Good is an exaggeration. It's serviceable, especially if you use the TR noggin and Shapeways adapter with it. In fact, the only reason I own it is because I knew of the adapter and saw the figure cheap at Retrocon. It was just a cheap way to give TR Nightbeat a body. On the plus side, at least the toy can actually be transformed, unlike the Goldbug version of the mold, which is one of the few toys I've simply thrown out because it was so bad. But OOTB I'd be fine with putting it in the "unanimously deemed utter garbage" category. It's actually not that big a group and mostly from the Universe era of CHUG, now that I think about it, so most of those toys already have at least one adequate do-over to choose from at this point.
From bankruptcy they can save it all ... Teen Titans! When stockholders are on the attack The CEO can rest knowing they've got his back ... `Cause when Hasbro needs heroes on patrol ... TEEN TITANS ... GO!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Neckbeards! Teenage Mutant Ninja Neckbeards! Teenage Mutant Ninja Neckbeards! Manchildren Never Like Things!!
YOU didn't need it. There's a good reason why improved versions are made - people want them. And what non-G1 (first or otherwise) always fail to recognize is that since WFC started nobody has been asking for redos. Prior to WFC the itch wasn't scratched, passable representations weren't good enough for the characters a generation loved growing up with. Now we have them. I'm not asking for redos - I will gladly buy SS'86 toys including redos but I am very focused on JG1, G2 and whatever new they synthesize. I would love a Raiden in Legacy even if it means Defensor gets backburnered. But that 'toon is less known and while the UT toys are great the show sucked. There's not a lot of people clamoring to relive the glory of the fiction from UT. Plus those toys still hold up pretty well, much more than older stuff.
Really? So people aren't demanding another G1 Optimus Prime right now? Or another Megatron because the latest one wasn't "show accurate" enough? People aren't demanding a new Ratchet because the ER version had issues? Which it did, but it was the 3rd or 4th attempt. How about giving another character a go? If anything, the demand for redos has increased since WFC. If a toy isn't absolute show accurate, you have a contingent that starts demanding another version. Quick release of an "improved" version is not only hoped for but expected. Demanded! Meanwhile, RiD, UT etc has gotten next to nothing, and late G1/JG1 characters are similarly pushed back while the phantom of "perfection" is chased for characters who have already had at least one or two versions to choose from. If you think that people aren't still asking for redos, you're not paying attention. Honestly, while I picked up Armada Starscream, I really wish he'd been a different UT character, because he's been done well before in T30. Maybe Demolishor or Cyclonus or Red Alert. He wasn't needed, either, but I bought the toy to encourage Hasbro to continue giving us good non-G1. But I was thrilled to get Override, and if I had the budget, I'd be getting Metroplex as well. There's enough range of characters in late G1/JG1, UT, etc. and even the few untouched early G1 characters that Hasbro could churn out an interesting variety of characters, alongside different incarnations of the mainstays (RiD Optimus, Cybertron Megatron, FOC Starscream etc.) for years rather than a dozen different very similar G1 Optimus Primes in 3 years. The laser focus on G1 (and making everything else G1ish) has made CHUG stagnant. Why is Hasbro so afraid of utilizing the full extent of the IP they've built up? Why keep pushing out incremental "upgrades" of the same incarnations of the characters when they could keep CHUG fresh? Some would pass on RiD and Armada stuff just like I'm passing on nearly all the current G1 offerings, but they'd attract the adults who grew with those versions. You really think a 25 year old who had Armada Prime as a kid wouldn't be as interested in HIS Optimus as we always are in the original? The idea that nostalgia ends at 1987 or 1991 or even 1996 is nonsensical and shortsighted. But that's Hasbro in a nutshell these days.
I'm sure Hasbro makes products that they know will sell, and I'm sure there character selections are more market research-based than, "this is what some guy said he wants on the internet." This thread has devolved into yet another "why doesn't Hasbro cater to my personal, specific product desires?" bitchfest.
I wish they would give us definitive versions of the G1 guys and just move on. They’ve accomplished that for some characters already, IMO…including the vast majority of the ‘84 - ‘86/‘87 characters. I think the best way to maximize overall happiness is to sprinkle them in with non-G1 releases. I agree that it’s time for RID01, UT, TFA, TFP, etc. to take center stage. But I feel there are a number of major G1 bots that still deserve better than what they’ve gotten (largely the combiner teams). I’d like to see them take on one G1 combiner team per year, or so, and fill 90% of the rest of the slots with figures from later iterations of the franchise.
"I want something besides already done G1 characters" is a "specific product desire"? Ok then ... I admit I get carried away, but I'm just so frustrated with the state of TFs from WFC on. But really, it's more like "Why won't Hasbro cater to anyone but one specific segment of the fandom?" Though admittedly they're taking some steps to move beyond that with Legacy. I'm thrilled to have good versions of non-G1, and disappointed by how much of Legacy is redos so far. And I'm including Armada Starscream in that. Nice as he is, he wasn't really necessary since the T30 figure was so great. I'm not demanding all non-G1; I'd just rather see G1 represented by characters that still need doing (either no CHUG toy at all or the "unanimously agreed as crap" list.) Is it really so much to ask that Hasbro stick G1 on the back burner for a while after 17 years of focus? Trickle out the remaining American G1 characters while giving everything else more attention.
Hasbro must use a trademark in commerce at least once every several years or they lose the trademark. *cough "autobot" ratchet* certainly not Ratchet and Clank. That's a benefit of updating G1 characters. It's a guaranteed sale, plus keeps trademark active.
I really have to envy PRIME fans and the like that practically got the perfect figures for their Transformers show of choice basically right out of the gate. As someone that grew up with G1, we're still barking up that tree some 40 years later. And the issue has never been the quantity of G1 product, but the quality. Give us definitive releases like you give a number of other Transformers shows then fine, close the book on G1 and do something else. But the issue is we only get the incremental upgrades. And the reason is obvious. Hasbro doesn't want to sell us a 100% definitive chug Prime. They want to sell us a new Prime every single year. For eternity. So they just keep on churning out tiny itty bitty incremental improvements without ever completely giving us what we want even though they totally could. And non G1 fans scream at us for hogging up most of the toy slots. Nobody is happy.
Exactly, like they could easily do G2, Machine Wars, RID, Armada, Energon, Cybertron, Animated, or TFP updates for Megatron instead of another G1 take.
More than characters selection if the quality issue. Not a secret that an amount of names is always constante in every Transformers series, adding some other characters but the quality, that is incredible low not just for the toys but series with the argument that they are “kid series”. Hope to see something good with the new movie but no doubt the brand is not the same. With the yellowing issue, the new toy events have no sense. Hasbro shows new toys and fans are asking in how many days they will be yellow? or if they will be yellow even right out of the box.
I would also argue that tank Megatron is not G1 Megatron, but War for Cybertron Trilogy Megatron. But that comment opens a can of worms so I won't make that comment.
