The Energon Pub

As an avid hater of the movies and all they bring with them- including the misguided and kibbly Bludgeon figure (still haven't bought a single movie toy), I can say that I would have liked that design if it didn't have the dumb insect/robo head.

This new design takes the movie design, and streamlines it into something cool. I love the wheel shoulders- it's nice knowing that he turns into something that might be a car- instead of a mess of sharp metal pieces.

However- that freakin head. What was wrong with the awesome (and robotic) looking heads they're using on the WFC designs? Those are designs that I will support with my dollars and pre-orders.

You know just for the sake of it, I will point out that while it is being used for the Hub presentations, until we see actual details from the the new series, we have no real basis to know if this is the actual BB for TF:P or just an image they have chosen to work with to plug the network.

Not like mark-ups haven't been used before...

The only design I like is the My little Pony and that's sad.

I'm wondering if they kept BB like the movie version so all they have to do is repaint it again for an easy toy.

Editor wrote:This is a new line being treated thru that mentality and the only reason 3rd parties should be even looked at for this line is if it flops but fans want more, or the items are so show inaccurate that there is an after market for upgrading.

Wow...haven't heard a more accurate depiction of G1 in a long time...G1 is dead and gone. It needs to rest there. They've invented new toy technology since then...like...knees and elbows.

Neat.

SlyTF1 wrote:I just noticed somthing about Bumblebee. His design is just like the movie's but everything else is Animated! Really look at it, it looks like if Movie Bumblebee some how through a parallel dimension transporter, and ended up in the Animated universe!

You're just now figuring that out? Seriously, almost EVERYONE knew this. Even Seibertron spotted this when he showed us the first image of this guy half a year ago.

I'm not to sure about it, actually, btu I think it might be because the eyes are weirding me out. But he looks more robotty than animated or G1, and defitnely a tone down of the movie version. I don't hate it, though.

I'm intrigued by the new Joes.

And what's up with that my little pony, seesh, its like a hallucination you might see after Peter takes 'srooms.

VYPER ALPHA wrote:I would be willing to bet collectors account for more sales then you realize which is why they are making sets like generations though.

If by that you mean 2%, you would be correct. A touch over a year ago, if memory serves me, Hasbro reps commented that the adult collector market makes up about 2% of their sales. The other 98% is children and parents of children.

Despite the fact that we make up such a small niche, we are a very dedicated and often vocal fandom. The Classics and Universe toy lines, as well as many other homages in other lines, is Hasbro's way of showing us that they do care about their collector market. Just look at ROTF Bludgeon and Mindwipe. No 5 year old today has any idea who those characters are. But the adult collector market loves them and had been clamoring for a new figure (especially Bludgeon) for quite some time. Generations Straxus (aka Darkmount) is another perfect example of how Hasbro DOES listen to what we ask for, and gives it to us when they can. Of course, they have to take care of their primary market (kids) first, but we are certainly not forgotten.

that design plus the plot for the prequel comic book make me think that Prime is gonna be a Movie-verse War for Cybertron.

Editor wrote:Why the talk of 3rd party companies in this thread?

Of course those guys make stuff for fans, it's their whole point.

This show is to tie in with Hasbro and we know their bit is to sell toys to kids not collectors. We don't half to like it, or support it, but if kids (and/or their parents) buy the associated toyline then Hasbro is justified in doing what they want. They own the franchise, not fans after all.

Thank You a thousand times over Editor. No matter how many times it's said, it's a shame that only a small handfull of us can accept or understand the fact that if you aren't within the target age group that Hasbro is making the show or toy for, you have no right and no place pissing and moaning about it. My kids loved TF:Animated whereas it took nearly the whole first season for it to grow on me. I jsut had to teach myself to walk out of the room and not say anything when it was on because, after all, the show was made for them and not me. That is what everyone else needs to done to.

SlyTF1 wrote:Naw, it just looks way too much like movie Bumblebee.

This is my problem. Prime Bumblebee looks too much like movie Bumblebee.

Savage wrote:

VYPER ALPHA wrote:I would be willing to bet collectors account for more sales then you realize which is why they are making sets like generations though.

If by that you mean 2%, you would be correct. A touch over a year ago, if memory serves me, Hasbro reps commented that the adult collector market makes up about 2% of their sales. The other 98% is children and parents of children.

Despite the fact that we make up such a small niche, we are a very dedicated and often vocal fandom. The Classics and Universe toy lines, as well as many other homages in other lines, is Hasbro's way of showing us that they do care about their collector market. Just look at ROTF Bludgeon and Mindwipe. No 5 year old today has any idea who those characters are. But the adult collector market loves them and had been clamoring for a new figure (especially Bludgeon) for quite some time. Generations Straxus (aka Darkmount) is another perfect example of how Hasbro DOES listen to what we ask for, and gives it to us when they can. Of course, they have to take care of their primary market (kids) first, but we are certainly not forgotten.

If by vocal, you mean we whine and cry a lot, you're right. I agree with almost all of your post. The only things that are off are the actual percentages. According to MarketResearch.com, collectors make up approximately 4% of the sales of any toy line. Of course that varies per toy line, but never exceeds 5% (Star Wars...anyone else see that one coming?). Kids buy toys because they look like fun or they look cool. SO, if a "generations" figure is selling well, it's because kids think it looks cool not because collectors are suddenly coming out of the woodwork to buy it.

Personally, I will be forever grateful for the fact that Transformers still exists because they had such an influence on my childhood memories. I see it as my duty to extend that joy to the next generation and beyond, not out of longing for G1, but out of the uniqueness of the toy line and the fun it can bring to a child's life. My nephew is now 8; I am proud of him because I taught him to sing the Transformers theme before he could sing the Alphabet song! He looks at my TF collection and automatically goes for the newer figures...because they do more than G1. There's no appreciation of history for him at this age. He's only interested in having fun with the toys. Why SHOULD he care about the history? Only us old farts care about the history of Transformers...or the canon...or the background. TO the kids, it's just a toy!

...gets down from soapbox and falls because he'd drank a half bottle of tequilla...

I like him and that style of drawing. I would like to see other characters too, like Optimus. The cartoon is based on the movie-verse. that's why BB looks like movie BB, and other characters will look like their movie versions (Ironhide will probably be black rather than red like in G1) so kids can relate to them.

I'm more worried about how this would turn like as a toy.

After G1, Bumblebee went off the map and came back on the big screen as the star! And from what I've heard about the plot for transfomers: Prime, bumblebee will play a big roll again, and I don't mind but if I SO MUCH AS HEAR THE WORDS BUMBLEMUS PRIME I'M LEAVING TRANSFORMERS FOR GOOD!

I'm on the fence about this. Simply because after 3 years and 2 films, I still don't know exactly how I feel about the whole movie-verse. And this is to close to that. It does look better than the movie version for sure.

I'm on the fence about this. Simply because after 3 years and 2 films, I still don't know exactly how I feel about the whole movie-verse. And this is to close to that. It does look better than the movie version for sure.

Forgotten wrote:When I look at that Bumblebutt I just feel like the designers smoked a lot of pot, watched the TransFormers live action movies, the entire run of Animated & Gurren Lagann and decided to rip 'em all of. Just my view.

Looks a lot better than the last animated series, but I agree. I just hope he is able to speak in this one.

So much for having good looking TFs again. Rather be stuck wiht movie Bumblebee for another year than have to look at that crap. What the hell is hasbro doing? We dont want gundams we want Transformers. If we wanted gundams we'd watch Gundam damnit.

Don't even compare Gundam to this amalgamation.

Blurrz wrote:How the hell does that look like Gundam?

I don't know, but the more I look at it, the more it looks like a Gurren Lagann ripoff. The torso design looks like a gunman design.