The Energon Pub

News Credits: 241 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 4:05 am

Haven't seen this being mentioned anywhere, but I thought it would be interesting to point out.

We all know that between the difference between packaging between the US and Europe was minimal, just based on languages (and the art between 2005 and 2008 for matter). Well, Prime has introduced one new difference: the size of the card of the Deluxes. Look at the attachments and see:

PrimeUSEUCompare1.jpg

PrimeUSEUCompare2.jpg

PrimeUSEUCompare3.jpg

Quite a difference huh? I guess it's one of those environmental things, what do you guys think? O, before I forget: we truly are masters in squeezing languages in a tiny space. At first we had 6, then 12. and now we have no less than 13:

PrimeEULanguages.jpg

1.) English
2.) French
3.) German
4.) Spanish
5.) Portugese
6.) Italian
7.) Dutch
8.) Swedish
9.) Danish
10.) Greek
11.) Polish
12.) Turkish
13.) Russian

That's right, Russian has been added for Prime. Gets tight in here...

Sun Apr 29, 2012 11:58 am

I wonder if all the extra printing is why they downsized the cards? lol Honestly, I don't know why they don't just downsize all of them if they're doing it in the EU. I'd rather have them cut corners on the packaging and keep prices a little lower on the things I care about. ._.;

News Credits: 1 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:11 pm

RAcast wrote:I wonder if all the extra printing is why they downsized the cards? lol Honestly, I don't know why they don't just downsize all of them if they're doing it in the EU. I'd rather have them cut corners on the packaging and keep prices a little lower on the things I care about. ._.;

I wonder if this is more of a publicity stunt to show they are being "greener" by using less materials. I agree though, they should make the packaging smaller, there's no reason for them to be so big, and save the consumer a little money... or at least put the saved cash into making better toys.

Those pennies add up! That's why companies use fructose syrup, for instance, instead of real sugar xP I think a show I saw said the soda companies save 1-2 cents per can by using fructose over real sugar and, when keeping in mind they make millions of cans a year, that's a crud load of money... but it's also an added negative on the consumers health <.< Yey for chemical sugar!

News Credits: 241 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:46 pm

Or it could be to allow more toys to be put out. Our stores are smaller compared to yours, at times smaller than even outlet stores, so not much of each toy line can hang on the pegs or sit on the shelves.

News Credits: 1 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:16 pm

I noticed the smaller packaging as well. I didn't know they differ from US releases. But to me it's a big 'so what', the card gets tossed right away. I want my grubby fat fingers on that toy.

News Credits: 1 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:44 pm

Size doesn't matter, its what you do with it that counts.

News Credits: 36 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 2:15 pm

I noticed it too, well done on snagging some Wave 3 figures BTW

News Credits: 11 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:17 pm

Weird, you know what? I think Canada has the EU size packaging too. :shock:

News Credits: 241 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:22 pm

kirbenvost wrote:Weird, you know what? I think Canada has the EU size packaging too.

Seriously? Think you can provide a snapshot?

News Credits: 36 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:24 pm

kirbenvost wrote:Weird, you know what? I think Canada has the EU size packaging too.

Excuse my ignorance, but how many languages do you guys get?

I wonder if the full size (larger?) cards are required for the Bio's and the smaller (regular?) ones foe Multi-languages....?

News Credits: 6188 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:34 pm

Pretender Skywarp wrote:
kirbenvost wrote:Weird, you know what? I think Canada has the EU size packaging too.

Excuse my ignorance, but how many languages do you guys get?

I wonder if the full size (larger?) cards are required for the Bio's and the smaller (regular?) ones foe Multi-languages....?

In theory, at least two - English and French.
So unless they use stickers, I'm guessing they have the EU carding.
(Could be wrong!)

I lile the fact that they're smaller, to be honest. Less waste.

News Credits: 36 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:47 pm

I had seen some cards with English, French and Spanish. I had assumed that hey were North America, except USA.

Would deffo be interested to see the sizings tho'...

News Credits: 11 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:47 pm

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:
kirbenvost wrote:Weird, you know what? I think Canada has the EU size packaging too.

Seriously? Think you can provide a snapshot?

Sure, I could later. I have none still on card, but I keep the cards.

Va'al wrote:
Pretender Skywarp wrote:
kirbenvost wrote:Weird, you know what? I think Canada has the EU size packaging too.

Excuse my ignorance, but how many languages do you guys get?

I wonder if the full size (larger?) cards are required for the Bio's and the smaller (regular?) ones foe Multi-languages....?

In theory, at least two - English and French.
So unless they use stickers, I'm guessing they have the EU carding.
(Could be wrong!)

I like the fact that they're smaller, to be honest. Less waste.

I noticed the smaller size right away and assumed it was part of their efforts to be more environmentally friendly. Not to mention, making the downsized toys look not so small on the card...

They have only English and French in Canada, at least so far. And no stickers. Although in the past there has been tri-language packaging, mostly with the Movie 2007 toys, IIRC. Unless I haven't been paying attention, the PRiD cards should be the same as the previous ones with only English and French. There's no legal reason they would need more languages on there and somehow I don't think Hasbro would use the multi language cards.

News Credits: 4 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 4:05 pm

I still don't get the resistance on US stuff to put Spanish on stuff. With a large latino community in many parts of the USA I'd have thought companies would be keen to ingratiate themselves into another potential market.

News Credits: 7 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 4:08 pm

Didn't even notice that... Although I was worried with finding my jaw after seeing Deluxe Bumblebee for 34$... New record btw.

News Credits: 1 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 4:12 pm

I think it's cool that they are using smaller packaging. It really doesn't detract from the appearance, you still get the cardart, bio, and stats - and it uses less paper.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Or it could be to allow more toys to be put out. Our stores are smaller compared to yours, at times smaller than even outlet stores, so not much of each toy line can hang on the pegs or sit on the shelves.

That's a good point too. Fitting more toys per unit of space is definitely a plus for any toy manufacturer, I would think.

News Credits: 6188 · Sun Apr 29, 2012 5:45 pm

craggy wrote:I still don't get the resistance on US stuff to put Spanish on stuff. With a large latino community in many parts of the USA I'd have thought companies would be keen to ingratiate themselves into another potential market.

Also as a reply to kirbenvost: Transformers Prime First Edition DID have Spanish as well as French, not sure if it's going to continue.

Mon Apr 30, 2012 6:39 pm

Meh, saving paper by using less. Paper literally grows on trees.

I also don't know that this means fitting more TF's on shelves. More like the same number of TF's in less space. Then the store could fit some other brand of toys up there. Probably not Hasbro's intent, but I really doubt the stores will order more just because they're a little smaller.

News Credits: 668 · Tue May 01, 2012 3:42 am

Oooh. I LIKE THOSE!

C'mon Hasbro US. Give us those, minus the Rosetta Stone on the back.
Awesome size and look.

Tue May 01, 2012 3:46 am

I highly, highly doubt Hasbro has the needs of Mother Nature at heart when using less cardboard, even though i just read a blurb about them using less packaging etc. It's always about the Benjamin's and Bean-counters.

Global company marketing toys with extravagant bio's to non-english speaking countries = :BANG_HEAD:

On the other hand, get one of the tykes to read and understand what Wheeljack will do with his blades (albeit 1 sentence) and BOOYAH!

News Credits: 12 · Tue May 01, 2012 7:43 am

So in the EU all they get is a single sentence describing the character, instead of a paragraph? That kinda sucks. But I wish the US would adopt the smaller packaging as well.

News Credits: 10 · Tue May 01, 2012 8:13 am

Yeah, I would like the smaller boxes, but with full bios, since US releases do not require the multi language. Surely I can't be the only one who keeps the cards.

Also, I would appreciate regular cube boxes for Voyagers... It's impossible to fold and keep the current ones! So I just toss voyager boxes

Oh, Asia seems to be starting Chinese packing too... Also, Photoshop Mock-ups of the Asia Classic-verse exclusive repaints show boxes withe english and chinese.

News Credits: 241 · Tue May 01, 2012 8:27 am

gavinfuzzy wrote:Yeah, I would like the smaller boxes, but with full bios, since US releases do not require the multi language. Surely I can't be the only one who keeps the cards.

Nope, I keep the cards but throw away the bubbles. It is possible to fold the boxes, you just need to cut away all the sticky tape and unfold it into a large single piece of cardboard.
I know, I hate it too.

GuyIncognito wrote:So in the EU all they get is a single sentence describing the character, instead of a paragraph? That kinda sucks. But I wish the US would adopt the smaller packaging as well.

Yup. Apparently that's all we need.

Can anybody provide pics of the Canadian backing cards? I'm still curious.

Tue May 01, 2012 12:01 pm

Hasbro US:

Less card, more toy.

News Credits: 217 · Tue May 01, 2012 12:04 pm

GuyIncognito wrote:So in the EU all they get is a single sentence describing the character, instead of a paragraph? That kinda sucks. But I wish the US would adopt the smaller packaging as well.

Still better than the Japanese Movieverse figures, which had only the ENGLISH text for the bios.