Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

kirbenvost wrote:Off-topic, but That Bot... I know you're someone, but who? I keep getting confused when people change their usernames. Where's Counterpunch, for that matter?

I have never been anybody but That Bot. Maybe you know me from somewhere else? I usually go by That Guy or variations, but that was taken and I elected to make my name here thematically appropriate. Also, that's a pretty common username so other That Guys may not be me.

JOP wrote:

That Bot wrote:Yes. All of those things you listed are transformable robot figures.

I will be the first to admit that I should have added the qualifiers 'complex' and 'high quality' to my comment about Hasbro and their production of transformable robot figures (or lack thereof). To be fair, I did not anticipate that someone might interpret the latter half of the sentence in a completely literal fashion, while also choosing to utterly disregard the earlier half of the sentence in which I criticize the Fall of Cybertron figures for their comparatively diminutive size and low material to cost ratio, and the Beast Hunters figures for their ridiculously reductive transformations.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for bringing this problem to my attention, and to inform you that going forward, I will attempt to structure my statements so that they are less open to willful misinterpretation by the sarcastically inclined.

Well look. Even if you put aside Bot Shots, Prime and Generations are the same kind of Transformers we've always had. Okay, yes, the're lighter, and they seem to cost more. But they really don't. If you check inflation, a deluxe now costs roughly the same as a deluxe in the late 90s. Likewise voyagers to their size equivalent. Somehow in the 2000s Hasbro managed to increase the size without increasing the price. Looking back, there was no way that could last. Economy crashed, and suddenly Hasbro has to cut costs. Result: less plastic in toys and inflation caught up with the prices. Course it seems that the Prime and early Generations figs were planned to have those retools with the spikes and giant weapons and whatnot so they were made extra small so the retools would be within plastic limitations.
ANYWAY. Prime and Generations are good old-fashined robot-to-something else Transformers without trying to compete with Bionicle or LEGO or Bakugan or whatever. Furthermore, in 2013 their one and only gimmick is transformation itself and the diversity of the weaponry, except the Gen voyagers which have a couple other gimmicks.

Wow. These are some of the ugliest Transformer things I've seen in a good while. I understand they feel a need to branch out, but these? I don't even know where to begin.

Oh wait, yes I do:

These are terrible AND a ripoff of Lego. Hasbro has no problem complaining about 3rd parties, but when they're the 3rd party, well...

Autobot032 wrote:These are terrible AND a ripoff of Lego. Hasbro has no problem complaining about 3rd parties, but when they're the 3rd party, well...

In fairness, I don't think I've heard Hasbro talk about third parties in a while. The ban on non-Transformers products at Botcon wasn't limited to 3P stuff, was it?

That Bot wrote:

Autobot032 wrote:These are terrible AND a ripoff of Lego. Hasbro has no problem complaining about 3rd parties, but when they're the 3rd party, well...

In fairness, I don't think I've heard Hasbro talk about third parties in a while. The ban on non-Transformers products at Botcon wasn't limited to 3P stuff, was it?

They could sell if it was "non-toy products". Make of that what you will.

Agree with That Bot, beast wars voyagers were pretty small, armada beefed them up but with simpler transformations.

We haven't seen a Generations triple changing blitzwing because triple changers aren't cost effective to make due to the difficulty in reusing the mold.

I know I'm in the minority among adult collectors but I like Bot Shots, don't buy as many as I'd like due to not having anyone to play with, I like the kreo concept and I like these new building sets. Will I buy them all? No but I'll buy what I like

Autobot032 wrote:Wow. These are some of the ugliest Transformer things I've seen in a good while. I understand they feel a need to branch out, but these? I don't even know where to begin.

Oh wait, yes I do:

These are terrible AND a ripoff of Lego. Hasbro has no problem complaining about 3rd parties, but when they're the 3rd party, well...

It is possible that Hasbro has worked out some kind of profit sharing deal with lego or mega blocks.

Too bad the car/truck modes look so bad - that would have been where they could really differentiate themselves from neo-machines (Mega-Blocks versions, which have two modes too) and Hero Factory.

My 6-yr-old and 4-yr-old have a couple Hero Factory toys, and they are very sturdy, seem to lose parts less than damn RiD Knock-Out, despite them being designed to more easily come apart.

Problem with Hero Factory is that, unlike Ninjago, kids don't care about the storyline/characters. So, for transformers, this could work much better.