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Hey #Transformers Twitter! A question for an upcoming piece: are you in the fandom for mostly...
35% ..toys first, then story.
46% ..story first, then toys.
08% ..just the toys.
11% ..just the stories.
369 votes
ScottyP wrote:I think the "Classics" re-tread toy releases drove me more towards the fiction but not because of anything Hasbro did on purpose - or was it possibly on purpose? G1 provided beloved characters limited in toy form by their era and genesis. Many "needed" new toys, and that they have received them has been great for the hobby. But then you get to the 6th-ish "new" Optimus Prime, 3rd Bumblebee, 2nd Jetfire, 2nd Grimlock, 2nd Mirage, 2nd Megatron, 3rd Starscream, 2nd Skywarp, 2nd Ultra Magnus, and... oh dammit Ramjet I can't finish this joke but regardless, when the re-treads have almost all been re-tread it has led me to want something more out of these things than just the play experience. While that can lead to a feeling of fresh new adventure, repeated incarnations meant to evoke more-or-less the same source material can and does lead to fatigue.
When I think back on the history of Transformers, the most successful times for the franchise outside of G1's early years have been when the cycle of reinvention yields fun toys of new characters supported by good fiction. Beast Wars, Armada, and the 2007 Movie were as successful as they were for a reason, and that was the well timed (or at least sensibly timed, mostly. Usually.) release of new or new-ish characters while a compelling tale about them was still fresh.
This does speak back to points raised multiple times throughout podcasts, discussion on boards and elsewhere, and something at the foundation of toy collecting in general. As we saw on the Netflix documentary The Toys that Made Us, in the words of sociologist John Tenuto, many of us feel the need to need to touch or hold something physical that represents something intangible. Becka also mentions this point in her blog post at Refined Robo Co, discussing similar topics to this series of articles - though we might engage with fiction, we need that physical presence as a supplement (something not necessary, but that adds value if present) to the experience.
repeated incarnations meant to evoke more-or-less the same source material can and does lead to fatigue
repeated incarnations meant to evoke more-or-less the same source material can and does lead to fatigue
I have a hard time with it inside my own head! G1 is and always will be great, but so will Beast Wars, Armada, Cybertron, IDW, and plenty else. The 2013-ish Generations era was well on its way to achieving a nice balance, and CW's Leader Class kept it up well. Then it seems things went backwards. Whether this is on Rattrap and Rhinox's visibly and undeservedly poor retail performance, or even Armada Megatron's (which was lacking as an homage) I don't know. That said, it'd be great to see more updates for characters without great and/or accurate toy representations like Terrorsaur, Nightscream, and even some Mini-Cons. Space Team in Legends class that combines into a Titan scaled Requiem Blaster, anyone?Lore Keeper wrote:repeated incarnations meant to evoke more-or-less the same source material can and does lead to fatigue
I completely agree with this. There seems to be a conflict of interest between Hasbro and collectors. Hasbro wants to keep putting A list characters on shelves because they sell well, especially with kids and parents. Collectors love Optimus Prime, but most aren't too keen on buying another one once or more per year. Your average collector would be happier with a new take on Omega Supreme than with Bumblebee #4382. I don't know if there is a way to reconcile such competing desires.
Lore Keeper wrote:repeated incarnations meant to evoke more-or-less the same source material can and does lead to fatigue
I completely agree with this. There seems to be a conflict of interest between Hasbro and collectors. Hasbro wants to keep putting A list characters on shelves because they sell well, especially with kids and parents. Collectors love Optimus Prime, but most aren't too keen on buying another one once or more per year. Your average collector would be happier with a new take on Omega Supreme than with Bumblebee #4382. I don't know if there is a way to reconcile such competing desires.
Vic Zanzibar wrote:I'm definitely an anomaly in that I'm pretty much a toys only collector. [...] At this point though, my primary reason for collecting is simply that I find Transformers toys themselves to be aesthetically interesting and more fun than other available hobbies.
Acesmcgee wrote:for me it was the story and the connection it formed for me with my dad. I remember watching the first episode and he and I playing that out, the story made me want to be Optimus and crew. I actually dressed up as Bumblebee for Halloween shortly after, and it was only about then that I really recall wanting the toys.
I still make a story when I play, I mean pose my transformers. There has to be a reason for what they are doing.
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