The Energon Pub

Not sure if its newsworh but check out the little note you get from Warden for buyin G2 Megs.

Pulse launched last week and one of the concerns was how this may be a threat to retailers who sell Hasbro items. It came up in the investors presentation with the following question from Eric Handler:

I am intrigued by go to market pulse initiative. How do you balance being a global consumer products company with thousands or retail doors and how do you balance that in terms of not threatening those retailers with the go to consumer initiative.

To which Hasbro replied the following:

We have a unique take about how to approach and connect with our fans.
As everyone knows we have hundreds of thousands of doors around the world, our offering is really broad. When you look at what we are doing with Pulse, it's really a content and product initiative targeted at the fan economy. Its increasing our direct relation with consumers but in a very focused way and it will give us an opportunity to test and learn many things we can then bring to our partners globally. It's really not meant to be taking something for ourselves. It is allowing us to be the tip of the spear to foster these relationships and what we learn from this interaction will be shared with our partners around the world.

The quote above includes some shortening and it can be full heard slightly past the 2 hour mark of their investor presentation which can be heard here.

This definitely answers a few questions fans had. The fact that this is more fan focused than Hasbro Toy Shop would explain why toys like Cyberverse have not moved over to Pulse.

From this we can gather that the US collector market (meaning anyone reading this article) is significant enough to warrant investing in an interface to serve fans but not big enough for Walmart or Target to fear any loss in sales from Hasbro selling directly.

We could have guessed that, but it was fun to have at least one question that's been asked openly on these boards before answered by Hasbro's top executives.

Also, for those looking for a mission statement for both Pulse and the new Studio Select line, John Letter wrote a letter that was sent along with the new Voyager Combat Hero Megatron. You can read it below:

Just curious, but did anyone else who ordered the next wave of Siege Deluxes from Hasbropulse, when they were $9.99 notice that their order suddenly changed? Up until today, mine was all fine and dandy, but now on my HP account my order has been split into four separate orders, states that the orders were placed on the 22nd of February (which is well after I ordered them), and says that they’re $19.99 each.

I just wanted to know if this happened to anyone else, before I try contacting Hasbropulse to ask what’s up, and to let people know that it might be an issue. In case people weren’t aware.

Bucky wrote:Just curious, but did anyone else who ordered the next wave of Siege Deluxes from Hasbropulse, when they were $9.99 notice that their order suddenly changed? Up until today, mine was all fine and dandy, but now on my HP account my order has been split into four separate orders, states that the orders were placed on the 22nd of February (which is well after I ordered them), and says that they’re $19.99 each.

I just wanted to know if this happened to anyone else, before I try contacting Hasbropulse to ask what’s up, and to let people know that it might be an issue. In case people weren’t aware.

Hmm, that is weird. I ordered back when they were $9.99 too and my order was split up almost immediately. They are all still $9.99 on my current order status.

It is weird, but I’m hoping it’s just a fluke. That I’m the only one this happened to, and that it’s an easy fix. I already put an email into their customer service.

I know that they were still in one order, and much more importantly were still at $9.99 each on my account when I said “to Hell with it” and ordered SS Jetfire on the 19th from HasbroPulse.

Hmm, why do I have a feeling that within 5 years Generations will be an online only line?

william-james88 wrote:From this we can gather that the US collector market (meaning anyone reading this article)

ummm...what?

chuckdawg1999 wrote:Hmm, why do I have a feeling that within 5 years Generations will be an online only line?

What part about using the information they gather from Pulse to help improve the way things are handled at retail make you think they're going to pull Generations from retail? If anything I read this as better things coming from Generations at retail in the next 5 years.

Emerje

Burn wrote:

william-james88 wrote:From this we can gather that the US collector market (meaning anyone reading this article)

ummm...what?

I think Willy-J had a few before writing the article.

Nemesis Maximo wrote:

Burn wrote:

william-james88 wrote:From this we can gather that the US collector market (meaning anyone reading this article)

ummm...what?

I think Willy-J had a few before writing the article.

Maybe it's because we all speak fluent American? Y'all.

Easy Tiger wrote:

Nemesis Maximo wrote:

Burn wrote:

william-james88 wrote:From this we can gather that the US collector market (meaning anyone reading this article)

ummm...what?

I think Willy-J had a few before writing the article.

Maybe it's because we all speak fluent American? Y'all.

Ironically, he's from Quebec.

Emerje wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:Hmm, why do I have a feeling that within 5 years Generations will be an online only line?

What part about using the information they gather from Pulse to help improve the way things are handled at retail make you think they're going to pull Generations from retail? If anything I read this as better things coming from Generations at retail in the next 5 years.

Emerje

The fact that mainline lines like Cyberverse and the Bumblebee movie line aren't going to be on pulse. I can see a world where the TV/Movie lives are in stores but the more collector driven stuff is found online. This also ties into my belief that most stores don't like 30+ year old men in toy isles.

chuckdawg1999 wrote:This also ties into my belief that most stores don't like 30+ year old men in toy isles.

This right here. Unless you've got a kid with you, you're automatically branded a creep.

And some are.

But most aren't.

This whole Pulse thing seems like a bad deal. Give us $50 cuz, and we'll give you some crappy repaints you can pay for, but free shipping!

chuckdawg1999 wrote:

Emerje wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:Hmm, why do I have a feeling that within 5 years Generations will be an online only line?

What part about using the information they gather from Pulse to help improve the way things are handled at retail make you think they're going to pull Generations from retail? If anything I read this as better things coming from Generations at retail in the next 5 years.

Emerje

This also ties into my belief that most stores don't like 30+ year old men in toy isles.

Then they best stop selling action figures, because that's who buys them. Kids aren't interested. Adults have driven the action figure industry for the past two decades. Why else would Hasbro bring us such obscure stuff from 30 years ago as redos of Slugslinger, the Duocons or the stinking Jumpstarters. Kids are not interested in any of that.

Also, most retailers seem to have a hard time keeping the CHUG stuff in stock, while the movie stuff clogs shelves for months at a time until it's cleared out on clearance.

And it's not just Transformers. Who buys their kids $20 Black Series or Marvel Legends figures? No one. Or those stupid Pop figures that cover everything 80s? Kids are not buying action figures. If it bothers them that adult collectors on in their stores, they shouldn't stock the stuff adult collectors buy.

cruizerdave wrote:This whole Pulse thing seems like a bad deal. Give us $50 cuz, and we'll give you some crappy repaints you can pay for, but free shipping!

chuckdawg1999 wrote:

Emerje wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:Hmm, why do I have a feeling that within 5 years Generations will be an online only line?

What part about using the information they gather from Pulse to help improve the way things are handled at retail make you think they're going to pull Generations from retail? If anything I read this as better things coming from Generations at retail in the next 5 years.

Emerje

This also ties into my belief that most stores don't like 30+ year old men in toy isles.

Then they best stop selling action figures, because that's who buys them. Kids aren't interested. Adults have driven the action figure industry for the past two decades. Why else would Hasbro bring us such obscure stuff from 30 years ago as redos of Slugslinger, the Duocons or the stinking Jumpstarters. Kids are not interested in any of that.

Also, most retailers seem to have a hard time keeping the CHUG stuff in stock, while the movie stuff clogs shelves for months at a time until it's cleared out on clearance.

And it's not just Transformers. Who buys their kids $20 Black Series or Marvel Legends figures? No one. Or those stupid Pop figures that cover everything 80s? Kids are not buying action figures. If it bothers them that adult collectors on in their stores, they shouldn't stock the stuff adult collectors buy.

Amazing! Everything you’ve just said, is wrong.

Kids frikkin love Marvel Legends, and they frikkin love building the BAFs.

There's a lot of adult collectibles sold in the toy aisles that kids also buy, not just Generations. And half of them are made by Hasbro. Aside from what's been mentioned there's also WWE and DC figures from Mattel and some of the current and upcoming Power Rangers figures from Bandai and Hasbro and the Dragon Ball Super stuff among other things. There's zero reason to think Generations and Studio Series would be singled out with all these other $20-range action figures that aren't impulse friendly like the sub-$15 stuff.

Emerje

Every time this topic of conversation comes up I have to say ... we don't actually know what demographic is buying those toys in the aisles.

Burn wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:This also ties into my belief that most stores don't like 30+ year old men in toy isles.

This right here. Unless you've got a kid with you, you're automatically branded a creep.

And some are.

But most aren't.

I used to tell myself that the moms were checking me out when they were looking at me, they weren't

chuckdawg1999 wrote:

Burn wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:This also ties into my belief that most stores don't like 30+ year old men in toy isles.

This right here. Unless you've got a kid with you, you're automatically branded a creep.

And some are.

But most aren't.

I used to tell myself that the moms were checking me out when they were looking at me, they weren't

I actually never had that problem here in Texas. I guess it's because I tend to wear my Transformers hoodies, Zelda hoodie or 80's pop culture shirts most of the time, branding me a man-child... that or my wife is usually with me

On the subject of being or feeling like a creeper while in the toy section. I can say that I've never noticed any weird looks from other shoppers, employees or cashiers. Doesn't mean they weren't happening. I used to feel weird lurking around, but I got over it. Most of this is internal perception.

On the "recognized collector demographic" front, I got this email from Hasbro Pulse. I've only ordered the Siege wave 2 deluxes.



Anyone else get one?

carytheone wrote:Anyone else get one?

Yep, about half an hour ago.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:

carytheone wrote:Anyone else get one?

Yep, about half an hour ago.

Emerje

They should send out bracelets.

carytheone wrote:

Emerje wrote:

carytheone wrote:Anyone else get one?

Yep, about half an hour ago.

Emerje

They should send out bracelets.

I too am a part of this fictitious bracelet club, I preordered KSI Boss because I don't want to miss out on that mold again.

I'm suddenly glad I live in Australia so I can't be part of this bracelet club.

Burn wrote:I'm suddenly glad I live in Australia so I can't be part of this bracelet club.

Like it or not, you're an honorary member now.



What color you want? Wearing it on your ankle also counts.