by First-Aid » Sat Dec 19, 2020 8:28 am
- Motto: "This won't hurt me a bit."
- Weapon: Laser Scalpel
Hasbro's goal is to recapture the magic of Transformers...that perfect balance that made G1 such a huge hit, that caused the resurgence during Beast Wars, Animated, Movieverse, and Prime. The last couple series have been flops (RiD2 and Cyberverse). The question is this: can Hasbro figure out WHY. Personally, I can tell you why: because it's all about Bumblebee. ALL about Bumblebee. He's the feature, the emphasis, the plot, the be-all end-all of those series...and that dramatically limits what can be done writing-wise. The series I mentioned had a diverse cast, not a single focus: it allowed for better writing, diverse plots, and a wide array of directions to take as well as less redundant toys. Yes, they are aimed at kids, but I think that if you hook the parents and they can enjoy the show too you're going to secure a bigger market share. When a show does nothing but annoy parents (looking at YOU, you purple piece of shiesse dinosaur) I think it damages the brand and parents are less apt to buy it.
Examples of shows that won both adult and children audience include the Golden Age of Cartoon Network: Dexter's Laboratory, Power Puff Girls, Johnny Bravo; Scooby Doo, Batman the Animated Series and its spinoffs (Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Superman the Animated Series); Flintstones; Teen Titans; Ultimate Spiderman; Ren and Stimpy. All of those cartoons STILL hold a massive appeal today thanks to good writing, focusing on a diverse cast, and the appeal to both adults and children. Shows that appeal to children only tend to annoy adults (F*$%@ing Barney) and shows that focus on adults tend to go over children's heads. G1 found that perfect balance, as did Beast Wars, Animated, and Prime- those are, from a marketing standpoint, the Gold Standards. The Movieverse- as absurd as it was for us as fans- ended up appealing to kids thanks to BB, but Hasbro seems to have latched onto that as a Golden Goose because it was unexpected and are riding it right in to the ground. One can hope that the next iteration after Cyberverse has more balanced appeal.
It finally happened. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series. Yes, I cried.
-Kanrabat- wrote:TF-fan kev777 wrote:First-Aid wrote:Okay, did anyone else notice that we all get a wonderful shot of Starscreams crotch anytime he sits in that throne? That's unnerving. Couldn't they have put n extra flap in there? It's....weird.
Its kind of like Basic Instinct, but not in a good way...
Goddammit, now I can't unsee it.