The Energon Pub

thanks guys it''s certainly nice to know where that stands.. interesting how the corporate machine works...


I still say a Rodimus Prime is the best next Masterpiece, next to Thundercracker ofcourse.. what can I say, I'm a seeker fanatic!!

I am hoping that the next Masterpiece will be Grimlock. If we get Soundwave I will still be excited. Either way it’s a win/win situation.

How many of these are they going to make anyway?

Sportimus Prime wrote:How many of these are they going to make anyway?

Forever and ever...if you be a good boy and buy your quota of three each.

skywarp-2 wrote:

Sledge wrote:But it does matter if they expect to get funding from Hasbro.

HUH????

Takara Tomy doesn't need funding from Hasbro...

If Hasbro wants to buy the Molds for a Rodimus Prime Masterpiece, I'm sure it will sell here in the states..

The average teen will say, He has flames like Optimus from the movie, and other fans who only remember G-1 and bought 20th Prime will say, yeah I remember that guy he was in that transformers movie back in the day and came after Optimus Prime's death....

then I'm sure our fandom will pick him up as well..

What teenagers buy Masterpiece figures? I don't mean that like a blanket statement as I'm sure that some teens do, but $90 for an MP figure is quite a bit for a teen to be shelling out.....Besides I don't think the MPs are really directed towards the younger end of the fandom.

I'd be alright with an MP Rodimus, but somewhere deep inside I think I'd hate to see the line going in that direction. I love G1, and I fully agree that the Season 1 characters have been overdone to death, and the Encore series will only further overkill them, but I have to keep going back to the iconic standpoint. MPs are supposed to be iconic characters, and I have a hard time seeing Rodimus as an icon. I vote for MP Coneheads after the looming Thundercracker.

Dagon wrote:

skywarp-2 wrote:

Sledge wrote:But it does matter if they expect to get funding from Hasbro.

HUH????

Takara Tomy doesn't need funding from Hasbro...

If Hasbro wants to buy the Molds for a Rodimus Prime Masterpiece, I'm sure it will sell here in the states..

The average teen will say, He has flames like Optimus from the movie, and other fans who only remember G-1 and bought 20th Prime will say, yeah I remember that guy he was in that transformers movie back in the day and came after Optimus Prime's death....

then I'm sure our fandom will pick him up as well..

What teenagers buy Masterpiece figures? I don't mean that like a blanket statement as I'm sure that some teens do, but $90 for an MP figure is quite a bit for a teen to be shelling out.....Besides I don't think the MPs are really directed towards the younger end of the fandom.

I'd be alright with an MP Rodimus, but somewhere deep inside I think I'd hate to see the line going in that direction. I love G1, and I fully agree that the Season 1 characters have been overdone to death, and the Encore series will only further overkill them, but I have to keep going back to the iconic standpoint. MPs are supposed to be iconic characters, and I have a hard time seeing Rodimus as an icon. I vote for MP Coneheads after the looming Thundercracker.

well with all the Masterpieces that end up here redone by Hasbro they certainly don't cost 90.00 in wal-mart.. so if Rodimus was released in that fashion after a Takara Debut then I can see Teens buying him.. and there are quite alot of teen Transformers fans out there who frequennt the comic shops, atleast around here.. but to say that rodimus Prime is not iconic enough for a Masterpiece... I'm just flabergasted!!!............Faints...............

Dude, whether you like the character or not, Hot Rod was never an icon. At the most basic level, Optimus Prime was the ultimate good guy, and Megatron the ultimate bad guy. There isn't a single Season 3 character you could call "iconic." There are characters who were popular, but iconic? No.

Sledge wrote:Dude, whether you like the character or not, Hot Rod was never an icon. At the most basic level, Optimus Prime was the ultimate good guy, and Megatron the ultimate bad guy. There isn't a single Season 3 character you could call "iconic." There are characters who were popular, but iconic? No.

I thought Galvatron, Ultra Magnus, Blurr, Arcee, and Rodimus Prime were pretty Iconic of Transformers, especially since Rodimus has had numerous reincarnations in Energon, and Binaltech, not to mention the reissues and the statue of Hot Rod... come on...

Ultra Magnus Has had a repaint of Primein almost every series.. and certainly galvatron, who has even beenm included as a name in Beast Wars, ect... to say non of them is iconic, in season 3 is pure biggotry...

Blurr even made it into the Unicron trilogy!!!

Arcee had a rendition in the Movie toyline...

I can't help but wonder if this view is left overs from your Optimus Prime death issues...??

skywarp-2 wrote:

Dagon wrote:

skywarp-2 wrote:

Sledge wrote:But it does matter if they expect to get funding from Hasbro.

HUH????

Takara Tomy doesn't need funding from Hasbro...

If Hasbro wants to buy the Molds for a Rodimus Prime Masterpiece, I'm sure it will sell here in the states..

The average teen will say, He has flames like Optimus from the movie, and other fans who only remember G-1 and bought 20th Prime will say, yeah I remember that guy he was in that transformers movie back in the day and came after Optimus Prime's death....

then I'm sure our fandom will pick him up as well..

What teenagers buy Masterpiece figures? I don't mean that like a blanket statement as I'm sure that some teens do, but $90 for an MP figure is quite a bit for a teen to be shelling out.....Besides I don't think the MPs are really directed towards the younger end of the fandom.

I'd be alright with an MP Rodimus, but somewhere deep inside I think I'd hate to see the line going in that direction. I love G1, and I fully agree that the Season 1 characters have been overdone to death, and the Encore series will only further overkill them, but I have to keep going back to the iconic standpoint. MPs are supposed to be iconic characters, and I have a hard time seeing Rodimus as an icon. I vote for MP Coneheads after the looming Thundercracker.

well with all the Masterpieces that end up here redone by Hasbro they certainly don't cost 90.00 in wal-mart.. so if Rodimus was released in that fashion after a Takara Debut then I can see Teens buying him.. and there are quite alot of teen Transformers fans out there who frequennt the comic shops, atleast around here.. but to say that rodimus Prime is not iconic enough for a Masterpiece... I'm just flabergasted!!!............Faints...............

OK, true, I forgot about the Walmart MPs. Don't know how...that's how I got my Optimus and I lose sleep at night in anticipation of the new SS. I was thinking more along the lines of Megatron and Skywarp, Takara MPs. So with that in mind, I agree that teens would have more access to MPs. Besides I didn't mean teenagers wouldn't want them, just that 90 bucks is a lot more money to an 18 year old than it might be to someone with a full time job and whatnot.

Sorry teenagers, my bad.

skywarp-2 wrote:

Sledge wrote:Dude, whether you like the character or not, Hot Rod was never an icon. At the most basic level, Optimus Prime was the ultimate good guy, and Megatron the ultimate bad guy. There isn't a single Season 3 character you could call "iconic." There are characters who were popular, but iconic? No.

I thought Galvatron, Ultra Magnus, Blurr, Arcee, and Rodimus Prime were pretty Iconic of Transformers, especially since Rodimus has had numerous reincarnations in Energon, and Binaltech, not to mention the reissues and the statue of Hot Rod... come on...

Ultra Magnus Has had a repaint of Primein almost every series.. and certainly galvatron, who has even beenm included as a name in Beast Wars, ect... to say non of them is iconic, in season 3 is pure biggotry...

Blurr even made it into the Unicron trilogy!!!

Arcee had a rendition in the Movie toyline...

I can't help but wonder if this view is left overs from your Optimus Prime death issues...??

But the question remains on these Season 3 charcters to be So what? A-Blur wasn't the same Blur.....Arcee, who cares?

Unicron is iconic.

Magnus ..... I dunno. I mean, we're mostly getting repainted Primes .... does that mean Nemesis Prime is also iconic?

To me there's a HUGE difference between Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime. We've had plenty of HOT ROD homages, but Roddy? Comparitively few.

Arcee's gaining some support lately. Energon, the movie, the upcoming Animated figure ...

I wouldn't say Blurr was iconic.

Stormrider wrote:

... do we have to give them ideas how they can cheap out on us?

The only way I'll be interested in a MP Soundwave is if it's an original mould.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Unicron is iconic.

Magnus ..... I dunno. I mean, we're mostly getting repainted Primes .... does that mean Nemesis Prime is also iconic?

To me there's a HUGE difference between Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime. We've had plenty of HOT ROD homages, but Roddy? Comparitively few.

Arcee's gaining some support lately. Energon, the movie, the upcoming Animated figure ...

I wouldn't say Blurr was iconic.

I guess it depends on what a person deems to be iconic.. when you think about Transformers, and your an outsider to the fandom, you think about the animated movie of the 80s, Rodimus Prime and Galvatron become iconic in that sense.. and Ultra Magnus who was defeated on Junkion.. but lets look at it from the perspective of the masterpiece line up and what is a guaranteed sell..

Ironhide?
Bumblebee?

What guarantees them to sell, especially when binaltech/Alternators have come and gone? The fact that they are based on their original designs? That may work..

But I just feel, that as a Toy company, Takara Tomy may consider doing the "Big Guns" so to speak first.. and if its due for an Autobot to make his way into the line up, I just feel that Rodimus Prime is a pretty safe bet.. Ultra Magnus Complete, meh.. he could be a safe bet as well.. since he is after all an MP-02, without armor..and the molds for the Optimus Prime are already in their possession.. the engineering would be concentrated soley on the trailer.. and armor..

But to say that Soundwave would be next.. I'm just not sure.. i would have pegged Thundercracker the last of the seekers to be made next, unless they somehow have an outcry for Sunstrom..


Still, logically to me, it just makes more business sense to do Rodimus Prime, it's safe that way, and as a toy manufacturer, I'm sure they want to make a toy thats 90.00 Plus that may or may not sell... Sarcasm is included in that...

When most people think of G1, and I'm going to include TF fans in this, they think of Seasons 1 and 2. Look at the characters you list as iconic because they've featured recently:

Galvatron. When was the last time a Galvatron that wasn't a repainted Megatron was released? Galvatron isn't "iconic," he's an excuse for a repaint.

Arcee. Let's see, they dropped her from the movie for Ironhide. Other than that, we've got the Energon character. Wow. Hasbro must rate her right up with Prime and Megs to push her like that.

Blurr. Wasn't even considered for the movie, AFAIK. Armada toy endlessly repainted. It's not quite the Prime treatment, is it?

Ultra Magnus. You know why we get Ultra Magnus figures? Because they're Optimus Prime repaints. It's an excuse to sell the toy to fanbois a second time.

You may like all those characters. You may think they're better than the better known characters. But they aren't iconic by any stretch of the imagination.

If it is going to be soundwave, here are some features I'd like to see:

Real springs in the battery compartment.

Die-cast batteries/guns. One of the batteries/guns to have an LED in the barrel.

It would be cool if they were able to make the cassette tape mechanism be able to turn.

A blue LED on SW's head.

A peg on SW's shoulder so Lazerbeak could sit on it nicely.

Maybe the cassette accessories could fit in the back of SW in another compartment next to the batteries.

MegaWarp wrote:Lets be honest now. A number of us will buy MP-07 no matter who it is

what if it was welie

plasmawave wrote:

MegaWarp wrote:Lets be honest now. A number of us will buy MP-07 no matter who it is

what if it was welie

LOL if i was going to buy MP-07, and after i bought it, i find out it's Wheelie... im all: WHO THE F**K IS THIS AUTOBOT!?!

Would rather eat a big bowl of stupid, than getting Wheelie

Sledge wrote:You may like all those characters. You may think they're better than the better known characters. But they aren't iconic by any stretch of the imagination.

Well you know it's all subjective, but those characters were very iconic to me. They were in all the greater story arcs the Marvel UK comics did. They were horrible toys compared to what had come before, but I liked the characters and the animation designs a lot.

I'm not sure Roddy even is a big gun to them. 1987 is a long time ago.

I mean, I LIKE Kup and Galvatron and Hot Rot, but I don't nessasarily think they'll all good for MPs. Galvatron has an outside chance because he's an upgraded Megatron, but I wouldn't say he's been iconic to the TF series as a whole. Like Ultra Magnus he's largely a repainted menace now. The only time he was done RIGHT was back in Energon (in Japan, he was Galvatron the entire time). Then he was a reissue.

I don't hate Magnus or anything, but I just don't see him getting a "perfect" figure. Not unless that's repainted from perfect Prime. They didn't even give him the right gun for crying out loud, what makes you think they'll get up and say he needs the right trailer? I mean, it'd be NEAT. No questioning that. But, if that's what you want, try getting the one available from Mark.

Bumblebee is good for the line. Other than the size thing. Not only was he a huge character in G1, but he's also been seen in the movie and the new TF Animated stuff. Based on that exposue he might happen.

Grimlock was huge in G1 and he has a pretty nice form in both modes. Is he iconic? That's a toss up. However, there aren't many characters that really top him (that're possible).

With Starscream done and Skywarp, they better do 'cracker! But the coneheads? Wouldn't that require some serious re-engeneering of the mold for those second-string characters? How many jets are needed before the quota's met? Inn the same token, while I'd love to see a Sunstorm, I don't see him making the line either. But I'm hoping for a Classics one.

Hot Rod maybe ... he's been in a different class as Rodimus. But I'm not sure, there's an alt of him out so ... would they bother?

Roddy, tho .... you're insisting he's great for it, but I don't see it. Not that I wouldn't buy an MP Roddy. I'd buy an MP of almost anyone, really. But it's sorta like how an aquaintence of mine put it. "He's a late Tf. Right when they stopped being popular". If he gets made I'll be surprised.

To his defence, I was surprised when they chose Starscream for an MP before doing Megatron.

I'd love to see Bumblebee done in the MP style as well but it will never happen.

Shockwave06 wrote:If it is going to be soundwave, here are some features I'd like to see:

Real springs in the battery compartment.

Die-cast batteries/guns. One of the batteries/guns to have an LED in the barrel.

It would be cool if they were able to make the cassette tape mechanism be able to turn.

A blue LED on SW's head.

A peg on SW's shoulder so Lazerbeak could sit on it nicely.

Maybe the cassette accessories could fit in the back of SW in another compartment next to the batteries.

Sounds good, but a little much for a MP. No MP yet has had that many features, or LEDs for that matter. And why a blue one in his head? If anything, red or yellow for the eyes.

As for the Iconic characters, it's really only Prime & Megatron. They are the embodiment of TFs. Characters after them are really only the ones that havea very large fanbase, like Grimlock or Soundwave. And BTW, there is no fanbase for Wheelie. The closest we getr to a new Wheelie is that model.

The Master Blaster wrote:I still want Soundwave and Blaster.

Even if one's a repaint and remould of the other.
At MP scale and price, you know the remoulding would be good.

What's everybody's obsecion with remolding Soundwave into Blaster?!?

BLASTER IS ****, AND LOOKS NOTHING LIKE SOUNDWAVE!

*and relax*

Decepticlone Soundwave wrote:

As for the Iconic characters, it's really only Prime & Megatron. They are the embodiment of TFs. Characters after them are really only the ones that havea very large fanbase, like Grimlock or Soundwave. And BTW, there is no fanbase for Wheelie. The closest we getr to a new Wheelie is that model.

I'm gonna have to disagree with you. Iconic to me means characters that people(non-TF fans) can easily identify with the Transformers name. IMO, there are five clear cut icons:

Optimus Prime
Megatron
Bumblebee
Starscream
Soundwave

We pretty much had this same arguement about the Classics when they first came out.....Who should get the Classics treatment? MPs as with the Classics series, the general idea it would seem is that we should get figures of characters that are considered to be icons in the TFverse. The way I see it, it goes like this:
---Devastator is an iconic character. Hook, Scrapper, Long Haul, et al. are NOT iconic characters.

Certainly we all want different things from our TFs, but we kind of do need to settle ourselves on the idea that ultimately we don't really get to decide. We are basically tired of the season 1 bots, becuase they are done and redone to death. Look at how excited Skowl is becuase of the rumor that the OTFCC is going to release the Seacons. The reason, besides that Skowl loves the Seacons, is because they aren't the Constructi/Combaticons. Not iconic, like the later two groups are, but just different. A lot of times I think as fans we just want our favorites (obviously) to be redone all the time, as collectors we want those figures we never had the chance to obtain before. But how many times do we need to get reissued or updated or 'classic' versions of Optimus?
I'm all for MPs of non-season 1 bots, but really, when we start talking about Kup or even Rodimus Prime, I think we're just kind of reaching for our hopes that our favorites will get the ultimate MP treatment. Hells, go ahead and hope dudes, because I hope like hell for MPs of my favorites, but the key idea is they need to be ICONIC! People who are going on about MPs from the new movie are out of their minds, becuase as peripheral as Vortex was in G1 he's 1000 times more iconic than Blackout could ever be.
I don't care about R. Prime much, or at all. But if they MP'ed him, and he was excellent, I'd buy him anyway. All I'm trying to say is that we need to remember that sometimes our favorite characters aren't universally iconic.

I can't help but hope for truth in this!