The Energon Pub

Recently I approached the Hasbro designing department with an e-mail requesting that the Gobots should be incorporated into the transformers Verse, and subsequent ideas that many fans here have also considered...unfortunately, Hasbro will only accept ideas internally.. so what ever we complain about, or discuss here in our message boards doesn't mean a thing, per their legal council...

I am let down by the responses I have recieved, and I'm okay with why they can't even take a look at some of the ideas for inspiration purposes...In this day and age of Suing everyone, and people who try to just get money for scams and such.. it really makes it hard for new ideas to be heard and acknowledged..

The problem is, as a fan I have repeatedly thought that the designs and ideas set forth by anyone fan should be submitted with a notarized and legal release of all obligations with respect to gaining any monies from submissions of ideas to Hasbro.. I guess that is what has to be done if there is even a chance their legal department will even allow their employees to look at the idea..

oh well....I guess I have to rely on Hasbro's inspiration versus fan suggested ideas..

I have the e-mail if you want to read their response...PM me..

Welcome to the dark side.

Counterpunch wrote:Welcome to the dark side.

apparently....

well, I guess I'm gonna be a boring poster on here from now on.. you won't see me doing any more "What ifs" and "this would be cool Digibashes" there wouldn't be a point if Hasbro is against even just taking a view at some of the art and fan made suggestions.. it really is a dark day for individual creativity.. though an understandable one.. it just sucks that people would sumbit ideas to Hasbro with the intent of suing them if that idea or a similar one was made..

My only reward would have been seeing an idea get made into plastic and being able to buy it as a fan.. though now I understand why the custom transformers toys will never be created, and also why those same amateur designers are doing it themselves..but overall, I'm not mad at Hasbro.. it just takes the fun out of wanting to see a good idea used, because you know it never will..

Oh geez, i'm about to flip you around again.

This site is HUGE in the TF world! There has to be Hasbro employees watching the boards. As part of a design team ... where would you go if you were running out of ideas?

I'd come here, as well as the other boards.

Just because they only accept internal ideas, doesn't mean that those said people aren't allowed in seibs.

You shouldn't really change anything about what you like and do just because hasbro won't recognize any of it. If that were true, we'd probably never get any Mosaics. Don't let corporations rule what you do and love. I say keep on coming up with what if's, kitbashes, and digibashes. If anything, it helps keeps the fandom going and strong.

I guess you guys are right. i mean had I given upon the ideas and stuff that i like to share with the fandom, i would have never have brought in ravenstar Studios to see if they could do model Spaceships based on the Transformers. It took allot of courage to ask them about that idea.. maybe I should rethink my position..

My friend at Hasbro did say that they sometimes browse our message boards.. Maybe the "Official Response" is they can't do that or accept submissions, but unofficially they can browse and look at what we come up with..??

I don't know, Its just kind of a let down, thats all..

skywarp-2 wrote:I guess you guys are right. i mean had I given upon the ideas and stuff that i like to share with the fandom, i would have never have brought in ravenstar Studios to see if they could do model Spaceships based on the Transformers. It took allot of courage to ask them about that idea.. maybe I should rethink my position..

My friend at Hasbro did say that they sometimes browse our message boards.. Maybe the "Official Response" is they can't do that or accept submissions, but unofficially they can browse and look at what we come up with..??

I don't know, Its just kind of a let down, thats all..

When you send any idea to a company in writinng, you automatically own that idea and can copyright it. If they use it you are entitled to royalties. This is why almost all companies won't even open the e-mail. This is a very popular thing in the song writing industry.

GetterDragun wrote:

skywarp-2 wrote:I guess you guys are right. i mean had I given upon the ideas and stuff that i like to share with the fandom, i would have never have brought in ravenstar Studios to see if they could do model Spaceships based on the Transformers. It took allot of courage to ask them about that idea.. maybe I should rethink my position..

My friend at Hasbro did say that they sometimes browse our message boards.. Maybe the "Official Response" is they can't do that or accept submissions, but unofficially they can browse and look at what we come up with..??

I don't know, Its just kind of a let down, thats all..

When you send any idea to a company in writinng, you automatically own that idea and can copyright it. If they use it you are entitled to royalties. This is why almost all companies won't even open the e-mail. This is a very popular thing in the song writing industry.

so how do you, as a fan, get a company interested in an idea, that you don't want royalties or monetary gains from, and just want the satisfaction of seeing a facsimile of that idea produced?

skywarp-2 wrote:so how do you, as a fan, get a company interested in an idea, that you don't want royalties or monetary gains from, and just want the satisfaction of seeing a facsimile of that idea produced?

You offer them an "Energon Goodie"

I wrote HASBRO with an idea when I was a kid. By snail mail and got the same response a month or so later.

Later on that season we get the Aerialbots. My idea: Flying autobots.

skywarp-2 wrote: so what ever we complain about, or discuss here in our message boards doesn't mean a thing

Wise words indeed, the sooner everyone realizes this the better.A kick in the nuts for you tho, considering you're primary pass time s coming with (often ludicrous ) ideas/predictions/requests/wish lists in the vain hope someone at Hastak will be watching.

Yours AK

Some companies do have an active relationship with their fans.

Lego for instance:
http://shop.lego.com/ByTheme/Product.aspx?p=10190&cn=245&d=100

I would welcome such Hasbro opening up such channels. If they could draw up all the appropriate disclaimers, it should be quite easy for them to have a submission form on a website.

I'm like you, I feel your pain, I've got plenty of such ideas, and I'd be only too pleased to see them realized in some form. I couldn't care less if they sold a zillion of them, so long as they listened. I'm not the suing kind -just show me where to sign away my rights and I'll be happy to oblige.

The only time I know of that hasbro took fan ideas was during the creation of the 25th anviersery line of g.i. joe's hasbro had a poll on the front page of the g.i. joe website that listed a bunch of different characters, and the one that got the most votes was created. At least that is what I remember happing someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Don't stop coming up with ideas, just be aware that Hasbro may not incorporate it (the way you want or at all). They do have employees who scour these and other TF boards for ideas. Your best bet is to try and influence the TFCC people so that some of your ideas may be used for the club exclusives.

shortround wrote:The only time I know of that hasbro took fan ideas was during the creation of the 25th anviersery line of g.i. joe's they had poll on front page of g.i. joe website that listed a bunch of different figures, and the one that got the most votes was created. At least that is what I remember happing someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I think your right, but they also did that with the Star Wars figures, and the SW fandom voted for the McQuarrie figures..and obscure guys in the cantina, etc...etc...

So why can't we have a similar type of submissions section?? I think the difference with those lines is that the designs are already done, they just haven't been given toy treatment before..and Hasbro is issuing the idea to the fans not vice versa..kinda sucks.. they never really asked the Transformers fans for a vote on some characters..that would be kinda neat.. like should there be a Sentinel prime in Universe classics 2.0? Hell Yes!!!

skywarp-2 wrote:Recently I approached the Hasbro designing department with an e-mail requesting that the Gobots should be incorporated into the transformers Verse, and subsequent ideas that many fans here have also considered...unfortunately, Hasbro will only accept ideas internally.. so what ever we complain about, or discuss here in our message boards doesn't mean a thing, per their legal council...

I am let down by the responses I have recieved, and I'm okay with why they can't even take a look at some of the ideas for inspiration purposes...In this day and age of Suing everyone, and people who try to just get money for scams and such.. it really makes it hard for new ideas to be heard and acknowledged..

The problem is, as a fan I have repeatedly thought that the designs and ideas set forth by anyone fan should be submitted with a notarized and legal release of all obligations with respect to gaining any monies from submissions of ideas to Hasbro.. I guess that is what has to be done if there is even a chance their legal department will even allow their employees to look at the idea..

oh well....I guess I have to rely on Hasbro's inspiration versus fan suggested ideas..

I have the e-mail if you want to read their response...PM me..

You're playing the wrong game. You should be sending them a wish list of the figures that you don't want.

"Dear Hasbro,

Please make more repaints of the Movie line.

Please repaint Bumblebee green, blue, orange, and every other color from the rainbow. Please do the same with all the other characters. I can't get enough of them!

Oh by the way, I own the intellectual rights to these ideas and will desire royalities if you produce them.

Sincerely,

Your favorite fan"

There covered!

I beleave in the case of the g.i. joe 25th Anniversary they hadn't yet desiged the figures they may have had the basic design ready but as far as the figure goes, I don't think they were made yet because they redesigned the figures from the ground up with different joints, and everything else. I own a few of them because I picked up Serpentor, and kind of started to like them. I guess the point I'm making is if hasbro took as much time to figure out what transfans want as they do with star wars and g.i. joe fans. They could make the new line of classics 2.0/universe a big hit unstead of assuming they know what we want based on out buying habits to date, and as benny hill would say "Because when you assume you make an ass out of you and me".

Hasbro just did a fan poll for Marvel Legends too.

Since they own all those toy lines, it's a reasonable assumption that Hasbro would eventually do something like that with the TF line.

It's just, at the moment, there are a bunch of projects and figures in the works. Allspark, Classics 2.0 & animated are all coming out, and the franchise, at the moment it at a high.

When the TF train begins to slow down, as all those other lines have done in the past, THAT'S when you'll see the fan polls. It helps re-energize the fan interest.

I had a great idea about G1 Dart Tag OP vs megatron. I got this back:

Thank you for contacting Hasbro, Inc. regarding the above-referenced new product ideas. We appreciate your interest in our company.

As you can imagine, each year we receive many contacts and inquiries such as yours, and while we appreciate hearing from our friends and consumers, we must advise you that we do not accept unsolicited submissions for review.

For many years it has been and remains our company’s policy to decline offers to consider unsolicited external ideas or suggestions. We depend on employees and other organizations with whom we deal on a regular basis for such ideas. Also, the toy and game industry has had the unfortunate experience of lawsuits being filed by individuals who allege misappropriation for their ideas as a result of a company’s consideration of even the most general concept, and we simply cannot assume such risks. Therefore, we do not encourage the submission of ideas by individuals who are not directly associated with our company or its agents.

You may wish to seek entry to a company which has a submission policy different from ours, or else you may wish to contact a toy and game broker. Such a broker introduces and helps sell the concepts/prototypes or other inventions to the broker’s personal contacts at various toy and/or game manufacturers. While we cannot make a specific recommendation, or endorse any particular broker, attached is a list of the names and addresses toy brokers who have given their permission to release their names. We strongly urge you to contact the broker of your choice before submitting any samples or prototypes.

In accordance with our policy, we are enclosing the material you sent to us, which we have neither copied nor reviewed.

Sincerely,

HASBRO LEGAL DEPARTMENT

I guess this will never happen being as even though we get the first pics of new figures leaked before hasbro puts them out, and they still want to suprise the real audience. They should post early design sketches of upcoming figures and we, the absolute potential buyers should be able to pick the one we would love to own the most. it would be a great democracy for us because i have heard the negative feedbacks a lot and it should be changed.

Autobotic9 wrote:I had a great idea about G1 Dart Tag OP vs megatron. I got this back:

Thank you for contacting Hasbro, Inc. regarding the above-referenced new product ideas. We appreciate your interest in our company.

As you can imagine, each year we receive many contacts and inquiries such as yours, and while we appreciate hearing from our friends and consumers, we must advise you that we do not accept unsolicited submissions for review.

For many years it has been and remains our company’s policy to decline offers to consider unsolicited external ideas or suggestions. We depend on employees and other organizations with whom we deal on a regular basis for such ideas. Also, the toy and game industry has had the unfortunate experience of lawsuits being filed by individuals who allege misappropriation for their ideas as a result of a company’s consideration of even the most general concept, and we simply cannot assume such risks. Therefore, we do not encourage the submission of ideas by individuals who are not directly associated with our company or its agents.

You may wish to seek entry to a company which has a submission policy different from ours, or else you may wish to contact a toy and game broker. Such a broker introduces and helps sell the concepts/prototypes or other inventions to the broker’s personal contacts at various toy and/or game manufacturers. While we cannot make a specific recommendation, or endorse any particular broker, attached is a list of the names and addresses toy brokers who have given their permission to release their names. We strongly urge you to contact the broker of your choice before submitting any samples or prototypes.

In accordance with our policy, we are enclosing the material you sent to us, which we have neither copied nor reviewed.

Sincerely,

HASBRO LEGAL DEPARTMENT

wow you got more then i got, i got maybe the first paragraph and that was it.. atleast they made an effort to point you in a direction, any direction for that matter, their e-mail to me just showed me the virtual door...

I still wonder if it was due to the subject matter, and s inbred hatred of Gobots...

hence the funky renditions of those toys to date, the hatred runs deep to the core of the Hasbro toy company... (this is a dramatization) but it sure feels like they hate those characters and i don't understand why.....

rpetras wrote:Hasbro just did a fan poll for Marvel Legends too.

When the TF train begins to slow down, as all those other lines have done in the past, THAT'S when you'll see the fan polls. It helps re-energize the fan interest.

I'd like to see a means of contributing ideas that's a little more creative and open than polling.