The Energon Pub

Here is what my idea is hasbro has just fired the lead transformers toy designer, and they call you up and offer to fly you to there headquarters for an interview they want you to bring a design idea with you there are only two rules:
1) it must appeal to both kids and collectors
2) it must be affordable
other than that it is up you the boards to give some really creative ideas

It be hard for me to make an affordible budjet

How about you take leader prime and make him G1 but Ultra sized.

bumblezzz wrote:How about you take leader prime and make him G1 but Ultra sized.

Huh? So I’m assuming take leader Prime (no definition of which leader Prime) Paint it in G1 colors, and then in a bootleg esc form shrink the figure?

My idea of the perfect TF toy would be most of large-scale Classics.

Seriously. Keep them JUST small enough to pass the drop tests and JUST big enough for most of them to match up with 3 3/4" figures - not packaged with them, necessarily, but just to make the size semi-compatible with regular action figures (as much of Hasbro's output still ranges in 3 3/4", from Star Wars to G.I. JOE to even the upcoming Indiana Jones line) to enhance their play value. To justify the cost, they could throw in electronics: light-up optics, sound FX, and voice chips featuring as much of the G1 voice cast as they can gather, even if it were just sound bites taken from the G1 'toon itself.

You'd have Jetfire at 15 inches; Optimus and Megatron at 12 inches, with the Seekers, Coneheads, Soundwave and Grimlock all notched up to even up; the Autobot cars like Rodimus, Mirage, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker at 9 inches; and smaller Autobots like Bumblebee and Cliffjumper notched up to 6 inches . Hasbro could even pad in some TFs that never got off the ground - Titanium Cosmos could be squeezed in at 6 inches with little effort, the Shockwave proto could be doubled to 12 inches, and Titanium G1 Ultra Magnus could be cranked to 15 inches. The 9-inch and 6-inch scales at least guarantee affordability for the tykes.

For a filler line to bring in extra revenue to put towards producing this line, I'd do what Hasbro's been doing with Star Wars and G.I. JOE and put out multi-packs of existing molds in comic-accurate colors, then package them with reprints of the old comic stories they relate to. They could cast the WW Titaniums in plastic and reprint some of those issues, or even a 2-pack of an Action-Master-colored Classics Optimus and a Cybertron Unicron repainted as Bludgeon from the last Marvel U.S. issue. Heck, since Hasbro now has the Marvel license, they could even make an SDCC exclusive 3-pack using a G1-Marvel-colored Classics Megatron and a Symbiote Spider-Man figure.

It'd just think it'd be nice have a toy line featuring giant robot characters who still qualify as giant robots when stacked up alongside the rest of your figures.

It would be a Leader class size black Ferrari FXX, 599 GTB, or a red 360 Challenge Stradale .

My vote for the new Optimus Prime...

i think a g1-accurate DELUXE classed prime at an affordable price would be perfect.

Jaw Crusher wrote:My idea of the perfect TF toy would be most of large-scale Classics.

You'd have Jetfire at 15 inches; Optimus and Megatron at 12 inches, with the Seekers, Coneheads, Soundwave and Grimlock all notched up to even up; the Autobot cars like Rodimus, Mirage, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker at 9 inches; and smaller Autobots like Bumblebee and Cliffjumper notched up to 6 inches . Hasbro could even pad in some TFs that never got off the ground - Titanium Cosmos could be squeezed in at 6 inches with little effort, the Shockwave proto could be doubled to 12 inches, and Titanium G1 Ultra Magnus could be cranked to 15 inches. The 9-inch and 6-inch scales at least guarantee affordability for the tykes.

You read my mind, dude. I have ALWAYS wanted TF to be bigger, not to mention be produced in accurate scale with one another so there's finally some size consistency. In addition to what you said, I'd also do the following if I had my way running the Hasbro TF department:

- Give the green light on releasing ALL key G1 characters from Seasons 1-3 as revised Classics, and finally ensure proper/overdue releases of characters like Reflector (anime accurate), Brawn, Skyfire and The Constructicons.

- Turn the War Wthin series into its own full blown sub-line, and release all Classics figures in exclusive 2-packs with their WW counterpart design in the same sizes. Kind of a "Past vs Present" thing. And hire Don Fig full time as head designer of BOTH lines.

- Ensure that the G1 characters released as Titaniums - Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus & Scourge - would be re-released as plastic Classics versions in expected larger sizes.

- Commit to actually finishing what we start. If we release 2 of the War Within Seekers like Starscream & Thundercracker, for example, then there will be no question that Skywarp will also get released. If we release Grimlock in the Classics line, then it goes without saying that the other 4 Dinobots are coming as well. So on & so forth.

- In relation to the above statement, I'd also retroactively finish the Alternators line by finally releasing Ironhide, Ratchet, Trailbreaker, Bumblebee & Cliffjumper. If resources allowed, I'd also sqeeze in Brawn, Gears, Huffer, Red Alert & Hoist. Grapple & Inferno TBA.

- Entirely abolish the concepts of Nemesis Prime, Ultra Magnus just being a white version of Prime, and lame gimmicks like cyber keys, etc. And fire anyone who ever suggest it again.

- Finally set a consistency rule for Megatron. Prime always has to be red & blue and remain some sort of semi truck, so I'd make it that Megatron always has to be silver/grey & black and remain some sort of tank. No more gun variations, and certainly no more "everything else under the sun" designs ala futuristic cars, t-rex's, dragons, helicopters, etc.

- Ensure that no straight repaints ever happen again except for the Seekers. No more Bumblebee = Cliffjumper, Ironhide = Ratchet, Prowl = Silverstreak/Smokescreen, etc. While some designs would stay similar, every character would still get their own distinct remolded head & face, plus some other slight body mold variations. Screw the costs - we're Hasbro - we can afford it.

- Never let another BotCon 2007 situation happen again. No more releasing key characters that should be available at mass retail as exclusives. This is not just in reference to the Seekers - it also applies to the wasted opportunities for proper Classics versions of Springer & Huffer.

- No more repainting craptacular leftover lines like Energon/Cybertron and passing them off as new Classics... and publicly apologize for doing it with Devastator, Huffer & Springer.

- Revise the new Animated series for what it actually is - Transformers For Tots for children obviously under 5 years old - and turn the main line back into something that actually looks like Transformers again and can/should appeal to teenagers & adults as well as kids.

But other than, Hasbro's doing a good job

The most perfect TF toy for me is Allspark Landmine. Since they can pack all the exterior and car interior details, wide-ranging poseability, awesome weapon, workable hands that can actually grab (better function than Alternator's), into one small Deluxe size toy... There's no question why all the Alternators toys can't be scaled down to this size. Landmine has even more intricate and realistic details than those giant Alternator toys.

Reduce all Alternators toys to this size, and improve all of them to the level of Landmine, and you got a winner. Low cost, extremely beautiful TF toys.

Then make an Alternator Prime with his usual truck alt mode (not the Dodge pickup thing), to match the scale of the reduced Alternators.

I would just say cut the crap no more gimmicks in Tfs, no more than one repaint for character, bigger sized toys, any character that has a special thing like a trailer gets one for their toy.So you can see how it would be hard for me to keep an affordible budjet

Name: Ultimate Jazz MSRP: $30
Alt Mode: Aston Martin DBS. Silver, fully detailed interior. I mean detailed, dials, leather looking seats, and 1/18th scale.
Robot mode: All parts fold together easily, but still looking complex. Takes around 1.5 mins to transform. About movie leader primes height, very little kibble. Ball joints galore, fully poseable joints, and the head is on a ball joint too.
Weapons: A huge version of alt wheeljacks sword. Two twin rocket launchers on his back, and one hip mountable pistol. The head looks like Movie Jazzs' but with a retracting visor.
Now that's my perfect tf!

Wow Bond! Why'd we get a very ugly looking Ultimate BB when we could've got Jazz . Kudos to you

OptitronPrime wrote:Wow Bond! Why'd we get a very ugly looking Ultimate BB when we could've got Jazz . Kudos to you

thanx ult bb would look like a even bigger pile of yellow vomit next to Ultimate Jazz

Nice Idea hasbro should higher you as toy designer for transformers bond then there would be an up swing in sales to collectors.

TF-Bond crossover. Coming soon.

There are actually several ideas I would want to research and develope, and assuming they are viable, cost wise and appeal to both collectors and kids.. they would be thus:

1. Transformers figures as Marvel Legends, basically Revoltech but for the U.S. Mass Retail market..

2. Transformers Vs. Gi Joe, combine the 2 lines and have a special comic cross over book for sale in a vehicle and pilot package.. Optimus Prime as a Hiss Tank, or Starscream as a Cobra Jet, ect.. ect...

3. Transformers as Gi Joes, the idea that the Transformers Had to take human form.. I would release that line up around the same time that the other was going.. that way Gi Joe fans would get the reverse.. and the idea would be strengthened on both sides of the table..

4. the Transformers "Perfect editions" Basically figures with with perfect likeness and perfect transformation, with premium coloring ...non scale so they would be bigger then Voyagers, but slightly smaller then leader class..highly detailed and colored.. kinda pricey but three figures released every 3 months would be okay for tha cost..

A Transformers Movie Barricade, and Bumblebee would be the first choice, and they would be in a collector friendly box.. then it would be back to G-1, and forwrd to Beast Wars..revised Transmetals figures, better joints, no flaking paint.. Optimal Optimus and Super Megatron Dragon for the 21st century.. along with a finally redone Rattrap for the masses.. and all packaged with the Beast Wars DVD.. similar to the 10th anniversary reissues only better made..


5. I'd buy the molds and reproduce Beast Wars Figures from Japan under the Beasr Wars Banner, with a catchy slogan bringing them back as an added alternative to the Animated line up..

ofcourse most of the ideas put forth in this thread would have to happen as all the movie stuff finally dies down..

When I was little and my family would go on car trips, I would imagine a transformer outside the window of the car travelling alongside us. It would have to transform to cover the different terrain--I envisioned a triple changer: quad runner, hovercraft, and light aircraft (a Cesna-style plane, maybe?). I wouldn't mind seeing it designed one day!

HEADMASTERS!!!!!!!!

deluxe-sized headmasters that are modernized 'bots from the TF universe (like RID prowl and G2 megs and movie jazz ect.) and new, original charicters (like thunderwave, nightbolt, goldenhide and more) all with the tech-spec gimmick from the original headmasters, combiners, cyber keys. their could even be a headmaster fortress (like omega sentinel)! every head would be compatable with every body and vise versa, and a compelling, post movie, story! hasbro better be reading this 'cause this headmaster revival would be AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MAKE IT HAPPEN HASBRO!!!!!!!!PLZZZ?!?!

Cool Idea skywarp-2 as always. I also would like to see a headmaster make a comeback in the new classics 2.0/universe line at some point.

Point 1: Perfect TF toy already been made.....MP Prime.

And if I got hired, I would just hire the Jizai toys fella and have hom come up with all my ideas for me.

Bonger wrote:Point 1: Perfect TF toy already been made.....MP Prime.

And if I got hired, I would just hire the Jizai toys fella and have hom come up with all my ideas for me.

Not yet. You have to fix the truck to take on the correct proportions first. Then you have to give it a realistic interior, similar to Alternators. Then you have to fix the side of the truck, so that the should hinges don't show, and give it doors.

So much for a perfect toy.

My perfect Optimus Prime:

A little bit shorter than MP Prime (like MP Starscream's height)with a new head mold, unscratched pieces, blue windshields, solid colors (no smoked metal), all black gun, fingers like MP Starscream, lights and sounds for matrix and gun as well as headlights and horn, Peter Cullen voice catch phrases (light our darkest hour, tf and roll out, and so on. But the best part of all:
REMOTE CONTROLABLE! I don't mean that it can transform with the press of a button thats just asking too much but rc driven and remote controlled sounds lights, turning. Along with it would come a trailer with a rc transformation along with a seperate rc roller. The trailer would transform quickly and smoothly and can transform into a base to repair Prime and store his weapons.

Altogether it would come out to be around $180.

If I could only make one figure it would be a Masterpiece of this:



Victory Saber.

A Movie-accurate Optimus Prime will be perfect. Down to the truck interior details. And especially the transformation.

Auto Bot wrote:A Movie-accurate Optimus Prime will be perfect. Down to the truck interior details. And especially the transformation.

IMO the perfect Movie Optimus Prime figure would be a Leader-class First Strike redeco that speaks lines from the movie in Peter Cullen's voice.