The Energon Pub

I would have thought evolution was similar to power of the primes with the Orion to Optimus and hot rod to rodimus, if they hadn’t just done those figures. Evolution might be a vague term referring to newer iterations of characters like armada Megatron being an “evolution” of G1 Megatron since they are planning on doing more armada characters for the line.

Aaarnhide19 wrote:Evolution might be a vague term referring to newer iterations of characters like armada Megatron being an “evolution” of G1 Megatron since they are planning on doing more armada characters for the line.

You may have just cracked the code on why it's called "Evolution", but not in the exact way you suggest. In Armada, what we knew in the English version as "Powerlinx", (the process of a Mini-Con attaching to and upgrading its larger partner) was instead called "Evolution" in the Japanese version. The name could very well indeed refer to the fact that we are supposed to be getting more Armada characters in the line.

As for collaborations since they've already set a precedent with Gigawatt I'd like to see them do the A-Team van and/or possible Knight Rider's KITT. I don't know that licensing would allow for it though.

Emerje wrote:It's the beginning of September which means Hasbro is now ready look forward to their 2023 product lines. Much of that is going to be revealed at the upcoming PulseCon with Hasbro Pulse on Instagram promising Transformers reveals day one on September 30. As part of their announcement they revealed that, after a year of speculation as to why Legacy toys in store computers since wave one have had "Ev" in their names, the 2023 line will officially be called Transformers Legacy: Evolution! How that translates to the actual toys is anyone's guess, but maybe we'll get a clue at the end of the month.

Meanwhile they've also added some other teasers including a "never-before-seen" partnership as well as what is most certainly going to be Shattered Glass Soundwave.

The Instagram posted is copied below:

Fanbots! Get ready to #RollOut with #Transformers on Day 1 of #HasbroPulseCon2022! Join the team on Sept. 30th, as they reveal SO MANY new and cool things! Fine, we'll give you a taste...how about Transformers Legacy: Evolution?! And a new partnership, including the reveal of a never-before-seen product and artwork! Not enough? Well, there's also the raddest final reveal of #ShatteredGlass 2022! You'll just have to tune in and check it out! Click the link in our bio to learn more!

Big thanks to Seibertronian o.supreme for letting us know about this!

Hopefully this means a Commander Class Armada Prime with trailer pants is coming in the not so distant future.

Just wanted to share a couple of photos; showing the size comparison between the Legacy Cybertron Universe Metroplex and how he fits in with the other Titan Class i have, to include smaller size characters. Obviously, the others have more mass but the original UT toy was slim, so they kept that slender look for sure.

SGM

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:So, Legacy Motormaster. Pretty cool, but they definitely should have used CW pegs for the Menasor shoulder connections - even if they had to make clip-on sockets for them (speaking of, would the 3P clowns please make these

Would these do?

SGMLordMirage wrote:Just wanted to share a couple of photos; showing the size comparison between the Legacy Cybertron Universe Metroplex and how he fits in with the other Titan Class i have, to include smaller size characters. Obviously, the others have more mass but the original UT toy was slim, so they kept that slender look for sure.

SGM

In fairness, a not-insignificant portion of his mass goes to the MASSIVE AXE.
I'd like to see size comparisons with Cybertron figures, myself.

Omegatron. wrote:

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:So, Legacy Motormaster. Pretty cool, but they definitely should have used CW pegs for the Menasor shoulder connections - even if they had to make clip-on sockets for them (speaking of, would the 3P clowns please make these

Would these do?

They might, the next time I have $36 to spare (Shapeways shipping is ouch).

By the way: Who the crap is demanding thigh-extensions for Menasor? The thighs are fine as they are, given TF proportions, and he's already just fine height-wise (in fact, he's already on the tall side):


Extensions give the same stretched effect as the Crazy Devy leg add-ons and would actually make him overheight.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:I have $36 to spare (Shapeways shipping is ouch).

Not just the shipping. Shapeway also charge production fees. Plus the price of the things themselves is pretty ludicrous.
But eh, that's the price to pay for things that are literally printed one at a time.

I'm sure sooner or later, there will be some Chinese upgrade kit that will be much cheaper than Shapeway popping up on eBay.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:I have $36 to spare (Shapeways shipping is ouch).

Not just the shipping. Shapeway also charge production fees. Plus the price of the things themselves is pretty ludicrous.
But eh, that's the price to pay for things that are literally printed one at a time.

Yeah I suppose, but the printer is doing pretty much all the labor so it's pretty much all markup anyway. lol It would be different if they had a more "hands on" and were actually "casting" molds like we used to have to do in the old days for stuff.

Look I get it there's a market for this 3rd party stuff but if it gets to be too expensive you run the risk or pricing yourself out of said market. With the higher prices of these toys as is I can't fathom adding another $30+ to it for fan made items that cost $3 to make.

Till-all-R1 wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:I have $36 to spare (Shapeways shipping is ouch).

Not just the shipping. Shapeway also charge production fees. Plus the price of the things themselves is pretty ludicrous.
But eh, that's the price to pay for things that are literally printed one at a time.

Yeah I suppose, but the printer is doing pretty much all the labor so it's pretty much all markup anyway. lol It would be different if they had a more "hands on" and were actually "casting" molds like we used to have to do in the old days for stuff.

Look I get it there's a market for this 3rd party stuff but if it gets to be too expensive you run the risk or pricing yourself out of said market. With the higher prices of these toys as is I can't fathom adding another $30+ to it for fan made items that cost $3 to make.

You really don't know how business work. There's LABOR involved. And if it's ONE thing they print specifically for YOU, you must pay the price.
It's a whole different story when things are massed produced by the hundreds or thousands.

I work at a factory. I know how these things works.

Till-all-R1 wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:I have $36 to spare (Shapeways shipping is ouch).

Not just the shipping. Shapeway also charge production fees. Plus the price of the things themselves is pretty ludicrous.
But eh, that's the price to pay for things that are literally printed one at a time.

Yeah I suppose, but the printer is doing pretty much all the labor so it's pretty much all markup anyway. lol It would be different if they had a more "hands on" and were actually "casting" molds like we used to have to do in the old days for stuff.

It's not the 3D printer that puts in the work of modelling the parts, though. That's where the real work on the seller's end comes in (especially when it comes to add-on parts that have to be custom-developed), and what they're getting reimbursed for.

Till-all-R1 wrote:Look I get it there's a market for this 3rd party stuff but if it gets to be too expensive you run the risk or pricing yourself out of said market. With the higher prices of these toys as is I can't fathom adding another $30+ to it for fan made items that cost $3 to make.

Except you're not paying for someone to run you off a copy or two on their personal 3D printer here.
You're paying partly to reimburse someone for their development work on the item, and partly for a 3D printing factory to do a single-item or small-lot on-demand run of the item in a plastic of your choice (at least, from the options offered) on one of their enterprise-grade printers. And the seller has to charge enough that there's still something left to pocket after that factory takes their cut.

If the items were being run off directly by the designers, then they would be cheaper (and indeed, they are in cases where that happens)... but they'd most likely be on a home-grade printer, there wouldn't be as much materials choice (if any), and there's also a limit to how much an individual fan can crank out and ship out. Do you remember how dark0v would get backlogged out the wazoo? A 3D printer only does so much to alleviate that.

-Kanrabat- wrote:You really don't know how business work. There's LABOR involved. And if it's ONE thing they print specifically for YOU, you must pay the price.
It's a whole different story when things are massed produced by the hundreds or thousands.

I work at a factory. I know how these things works.

I have a 3D printer, there isn't that much labor, the machine does all the work. The commercial machines they're using are made for fast, bulk, semi automated printing. The most labor involved is someone taking it out of the machine and sticking it in a box to mail out. I don't know what their overhead looks like, but it can't be so high that it requires these prices. 3D printing is supposed to be the cheaper alternative to injection molding, but these prices are exceeding that.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:You really don't know how business work. There's LABOR involved. And if it's ONE thing they print specifically for YOU, you must pay the price.
It's a whole different story when things are massed produced by the hundreds or thousands.

I work at a factory. I know how these things works.

I have a 3D printer, there isn't that much labor, the machine does all the work. The commercial machines they're using are made for fast, bulk, semi automated printing. The most labor involved is someone taking it out of the machine and sticking it in a box to mail out. I don't know what their overhead looks like, but it can't be so high that it requires these prices. 3D printing is supposed to be the cheaper alternative to injection molding, but these prices are exceeding that.

Emerje

While I do suspect there's a bit too much shareholder overhead in Shapeways' case... You're forgetting that the items aren't being bought in bulk, especially not stuff like Transformers add-ons.
They're mostly being bought in singles or as small lots, by individual consumers. Which means that Shapeways has to either A. use those big commercial printers inefficiently for single-item or small-lot runs, or B. Group different people's purchases together to make more efficient use of the printers... adding the complexity of having to keep track of which items in a given production batch belong to which buyer. Not sure which way works out cheaper for them, but either way does mean extra operating costs.
The ultimate point is, you're not dealing with mass production prices here. So even with the annoying factory middleman pricing from Shapeways, it is still cheaper than injection molding would be for the same purpose.

Emerje wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:You really don't know how business work. There's LABOR involved. And if it's ONE thing they print specifically for YOU, you must pay the price.
It's a whole different story when things are massed produced by the hundreds or thousands.

I work at a factory. I know how these things works.

I have a 3D printer, there isn't that much labor, the machine does all the work. The commercial machines they're using are made for fast, bulk, semi automated printing. The most labor involved is someone taking it out of the machine and sticking it in a box to mail out. I don't know what their overhead looks like, but it can't be so high that it requires these prices. 3D printing is supposed to be the cheaper alternative to injection molding, but these prices are exceeding that.

Emerje

That is a dumb comparison. It's like comparing yourself mowing your lawn with your own lawnmower "for free" then you wonder why the pro gardener who do the "same job" charge 60$ an hour.
There's more than the printer and the plastic stick in the cost of making your SINGLE thing at a 3D print FACTORY.

Overcracker wrote:Don’t know what I’m going to do with the big bulbous energon hands.

I came up with this.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:While I do suspect there's a bit too much shareholder overhead in Shapeways' case... You're forgetting that the items aren't being bought in bulk, especially not stuff like Transformers add-ons.
They're mostly being bought in singles or as small lots, by individual consumers. Which means that Shapeways has to either A. use those big commercial printers inefficiently for single-item or small-lot runs, or B. Group different people's purchases together to make more efficient use of the printers... adding the complexity of having to keep track of which items in a given production batch belong to which buyer. Not sure which way works out cheaper for them, but either way does mean extra operating costs.
The ultimate point is, you're not dealing with mass production prices here. So even with the annoying factory middleman pricing from Shapeways, it is still cheaper than injection molding would be for the same purpose.

I'm not forgetting, that's just it. A mass produced part would require $100K steel molds and bulk ordering to bring the price to, let's say, $5 per part (which may or may not also require somebody to remove the part from a sprue, clean the burs and possibly even assemble and sonic weld the part). Shapeways is supposed to be the cheap alternative to that process for the designers so they can get their things out without having to pay the molding costs at a similar price, and that's how it was in the beginning. Instead Shapeways is pushing an inflated price on customers. Those Menasor parts are relatively small and irregular so they don't use a lot of material and have a low z-axis profile so the print time shouldn't be very long, I just can't understand how that would translate to such high prices. I could print that part in 4 hours, they're printers should be able to do it faster and I'm sure they have many of these printers running at the same time and can scale appropriately. I'd love to see them breakdown exactly where these expenses are coming from.

Emerje

TF-fan kev777 wrote:

Overcracker wrote:Don’t know what I’m going to do with the big bulbous energon hands.

I came up with this.

20220903_171403.jpg

That is actually genius! I noticed laser prime is missing his missile s in the battle station mode. This looks perfect enough for me. I WANT that Blitzwing badly now!

Emerje wrote:I'd love to see them breakdown exactly where these expenses are coming from.

Emerje

Maximum profit. And Legacy Breakdown?


I honestly do not know, but I would like to. They are not cheap, these things.

Takara has new preorders for Transformers figures today on their site today. None of these are exclusive so they can be ordered on Amazon japan as well. And with new preorders we get new stock images too. Below are the ones for Transformers Legacy Crankcase, Skullgrin, Inferno and Armada Starscream.

It's still crazy how some good stock images can help a figure look better, in this case Crankcase looks really sharp here

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:It's still crazy how some good stock images can help a figure look better, in this case Crankcase looks really sharp here

Yeah, these stock photos really help out!

I remember the days when you'd be all but guaranteed that if a Hasbro release had soft rubber parts, like Skullgrin, the Takara release would have normal hard plastic.

Bumblevivisector wrote:

SpaceEagle wrote:

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:It's still crazy how some good stock images can help a figure look better, in this case Crankcase looks really sharp here

Yeah, these stock photos really help out!

Except if they cross the line into outright deception. Is Inferno actually going to have 4 butt-flaps instead of 3? This bot mode pic sure makes it look that way.

Regardless, way better than leaked photos with unintentional mistransformations.

It was already shown both in the reveal stream and in the behind-the-scenes social media post for Inferno that he has all 4 of them.

You can also see in the pictures, you just have to account for the fact that one is always hidden behind the body thanks to posing.