The Energon Pub

There has been alot of talk around the web and here on seibertron.com about the repaints from the movie line up, and sometimes in the Botcon toys from Fun-Pub. let us recap what has been coming out so far:

There have been numerous repaints of movie toys from Bumblebee in the upcoming allspark powerlines as Cliffjumper, to that of Leader Class Optimus Prime. a Remold of Voyager Blackout as Evac, and the Metallic Premium figures starting at Best Buy, the upcoming Classics line being released in Japan and potential repaints there, the excessive repainting of Optimus Prime as Ultra Magnus, the Titaniums repaint of Rodimus Prime as Menasor, Rescue Ratchet, G-1 Jazz repaints, the Botcon repaints, exclusives, remolded heads, ect... ect... ect...

And what of the different toylines and variation names?

Where does this end up for the future of the Franchise, do you feel obligated to have to search for every version of a Transformer figure? With the current strategy employed by Hasbro, even the sharpest collector and completest could eventually start to feel that strain. Some have mentioned that the new "Premium Line" which may become a trend, or could yield some more releases that we have been waiting for since the initial line was released, Looking at you Super Metal Finish Leader Optimus Prime and Leader Megatron, but was this a clever way of releasing the toys in mass for the movie premiere, cutting costs, or were they just skeptical of the marketability of their movie toy line up?

Maybe Hasbro figured that if the Movie Bombs, the Toylines Bomb, then having expensive Metallic paint applications would be an added extra loss... in either case, I finished my movie collection about 2 months ago, missing Bumblebee 08, and Arcee, until last week I saw a restock like no other, the late restocks have taken their toll on my patience and have ruined my planned funding reserves...One minute I think I'm ready to go buy that character I need at retail, and BAM!!! either some other exclusive gets released, or I'm gonna miss out on the ones I missed from before.

So, why haven't I bought a Bumblebee 08 yet? I'm not sure, maybe I just keep thinking I could buy the evolution of a Hero set, or do I wait for a Super Metal Finish version?? And what of Botcon 08, will we see movie toys remolded there, more costs, more new figures, Takara Tomy is releasing Classics, a chance for those to reclaim what they might have missed, will they continue to release even those that were not released before, ultimately will this destroy your resolve to collect or will you try to keep up?

What of all the Knockoffs of G-1 toys, some people are buying them in the upper $300s, what does that say for the collector who only buys Hasbro Licensed products?

There are so many people who feel like the first released run of Transformers the Movie line up was a clear slap in the face, it was a money grab and released in limited quantity on purpose, to heighten the hype. The more items are missing from shelves, the hotter kids get and repeatedly ask, MOM and Dad for those toys, on the same token the collector market is going crazy to head to retail shops to buy them as soon as they can, before they get sold out again...Not to mention the quality control issues, and the spotty paint applications.. now almost 4 to 5 months later we are seeing plans and news of more repaints, rereleases, new packaging, 2-packs, and more and more merchandise. Is this overkill for the Franchise? What of the better versions that have been released, are the first run movie toys now obsolete?

What bugs me is the inane and ridiculous fear from those weak minded collectors who believe that if they don't buy absolutely everything Transformers related that Hasbro puts out, that they will cancel the line entirely. Or that if they are dissatisfied by anything Hasbro releases, that posting it or saying anything about it will make Hasbro angry and they will cancel the line...come on people!!!

What are your thoughts on this volatile and passionate subject?

You can't own everything.

It Is Him wrote:You can't own everything.

I agree, but when a Better version of a character comes along, what then of the one you already purchased?

Another question I have, the Bumblebee repaint into cliffjumper, does that say that Cliffjumper is not gonna be in the next movie with his own design? Or is this how he's supposed to be? why then does Cliffjumper have to be a repaint of Bumblebee, simply because he was issued that way in the original Generation One toyline? Why should this be, they moved away from most of the centric philosophies of the Original Generation One formula for the movie designs, so why does bumblebee have to become cliffjumper?

The answer, I believe, profit..easy profit..

Cliffjumper wasn't a repaint of Bumblebee in the G1 line; he just had the same transformation.

For me, the repaints don't bother me. If I don't like it, I don't buy it. I'm a cherry-picker as it is; I have no qualms about being selective when it comes to repaints. I just buy what I like. For me, it's as simple as that.

EDIT: Double-post.

I can't wait or some repaints to be released, like the super Metal finish Megatron from the movie. voyager class..

But I can't help feeling like this is how it should have been from the get go... which makes me happy I haven't bought the Voyager Megatron yet, but it would make me sad/Happy at the same time to see a Metallic Leader Class, because I bought one already, with the pink and blue colors..

it should have been metallic silver with gold points from the start..

Well, there are some repaints that are pretty cool, while some aren't so good. I wish the repaints at least had some more creativity to them, ie. different characters (like a white/blue Voyager Prime as Ultra Magnus or Nightwatch with the name Nemesis Prime).

Leonardo wrote:Cliffjumper wasn't a repaint of Bumblebee in the G1 line; he just had the same transformation.

True, but lately (movie, Classics) he has been a straight repaint, and I think that's what Skywarp was referring to.

But I agree, they can repaint all they like, and some of 'em I'll buy. I get what I like and can afford. I used to try to be a completist when I was younger; I thought my collection was fairly complete until I first went on the Internet and realised just how many toys I'd either missed, or just been in the wrong country for. There's no way I'll ever have a complete collection, so I'll just get what I like. Sometimes I'll get the first mould released, and not bother with any repaints; sometimes I won't like a fig till later on in a new colour scheme. Sometimes I don't care what colour a fig is, I'm still not getting it. It's strictly case-by-case.

skywarp-2 wrote:I can't wait or some repaints to be released, like the super Metal finish Megatron from the movie. voyager class..

But I can't help feeling like this is how it should have been from the get go... which makes me happy I haven't bought the Voyager Megatron yet, but it would make me sad/Happy at the same time to see a Metallic Leader Class, because I bought one already, with the pink and blue colors..

it should have been metallic silver with gold points from the start..

I just repainted my Leader Megs silver/gold. So there

skywarp-2 wrote:I can't wait or some repaints to be released, like the super Metal finish Megatron from the movie. voyager class..

But I can't help feeling like this is how it should have been from the get go... which makes me happy I haven't bought the Voyager Megatron yet, but it would make me sad/Happy at the same time to see a Metallic Leader Class, because I bought one already, with the pink and blue colors..

it should have been metallic silver with gold points from the start..

I just repainted my Leader Megs silver/gold. So there's no point in getting the metallic repaint IF it's coming out, unless it's THAT good.

I refuse to buy the "super metal" releases.

I buy a lot of repaints. I like repaints.

I'm not going to be whored out like this though.

Why?

Several reasons:

1. I hate vac-metal/metalic paint. It fails over time. Even with minimal handling it fails.
2. Not all the movie figures are going to be "super metal". I don't want a cast of characters that is half and half.
3. I don't need it. Seriously. I mean, that's more a personal reason than anything else, but I really don't need the headache of finding these again, selling off the older releases, being extra careful not to damage the paint, etc.


As to other releases, repaint them all you want. Truth is, repaints are almost always better looking because Hasbro can put more money into the paint scheme on the second release. Look at Energon Bulkhead vs Quickstrike.

I'm learning to put my food down and say 'no'. Stupid releases like these 'super metal' figures only make it easier.

I stay away from repaints period (minus g1 figs). I want 1 mold,1 character.

If another of that character pops up, as the original character, then i get mad. I only want 1!

Much like Counterpunch, I buy a lot of repaints. As a board we've been up and down the repaint road many many times. I think there's kind of a double standard on the repaint issue, in that some people hate repaints with a passion but will go ape for a Cliffjumper repaint or then when polled about the new wave of Classics they want Prowl/Smokescreen/Silverstreak.
I like these super metal figures, and I'm going to try to pick them up after work today. There are certain other supermetal figures that I'd buy if they were to be released, but others I would gladly leave on the shelf. I would generally prefer repaints to be new or different characters instead of something like Nightwatch Prime, but if I like the figure enough I'd buy it anyway.

skywarp-2 wrote:

It Is Him wrote:You can't own everything.

I agree, but when a Better version of a character comes along, what then of the one you already purchased?

Another question I have, the Bumblebee repaint into cliffjumper, does that say that Cliffjumper is not gonna be in the next movie with his own design? Or is this how he's supposed to be? why then does Cliffjumper have to be a repaint of Bumblebee, simply because he was issued that way in the original Generation One toyline? Why should this be, they moved away from most of the centric philosophies of the Original Generation One formula for the movie designs, so why does bumblebee have to become cliffjumper?

The answer, I believe, profit..easy profit..

Whoa whoa. Slow down. You's making my head spin.

I don't care who Cliffjumper becomes. He can do what he wants. He's 20 years old now and mature enough to make his own decisions.

Counterpunch wrote:I refuse to buy the "super metal" releases.

I buy a lot of repaints. I like repaints.

I'm not going to be whored out like this though.

Why?

Several reasons...

In fairness, I just saw the Metallic repaints. Hell, I got a Megatron sitting with me right now. But I left the Ratchet behind because I had one, and beyond the paint, the only real selling point was the display box, which for a MISB collector (not me) could be nice.

Also, completely off-topic, is that a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure sig? It looks like one, though I can't tell because I've only read half the series

I think the issue a lot of people are having, particularly with the movie line, is that the repaints are often of characters they've just bought... as in "hey, you've just bought Bumbleebee, now buy him again with a new paintjob!".

In G1, there wasn't much of that about. There were plenty of redecos, to be sure, but when they redecoed, for instance, Sideswipe, they retooled him a bit and made him into a different character. The Datsuns... each had slightly different mould details, and were different characters. The Seekers may all have been exactly the same barring the colour scheme, but they were different characters. Creating new characters helped you justify getting them. The current redecos turning one character into a different colour of the same character just seems lazy and disappointing.

It Is Him wrote:Also, completely off-topic, is that a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure sig? It looks like one, though I can't tell because I've only read half the series

New guy ftw with the 2-hit combo!

Indeed it is. I hardly ever actually have anything Transformers related in my sigs.

Good call though. It's early Falcoon art. Of course he got rid of all that stuff online when SNK hired him.

I think it's insulting since I don't really consider it a re-paint. It's the same exact figure painted better, which imo is how they should have been painted in the first place. Especially considering how shiny and metallic they are in the movie, it would make sense that the toys would match that look. It would also help them to stand out from the older and upcoming toylines.

besides when you just spent $500. in 2 months not to mention all the time spent hunting down the figures, it's just,...well like what's been said, "It's a slap in the face."

I try to avoid repaints unless they've got at least a new head mould/accessories, or if it's one I missed or passed on before. I have Cybertron Smokescreen for example, because I was dead certain that Crosswise would be repainted. Of course, I'm not opposed to getting a repaint or a duplicate if I plan to do something fun with it (more of that to come soon, once it's finished).

Exceptions, of course, get made for character repaints who resemble a character enough that it's forgivable. Classics Cliffjumper might be a lazy repaint with not even a head mould change, but I still got him because when you squint there's not a world of difference. I might even get around to modding him one day. I have Cybertron Runamuck, which is a repaint/remould of possibly the worst figure in the last decade, but I'd still get a repaint of that if it were made up like Runabout (yeah, the colours are backwards, whatever). Or, again, I might just pick up a couple of car figures that look good and would do it myself.

Has anyone thought of doing mod kits for guys like Classics Cliffjumper? Making legions of remoulded heads and accessories could have fantastic turnaround if you charged ten bucks a pack.

If the latest wave of repaints starts making completionists think twice, that's gotta be a good thing. If people stop buying every single thing with the TF logo on it that comes out, and only buy the good stuff, maybe that'll encourage Hasbro to up their game a little.

Not really understanding the Bumblebee issue. People have been bitching about how hard he is to find, now they're bitching because he's going to be re-released. Well damn, people, what DO you want?

Sledge wrote:If the latest wave of repaints starts making completionists think twice, that's gotta be a good thing. If people stop buying every single thing with the TF logo on it that comes out, and only buy the good stuff, maybe that'll encourage Hasbro to up their game a little.

Not really understanding the Bumblebee issue. People have been bitching about how hard he is to find, now they're bitching because he's going to be re-released. Well damn, people, what DO you want?

QFT.

I tend to buy repaints if they are repainted to another character that I like, especially with new head molds, etc. I cherry pick like a lot of the rest of you: only buy what I like.

(example: I passed on Movie Ratchet 'cuz I hated him, but I bought Rescue Ratchet and love him!)

It maybe a thin line, but it's a line.....


But, love 'em or hate 'em: repaints mean money, and that's what Hasbro, Takara, Dreamworks, etc are out for. However, if we only buy good paint and molds we can hopefully force them into good initial molds and great repaints/re-tools to our other favorite characters!

If you're a completionist this one really hurts, but honestly how could you ahve not seen this coming? There is already going to be w repaints of movie Prime (Nightwatch and G1) and pretty much every other movie figure has been or will be redeco'd. This metallic job is just another way to sucker you into buying the same figure again and again. Besides the only reason they can make these repaints is because we buy them. Stop buying then and they'll stop making them.

To me it's simple, buy what you like. I have an '09 Bumblebee but if they make a metallic repaint and it looks good I'll buy it.

lanzajr26 wrote:If you're a completionist this one really hurts, but honestly how could you ahve not seen this coming? There is already going to be w repaints of movie Prime (Nightwatch and G1) and pretty much every other movie figure has been or will be redeco'd. This metallic job is just another way to sucker you into buying the same figure again and again. Besides the only reason they can make these repaints is because we buy them. Stop buying then and they'll stop making them.

To me it's simple, buy what you like. I have an '09 Bumblebee but if they make a metallic repaint and it looks good I'll buy it.

The silver lining is that the kids get another shot at getting a mold they want. A lot of kids want Optimus Prime or Bumblebee - they don't care how it's painted (with in reason...).

Ok, some repaints are very warranted, but the versions released initially for the movie line up were just awful and really makes you mad when you bought the original in the first place, to what was said earlier about there being paint chipping on these metallic repaints and such, these don't look to be the same as the Transmetal toys, or the diecast with metallic paint like MP-01, so I really don't see how they would be chipping off, especially since this is remolded in silver, then added with metallic silver on top for effect and highlight...

I don't know it's like why just stay with having and owning this:





Thanks Hasbro!!!!


When this is what they should have released from the beginning!!!



I mean come on!!! What the Hell were they thinking, giving us Smurf Megatron, when this is more like what we actually saw on film!!?? And as far as these metallic guys standing out from the rest of my collection, finally!!! They were kinda dull in their paint applications, and really looked very toyish, why not have metallics all around, except for Brawl, Blackolut, and Bonecrusher ofcourse... I mean, they are Metal Cars and Trucks.. hence Metallic paint jobs... uhhh no brainer from the start, but Hasbro went cheap up front, which kinda stings the wallet...

And if you don't agree, fine but the evidence speaks for itself.. and really...

it does really feel like this to some of us..
Hasbro has the upper hand...


Thanks for the metallic Megatron Hasbro, but why not from the get go, so I didn't waste my money???



If I bought Voyager megatron from Wal-mart, I could try to sell him on eBay like the 1 Million other Megatron Voyagers we shall now start to see show up, because like it or not, metal is better!!

What's next Hasbro?

Repaints and remolds are fine, especially if they represent a different character. If they add someting unique and cool to it, by all means. If I don't like it, I don't buy it. I own several figures which are repaints or remolds, because I like how they were done.

However, what pisses me off is when Hasbro releases something flawed, and then releases it again the way they should have done it, whether it be fixing a problem or having better paint apps (Metallic Finish figures) or whatnot. It's a slap in the face to the people who went out there and hunted for a hard-to-find figure, only to find out a month later there's going to be a better version released. Some will buy it, but then what about the original figure? That's a waste of money to me, because no one's going to buy the inferior version. Sure, some people can afford it, but a lot can't. That said, I'm not buying Metallic Megatron because I hate the mold, nor Metallic Ratchet because I already have the first one.

I guess we just have to remember that Hasbro doesn't really have us collectors in mind. Mainly, they just want to make a profit, and they are.