The Energon Pub

Or release the catalog accurate Hasbro Astrotrain.........the gray one (remember that guys and gals?) and not the purple and light gray/white of the 80s.

And Blitzwing......heck the KOer can release him in near identical form but Hasbro can't? (Btw, I already own the TFC 17 re-issue which did not come with the rub symbol so technically not a big issue but for those who haven't gotten one yet)

Does gray plastic cost more? Or the desert camo color that expensive to recreate?

This is like the 4th time I'm agreeing with "X" (I don't want to develop this habit)

william-james88 wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:I suspect this is just a packaging mock-up.

It really makes no sense to issue them in these colors. The whole thing feels like a test shot package to me.

Packaging art matches the colors...

I saw that.

As of now, it still makes zero sense.

"Here is a reissue in colors that have no connection to the characters. Please spend Platinum pricing levels to buy this thing you did not want."

More likely, it's a mock up and all of that, packaging and figures, will be resolved prior to release.

But then what would be the point of these funky colors on the mock up?

I agree, this is far to intricate to be just a mock up thing. I mean look at the figures themselves, they have paint details, decals and stickers and all that. If these were just mock ups, they wouldn't be like this.

Packaging mock ups are usually either a hand made box design to get the style down with existing figures, or the near final box with either cardboard cut outs of the figures or test shots.

Both of these figures look too neat to be test shots or mock ups, heck the art even matches almost exactly.

This is just Hasbro being weird.

Why are some people finding it hard to believe Hasbro would repaint figures as homages to other figures?

GuyIncognito wrote:Why are some people finding it hard to believe Hasbro would repaint figures as homages to other figures?

Usually if they do that they rename the figures to go along with it, and usually with newer molds, not digging up ancient ones and all. It just seems like a very out of left field move that, from a sales perspective, i can't understand. How many people here will buy this? I have no interest, for one.

GuyIncognito wrote:Why are some people finding it hard to believe Hasbro would repaint figures as homages to other figures?

It's the "G1" part that gets people. Reissues are usually (read: have to be) as close to the original toy as possible in deco. The last total G1 redecos Hasbro has done was for Universe 2003 with the Micromasters, and the Machine Wars/G1 EU redecos, even that's forgivable since they're not as iconic as the original 1984-1986 line-up

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

GuyIncognito wrote:Why are some people finding it hard to believe Hasbro would repaint figures as homages to other figures?

It's the "G1" part that gets people. Reissues are usually (read: have to be) as close to the original toy as possible in deco. The last total G1 redecos Hasbro has done was for Universe 2003 with the Micromasters, and the Machine Wars/G1 EU redecos, even that's forgivable since they're not as iconic as the original 1984-1986 line-up

Well, G1 molds have, in this day and age, a really specific target audience. Toy technology has advanced an extraordinary amount since these toys first came out and I cannot understand how Hasbro intends to make money off of bizarrely coloured toys. If these were the most current molds of these toys I am certain they would sell fine regardless of odd choices in colouring, but reissued G1 molds just seems an uncharacteristic choice in this day and age.

So one of the following is true:

I am wrong. Someone, somewhere has decided that collectors want inaccurate G1 reissues in gaudy colors unrelated to toy safety and further that they intend to sell these toys at the Platinum price mark-up. The sheer oddness and partial reference to Flywheels for one of the toys will make this desirable much like G1 color Supreme Starscream was...

I am right. These are mock ups for some internal use purpose, not having meant to be leaked publicly and not in their final colors. This instance would see a reissue similar to the recent Insecticons and Conehead seekers, both of which were colored correctly.

Which of those is more plausible? Hell, I could be wrong...

But which would you put money on?

Counterpunch wrote:So one of the following is true:

I am wrong. Someone, somewhere has decided that collectors want inaccurate G1 reissues in gaudy colors unrelated to toy safety and further that they intend to sell these toys at the Platinum price mark-up. The sheer oddness and partial reference to Flywheels for one of the toys will make this desirable much like G1 color Supreme Starscream was...

I am right. These are mock ups for some internal use purpose, not having meant to be leaked publicly and not in their final colors. This instance would see a reissue similar to the recent Insecticons and Conehead seekers, both of which were colored correctly.

Which of those is more plausible? Hell, I could be wrong...

But which would you put money on?

I'd put money on the first (if I had any to spare), since the set was shown at the Nuremberg Toy Fair and it has been reported at that time that Blitzwing and Astrotrain had new decos.

OH... oh.... oh GOD!!!!!! -ahem-

Pre-ordered the moment its available. I'm sold.

Counterpunch wrote:So one of the following is true:

I am wrong. Someone, somewhere has decided that collectors want inaccurate G1 reissues in gaudy colors unrelated to toy safety and further that they intend to sell these toys at the Platinum price mark-up. The sheer oddness and partial reference to Flywheels for one of the toys will make this desirable much like G1 color Supreme Starscream was...

I am right. These are mock ups for some internal use purpose, not having meant to be leaked publicly and not in their final colors. This instance would see a reissue similar to the recent Insecticons and Conehead seekers, both of which were colored correctly.

Which of those is more plausible? Hell, I could be wrong...

But which would you put money on?

I would put money on the first one. This is not the first time we see these. They were part of the Klaus Display in these very colours in their finished box alongside the insecticons.

I'da been interested in straight reissues or toon accurate decos. Funky ass colors, though...no thanks.

I don't think it's any more odd than most of the freaky deaky "Year Of" releases. If these come out I'm scoopin' 'em up like a spoon does Cap'n Crunch.

Could it be something like the Bathing Ape Optimus Prime thing? I know there aren't a lot of crossovers like that with transformers, but they are really common in the sneaker world.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

GuyIncognito wrote:Why are some people finding it hard to believe Hasbro would repaint figures as homages to other figures?

It's the "G1" part that gets people. Reissues are usually (read: have to be) as close to the original toy as possible in deco. The last total G1 redecos Hasbro has done was for Universe 2003 with the Micromasters, and the Machine Wars/G1 EU redecos, even that's forgivable since they're not as iconic as the original 1984-1986 line-up

It was obviously not that much of a departure but the most recent G1 reissue from hasbro proper before these was Predaking. And he did have different colours than the original. Then again, he was just a reissue of the takara reissue which had sone those changes. But still, it wasnt a perfect match with the G1 version.

william-james88 wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

GuyIncognito wrote:Why are some people finding it hard to believe Hasbro would repaint figures as homages to other figures?

It's the "G1" part that gets people. Reissues are usually (read: have to be) as close to the original toy as possible in deco. The last total G1 redecos Hasbro has done was for Universe 2003 with the Micromasters, and the Machine Wars/G1 EU redecos, even that's forgivable since they're not as iconic as the original 1984-1986 line-up

It was obviously not that much of a departure but the most recent G1 reissue from hasbro proper before these was Predaking. And he did have different colours than the original. Then again, he was just a reissue of the takara reissue which had sone those changes. But still, it wasnt a perfect match with the G1 version.

Hence me saying "total redeco": radically different colors compared to the source material.

Sabrblade wrote:With such such starkly different looks for them, why are they even keeping the names "Blitzwing" and "Astrotrain" for these two? Why not have them be all new characters like all those that e-HOBBY created with their G1 reissue redecos?

I mean, these aren't even Shattered Glass decos, so that excuse doesn't work. Call them something like "Spacewarp" and "Thundertread" or whatever.

Simple: Hasbro isn't eHobby

I mean, I probably would skip these if they were straight up, accurate reissues. Probably a lot of G1 collectors would too. Many G1 reissues don't do well sales wise (using the eye test). Why not try something different?

I like 'em. Great dose of weird.

Sabrblade wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:With such such starkly different looks for them, why are they even keeping the names "Blitzwing" and "Astrotrain" for these two? Why not have them be all new characters like all those that e-HOBBY created with their G1 reissue redecos?

I mean, these aren't even Shattered Glass decos, so that excuse doesn't work. Call them something like "Spacewarp" and "Thundertread" or whatever.

Simple: Hasbro isn't eHobby

You sayin' Hasbro lacks imagination?

No, Hasbro likes taking the easy way out with names, especially if they'd end up using them only once (trademarks cost money you know?).

ScottyP wrote:I mean, I probably would skip these if they were straight up, accurate reissues. Probably a lot of G1 collectors would too. Many G1 reissues don't do well sales wise (using the eye test). Why not try something different?

I like 'em. Great dose of weird.

Yeah, thats what Jerry Jivoin told you. He wouldnt just do a straight up reissue, there must be something new with it. I would still like an explanation as to what this is homaging.

SRP is 4,500 Phil pesos or around 100 USD. I was the one who first posted the news in tfw.

Cobotron wrote:I don't think it's any more odd than most of the freaky deaky "Year Of" releases. If these come out I'm scoopin' 'em up like a spoon does Cap'n Crunch.

Me too...cuz my spoon doesn't scoop no nasty Cap'n Crunch.


Toon accurate deco woulda been the right play.

Kibble wrote:

Cobotron wrote:I don't think it's any more odd than most of the freaky deaky "Year Of" releases. If these come out I'm scoopin' 'em up like a spoon does Cap'n Crunch.

Me too...cuz my spoon doesn't scoop no nasty Cap'n Crunch.


Toon accurate deco woulda been the right play.

Toon accurate would have been the best, sure, but real world colors in any way would have been better than this. Robots in disguise? Not hardly. Robots in bright $@&#% orange in your %¥#$@ face! Astrotrain's color scheme says to me that the artist or designer who planned this one was having a stroke at the time and they just sent his work up the chain as he was being whisked off to the hospital.