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njb902 wrote:

It Is Him wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Seriously, you guys only seeing the bad kinda scares me and takes part of the fun of the hobby for me as part of it is sharing enthusiasm. While I do acknowledge the problems the toys have, I would never dismiss their good sides.

I stand with JelZe. Things like this need to be said more often.

bingo

Indeed!

No, I am not happy with the current state. And I'll explain why.

-Current toy character focus. We get a massive wave of Optimi and Bumblebees ever since the RoTF line. But what about all the other beloved characters needing decent toy treatment? Combiner teams like the Stunticons and Protectobots haven't gotten a decent full-sized combiner toy since G1. We have to settle for 3rd-party crap for those characters? Ridiculous. And the BEST time to make full sets of Insecticon and Dinobot teams, and Hasbro blows it for a deluge of repaints? Which IMO are all okay, but not at the cost of characters like Sludge, who haven't gotten a full-sized toy in decades.

-Fragile molds and/or bad quality control. As much as I love most of the new figures coming out... the Dark Energon line, FoC Bruticus, the diversity of the TFP line... there have been many complaints of mold fragility and breakage. Not across the board mind you, but enough to instill worry on me, especially aimed at the figures I want the most(FoC Bruticus which SHOULD have the problems fixed by retail release if we're lucky, the Dark Energon line that's made up mostly of clear fragile plastic, etc)

-Continuity. This isn't so much toys as it is fiction, but I'd prefer it if franchises stick to one instead of tossing us a new one every year. It would make toy buying/displaying less of a hassle, IMO. A lot of fans are taking Hasbro's word that Aligned is supposed to be one whole continuity... how I wish I could believe that.

-Scale. Yeah, it was never important in a Transformers toy line, but seeing the MP line cleaning up the scale of it's figures relative to each other kinda makes me yearn for some of that in the normal-sized lines. Maybe it's because figures ARE getting noticeably smaller(foC Optimus is smaller than his WFC counterpart... that ain't right IMO). On that note, the MP line is one of the only things I can't really complain about at the moment. Love the direction it's going.

Meh, I still have hope that it'll get better. Though whether that's being optimistic or just foolish, time will tell...

(my longest non-quoting post yet! Yay!)

It went downhill since TFA. Saving grace would be the Japanese releases(though QC issues on Rodimus has prevented me from getting him)

There are a lot of good things happening, but 1 new game, TF4, and an MP really doesn't cut it.

We have deluxes the size of scouts and voyagers that are almost the size of deluxes. We also have terrible distribution and price hikes out the ying yang.

I want to say I have full confidence in Hasbro, but I really don't. I'll continue buying stuff, but I can no longer say I buy the expecting a quality figure.

Weaponizer Prime was a very nice figure. But the shrinking figures are killing it for me. Deluxe class Onslaught? yeah, really bad idea. No reason why they couldn't just release the limbs as deluxes and made everyone wait for Onslaught to come out with Grimlock. I'm sure a large portion of the fan base would have been okay with that.

I would go back to saying I have full confidence in Hasbro once we get larger figures and better plastic.

At the same time, I'm only a collector that rants on a board that represents a small minority of the fandom and doesn't know much about the economics of toys in production so what do I know besides my own personal preferences?

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote: Seriously, you guys only seeing the bad kinda scares me and takes part of the fun of the hobby for me as part of it is sharing enthusiasm. While I do acknowledge the problems the toys have, I would never dismiss their good sides.

I'm an open-minded, positive thinker, and enthusiastic about Transformers as anyone. But there's been so much sugarcoating with what the positives are lately that it's a joke. We shouldn't have to sugarcoat a franchise that we like to enjoy. As a collector in Canada I feel like I've been put on a pedestal only for Hasbro to take it away and make me fall face first into the ground. That takes away part of the fun of the hobby for me.

Not going to say that this is Beast Machines toyline like, but it feels like it is. As an modest middle-class collector who can't fork over cash for everything, I find it nonsensical that I can't even get myself to pick up a new Transformer because they're all Bumblebees, Bot Shots or Kre-O. That takes away part of the fun of the hobby for me.

When I realistically look at this.. I can't be content with the way we're headed - toys are jokingly getting downsized, paint applications are mia, distribution is laughable and main character toy cancellation is uncalled for. Oh sure, the positives are still there. Yeah, the franchise is still alive and we are still getting toys - but there are so many opportunities that have been missed. It's like seeing 2 50's on the ground and picking up one. The game needs to be changed. The game needs to wake up and step up.

and besides making poles what do you do about it? do you still buy the toys? have you ever written Hasbro and expressed your cobcerns? I agree that things aren't perfect, this just doesn't seem to solve any of the problems. perhaps starting a online petition so we could show actual numbers to hasbro, or something. lets be proactive not reactive, this website could be the perfect launching pad for it.

I'm grateful to the third parties honestly. I know that Hasbro pays attention to what they're doing, they have to.

I think that along with all the fan complaints they've been getting will have an impact on the franchise over time.

I also believe that even with all the negatives, Hasbro IS listening to us, even in the forums. The recent MP's and choices for FoC figures came from somewhere, and they're all things we've been asking them for for a very long time. They ARE listening to us, but change takes time. If anything, it will be at least a year or two (or possibly in the next toyline) before Has/Tak responds to the complaints of smaller figures, cheaper plastics and fewer paint apps, but I still believe that they will.

So right now, I think the state of the toys sucks, but I'm optimistic that it will change in the future if Has/Tak hears us, which I believe they will.

njb902 wrote:and besides making poles what do you do about it? do you still buy the toys? have you ever written Hasbro and expressed your cobcerns? I agree that things aren't perfect, this just doesn't seem to solve any of the problems. perhaps starting a online petition so we could show actual numbers to hasbro, or something. lets be proactive not reactive, this website could be the perfect launching pad for it.

If only that were possible, Hasbro that is, listening to us. How do we get them to listen btw?

I know you can never satisfy everybody but this downsizing and the crappy plastics really is a turn off. You know the type of plastic used on TFPrime Soundwave , the one turns into his forearms? I hate it Whatever happened to the smooth glossy type ? Same with MP 10, it has on some parts the similar plastic type.

Btw njb982, that should be "polls"

fenrir72 wrote:

njb902 wrote:and besides making poles what do you do about it? do you still buy the toys? have you ever written Hasbro and expressed your cobcerns? I agree that things aren't perfect, this just doesn't seem to solve any of the problems. perhaps starting a online petition so we could show actual numbers to hasbro, or something. lets be proactive not reactive, this website could be the perfect launching pad for it.

If only that were possible, Hasbro that is, listening to us. How do we get them to listen btw?

I know you can never satisfy everybody but this downsizing and the crappy plastics really is a turn off. You know the type of plastic used on TFPrime Soundwave , the one turns into his forearms? I hate it Whatever happened to the smooth glossy type ? Same with MP 10, it has on some parts the similar plastic type.

Btw njb982, that should be "polls"

haha if I was half as smart as I thought I was id be a genius!!!!!! ill leave it to mock my own ineptitude.

Asides from FOC voyager Grimlock and the upcoming MP releases, the current and upcoming official releases are pretty sad. As others have pointed out, the bean counters at Hasbro may have finally taken over: cheaper plastic, lighter/smaller designs, and higher retail costs. Case in point: FOC Bruticus, a set that will forever remind us of what could have been... and maybe the moment Hasbro "jumped the shark" with the TF brand. It's a far cry from where we were a year or two ago.

It Is Him wrote:I voted yes. Here's why:
- RTS from last year - Classics Jazz, Tracks, Wreck Gar and more
- Generations from last year - Seekers, Red Alert, Blur, Skullgrin, etc.
- MP-10 from Hasbro this year
- Voyager Grimlock, Soundwave and Blaster in 2013, plus Legends deployers

So one toy in December makes up for them wasting an entire year? Early last year, awesome! Next year, a couple things to look forward to! This year? ...ahhhh no...

Not happy. 3rd parties are blowing up right now and we get Botshots and Kre-O. Yeahhhhh...

zodconvoy wrote:

It Is Him wrote:I voted yes. Here's why:
- RTS from last year - Classics Jazz, Tracks, Wreck Gar and more
- Generations from last year - Seekers, Red Alert, Blur, Skullgrin, etc.
- MP-10 from Hasbro this year
- Voyager Grimlock, Soundwave and Blaster in 2013, plus Legends deployers

So one toy in December makes up for them wasting an entire year? Early last year, awesome! Next year, a couple things to look forward to! This year? ...ahhhh no...

Not happy. 3rd parties are blowing up right now and we get Botshots and Kre-O. Yeahhhhh...

perhaps that's why they are giving up on the collectors and refocusing on the children's market. I know my niece loves her bot shots and kre-o sets(especially the kreons, I'm kinda partial to the kreons myself.)

Not really happy with current TFs. Paying more for less is never going to makeme happy. Plus, distribution is just pathetic. Must I turn to online retailers to buy anything I want? Hm.

I pretty much collect Neo G1 stuff, so until that's out ... we'll see. It looks like there's a lot to look forward to, but right now I'm not too happy. Not miserable since there's the new MP Print to look forward to and the domestic release of the Asian exclusives, but I'm not happy like I was when they released the RTS series of figures and their United counterparts.

I voted "yes"...but here are my few caveats:

1. Hasbron't is full of FAIL. If it wasn't for TT and all the fine 3rd party peeps giving me what I really wanted from my childhood, I never would have started collecting again and a large chunk of my nostalgia would have forever gone unfulfilled. This is not to say that they dont make a few good bots (most in the RTS and classics line), but overall...ahem.

2. Although there a many missing characters I would LOVE to have (*cough* DINOBOTS *cough*), the 75% complete G1 roster I already makes me happy happy joy joy every time I take one down off the shelf for some "selective action posing". I also know that they will come, in time, and that anticipation only increases my jones.

3. Bayverse can LICK MY SCHWETTY *oh my!*. MB desevers to be *censored* for what he did to our childhood nostalgia, what he almost did to TMNT, and what he does to basically everything he puts his tainted little hands on.

4. I would prefer to have a wider range of characters available (*cough* DINOBOTS *cough*), as opposed to DOZENS of molds of the same character, i.e. DUMB-lebee, 10 different "MAXIMUM POWER WEAPONIZER ULTIMATE SPACE CONQUERER OPTIMUS PRIME" etc, etc.

Would just like to say that a "no" vote (like mine) does not mean we don't love and continue to purchase and be enthusiastic about TFs. Seems to me that voting no is perceived by some as not being a good fan or supporter of the brand. I vote no because I care and want Hasbro to succeed and do better.

Also some folks reasoning for their votes seem a little off. Good Generations figures from 2011 or other things from the past do not make me feel good about the current state, in fact they make me feel worse as they serve as a stark contrast to the CURRENT state and direction we are now clearly headed in, which is lesser quality for more money. I feel the apologists of Hasbro who constantly bring up the rising cost of doing business are missing something which has been brought up before. Less toy for the same money is ok, the same toy for more money is ok. The perception of far less toy for a good amount more money is not ok and wouldnt float in many other product markets and I'm not sure how long Hasbro can get away with this for. That's my opinion as a lifelong fan and supporter of Hasbro and Transformers.

njb902 wrote:

zodconvoy wrote:

It Is Him wrote:I voted yes. Here's why:
- RTS from last year - Classics Jazz, Tracks, Wreck Gar and more
- Generations from last year - Seekers, Red Alert, Blur, Skullgrin, etc.
- MP-10 from Hasbro this year
- Voyager Grimlock, Soundwave and Blaster in 2013, plus Legends deployers

So one toy in December makes up for them wasting an entire year? Early last year, awesome! Next year, a couple things to look forward to! This year? ...ahhhh no...

Not happy. 3rd parties are blowing up right now and we get Botshots and Kre-O. Yeahhhhh...

perhaps that's why they are giving up on the collectors and refocusing on the children's market. I know my niece loves her bot shots and kre-o sets(especially the kreons, I'm kinda partial to the kreons myself.)

Ok, but then shouldn't they not care that collectors are buying third party products? I understand the entire IP argument, but children are not buying Hercules or the Bruticus upgrade kit, and Hasbro has stated that collectors are such a small percentage of their monetary profit anyway, so even if a third party is making another Sea Spray, it's not lik Hasbro cares about the collector who's buying it, right? I mean, they have admitted to not being overly concerned with our dollars, so why should they care if we stop giving them to the company?

But I agree with zod inasmuch as things from the past year or two do not affect my feelings when I hold a FoC figure. Even the DOTM stuff was cheap feeling and looking (imo). FoC figures even look flimsy and cheap in the pictures we get of them.
As far as Bruticus goes, I was a fan of the PCCs, but I thought that those were supposed to be the test run of new combiner technology toy-wise. Someone mentioned the FoC Bruticus as being perhaps another evolutionary step in TF tech, but how many more evolutionary steps are we supposed to be happy about? Did TFC have an evolutionary step or five before releasing their not-Devastator? Doesn't Hasbro have a 20 year head start on them, and thus be understandable to expect them to be doing better?
But, to an extent I also agree with JelZe. None of the let downs recently are enough to cloud over my enjoyment of the toys. However, the idea that sort of makes it seem like we're just supposed to love things that say "Transformers" on the package without developing individual opinons on the matter, and that's just stupid. You can like a sports team without having to like every single member of it, a record without liking every single song on it, and so on and so on. So, why does there need to be some stupid categorical acceptance of all things that say "Transformers"? The answer is that there doesn't, despite how many tears people shed when they claim that the only reason you don't like something is because you're feeling entitled.
My vote was for no, by the way.

RAcast wrote:

njb902 wrote:

It Is Him wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Seriously, you guys only seeing the bad kinda scares me and takes part of the fun of the hobby for me as part of it is sharing enthusiasm. While I do acknowledge the problems the toys have, I would never dismiss their good sides.

I stand with JelZe. Things like this need to be said more often.

bingo

Indeed!

This.

Dagon wrote:

njb902 wrote:

zodconvoy wrote:

It Is Him wrote:I voted yes. Here's why:
- RTS from last year - Classics Jazz, Tracks, Wreck Gar and more
- Generations from last year - Seekers, Red Alert, Blur, Skullgrin, etc.
- MP-10 from Hasbro this year
- Voyager Grimlock, Soundwave and Blaster in 2013, plus Legends deployers

So one toy in December makes up for them wasting an entire year? Early last year, awesome! Next year, a couple things to look forward to! This year? ...ahhhh no...

Not happy. 3rd parties are blowing up right now and we get Botshots and Kre-O. Yeahhhhh...

perhaps that's why they are giving up on the collectors and refocusing on the children's market. I know my niece loves her bot shots and kre-o sets(especially the kreons, I'm kinda partial to the kreons myself.)

Ok, but then shouldn't they not care that collectors are buying third party products? I understand the entire IP argument, but children are not buying Hercules or the Bruticus upgrade kit, and Hasbro has stated that collectors are such a small percentage of their monetary profit anyway, so even if a third party is making another Sea Spray, it's not lik Hasbro cares about the collector who's buying it, right? I mean, they have admitted to not being overly concerned with our dollars, so why should they care if we stop giving them to the company?

But I agree with zod inasmuch as things from the past year or two do not affect my feelings when I hold a FoC figure. Even the DOTM stuff was cheap feeling and looking (imo). FoC figures even look flimsy and cheap in the pictures we get of them.
As far as Bruticus goes, I was a fan of the PCCs, but I thought that those were supposed to be the test run of new combiner technology toy-wise. Someone mentioned the FoC Bruticus as being perhaps another evolutionary step in TF tech, but how many more evolutionary steps are we supposed to be happy about? Did TFC have an evolutionary step or five before releasing their not-Devastator? Doesn't Hasbro have a 20 year head start on them, and thus be understandable to expect them to be doing better?
But, to an extent I also agree with JelZe. None of the let downs recently are enough to cloud over my enjoyment of the toys. However, the idea that sort of makes it seem like we're just supposed to love things that say "Transformers" on the package without developing individual opinons on the matter, and that's just stupid. You can like a sports team without having to like every single member of it, a record without liking every single song on it, and so on and so on. So, why does there need to be some stupid categorical acceptance of all things that say "Transformers"? The answer is that there doesn't, despite how many tears people shed when they claim that the only reason you don't like something is because you're feeling entitled.
My vote was for no, by the way.

who doesn't like to have their cake and eat it to, or the I'm taking my ball and going home approach. I'll admit I have no data for my thought.

Some people really know how to take all the fun out of a hobby. Why not just be thankful for the good figures they DO make and not get all worked up about how they're not doing what you want?

think of this seibertron says this site gets 50,000 unique hits a day. if there was a petition put up on the front page so people could put down there names(real names), possibly a protected area for contact info, let it run for a month and give it to Hasbro. hell try to get the other transformers sites to sign on. get together work out it's wording(do we have any resident lawyers?), come up with something simple and to the point. it may do no good, I just know I'd rather go down swinging.

so what do ya say seibertron any chance of looking into this.

GuyIncognito wrote:Some people really know how to take all the fun out of a hobby. Why not just be thankful for the good figures they DO make and not get all worked up about how they're not doing what you want?

I think its important for people to be able to freely express their opinions on the things they are most passionate about. Questioning things, negative feedback etc...is what makes the world go 'round, and leads to progress and improvement.

Like a previous poster said, it seems "they" do listen sometimes.

Didnt mean to take all of the fun out of the hobby for you.

for US?

I vote No

Worldwide?

I vote yes

MP's, Asian market exclusives.. those are a bright spot.

JackStraw wrote:

GuyIncognito wrote:Some people really know how to take all the fun out of a hobby. Why not just be thankful for the good figures they DO make and not get all worked up about how they're not doing what you want?

I think its important for people to be able to freely express their opinions on the things they are most passionate about. Questioning things, negative feedback etc...is what makes the world go 'round, and leads to progress and improvement.

Like a previous poster said, it seems "they" do listen sometimes.

Didnt mean to take all of the fun out of the hobby for you.

A. I never said or implied that people shouldn't express their opinions. [That's a "straw man" argument - appropriate from someone with the name Jack Straw ] What I was implying was that people who focus on the negatives might want to change their perspective in order to allow themselves to enjoy their hobby (and life in general) more.

B. I never said or implied that you or anyone else was taking the fun out the hobby FOR ME. People who focus on the negatives take the fun out of the hobby FOR THEMSELVES.

C. If negative feedback makes the world go round, I don't want to live in that world.

Blurrz wrote:

Isn't that in Singapore though?