The Energon Pub

News Credits: 2 · by **Sid Burn** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 8:53 am

Looking at concept designs for unreleased alternators is a sad reminder that this line is over.

I wish they had at least finished off the CJ and BB designs they had in the works (see below.) I also read about a Megatron Cadillac which would have been awesome.

I just completed my alt collection, all 27 bots. After this there is only the Ehobby Mirage to hunt for I suppose.
Anyone else wish this line would continue, like the classics line is?

News Credits: 26 · by **Wheeljack35** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 8:57 am

I loved the line myself I never wanted it to away

They once talked about making bigger alts for $30...of course that never happened

News Credits: 2 · by **Sid Burn** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:01 am

Wheeljack35 wrote:I loved the line myself I never wanted it to away

They once talked about making bigger alts for $30...of course that never happened

It really is a shame.
Megatron Cadillac, what a beauty that would have been.

by **Evil FurryCon** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:04 am

Course they should continue... if not, they could work dat
Bumble-beetle into a Masterpiece if they ever got the rights
from the war-traumatized, paranoid VW.

Everyone write and claim you'll boycott Porsche and Volkswagen and
tell everyone else to do so as well, 'till Takara gets to do
bots of them!

Toy haters!!! Boycott VW!
Wir Mussen die Porsche Ausrotten! Est is zeit für racht!

by **AlienQuiksilver** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:05 am

I truly feel your pain Sid Burn. That BB is WAYYY awesome. The Porsche Jazz would've suited the line much better.

I'm wishing they would've moved back to the muscle car era, instead of stopping completely.

The potential is there, so maybe sometime in the future ... they will trump the ALTS/BT line with something very similar.

News Credits: 4 · by **Briggs** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:26 am

Wow... those would be awesome. I wouldn't have to subtitute bumblbee in my alternator display with classics BB !

News Credits: 4 · by **Briggs** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:29 am

Actually, Alternators and the new movie were what got me back into Transformers after my break. I saw alternators in the stores, bought Prowl, came home, googled, Transformers movie came up, hurrah!

by **MegatronBomb** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 11:25 am

There awesome even though I dont own any, too expensive for me to start collecting. But if they continue the line ill be all over them.

by **necare** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 12:32 pm

I'd love to see the line continue. I collected 1 of each of the designs, NOT repaints. The alternators are pure genius and great size!

The movie line started my collection off, but continues into alternators.

The only other ones I have from other lines is Unicron and Primus and Masterpiece OP and SS. Then of course the Jetfire Classics.

Come back alternators...come back.

News Credits: 4 · by **Briggs** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 1:00 pm

I think they should design their own "bug" and make a bumblebee one for us, for old times sake

by **Jaw Crusher** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 1:07 pm

I'm gonna go against the grain here.

Alternators were pretty cool, but IMO they've served their purpose, especially in the wake of the movie line. Maybe if Hasbro had given them some form of 'main line' attachment, like a comic or even a mini-comic to go with it, I might have extended beyond just the guys who were close homages to their G1 counterparts (meaning MOST of the Autobots - I think Grimlock deserved something a lot more bada$$ than a car). Plus, I feel there was too much emphasis on Autobots and not enough on Decepticons to make the concept last (which IMO is where the cars-only thing really doomed the line - Megatron as a Caddy would have been great), and using Optimus as the only pickup when there were more appropriate characters for that alt-mode *koff*Ironhide*koff* was not what I consider to be one of their best moves, especially after they released MP Convoy stateside.

Again, it was a nice idea, but I believe Hasbro kinda messed it up in a couple places.

by **Fortress_Maximus** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:49 pm

The CAD designs show above are awesome, I would've totally bought them! Some great ideas about the Alts were raised thus far, so in the spirit of this long terminated line I will cast my ten cents into the mix as well.

The Alts were in a great scale and they really had a lot more detail and the designs were wonderful!! I too have issues with Porsche VW and other licensed car issues but there is nothing that can be done about it.

One of the main problems IMO was the overuse of repaints which for some were ok, but the line seriously lacked more molds. I also agree Grimlock definitely should've been much more badarse and totally dominating. He was IMO one of the damn hardest to learn to transform properly.

Another problem I encountered was the heads and/or arms popping off or too much looseness. I also wish they'd just stick to one type of packaging earlier on. I like the fishbowl packaging myself made for really easy displaying before and after opening.

The Alts line did not get me back in TFs nor did the movie line, RID did years ago... but the Alts helped show in mine minds eye what the TFs sorely missed namely the RID aspect. Pity more people as in general collectors didn't think they will worth buying as well. An Alt animated series would totally pump life into this series and create demand, but sadly I don't see it happening... Hasbro doesn't care about it anymore.

Lastly, I too wished they would continue the ALTERNATOR line it is sad not enough fans spoke out when they had a chance with their wallets. Sigh.

by **VonSchlitzy** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:42 pm

first off AlienQuicksilver i totally agree with you about this line going back into the muscle car era. or even back a bit further than that to the hot rod era(55,56,57 chevy, 59-63 cadillac, 41 willys, etc.)

i understand why Hasbro made the descision. the cost of licensing wasn't being made up enough in sales to continue the line. i would like to see them re-start this line without the licensing. for years Hasbro has been making vehicle modes that we recognize as a real vehicle without it being marketed as a Ford Mustang or Dodge Viper. and even if minor changes to the vehicle need to be changed i think it would be worth to it to have figures in this scale and detail level.

these toys really compliment the MP line as well in terms of scale. MP Optimus is roughly 1/24th or 1/25th scale i believe. and the alt series was exclusively 1/24th. i display my alts with my MP Prime, MP Megatron, MP Starscream, MP Skywarp etc...and they look great together. i'd like to see the alt line get revived just because they really are kinda like smaller scale MP figures. especially the BT's.

by **Rodentus Prime** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:57 pm

While the Alts got me back into collecting I think they had done most of what they could have while keeping the line the same - other than hoist/trailbreaker from the ram mold (a complete no-brainer) the only other thing I would have liked to see is a switch to using military vehicles to build up the decepticons - the (fake) tank megatron design that found it's way online would have been awesome!

News Credits: 1 · by **Cascadia** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:07 pm

It took a lot of time and effort to develop one mold for the Alt. line. Hasbro and Takara had to work with the car companies. Along with this, the process required a lot of money to develop a mold. I do not know if they sold as well as Hasrbo and Takara would have liked initially.

News Credits: 1014 · by **First Gen** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:04 pm

It is sad. Its argueably my favorite line, especially since theyre in scale with MP Prime. It sucks.

HASBRO already confirmed no more alts though. If you really want them, gotta get a MAJOR petition going for them.

News Credits: 1 · by **rpetras** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:04 pm

First Gen wrote:HASBRO already confirmed no more alts though. If you really want them, gotta get a MAJOR petition going for them.

Yes please!!!

I LOVE the alt line. It *IS* what got me back into TFs.

I agree with some other posts that it would be great if they dropped the licensing all together, and made cars that looked like real world cars.

Ironhide and Ratchet as modern, nondescript vans would be cool. Trailbreaker and Hoist as generic pickup trucks.

Without $$ being sent off the placate the car companies I could see this line continuing.

The 1/24th scale, for me, was the best part about this line. It fits perfectly with the MPs, and offers enough room for excellent conversions.

Such a retooling of the line could even come under the MP banner if they redid the G1 bots in the 'toon look.

by **mpchi** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 1:32 am

BT is still my main TF collection, and love all the ones I've bought. They are awesome for what they are offering at their price (great detail, diecast, complex transformation, realistic car mode with opening doors and interiors even), around 5000yen a piece. And there are quite a few characters I would still rather them making before the end of the toyline. But in terms of how well they do in toy business, I do tend to think that it served its purpose mostly. It did give a lot of the 'grown ups' a higher end version of what they used to love in a TF toy when little. But after a while, the toyline just don't do that well selling in Japan, partly from a lot of repaints, restrictions of being a car with similar transformations, and partly with some not very exciting molds. Even in U.S., the Alternators were shelf warmers for a while, until people realize the toyline is dying. They are not very kids oriented afterall, and we know that they are still the main audience that get mass production toys sell well here. So, I doubted the BT/Alt line will continue for very long even if they try, but it is a shame that some very important characters were never realized into the line. Very unfortunate indeed. :-(

by **Silver Galvatron** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:37 am

I guess passing up on the line did me some good.

by **TheStarScreamer** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:09 am

There's no too many of these I really liked. The only one we have is Rumble, and while he's pretty cool, and very G1-styled in a lot of ways, he's way too big. All the Alts are way too big. They look cool, but I hate the scale.

by **Dr. Z** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 10:19 am

The movie line for the most part was Alternators 2.0 with realistic vehicles and complex transformations. But I'd love to see another wave of real Alternators. Wasn't there a Cadillac Megatron coming up? And we could get some SUVs, concept cars, etc.

News Credits: 1 · by **Redimus** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 10:32 am

Dr. Z wrote:The movie line for the most part was Alternators 2.0 with realistic vehicles and complex transformations. But I'd love to see another wave of real Alternators. Wasn't there a Cadillac Megatron coming up? And we could get some SUVs, concept cars, etc.

No it really wasnt.

Whilst the movie vehicals are often realistic (though some *cough* starscream *cough* certainly arent), they arnt as realistic as the as the alts by a long shot, and virtully NONE of the movie robot modes are even slightly as nice, or well designed as the alt's robot modes (I personaly think far too many movie robot modes are hidious).

Bumblebee never got further than the design stage becuase VW refused to let their cars become 'war toys'.

As for why the line ended, well first and formost becuase of the movie, along with other side lines such as titainium and the classics (I beleive it was something along the lines of Hasbro have to pay a percentage to dreamworks on all tfs sold during the period of the movie, so they have put nearly all none movie lines on hiatus or ended em, thoug hi may be wrong on that).
Also it got to the point where some molds had gotten their third repaint (which was unimaginative or downright horrible), and the new designs were hit n miss (Prime was universally disliked for both the choice of charecter and the robot mode's design and there are a few of us who dont like the fact Rumble (tis rumble isnt it?) didnt have any hands, Ravage on the other hand was a work of art).

I think the slight downturn in design quality can be atributed to Takara losing interest in the BTs/BTAs/kissplay, and thus leaving the majority/even more of the work to Hasbro.

Also it dosnt help when in the entire run of the line, the UK got all of 5 of em, picked almost randomly it seems.

*Disclaimer*: There is a fair part of this last most that is educated guess work, and I apologise if I have gotten anything majorly wrong.

News Credits: 5 · by **decepticonjon** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 10:45 am

it's quite obvious. god hates tf's. and hasbro can't keep up a purty damn near perfect line. that line got me back into hardcore collecting. bless you alternators

News Credits: 1 · by **Redimus** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:09 am

decepticonjon wrote:it's quite obvious. god hates tf's. and hasbro can't keep up a purty damn near perfect line. that line got me back into hardcore collecting. bless you alternators

As it happens, me hearing about the alts was what got me back into transformers as well. Sadly I kinda got bored with seeing the same 3 or 4 alts for neigh on 2 years over here, and having to spend FAR TOO MUCH to get the others. Someday I'd like to manage to get an example of each car used in the alts, but there is no chance of me getting all the different repaints and minor remolds.

by **Dr. Z** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:11 am

Redimus wrote:
Whilst the movie vehicals are often realistic (though some *cough* starscream *cough* certainly arent), they arnt as realistic as the as the alts by a long shot, and virtully NONE of the movie robot modes are even slightly as nice, or well designed as the alt's robot modes (I personaly think far too many movie robot modes are hidious).

I was just talking about using realistic vehicles and giving them complex transformations like Alternators. Actually several movie toys, even at the deluxe price point, are far more complex than most Alternators. Whether you like or not the aesthetics is irrelevant here.

I love my Alternators the way they are though.