The Energon Pub

News Credits: 2 · by **Requiem Prime** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:52 am

I'm not going to say I don't care, because it is a cool bullet point. It's just a cool bullet point that should have come months ago.

But more importantly: TFClub, the drip feed of information is only an easy way to build excitement when you're the only game in town. When you have to directly share the spotlight it becomes a delicate game of keeping the playing field level between your pros and cons and theirs.

Have you noticed Maketoys hasn't even announced a time frame or ballpark price? They managed to get people that excited over the accuracy and pushed keeping it in scale as a plus. And what have you done to level off?

Your price was always a tough sell. But never showing a complete set (read: never confirming you're committed to finishing) is just shooting yourself in the foot.

Show us the dang completed bot.

News Credits: 12 · by **robofreak** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:56 am

Counterpunch wrote:Hey,

TFC...

No one cares until you show us final pics of all six figures and have some guaranteed orders up for them. Get a clue.

And this is why I'm putting my money towards the Make Toys version.

I really thought TFC would have scrambled and posted pics of all 6 figures after Make Toys released images of a COMPLETE combiner.

Instead, we're still getting snippets of the thing. All this will do is hurt TFC in the long run.

News Credits: 11 · by **kirbenvost** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:57 am

Well, that is a pretty sweet combining gun. But yeah, not enough to make me want this set any more.

by **Axalon_Prime** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 11:03 am

I agree with not showing all six and a combined for, but I'm guesing that they need the income from the first few figures to pay for the development of the rest. Also, I hope this doesn't turn out like these Godzilla statues I had been picking up a few years ago. The first in the series was Godzilla, and it was supposed to be a 9 peice set with interlocking bases that would have all the monsters from Destroy All Monsters. They never got past the second one, King Ghidorah. If I chunk down cash for this first figure and it's crap and they finish the series, I do'nt have to get them all. If I get the first one and it's great, and then they don't finish the series, then I'll be ticked.

News Credits: 1 · by **Blackstreak** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 11:26 am

The weapon combining thing freaking rocks!
:KREMZEEK:

by **alternator77** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:05 pm

not to take tfc's side nut its alot easier to make a 3d render and release it for all to see than to actually make the figure (materials,molds,etc..) so i say give it a little time.
also just maketoys had their stuff shown with fp help doesnt automatically = high quality besides with all the other stuff theyve announced it may be a very long time before we see anything.

just a thought >:oP

by **Lord Raze** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:10 pm

I think the release schedule looks a little disappointing. I was kind of hoping to be able to build Devastator up piece by piece like recreating the scenes from the comics of Devastator under construction. But if I got the release schedule correct it doesn't look possible until the 3rd or 4th figures are released.
Still waiting to pre-order though.

News Credits: 409 · by **Stormrider** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 4:42 pm

Too little and a lot too late.

News Credits: 1 · by **Sodan-1** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:03 pm

YAY! I think those that called this one deserve a cookie! While it's cool that they do combine, I can't say it looks particularly amazing. Maybe it'll look better in Hercules' hand.

As for TFClub not rising to MakeToy's challenge: I think it's all a load of crap. It seems like TFClub and MakeToy are just doing their own thing at their own pace and its the fans that are trying to turn it into a fight.

Website · by **RK_Striker_JK_5** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:03 pm

It makes me care... but only a little. I'm still committed, but a bit of that is because MT hasn't released any preorder yet.

News Credits: 5749 · by **El Duque** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 6:07 pm

Apparently there's a big toy show in Guangzhou on 07/21 and TFC will be there. Cross your fingers for news on Mixmaster and Bonecrusher.

News Credits: 3 · by **Dread_Wing** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 6:17 pm

I hope you are right El Duque! It would be wonderful to see a complete Hercules. I am anxious on whether or not there will be a purple chest wing. Of course they could go without for the IDW look, but including it as an option that the collector could use or not depending on their tastes would be nice.
Otherwise I guess the only option would be to hope that another 3rd party group makes one as an add on. Joy, 3rd party upgrade for 3rd party transformers...

News Credits: 2 · by **Convotron** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 1:37 am

Counterpunch wrote:Hey,

TFC...

No one cares until you show us final pics of all six figures and have some guaranteed orders up for them. Get a clue.

I care.

NaM3L3sS wrote:Any business would have risen to Maketoy's bait by showing their full version by now, so I'm calling shenanigans on TFC on this one.

You're assuming that these 3rd party companies are competing against each other.

Sodan-1 wrote:As for TFClub not rising to MakeToy's challenge: I think it's all a load of crap. It seems like TFClub and MakeToy are just doing their own thing at their own pace and its the fans that are trying to turn it into a fight.

I agree with Sodan-1. I find it ridiculous that people are thinking that these companies have any interest in competing against each other. It wouldn't benefit any one 3rd party product company to dominate the market. Considering that it's a niche market and that it's undoubtedly being watched closely by Hasbro and TakaraTomy, I'm sure TFC and MakeToy are only concerned with doing the best work they can to bring fan-centric creations to the public while they are able to. Why would companies who are seemingly motivated by their own fandom of Transformers be pre-occupied with going head to head with other companies who have the same intent?

"Hercules" and "Build" are two different designs with different portions of consumers that they're going to appeal to. Hercules is a larger scaled combiner with a different aesthetic and presumably more expensive than Build. If both products were of the same scale and possessed the same aesthetic, then it could be reasonably claimed that they'd vie for the same sales.

We, as fans of Transformers, should be thankful that we are not only receiving the opportunity for one but two "idealized" versions of Devastator that we are not likely to see from Hasbro/TakaraTomy any time soon. Instead, we have the usual cynicism and non-productive posts that aim to tear down something. If people are going to bitch and moan about how bad Hasbro/TakaraTomy's various combiner lines have been, they shouldn't bitch and moan about independent companies doing their best to bring better combiner products to the market.

Whoever, here or elsewhere on other discussion boards, are saying that they doubt TFC will complete the Hercules set and are jumping ship to MakeToys' product instead...do you not see that lack of support will make your speculation reality? The Hercules project is ambitious. It proposes to produce several large Deluxe/small Voyager class sized figures that combine. I'm sure that TFC is depending on some of the revenue from sales of the first few figures to help finalize production on the rest of the figures.

I'm supporting both companies by purchasing their products. I, for one, am grateful for the chance to possess two variations of the Devastator design that Hasbro/TakaraTomy would never consider producing. Even if one or both combiner projects don't get completed, I can say I did my part in supporting products meant for fans.

News Credits: 3 · by **Midnight_Fox** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:50 am

Convotron, I think for some reason you've confused competing with ACTIVELY competing. The very fact that these 2 companies are in the same niche market and are producing similar products(regardless of aesthetic or whether it's intentional) not working together on a single product means they are competing for consumer dollars.

They just aren't being active about it(like Apple and Microsoft with Apple's style of commercials or showing that they're striving to produce one before the other has theirs on the market), at least not publically.

News Credits: 2 · by **Convotron** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 11:37 am

I understand your point, Midnight_Fox, but my issue with some of the posts here and at other forums is that people are under the impression that there is ACTIVE and DIRECT competition between the two companies. As Sodan-1 said, some fans seem to see this as some sort of fight between two 3rd party product companies.

by **Axalon_Prime** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 11:59 am

What I don't get is that Hasbro works with third party companies for the G.I.joe line. Sideshow Collectibles makes those insanely detailed 12 inch Joes. Why can't they do something similar with Transformers? I mean take, for example, FansProject and say here are our plans for this year do what ever upgrade sets or other figures you want to do and give us your plan. Then Hasbro could approve or deny any designs. This way some of these third party items could be official, just not made by Hasbro. I think this type of venture would appeal to the same market as the Sideshow Collectibles Joes, which has already seen a good measure of success.

News Credits: 3 · by **Midnight_Fox** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 12:13 pm

Convotron wrote:I understand your point, Midnight_Fox, but my issue with some of the posts here and at other forums is that people are under the impression that there is ACTIVE and DIRECT competition between the two companies. As Sodan-1 said, some fans seem to see this as some sort of fight between two 3rd party product companies.

I agree. I doubt there's more going on here than coincidence and independently being inspired to make the same concept. Anything else wouldn't explain Maketoy's version being so far along.

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 12:35 pm

Axalon_Prime wrote:What I don't get is that Hasbro works with third party companies for the G.I.joe line. Sideshow Collectibles makes those insanely detailed 12 inch Joes. Why can't they do something similar with Transformers? I mean take, for example, FansProject and say here are our plans for this year do what ever upgrade sets or other figures you want to do and give us your plan. Then Hasbro could approve or deny any designs. This way some of these third party items could be official, just not made by Hasbro. I think this type of venture would appeal to the same market as the Sideshow Collectibles Joes, which has already seen a good measure of success.

That question was asked before and even has an official answer:

Hasbro stated that they could not guarantee that a company other than them are capable of producing a quality Transformers figure.

News Credits: 1 · by **Sodan-1** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:36 pm

Dead Metal wrote:Hasbro stated that they could not guarantee that a company other than them are capable of producing a quality Transformers figure.

What fools.

by **moneycon** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:38 pm

Convotron wrote:I understand your point, Midnight_Fox, but my issue with some of the posts here and at other forums is that people are under the impression that there is ACTIVE and DIRECT competition between the two companies. As Sodan-1 said, some fans seem to see this as some sort of fight between two 3rd party product companies.

You think that when maketoys showed their complete not bruticus picture and 90% of the preorders at bbts(for the other one) cancelled, it wasn't an attempt to let people know that their was another version coming out...possibly better...possibly cheaper....a little heads up so people will take a wait and see approach and save 100 bucks at the same time? Not only is that public...but it's active. If they weren't smart enough to know it would work, then they surely will the next time.

News Credits: 1 · by **Gauntlet101010** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:52 pm

We've been getting too many duplicate 3rd party products at virtually the same time to be coincidence.

Maketoys and TFC are both making Devestators.
iGear and Maketoys are both making minibots.
iGear and Impossible both made Arcees.
Fansprojects ands BTS both made traielrs.

And more. Seems like direct competition to me.

by **moop2000** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:01 pm

Decisions, decisions.

News Credits: 402 · by **Mkall** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:46 pm

It took a lot of humming and hawwing, but I cancelled my preorder for exgraver. I disliked the idea of Devastator standing heads and shoulders above my other gestalts. The Maketoys one is better in scale with them and so that'll be be my Devastator of choice.

Of course I reserve the right to reverse my decision at any time

Website · by **RK_Striker_JK_5** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 9:47 pm

I hope preorders for MT's Devastator happen soon. I might get both, or might not. Either way, looks like my Devvy-equipped G1 Devastator's going back to the 'miscellaneous' shelf.

by **Lord Raze** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:20 pm

Mkall wrote:It took a lot of humming and hawwing, but I cancelled my preorder for exgraver. I disliked the idea of Devastator standing heads and shoulders above my other gestalts. The Maketoys one is better in scale with them and so that'll be be my Devastator of choice.

Of course I reserve the right to reverse my decision at any time

Ditto, there's even a ready made place waiting. Superion has no idea :twisted: