The Energon Pub

News Credits: 1 · Sun Sep 29, 2019 6:47 pm

I actually tried to sign on today, but it didn't go through, so I'll have straighten out a thing or two with my card and add my order at the last minute.

I really hope the slowdown isn't because people think Hasbro's just going to keep kicking the deadline down the road into next year, because that would surely add up to this not getting made.

Sun Sep 29, 2019 7:52 pm

I'll add on the last day or so. God forbid I have some horrible accident tomorrow and end up needing the $600 then and there.

News Credits: 22 · Sun Sep 29, 2019 7:53 pm

Bumblevivisector wrote:I really hope the slowdown isn't because people think Hasbro's just going to keep kicking the deadline down the road into next year, because that would surely add up to this not getting made.

But wouldn't it make more sense if they did? It would give people more time to sign up. Hasbro wants this figure made, because they want the profits from it. So why not enable the fans to be able to pay for it? Why such a short time limit? Unless the numbers from the online stores come in and save this, it won't be made, which means that even the effort put into design and development of the prototype is wasted, unless it's used down the line. I think the deadline should be pushed to at least October 31st if it's not met next week. And if the rate of purchase/sign up slows down even more to the point where it's practically dead in the water, then Hasbro can either make the decision to make the figure with the number they have or cancel the project, whatever makes sense for them financially.

News Credits: 462 · Sun Sep 29, 2019 7:56 pm

Rodimus Prime wrote:
Bumblevivisector wrote:I really hope the slowdown isn't because people think Hasbro's just going to keep kicking the deadline down the road into next year, because that would surely add up to this not getting made.
But wouldn't it make more sense if they did? It would give people more time to sign up. Hasbro wants this figure made, because they want the profits from it. So why not enable the fans to be able to pay for it? Why such a short time limit? Unless the numbers from the online stores come in and save this, it won't be made, which means that even the effort put into design and development of the prototype is wasted, unless it's used down the line. I think the deadline should be pushed to at least October 31st if it's not met next week. And if the rate of purchase/sign up slows down even more to the point where it's practically dead in the water, then Hasbro can either make the decision to make the figure with the number they have or cancel the project, whatever makes sense for them financially.

The more the deadline keeps getting extended, the longer people are going to put off preordering it, resulting in less and less urgency for it to get made, making it take longer and longer for the quota to finally be reached.

News Credits: 1646 · Sun Sep 29, 2019 8:12 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
Rodimus Prime wrote:
Bumblevivisector wrote:I really hope the slowdown isn't because people think Hasbro's just going to keep kicking the deadline down the road into next year, because that would surely add up to this not getting made.
But wouldn't it make more sense if they did? It would give people more time to sign up. Hasbro wants this figure made, because they want the profits from it. So why not enable the fans to be able to pay for it? Why such a short time limit? Unless the numbers from the online stores come in and save this, it won't be made, which means that even the effort put into design and development of the prototype is wasted, unless it's used down the line. I think the deadline should be pushed to at least October 31st if it's not met next week. And if the rate of purchase/sign up slows down even more to the point where it's practically dead in the water, then Hasbro can either make the decision to make the figure with the number they have or cancel the project, whatever makes sense for them financially.
The more the deadline keeps getting extended, the longer people are going to put off preordering it, resulting in less and less urgency for it to get made, making it take longer and longer for the quota to finally be reached.

As is, the first delay probably has people waiting to see if there is a 3rd, which means they will miss out or unicron might not get made because people thought they would postpone again

News Credits: 226 · Sun Sep 29, 2019 8:30 pm

If it were to be pushed back I could see people taking the "oh **** it, this **** isn't happening so I'm cancelling" attitude.

And I really wouldn't blame them.

News Credits: 101 · Sun Sep 29, 2019 8:38 pm

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:As is, the first delay probably has people waiting to see if there is a 3rd, which means they will miss out or unicron might not get made because people thought they would postpone again

It's a lose-lose-lose situation.
Too short a delay, people can't have enough time to get the cash. Too long a delay, people are not in a hurry. Extend the delay, people won't take Hasbro seriously.

News Credits: 22 · Sun Sep 29, 2019 8:51 pm

So you guys are all of the opinion that if the quota was going to be met, it would have been done by now and the delays are just pushing back the inevitable?

News Credits: 25 · Sun Sep 29, 2019 8:54 pm

Rodimus Prime wrote:So you guys are all of the opinion that if the quota was going to be met, it would have been done by now and the delays are just pushing back the inevitable?

Yes. At least in north America. I think completion depends on Kapow orders from UK.

News Credits: 1646 · Sun Sep 29, 2019 8:56 pm

Ironhidensh wrote:
Rodimus Prime wrote:So you guys are all of the opinion that if the quota was going to be met, it would have been done by now and the delays are just pushing back the inevitable?

Yes. At least in north America. I think completion depends on Kapow orders from UK.

Pretty much this. UK and Australia had new avenues opened up so they could actually order, so there is an influx there. but for the US and Canada, I think we aren't getting too many more from them. Only a few more would join with the extra month to get the funds together

News Credits: 101 · Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:05 pm

Rodimus Prime wrote:So you guys are all of the opinion that if the quota was going to be met, it would have been done by now and the delays are just pushing back the inevitable?

Pretty much.
Also, many like me had time to think this over and decide that in the end, a 600/1000$ giant Transformers was not the smartest purchase to make budget-wise.
Thus canceling their backing.

Mon Sep 30, 2019 7:48 am

While I LOVE the idea of this toy, and appreciate that some will be over the moon to get him in their collection, I just in all honesty can not justify the purchase of it.

It's too expensive (I would rather buy 20 more Siege toys than ONE Unicron), and much too big (I literally have NOWHERE to display it, or would have to pack up about 20 other figures to make room). Now while I could be persuaded to part with some money to have a representation of him on my shelf, the amount of money and shelf space required for this toy is not worth it for me.

And if you are in same boat as me, do NOT pre-order this thing. Don't let the whole "please support our Unicron dream" thing push you into putting down a LOT of money for something you just don't really want or need or have the room for, just to support 'the community'. As a member of this 'community', I'm here to tell you that you don't have to.

News Credits: 1 · Mon Sep 30, 2019 8:32 am

I'm still down for this and I hope it gets made. I'm not sure it will. That's a lot of numbers to fill for 3rd party vendors. But maybe the payment options have driven people to guys like BBTS. And there's still Japan to contend with right? I hear they like robots over there.

I think they overdid it on the exclusives and were just nuts to limit orders from Pulse to the US and Canada (with free shipping only applying to the US). The advertising didn't help and neither did Zeta showing that you didn't, necessarily, need all that kibble. If this fails I think a whole essay could be made on what they did wrong.

But I'd really love to have this in my collection even if it displaces other figs. This guy is a freakin' beast.

News Credits: 251 · Mon Sep 30, 2019 8:53 am

I want to see this finished but wrong decisions were made in planning, namely the short window between its announcement and deadline and the gradual reveal of features that should’ve been revealed from the get-go.

News Credits: 11 · Mon Sep 30, 2019 11:06 am

come on people! Let's do this!

News Credits: 30 · Mon Sep 30, 2019 11:42 am

They extended a month already, and haven’t made much progress. Short of Elon Musk and Bill Gates signing? I don’t see it happening. The market is just too narrow for mass production...

News Credits: 2 · Mon Sep 30, 2019 12:32 pm

If he doesn't get made, I don't see us getting a new version of Unicron anytime soon. They might not even to a reissue of the previous one either, because people just don't see interested in Unicorn.

News Credits: 6 · Mon Sep 30, 2019 2:30 pm

Rodimus Knight wrote:If he doesn't get made, I don't see us getting a new version of Unicron anytime soon. They might not even to a reissue of the previous one either, because people just don't seem interested in Unicorn.

Perhaps it just comes down to how they've gone about it, has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Shifting the deadline, while maintaining virtual silence on the project, has done little to alleviate those concerns.

That said, they're making money on the reissues. As I've said before, all they need to do is finish G1 Unicron, box him in a similar style to his contemporaries and He would sell. It might be an inferior piece to HasLab, but it is one that has had demand behind it for far longer. Even those that simply collect the reissues and nothing more, would want it.

News Credits: 101 · Mon Sep 30, 2019 3:12 pm

Even if it was 150 or 200$, I'd be all over the G1 Unicron prototype . Seriously, he look awesome in a retro/vintage kind of way.

News Credits: 6 · Mon Sep 30, 2019 3:19 pm

-Kanrabat- wrote:Even if it was 150 or 200$, I'd be all over the G1 Unicron prototype . Seriously, he look awesome in a retro/vintage kind of way.

Exactly. It is funny that the G1 prototype and the BWN prototype are the only [HasTak] ones I've been interested in owning.

News Credits: 1 · Mon Sep 30, 2019 4:43 pm

Unicron made a real impression on me, so I'd be interested in almost any official version of him. G1 Unicron would be hilarious to own.

I wonder if BWN would still hold appeal. He's likely smaller than the Armada version we've had all this time. While G1 is always pretty popular would BWN hold collector interest enough to justify making the moulds and releasing it?