The Energon Pub

News Credits: 7 · by **shortround** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:23 pm

They had an interview with hasbro in a recent issue of entertainment weekly and the hasbro rep said that there are consider doing alternators as convention exclusives. I don't know what this means or if it will go anywhere but I thought I would let the forum know about this.

News Credits: 1 · by **Cascadia** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:27 pm

hmmm...interesting. Do you know which issue had this interview?

News Credits: 4 · by **Bumblethumper** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:30 pm

shortround wrote:They had an interview with hasbro in a recent issue of entertainment weekly and the hasbro rep said that there are consider doing alternators as convention exclusives.

Alternators aren't overpriced enough as it is? I only want to see Hasbro go back to alternators if either they're able to get the VW license to agree to Bumblebee, or they decide to do some new ones based on vintage autos.

But I guess this is good news for some.

News Credits: 1 · by **Cascadia** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:32 pm

I hope so that they can get the line going again. In terms of the VW license issue, good luck to Hasbro. But I would not mind the vintage car idea.

News Credits: 2 · by **Railspike** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:39 pm

I would like to see some as classic muscle cars.

News Credits: 8 · by **Liege Evilmus** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:47 pm

So long as they're new molds and at least availible through HasbroToy Shop, alright, beats no Alts at all.

However if it's more of the same old...

News Credits: 3 · by **coolpop** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:09 pm

Yes, gimme more Alternators, just can't get enough of them. One of my favorite TF lines.

Cheers,
Coolpop

News Credits: 4 · by **Bumblethumper** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:56 am

Liege Evilmus wrote:However if it's more of the same old...

That's my guess.

I can't really see them making any kind of big investment(such as new molds) on anything exclusive. 'Exclusive' usually means some sort of repaint.

News Credits: 4 · by **Bumblethumper** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 1:20 am

Cascadia wrote:But I would not mind the vintage car idea.

Truth is, that's what I would've preferred from the start. Some of the modern cars are pretty nice, but it would've been great to have certain characters retain their original models. That, and I always wish they'd use more variety when it comes to choice of alt modes.

by **zemper** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:21 am

well, didn't they start this trend off already with Rodimus and Nemesis Prime (both as SDCC exclusives)?

:MAX:

by **olokin** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:34 am

Liege Evilmus wrote:So long as they're new molds and at least availible through HasbroToy Shop, alright, beats no Alts at all.

...

Your dead on Liege Evilmus. I was late to the party though, so I wouldn't care if they would reuse a mold to death. I just want more Alts.

News Credits: 128 · by **Counterpunch** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:22 am

Expect Frenzy at SDCC this year.

by **woosh** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:35 am

Railspike wrote:I would like to see some as classic muscle cars.

i'm totally with you.
muscle car transformers ftw!

by **olokin** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:38 am

Counterpunch wrote:Expect Frenzy at SDCC this year.

A Rumble repaint?

News Credits: 5 · by **decepticonjon** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:04 pm

i don't see this happening honestly. the line's dead, they have the movie line, animated, and more to embelish thier exclusives on

by **Auto Bot** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:04 pm

I bet they're all gonna be repaint of existing Alternator molds.

Ho-hum. Not interested.

by **neliz** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:10 pm

First off.. I'd buy any of them.

Second, even though most licenses have expired (if not all) I think we might see some overprices exclusives based on small licenses and as exclusives with some car brands. much like the Chevy Aveo deal or the Gran Turismo 4 Prologue Nissan deal when taking a testdrive.

by **Auto Bot** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:26 pm

I'd sure love to get that Chevy Aveo toy!

What's the Nissan deal? I haven't heard of that yet.

News Credits: 1 · by **No Death for Prowl** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:41 pm

Bumblethumper wrote:
Liege Evilmus wrote:However if it's more of the same old...

That's my guess.

I can't really see them making any kind of big investment(such as new molds) on anything exclusive. 'Exclusive' usually means some sort of repaint.

Exactly.

If it's to the point where even movie Fast Action Battles are getting repainted, what evidence is there that Hasbro is going to invest a lot in something new that will be released in a very limited quantity?

That would be nice, but it's unlikely(and can you imagine the prices those will go for on the likes of Ebay? A Rodimus repaint is one thing, but a whole new mould of, oh, Trailbreaker or Ironhide? Yikes). Rumble and Ravage didn't seem to be released in large numbers at Wal-Marts, but their volume still would have been substantially higher than exclusives.

I second the idea listed here of a Frenzy repaint of Rumble and I would also expect a repaint of Skids.

by **Auto Bot** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:06 pm

Ironhide as an exact twin of Skids?

Hmmm.. the idea doesn't sit well. I hope, at least, they'd resculpt the head or something.

by **neliz** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:20 pm

Auto Bot wrote:I'd sure love to get that Chevy Aveo toy!

likewise

What's the Nissan deal? I haven't heard of that yet.

Old, you'd get a copy of GT4 Prologue with Nissan only cars when taking a testdrive (GT4 is from, 2004? 2005?) that's some €20~ish value right there for taking a testdrive.

Now. .on the Alternators.. at least a Megatron should still be doable right?

by **Auto Bot** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:24 pm

What car can Megatron possibly be? :-?

by **neliz** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:29 pm

Auto Bot wrote:What car can Megatron possibly be?

An Escalade?

Heck .. maybe even as a Skids retool

Another new mold, a Cadillac XLR, was also planned. According to Hasbro at BotCon 2006, the toy would have been Megatron, but when it was decided to put the Alternators line on an indefinite hiatus, the Cadillac Megatron plans never went beyond the early planning stages.

I just like my Megatrons a bit more badass..

XLR:

Escalade (scale model):

by **Auto Bot** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:36 pm

neliz wrote:
Auto Bot wrote:What car can Megatron possibly be?

An Escalade?

Heck .. maybe even as a Skids retool

Another new mold, a Cadillac XLR, was also planned. According to Hasbro at BotCon 2006, the toy would have been Megatron, but when it was decided to put the Alternators line on an indefinite hiatus, the Cadillac Megatron plans never went beyond the early planning stages.

I just like my Megatrons a bit more badass..

XLR:

Escalade (scale model):

I never knew about this. It's sad this new mold never make it.

A Cadillac XLR will be a dandy new toy. Even just for the car mode.

by **Retread** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:10 am

There were hints of a mustang repaint around the same time as the cadillac rumours. But I'm not sure if hasbro ever decided what character it was going to be?