The Energon Pub

News Credits: 1 · by **Bumblevivisector** » Thu Jan 30, 2014 9:58 pm

OOOOOkay, while I could go on about how Angry Birds Star Wars made me see that the trend of licensed crossovers points to all of pop-culture racing towards "The Condition of Muzak" in much the same way that many breakfast cereals keep adding new colors until they've covered the entire spectrum (like what recently happened in Green Lantern's neck of the multiverse) creating a space where everything becomes indistinct, and the ramifications this will have for the looming global I.P. wars that will surely change the very definitions of "public-domain" and "fair-use"...

...my first thought is actually of one advantage TF has over Star Wars here: dozens of characters who actually turn into birds, and at least three pigs. In other words, this has the potential to sorta' make more sense if they stray beyond the big names.

PLEASE at least include Snarler; his main character trait is selfishness IIRC, so he actually would steal eggs if he saw a point to it. And if they just ignored factions and threw in Randy, he could crumble from GPS when you hit him!

by **AutoBorst** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 10:22 am

Goddammit Hasbro, stop with the Angry Birds cross over garbage already. It's bad enough you mate everything else with your Mr. Potato Head, this is ten times lower. Have some goddamn dignity and respect for your licenses.

News Credits: 12 · by **GuyIncognito** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 12:25 pm

AutoBorst wrote:Goddammit Hasbro, stop with the Angry Birds cross over garbage already. It's bad enough you mate everything else with your Mr. Potato Head, this is ten times lower. Have some goddamn dignity and respect for your licenses.

What do dignity and respect have to do with it? These are children's toys, not war memorials.

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 7:22 am

Continuing the trend of showing us everything but the main toy lines, fellow Transformers fansite Transformers Universe have taken pictures of the German Hasbro catalogue from the Nuremberg Toy Fair, and uploaded them to their Facebook page. You can check them all out mirrored below, but notable additions are the confirmation of some of the UK Toy Fair products, Transformers apparel (including a Lockdown hoodie), bedsheets, costumes and stationery.

UPDATE: Fellow Seibertronian Dead Metal has translated the German descriptions into English, copied below.

Inside cover:
The mega blockbuster of 2014’s summer – director Michael Bay reinvents the saga with even more characters and action!

In theatres 17 July 2014

Mega products – Transformers just like in the theatre!

# Transformable in 5 or less steps!

# Magical transformations in less than 1 second!

# For action just like in the movie!

Product page 1:

Transformers Legion Heroes (Movie characters)
8 piece assortment
The stars from the world of Transformers in the handy Legion size class. The collectable and playable figures feature fast transformation with just 5 steps!

Note: Legion (old Legends) scale

Transformers Movie 4 One-Step-Magic
12 piece assortment
These action figures transform just like the heroes from the Transformers theatre movie in just one step. Assortment features numerous characters from the blockbuster movie.

Note: 178 mm high, 17.8 cm about Voyager sized

Page 2:

Transformers 4 Sparkers
8 piece assortment
The ultimate Transformers figure with light effects for the Transformers battle just like in the movie. Once wound up the Sparker races into the duel.

Note: these are 203 mm high, that’s 20.3 cm so large Voyager scale

Transformers Movie 4 Deluxe Attackers
8 piece assortment
Action figures directly from the theatre screen. The Deluxe Attackers transform with just 5 steps into a Transformer with “Power Attack” feature. The assortment contains numerous characters from the blockbuster.

Note: 165 mm high, 16,5 sound like these are the new Deluxe scale, or at least similar to that scale

Page 3:

Transformers Movie 4 Flip & Smash
3 piece assortment
The over 20 cm tall action figure transforms using the innovative Flip-Transformation. For instance by holding it at its arms, let it rotate, and the transformation is complete. For Transformers action just like in the movie.

Transformers Movie 4 Mega Flip Bumblebee
3 piece assortment
The star of the theatre blockbuster as an over 25cm tall and imposing action figure. Bumblebee transforms himself with just one step from robot to the yellow sport’s car just like in the movie.

Note: unlike the previous assortments, which are all slated for July 2014, this is slated for September 2014, from the dimensions this seems to be 30.5 cm tall

Page 4:

Transformers Movie 4 Mega Hero
Assortment number cut off
With over 50 cm this is the giant of the Transformers action figures. With one simple action it transforms into a robot with cool light and sound effects. Includes an Optimus Prime figure (non-transformable).

Note: 533 mm/ 53.3 cm high, batteries required

Transformers Battle Masters 2pack
3 or 5 piece assortment (the number is partially cut off and could be either of those)
Play set with 2 duel action figures for the Transformers boxing match. Two triggers in the grip activate the punching movements for the robots’ arms. Winner is the one who hits the opponent’s head. Can also be played digitally via Battle app.

Note: 400 mm/ 40 cm tall

News Credits: 1 · by **njb902** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 8:08 am

So was the knife included?

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 8:08 am

njb902 wrote:So was the knife included?

Cutting edge of marketing, I'll have you know.

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 8:30 am

I would say, this is actually the first official reveal of the main line. Yep, not very collector friendly. But cool for the kids and play time.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 8:53 am

Got my popcorn ready for the wave of displeased reactions this non-collector-centric news will bring surely bring:

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:11 am

Dead Metal wrote:I would say, this is actually the first official reveal of the main line. Yep, not very collector friendly. But cool for the kids and play time.

But they're not *showing* us anything. That's what I meant.

Sabrblade wrote:Got my popcorn ready for the wave of displeased reactions this non-collector-centric news will bring surely bring:

Pass some over, will you?

News Credits: 1 · by **njb902** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:14 am

I just wish I could read German.

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:21 am

njb902 wrote:I just wish I could read German.

That's why we have Dead Metal!

News Credits: 1 · by **T-Macksimus** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:54 am

Va'al wrote:
Dead Metal wrote:I would say, this is actually the first official reveal of the main line. Yep, not very collector friendly. But cool for the kids and play time.

But they're not *showing* us anything. That's what I meant.

Sabrblade wrote:Got my popcorn ready for the wave of displeased reactions this non-collector-centric news will bring surely bring:

Pass some over, will you?

Well then... as one of the more outspoken critics AGAINST this new movie and the associated products that come with it, it will be my pleasure to mess with your heads and say (and this is in all honesty, no joke) that there are actually a few things from that catalog that I would consider getting. That Prime with the trailer that doubles as a display case being foremost among them.
I'm still not a fan of them over-simplifying the transformation process on this line. That's going to make the articulation and overall aesthetic of the figures suffer but I understand that most of the children out there wont care either way about such things so I'm not going to make a fuss over it. Let the kiddies have their fun with it while us "old school" collectors complain about not getting what we want out of the Generations line.

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:06 am

But see, that's the kind of criticism that works! It's constructed, polite, tries to work on both sides and most of all, not insulting anyone.

What a lot of us are growing tired of is the endless whining topped off with insults towards kids, parents, adults and a skewed sense of nostalgia and lack of perspective.

It's fine to complain (I've mostly stopped collecting new toys myself, and decided to look backwards instead), but please be respectful of other users, collectors and people who might enjoy these products.

by **noctorro** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:58 am

njb902 wrote:I just wish I could read German.

Can you read anyhing besides english?

by **noctorro** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:00 am

I can read it, but no pictures, W U NO put pictures of products Hasbro Germany

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:34 am

Va'al wrote:
Dead Metal wrote:I would say, this is actually the first official reveal of the main line. Yep, not very collector friendly. But cool for the kids and play time.

But they're not *showing* us anything. That's what I meant.

Ah OK, yea you're right, all we got was descriptions. At least we now know what to expect.

Sabrblade wrote:Got my popcorn ready for the wave of displeased reactions this non-collector-centric news will bring surely bring:

Pass some over, will you?

Me too!

njb902 wrote:I just wish I could read German.

That's why I translated it :lol:

check out the news post again and shows the translation before the pictures.

News Credits: 1 · by **njb902** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:38 am

Dead Metal wrote:
Va'al wrote:
Dead Metal wrote:I would say, this is actually the first official reveal of the main line. Yep, not very collector friendly. But cool for the kids and play time.

But they're not *showing* us anything. That's what I meant.

Ah OK, yea you're right, all we got was descriptions. At least we now know what to expect.
Sabrblade wrote:Got my popcorn ready for the wave of displeased reactions this non-collector-centric news will bring surely bring:

Pass some over, will you?

Me too!

njb902 wrote:I just wish I could read German.

That's why I translated it check out the news post again and shows the translation before the pictures.

Ah, nice!

News Credits: 1 · by **Janus Prime** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 12:45 pm

According to this, there´s a "Mega Hero" toy that transforms and comes with a small Optimus. I wonder if that´s a big Grimlock and the tiny Optimus can actually ride him.

To me that´s awesome.

by **hinomars19** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 3:16 pm

Some of these toys probably sound worse than they will actually look, I mean bot-shots are freakin' cool but I bet they didn't sound too good on paper back before we saw any.

I'm really hoping the new show coming will give us a decent 'normal' main line though. Quality and reduced plastic aside, most of Prid was a solid line of normal TF figures. Simplification isn't the problem. Animated had simple designs and toys, as did Beast wars and Unicron trilogy, and where it all started, the new mold G2 figures back in the 90's. They were fun TOYS without sacrificing anything. The movie designs are not simple friendly, so I guess 'gimmick' toys makes more sense. The new Leader Optimus doesn't seem right because it's a cheat shellformer because a complicated design is being shoe-horned into a simple toy. (I know, kids won't notice or care, fair play) It's simplicity isn't the problem by itself. No doubt any mainline AOE figs will be the same.

I say this, not because I have a sense of entitlement as an 'adult collector' (god knows the current generations figures and MP's have been more than enough) but because I want Transformers to be toys kids (and big kids) can enjoy, but still be what Transformers are/ were. I also kinda hate the distinction, or rather the need for it. Not to repeat myself but ANIMATED! If animated could do it then I'm sure hasbro could still do it now, is all I am saying.

(again, I see why movie marketing is different and it naturally spawns this kind of merchandise)

Yeah, Rescue bots, bot shots and what we have on this list are the kid friendly end, yes MP's and (some) Generations are the adult friendly end, both are valid and needed but I guess I don't want to lose the middle ground. Generations Trailbreaker and Hoist are easy to do (accept the need to peg the arms together under the hood...yikes that gets annoying) are they really the kind of toys that would alienate kids and need to be labeled 'collector friendly'? Somehow it all seems to have gotten a bit out of hand. That's how it feels to me. A bit over hyped. On both ends.
I doubt I will have much interest in AoE product anyway, so I'm not 'moaning' because I will miss out. I didn't buy many from DOTM (Just the 3 leaders). I'll see the movie, enjoy it for what it is. If a good Grimlock toy surfaces I may not resist.
Hopefully this isn't read as movie hate or 'collector entitlement'. I come in peace, I really do.

However that bed spread...looks suspiciously classy enough to have on a 33 year old's bed and not seem too nerdy... :-?

by **jos3m** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 3:29 pm

why nobody is asking about the different color palet in the optimus costume/disguise, it is clearly the new design for optimus but with a red chest, and what appear to be red guards in his upper legs, because is not tfprime optimus because that design didnt had red feet nor the smoke stack on his back, the face mask is different too, it have more blue in it.

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:01 pm

hinomars19 wrote:However that bed spread...looks suspiciously classy enough to have on a 33 year old's bed and not seem too nerdy...

Shame it's a single, though.

by **hinomars19** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:32 pm

Va'al wrote:
hinomars19 wrote:However that bed spread...looks suspiciously classy enough to have on a 33 year old's bed and not seem too nerdy...

Shame it's a single, though.

Haha, true, true. Though sadly I'm not lucky enough to be in such a place that that matters at the moment. :shock:

Still, this is another area where kids shouldn't have all the fun; there must be husband and wife TF fan teams out there, surely?

by **AnnaChristine** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:33 pm

Va'al wrote:
hinomars19 wrote:However that bed spread...looks suspiciously classy enough to have on a 33 year old's bed and not seem too nerdy...

Shame it's a single, though.

I still have a single bed... wait... thats not a good thing :HEADHURTS:

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:35 pm

hinomars19 wrote:
Va'al wrote:
hinomars19 wrote:However that bed spread...looks suspiciously classy enough to have on a 33 year old's bed and not seem too nerdy...

Shame it's a single, though.

Haha, true, true. Though sadly I'm not lucky enough to be in such a place that that matters at the moment. Still, this is another area where kids shouldn't have all the fun; there must be husband and wife TF fan teams out there, surely?

Hey, my partner lives in Amsterdam at the moment, and we've been in a medium/long-distance relationship for two out of three years now - I still use a double bed!

But yeah, I have noticed that most novelty bedsheets are targeted at kids, and therefore single sets. WHAT ABOUT THE ADULT FANS? RUINED 5EVA!!11!!11!