The Energon Pub

While Hasbro enjoyed record profits in 2006, the same can not be said for the Takara Tomy company. Takara Tomy has announced that the company cut its annual net profit forecast by two-thirds. The reason they give is the success of Nintendo's DS and Wii. You can read the entire report by clicking here.

Um I Think it also has to do with the fact that TakaraTomy hasn't put anything really all that exciting this year to MAKE profits. Hasbro did for the fans as well as kids with the Classics line which will probably sell REALLY well in Japan if Takara releases them there. There's basically been a drought since Takara was swallowed by Tomy.

Rodimus Primal wrote:Um I Think it also has to do with the fact that TakaraTomy hasn't put anything really all that exciting this year to MAKE profits. Hasbro did for the fans as well as kids with the Classics line which will probably sell REALLY well in Japan if Takara releases them there. There's basically been a drought since Takara was swallowed by Tomy.

Two things to bare in mind.
Firstly, Takara alone does MUCH more than just transformers.
Secondly you cant give the Classics line all the credit for Hasbro's success when Transformers as a whole (Alts, Classics, Cyb, Titainium) is ONLY Hasbro's third most profitable line right now.

Although I will admit that you have to wonder if had there been a main tf line going in Japan right now, would Tomy/Takara's predicted profits be as far down?

Well TF's can only carry so much weight when up against such competition. Those KISS girls better start working out if their going to beat what they're up against over there.

Maybe the MP3s will help, but that's limited market, how many characters can they make amped up like that? However I'd love it if they put some tech in the RealGear line!

Put some reissues out Tomy!

Rodimus Primal wrote:Um I Think it also has to do with the fact that TakaraTomy hasn't put anything really all that exciting this year to MAKE profits. Hasbro did for the fans as well as kids with the Classics line which will probably sell REALLY well in Japan if Takara releases them there. There's basically been a drought since Takara was swallowed by Tomy.

Perhaps you should look up TakaraTomy's product listings and realise that the company does NOT revolve around Transformers and that they produce a lot of various lines. The majority of which just haven't sold too well in the Japanese market.

Keep the good work Takara-Tomy, with stuff like Kiss Players.

I feel kinda bad, now, I just bought a DS on Friday.......oops....no matter, I'm buying MP-05 Megatron, as many people will be. So there.

Transformers are actually doing decent over there from what I hear, however a good number of the other products Tomy sells aren't. And thats the big thing, Transformers are not really as much of a flagship product to Tomy as they are to Hasbro. Transformers can do great and still only be a blip as far as their over all profits are concerned. The toy market in Japan is jsut not doing as well right now.

I don't know about their girl's toys like Licca and other divisions but when it comes to their boy's toys and collectible ranges their releases were down to a trickle all last year. Transformers, Microman, Zoids, Cool Girl, even Thomas the Tank Engine. I'm sure at least a part of that can be attributed to the post-merger restructuring but even with Japan's decreasing number of children you can't expect record profits if you're not putting product out.

GetterDragun wrote:Put some reissues out Tomy!

I wish they would listen to that...wasn't it great anticipating the next reissue, or getting excited when a new reissue came out?? It has been about a year now since Taktomy has reissued anything. Its clear that Tomy is in control now and they do not want anything to do with reissues...

AbsumZer0 wrote:I don't know about their girl's toys like Licca and other divisions but when it comes to their boy's toys and collectible ranges their releases were down to a trickle all last year. Transformers, Microman, Zoids, Cool Girl, even Thomas the Tank Engine. I'm sure at least a part of that can be attributed to the post-merger restructuring but even with Japan's decreasing number of children you can't expect record profits if you're not putting product out.

Yeah, post-merger restructuring surely has a hand in that, but if only that were all.

Zoids are probably getting beaten by other building toys, possibly Lego Bionicle figures (speculation).
But DEFINITELY a problem for them is the decline in trust in their products,
Good lord, they make these BEAUTIFUL Microman figures... but unfortunately, their defective rate is staggering. MANY figures ship already broken.
People who bought figures one year, find the poopy plastic used shrinks, shattering the figures at their joints.

They need to not stretch the production of their various toy lines beyond their means, and should seriously look at spending a few extra bucks on something that can't be called "inferior materials".

Sad stuff it is. V__V

Riotflea wrote:

AbsumZer0 wrote:I don't know about their girl's toys like Licca and other divisions but when it comes to their boy's toys and collectible ranges their releases were down to a trickle all last year. Transformers, Microman, Zoids, Cool Girl, even Thomas the Tank Engine. I'm sure at least a part of that can be attributed to the post-merger restructuring but even with Japan's decreasing number of children you can't expect record profits if you're not putting product out.

Yeah, post-merger restructuring surely has a hand in that, but if only that were all.

Zoids are probably getting beaten by other building toys, possibly Lego Bionicle figures (speculation).
But DEFINITELY a problem for them is the decline in trust in their products,
Good lord, they make these BEAUTIFUL Microman figures... but unfortunately, their defective rate is staggering. MANY figures ship already broken.
People who bought figures one year, find the poopy plastic used shrinks, shattering the figures at their joints.

They need to not stretch the production of their various toy lines beyond their means, and should seriously look at spending a few extra bucks on something that can't be called "inferior materials".

Sad stuff it is. V__V

I don't know if Bionicle is even distributed in Japan but I really doubt it would have anything to do with the decline of Zoids considering model robot injection kits are as big over there as ever. Bionicle also doesn't seem like something that'd fare well over there based on their aesthetics and the competition they'd face like SD Gundam. It's probably more to do with poor marketing and design decisions. The Fuzors line didn't do so hot and neither did the followup Genesis.

As for Microman, quality control has been a big issue for Takara in recent years but the joint shattering was a design flaw restricted to the AcroEmperor figures in the EXO series, so it wasn't as widespread as you make it sound. Of course, that certainly didn't help the line and may have actually been when the line 'jumped the shark'.

I think a lot of the QC problems may have been the result of their changing manufacturers a few years back.

Well I have to admitt the DS and Wii are awesome and the are getting a lot of the money I would be spending on Transformers right now (if there were any TFs worth spending money on). However I've alway prefered Takaras TF products over those offered by Hasbro, so i really hope they continue to produce them.

Yours AK

It's the problem with kids these days...far too interested in video games and not enough interest in action figures, comics, and girls.

Burn wrote:

Rodimus Primal wrote:Um I Think it also has to do with the fact that TakaraTomy hasn't put anything really all that exciting this year to MAKE profits. Hasbro did for the fans as well as kids with the Classics line which will probably sell REALLY well in Japan if Takara releases them there. There's basically been a drought since Takara was swallowed by Tomy.

Perhaps you should look up TakaraTomy's product listings and realise that the company does NOT revolve around Transformers and that they produce a lot of various lines. The majority of which just haven't sold too well in the Japanese market.

I think that is exactly the problem with Takara Tomy, they don't revolve their company around Transformers or any of the Takara series for that matter. Obviously Tomy saw potential and value in Takara and bought them only to turn around and sit on the series Takara has developed. Why not sell what works and what works is Transformers? I don't think any Transformers fan is going to be upset if a new line of Transformers is introduced or they start doing re-issues and slapping Tomy on the box. As of right now Tomy is viewed as the company bringing down the label. Start producing new toys and maybe they can earn a profit. The resale market for many Takara products is hot and that is money not going into Takara/Tomy's pockets. The KO market is cashing in on missed opportunities. Look at KO Swoop selling between $75-$150 dollars on ebay and various sites. The market is there for Takara/Tomy, they just need to pursue it.