The Energon Pub

Has anyone heard any news on the final season of Animated being released on DVD? I missed pretty much all of it, and it's been quite some time since the season 2 set came out.

From one of the recent Hasbro Q&A answers:

"Unfortunately, there are no plans to release Animated Season 3 or to re-release Season 1 or 2 at this time. Granted, all plans are always subject to change, but we do not want to promise anything at this point in time."

Bull! Those idiots.

I don't get it either. If Transformers is so hot right now, why not start putting out as much product as possible? One more season of a show that's not only good but is the final volume would not be flooding the market.

Duke of Luns wrote:I don't get it either. If Transformers is so hot right now, why not start putting out as much product as possible? One more season of a show that's not only good but is the final volume would not be flooding the market.

Precisely, And there is a market for it. I'd snatch it up in the proverbial heartbeat.

There are a couple things you don't do when selling a product. The first is never selling it in the first place. The second is selling most of it and then wussing out and not selling all of it. To release 2/3rds of a series and then cancel the release of the final part is retarded. Plain and simple. Between the last movie and Hasbro recently, there's no wonder in my mind as to why my love of Transformers has waned so damn much.

TheMuffin wrote:To release 2/3rds of a series and then cancel the release of the final part is retarded. Plain and simple.

Not by half, really. There are plenty of TV DVD's that don't get full series releases due to varying reasons. (Music rights, not moving enough copies of the currently released seasons, etc.) While the fact that Hasbro didn't mention a reason why is annoying (and point of fact, they don't say it's "cancelled"; it's just not on the schedule), to say it's "retarded" is far from fair.

Honestly, I got tired of waiting for them to finish this set. Now, that they've apparently said we can collectively screw ourselves for wanting them to finish it...I'm glad I went ahead and got the 3rd season.

Not gonna say how, but I'm sure some of you know. There are ways to get these episodes.

Darth Bombshell wrote:

TheMuffin wrote:To release 2/3rds of a series and then cancel the release of the final part is retarded. Plain and simple.

Not by half, really. There are plenty of TV DVD's that don't get full series releases due to varying reasons. (Music rights, not moving enough copies of the currently released seasons, etc.) While the fact that Hasbro didn't mention a reason why is annoying (and point of fact, they don't say it's "cancelled"; it's just not on the schedule), to say it's "retarded" is far from fair.

Don't matter if it's fair or not. In my mind it's retarded that they'll release repaints that sit on shelves for months on end, but can't throw out a 10 cent DVD to finish off a collection.

I have to agree with Muffin that it's pretty ridiculous. Especially since I know a lot of people who held off buying the DVDs until they could get the whole set, and the fact that the third season is the best season and thus the one that everyone's been waiting on so much to come out on DVD.

The third season would likely sell out... not to mention that AFAIK the first two seasons also completely sold out, so lack of previous sales definitely can't be the reason for not releasing it.

And then the media companies like to whine about piracy and torrents. Dur.

I think hasbro gave up on Animaetd. They always cancel the good ****. The show was disontinued, the rest of the toys where cancelled, and now this.

There's no logical reason not to release it, plain and simple.

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:There's no logical reason not to release it, plain and simple.

Actually, I'm pretty sure there is.

Look, fanboyz may not believe it, but Hasbro is not out to get you personally, or to thwart your collecting dreams. They want to make money. Like all good businesses.

If they could make money by releasing Animated Season 3, THEN THEY WOULD. They wouldn't not release it just to screw with your minds. Evidently, Hasbro have weighed up the TOTAL costs (not just production costs, there may be licensing negotiations etc - who knows?) of releasing it, and it is not a viable business model at this time. If it were, they would do it.

Of course, "at this time" means many things, and it doesn't mean they won't release it at some point in the future - perhaps when the new cartoon is out (exposure could maximise profit) or at another significant juncture. Or maybe they're working on some killer extra documentaries, deleted scenes etc that will make fanboyz everywhere wet themselves with excitement.

You just don't know.

So, by all means, be frustrated at the vague answer from Hasbro, but when I see fanboyz throwing words around like "retarded", I jump to the conclusion that they're pretty stupid themselves and don't understand the realities of business, and can't step back from their emotional investment in the franchise to consider the possibilities.

Since1984 wrote:So, by all means, be frustrated at the vague answer from Hasbro, but when I see fanboyz throwing words around like "retarded", I jump to the conclusion that they're pretty stupid themselves and don't understand the realities of business, and can't step back from their emotional investment in the franchise to consider the possibilities.

Jeysie wrote:I have to agree with Muffin that it's pretty ridiculous. Especially since I know a lot of people who held off buying the DVDs until they could get the whole set, and the fact that the third season is the best season and thus the one that everyone's been waiting on so much to come out on DVD.

The third season would likely sell out... not to mention that AFAIK the first two seasons also completely sold out, so lack of previous sales definitely can't be the reason for not releasing it.

So, I have considered it, and nope, I can't see any reason for Hasbro not to release it if they have the rights to. Season three is THE season everyone who liked Animated wants on DVD. The idea that it wouldn't sell enough to be worth it is ridiculous.

Claiming I'm stupid and don't understand the realities of business.... I'll admit I snickered at that comment. For a moment.

Jeysie wrote:And then the media companies like to whine about piracy and torrents. Dur.

This, nuff said. I would upgrade my Tv-rips in a heartbeat, however being in the UK I have become used to Hasbro not wanting my money.

Although in all fairness, we did get all the Japanese G1 shows...

I THINK the main reason Transformers: Animated season 3 is not getting released on DVD is because it's a pissing match between Cartoon Network Studios (aka Warner Bros) who actually made the series and Paramount the company who Hasbro signed a deal with to distbute several of the TF shows (like Energon and Cybertron) as well as the live action movies.

WB wants some of the money from DVD/BR sales because that is where a lot of the money is made from TV shows now of days, but it's Paramount that is getting the money from the DVD/BR sales, and because CN/WB has the prints they don't have to release them to Paramount, so basically it boils down to this:
Hasbro's deal with Paramount expires and they sign a deal with one of the MANY WB companies to release Transformers: Animated or all TF shows in general
or
Hasbro buys the rights from CN/WB and gives the rights to DVD/BR to any company that they want.

That's my guess.

I'm kind of surprised no one is bringing up 'the Economy' in all this. Like, when the price of toys goes up and someone complains, someone else usually shows up to lecture about 'the Economy' and so on.

And as far as Hasbro always cancelling the 'good ****,' I guess that's an odd buisness logic, to cancel things that people like and financially support.

I'm no Animated fan, but look at the bright side, Animated fans:
Someone thought it was a good idea to release Full House on DVD. In individual sets for each season, and then in a house-shaped collection of the entire series.
So, if the travesty that is Full House got not only individual releases but a collected release, Animated season 3 must be in the works somewhere.

TheMuffin wrote:Claiming I'm stupid and don't understand the realities of business.... I'll admit I snickered at that comment. For a moment.

Actually, I didn't name anyone, I just objected to the use of the word "retarded" and the (seeming) lack of "big picture" analysis in comments like "Hasbro sux" etc that I see on these boards.

No doubt you'll turn around and reveal yourself to be Richard Branson or some one, but earlier posts in this thread certainly have a .... narrow-minded perspective, with little logic.

Since1984 wrote:No doubt you'll turn around and reveal yourself to be Richard Branson or some one, but earlier posts in this thread certainly have a .... narrow-minded perspective, with little logic.

Wouldn't be the first time he'd been seen lurking around the brand....

Since1984 wrote:No doubt you'll turn around and reveal yourself to be Richard Branson or some one, but earlier posts in this thread certainly have a .... narrow-minded perspective, with little logic.

Maybe it's just me... but if there's any argument here that's lacking logic, it's the "It's bad business for Hasbro to release a DVD for a popular show that's of the season almost everyone agrees was the best season of said series and has been most wanting to buy" argument.

If Hasbro does have a smart reason for not releasing it, I think the post about potential rights snarl-ups is likely to be closer to actual reality. (Tis why RID hasn't gotten a US DVD release, after all.)

Since1984 wrote:

TheMuffin wrote:Claiming I'm stupid and don't understand the realities of business.... I'll admit I snickered at that comment. For a moment.

Actually, I didn't name anyone, I just objected to the use of the word "retarded" and the (seeming) lack of "big picture" analysis in comments like "Hasbro sux" etc that I see on these boards.

No doubt you'll turn around and reveal yourself to be Richard Branson or some one, but earlier posts in this thread certainly have a .... narrow-minded perspective, with little logic.

No you objected to the use of the word retarded and people who use it. And considering I'm the only one in this thread using that word, it's safe to assume your post was directed towards me. Regardless I don't find it narrow minded to think a company that made over 139 million dollars in the last quarter alone would be unable to afford the rights to a cartoon that they own the characters in.

Considering Hasbro owns the rights to the characters...and transformers is their intellectual property, how much pull could Cartoon Network have over the release of a DVD anyway?

I didn't consider this to be much a legal mashup until it was brought up. Trying to bring this thread back to topic and away from the foolishness. Not hard to make the Mods run off on a tangent around here.

I can't find it anymore, but there was someone offering the complete Animated set on DVD. It looked almost commercial style quality. He was selling it about the time Animated was wrapping up. More than likely he had to stop selling them.

Oh, and something I DID find:

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/TFAdvd3

It 100% has something to do with the legality of rights ownership. Seasons 1, 2, and the Pilot are listed as Discontinued on many sites. I remember reading both the already mentioned interview about 'not at this time' and another article saying the subsidiary (sp) of Paramount who pressed the DVDs lost either the rights and/or funding. Its weird, because since Hasbro reacquired the rights to G1 you would think they'd try to grab everything, but it all comes down to the fine print and 'proper execution' of contract 'options.'

Season 3 of Animated is way overdue for a release. It really needs to happen, I somehow get the feeling somewhere down the line theres going to be a Boxset of Animated seasons 1-3.