The Energon Pub

For one reason or another the Star Wars Transformers line has been fairly successful. CreatureCantina.com was able to ask Hasbro about the Star Wars line. One of the questions focused on how Hasbro chose to market the Star Wars Transformers line. The answer is pretty interesting. Here is the question with the answer:

"CC: Could you please describe the marketing strategy for the Star Wars Transformers line? Obviously, there is a lot of overlap between the two fan bases. I for one am as likely to bore my friends for hours on end describing the Hegellian dialectic operating in the Transformers Movie as I am to discourse on the Roman historical parallels at work in the Star Wars saga. That being said, why didn't we see a greater synthesis in this hybrid line? Maybe a Sith would be so narcissistic as to want to drive a giant robot with his own augustan likeness, but it seems to me that a simple headswap could have had Starscream transforming into an Imperial Shuttle. Did you conduct market tests that showed six-year-old boys preferred vehicles that turned into giant versions of Star Wars characters rather than Transformers that turned into Star Wars vehicles? I'd wager that the 35 year old collector market would have enjoyed the latter.

H: Excellent question and one of the decision points we were faced with when our Star Wars R&D team created the idea for the line. We very clearly kept the Star Wars Transformers line focused on the *functional* aspect of transformation rather than an intellectual property (IP)-based transformation to deliberately not confuse the "real" Transformers storyline. This was especially important considering the upcoming Transformers movie this Summer. For the same extent, we have not as a company pursued any GI Joe-vs-Transformers toys even though the cross-over comics have been very successful. It's keeping the communication very clear from a kid standpoint, which was our primary focus. Believe it or not, we did not factor the collector very heavily into the SW TF line thinking at the beginning, since we were not confident that collectors of either Star Wars or Transformers would be converts to the line. Since this super-cool line has been well-received by both kids and collectors alike, you have seen us delve a little deeper to deliver more collector-focused concepts like transforming Imperial Shuttles, Clone Wars deco-vehicles, and Snowspeeders to deepen the collecting and playing experience."

Fans can read the entire Q&A at CreatureCantina.com.

So basically...little kids are dumb, and adult collectors got shafted because of it?

Why even call them Transformers and use the TF brand logo, then? Why not just call the line ForceMorphers or some such? Or even still, since it's been successful, why not take it to the next step and make it actual TFs like we wanted all along? I'd be willing to bet that the kids who Hasbro is worried about confusing will not care. I'm sure they'd want 'em just as much. I think it's only the fans (us) who pay much attention to the storylines anyway... and we have no trouble telling seperate universes apart. I dare say we're getting used to that by now.

What the hell do little kids know about G1, Star Wars, or GI Joe?
The hell with them. Make the products for the grown-ups WHO BUY THEM, because kids will want them anyway.

I don't want to miss the opportunity to get Hound that turns into a VAMP just because some kid who grew up with 'Sigma 6' and Cybertron' has no idea what 'Generation 1' and 'A Real American Hero' is. God damn!

Well, that was a load of horse ****.

Didn't want to confuse the "real" Transformers storyline? The fudge? Transformers have had numerous time lines over the years! One more wouldn't have hurt.

Wankers. Truth is they wanted to rape the name of the product that will be making them big money in the next few months to prop up a product line that is essentially over because they no longer have any more movies coming out.

Fricken heck... those are some volatile responses right there...
Let's all calm down a bit, eh? It's just toys o.O

Retarded Sales Analyst wrote:Believe it or not, we did not factor the collector very heavily into the SW TF line

No ****? We hadn't noticed.[/sarcasim]

I can't understand HOW these things are successful. They aren't moving in the Alexandria, VA stores and even kids are turning their noses up at them.

Are they really looking at Star Wars Transformers figures sales on its own or looking at something else?

RogueDeathangel wrote:Fricken heck... those are some volatile responses right there...
Let's all calm down a bit, eh? It's just toys o.O

I take it you collect toys? If so, then I'm sure you can see where our anger is coming from. As a fan of Star Wars, Transformers, and GI Joe, it really pisses me off when companies screw up this bad and then gloat about it to fan sites. Don't they see the potential in these toy lines? Do they REALLY think the success of the Classics is because of the kids who think they look cool despite having no Powerlinx/Key gimmick, and no because of the adult fans?

I guarantee that a transformers gi joe toy line will be successful
I wanted it when i was 8 yrs old and so will kids today.
hasbro is wrong in believing it will confuse kids, trust me it won't!
the truth is they just don't care about what is popular or what kids or collectors want

Hotrod wrote:Believe it or not, we did not factor the collector very heavily

Oh, so that's why you sell Primus, Unicron and Cybertron Starscream @ $75 a pop. A tradition that will no doubt carry over into the Darth Vader/Death Star waste of plastic.

I bet there was no R&D, it was all guesswork ;p

As for not wanting to "confuse" kiddies with the SWTF with the "real" figures is crap, Kiddies are going to be really confused after watching Energon, Cybertron, then going to the movie transformers.

I started collecting these toys and then someone came into my bar and told me that they sucked and even his kid laughed at how stupid they were, which for some reason made me go home and put them on ebay that night. They were cool for a minute and I wanted to see how they transformed but I realized that they really are not tformers but just have the name like you all have said. I felt screwed again the same way I felt about Machine Wars lol.

Yeah, any kid that likes playing with transforming robot toys would rather have this guy...



..than any of the big guys in back here.



Or even prefer this guy...



...to the big guy on the left.



...

I bought the Vader SWTF for my nephew a year ago - he loved it at first, 'cept now he doesn't even transform the damn thing into a robot because it doesn't hold up to the kind of stress a kid like him can put on it. I have to transform it back into a ship for him.

Hasbro's ignorance of collectors on both sides notwithstanding, the SWTFs don't have half the quality of engineering that most of the 6" Transformers Titaniums do. Of course, I've bought a couple for drawing references, but that's about ALL they're good for.

I still want a Night Raven Starscream w/Cobra Commander and Sidecar Bike Bumblebee w/Scarlett, dammit.

I think this interview is an excellent example the Hasbro does not take the collectors seriously.

Stormrider wrote:I think this interview is an excellent example the Hasbro does not take the collectors seriously.

QFMFT!

Ultra Markus wrote:I guarantee that a transformers gi joe toy line will be successful

You over-estimate the popularity of GI Joe outside of America.

Yes, it is popular in some countries, but not to the extent that it would warrant Hasbro investing money in a product that would require marketting outside of the US in countries where GI Joe is rarely available to begin wth.

And I highly doubt Hasbro would spend the money to produce a line solely for the US.

Burn wrote:

Ultra Markus wrote:I guarantee that a transformers gi joe toy line will be successful

You over-estimate the popularity of GI Joe outside of America.

Yes, it is popular in some countries, but not to the extent that it would warrant Hasbro investing money in a product that would require marketting outside of the US in countries where GI Joe is rarely available to begin wth.

And I highly doubt Hasbro would spend the money to produce a line solely for the US.

Okay, then label them as 'Action Force Transformers' for international release.

interesting, i guess

83457W422102 wrote:

Burn wrote:

Ultra Markus wrote:I guarantee that a transformers gi joe toy line will be successful

You over-estimate the popularity of GI Joe outside of America.

Yes, it is popular in some countries, but not to the extent that it would warrant Hasbro investing money in a product that would require marketting outside of the US in countries where GI Joe is rarely available to begin wth.

And I highly doubt Hasbro would spend the money to produce a line solely for the US.

Okay, then label them as 'Action Force Transformers' for international release.

I doubt that would make a difference either except in maybe the UK.

Burn wrote:

83457W422102 wrote:

Burn wrote:

Ultra Markus wrote:I guarantee that a transformers gi joe toy line will be successful

You over-estimate the popularity of GI Joe outside of America.

Yes, it is popular in some countries, but not to the extent that it would warrant Hasbro investing money in a product that would require marketting outside of the US in countries where GI Joe is rarely available to begin wth.

And I highly doubt Hasbro would spend the money to produce a line solely for the US.

Okay, then label them as 'Action Force Transformers' for international release.

I doubt that would make a difference either except in maybe the UK.

Yeah, good point. But GI Joe TFs WOULD be very cool, if done right, you know that! And knowing is half the battle.

i_amtrunks wrote:As for not wanting to "confuse" kiddies with the SWTF with the "real" figures is crap, Kiddies are going to be really confused after watching Energon, Cybertron, then going to the movie transformers.

I'd have to disagree. I think alot of kids know the difference between series, and understand that the movie is something completely new, not related to any previous series. Which is more than can be said of some adult TF-fans who still think the movie is "G1".

SKowl wrote:

i_amtrunks wrote:As for not wanting to "confuse" kiddies with the SWTF with the "real" figures is crap, Kiddies are going to be really confused after watching Energon, Cybertron, then going to the movie transformers.

I'd have to disagree. I think alot of kids know the difference between series, and understand that the movie is something completely new, not related to any previous series. Which is more than can be said of some adult TF-fans who still think the movie is "G1".

Wouldn't surprise me if they couldn't, seeing as how Hasbro forced Galaxy Force to connect to Superlink (what a dumbass decision...).

The movie was said to be based on G1 to the point that Cullen is playing Optimus. We only thought it was going to be G1 because they said it was going to be and then tricked us! (yet again).

The WWII Transformers, or even Hearts of Steel Transformers would not be bad international investments. They're based on vehicles that actually exist. I still want a railgun Shockwave.