Hey HASBRO- take a page from the Skylader's playbook (or partner up with them somehow)

Create an electronic foundation (Spacebridge, Iacon, something) like Skylanders, and sell TF figures with some type of chip that can be recognized in the foundation- and tie it together with a game from High Moon.

Want more characters to play in a game? Buy them.

 

even though the skylanders are successful and that would be a good business practice for hasbro to pursue something like it. Such as with the primordia/inhumanoids license.

I'm not exactly enamored with skylanders as toys. Their RFID chips for the video game and they remember treasure you pick up. But their not really toys in the way Transformers are toys.

The game is always the focus with skylanders. The figures are your toolbox and you can display them as figurines on a shelf for sure but that's really as far as it goes in the play pattern.

just forceing this in will create a much higher cost for Transformers toys to have the chips that will likely have huge RFID backpacks. Even if their just robot heroes on little skylander like pedestals, I'm just not sure who that appeals to. Even robot heroes were a tough sell at $6.99 for two packs. Its definitely up to the quality of the Transformers video game these are for to sell it.
just saying that gimmick does not add to my enjoyment of traditional action figure robots.

I think hasbro is definitely moving with projects getting Transformers in the collectible video game perspective though.
like that smart phone/tablet digital card game Transformers legends.

What I would do is just have toy purchases come with points to spend on Transformers Universe or unlocking the battle gear that transformer came with in the game for your robot.

Their already doing it with the bot shots having points. And star wars clone wars adventures had rewards linked to the action figures as well. Though I think those were mostly just as starter kits.

 

Zero chance of me buying that

 

Maybe if toys came with bonus codes for dlc like foc

 

I wouldn't be at all surprised if they've considered something similar for the franchise at some point.

 

Maybe if they had stands with the chips, and sold them as basics to keep costs and sizes down.

 

No, please no.

 

As awesome as I think that would be I dont see it happening. Just too expensive and all the other reasons people gave. But the DLC with each figure for Universe is a great idea. Taking it a bit further, each figure comes with a one time only code(otherwise people like us would just post the codes online, defeating the purpose of the DLC) for that character in game. The deluxes could have just that character, Voyagers have the character and a weapons pack, and then leader figures would have the character, weapons, and an exclusive level.

 

This.  

 

Theyve already started testing the waters with figurine/ipad toys like their recent Spellshot line, but they're already behind Mattell in tying the technology to their core brands, either by choice or inaction. I suspect we'll be seeing something more along that line of thinking very soon.

 

I'm sure they'll try something like that at some point. But if it's just little figurines with chips in the bases I won't be buying them as that's not my thing. And if they put chip bases with normal transforming figures that result in the prices getting bumped even higher then I'd not buy those either. But then there's probably thousands of little kids that will buy those options so it'll more than make up for losing me as a customer.

 

Gamification is the future of mainstream action figures anyway.

 

This is probably true. And frankly, if it keeps action figures alive in the toy aisles I'm perfectly fine with it.

 

i wouldn't buy it, imo that stuff's a waste of money.

 

if this would be a thing, my life would be consumed by it.

 

Now that I know this isn't a crossover request, I'll add some input...

I think it is an idea that could definitely sell. Of course, it depends on the execution of the figures. Little plastic figures like the Attacktik games figures from a few years ago? Nope. No sell. Legends or Cyberverse Commander sized figures that actually transform? Yep. That'll work.

I personally wouldn't buy them just because I don't game nearly as much as I did even just a year ago. I could see this being a pretty profitable idea for Hasbro, though.

 

But this would ruin the franchise... FOREVER!

 

I don't game at all. I can't really afford to. But I'd still buy Skylanders type Transformers if they released them. I bought that Wappy Dog DS game for the robot dog that came with it and I don't even own a DS anymore. I'd do the same with Transformers.

 

If anything... I'm surprised there aren't more companies trying the Skylanders concept... namely from Nintendo, given the huuuuuuge library of Pokemon they already have... and how the games are still somewhat popular.

 

WEBDIVER by Takara did something similar. I don't know how well it went but based on that, would Hasbro/Takaratomy try it?