Marvel figures have shifted most of their focus from 6" figures to 3 3/4", and several of the recent summer movie lines (for example, Terminator and Star Trek this year, Speed Racer and Hulk last year) have also opted to have figures in this scale. With the cost per figure rising, might Transformers go this route in the future as well? Food for thought, I guess.
I'm more disturbed by the price increased than the reduction of the size! A deluxe universe went from $9.99 to $12.89!!
As in, nothing BUT Legends Class toys? That would be sad. (Not to mention can't really see it happening for TFs really).
but we always have lots of deluxes, few voyagers, and anything more then voyager is a limited to 2 or 3... already? isn't that how it always is? lol i mean even with beast wars, cybertron, and other lines i have FAR more deluxes, then i have voyagers. i think the balance between the size classes is just fine the way it is. though they DO need to be a little more choosy on which tf's get to be which size. we do not need any more "i want leader blackout" toy threads...
doubtful. the savings from reduced materials needed will either be more than offset by increased engineering/design costs to miniaturize complex transformations while still providing adequate articulation and resisting excessive force or parents and kids stop buying them because they become too difficult to transform if they're that small. the alternative would be to have very simple transformations, but then you start loosing the ingenuity that's unique to the Transformers brand because you start sacrificing design and functionality to make it miniature (compared to what it is now).
Apples and Oranges. Tranformers have always come in multiple size classes. The more succesful ranges get the most figures. Deluxes, followed by scouts, then voyagers. Going by the last 3 main lines (Cybertron, movie 1, Animated). On average a line will have 20 deluxes and 10 voyagers, if theres scouts (or a similar priced range like activators) 15, ultras 6. One reason that TF's can stay succesful at larger sizes and superheroes can't is (IMO) percieved bang for buck. A $17 deluxe transformer "does more" than a $15 superhero figure. It goes from some kind of vehicle to a robot, has some sort of action feature in one or both modes, and forces the owner to use his brain while playing. Superhero figures can't touch that no matter how much clip on armour, missile launchers, squeeze legs to make him punch action, has part for larger/fancier figure they stuff in to one. No on your othe examples. ML* had serious problems that it's fans flat refuse to see or understand. That superheroes, that is comic based ones, are a niche market (and those does so very well at mass retail). Populated by teens and adults who read, or have read, the comics. When it switched from Toybiz to Hasbro, the line left Hasbro with a bunch of problems that Toybiz would've had to deal with eventually. Rising production costs, multi-dipping on the top tier characters, attracting new buyers. So Hasbro just called do-over and started the line with a scale they work well in. Is cheaper for them to produce. That many of the comic superhero fans would eventually come around too (plastic crack dealers know their junkies well ). And that parents might buy for their kids. The Hulk movie line was an odd beast. Technically it was 1/18th scale but it ended up being sold at 1:10th scale packaging and price. Terminator and Star Trek are available in 3 size classes concurrently, 1/18th, 1/10th, 1/6th. An attempt by playmates to cast their nets as far as possible. Kids (well parents) will go for the 1/18th scale, and the adults more for the 1/10th and 1/6th. Speed Racers was about vehicles. And from cost/benefit perspective the smaller the figures the more vehicles. *If anything I say about ML comes off dripping with venom and anger it's because I've had to deal with a LOT of block-headed ML fans at Superhero hype. And controlling my frustration is no longer possible. If you like ML it's not directed at you, sorry like if it seems like it is.
I'd rather have them more in scale or as close as can be for a toy. Example: ROTF small guys in the movie scout, cars deluxe, trucks voyager, anything larger than a truck should be leader. Yes, that would mean there would be more of the leaders which are spendy but if you wanted em you'd buy em anyway, right?
most of the tf-figures RISES in size, look at rotf fallen, he has leader size, rampage (deluxe) has voyagersize and its not the scale, it's the weight of the toy which is neccasary for the classment
I thought they'd scale down returning transformers for the ROTF line to avoid reptition, but that doesn't seem to be happening yet. It'd solve some scale problems. I mean since we're unlikely to get a larger Bonecrusher mold, it'd be handy to have a deluxe Optimus for him to go head to head with.
I think going down to 4" worked for Marvel because Hasbro already has a lot of success with 4" figures in their GI Joe and Star Wars line. A mix that works in that scale of both sculpting and articulation so it made seance to scale down Marvel. Hasbro likes vehicles and playsets which are also easier to do for Marvel if they are only 4" because they could always recycle those molds into GI Joe or Star Wars stuff later saving money. Transformers though don't need any vehicles because the robots turn into vehicles. Plus I think we'd lose so much articulation that anything smaller than Deluxe sized wouldn't be as much fun to own. Although I could see them doing more Deluxe sizes and fewer large sizes in the future since the Deluxe figures seem to just fly off the shelves but it takes a while for the larger figures to move.
ah I would totally be against this, yes I usually stay between legends and Deluxe, ever now and again a Voyager, not really due to price issues, just because some smaller Transformers have a better transformation. The super large Transformers do not always have great transformations. But I know that the multiple sizes fuel the line, those Marvel figures are crazy, still love the Super Hero Squad, but the little Iron men ahh, I paid 1-2 more dollars during the Iron man movie for a much larger figure just a few months ago. Some don’t even have decent accessories, and well, they are very small, also the figures I wanted the small Monster In My Pocket Figures they showed were very neat, but I have seen them no where.
I could live with all future TF figures only being Deluxe size. That's the size I mostly buy anyway. And you can get some pretty complicated figures at that size. Actually, the bigger a TF gets these days the less complicated they are. Seems wrong somehow.
Hmmm I think current voyager class is a nice balance. Some altmodes such as airplanes sometimes lose detail in Deluxe class. ROTF Leader Class - with the exception of OP - is a disaster, especially the electronic gizmos forced in there, often compromise decent engineering.
