The Energon Pub

I have listened to most episodes for the last half year. I'm from the Netherlands (Europe).I am an adult collector who listens from his "boycave" (Mancave that constist out of Transformers and comics) and most of the time I enjoy it and sometimes a beer or two helps to reach the end. Maybe I am missing the point of these podcasts, but from time to time they are very US oriëntated.

Here's my question about last episodes retail/online topic.

Are you aware that retail does not apply at all in countries like mine unless you like movie related or Legends Class TF's? The last time I was in a "Toys'R'Yours" was when I visited Times Square. I have 4 options. Go west (KapowToys, TFSource etc.), Go east (Robotkingdom etc.) or stay at home. (Pay a bit more to keep a good foot with domestic online sellers) or eBay. But they are still all online.

Dear Twincast,

With the term chug being a racial slur and all, don't you think its use in the forums should be banned? Should I go submit a site improvement suggestion to have 'chug' show up as '****' instead?

Thoroughly offended
-Kibble

Hey guys, after hearing one of the more recent podcasts, I found it interesting how Ryan said encouraging Third Parties was diluting the brand and cause possible severe repercussions down the line. I found this very interesting since I never saw them as that much a threat since they are mainly targeted at collectors who only make a small portion of the Transformers market, and are not competitive in price. With combiner wars doing well and even the one steps doing well on the Seibertron store, I was wondering why Ryan still thought 3rd parties were diluting the franchise and would be it's doom.

I hope I am not exaggerating his words but that is what it sounded like to me and I would love it if he elaborated on that point in a future podcast he is on. Especially since 3rd parties are indeed a current topic due to it's more enforced ban at botcon.

I dunno, I would think if 3rd Party was such a threat, Hasbro would get off their ass and do something about it...like, say, have the online retailers stop selling it. The big ones would probably oblige for the sake of their relationship and the small ones would probably be scared shitless to go up against Hasbro.

Kibble wrote:I dunno, I would think if 3rd Party was such a threat, Hasbro would get off their ass and do something about it...like, say, have the online retailers stop selling it. The big ones would probably oblige for the sake of their relationship and the small ones would probably be scared **** to go up against Hasbro.

I don't know if Ryan spoke of them as a threat. He used the word "dilute" and I was super curious as to what he meant by it and the repercussions he (as someone who has built his business around this fandom) sees coming.

william-james88 wrote:Hey guys, after hearing one of the more recent podcasts, I found it interesting how Ryan said encouraging Third Parties was diluting the brand and cause possible severe repercussions down the line. I found this very interesting since I never saw them as that much a threat since they are mainly targeted at collectors who only make a small portion of the Transformers market, and are not competitive in price. With combiner wars doing well and even the one steps doing well on the Seibertron store, I was wondering why Ryan still thought 3rd parties were diluting the franchise and would be it's doom.

I hope I am not exaggerating his words but that is what it sounded like to me and I would love it if he elaborated on that point in a future podcast he is on. Especially since 3rd parties are indeed a current topic due to it's more enforced ban at botcon.

This is an awesome question, but I feel like over the years we've beaten it to death almost as much as "Hey here's what we think Funpub could do to improve".

What say you, other listeners, want to hear this one answered again?

Combiner Wars Devestator looks great but where does he fit in your collection?

Doctor McGrath wrote:Combiner Wars Devestator looks great but where does he fit in your collection?

Where does he...

Are you crazy? This guy is sleeping in the bed with me if he has to. If I have to put a whole in my wall in order for him to have a space, I will. I may even need to get a new shelf entirely JUST for Devastator.

Nemesis Maximo wrote:

Doctor McGrath wrote:Combiner Wars Devestator looks great but where does he fit in your collection?

Where does he...

Are you crazy? This guy is sleeping in the bed with me if he has to. If I have to put a whole in my wall in order for him to have a space, I will. I may even need to get a new shelf entirely JUST for Devastator.

You're making my point for me. You don't know where he fits in either & may have to display him alone. I like him too but he will be my third Devestator so it's not as big of an ordeal to me I guess. Sleeping in bed with him is not a possibility in my house as I already share my space with my wife & 14 month old.

Doctor McGrath wrote:

Nemesis Maximo wrote:

Doctor McGrath wrote:Combiner Wars Devestator looks great but where does he fit in your collection?

Where does he...

Are you crazy? This guy is sleeping in the bed with me if he has to. If I have to put a whole in my wall in order for him to have a space, I will. I may even need to get a new shelf entirely JUST for Devastator.

You're making my point for me. You don't know where he fits in either & may have to display him alone. I like him too but he will be my third Devestator so it's not as big of an ordeal to me I guess. Sleeping in bed with him is not a possibility in my house as I already share my space with my wife & 14 month old.

Seems I've been lawyered.

Nemesis Maximo wrote:

Doctor McGrath wrote:

Nemesis Maximo wrote:

Doctor McGrath wrote:Combiner Wars Devestator looks great but where does he fit in your collection?

Where does he...

Are you crazy? This guy is sleeping in the bed with me if he has to. If I have to put a whole in my wall in order for him to have a space, I will. I may even need to get a new shelf entirely JUST for Devastator.

You're making my point for me. You don't know where he fits in either & may have to display him alone. I like him too but he will be my third Devestator so it's not as big of an ordeal to me I guess. Sleeping in bed with him is not a possibility in my house as I already share my space with my wife & 14 month old.

Seems I've been lawyered.

Doctor McGrath wrote:Combiner Wars Devestator looks great but where does he fit in your collection?

He doesn't. I'll be buying the Takara version but as a separate display piece. I would have been over the moon for six deluxes instead of the monstrously out of proportion version this is. I'm a Classics collector and for the most part all the combiners were most commonly the same heights. Especially the toys. Until that happens, Green Giant is my dude. Suppose I'm not actually making my voice heard if I'm buying one, one way or the other though. The only combiner I want to be huge like this is Monstructor. Not only because of IDW but it would just be crazy cool.

Flux Convoy wrote:

Doctor McGrath wrote:Combiner Wars Devestator looks great but where does he fit in your collection?

He doesn't. I'll be buying the Takara version but as a separate display piece. I would have been over the moon for six deluxes instead of the monstrously out of proportion version this is. I'm a Classics collector and for the most part all the combiners were most commonly the same heights. Especially the toys. Until that happens, Green Giant is my dude. Suppose I'm not actually making my voice heard if I'm buying one, one way or the other though. The only combiner I want to be huge like this is Monstructor. Not only because of IDW but it would just be crazy cool.

I am in the same boat Flux. I want to buy this Devestator to support the line & the size class but this combiner is sized out of my classics collection based on the combiners that came before it.

Dear TCPC,

Is this website officially licensed by Hasbro/TakaraTomy? If not, does that make it a 3rd Party Transformers website?

X's & O's
-K

Kibble wrote:Dear TCPC,

Is this website officially licensed by Hasbro/TakaraTomy? If not, does that make it a 3rd Party Transformers website?

X's & O's
-K

The proper terminology is that this is a Transformers Fan Site. It also now hosts the official forum for the Transformers Club.

william-james88 wrote:

Kibble wrote:Dear TCPC,

Is this website officially licensed by Hasbro/TakaraTomy? If not, does that make it a 3rd Party Transformers website?

X's & O's
-K

It also now hosts the official forum for the Transformers Club.

I read this as if you were saying it with extreme sarcasm batting your eyes & waving your hands. That's the only way I could make it ok.

Doctor McGrath wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Kibble wrote:Dear TCPC,

Is this website officially licensed by Hasbro/TakaraTomy? If not, does that make it a 3rd Party Transformers website?

X's & O's
-K

It also now hosts the official forum for the Transformers Club.

I read this as if you were saying it with extreme sarcasm batting your eyes & waving your hands. That's the only way I could make it ok.

I dont know why that would make it ok, the forum is right here: http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/transformers-collectors-club-and-botcon-forum-f235.php

william-james88 wrote:

Doctor McGrath wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Kibble wrote:Dear TCPC,

Is this website officially licensed by Hasbro/TakaraTomy? If not, does that make it a 3rd Party Transformers website?

X's & O's
-K

It also now hosts the official forum for the Transformers Club.

I read this as if you were saying it with extreme sarcasm batting your eyes & waving your hands. That's the only way I could make it ok.

I dont know why that would make it ok, the forum is right here: http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/transformers-collectors-club-and-botcon-forum-f235.php

Yes, I know it exists. It's an official forum. That's where I find the humor.

Doctor McGrath wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Doctor McGrath wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Kibble wrote:Dear TCPC,

Is this website officially licensed by Hasbro/TakaraTomy? If not, does that make it a 3rd Party Transformers website?

X's & O's
-K

It also now hosts the official forum for the Transformers Club.

I read this as if you were saying it with extreme sarcasm batting your eyes & waving your hands. That's the only way I could make it ok.

I dont know why that would make it ok, the forum is right here: http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/transformers-collectors-club-and-botcon-forum-f235.php

Yes, I know it exists. It's an official forum. That's where I find the humor.

Where is the humor in an official forum on an unofficial site? (ok, that one was totally for you)

william-james88 wrote:

Doctor McGrath wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Doctor McGrath wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Kibble wrote:Dear TCPC,

Is this website officially licensed by Hasbro/TakaraTomy? If not, does that make it a 3rd Party Transformers website?

X's & O's
-K

It also now hosts the official forum for the Transformers Club.

I read this as if you were saying it with extreme sarcasm batting your eyes & waving your hands. That's the only way I could make it ok.

I dont know why that would make it ok, the forum is right here: http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/transformers-collectors-club-and-botcon-forum-f235.php

Yes, I know it exists. It's an official forum. That's where I find the humor.

Where is the humor in an official forum on an unofficial site? (ok, that one was totally for you)

Incidentally, there hasn't actually been a formal news announcement of that notion on this site, so it wouldn't surprise me if some users on here just viewed that forum as just another divided section of the greater Seibertron forums.

Sabrblade wrote:Incidentally, there hasn't actually been a formal news announcement of that notion on this site, so it wouldn't surprise me if some users on here just viewed that forum as just another divided section of the greater Seibertron forums.

Will run that by the boss(es)

Doctor McGrath wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Doctor McGrath wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Doctor McGrath wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Kibble wrote:Dear TCPC,

Is this website officially licensed by Hasbro/TakaraTomy? If not, does that make it a 3rd Party Transformers website?

X's & O's
-K

It also now hosts the official forum for the Transformers Club.

I read this as if you were saying it with extreme sarcasm batting your eyes & waving your hands. That's the only way I could make it ok.

I dont know why that would make it ok, the forum is right here: http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/transformers-collectors-club-and-botcon-forum-f235.php

Yes, I know it exists. It's an official forum. That's where I find the humor.

Where is the humor in an official forum on an unofficial site? (ok, that one was totally for you)

I think we just witnessed a troll-off. This better get mentioned in the next episode.

I know some of our podcast crew buddy. They know I'm just throwing smoke.

Doctor McGrath wrote:I know some of our podcast crew buddy. They know I'm just throwing smoke.

I just want this to be discussed. Throw us a bone is all I'm saying.