The Energon Pub

On the bright side, other than the details on the wings, this doesn't look like it should be all that hard to kitbash/repaint from a Starscream or a Skywarp.

You can't really compare classics to titanium and alternators anyway. The latter really are fan lines released in small numbers, making for woeful distribution, but you can get them at relatively affordable prices if you hunt hard enough.

Classics was always a very confused concept, being a mass retail line requiring kid/parent support, yet largely being a nod to g1 fans and collectors.

If classics had been a 'dribs and drabs release' collector line from the start, then all the seekers could have been released over a period of a couple of years like the titanium ones.

OK, and to get this threadback on track....

Thundercracker looks marvelous. Great added detailing and stickers. Its looking like Thundercracketr > Skywarp>Starscream at this point.

Nice job Hasbro. Now just remold Thrust's wings and I will be a happy camper indeed.

Definately better than I expected.

P.S. There is another thread or two with the whys and why nots for Hasbro's actions.

voice of hoist wrote:You can't really compare classics to titanium and alternators anyway.

Sure you can. Both lines (don't care about Alts) released at retail, with one figure being repainted several times. Somehow, it's ok for one line (the more expensive one), but not the other.

Gah! This place is starting to sound like a marketing textbook.


It doesn't matter how Hasbro came up with this decision, why they did, or anyone's marketing advice. These are coming out as they have been announced. Things are too far along to change now without causing huge problems for Hasbro, Botcon, and those attending the convention/buying the exclusives.

Personally, I would've bought the exclusives no matter what they were. I know it's expensive, but it's just part of going to Botcon and always will be for me. I just happen to really like the looks of these so far!

Sorry for hijacking the thread guys. I actually like talking about that kind of stuff, but a thread entitled "Hasbro's Cost Analysis in North American Markets' is probably not gonna get many takers. I get in where I can.

Thundercracker does look good, but Magnus is right. It does seem like an easy kitbash, and there are a couple guides already. I've got my extra screamer for that very reason. Ramjets, too.

Last thing, then I'll let it go: CEO of TRU said that the toy market was moving into a more adult collector vein. So while the fandom might not be good quality control for mass release TF's, we are officially a target market now. For all I know, the Botcon seeker set is a market price test. $100 for a MP seems ok, is $300 too much, or will the fanbase bear it out?

To answer that. I bet you they have no problems selling out their Botcon sets.

Compare it to the lucky draw figures. The fewer there are, the more we want them and the more we are willing to pay.

Besides, I personally like the fact that I cannot afford every single figure or cannotg et ahold of every one I want. It provides a challenge and goals, wiothout which, collecting TFs would be as mundane as collecting shoes.

Bonger wrote:Besides, I personally like the fact that I cannot afford every single figure or cannotg et ahold of every one I want. It provides a challenge and goals, wiothout which, collecting TFs would be as mundane as collecting shoes.

I dunno, given some of the distribution we've seen, I think finding some of the mass-released stuff is challenge enough!

Bonger wrote:To answer that. I bet you they have no problems selling out their Botcon sets.

Compare it to the lucky draw figures. The fewer there are, the more we want them and the more we are willing to pay.

Besides, I personally like the fact that I cannot afford every single figure or cannotg et ahold of every one I want. It provides a challenge and goals, wiothout which, collecting TFs would be as mundane as collecting shoes.

Yeah, I think my question's more rhetorical, too. There shouldn't be any problem selling this set out. I just wonder how it affects pricing on 'fan grails' in the future.

I agree on the price of the hobby, I like getting 'deals' on expensive guys and having value in my collection. And the hunt is one of the biggest draws for me. But conversely, I hope that Hasbro doesn't see this as a blank check to start releasing G1 'wishlist' characters at hideously inflated prices.

On topic: Thundercracker is still cool.

True. The hideously inflated prices should be established at the secondary level and not retail.

However, I have no issues with a couple of such releases a year.

Cyber Bishop wrote:

Ultra Prime wrote:Dam sexy goodness!! I am very glad I forked over the dough for the non-attendee package. For me at least, I can tell that I will be very happy with this set just based on the Dirge and now Thundercracker preview pic!

As am I.. I can't wait till I get them in either!

Great minds appreciate alike! I would bet you that we get some retooling for Thrust. For all of the Hasbro bashing I hear we all know that Hasbro is well aware of what G1 Thrust looks like. I can easily imagine the (at least in our eyes) simple retooling of Screamer's wings and tailfins to create Thrust. For a convention set exclusive I bet money on Hasbro giving us a good recognizable interpretation of Thrust and not being lazy as some have suggested.

Just a thought.

Many companies, when unveiling new exciting products, will save the best for last.

So far we've seen Dirge and Thundercracker, who as far as toys are concerned are slick looking, but not standouts and by no means the biggest selling point of the sets. Who's left to reveal? Thrust, Bugbite and Dreadwing. The three with the highest degree of change involved in their designs, perhaps? If Bugbite and Dreadwing wind up being mere repaints, Thrust could be the final one to be seen of the five. And I'd be willing to bet that if the next figure revealed isn't Thrust, that he WILL be the last shown, and he WILL have the resculpted wings. Saving the best for last.

Brakethrough wrote:Just a thought.

Many companies, when unveiling new exciting products, will save the best for last.

So far we've seen Dirge and Thundercracker, who as far as toys are concerned are slick looking, but not standouts and by no means the biggest selling point of the sets. Who's left to reveal? Thrust, Bugbite and Dreadwing. The three with the highest degree of change involved in their designs, perhaps? If Bugbite and Dreadwing wind up being mere repaints, Thrust could be the final one to be seen of the five. And I'd be willing to bet that if the next figure revealed isn't Thrust, that he WILL be the last shown, and he WILL have the resculpted wings. Saving the best for last.

Interesting thought. As to who gets revealed next the question is what pre-existing mold will Dreadwing & Bugbite be make out of? The theme of this set is a decepticon airforce. It has been rumored that a Voyager mold will be used. Jetfire's mold is the only remaing airplane that can be used at this point.

Here's a another thought. The Jetfire mold for Dreadwing and the mold that becomes Thrust is also used for Bugbite! Anyone think I'm going out on a stretch here?

Ultra Prime wrote:

Brakethrough wrote:Just a thought.

Many companies, when unveiling new exciting products, will save the best for last.

So far we've seen Dirge and Thundercracker, who as far as toys are concerned are slick looking, but not standouts and by no means the biggest selling point of the sets. Who's left to reveal? Thrust, Bugbite and Dreadwing. The three with the highest degree of change involved in their designs, perhaps? If Bugbite and Dreadwing wind up being mere repaints, Thrust could be the final one to be seen of the five. And I'd be willing to bet that if the next figure revealed isn't Thrust, that he WILL be the last shown, and he WILL have the resculpted wings. Saving the best for last.

Interesting thought. As to who gets revealed next the question is what pre-existing mold will Dreadwing & Bugbite be make out of? The theme of this set is a decepticon airforce. It has been rumored that a Voyager mold will be used. Jetfire's mold is the only remaing airplane that can be used at this point.

Here's a another thought. The Jetfire mold for Dreadwing and the mold that becomes Thrust is also used for Bugbite! Anyone think I'm going out on a stretch here?

Still thinking that Bugbite will be a re-do of the Bumblebee mold. He DOES, after all, have a jet pack. Interesting leader for the Decepticon air force (a little guy hovering in the air, flanked by his minions...), I must say. And I would be totally psyched to see a Jetfire repaint.

And, for the record, I love the "saved-the-best-for-last-Thrust-retool-unveiling" theory. Sounds plausible to me--I hope it plays out that way!

TFBuyer wrote:

Ultra Prime wrote:

Brakethrough wrote:Just a thought.

Many companies, when unveiling new exciting products, will save the best for last.

So far we've seen Dirge and Thundercracker, who as far as toys are concerned are slick looking, but not standouts and by no means the biggest selling point of the sets. Who's left to reveal? Thrust, Bugbite and Dreadwing. The three with the highest degree of change involved in their designs, perhaps? If Bugbite and Dreadwing wind up being mere repaints, Thrust could be the final one to be seen of the five. And I'd be willing to bet that if the next figure revealed isn't Thrust, that he WILL be the last shown, and he WILL have the resculpted wings. Saving the best for last.

Interesting thought. As to who gets revealed next the question is what pre-existing mold will Dreadwing & Bugbite be make out of? The theme of this set is a decepticon airforce. It has been rumored that a Voyager mold will be used. Jetfire's mold is the only remaing airplane that can be used at this point.

Here's a another thought. The Jetfire mold for Dreadwing and the mold that becomes Thrust is also used for Bugbite! Anyone think I'm going out on a stretch here?

Still thinking that Bugbite will be a re-do of the Bumblebee mold. He DOES, after all, have a jet pack. Interesting leader for the Decepticon air force (a little guy hovering in the air, flanked by his minions...), I must say. And I would be totally psyched to see a Jetfire repaint.

And, for the record, I love the "saved-the-best-for-last-Thrust-retool-unveiling" theory. Sounds plausible to me--I hope it plays out that way!

Same here. I hadn't thought of that.

Here's more food for thought though. Hasbro knows that us collectors want the complete six character seekers. So maybe Thrust is the next preview will get, then Dreadwing and finally Bugbite. I am thinking the grow the excitement route here. But who knows?

Even if they did end up as shelf warmers, I think Hasbro would've sold more units in the long run then they're positioned to sell now. Then again they are guaranteed a certain number of sales from this set.

They're also guaranteed a lot of ill will.

Then again, I doubt this is about selling units of toys. Rather, its about getting people to go to Botcon, get the movie hype and upcoming series hype going.

Thats why the attending and non attending are the same price. They want this event to be huge, like a Star Trek convention, which I assume are pretty big.

Even though they might have made more money on the actual figures by a retail release, the marketing and exposure they get by having a huge botcon is invaluable to hyping the movie. And what better characters to get people to attend with than some good old seekers. They know these are gonna be hard to turn down.

So now they are in a win win. If yuou attend, they get what they want. If you don't , well, they just ripped you for some mega bucks. Either way they win. If they didn't win, these figures just wouldn't exist. Afterall, I can't see shareholders sayiong, "oh, lets take a potential loss, but give the fans what they want." Hell, if I was Hasbro's managing executive, I would have probably done the same thing.

Soo, the "they coulda made just as much or more from a retail release" argument is kinda moot imo.

Bonger wrote:Then again, I doubt this is about selling units of toys. Rather, its about getting people to go to Botcon, get the movie hype and upcoming series hype going.

Thats why the attending and non attending are the same price. They want this event to be huge, like a Star Trek convention, which I assume are pretty big.

Even though they might have made more money on the actual figures by a retail release, the marketing and exposure they get by having a huge botcon is invaluable to hyping the movie. And what better characters to get people to attend with than some good old seekers. They know these are gonna be hard to turn down.

So now they are in a win win. If yuou attend, they get what they want. If you don't , well, they just ripped you for some mega bucks. Either way they win. If they didn't win, these figures just wouldn't exist. Afterall, I can't see shareholders sayiong, "oh, lets take a potential loss, but give the fans what they want." Hell, if I was Hasbro's managing executive, I would have probably done the same thing.

Soo, the "they coulda made just as much or more from a retail release" argument is kinda moot imo.

This makes sense to me.

Leonardo wrote:

Bonger wrote:Then again, I doubt this is about selling units of toys. Rather, its about getting people to go to Botcon, get the movie hype and upcoming series hype going.

Thats why the attending and non attending are the same price. They want this event to be huge, like a Star Trek convention, which I assume are pretty big.

Even though they might have made more money on the actual figures by a retail release, the marketing and exposure they get by having a huge botcon is invaluable to hyping the movie. And what better characters to get people to attend with than some good old seekers. They know these are gonna be hard to turn down.

So now they are in a win win. If yuou attend, they get what they want. If you don't , well, they just ripped you for some mega bucks. Either way they win. If they didn't win, these figures just wouldn't exist. Afterall, I can't see shareholders sayiong, "oh, lets take a potential loss, but give the fans what they want." Hell, if I was Hasbro's managing executive, I would have probably done the same thing.

Soo, the "they coulda made just as much or more from a retail release" argument is kinda moot imo.

This makes sense to me.

Thanks, thats the way I think they reasoned it out. I'm sure they figured out the numbers given that they have the samples of Stasrscream and Ramjet sales to be able to figure out how many they could sell. Apparantly it wasn't enough and so using the product to get people to Botcon made more fiscal sense.