The Energon Pub

I've got an interview setup with Hasbro next weekend at BotCon 2015. I have a few questions in mind, but I wanted to see what questions you guys might have. Keep the questions to non-yes/no questions and no "when is this figure going to be released" questions. Thanks!

Are Titans Class figures too big of a gamble? And is that why we never got a Metrotitan? Is there hope for a G2 Yellow Titan Devastator?

How is the design process for figures that appear in IDW Comics? Does HasTak design the toy first,and then IDW add it to comics, or vice versa?

Here are a few:

Were the platinum G1 reissue releases planned for mass retail in North America?

Were the astrotrain and blitzwing set made to be an homage to flywheels and Mack Tackle?

Why were these the only rereleases to have such an homage?

So far only toys previously released by Hasbro in the states have been reissued by Hasbro, are they looking into reissuing G1 toys North America never got?

Why doesnt the Perceptor and Blaster set include Rewind?

Does Hasbro have the technology to reissue every toy from the G1 era if they wanted to?

Was Habro involved in designing Takara's deluxe Groove?

Will Deluxe Groove get the same treatment as Brakeneck and Quickslinger?

It ws said that the generations wave with Skids and Waspinator was rereleased to stores because Hasbro heard of a shortage from fans. Fans have been vocal about the shortage of CHromia and Arcee so will they get rereleased in a further wave as well?

Would you know if Arcee will ever appear in Canada? She, Chromia and Bainstorm are the only generation toys of the past few years to never appear at retail, is this normal?

Andf there you go, brief and to the point. I hope they get asked since I know I am not the only one who wants answers.

Are they planning a Bruticus release for Combiner Wars?

Or a broader form of the question: Are they planning to cover all of the multi-unit gestalts in the Combiner Wars series? (Predaking, Bruticus, etc) Thanks.

jay5 wrote:Are they planning a Bruticus release for Combiner Wars?

Or a broader form of the question: Are they planning to cover all of the multi-unit gestalts in the Combiner Wars series? (Predaking, Bruticus, etc) Thanks.

Just to let you know Jay5, they already are planning Bruticus. The toys are already present on a retailer database: http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/rumour-transformers-generations-combiner-wars-bruticus-deluxe-wheeljack-legends-rewind-and-more/32756/

Ah, thank you!

How about a Masterpiece Mirage? Have we heard any rumblings about that?

Perhaps that's more a TT question than Hasbro though, since TT tends to release Masterpiece first, followed by Hasbro, right?

Just thinking about a high quality mold of an 80s/90s Senna-vintage F1 car for his alt mode is making me drool.

jay5 wrote:Ah, thank you!

How about a Masterpiece Mirage? Have we heard any rumblings about that?

Perhaps that's more a TT question than Hasbro though, since TT tends to release Masterpiece first, followed by Hasbro, right?

TakaraTomy employees will be present as far as I know, but asking about speculative releases are best avoided as they would fall under "when is this figure going to be released" and as such could get skipped along with 3rd Party questions (prepare for groaning when such a question gets asked). Also, TakaraTomy releasing a certain figure is no guarantee for a Hasbro release, and vice-versa

I do have one or two questions, but they may be more of a classified nature as it deals with specifics in figure design and require more detailed answers...

Platinum edition G1 Dinobots?

Are big releases like Metroplex and Devastator going to be an every other year tradition, can we expect something in 2016/2017?

There is word Hasbro MP Bluestreak is online only in the US, how can Hasbro set itself apart from preference over Takara which is online order too? What is the future of the MP line and Hasbro?

What are the car licensing hurdles for the MP line in the US?

Can we expect more online Generations geared towards collectors like Brakeneck and Quickslinger? Would you consider it a success and how do you see online exclusives evolving in the future?

What is the view on historically Japanese only characters? Are they too obscure to bring into the Generations/G1 reissue/Kiddie line?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe also consists of a show on Cable TV and Netflix. What can we expect outside of movies in the Theatre? TV Shows, Direct to Video Animated Movies, etc.?

• With Lego experiencing double digit growth in the US in FY 2014 (source), there is clear demand for construction play product. That said, initiatives such as Construct-bots, and more recently, Kre-O, have seemingly under-performed and subsequently have been canceled in the US market. What marketing factors do you believe were the primary drivers of the disappointing performance of these attempts at bringing the Transformers brand into the construction play market?
• As Beast Wars approaches its 20th birthday, how far along are plans to recognize that anniversary? Put another way, will it be more likely to see Beast Wars related product or media in early or late 2016?
• Much has been made of the slow but steady trend in price increases on Transformers related products over the past handful of years. What efforts have been made to maintain or improve product quality despite the volatile nature of the supply-side plastic market? Similarly, what, if any, considerations have been given to alternative plastic resin types (in other words, not HDPE for injection molding) that may help provide pricing relief on both the supplier/Hasbro side and the consumer side?
• Alternate super short version of the above: Will the significant decrease in petroleum pricing seen in 2015 eventually be felt by us consumers?
• Are some of the recent homages to older, non-Generation One eras of Transformers indicative of potential for future product lines to rely less on '80s nostalgia? In other words, when taking a look at what IDW seems to be doing with characters from all across the brand's history being increasingly more involved, is it fair to identify this as a trend across the brand?

When will we see leader class figures for cartoon toy lines again?

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

jay5 wrote:Ah, thank you!

How about a Masterpiece Mirage? Have we heard any rumblings about that?

Perhaps that's more a TT question than Hasbro though, since TT tends to release Masterpiece first, followed by Hasbro, right?

TakaraTomy employees will be present as far as I know, but asking about speculative releases are best avoided as they would fall under "when is this figure going to be released" and as such could get skipped along with 3rd Party questions (prepare for groaning when such a question gets asked). Also, TakaraTomy releasing a certain figure is no guarantee for a Hasbro release, and vice-versa

I do have one or two questions, but they may be more of a classified nature as it deals with specifics in figure design and require more detailed answers...

Hey JelZe,
Fair enough if they aren't appropriate for the interview. However, just out of curiosity will you please share with us?

TK415 wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

jay5 wrote:Ah, thank you!

How about a Masterpiece Mirage? Have we heard any rumblings about that?

Perhaps that's more a TT question than Hasbro though, since TT tends to release Masterpiece first, followed by Hasbro, right?

TakaraTomy employees will be present as far as I know, but asking about speculative releases are best avoided as they would fall under "when is this figure going to be released" and as such could get skipped along with 3rd Party questions (prepare for groaning when such a question gets asked). Also, TakaraTomy releasing a certain figure is no guarantee for a Hasbro release, and vice-versa

I do have one or two questions, but they may be more of a classified nature as it deals with specifics in figure design and require more detailed answers...

Hey JelZe,
Fair enough if they aren't appropriate for the interview. However, just out of curiosity will you please share with us?

Well, since you asked:

1) As we've noticed, a limited number of base figures were used for the first year of Combiner Wars (8 Deluxes, 3 Voyagers), with different heads and vehicle shells for each. Was that done for cost or efficiency reasons (simply put, get the most out of a certain design)?
2) Is the planning for Combiner Wars done one year at a time, or is there some wiggle room, like plan one year completely, and discussing possibilities for the next?

Why has Hasbro given up on appealing to a broad audience including older fans with all their toy lines including Rescue bots, Ironman 3 and Star Wars Rebels?

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

TK415 wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

jay5 wrote:Ah, thank you!

How about a Masterpiece Mirage? Have we heard any rumblings about that?

Perhaps that's more a TT question than Hasbro though, since TT tends to release Masterpiece first, followed by Hasbro, right?

TakaraTomy employees will be present as far as I know, but asking about speculative releases are best avoided as they would fall under "when is this figure going to be released" and as such could get skipped along with 3rd Party questions (prepare for groaning when such a question gets asked). Also, TakaraTomy releasing a certain figure is no guarantee for a Hasbro release, and vice-versa

I do have one or two questions, but they may be more of a classified nature as it deals with specifics in figure design and require more detailed answers...

Hey JelZe,
Fair enough if they aren't appropriate for the interview. However, just out of curiosity will you please share with us?

Well, since you asked:

1) As we've noticed, a limited number of base figures were used for the first year of Combiner Wars (8 Deluxes, 3 Voyagers), with different heads and vehicle shells for each. Was that done for cost or efficiency reasons (simply put, get the most out of a certain design)?
2) Is the planning for Combiner Wars done one year at a time, or is there some wiggle room, like plan one year completely, and discussing possibilities for the next?

Very nice. Good questions and interesting, thank you.

LegendaryAntiHero wrote:Why has Hasbro given up on appealing to a broad audience including older fans with all their toy lines including Rescue bots, Ironman 3 and Star Wars Rebels?

Answer you would hear: Combiner Wars/Masterpiece/Platinum Edition, Marvel Legends, Black Series aimed at older fans and collectors.

ScottyP wrote:

LegendaryAntiHero wrote:Why has Hasbro given up on appealing to a broad audience including older fans with all their toy lines including Rescue bots, Ironman 3 and Star Wars Rebels?

Answer you would hear: Combiner Wars/Masterpiece/Platinum Edition, Marvel Legends, Black Series aimed at older fans and collectors.

Also, other companies have the corner on the high-end figurine market and Hasbro likely can't compete at the level of detail/quality/price required as a new entrant into that market. Much easier to be the bulk/volume producer of their mainline brands and license out any special products.

jay5 wrote:

ScottyP wrote:

LegendaryAntiHero wrote:Why has Hasbro given up on appealing to a broad audience including older fans with all their toy lines including Rescue bots, Ironman 3 and Star Wars Rebels?

Answer you would hear: Combiner Wars/Masterpiece/Platinum Edition, Marvel Legends, Black Series aimed at older fans and collectors.

Also, other companies have the corner on the high-end figurine market and Hasbro likely can't compete at the level of detail/quality/price required as a new entrant into that market. Much easier to be the bulk/volume producer of their mainline brands and license out any special products.

I'm not even sure it's that so much as a deliberate, purposeful fracturing of the product for their franchises. Now, that said, yes it would be nice to see some RiD 2015 or SW Rebels product aimed at the collector market and not just the kids, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time in either case.

ScottyP wrote:

jay5 wrote:

ScottyP wrote:

LegendaryAntiHero wrote:Why has Hasbro given up on appealing to a broad audience including older fans with all their toy lines including Rescue bots, Ironman 3 and Star Wars Rebels?

Answer you would hear: Combiner Wars/Masterpiece/Platinum Edition, Marvel Legends, Black Series aimed at older fans and collectors.

Also, other companies have the corner on the high-end figurine market and Hasbro likely can't compete at the level of detail/quality/price required as a new entrant into that market. Much easier to be the bulk/volume producer of their mainline brands and license out any special products.

I'm not even sure it's that so much as a deliberate, purposeful fracturing of the product for their franchises. Now, that said, yes it would be nice to see some RiD 2015 or SW Rebels product aimed at the collector market and not just the kids, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time in either case.

Yeah, and technically, wouldnt the recent CW armada megatron count as a collector's version of a kid's toy? Or any of the generations and MP versions of the G1 toys? Of course, it's 15-30 years between a kid version and a collector version and you would probably wish to see a collector version sooner

Is Hasbro doing anything to try and ensure that the problems that have been plaguing distribution for a while now can be fixed or lessened?

What are the Odds or a Transformers/Gi Joe/M.A.S.K./Inhumanoids Crossover movie ???????

We know Takara uses Hasbro's designs and releases those figures with a slightly different deco in their market, but would Hasbro use takara's in house designs (ie Legends Slipstread, TAV Optimus) and sell it in their own western market under Hasbro? They do it for Masterpiece but what about the other molds designed in other lines?

Why does the Takara version for devastator have elbows on all constructicons while the Hasbro version doesnt?