The Energon Pub

Okay, this is going to be cool! I just hope it isn't another one of those tab-former conversions.

Woo... I love base modes...

/sarcasm

Sabrblade wrote:

Cobotron wrote:Not to poo poo that post, but with the announcement of a CW cartoon, I would guess that the line will continue. I mean we all know, no matter how good or bad a show is, it serves one purpose. A commercial for the toys. I doubt they would release the show after the line has run it's course.

The cartoon will be a YouTube series and probably not that long-lasting. It'll likely be a mini-series of short webisodes like how Cyber Missions was, which lasted for only 13 episodes (haphazardly) spread across eight months.

ZeroWolf wrote:The comics already moved on from combiner wars and are now gearing up for their respective fiftieth issues (and then onto titan wars presumably) plus the fans rarely decide what figures we get, or at least we don't decide the full range, after all hasbro still want kids to buy these toys, and kids love optimus prime.

Emerje wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Carnivius_Prime wrote:No, sorry. The Transtectors lose pretty much everything that I like about the Headmaster concept but hey that's ok. Your figures can be Transtectors and mine can be traditional Headmasters.

I just wish this Blaster figure would hurry up already. I'd like to sell my FoC one but not be without a Blaster in my Voyager team for too long.

Think you can wait until the later half of 2016?

I suspect it is coming later if combiner wars is lasting all of 2016.

I thought Combiner Wars was only supposed to last through mid 2016 (though figures will still stick around on the shelves for a while). Didn't they say the comic was moving on next year and most of the recent announcements (Scattershot, more Autobot cars) have felt like filler just to get us that far. If Hasbro isn't going to keep making strange decisions (two eight Autobot cars but only one Technobot!?) then I'm ready for them to do something entirely new.

Actually, no I'm not. I'm not happy with the direction that Generations is going. I'm not too crazy about the idea of doing themes in a series aimed at collectors. Combiner Wars was fine at first, but when it turned out we can't have certain characters or figures that Takara Tomy is making because they don't transform it became less fine. I really want Generations to go back to being just straight up transforming action figures, that's gimmick enough. I don't need Optimus to be a combiner (twice) because that's what they're doing right now, or for Blaster to be a Headmaster that turns into a base because that's what Titan Wars is doing. This pattern of themes locks us into a particular path and locks us out of potential figures we do want. I mean, do we really want our first Nautica figure to be a combiner or Headmaster? I sure don't.

My real hope for Titan Wars is that only Voyagers and Leaders (and of course Titans) are Headmasters and Deluxe figures are left out and made into Targetmasters or something else less obtrusive.

Emerje

This is one of TF BIG PROBLEMS!
Actually they have A few Problems..
The biggest is No or Bad communications between IDW & Hasbro.
Why can't we get A (say 86mnt) "Combiner Wars" Animated straight to DvD feature?
With an edgy PG-13 rating, Just like DC does.. Seriously.
After we watched the "CW" #SDCC -Pointless- intro video one would of thought that's what we were getting.. A straight to DvD feature to promote the line.
But ohhh No! Instead IDW/Hasbro totally blew-it, with A short choppy "CW" comic story. When it could of been A real 12 month+ Saga.

A Saga Filled with Gestalt one-shots & stuff that only would of focused on- certain Combiners. Where You coulda did past or present stuff with Tie-in comics. E.g. A 'Prowlastator' one-shot, or an introductory 'Victorion' one-shot, or how bout A 50pg 'Menasor' one-shot! Which would of sold $$$ thru the roof!!
Esp. If they released them at comic-con first, with special #SDCC covers.
Than the following Wensday put these "CW" mid-point one-shots on newsstands.

-- I mean does Hasbro/IDW know how bad they shot themselves in the foot with this terribly jointed "Combiner Wars" project.. It was lackadaisical in design & way to short. The Flipping story didn't even continue untill Devy was released like WtF. An the #SDCC Devy version should of came with A Devestator one-shot.
An IMO their should be A special ProwlAstator version of both.

Furthermore I really don't think IDW/Hasbro is aware of How good The DC Animated
movies are "DK Returns" is better than the Frank Miller classic book(s) its based on. An it really puts the Bane-Nolan 3rd Batmn film to inarguabel shame!
Not to mention the straight to DvD-->
Superman Batmn animated films "Public Enemies" & "Apocalypse"
((based on "Girl of Steel" // Superman Batmn comics #8-13)) which both are done in the respective style of the comics artist's- Ed McGuiness & Micheal Turner (Rip.). An both have DvD sales in the Millions$$ not to mention the money HBO paid for their rights. So A "Combiner Wars" animated DvD should of been A No-brainer when All this "CW" was conceived. Outside of the Toys themselves "CombinerWars" is shameful.

Fireback wrote:Why can't we get A (say 86mnt) "Combiner Wars" Animated straight to DvD feature?
With an edgy PG-13 rating, Just like DC does.. Seriously.

Because DC is under the umbrella of Warner Bros. They have production facilities geared for that.

IDW and Hasbro don't have those connections.

Burn wrote:

Fireback wrote:Why can't we get A (say 86mnt) "Combiner Wars" Animated straight to DvD feature?
With an edgy PG-13 rating, Just like DC does.. Seriously.

Because DC is under the umbrella of Warner Bros. They have production facilities geared for that.

IDW and Hasbro don't have those connections.

That may be very true. But it's not an excuse to not use connections & money $$$
to make even more $$$. I would argue A Transformers "Combiner Wars" movie would sell just as well as any "Superman Batmn" (straight to DvD PG-13) movie. More kids prefer Transformers over their parents heroes.

Burn has already answered the question but it's answer deserves a second mention, DC have way more resources to make these things happen thanks to being owned by warner bros. Maybe if IDW grow in future years they can look at things like that.

The other thing to look at is priorities, hasbro being the big company that they are, probably feel that they have put as much money in a as possible in making the toys a day then their advertising. They can't assign more money unless they are guaranteed a profit.

I'm not sure combiner wars fiction could of been spread over a year and a bit. The antagonists were just starscreams scheming and a lone menasor. After all the war is over in IDW. .

Fireback wrote:

Burn wrote:

Fireback wrote:Why can't we get A (say 86mnt) "Combiner Wars" Animated straight to DvD feature?
With an edgy PG-13 rating, Just like DC does.. Seriously.

Because DC is under the umbrella of Warner Bros. They have production facilities geared for that.

IDW and Hasbro don't have those connections.

That may be very true. But it's not an excuse to not use connections & money $$$
to make even more $$$. I would argue A Transformers "Combiner Wars" movie would sell just as well as any "Superman Batmn" (straight to DvD PG-13) movie. More kids prefer Transformers over their parents heroes.

You could argue that, but I don't think it would sell as well.

You're comparing to Transformers to DC. Now take for example, Batman. That character is HUGE. Ask a kid to name a superhero, and you can pretty much guarantee Batman will be one of the top three.

DC characters and franchises are far more popular than Transformers. DC and Warner Bros. can churn out those movies because they have established cast members, they have established writers, they have established writers and animators in their own studios which can also handle distribution.

Hasbro doesn't have that. They'd have to outsource for writers (even if it was IDW), they'd have to outsource their animators, they'd have to outsource the distribution. They have a lot of work to do before they can reach DC's direct-to-DVD level.

Will this Combiner Wars be the founding block of that? Hopefully, but I won't hold my breathe waiting.

Burn wrote:

Fireback wrote:

Burn wrote:

Fireback wrote:Why can't we get A (say 86mnt) "Combiner Wars" Animated straight to DvD feature?
With an edgy PG-13 rating, Just like DC does.. Seriously.

Because DC is under the umbrella of Warner Bros. They have production facilities geared for that.

IDW and Hasbro don't have those connections.

That may be very true. But it's not an excuse to not use connections & money $$$
to make even more $$$. I would argue A Transformers "Combiner Wars" movie would sell just as well as any "Superman Batmn" (straight to DvD PG-13) movie. More kids prefer Transformers over their parents heroes.

You could argue that, but I don't think it would sell as well.

You're comparing to Transformers to DC. Now take for example, Batman. That character is HUGE. Ask a kid to name a superhero, and you can pretty much guarantee Batman will be one of the top three.

DC characters and franchises are far more popular than Transformers. DC and Warner Bros. can churn out those movies because they have established cast members, they have established writers, they have established writers and animators in their own studios which can also handle distribution.

Hasbro doesn't have that. They'd have to outsource for writers (even if it was IDW), they'd have to outsource their animators, they'd have to outsource the distribution. They have a lot of work to do before they can reach DC's direct-to-DVD level.

Will this Combiner Wars be the founding block of that? Hopefully, but I won't hold my breathe waiting.

And the "animation market" with the exception of aforementioned titles mentioned by Burn (DC characters and even Marvel, now that they've got the Disney muscle behind them)doesn't have the same mass appeal to really rake in the bug bucks. Using an analogy to the Japanese market, Gundam for instance, manages to get a series based on each line they released. Bandai( kind of like WB that have access or can subcontract their animation works) could do it in the Japanese market, Hasbro? Maybe iffy in the domestic or even international market.

Using gundam as an example is kinda unfair don't you think after all it was only thanks to the original series first model kits the the series survived those early years till it took off properly.

For now, hasbro is more then content with its current cartoons. Once we see the quality of the machima cartoon we can judge if titan wars will get the same treatment

Fireback wrote:Why can't we get A (say 86mnt) "Combiner Wars" Animated straight to DvD feature?
With an edgy PG-13 rating, Just like DC does.. Seriously.
After we watched the "CW" #SDCC -Pointless- intro video one would of thought that's what we were getting.. A straight to DvD feature to promote the line.
But ohhh No! Instead IDW/Hasbro totally blew-it, with A short choppy "CW" comic story. When it could of been A real 12 month+ Saga.

Hasbro is releasing a Combiner Wars animated feature:

Hasbro does have its own production company, though, Hasbro Studios. It's just that that company is already focused on not one but two separate Transformers-based endeavors: Robots in Disguise (its first season completed but still airing) and Rescue Bots (fourth season coming next year, WOOO!!!).

Sabrblade wrote:Hasbro does have its own production company, though, Hasbro Studios. It's just that that company is already focused on not one but two separate Transformers-based endeavors: Robots in Disguise (its first season completed but still airing) and Rescue Bots (fourth season coming next year, WOOO!!!).

Dont they also have Allspark pictures?

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Hasbro does have its own production company, though, Hasbro Studios. It's just that that company is already focused on not one but two separate Transformers-based endeavors: Robots in Disguise (its first season completed but still airing) and Rescue Bots (fourth season coming next year, WOOO!!!).

Dont they also have Allspark pictures?

I could be (also see: probably am) wrong on this, but I think Allspark pictures is a joint thing with Paramount.

ScottyP wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Hasbro does have its own production company, though, Hasbro Studios. It's just that that company is already focused on not one but two separate Transformers-based endeavors: Robots in Disguise (its first season completed but still airing) and Rescue Bots (fourth season coming next year, WOOO!!!).

Dont they also have Allspark pictures?

I could be (also see: probably am) wrong on this, but I think Allspark pictures is a joint thing with Paramount.

Allspark Pictures is Hasbro Studios's self financing film unit. They're the company behind some of Hasbro's upcoming feature film projects like Jem, MLP:FIM, and Monopoly (Paramount's still the company behind the TF films).

ScottyP wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Hasbro does have its own production company, though, Hasbro Studios. It's just that that company is already focused on not one but two separate Transformers-based endeavors: Robots in Disguise (its first season completed but still airing) and Rescue Bots (fourth season coming next year, WOOO!!!).

Dont they also have Allspark pictures?

I could be (also see: probably am) wrong on this, but I think Allspark pictures is a joint thing with Paramount.

That could be right, but even then wouldnt that mean that they are very connected to a larger studio in more ways than mere licensing?

Sabrblade wrote:

ScottyP wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Hasbro does have its own production company, though, Hasbro Studios. It's just that that company is already focused on not one but two separate Transformers-based endeavors: Robots in Disguise (its first season completed but still airing) and Rescue Bots (fourth season coming next year, WOOO!!!).

Dont they also have Allspark pictures?

I could be (also see: probably am) wrong on this, but I think Allspark pictures is a joint thing with Paramount.

Allspark Pictures is Hasbro Studios's self financing film unit. They're the company behind some of Hasbro's upcoming feature film projects like Jem, MLP:FIM, and Monopoly (Paramount's still the company behind the TF films).

So then they do have what it takes to make direct to DVD films on their own.

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

ScottyP wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Hasbro does have its own production company, though, Hasbro Studios. It's just that that company is already focused on not one but two separate Transformers-based endeavors: Robots in Disguise (its first season completed but still airing) and Rescue Bots (fourth season coming next year, WOOO!!!).

Dont they also have Allspark pictures?

I could be (also see: probably am) wrong on this, but I think Allspark pictures is a joint thing with Paramount.

Allspark Pictures is Hasbro Studios's self financing film unit. They're the company behind some of Hasbro's upcoming feature film projects like Jem, MLP:FIM, and Monopoly (Paramount's still the company behind the TF films).

So then they do have what it takes to make direct to DVD films on their own.

But like I said, Hasbro Studios is already focused on its current television TF projects, while AllSpark Pictures is for theatrical projects. Between the two, Hasbro Studios is the more likely one to make any direct-to-DVD stuff (which they have done before like with Predacons Rising and the Equestria Girls movies), but they've never done any direct-to-DVD stuff that wasn't related to their TV series.

Also I don't think hasbro are blind to dcs success with their direct to dvd ventures. I think they may not care. As sabr already said they are set with their own animated series

MrBlack wrote:An observation on scale.

All three robot mode figures in the Titan Wars backdrop have measurement marks next to the grid pattern. These seem to be pretty consistent across all the figures (each grid box is just a little over two of the larger units high). I don't know what units of measure are being used here; they might be purely for show. If, however, each of the larger units represents inches, it would put Fortress Maximus at just under 22" tall (Titan Class, as many have assumed he will be), and Blaster and the other bot (Sky Garry? Astrotrain?) at around 12" high.

This is pretty smart. And this could mean that both sublines could coincide. The only leader figure we know coming out next year is Skywarp. It could very well be that the Leader figures after that would all be part of titan wars. I would love it if the legends were 3 packs of headmasters, just like in armada where the lowest price point was 3 packs of minicons. Like that the deluxes and voyagers would be the end of combiner wars (though I fail to know what they would do since they arent doing animal themed combiners) and the leaders and single titan class figure would be titan wars.

Also, I remember it being said that it was Astrotrain we were seeing on those images.

ZeroWolf wrote:Also I don't think hasbro are blind to dcs success with their direct to dvd ventures. I think they may not care. As sabr already said they are set with their own animated series

Yeah, and with their dividing the toys into three age groups, it's likely they view the fiction media in a similar way like:

Little kids - Rescue Bots cartoon

Big kids - Robots in Disguise cartoon

Adults - IDW comics, live action movies, video games, Machinima web cartoon

Because of the already large amount of media geared towards adults, Hasbro may feel they don't need to to direct-to-DVD stuff aimed at the same crowd that's already getting all of the stuff listed above in the third category.

Sabrblade wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:Also I don't think hasbro are blind to dcs success with their direct to dvd ventures. I think they may not care. As sabr already said they are set with their own animated series

Yeah, and with their dividing the toys into three age groups, it's likely they view the fiction media in a similar way like:

Little kids - Rescue Bots cartoon

Big kids - Robots in Disguise cartoon

Adults - IDW comics, live action movies, video games, Machinima web cartoon

Because of the already large amount of media geared towards adults, Hasbro may feel they don't need to to direct-to-DVD stuff aimed at the same crowd that's already getting all of the stuff listed above in the third category.

And in any case, their machinima web cartoon would be the same as a direct to DVD cartoon, just in a different distribution format.

william-james88 wrote:So then they do have what it takes to make direct to DVD films on their own.

Not necessarily. They still don't have the size of the studio behind them like DC does.

But I have to ask, why would you want to emulate what DC is doing when they can go out and do their own thing?

Look at how well DC's movie and TV plans are working compared to Marvel.

Burn wrote:

william-james88 wrote:So then they do have what it takes to make direct to DVD films on their own.

Not necessarily. They still don't have the size of the studio behind them like DC does.

But I have to ask, why would you want to emulate what DC is doing when they can go out and do their own thing?

Look at how well DC's movie and TV plans are working compared to Marvel.

Burn wrote:

william-james88 wrote:So then they do have what it takes to make direct to DVD films on their own.

Not necessarily. They still don't have the size of the studio behind them like DC does.

But I have to ask, why would you want to emulate what DC is doing when they can go out and do their own thing?

Look at how well DC's movie and TV plans are working compared to Marvel.

TV-wise, though, Arrow and The Flash are awesome, and the same people are making Legends of Tomorrow and (while airing on a different network) Supergirl.

Sabrblade wrote:

Burn wrote:

william-james88 wrote:So then they do have what it takes to make direct to DVD films on their own.

Not necessarily. They still don't have the size of the studio behind them like DC does.

But I have to ask, why would you want to emulate what DC is doing when they can go out and do their own thing?

Look at how well DC's movie and TV plans are working compared to Marvel.

TV-wise, though, Arrow and The Flash are awesome, and the same people are making Legends of Tomorrow and (while airing on a different network) Supergirl.

Yeah but they have NOTHING to do with the movies. And to me, that's where they fail.

Even though DC loves their multiverse stuff.

But we're drifting off topic now. Don't tell Va'al.