The Energon Pub

[Tigertrack]

Sadly the silhouettes don't include Snarl.

[Yweggo]

Watch as the Dinobot one is the SDCC dinobots plus Sludge

[Heckfire]

Hot Shot? Anyone thinks he look more like Tracks?

With a melted face, but yeah.

...y'know some Parental Group is gonna raise a stink about Bumblebee's Satanic Throwing Pentagrams.

[OptimalOptimus2]

I am really looking forward for these figures. I don't care if I have to spend $50 for Bumblebee, Tracks, and Snarl. I hope I won't be disappointed with the Dinobot 5-pack. Black Knight Grimlock was something I didn't expect and was greatly disappointed with the white and brown.

[Doubledealer93]

wake me up when there are some damn bad guys for once.

[Ultra Markus]

wave 3? were the hell is wave 2?

[Noideaforaname]

Those visible robot hands on that Stegosaur mode...

wake me up when there are some damn bad guys for once.

With that 4 logo on literally all the packaging and everything, you'd expect more than 2 Decepticons. And for there to be actual confirmation on the one that's a Bumblebee repaint.

[chuckdawg1999]

Seeing all these platinum sets I'm glad I'm holding off on getting any of the deluxe figures for now. I got drift because I like blue and the evolution sets to review. I wonder if Prime with trailer is going to be like that Takara set that's supposed to hit this month.

[durroth]

there's totally more than 2 badguys! there's three. Galvatron, Lockdown, and Stinger... the rest um... um... dispensor if you live in japan... that's four! four whole badguys! and drift repainted as bludgeon because why haven't hasbro jumped on this yet?

[chuckdawg1999]

there's totally more than 2 badguys! there's three. Galvatron, Lockdown, and Stinger... the rest um... um... dispensor if you live in japan... that's four! four whole badguys! and drift repainted as bludgeon because why haven't hasbro jumped on this yet?

might not be allowed to due to the Bugati rights.

[Fires_Of_Inferno]

Wow, that pic makes Bumblebee look horrible! I mean, he's got sloppy paint work on the chest, and the vehicle mode looks awful with the mismatched paint/plastic. At least you know it's not photoshopped or anything.

[RhA]

You's think someone down the production line would mention that Hot Shot's face looks like it was attacked by some horrible insect. But no.

[Slashercon]

None of you can deny...this truly is a sad time for movie fans who are fans of Decepticons. 9+ Autobots in total, 3 extra coming along the way, and 2 cons' being available right now with 1 rumored to come and another available only online or outside the states. Who's smart idea was it to relegate the amount of Decepticons for AOE?!

[Autobot032]

I do worry that we'll see the end of Transformers again. The movie is just barely breaking even and the exclusives (as of late) are generally for overseas markets. I mean, Optimus Prime is such a household name over in China. The toys seem to sell remarkably well.

Here? The movie's considered a dud because it's not raking in the dough, domestically and the toys? Well, the toys couldn't sell if you tried. I haven't seen this much peg and shelfwarming in a long time, quite possibly ever. All of the stores in NEOH/NWPA are just clogged with TFs. There's no room for new stuff and why would the stores order them, anyway?

I never see kids looking at Transformers anymore. In fact, I don't even see adults looking at them much anymore.

I'll import, if I have to, but I can't imagine the lines are doing too well, especially if the movie isn't. Here's to hoping the 20th anniversary of Beast Wars and the upcoming Prime sequel breathe some life into it all.

*sighs* Are we looking at 1988 (and beyond) all over again? Because we're not going to get another G2, we're not going to get another Beast Wars. I think we're pretty tapped out when it comes to ideas and how to sell it to kids to get them interested.

I find it odd that kids in China, surrounded by devices, still find time to play with toys and desire to, especially after such strenuous hours at school, while here...kids have it pretty easy and want anything digital, but not toys.

Just something that's been rattling around in my head, lately.

[Autobot032]

Target.com has updated their Transformers listings and have currently active preorders for both the 1-Step Magic Collectors Set and Platinum Edition First Edition Silver Knight Optimus Prime. 

The 1-Step Magic Collectors Set consists of:
1-Step Silver Knight Optimus Prime (exclusive to Target), Drift, Lockdown, Grimlock, Slug and Bumblebee in a collector's box and it's currently priced at $49.99 with a tentative release date of September 7th.



Platinum Edition Silver Knight Optimus is based off of Amazon.com's exclusive First Edition mold and is completely redecoed in silver plastic with black and red paint apps in place of the normal red and blue we've come to know and love. It's also slated for release on September 14th, and will retail for $59.99.



Keep your optics tuned to Seibertron.com for the latest in news and updates, plus the best galleries around!


 

[griftimus prime]

after one wave. the line nearly burnt out.

[william-james88]

Platinum Edition Silver Knight Optimus
 

This surprised me a lot. It means Platinum editions are no longer toysrus exclusives. I wonder if that means Target will also get that Dinobots set

[shockblast2]

I read an article yesterday that was talking about the horrible sales numbers for the transformers line in general. It noted the shoddy quality and cheap plastic they are currently using. It went on to say to look for current lines to start bundling toys at slashed prices to help sales. And this is a fine example.

As I predicted before, the transformers line in general is pricing themselves out of the market. The AOE line is selling horribly, and that is at the reduced $10 a deluxe price. Toys in general are down 17% from last year alone. Their current $15 and future $16 price point will be the death nail for this line. Mark it down.

[Evil Eye]

Well, the best Transformers movie we've had in ages, and it's accompanied by one of the worst toylines in years. I mean, we've had amazing Generations/classics stuff, the Prime line was pretty decent (and also proved that simple toys don't have to be terrible- PRID Arcee is very simple to transform and she's a great figure), the DOTM line was nice (5mm posts, oh my!)... and then this load of duds comes along.

Granted, Prime relied heavily on movie magic to transform, and Galvatron completely defied the laws of physics, but they can do better than this. Most of the line seems to be this simplified dreck like the 1-step changers and the power attackers (and all the non-simplified stuff is TRU exclusive in the UK) and even the more complex toys have taken a hit in quality (although some do look pretty good, like Scorn and Crosshairs). After the huge amount of attention and decent figures the last 3 movies got, I'm very disappointed to see the mess that is the AOE line. Maybe they should shelf the Generations/classics line for a bit and use the budget to make more and better AOE toys, before coming back to the Geewunner bait after the AOE toyline finishes.

[Siger]

Hey Silver Knight Optimus Prime! Making an ugly mold even uglier with bad paint apps will not help you sell more toys Hasbroke!

[Doubledealer93]

This line would be better if it had more decepticons. 60 bucks for that huge eye sore? No thanks.

[GuyIncognito]

"Silver Knight" = "Here's a bunch of Optimus Prime figures with lots of dull gray unpainted plastic.

[shockblast2]

Well, the best Transformers movie we've had in ages, and it's accompanied by one of the worst toylines in years. I mean, we've had amazing Generations/classics stuff, the Prime line was pretty decent (and also proved that simple toys don't have to be terrible- PRID Arcee is very simple to transform and she's a great figure), the DOTM line was nice (5mm posts, oh my!)... and then this load of duds comes along.

Granted, Prime relied heavily on movie magic to transform, and Galvatron completely defied the laws of physics, but they can do better than this. Most of the line seems to be this simplified dreck like the 1-step changers and the power attackers (and all the non-simplified stuff is TRU exclusive in the UK) and even the more complex toys have taken a hit in quality (although some do look pretty good, like Scorn and Crosshairs). After the huge amount of attention and decent figures the last 3 movies got, I'm very disappointed to see the mess that is the AOE line. Maybe they should shelf the Generations/classics line for a bit and use the budget to make more and better AOE toys, before coming back to the Geewunner bait after the AOE toyline finishes.

I don't think it is that the toys are any different than DOTM toys. It might be because children are just losing interest in the line. Which is no surprise, because the toys are so expensive. Even at $10, it is too high. But, you can't effectively make a Transformer for the profit margin Hasbro wants. They had a good idea with the one step stuff and the like, but pricing them at $8-10 is joke. $5 would be more ideal. Hasbro is either going to have to lower their profit margin, which will NEVER happen, or they are going to lose money until they finally scrap the line like they did in the 90's. The difference is in the 90's they could keep the prices down. Now, it is impossible with their expectations. Especially from the shareholders who jumped on board due to the 2007-2011 level of success with the line.
The only market for them that will continue is that of the people who will spend whatever they command for "premium" toys. The third party people better get ready for shutdown. Soon enough Hasbro will fall back on that market for revenue, and when they do people like iGear and the like will be a distant memory. I do think the brand will survive, but I think it will be a situation where most TF's will be of the Masterpiece type quality and will command large amounts of money to collect. But, I hink the days of getting deluxes for $10 or even $15-16 are going to be up very soon. Based on their pricing model and increase, by 2020 a deluxe would be going for about $20 each. And there is no way they could survive at that price point. Hell, even Generations last wave, with Skywarp and Scoop, was self warming at $15 until they lowered the price. and even now they are moving at a slow pace. I would expect more changes to the line come 2015, and maybe even a cancellation of the entire deluxe and voyager models in general. Just like you saw with the legion and commander class toys this year. The new "deluxe" is the legends line in generations. If that even survives.

[GuyIncognito]

[shockblast2]

Cute, but you need to erase "sky" and replace it with "stock". That would be more fitting of the scenario. Hasbro lives and dies by its shareholders. And they, not the fans, dictate what direction the company goes in.