The Energon Pub

by **tfgreg** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 6:58 pm

So TF Prime is an awesome series with really well-designed bots which has led to the creation of some truly awesome figs. Hasbro came out with the 'first edition' TF Prime figures but they were only released in a limited number and only a few stores, and are VERY hard to find.

If you can actually get your hands on one, the first edition figures are amazing in terms of articulation, show-accuracy, and transformations. Deluxe starscream is my favorite TF figure that I've gotten in years. So the bottom line is that first edition figures are very well-done, better than we've seen in years, BUT they are incredible scarce.

Now this leads us to the RID TF Prime figures and the ones that were just released to the masses over in the UK. From everything that I've seen online, these RID figures appear to be the main line for TF Prime moving forward and will be available to the mass market everywhere soon. The problem is, these figures are a BIG step down from the first edition TF Prime figures. Look at Powerizer Optimus Prime vs first edition Optimus Prime. Look at RID Bumblebee vs first edition Bumblebee. Cliffjumper is the same. In all cases, the first edition model is much, much better designed and made.

Here's the problem as I see it:

Hasbro is still in the middle of putting out the first edition Prime toys, so far they only released the deluxes (Starscream, Bumblebee, arcee), and are scheduled to release the voyagers, and Cliffjumper at some point this month (although this window looks to not be happening). So Prime 'first edition' figures are still being released. BUT, the RID models are just starting to pop up everywhere too (in the UK). So there are two consecutive launches right now, RID and first edition.

My question is, what will happen to the first edition figures? Have they been scrapped and replaced with the inferior RID figs? I've had voyager Prime and Bulkhead preordered for a while now with no updates on when they will start arriving stateside and I'm beginning to worry that we won't get them at all.

Sorry for the wordy post, but Hasbro has been very confusing with the TF Prime lines and I think we need some clarity.

by **WolfDawg** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 7:14 pm

Personally, I don't think the U.S. is even going to get the FE Voyagers, Cliffjumper, and Vehicon. I say this especially due to the fact that there's a rumor that RID Prime toys (Soundwave, Cliffjumper, etc.) have been released in California. If that happens to be true, then I highly doubt Hasbro would bother to give us the FE figures. Just wouldn't been a good business move...

News Credits: 1235 · by **LOST Cybertronian** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 7:19 pm

I wouldn't be surprised if the FE figures go the route of Marshalls, TJ Maxx or Ross sometime in the future.

News Credits: 3 · by **DISCHARGE** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 7:24 pm

They should just sell these on the HTS website and stop all the stupid distribution games. It would probably save them millions, at least
high thousands, in logistics.

The FE is for collectors, that's why TRU was the only retail outlet. But when there's only one retail outlet and they still can't do things right then obviously there is a real problem with Hasbro's management.

News Credits: 5749 · by **El Duque** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 7:29 pm

DISCHARGE wrote:They should just sell these on the HTS website and stop all the stupid distribution games. It would probably save them millions, at least
high thousands, in logistics.

This makes far too much sense to actually happen. >:oP

by **tfgreg** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 8:09 pm

So if what you all are saying is true and they won't actually release the FE voyagers in the US, what will happen to everyone who preordered the items at various websites?

If I wanted to get my hands on the FE voyagers, where would be the best place to look?

by **WolfDawg** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 8:23 pm

tfgreg wrote:So if what you all are saying is true and they won't actually release the FE voyagers in the US, what will happen to everyone who preordered the items at various websites?

If I wanted to get my hands on the FE voyagers, where would be the best place to look?

I don't think anyone's 100% positive concerning the fate of the FE figures. Personally, like I said earlier, I don't think the U.S. will receive them at all. At most, as a previous poster said, we MIGHT see them at places like Marshalls and ROSS. I'm not counting on that, though. After I heard that the UK got the RID figures, I pretty much scoured eBay for the cheapest deals on Voyager Prime and Bulkhead as well as FE Cliffjumper. Once the possible reality sets in that the U.S. may very well not be getting the FE figures sets in, the prices on these guys will sky rocket. I'd rather pay 40 bucks for a FE Voyager and 20 for Cliffjumper now than to sit on my hands hoping they hit retail and end up having to pay 70-80 bucks for a voyager and who knows how much for FE Cliff.

by **Evil_the_Nub** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:26 pm

This whole thing is absurd, I've already decided to boycott the Prime line unless they release the FE figures beyond Bumblebee, Starscream, and Arcee. Here we are practically begging them to take our money and they still manage to screw that up by showing us good figures and then not releasing them.

News Credits: 668 · by **Autobot032** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:37 pm

WolfDawg wrote:I say this especially due to the fact that there's a rumor that RID Prime toys (Soundwave, Cliffjumper, etc.) have been released in California.

I saw that, earlier. The guy's feedback is 100%, he's a trusted seller, he stated where he found them (TRU) and it's clearly US packaging with The Hub sticker intact.

He might've gotten lucky and got them early, or they might be trickling out now, who knows?

An employee at Target, over at TFW, said he ran the Voyager DPCI and it shows up as active and available for sale in the planogram for the week of February 26th.

It's entirely possible that the eBay guy's legit when he says TRU.

News Credits: 2 · by **Nemesis Destron** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:58 pm

It would be halarious if the same sh*t would happen like the last wave of generation figs. All of a sudden we will see a flood of FE figs even after the release of RID figs. Why the hell not? Remember all of a sudden after a period Thundercracker, Wheeljack, Scourge, and Warpath could be spotted at almost every store? I'm just sayin' who's to say that won't happen again! :VEHI:

News Credits: 10 · by **gavinfuzzy** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:04 am

They could have been sitting unopened in the TRU stockroom or something...
Well its kinda sad if the US misses out on the far better FE figures...

Or maybe it's meant for exports out of US only? They are everywhere in Asia... Which is odd, since we don't have the hub anywhere here.

News Credits: 15 · by **Ravage XK** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:45 am

I really liked the look of the First Edition figures and had assumed that the only difference between those and the general release figures was that they might have some extra paint apps so I waited. Now I find that the general release figures are poorer versions Im just not interested. Im not paying £30 for a deluxe class figure so I wont be getting the First Edition or the RID figures. So Hasbro screwed that up for me, which is a shame as this line, more than any in recent years, had my attention.

News Credits: 9 · by **Mykltron** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:55 am

gavinfuzzy wrote:They could have been sitting unopened in the TRU stockroom or something...
Well its kinda sad if the US misses out on the far better FE figures...

Or maybe it's meant for exports out of US only? They are everywhere in Asia... Which is odd, since we don't have the hub anywhere here.

If you're so well stocked in them, care to hook up a few fellow collectors with some voyager Bulkheads? ;;)

News Credits: 10 · by **gavinfuzzy** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:17 am

Mykltron wrote:
gavinfuzzy wrote:They could have been sitting unopened in the TRU stockroom or something...
Well its kinda sad if the US misses out on the far better FE figures...

Or maybe it's meant for exports out of US only? They are everywhere in Asia... Which is odd, since we don't have the hub anywhere here.

If you're so well stocked in them, care to hook up a few fellow collectors with some voyager Bulkheads?

Well all the TRUs ive been to latly have ran out of Bulkheads, since their shortpacked to 1 per case of 3 other optimuses. Besides, they cost $45 US at retail anyways, and shipping to the US would cost around another $15-20. Your kind of better off buying off ebay at the same price. Sorry... :oops:

News Credits: 1 · by **LadyBug** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:14 am

I haven't been too happy with Hasbro on the Transformers Prime toys. I've been lucky to snag a few of the First Wave toys from online only. I haven't seen them in my local TRU at all. But my TRU - is, not the best in the world. I'm still mad that we, the USA, has not got Voyager! Prime, Voyager! Bulkhead, or Deluxe! Cliffjumper (where it seems only Canada has these). And then you have the Entertainment Pack that is only available in Asia. And now this - the Robots in Disguise toys only in the UK for the most part.

Yet, none of this is really available online.

I've been lucky though. My best friend lives in Canada, so she's been importing the Canada only toys for me. I'm still holding off on Voyager! Prime for a bit since I may splurg for the Entertainment pack. I've never really been interested in the Takara toys, just because they cost more to import them. I may just start though because I've been really annoyed with Hasbro's distributing and marketing schemes.

I just don't get it. Transformers was founded in America, right? Why don't we get these toys first? t_t

News Credits: 1 · by **Erailea** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:14 am

Nemesis Destron wrote:It would be halarious if the same sh*t would happen like the last wave of generation figs. All of a sudden we will see a flood of FE figs even after the release of RID figs. Why the hell not? Remember all of a sudden after a period Thundercracker, Wheeljack, Scourge, and Warpath could be spotted at almost every store? I'm just sayin' who's to say that won't happen again!

We can hope!

But yeah... it was pretty damn crazy to see 15 Kups (or more, no joke) on the wall of TRU a month ago. I went months wihtout seeing Scourge either and in the last two months I've seen him at least a dozen times.

News Credits: 668 · by **Autobot032** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:22 am

LadyBug wrote:I've been lucky though. My best friend lives in Canada, so she's been importing the Canada only toys for me. I'm still holding off on Voyager! Prime for a bit since I may splurg for the Entertainment pack.

Have your friend get Voyager Optimus for you. I have the entertainment pack and Voyager Primes. Voyager blows him out of the water. It's well worth spending the extra dough.

by **Mr_Wayne** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:13 am

Has anyone tried to email hasbro and ask what's going on or if the u.s. Is getting a shot at the Fe voyagers?
A friend of mine thinks it could be quality control and fix them before there released. I know my Fe arcee and bee both had problems. ( legs or arms not wanting to stay on)

News Credits: 1 · by **Flakmaster** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:14 am

I have only one thing to say in this topic.
Hasbro, I am dissapoint.

DOTM was already a horrible distribution fail, with none of the non-wave 1-2 toys showing up in stores. Hasbro, with their all-knowing wisdom, then thought it would be a good idea to keep us from buying them entirely by keeping them out of stock online too!

Either Hasbro has secretly hired a toy scalper as their new CEO or they want to do worse as a business in this bad economy.

Either way, idiotic.

News Credits: 9 · by **Mykltron** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 3:25 pm

Mr_Wayne wrote:Has anyone tried to email hasbro and ask what's going on or if the u.s. Is getting a shot at the Fe voyagers?

Anyone who tries will get the response 'thank you for your email, your comments have been passed on to our marketing department.'

by **Mr_Wayne** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 3:46 pm

Yea so i emailed hasbro they gave me a 800 # to call so i did.
The woman i spoke with said she had nothing in her system for tf prime Fe voyager optimus prime. I just want to know do i need to cancel my pre order with bbts (bc there never going to get the voyagers to send to me) and go on ebay and snag them? Or just wait it out. Has this ever happened where hasbro gives websites like bbts and tf source the sales rights to these figures and not delivered?

News Credits: 10 · by **gavinfuzzy** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 4:44 am

Flakmaster wrote:Either Hasbro has secretly hired a toy scalper as their new CEO or they want to do worse as a business in this bad economy.

Either way, idiotic.

Yeah, perhaps hasbro knows the demand for FE is so high, they set up their own ebay account, and sell them at double price.

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:28 am

I spoke to Toyz and Gamez today, who has also been in touch with Andy from Kapow (and vaguely with BBTS). Apparently their supplier has not cancelled any pre-orders for the FE figures.
They have, however, been postponed to February rather than January.

He was quite hopeful about them still being able to ship stuff, and they all seem to be working together in some way.