energon Grimlock/Swoop a prime example of a Hasbro designed toy?

 

The toys are designed by magic elves..

 

I believe in evolution. No one makes Transformers. They just evolve from lumps of colored plastic.

 

i believe Takara design SOME Transformers and they make our way to us. as for other designs like the Energon Grimlock/Swoop combo thats all Hasbro's lame effort

 

There's no "believe" about it. Hasbro and Takara reps have both described the way it is done. It is indeed the way Walky reports. End of story

 

I know now that most items designed are a collaboration between the two.

 

Hasn't it been stated that its a collaboration by the two, numerous times, on these very boards? (among other places) In fact, back in the day, didn't Orson even say its a collaboration?

 

energon grimlock and swoop was helped along by takara too.

just not as much as everything else.

 

I thought the Grimlock and Swoop 2-pack was designed by an outside source?

 

Well for Energon Grimlock and Swoop, Don designed the set, but IMO they kinda got lost in translation when turned into plastic. >.<

http://www.tfmaster.com/reviews_energon_grimlock_swoop.php

As for toy designs, I always thought it was a back and forth process between Hasbro and Takara.

 

And they're quite wonderful!

... well, Grimlock is., and just ignore than combined form.

 

Doesn't it depend on the line though? Weren't most if not all of the original molds from BW2, BW Neo and Car Robots all Takara?

 

american, japanese... all transformers made in TAIWAN!

 

There are people (particularly with an anime background) who insist that ALL Transformers toys are EXCLUSIVELY designed in Japan. Everything else you hear is just "Hasbro propaganda". I can dig up the thread at the Toybox DX boards if you want.

 

CHINA not Taiwan!!! 

 

Ah! So, that krinkling sound I've been hearing is those people tightening up their tinfoil hats.

Conspiracy theorists amuse me.  

 

Sounds like an easy question, but damn what a thinker.
So just going to look at it in the rawest form


Takara -" Check out my Diaclones beeyatch!"

Hasbro "Holy crap those are cool, can we sell them too?"

Takara " Sure but sign this contract first will ya! This is our idea and it's going to stay that way"

Hasbro " That's cool, we'll make those Gobots bow too us! *evil laugh*


{ over 20 years later }


Takara- "Check out my Galaxy Force mothafukka!"

Hasbro "Awesome, it's going to be a good year for us again I see!"

Takara "Damn straight"

Hasbro- "Can we design some ourselves please o please??"

Takara - *looks at Energon rimlock & Swop*
"Hell no you can't, remember those?!"


...and you wonder why Hasbro does so many repaints, becasue it's probably about all they can do...

Actually, I have no idea

 

Takara has designed some Transformers on their own. However, even with the toys borrowed from Diaclones, they're only TransFormers after Hasbro gave them new paint jobs. After that, most of G1 had Hasbro input. If it didn't, we would have had a black-and-white Autobot Astrotrain! Id be surprised if any of the Japanese-exclusive lines aren't strictly Takara, but you never know, I guess. At the very least, not all of Beast Wars II was strictly Takara. I get the impression that the main Beast Wars line was largely Hasbro-designed (or Kenner, which was a subdivision of Hasbro by then anyway), and almost all of the BWII cast is made up of US Beast Wars toys that never made it onto the show, plus a handful of repaints from G2.

Besides, if only Takara designed TransFormers, then how do you explain Beast Machines?  

 

Now you got me wondering how well Hasbro & Takara were getting along during the BM days.