This has been something that happens in most collector's oriented toy lines, and not something specific to Transformers or Hasbro. That is, the character they chose to release for collector's oriented toy lines are either based on popularity, or quite convenient remold, or random unless they have to be very specific like Combiners.

What I meant is, there is little order in the way they are being release. Why are groups not release altogether, and in consistent size classes? This bugs me a lot.

For example, most are hoping for a Voyager class Snapdragon, but instead I hope they make a Titan Masters Snapdragon instead if they are not planning to release a Voyager class Apeface. If Apeface is a Titan Masters class, why should Snapdragon be a Voyager class? Consistency! They belong in a group, 1 should not be different from the other.

Why can't Waves be like:

Wave 1:

Supreme class: Omega Supreme

Leader class: Jetfire

Voyager class: Optimus Prime, and Megatron

Deluxe class: Bluestreak, Hound, Ironhide, and Starscream

Legends: Bumblebee, Brawn, Cliffjumper, Buzzsaw and Frenzy 2 pack

Wave 2:

Leader class: Reflector (due to gimmick)

Voyager class: Shockwave (Megatron remold), and Soundwave with Laserbeak

Deluxe class: Jazz, Mirage, Prowl, and Skywarp

Legends: Gears, Huffer, Windcharger, and Ravage and Rumble 2 pack

Something like that, until they finish the first year, then continue to the second year. That makes things very orderly and consistent. I see big improvements during the Combiner Wars, and Titan Returns toy lines though.

 

Short answer. Money. They do what they think will make them the most money.

People argue that they can make more money if they do things differently but no one can quantify and prove it.

P.S. I don't really see how your example is different from anything being done. What am I missing?

 

Because it's 2016, not 1984

 

If they did what you suggest, a large portion of the fandom would have "complete" collections of all the characters they are interested in within 2 or 3 years and then could stop buying. The last thing Hasbro wants is to give fans a finish line to aim for.

 

Very much this.
I think most fans (apart from the ones who want change for the sake of change and the ones who want IDW style i.o.w. G1 with shoulderpads) and allowing for differing opinions on who should be in what sizeclass want what you are suggesting - i know i do - but it's not what makes Hasbro most money.
What does make them most money is getting us a few imperfect figures one year, then other imperfect versions of those figures another year and so on making us guess at when they will do the complete team in the same way. This is why we still dont have a voyager Soundwave, Shockwave or Seekers, they want to keep the 84 guys by the collar having them buy other figures and letting them hope this time they will finish updating the 84 guys in the sizes they want. Same for the other years.
In fact its probably because they realise we are all getting older and arent going to keep collecting forever that we are getting figures like the CW teams and TR characters at all.

 

Lol I'd honestly frickin love it if they did it like this.

 

I love the current state of inconsistency then, I'm in no rush to complete my 1984 or 1985 cast and I love putting focus on the 1986 and beyond cast right now.

 

Well the one good thing about the inconsistency is that I have more time raise money for the stuff I want. If they released everything I wanted in large groups at once, then I'm not sure what I would do.

 

Technically there is a voyager soundwave, at least for those that have or dont mind having idw mixed with their collections. Foc soundwave can stand in this spot

 

No thanks, I really don't want that few Decepticons. I mean there was already that problem in Combiner Wars, I don't need that again.

 

One change I'd make in how Hasbro ships stuff off is, I'd have no new toys in the final wave (or two) of a line. How often have a lot of collectors missed out because stores never bothered to order the last couple waves, and there was an eagerly anticipated figure in that final batch? Not to mention Hasbro can't be making much money on any new molds in those largely-unbought waves.

I'd make the last wave or two mix and match repacks from earlier waves. Maybe some recolors to entice the store buyers, but no actual new characters. The final waves would be the perfect use for the "Stealth Bumblebee" style redeco - stuff that the kids might still like, but holds little interest for collectors, and there would be less engineering expense wasted for Hasbro.

 

I miss the good old days of no waves. Everything came out at once.
One main line.
No stylised aesthetics like the movie, Animated, Prime or Rescue Bots.

I'm so sick of Rescue Bots and RID clogging up the shelves. The Titans and Combiner Wars stuff actually seems to sell well where I live.

 

i have always thought releaseing 1 lot of new toys each quarter would be a good way to do it so roughtly every 12 weeks we get something new

 

If things were released that way we would ONLY get movie toys. Since the movies are what make hasbro the most money.

Now for consistency, i'd like to see hasbro take Takara's approach. A small handful of new releases each month with a hard street date. Rather than a dozen or so "whenever the fuck walmart feels like it"

 

Technically we have that now, but different size classes come out at different times within the quarter and we are at the mercy of prior waves selling through and retail actually ordering and stocking

 

Y'know, you say that, but they've been consistent; all of the minibots done in the Legends scale, as were the Insecticons, all of the original 7 Headmasters were Deluxes.

It's not as random as you're making it out to be.

 

That's isn't the order of things. In simple terms, Hasbro doesn't decide ahead of time that wave X is the last wave. When stores stop ordering a line Hasbro cancels all future waves proposals and then whatever is currently in the manufacturing pipeline becomes the last wave.

 

I'd gotten the impression, at least with Generations, that Hasbro did plan a certain number of waves/figures - there weren't announced CW figures that didn't get released, although some were tougher to get than others. The explanation I've heard on occasion is that stores don't order the tail end of a line because they're already focusing on the next line. How true that is I can't say, of course.

All I'm saying is, if Hasbro does plan a certain number of molds for a line, then it makes sense to "front-load" the primary character(s) for said mold, rather than holding them back for the later waves that may not be picked up.

 

And I would like ALL future releases to be of the quality of TR Triggerhappy, come with a £100 rebate and a happy-ending from Penelope Cruz*

Get on that Hasbro.



* this could be any suitable bedtime story really, but happy endings preferred please.

 

So much this.

Also the happy ending thing.