The Energon Pub

WHAT unholy hell is this? I know they got tons of unwanted optimus and jazz figures but must they destroy Megatron and Soundwave as well?

thanks, Hasbro. I needed to save more money by not buying stupid crap like this!

Midnight_Fox wrote:

ChrisRiss wrote:

GuyIncognito wrote:

Midnight_Fox wrote:ALL MY WANT.

I will stalk HTS to pick this up.

No stalking required. It'll be available for months (or years) to come, and will end up on clearance sooner or later.

It's a little sad that you don't think this is going to sell super fast, because I have no doubt that it will. Who woulda guessed that there would be a large amount of crossover between people who grew up in the 80s and listened to this music, and Transformer fans.

I'm with you, I think this'll go really quick. There's a lot of 80's nostalgia out there, doubly so with Transformers. It really seems only the internet TF fans hate it, everyone I've shown it to thinks it's hilariously awesome, TF fan or not.

Sure, it is hilariously awesome, but there's a reason why most of the internet TF fans hate it: we're the ones that care about this stuff enough to keep up on it and spend the money. How many of the people you had to show it to because they don't keep up on this stuff will actually drop the $185 on this set? Just because people like something doesn't mean they're going to buy it, especially at those prices.

It's four deluxe figure and a whole lot of paper. Metroplex last year was way, way cooler and only $150. 2012 Combaticons were five deluxe figures for $99. Hasbro is out of their minds asking $185 for just four figures. Somehow they've gone from pricing their SDCC stuff just above retail, but with some extra frills (better paint, premium box) to Botcon pricing. Once again Hasbro prices their fans right out of collecting.

Emerje

One thing I think I should bring up is that Hasbro usually has more than one SDCC Transformers exclusive. So if this isn't your thing, they might have something else more to your liking that hasn't been revealed yet.

This is beautiful.

Also, frankly this is what SDCC sets should be: stupid, fun sets that serve no purpose other than to be awesome, but are by no means "necessary" to one's collection (I'm looking at you, Metroplex >_____>)

If there's an opportunity, it'll be mine

wow, this is impressive, and i just happen to have an animated Arcee repainted into a roboticized version of Mina Mongoose (a singer from the Sonic comics) that would go well with this to. Strangly though, im more interested in the mics, Ratbat and Laserbeak than i am the crazy repaints (though the repaints look awesome) wish this came with a cd of TF themes redone in metal

sadly, i probably wont be able to get this set, especially if it really is %185. we sure about that price, i didnt see any listed in the artical

Yeah, this is definitely something that leaves you thinking. I like peanut butter and Iike ketchup but not sure together.

This explains A LOT!!!!

we are having SH!T toys for AoE due to this people involved in toy decisions...

Hasbro, please, as a collector I beg you to kick those guys out of your crew

I might have got this if they were new characters, not f'ing prime, megatron etc again. So sick of the same characters recycled, I love them, but I need them to rest for a while to make them special again.

Seibertron wrote:My thoughts on this ...

Hopefully we don't look back at this and determine that this is when Transformers officially jumped the shark.

That was my first thought when I saw this set. Seeing the name Knights of Unicron I thought it was going to be some new takes on Galvatron, Cyclonus, etc. When I saw what the set was all I could think of was that we were on the far side of the shark.
I love metal, even have a soft spot for hair metal, love Transformers, love the 80's, but this set just seems utterly bizarre and random to me. But hey, glad there are those that like it! Meanwhile some Troll dolls somewhere are tracking down these bots to recover their stolen hair!

Optimus?



Anywho, I have to say this is excellent. I mean it is something out of the ordinary and completely out of left field. Exclusives are meant to be different and fun. I love the concert posters that come with this set, its genius! I do think $185 is a wee bit much for something that, in all honesty, has a niche fan base (80s hair metal) but considering all you get I'd be more than happy to give Hasbro my money for this set.

If this set ends up on the Ruined FOREVER list I'll back away really slowly...

ChrisRiss wrote:

GuyIncognito wrote:

Midnight_Fox wrote:ALL MY WANT.

I will stalk HTS to pick this up.

No stalking required. It'll be available for months (or years) to come, and will end up on clearance sooner or later.

It's a little sad that you don't think this is going to sell super fast, because I have no doubt that it will. Who woulda guessed that there would be a large amount of crossover between people who grew up in the 80s and listened to this music, and Transformer fans.

Most Transformers fans from the 80's were still kids playing with toys and weren't into music yet. In 1984 I was 8 years old, and I didn't discover music until I was like around 13 the same time I discovered girls. So a connection between 80's TF collectors and 80's Hair Metal fans is unlikely. Not impossible, but unlikely. Maybe a 90's music theme might have sparked a bigger interest with 80's kids.

Also, no matter how much we despise him Michael Bay bridged a generation gap between the TF fandom and spawned a whole generation of TF fans who listen to hip hop, electro, pop, R&B, maybe even classical. Basing a set on the assumption that all TF fans like heavy metal is a risky move. Ive never been to SDCC and have no idea what kind of the comic/superhero/cosplay crowd listens to, but IMHO a novelty like this would be a turnoff to most real TF fans. I'm strictly a hip hop/rap fan but I WOULD NOT buy a set of Transformers with microphones and turntables.

Freakin' amazing!

Has the price been revealed on this?


Or was $185 a guess.

On first look this looked like an easy pass..

But the more i look at it the more it grows on me...

Especially if the cardboard stage and speakers are included to make that diorama.

Its something that not many will like... and thats what makes it novel for me

Midnight_Fox wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:

Midnight_Fox wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:Ok, before I give my opinions there's something I need to say, the term "Hair Metal" is derogatory slur created by Rolling Stone magazine and the Alternative music scene to deride and diminish the work that 80's Hard Rock musicians did to bring some joy to the world. I'd ask all of you to please refrain from using the term, instead the terms "Melodic Rock" or the aforementioned "80's Hard Rock" are acceptable. As a fan and a musician I thank you.

Yeah, good luck with that, it'll go over as well as trying to eliminate CHUG as a term amongst this fandom despite its actual racist meaning.

What? I agree CHUG is a stupid anagram, but how is it racist? I mean it looks like chug, as in chugging drinks at the pup. But I fail to see how that could be racist? Or does it have another meaning besides drinking where you?

It's also used as a derogatory term for Native Americans.

That's actually kinda random.

Does anyone know when this set goes on pre-order?

You guys do realize that this set is NOT targeting Transformers collectors/Transformers fans, right?

SDCC exclusives are a completely different animal from BotCon exclusives. They're like the live action movies. They're not meant to appeal primarily to US, but to everyone else who ISN'T a fan like us. They're supposed to get the attention of others in a broad manner with the hopes that they could possibly become fans and/or collectors like we are.

The following posts from other folks who've weighed in their thoughts on the matter pretty much nail down the point of this set:

Yeah, Comic-Con exclusives are about appealing to the greatest majority of people -- literally, like, the folks who only buy Transformers at shows like that. Comic-Con San Diego is like the church that some religious people go to once every year, like on Christmas or Easter. You don't try to sell something niche. You try to sell something broad. That's why there's often Optimus Primes and Soundwaves. Making up a set about a comic book that sells only 10,000 paper copies per issue? Not a San Diego Comic-Con idea. That's a BotCon idea, if that.

Optimus, Jazz, Megatron, and Soundwave as a hair band is, in fact, the SDCCest idea of all time.

Yep - this is pretty much the perfect SDCC exclusive: totally ridiculous, unexpected and never-to-be-seen in regular retail. The worst exclusives are the ones that fill genuine gaps in collections thereby assuring extortion by scalpers. This is fun but shouldn't leave anyone feeling sad or bitter if they can't add it to their collection.

To me, this is a GREAT SDCC item:
It is something that would NEVER, EVAR come into existence as a retail item
It pays homage to the era from which Transformers came
The cheese factor plays GREAT to many casual nerds (so the set will get a lot of press and attention, bringing attention to other things going on in TF world)
But it also isn't something essential to casual fans. Great novelty piece, certainly a conversation piece, but if I don't get it, I will never feel as though my collection isn't complete (again, unlike Sgt. Slaughter, Zarana and Jinx in GI Joe)

This is one of those times where when I see people hating on something, I assume they must just hate fun. Sure, maybe it's not a thing you're into, but if you think it's stupid for the brand team to indulge some crazy for an SDCC exclusive--which traditionally means souped-up extra paint versions of A-listers anyway--then I think you're probably taking this franchise too seriously.

xRotorstormx wrote:Optimus?



Anywho, I have to say this is excellent. I mean it is something out of the ordinary and completely out of left field. Exclusives are meant to be different and fun. I love the concert posters that come with this set, its genius! I do think $185 is a wee bit much for something that, in all honesty, has a niche fan base (80s hair metal) but considering all you get I'd be more than happy to give Hasbro my money for this set.

If Hasbro comes out and says yes this is a UW tribute then I will buy as many sets as I can.

bruticus1978 wrote:Does anyone know when this set goes on pre-order?

This being a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive it will be first available at the con in July. If there is any left after the show, they usually go up on Hasbro Toy Shop sometime the following week.

I find this set hilarious and brilliant.

*POWER CHORD*

This is hilarious!

This is what Con exclusives should be all about, something fun and unusual for the collector without screwing people that can't get to the show.

I love it.

If these pop up on HTS I'll get them.

This is pure genius. Aerosmith-ified transformers? Yes. Please. The hair seems slight obnoxiously large on some of them, but Megatron's is absolutely glorious. If I could go, I would. Seriously. I would buy these in an instant.