The Energon Pub

K-Mart still sells transformers? News to me, the only one still open in my area hasn't restocked since before Christmas.

skidflap wrote:

Nemesis Primal wrote:

Rated X wrote:Cant they use the money instead to make one Decepticon that isn't part of 1 3 step, 5 step, or shampoo bottle kiddie line ?

Logical fallacies in your argument aside...

I'd settle for a few more that ARE 1/3/5-steps! Or Legion! Aside from the Mini-Cons, there are a grand total of FIVE Decepticons getting toys in this line. And only two of them, Steeljaw and Thunderhoof, have the "metal furry" look that makes the RiD 2015 Decepticons different (Megatronus and Fracture are normal robots, and Underbite has a beast mode instead of a robot mode like Sky Lynx or the G1 Cassettes did). There are so many interesting designs and we're getting nothing for any of them. I want a Springload, damn it.

there was a listing a while back that there will be a one step springload.

I hope that actually comes through.

I wouldn't mind a Terrashock either, or a Ped for that matter. Or most of them, really...

Perhaps even a Scowl, though admittedly he's not really in the "metal furry" category.

I want a 2-pack of Warrior Class Groundpounder and Legion Class Headlock.

Which Decepticons got Earth Modes - Not very many ?

Perhaps those ones should be prioritised along with ones who feature in more than one episode.

If that already covers the ones we have had so far then it's time to broaden it out - I can't say what's best though as I've have not seen the show enough to know who is who in that regard.

I don't have time for a proper post, but I spotted the wave 5 legion figures at a couple Targets in south Louisiana today.

Ultra Magnus and Patrol Mode Strongarm.

Keep your optics peeled if these are on your want list.

If I was a kid, I'd use that Drift as a stand-in for Unicron. That's...the best I can come up with with regard to praise.

glorbes wrote:If I was a kid, I'd use that Drift as a stand-in for Unicron. That's...the best I can come up with with regard to praise.

It's okay, you don't have to praise this junk

Anybody in the mood for some Sightings news? Fellow Seibertronians Carytheone and ScottyP have found the latest Robots in Diguise Legion figures:

Carytheone wrote:Spotted RID Legion Ultra Magnus at Target in Baton Rouge, LA for $5.99

Spotted Patrol Mode Strongarm at another Target. She was probably at the other Target, but I didn't know this deco was a thing.

Target in Slidell, La for $5.99

ScottyP wrote:RiD Legion Patrol Mode Strongarm and Night Ops Bumblebee at Target in Wake Forest, NC. Implies that Alpine Strike Sideswipe is also out, but wasn't here.

RAR wrote:Which Decepticons got Earth Modes - Not very many ?

Perhaps those ones should be prioritised along with ones who feature in more than one episode.

If that already covers the ones we have had so far then it's time to broaden it out - I can't say what's best though as I've have not seen the show enough to know who is who in that regard.

Technically, isnt the only decepticon with an Earth mode One Step Fracture? Because there is no indication that any decepticon scanned an earth vehicle once they escaped. I mean fixit has them all in his computer from the time they were on his ship and they look the same as we see them when they are on earth. So technically none of them on the show have earth modes.

I'd like to point out that I was wrong to imply in my email to news staff that Alpine Strike Sideswipe is out. Looks like Target is getting Wave 5 cases, and AS Sideswipe is (so far) only in Wave 4 cases.

It also looked like the Target I was at today had skipped Wave 5 of the one-steps (which has the new Gold Armor Grimlock and Patrol Mode Strongarm) and went straight to Wave 6 which is all repacks of various Wave 1-4 things.

Beat me to it! Found a ton of these at the Spokane target!

RAR wrote:Which Decepticons got Earth Modes - Not very many ?

Perhaps those ones should be prioritised along with ones who feature in more than one episode.

If that already covers the ones we have had so far then it's time to broaden it out - I can't say what's best though as I've have not seen the show enough to know who is who in that regard.

How about prioritizing the ones who are show in more than one mode _at all_? Some of them, infuriatingly, din't even get that.

I remember during Beast Wars the number of Maximals and Predacons released was basically even. What happened since then to convince Hasbro to skimp on the bad guys?

Sales reports.

Ah, those Targets have gotten rid of the color-coded toy sections too, I see.

Cobotron wrote:Sales reports.

This line does seem to be rather blatantly sales-driven, doesn't it? Not that it ever wasn't all about sales, but looking back at previous lines we've gone from rotating the entire cast (G1), upgrading characters with entirely different toys (Beast Wars), selling the main character a billions times over but still attempting some form of diversity (Movie/Prime), to now just selling the main characters a billions times over and to hell with diversity.

Noideaforaname wrote:Ah, those Targets have gotten rid of the color-coded toy sections too, I see.

Cobotron wrote:Sales reports.

This line does seem to be rather blatantly sales-driven, doesn't it? Not that it ever wasn't all about sales, but looking back at previous lines we've gone from rotating the entire cast (G1), upgrading characters with entirely different toys (Beast Wars), selling the main character a billions times over but still attempting some form of diversity (Movie/Bumblebee), to now just selling the main characters a billions times over and to hell with diversity.

Yeah, I've thought all along that this entire line screams of corporate interference. From the easy brick $hits to the non-existent diversity, this line is quickly becoming the pile of trash I figured it would if things didn't change

I was wondering if allocating funds to the new Star Wars has any baring? Cut here, so we can spend there.

Cobotron wrote:I was wondering if allocating funds to the new Star Wars has any baring? Cut here, so we can spend there.

"And you better tell those dudes in Japan to remember that damn parts count for Devastator!"

What I dont like about this though is that now there will be no indication that Cons sell. Because there arent enough anymore to base those numbers on. If these autobots are all parents can buy, then that is what they will buy and then hasbro will say "hey, it works". And it will be an infernal cycle.

Although this is nothing new to toylines. Look at all those Batman toylines where you get batman in 10 different suits and one joker figure. I do get why though and I have seen it first hand: nobody wants to give a villain as a gift.

I remember looking for toys once and an old lady was looking at Spider-man toys. She then asked me for help since she didnt know what to get. She knew her grandson liked spider-man but he already had a spider-man toy and she was lost. She didnt want to give him a villain alone either. So I told her to get vs pack so that her grandson could get some variety. I did mess up once though when I was in grade school and assumed a kid already had a spidey and got him a venom toy for his birthday. Only to realize later that he didnt have a spider-man toy (what kind of childhood is that?!)

Optimus and Bumblebee are now so recognisable that if a relative is shopping with the idea of transformers in mind, those are the two they will be looking for. I did like how the 4th film tried to make Grimlock as prevalent, for the sake of some variety, at least in the general public's idea of the brand.

RAR wrote:Which Decepticons got Earth Modes - Not very many ?

Thunderhoof


Clampdown


Fracture


Springload


Ped


Quillfire


While he hasn't transformed in the show, Malodor's altmode kibble looks particularly Earthen


Vertebreak turns into a subway train, but I can't find a decent screengrab of it.

Groundpounder


Headlock


Razorpaw


Spinhead


Transit

Sabrblade wrote:

RAR wrote:Which Decepticons got Earth Modes - Not very many ?

Clampdown

Wait, you mean to tell me cybertron hasn't caught on to the incredibly stylish wood-paneling for their alt modes

If those are earth modes then why do they look that way on Fixit's records in the Alchemor?

william-james88 wrote:If those are earth modes then why do they look that way on Fixit's records in the Alchemor?

Animation cost-cutting measures?

Sabrblade wrote:

william-james88 wrote:If those are earth modes then why do they look that way on Fixit's records in the Alchemor?

Animation cost-cutting measures?

Sabrblade wrote:

william-james88 wrote:If those are earth modes then why do they look that way on Fixit's records in the Alchemor?

Animation cost-cutting measures?

That's probably close, they (hasbro, probably) probably didn't prepare for fiction-creating by giving the 's pre-earth modes; so in the absence of any reference, and maybe not knowing what to do for them (or not being allowed to create random modes), the studio just slips the earth modes in, and hopes that nobody questions it too much.

Hellscream9999 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

william-james88 wrote:If those are earth modes then why do they look that way on Fixit's records in the Alchemor?

Animation cost-cutting measures?

That's probably close, they (hasbro, probably) probably didn't prepare for fiction-creating by giving the 's pre-earth modes; so in the absence of any reference, and maybe not knowing what to do for them (or not being allowed to create random modes), the studio just slips the earth modes in, and hopes that nobody questions it too much.

No it's just a cost cutting measure. It was done on Beast wars, it was done on Prime, it's being done here.

SW's SilverHammer wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

william-james88 wrote:If those are earth modes then why do they look that way on Fixit's records in the Alchemor?

Animation cost-cutting measures?

That's probably close, they (hasbro, probably) probably didn't prepare for fiction-creating by giving the 's pre-earth modes; so in the absence of any reference, and maybe not knowing what to do for them (or not being allowed to create random modes), the studio just slips the earth modes in, and hopes that nobody questions it too much.

No it's just a cost cutting measure. It was done on Beast wars, it was done on Prime, it's being done here.

Fair enough, I don't actually know, I was just using logic to create a rational answer; I don't actually care, it gave me a laugh, so that's good enough.