The Energon Pub

ZeroWolf wrote:I love your definition of popular demand rated. Let's face it, hasbro planned this, though on second thought would sling be looking at other emerging business channels and missing out on a lot of sale opportunities? plus popular demand would mean kids would of been asking for him...

Hasbro isnt that smart. Their obsession with shelfwarming bumblebees is proof. For every alpha bravo bought in fear of not getting a slingshot, 5 or more bumblebees hang on the pegs.

Burn wrote:If I were to make a combiner out of the rejected limbs I'd call it Rated X.
#JustBeingOutspoken #KeepingItReal

Alot of love coming from down under...

In the back of my head I cant help but think you are one of those guys from Butcher's Harem...

Rated X wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:I love your definition of popular demand rated. Let's face it, hasbro planned this, though on second thought would sling be looking at other emerging business channels and missing out on a lot of sale opportunities? plus popular demand would mean kids would of been asking for him...

Hasbro isnt that smart. Their obsession with shelfwarming bumblebees is proof. For every alpha bravo bought in fear of not getting a slingshot, 5 or more bumblebees hang on the pegs.

In Hasbro's defense they did wise up in time for AoE when a fan showed them in-store images of the pegs full of Bumblebees. I've yet to see a Bumblebee shelfwarm from any line onward, not counting the Mega One-Step.

What would be the more logical thing to do? Keep the line as G1 as possible and risk character and/or altmode fatigue with the kids (like what happened with Bumblebee), thus missing out on sales or bring in new guys with new, different alt modes to spice things up and keeping them interested?
The members replaced would serve no real purpose in the grand scheme of things, but there's still a limited market for them (us collectors), emphasis on "limited". So to limit the danger of over-production (like what happened with the God Ginrai reissue), limit the release.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Rated X wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:I love your definition of popular demand rated. Let's face it, hasbro planned this, though on second thought would sling be looking at other emerging business channels and missing out on a lot of sale opportunities? plus popular demand would mean kids would of been asking for him...

Hasbro isnt that smart. Their obsession with shelfwarming bumblebees is proof. For every alpha bravo bought in fear of not getting a slingshot, 5 or more bumblebees hang on the pegs.

In Hasbro's defense they did wise up in time for AoE when a fan showed them in-store images of the pegs full of Bumblebees. I've yet to see a Bumblebee shelfwarm from any line onward, not counting the Mega One-Step.

What would be the more logical thing to do? Keep the line as G1 as possible and risk character and/or altmode fatigue with the kids (like what happened with Bumblebee), thus missing out on sales or bring in new guys with new, different alt modes to spice things up and keeping them interested?
The members replaced would serve no real purpose in the grand scheme of things, but there's still a limited market for them (us collectors), emphasis on "limited". So to limit the danger of over-production (like what happened with the God Ginrai reissue), limit the release.

I was using Bumblebee as the classic example. But those pegs are now inhabited by one-steppers and shampoo bottles.

Either way, I dont think Alpha Bravo was a calculated plan to make fans spend extra money. I think Hasbro just overestimated the interest CHUG buyers have in IDW storylines. While they might embrace IDW aesthetics, IDW combiner limb replacements are not as welcome. From what I remember of the Hasbrostator thread, a majority of the fans did not want to see a Prowl chest piece.

I haven't seen any CW deluxes shelf warm. I Think Alpha Bravo is accepted enough. He's not littering the aisles at all.

RodimusConvoy13 wrote:I haven't seen any CW deluxes shelf warm. I Think Alpha Bravo is accepted enough. He's not littering the aisles at all.

If buying Alpha Bravo vs. having a amputee Superion is being "accepted enough" then of course the figure was a success. But the release of Slingshot suggests otherwise...

The fact that Slingshot is only being released to small market stores should tell you something about how much they think they screwed up. They're releasing an extra limb for people that really want it, and giving the drug stores something to call their own. This is not an apology for Alpha Bravo or Offroad.

Rated X wrote:
Either way, I dont think Alpha Bravo was a calculated plan to make fans spend extra money. I think Hasbro just overestimated the interest CHUG buyers have in IDW storylines. While they might embrace IDW aesthetics, IDW combiner limb replacements are not as welcome. From what I remember of the Hasbrostator thread, a majority of the fans did not want to see a Prowl chest piece.

well...technically every toy Hasbro makes is calculated to make fans spend extra money- and we love them for it

Did you guys know CHUG is the sound I make when I dry heave?

Back on Cybertron, identity theft is considered a serious crime…

Identity theft is not the same as role replacement.

That Bot wrote:The fact that Slingshot is only being released to small market stores should tell you something about how much they think they screwed up. They're releasing an extra limb for people that really want it, and giving the drug stores something to call their own. This is not an apology for Alpha Bravo or Offroad.

No, you're right it's not an apology, since no one said sorry for anything and no one should. It's capitalism. It's meeting a demand and making a profit.

I think IDW did a good job of integrating Alpha into the Aerialbots in the last issue of Combiner Wars

RhA wrote:

That Bot wrote:The fact that Slingshot is only being released to small market stores should tell you something about how much they think they screwed up. They're releasing an extra limb for people that really want it, and giving the drug stores something to call their own. This is not an apology for Alpha Bravo or Offroad.

No, you're right it's not an apology, since no one said sorry for anything and no one should. It's capitalism. It's meeting a demand and making a profit.

I never said it was an apology. What I meant is it was damage control. Somebody from hasbro dropped an orange and white turd on the sidewalk so they pulled out the corporate pooper scooper.

Rated X wrote:

RhA wrote:

That Bot wrote:The fact that Slingshot is only being released to small market stores should tell you something about how much they think they screwed up. They're releasing an extra limb for people that really want it, and giving the drug stores something to call their own. This is not an apology for Alpha Bravo or Offroad.

No, you're right it's not an apology, since no one said sorry for anything and no one should. It's capitalism. It's meeting a demand and making a profit.

I never said it was an apology. What I meant is it was damage control. Somebody from hasbro dropped an orange and white turd on the sidewalk so they pulled out the corporate pooper scooper.

Or it could be the "Bro's" plan was to have new characters for the sake of comics and toys, and then release quickslinger and Brake-neck for fans that don't like change, or are obsessive compulsive enough to buy them; all for the sake of, wait for the revelation.......capital gain.

Rated X wrote:

RhA wrote:

That Bot wrote:The fact that Slingshot is only being released to small market stores should tell you something about how much they think they screwed up. They're releasing an extra limb for people that really want it, and giving the drug stores something to call their own. This is not an apology for Alpha Bravo or Offroad.

No, you're right it's not an apology, since no one said sorry for anything and no one should. It's capitalism. It's meeting a demand and making a profit.

I never said it was an apology. What I meant is it was damage control. Somebody from hasbro dropped an orange and white turd on the sidewalk so they pulled out the corporate pooper scooper.

If it was damage control they would recall all Alpha Bravos. AB is not damaging them in any way. But they're releasing a bonus figure to smaller stores to make a little extra money.

That Bot wrote:

Rated X wrote:

RhA wrote:

That Bot wrote:The fact that Slingshot is only being released to small market stores should tell you something about how much they think they screwed up. They're releasing an extra limb for people that really want it, and giving the drug stores something to call their own. This is not an apology for Alpha Bravo or Offroad.

No, you're right it's not an apology, since no one said sorry for anything and no one should. It's capitalism. It's meeting a demand and making a profit.

I never said it was an apology. What I meant is it was damage control. Somebody from hasbro dropped an orange and white turd on the sidewalk so they pulled out the corporate pooper scooper.

If it was damage control they would recall all Alpha Bravos. AB is not damaging them in any way. But they're releasing a bonus figure to smaller stores to make a little extra money.

Indeedy-doody. It's money all the way.

Myself, I like a new character now and then. Alpha Bravo is no Drift or Windblade, I still feel those are kinda 'forced' by being SUPERAWESOMEJAPANESE. Especially Drift, he's something a 10 year old kids would come up with. Alpha Bravo is just a fun toy IMO, I like the replaceableness of a combiner team member. I have liked it since I first learned about Deathcobra.

That Bot wrote:

Rated X wrote:

RhA wrote:

That Bot wrote:The fact that Slingshot is only being released to small market stores should tell you something about how much they think they screwed up. They're releasing an extra limb for people that really want it, and giving the drug stores something to call their own. This is not an apology for Alpha Bravo or Offroad.

No, you're right it's not an apology, since no one said sorry for anything and no one should. It's capitalism. It's meeting a demand and making a profit.

I never said it was an apology. What I meant is it was damage control. Somebody from hasbro dropped an orange and white turd on the sidewalk so they pulled out the corporate pooper scooper.

If it was damage control they would recall all Alpha Bravos. AB is not damaging them in any way. But they're releasing a bonus figure to smaller stores to make a little extra money.

When I said damage control, I didnt mean the sky was falling. I simply meant the original exclusion of sli gshot and wildrider got enough negative feedback to trigger a response in the form of easy repaints.

SW's SilverHammer wrote:

Rated X wrote:

RhA wrote:

That Bot wrote:The fact that Slingshot is only being released to small market stores should tell you something about how much they think they screwed up. They're releasing an extra limb for people that really want it, and giving the drug stores something to call their own. This is not an apology for Alpha Bravo or Offroad.

No, you're right it's not an apology, since no one said sorry for anything and no one should. It's capitalism. It's meeting a demand and making a profit.

I never said it was an apology. What I meant is it was damage control. Somebody from hasbro dropped an orange and white turd on the sidewalk so they pulled out the corporate pooper scooper.

Or it could be the "Bro's" plan was to have new characters for the sake of comics and toys, and then release quickslinger and Brake-neck for fans that don't like change, or are obsessive compulsive enough to buy them; all for the sake of, wait for the revelation.......capital gain.

I dont see alpha bravo as a true IDW inspired character like drift or windblade. Alpha bravo just happens to be the obvious upcoming CW vortex right down to the head. ( not to mention an easy blades retool) I think hasbro presented the idea of alpha bravo to IDW and told them write this guy into your storyline so we can justify repainting vortex as an autobot. Thats my personal opinion. I cant speak so much on off road because I read somewhere his robot mode was a homage to some other obscure character. I cant remember who though...

Rated X wrote:

That Bot wrote:

Rated X wrote:

RhA wrote:

That Bot wrote:The fact that Slingshot is only being released to small market stores should tell you something about how much they think they screwed up. They're releasing an extra limb for people that really want it, and giving the drug stores something to call their own. This is not an apology for Alpha Bravo or Offroad.

No, you're right it's not an apology, since no one said sorry for anything and no one should. It's capitalism. It's meeting a demand and making a profit.

I never said it was an apology. What I meant is it was damage control. Somebody from hasbro dropped an orange and white turd on the sidewalk so they pulled out the corporate pooper scooper.

If it was damage control they would recall all Alpha Bravos. AB is not damaging them in any way. But they're releasing a bonus figure to smaller stores to make a little extra money.

When I said damage control, I didnt mean the sky was falling. I simply meant the original exclusion of sli gshot and wildrider got enough negative feedback to trigger a response in the form of easy repaints.

And how exactly would you know how much negative feedback he got, compared to all the praise? And I'm talking actual fact, not assumptions.

I agree with what it's been about money. Make a new character to keep the kids interested, while at the same making a quick version of the character replaced to not alienate the fans. Basic economics of maximizing profits without jeopardizing investments.

Rated X wrote:

SW's SilverHammer wrote:

Rated X wrote:

RhA wrote:

That Bot wrote:The fact that Slingshot is only being released to small market stores should tell you something about how much they think they screwed up. They're releasing an extra limb for people that really want it, and giving the drug stores something to call their own. This is not an apology for Alpha Bravo or Offroad.

No, you're right it's not an apology, since no one said sorry for anything and no one should. It's capitalism. It's meeting a demand and making a profit.

I never said it was an apology. What I meant is it was damage control. Somebody from hasbro dropped an orange and white turd on the sidewalk so they pulled out the corporate pooper scooper.

Or it could be the "Bro's" plan was to have new characters for the sake of comics and toys, and then release quickslinger and Brake-neck for fans that don't like change, or are obsessive compulsive enough to buy them; all for the sake of, wait for the revelation.......capital gain.

I dont see alpha bravo as a true IDW inspired character like drift or windblade. Alpha bravo just happens to be the obvious upcoming CW vortex right down to the head. ( not to mention an easy blades retool) I think hasbro presented the idea of alpha bravo to IDW and told them write this guy into your storyline so we can justify repainting vortex as an autobot. Thats my personal opinion.

That is probably true. Nonetheless, the release of Quickslinger and Brake-Neck is not an admission of wrongdoing, just a way to get more money.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:And how exactly would you know how much negative feedback he got, compared to all the praise? And I'm talking actual fact, not assumptions.

Didn't you know? Not only is he #OutSpoken, he's also #Omnipotent. He is the Alpha Bravo and the Omega Supreme of TF fans. The all knowing.

If Hasbro has done it, he knew they were going to do it before they knew they were going to do it. You should feel privileged to be able to interact with such as he!

#KeepingItReal

I may have bought AB today.

The way i see it hasbro gave us two toys for the price of one.


You can have a g1 accurate superion that has all 5 members

Or...

You can have a IDW version that has alpha bravo as a limb and powerglide as a weapon.

The same goes for Menasor. G1, IDW, or Toy accurate


Just putting it in perspecrtive people.

Seriously. Who ever complained about more options?