The Energon Pub

News Credits: 65 · by **Wolfman Jake** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:24 pm

ZeroWolf wrote:@Munkky wouldn't they have started work on Siege though before they got sales data from the last knight and haven't they said that the toys performed better than the movie?

That's my recollection too. The movie itself was the flop, in critical reviews (nothing new there), fan support (the first one fans universally disliked), and worst of all...box office gross! The toys did fine, though later waves were hard/impossible to find in the U.S. It's got to be something else that urged on Hasbro to fast-track the new War for Cybertron trilogy. I joked before that Hasbro simply got "bored" with Prime Wars, but now, that doesn't seem as too big of a stretch.

News Credits: 3 · by **bodrock** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:28 pm

ZeroWolf wrote:Love those shots bod! Shame the scale is so off in bw megs vs g1 megs

@Munkky wouldn't they have started work on Siege though before they got sales data from the last knight and haven't they said that the toys performed better than the movie?

Thanks ZeroWolf! It's a good thing in the BW cartoon they explained the difference in scale between the G1ers and Beast Wars (efficiency, iirc)! ;p

But yeah, I'd prefer them to be head-to-head as well.

News Credits: 1350 · by **ZeroWolf** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:33 pm

Wolfman Jake wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:@Munkky wouldn't they have started work on Siege though before they got sales data from the last knight and haven't they said that the toys performed better than the movie?

That's my recollection too. The movie itself was the flop, in critical reviews (nothing new there), fan support (the first one fans universally disliked), and worst of all...box office gross! The toys did fine, though later waves were hard/impossible to find in the U.S. It's got to be something else that urged on Hasbro to fast-track the new War for Cybertron trilogy. I joked before that Hasbro simply got "bored" with Prime Wars, but now, that doesn't seem as too big of a stretch.

Thanks, knew I wasn't imagining it :lol:

Yeah, if anything, the later waves of TLK were just a precursor to all the distribution problems that fans have had in places.

Times like this I wish we had contracts within hasbro, to leak notes from the meeting were they decided to switch to the year long model. The answers will be in there, and I suspect it has something to do with money :-?

News Credits: 1350 · by **ZeroWolf** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:41 pm

bodrock wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:Love those shots bod! Shame the scale is so off in bw megs vs g1 megs

@Munkky wouldn't they have started work on Siege though before they got sales data from the last knight and haven't they said that the toys performed better than the movie?

Thanks ZeroWolf! It's a good thing in the BW cartoon they explained the difference in scale between the G1ers and Beast Wars (efficiency, iirc)! ;p

But yeah, I'd prefer them to be head-to-head as well.

still a cool image, and the better megs is winning ;-)

How's black opop in hand then? Will you fill his staff with prime masters? Or collect the titan masters of his enemies?

News Credits: 4835 · by **william-james88** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:13 pm

Munkky wrote:
Wolfman Jake wrote:I'm not sure why Hasbro was so hot and heavy to get War for Cybertron started so soon. They could have let Prime Wars run its natural course, made that much more money on ideas they already had ready to go, and then start with their brand new stuff, and they'd be almost a year ahead of where they are now in terms of R&D.

ZeroWolf wrote:I can't claim to know any more than you do about why the line was shortened but it probably had something to do with money, and maybe the timing of cyberverse. Also why not directly connected, the fact that we're getting a new IDW continuity in 2019 has worked well as I can see the new creative team jumping off Siege.

I don't know for sure, but I have a suspicion that the higher ups at Hasbro ordered a back-to-basics fresh start for 2019 after The Last Knight bombed, so Power of the Primes was cut short as a result of that, and we're only still getting Cyberverse and the Bumblebee movie because they were both too far along in production to cancel without Hasbro losing even more money. Of course I have no way of proving this, it's only wild speculation.

The higher ups said that Transformers were their best performing toys and that the film doing poorly had no effect on the toyline which sold better than Star Wars.

Think of it, that AOE Bee repaint sold out and since none of us fans cared for it, that means it was mostly bought by kids' parents. Not only does that prove how well the brand is doing in regards to toys but it also proves how little of an impact we fans have in terms of sales. Kids still move the most product and movie toys still sell well, especially Bumblebee.

News Credits: 3 · by **bodrock** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:09 pm

ZeroWolf wrote:
bodrock wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:Love those shots bod! Shame the scale is so off in bw megs vs g1 megs

@Munkky wouldn't they have started work on Siege though before they got sales data from the last knight and haven't they said that the toys performed better than the movie?

Thanks ZeroWolf! It's a good thing in the BW cartoon they explained the difference in scale between the G1ers and Beast Wars (efficiency, iirc)! ;p

But yeah, I'd prefer them to be head-to-head as well.

still a cool image, and the better megs is winning

How's black opop in hand then? Will you fill his staff with prime masters? Or collect the titan masters of his enemies?

He feels pretty good, and the paint apps look good. Not too sloppy for the sticker apps as well. He onviously doesn't feel as girthy as the original Optimal, but I really like him. I may very well have all the Primes at this point, except for the ones who came with Predaking and Punch -- I will be placing my favorites in the thing, based on their power/design.

News Credits: 3 · by **Decepticon Stryker** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:51 pm

So I don't know if anyone will be able to tell me, but how much would shipping be for the Throne of the Primes set on HasbroToyShop? Specifically if it were to be delivered to a Southwestern states?

News Credits: 3 · by **Wireless_Phantom** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 7:21 pm

Caelus wrote:
william-james88 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Skritz wrote:Now I'm no toy engineer but I think POTP could have made good use of the pre-existing engineering of CW and TR to deliver the Thirteen Primes as actual figures while minimizing the engineering cost. Now granted this would have made such an alternate POTP a very, very different line.

If we can imagine for a moment...
On the subject of what-could-have-beens for the Thirteen...

Having so many of them be deluxes would have been a big disappointment to me, not even considering the bad paint jobs. I think I'm glad we didn't get those - at least with most of them unmade that improves the odds of it happening at some point.

And it's a shame, because a true Power of the Primes line would have been pretty great, even if it used a lot of retools and redecos.

SCOUT/Minicon Sets
=> Skyfall from Combiner Wars Powerglide
=> Megatronus's Requiem Blaster from Combiner Wars Shockwave.
=> Prima's Star Saber from Armada Star Saber minicons, recolored blue.
=> Nexus's Omni Saber from Energon Star Saber minicons, recolored black.
=> Solus's hammer from a new set of minicons.

DELUXE
=> Nexus Prime Limbs - seven options to choose from, because Nexus Prime should have lots of combinations!
==> Clocker from Combiner Wars Breakdown
==> Mainspring from Combiner Wars Trailbreaker recolored blue/red
==> Pinion from Combiner Wars Swindle recolored blue/red
==> Chaindrive from Combiner Wars Nosecone recolored blue/red
==> Landquake from Combiner Wars Brawl recolored red/blue
==> Breakaway from Combiner Wars Air-Raid recolored red/blue
==> Topspin from Combiner Wars Alpha Bravo recolored red/blue
=> Various 'lesser' Primes
==> Nova Prime from Energon Rodimus
==> Zeta Prime from Reveal the Shield Scourge
==> Sentinel Prime from Combiner Wars Rook recolored orange and blue (homaging both IDW and Animated)

VOYAGER
=> Heatwave/Cannonspring from Combiner Wars Onslaught recolored blue, with Victorion's sword as the Cyber Caliber
=> Solus Prime from combiner Wars Pyra Magna, retooled with a crane instead of a ladder
=> Onyx Prime from a Heavy retool of Animorphs Visser 3
=> Amalgamous Prime from Robots In Disguise 1.0 Galvatron (with a new head)
=> Alchemist Prime from a heavy retool of Age of Extinction Hound
=> Liege Maximo from a retool of ...??? I'll admit, he's so distinctive he's hard to fit.
=> The Last Autobot from a recolor of Cybertron Vector Prime

Leader
=> Prima from a pretool of Rodimus Prime, recolored in gold (homage to G1 Primus, pre-Cybertron)
=> Megatronus Prime from a retool of Age of Extinction Megatron
=> Rodimus Prime (same as Power of the Primes)
=> The Fallen from a recolor of Megatronus Prime

'Platinum Edition' store exclusives with improved paint apps
Titans Return Alpha Trion => Alpha Trion
Cybertron Vector Prime & Safeguard with => Vector Prime & Micronus Prime

Wwhere do I begin mate...Oh, I know. Firstly, the Armada Minicon molds are worn out, as has been stated by Takara. Secondly, reusing older molds (I'd say maybe 2009 and before, if not 2012) isn't viable for Hasbro to do in a mainline. The reason that figures now are lighter, smaller, and made from worse plastic is because of a shift in the economy and in oil prices. That is partially why reissues and reuses of old molds cost so much to produce, so using a mold like Energon Rodimus couldn't really work for a modern deluxe price point position, instead probably costing as much as or more than a modern voyager figure. I agree that actual figures of the thirteen would have been nice, but at the very least some of the ideas you suggested here aren't feasible.

News Credits: 2 · by **Hero Alpha** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:58 pm

They cant blame it on oil prices. They have continued to go down.

News Credits: 4835 · by **william-james88** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:18 pm

Just wanted to put some facts down so we dont get into conspiracy theories:

1. TLK toyline sold well from Hasbro's perspective.
2. Transformers in General are doing well in the toy market and actually show growth
3. Hasbro has been working on Seige since early summer 2016
4. Hasbro actually reads these message boards and wants their products carried in stores

So, the main thing I get from all this is that all the higher ups want is for there to be more product and for it to go as smoothly in retail stores. Since retail stores are more likely to stock what is new AND label figures from the same line as being the same product, it would make sense that Hasbro wants to shorten lines so that retailers stock everything that comes out.

This would probably be an answer to many complaints of stores not stocking the final wave of Combiner Wars, for instance and we are just seeing the results in POTP due to the 2 year product cycle.

I really wouldnt complain about a 1 year cycle, it further helps stores not to accumulate in product they think is old which usually makes them not order the final wave. If we see Novastar at a prominant US retailer (Target, Amazon or Walmart), then we will know this strategy to have worked.

News Credits: 65 · by **Wolfman Jake** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 12:24 am

william-james88 wrote:Just wanted to put some facts down so we dont get into conspiracy theories:

1. TLK toyline sold well from Hasbro's perspective.
2. Transformers in General are doing well in the toy market and actually show growth
3. Hasbro has been working on Seige since early summer 2016
4. Hasbro actually reads these message boards and wants their products carried in stores

So, the main thing I get from all this is that all the higher ups want is for there to be more product and for it to go as smoothly in retail stores. Since retail stores are more likely to stock what is new AND label figures from the same line as being the same product, it would make sense that Hasbro wants to shorten lines so that retailers stock everything that comes out.

This would probably be an answer to many complaints of stores not stocking the final wave of Combiner Wars, for instance and we are just seeing the results in POTP due to the 2 year product cycle.

I really wouldnt complain about a 1 year cycle, it further helps stores not to accumulate in product they think is old which usually makes them not order the final wave. If we see Novastar at a prominant US retailer (Target, Amazon or Walmart), then we will know this strategy to have worked.

On the other hand, why can't retailers learn that they are wrong and that their ordering practices are their own fault? "Why accomodate when you can educate," is basically what I'm asking. I don't think stores understand at all what perennial brands are when it comes to toys, especially ones with high collector interest. It just seems like everything about retail has gotten dumber and more expensive over the past decade or so.

by **Skritz** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 12:31 am

The action figure retail system is broken in the modern era. >:oP

News Credits: 1350 · by **ZeroWolf** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:14 am

Wolfman Jake wrote:
william-james88 wrote:Just wanted to put some facts down so we dont get into conspiracy theories:

1. TLK toyline sold well from Hasbro's perspective.
2. Transformers in General are doing well in the toy market and actually show growth
3. Hasbro has been working on Seige since early summer 2016
4. Hasbro actually reads these message boards and wants their products carried in stores

So, the main thing I get from all this is that all the higher ups want is for there to be more product and for it to go as smoothly in retail stores. Since retail stores are more likely to stock what is new AND label figures from the same line as being the same product, it would make sense that Hasbro wants to shorten lines so that retailers stock everything that comes out.

This would probably be an answer to many complaints of stores not stocking the final wave of Combiner Wars, for instance and we are just seeing the results in POTP due to the 2 year product cycle.

I really wouldnt complain about a 1 year cycle, it further helps stores not to accumulate in product they think is old which usually makes them not order the final wave. If we see Novastar at a prominant US retailer (Target, Amazon or Walmart), then we will know this strategy to have worked.

On the other hand, why can't retailers learn that they are wrong and that their ordering practices are their own fault? "Why accomodate when you can educate," is basically what I'm asking. I don't think stores understand at all what perennial brands are when it comes to toys, especially ones with high collector interest. It just seems like everything about retail has gotten dumber and more expensive over the past decade or so.

I think hasbro have worked out that this is the easiest and cheapest way to deal with the situation.

MyFigureCollection.net collection · by **Emerje** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 3:54 am

Skritz wrote:The action figure retail system is broken in the modern era.

Yep, and no matter how people try to defend it I still place the blame on Hasbro. How does the country they operate out of constantly miss out on entire waves of figures from various classes? This isn't just a Walmart distribution problem, it's a Target, Amazon, Hasbro Toy Shop, and everywhere else that sells toys online and off problem. Even when a store like BBTS or TFSource do get figures that are hard or impossible to find at B&M stores they're in very limited quantities and rarely restocked. And then stuff just randomly turns up at discount stores. It's a very defective distribution system they're using.

Back during CW I only saw the Deluxe Protectobots once at a Walmart and never again, I never saw Hot Spot anywhere (and still don't have one). The opposite was true for the Combaticons, I never saw the Deluxe figures in stores (until I saw a few at T.J.Maxx), but did see Onslaught at a Walmart once. I never saw either of these teams at Target at all. It was basically just Deluxe waves 1, 2, 4, and 6 that were easy to get. I had passed on the wave 4 Autobots because I didn't want them at the time (I've since changed my mind and might end up with the UW version) and passed on wave 6 because I never found Sky Lynx (not even at T.J.Maxx) so I ended up going with UW on that set. I ended up missing a lot of figures because of the crazy distribution and in some cases going with Takara Tomy's version as a result. (OK, I only "had" to do it with the Lynxmaster set, the Protectobots are the only really glaring gap in my collection and the Mandarake prices are way better than the aftermarket Hasbro price.)

Emerje

News Credits: 1350 · by **ZeroWolf** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 4:28 am

Emerje wrote:
Skritz wrote:The action figure retail system is broken in the modern era.

Yep, and no matter how people try to defend it I still place the blame on Hasbro. How does the country they operate out of constantly miss out on entire waves of figures from various classes? This isn't just a Walmart distribution problem, it's a Target, Amazon, Hasbro Toy Shop, and everywhere else that sells toys online and off problem. Even when a store like BBTS or TFSource do get figures that are hard or impossible to find at B&M stores they're in very limited quantities and rarely restocked. And then stuff just randomly turns up at discount stores. It's a very defective distribution system they're using.

Back during CW I only saw the Deluxe Protectobots once at a Walmart and never again, I never saw Hot Spot anywhere (and still don't have one). The opposite was true for the Combaticons, I never saw the Deluxe figures in stores (until I saw a few at T.J.Maxx), but did see Onslaught at a Walmart once. I never saw either of these teams at Target at all. It was basically just Deluxe waves 1, 2, 4, and 6 that were easy to get. I had passed on the wave 4 Autobots because I didn't want them at the time (I've since changed my mind and might end up with the UW version) and passed on wave 6 because I never found Sky Lynx (not even at T.J.Maxx) so I ended up going with UW on that set. I ended up missing a lot of figures because of the crazy distribution and in some cases going with Takara Tomy's version as a result. (OK, I only "had" to do it with the Lynxmaster set, the Protectobots are the only really glaring gap in my collection and the Mandarake prices are way better than the aftermarket Hasbro price.)

Emerje

Thing is there's an article on tfwiki that argues the exact opposite. Does this mean it's possible that the truth is in the middle of these views and that everyone has their share of the blame.

News Credits: 1 · by **ExciKaiser** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 8:38 am

Am I the only one who got a misassembled Throne Primal ?

From the first day, I noticed he was not able to move his left shoulder up completely.
No issue on right shoulder, neither on my 'regular' potp Optimal Optimus.

So despite my broken hand, I decided to unassemble him.

Not complicated to do, but it took me time to find the issue, I was desesperately looking for somthing blocking, some sprue etc.

Then looking very very closely the articulation, I finally found it.

Do you see it ?

Yes, it's not 100% symetrical. The peg of the articulation is not centered. If you want the shoulder to operate normally, you need to have it in the position of my picture, with the circle axe on top.

Now it's working fine.

I felt it was necessary to share this, seeing how subtle it is, I'm sure there's plently of misassembled Primals in the wild. How is yours ?

News Credits: 3 · by **Decepticon Stryker** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 1:02 pm

Can anyone give me an estimate as to how much the Throne of the Primes set weighs in pounds? I'm trying to calculate shipping from HTS.

News Credits: 4835 · by **william-james88** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 1:16 pm

Decepticon Stryker wrote:Can anyone give me an estimate as to how much the Throne of the Primes set weighs in pounds? I'm trying to calculate shipping from HTS.

Just start an order for potp rodimus unicronus, whi is also leader class. You will get full shipping cost before the end if checkout

by **Skritz** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 1:29 pm

Hopefully the Takara version of the Throne won't suffer from QC issue. That's basically my first Japanese import for a Transformers ever. Probably the last one for a long, long time too given that Hasbro and Takara merged the brand.

News Credits: 3 · by **Decepticon Stryker** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:25 pm

I want to give a quick thanks for putting up with me and all my questions, but I have just one last thing to ask: What specific time would the SDCC exclusives be made available? Will I have to get up at midnight to get them?

News Credits: 293 · by **shajaki** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 3:32 pm

News Credits: 1350 · by **ZeroWolf** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 4:16 pm

From what I can make out...which isn't a lot...that's advertising throne of the primes out in early 2019 at a price of 10,000¥?

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 4:40 pm

January of 2019, yes. On the plus side, this seems to be a general retail release as no stores are explicitly advertised.

As an aside, someone asked in a different thread what exactly was wrong with Prime Wars Blast Off... nothing major, just that his shoulders are swapped: both UW Blast Off and UW Shuttler has the raised section pointing away from the cockpit, not towards like this Blast Off does. No worries, it only really affects the limb mode, and even then it's dealing with how to tuck away the arms. Just take an example from UW Strafe and set them as a 45 degree angle.

News Credits: 4835 · by **william-james88** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 4:46 pm

Decepticon Stryker wrote:I want to give a quick thanks for putting up with me and all my questions, but I have just one last thing to ask: What specific time would the SDCC exclusives be made available? Will I have to get up at midnight to get them?

Sadly nobody knows.

Oh and the Takara release of Throne if the Primes will likely be the exact same, down to the QC

News Credits: 3 · by **Decepticon Stryker** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 4:58 pm

william-james88 wrote:
Decepticon Stryker wrote:I want to give a quick thanks for putting up with me and all my questions, but I have just one last thing to ask: What specific time would the SDCC exclusives be made available? Will I have to get up at midnight to get them?

Sadly nobody knows.

Oh and the Takara release of Throne if the Primes will likely be the exact same, down to the QC

Yeah, but shipping will most likely be a pain.