I'm not sure if this question has been brought up in discussion yet but it's something I've been puzzled about. I don't really get why Hasbro would want to invest in two separate ROTB lines which both contain the basic classes (deluxe, voyager, leader, etc) instead of primarily focusing the budget on one. Fans, especially those who want the best version of said character, will always go for the Studio Series figure over the mainline when scanning the shelves.

I do have my inquiries though as the mainline potentially exists as a means to make a profit on figures which were made very earlier on in production based on outdated designs whereas Studio Series will provide updates to certain characters that were changed. Would probably explain cases like Airazor for example. I would imagine making money on the scraps instead of throwing them away is the better business alternative.


If anyone could shed some light or check me, I'd appreciate it!

 

Kids vs Adults.

 

I thought they mentioned something about this during the fanstream or round table a few days ago. The RotB Mainline was supposed to be released along with the movie's original date last summer. The movie got delayed a year as did the mainline which now aligns with when they were expecting to release RotB Studio Series figures.

 

The ROTB mainline is meant for younger fans while Studio Series is meant for older collectors.

 

Aren’t the more gimmick based and less complex toys more in that demographic? The mainline, maybe not as involved and definitely not as accurate, are still standard Transformers figures like the Studio Series. That’s what confuses me

 

The mainline will be for the general audiences, so kids can pick 'em up and really enjoy them without pulling their hair out. SS will be for the much older kids (teens) and adult collectors who can handle the extra steps required to transform them.

If you saw the video of Prime's transformation, and the instruction sheet for Rhinox, you'll know these are straight and to the point, simple figures by comparison. Still look the part and basically get the job done. SS will be mini-Masterpieces at an affordable budget. They really want to rope kids into this, it seems.

 

Kids/general audience vs older kids/collectors

The delay of the movie didn’t help, causing both lines to release in the same year, same time.

 

Yup. Mainline is for them, SS is for us.

 

RotB was originally supposed to come out in 2022, which was when the mainline was supposed to release too. The SS figures would come out a year after, in 2023. But since the movie got delayed, so did the mainline. Now both the mainline and SS are releasing at the same time.

 

Kids aren't exclusively one demographic of interests.

By that logic things like RID15 Warriors and Cyberverse Deluxes shouldn't have existed.

The true answer. These lines weren't originally intended to overlap.

 

I’m an adult looking forward to the mainline Rotb. Think they better fit in with kingdom and legacy on my shelves. I’m not a big SS collector anymore. Purchases lately were just from the bumblebee movie (they also mesh better with generations line collection).

 

Imagine if Earthspark got a theatrical release; then there would have to be Studio Series Earthspark.

 

Imagine if kiss players got a theatrical release

 

Imagine the salt

 

The purpose of the Rise of the Beasts mainline and Studio Series line is to sell toys to retailers and customers and, by doing so, make Hasbro money.

 

I'm glad Mainline exists, I perfer the Airazor and Cheetor Aestheticly. Granted the SS Cheetor looks great so I'll pick him up. Options are good.

 

Apart from SS's lip service to scale, the Deluxe figures aren't far off. Honestly, I'd be more interested in Earthspark SS than Bayverse or SS86.

 

I’m seeing comments that says the mainline is for kids and is generally simpler. So I myself need clarification: what is the “mainline”?

I have been thinking the “mainline” is what we would call the general CHUG / Generations line. The line that was Siege, ER, and is now Legacy. The figures in these lines don’t (generally) seem any more simpler than Studio Series.

 

The mainline is the toyline for and about ROTB. And they are a little simpler mainly in detail - being more in lines with generation than SS movie detailing.