This, I really don't get. From what I've heard, Classics 2.0 is slated to be released in Fall 2008. And since Hasbro claims the movie line is doing so well, the Animated toys have also been pushed back to Fall 2008.

This makes no sense from a marketing point of view. Both lines are destined to be hard-hitters in the TF community and, quite frankly, I'm sick of seeing movie repaints just now. Animated has already debuted, so why not release the line now to coincide with the TV exposure? It should give us fans plenty of enjoyable new material and time enough to save up for Classics 2.0. Isn't that better than both lines competing against each other for our love and moolah?

 

Well...you said it already. Because the movie line is doing so well. And the idea that the "TF community" is significant enough for Hasbro to make major decisions around, like the release date of a line, has been pretty much debunked.

Hasbro's doing pretty well for themselves lately. I have a hard time believing that they'd do something without careful consideration.

So while I may not get it exactly--because like you, I'm not in marketing--I trust that their highly paid professionals do. So I'll buy the toys when they come out--whenever they come out--and enjoy 'em.

 

The way I see it, it's just following the tradition of having a main line and a subline running concurrently (even though previous efforts at a subline have been met with not so satisfactory results). Animated is the main line aimed more at the kids, while Classics is a subline aimed more at the adult fans. On paper they are targetting two different groups. Sure there are collectors, myself included, who would want to collect the animated line as well, but no matter whether we go after animated or classics, either way our money will reach Hasbro sooner or later. Furthermore there will still be quite a number of people who are just not into the Animated aesthetic, Classic is just right for them. With the two fold of approach of Animated and Classics, I'm thinking they are trying to keep fans of all ages happy (but there's always the handful you can never please)

 

Just trying to keep the (all) fans happy, dat's all.

 

That makes sense enough, but I do question the logic of debuting the Animated toyline so long after airing the show. Surely by the time the toys come out, the buzz will have died down somewhat?
Certainly, the market will still be there, but usually toylines are released in conjunction with, or just prior to, the media, aren't they?

 

where have we heard release dates from?

 

Just wait. That's what I'm doing. It's not like we'll never get them.

 

Fall is around the time that the rest of the world starts airing the dubs.
NO WAY the buzz will have died.

 

I'm already noticing the movie toys are going away and/or shrinking in their displays so I'd be surprised, even with the next generation of movie toys on deck, that they'd wait so long to put out the Animated figures.

Just watch, I bet it will get bumped up to Spring or Summer. Besides, what happens if the cartoon tanks? They'd be stuck with toys that won't sell.

Animated will be available sooner rather than later, IMO.

 

*TF the movie has been on the shelves for less than a year, and Hasbro likes an 18 month toy run per series.

*Classics and animated are not aimed at the same audiences so there is no reason to stagger them.

*I think you are overestimating the popularity of classics to the toy buying public. It is not meant to be a main toy line, just a support line like Robot heroes and Universe. They are going to have about 6 figures for classics and about 20 for animated upon release.

*What fans want enters into about ZERO of their plans on how and what to release to stores as we are not the core demographic and we make up a small part of the sales.

But I would be fine with the delay of cancellation of classics 2.0 if it meant more animated.

 

Spring is the best time for mostly repaints because toy sales are dead this time of year. And Animated will start in summer, not fall.

 

It doesnt really bother me as i think the animated toys are a complete and utter waste of time and money and a total insult to the history of transformers toys. So i'll only be buying classics 2 anyway. I just hope that classics doesn't get pushed aside by retailers in favor of the stupid animated toys...

 

That's quite the dream.

 

And to further clarify, as far as Hasbro is concerned the new "Classics" are "Universe" toys  

Another reason for having both lines is product variation. Back when Armada hit big, Universe was primarily geared around Beast Era toys, toys which were aesthetically different than those found in Armada.

I think we're seeing the same with Universe 2.0 and Animated. Animated will be the core line with Universe being the secondary which offers something a bit different for different tastes.

 

I recall people in 2002/2003 and 2006/2007 making the same kind comments about Armada and the Movie line being insults to Transformers and that both would tank badly, only for both lines to make those people look really, really stupid.

 

its simple ----- so we spend all our money on small plastic toys and nothing else! not even food or socialising!!!

 

I'm pretty impressed with the Animated show, but I dont like the cartoons so far, so I probably wont buy them. By having Classiverse on the shelf, Hasbro has a way to still get my money at the same time  

(realistically, that scenario doesnt matter because Armada was successful for making simple toys aimed at kids, and Animated follows the same formula. Plus I have no money to give Hasbro, but hopefully I will before summer begins)

 

You realize those are two mutually exclusive concepts, right?
You are pretty impressed with the Animated show, but you don't like the cartoons.
The Animated show is the cartoons.

 

oops, meant "dont like the toys" obviously

 

I never said the animated toys would tank, i said i hate the buggers. Thats all. By your logic everyone must be "really really stupid" for having an opinion.