kirbenvost wrote:Off-topic, but That Bot... I know you're someone, but who? I keep getting confused when people change their usernames. Where's Counterpunch, for that matter?
JOP wrote:That Bot wrote:Yes. All of those things you listed are transformable robot figures.
I will be the first to admit that I should have added the qualifiers 'complex' and 'high quality' to my comment about Hasbro and their production of transformable robot figures (or lack thereof). To be fair, I did not anticipate that someone might interpret the latter half of the sentence in a completely literal fashion, while also choosing to utterly disregard the earlier half of the sentence in which I criticize the Fall of Cybertron figures for their comparatively diminutive size and low material to cost ratio, and the Beast Hunters figures for their ridiculously reductive transformations.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for bringing this problem to my attention, and to inform you that going forward, I will attempt to structure my statements so that they are less open to willful misinterpretation by the sarcastically inclined.
Autobot032 wrote:These are terrible AND a ripoff of Lego. Hasbro has no problem complaining about 3rd parties, but when they're the 3rd party, well...
That Bot wrote:Autobot032 wrote:These are terrible AND a ripoff of Lego. Hasbro has no problem complaining about 3rd parties, but when they're the 3rd party, well...
In fairness, I don't think I've heard Hasbro talk about third parties in a while. The ban on non-Transformers products at Botcon wasn't limited to 3P stuff, was it?
Va'al wrote:I keep track of everyone. Backwards.
There are atandarfs to maintain.
LOST Cybertronian wrote:Hey, If Mindmaster survived then you should do just fine.
Autobot032 wrote:Wow. These are some of the ugliest Transformer things I've seen in a good while. I understand they feel a need to branch out, but these? I don't even know where to begin.
Oh wait, yes I do:
These are terrible AND a ripoff of Lego. Hasbro has no problem complaining about 3rd parties, but when they're the 3rd party, well...
njb902 wrote:Autobot032 wrote:Wow. These are some of the ugliest Transformer things I've seen in a good while. I understand they feel a need to branch out, but these? I don't even know where to begin.
Oh wait, yes I do:
These are terrible AND a ripoff of Lego. Hasbro has no problem complaining about 3rd parties, but when they're the 3rd party, well...
It is possible that Hasbro has worked out some kind of profit sharing deal with lego or mega blocks.
That Bot wrote:Even if you put aside Bot Shots, Prime and Generations are the same kind of Transformers we've always had.
That Bot wrote:Okay, yes, the're lighter, and they seem to cost more. But they really don't.
chuckdawg1999 wrote:We haven't seen a Generations triple changing blitzwing because triple changers aren't cost effective to make due to the difficulty in reusing the mold.
I know I'm in the minority among adult collectors but I like Bot Shots, don't buy as many as I'd like due to not having anyone to play with, I like the kreo concept and I like these new building sets. Will I buy them all? No but I'll buy what I like
That Bot wrote:kirbenvost wrote:Off-topic, but That Bot... I know you're someone, but who? I keep getting confused when people change their usernames. Where's Counterpunch, for that matter?
I have never been anybody but That Bot. Maybe you know me from somewhere else? I usually go by That Guy or variations, but that was taken and I elected to make my name here thematically appropriate. Also, that's a pretty common username so other That Guys may not be me.
JOP wrote:That Bot wrote:Even if you put aside Bot Shots, Prime and Generations are the same kind of Transformers we've always had.
Yes and no. "Generations" (an unusual label, considering that the entire line consists of Fall of Cybertron characters) are smaller and lighter (but we'll get onto that subject shortly), and the Prime line seems to consist of new molds of the same damn group of characters, combined with what are now four (Thundertron, Predaking, Lazerback, Ripclaw) beast-themed figures with the same goddamn uninspired quadruped-to-biped transformation. Technically, they are Transformers figures; but they are along a number of axis (size, material weight, transformation complexity) quite terrible and therefore different from what has gone before.
That Bot wrote:Okay, yes, the're lighter, and they seem to cost more. But they really don't.
The problem is quite simple: Transformers are made from plastic; plastic is derived in large part from oil products; the cost of crude, despite fluctuations, is generally following an upward trend. Hasbro, rather than adjusting prices to match, have instead chosen to reduce the degree of plastic in their figures. This started with the second iteration of Classics, and has become horrendously noticeable with the the Fall of Cybertron figures.
Are figures more expensive now? Yes; regardless of whether Hasbro raises their prices, or reduces the size and amount of material in each figure, the outcome is the same - a worse cost to material ratio for the consumer.
That's a red herring though; I don't actually care if the figures are more expensive. If anything, I'm probably one of the few people that wishes Hasbro would actually accept the inevitable, raise their prices further, and produce figures that scale well with previous releases.
Going back to what you were saying earlier: Hasbro are currently diversifying the product lines under the Transformers brand umbrella, and that's great. However, one of the fundamental principles for business success is to focus on core competency; and I think an argument could be made that right now, Hasbro are over-diversifying at a time when their core product - in this case, figures - are positively lackluster.
You can counter that Hasbros core lines are fine; I'll agree to disagree; we will go our separate ways, and only time will tell if BotShots, Kre-O and Construct-Bots are the next big thing... or the next Robot Heroes and Built To Rule.
kirbenvost wrote:Ah, I think I got confused because you have the same signature as someone else!
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Drago11/PPGZ/kaorugaogaigar.gif
VioMeTriX wrote:you all keep saying the main approach for hasbro is kids...well i have been to botcon 5 times, where hasbro and takara do some major reveals, cater to the fans etc etc... yet in all my years i have yet to see the suppossed target...little kids.. 99% of the people i see are adult collectors... somethin you all didnt factor in.. also it has been stated a while back that almost 50% of boys toys are bought by adults for adults, and 16% of girls toys...
RAcast wrote:VioMeTriX wrote:you all keep saying the main approach for hasbro is kids...well i have been to botcon 5 times, where hasbro and takara do some major reveals, cater to the fans etc etc... yet in all my years i have yet to see the suppossed target...little kids.. 99% of the people i see are adult collectors... somethin you all didnt factor in.. also it has been stated a while back that almost 50% of boys toys are bought by adults for adults, and 16% of girls toys...
That statistic has got to be as bad as the "collectors account for only about 10% of the market," bit. I'd guess it's probably somewhere in the middle though, maybe closer to 25-30%?
chuckdawg1999 wrote:RAcast wrote:VioMeTriX wrote:you all keep saying the main approach for hasbro is kids...well i have been to botcon 5 times, where hasbro and takara do some major reveals, cater to the fans etc etc... yet in all my years i have yet to see the suppossed target...little kids.. 99% of the people i see are adult collectors... somethin you all didnt factor in.. also it has been stated a while back that almost 50% of boys toys are bought by adults for adults, and 16% of girls toys...
That statistic has got to be as bad as the "collectors account for only about 10% of the market," bit. I'd guess it's probably somewhere in the middle though, maybe closer to 25-30%?
I can only use my experience with the Joe fandom but Joe con averages 2,000 attendees a year; What's on Joe Mind? the number one Joe podcast averages 16,00 listeners. The majority of fans don't attend conventions.
Va'al wrote:I keep track of everyone. Backwards.
There are atandarfs to maintain.
LOST Cybertronian wrote:Hey, If Mindmaster survived then you should do just fine.
VioMeTriX wrote:you all keep saying the main approach for hasbro is kids...well i have been to botcon 5 times, where hasbro and takara do some major reveals, cater to the fans etc etc... yet in all my years i have yet to see the suppossed target...little kids.. 99% of the people i see are adult collectors... somethin you all didnt factor in.. also it has been stated a while back that almost 50% of boys toys are bought by adults for adults, and 16% of girls toys...
Mindmaster wrote:chuckdawg1999 wrote:The majority of fans don't attend conventions.
Mainly because most people can't afford travel expenses.
Manterax Prime wrote:Am I the only one who finds Bumblebee comepletely BA?
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