How "popular" was Aternators really? Sure, there were some enthusiasts back in the day (I was one of them!), but the line also had its share of naysayers ("All we get is cars, cars, cars!", "Too many versions of Smokescreen!", "this toy isn't faithful enough to G1!"), and look at what happened:
- In the US, Walmart stopped stocking the line entirely after a year or so, promting Hasbro to relaunch the assortment just so Walmart would pick it up again. Then after a few more figures, it was relegated to store and convention exclusives only, with two toys originally intended for general retail ending up as Walmart exclusives and several more getting canceled entirely.
- In Canada, the line stopped being distributed entirely after the first few waves and didn't emerge again until shortly before the assortment relaunch, with a bunch of previously-unreleased-in-Canada figures being sold at instant discount prices.
- Takara tried to cater to a new target audience with the short-lived "Binaltech Asterisk" subline, then put Binaltech on "indefinite hold" entirely even though Hasbro's line was still continuing at that point, then shoved several planned toys into that weird-ass "Kiss Players" line that was even more specifically tailored to the interests of the target audience of "Binaltech Asterisk", then brought back "Binaltech" for two exclusives and then four more retail releases, all of them redecos, eventually ending "Binaltech" without ever releasing the last two new Alternators toolings.

Nobody believed me back then when I repeatedly brought up the possibility of both Alternators and Binaltech struggling at retail, but looking back, it doesn't look like a particularly healthy line of steady sellers.

 

Didn’t alternators do so bad botcon canceled the alternators boxset they had planned for the 07 convention and went with the classics set instead?

For anyone who wants to know who would have been in that alternators boxset.

Galvatron from wheeljack
Cyclonus from mirage
Rodimus from mirage as well (who got released by hasbro anyways as a sdcc exclusive)
Ultra Magnus from Optimus

 

Is it a Jojo reference?

I think the Alternators set fell through because it would have been a licensing nightmare.

 

It's the Trax head and weapon, they just didn't give it the right body or alt mode.

 

I commented on the Hasbro pluses Instagram post with the official pics. Thing is development is too far ahead for them to change it, but at least out confusion can be registered.

 

Great examples if why I hate the Bayverse right there, straight up monsters.

 

crankcase hurts my soul

 

Chest on SS Barry looks fake. It's a single sculpted piece. MPM chest actually transforms out of car parts.

 

This.

Camaro* Learn to spell something so well connected to this universe.

 

Yeah, I'd like the JeepBee too. Could be damn fun figure.

However...

I'm afraid that Hasbro would again try making it on a TLK Wave 3/Camaro/WV Bee transformation scheme...

 

Very interesting altmode for a transformer but terrible for Bumblebee. I like vintage altmodes, and I like weird eccentric hardware, so I wish I could applaud this without reservation.

The overall figure feels very much like a rehash, I'm sure they've used this transformation with minor variation a few times. Reminds me of something, maybe a Ratchet figure from one of the animated series.

The chest sculpt is very flat and has wing mirrors that are non-existant in the altmode. As expected, rear view is pathetic. Interesting choices, but try harder next time. Not up to the standard they've set with other studio series figures.

 

when demolishor is red instead of white, thats ok, rampage/skipjack yellow, nemesis prime or scourge who cares they look the same even if they are complete different charcters you name them however you want, different names for characters because, tradedmarks and whatnot...still cool, several g1 white convoys named optimus instead of magnus, thats ok, the eternal debate about firrib...its oke that depends on where you first knew them from, vehicon repaint from crankase even though is just a black and blue :v crankase....we didnt get any proper vehicon so...nice, metallic red rotf swerve renamed sideswipe....bring the g1 flavor, arcee/chromia/elita-one, whatever is not like any of them were accurate to the movie colors or design to begin with...

but a crowbar repaint as crankase?.... EFF OFF

new ones i just realized
since there is a desert camo tank dude in dotm, desert brawl should not be named brawl, or for that matter, the other way around, the green one was DEVASTATOR in 2007

 

Sideswipe is drop dead gorgeous.

 

So I guess no more reveals.

 

Are you for real right now? We literally JUST had one. How impatient are you? Christ

 

It does look fake. I’m hoping it’s not, the headlights and grill could still be legit, with the “bent hood” being a faux piece. Those headlights need paint tho.

 

You’re right. I watched it again and the initial transformation is Mercedes, but his final looks like it would have been something else altogether. There is a big truck in the background. I wonder.

 

So this is like Star Wars Black Edition now - they're just calling EVERY deluxe figure a Studio Series even if the engineering is not the least bit inspired.

 

So far, Sideswipe and barricade are off my wish list. Now if they could make Soundwave.

 

More Sideswipe is always welcome!.. Now if only they could figure out how to write him back into the franchise if TF6 actually continues the Bayverse... 

and more...Bumblebee.... they should have gone with the clunker look for his first Studio figure since it\'s the same mold, AGAIN. but the WWII Bee you can see is a turtle, literally.