The Energon Pub

The <a href="http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Oct/20/bz/hawaii710200322.html" target="_blank">Honolulu Advertiser</a> have posted a rather extensive report on how Hasbro is using the Transformers Brand to "transform" itself from a toy company to a business that creates the ideas behind movies, TV shows and electronic games.

Some interesting parts of the report include:
- Hasbro looking to turn older brands it owns such as Battleship and Mr Potato Head into new products like Movies, online games or tv shows.
- Hasbro expect Transformers sales could drop off next year due to the lack of a new movie in 2008.
and
- Hasbro made money by licensing about 230 Transformers products, including cell phone games, video games, even a jacket that transforms to a backpack and a pillow and sells for about $500.

To read the full article please <a href="http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Oct/20/bz/hawaii710200322.html" target="_blank">click here</a>

Wow. a lot of Tf related money makers. It seems to be all there is. Nice to see us involved though!

i_amtrunks wrote:Some interesting parts of the report include:
- Hasbro looking to turn older brands it owns such as Battleship and Mr Potato Head into new products like Movies, online games or tv shows.

Sean Connery in the Battleship movie FTW. He MUST say the line. >_>

"Battleship... my battleship, you sank it."[/Connery]

He's retired though, wouldn't even come out to do Indiana Jones 4!

aqeed with above poster ^^

agreed with judge deliberata... someone beat me to the punch

At least Hasbro is giving TFs the credit it is rightly due and by default understanding that respect for the brand and its loyal collectors will ensure Hasbro continued success with all its brands.

This makes me think...we need a new battleship TF. I like Braodside & Tidal wave, but I want one that shoots tons of missiles & has electronics. I don't think TF sales will drop though...not if the release Classics 2.0 early of course.

"Hasbro looking to turn older brands it owns such as Battleship and Mr Potato Head into new products like Movies, online games or tv shows."
Mr. Potatohead ONLINE
change his face with your friends online!
$40 a month

I love it. It's great seeing Transformers get its proper place in popular culture, as we always knew it deserved to be. As a Transformers fan, I find it gratifying to see it happen. Transformers finally has its proper place in the sun.

Dont know about anyone else, but I am still recovering from the 230 product licenses.

I mean I know every item under the sun was branded with the Transformers logo and released, but I doubt I have seen 100 products (not counting the toys), the other 130+ I still have to see scares me.

If they're SMART with their license for Transformers, and DON'T want to lose that money, they need to do more then just repaints of movie toys. Star Wars toys have gone down a bit, but they're still steady. Maybe have a greatest hits from several different molds out there all the way back from Beast Wars and such.

Or put in a fan choice system?

Just a thought.

Hmm..... $500 for a G1 Overlord or $500 for a pillow!?!?! Whoever bought the pillow got screwed!!!

i_amtrunks wrote:The <a href="http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Oct/20/bz/hawaii710200322.html" target="_blank">Honolulu Advertiser</a> have posted a rather extensive report on how Hasbro is using the Transformers Brand to "transform" itself from a toy company to a business that creates the ideas behind movies, TV shows and electronic games.

And before you know it, toys won't be their focus at all.

i_amtrunks wrote:Some interesting parts of the report include:
- Hasbro looking to turn older brands it owns such as Battleship and Mr Potato Head into new products like Movies, online games or tv shows.
- Hasbro expect Transformers sales could drop off next year due to the lack of a new movie in 2008.
and
- Hasbro made money by licensing about 230 Transformers products, including cell phone games, video games, even a jacket that transforms to a backpack and a pillow and sells for about $500.

Movies I wouldn't go see (and other than kids (if they're even interested...) who would go see 'em?) and if the sales drop off, TF won't be as important to Hasbro, because they'll be focused on making movies and other products. Mark my words, we'll suffer because of this. But they better remember, we were here through thick and thin, these new "fans" are outsiders who thought the Movie was cool enough to change them. What about TF:A sales? Kids will be all over 'em. Collectors too. Classics/Universe 2.0? That'll sell...pretty good.

i_amtrunks wrote:To read the full article please <a href="http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Oct/20/bz/hawaii710200322.html" target="_blank">click here</a>

No thanks, this has already made me feel less than enthusiastic.

I had a feeling that once the movie became the hit it did, it could be good or bad thing for us, that there'd be no middle ground with it either. And...once it decides which way to turn, it'll fly like a rocket to that destination. I think it's going to end up bad.

....I so want it to be a good ending for us, but I just don't imagine that happening.

Decepticlone Soundwave wrote:This makes me think...we need a new battleship TF. I like Braodside & Tidal wave, but I want one that shoots tons of missiles & has electronics. I don't think TF sales will drop though...not if the release Classics 2.0 early of course.

Classics won't make much of a rebound for Hasbro; let's face it, we're their target audience for that line and we don't hold much a market share. Also, a dozen or so Classics toys won't make up for the 230+ items they won't be making in a movie off-year. The cartoon may bolster things if it is successful, but, again, not enough to prevent a significant drop-off in sales. Despite what we may think of the prototypes, the kids will like the new toon and figures; they don't have as biased tastes as us loyal, pathetic fans who have followed it our whole lives..


If Hasbro decides to focus on making movies rather than toys, I'm not too worried: Transformers is the number two selling boys toy brand in the world- either Hasbro will maintain the line to maintain ongoing income or someone out there will realize what a cash cow the Trasnformers brand is and buy it from them with merchendising rights for future movies and the like, developing the brand further themselves. At any rate, with the overwhelming success and popularity of the movie and the brand name following it, I doubt our favorite robots in disguise are going anywhere for quite a long time.

After all these years of Toy Story, I always wonder why Mr. Potatohead didn't get his own spin off show. For me, it'd be awesome.

See, new ideas and product = more money.

Make something intresting for 2008, instead of hoping Takara does it for you.

I see a live action GI Joe movie in the future.

Yeah last Botcon I was talking to a couple of guys that work for Hasbro and they where saying that Hasbro is trying to take a direction more like Disney. That works for me. I might like all the TF related rides and attractions at HASBRO LAND! Oh, to imagine. I think it's safe to thank Transformers for they're success.

If they're going to pull that off, they need to focus on creating captivating stories and characters. Their cartoons to date have always served as vehicles for toy sales. If they're saying that their transition amounts to stamping Transformers on more products, then as long as there's a major movie release, they'll get away with it. If they're planning for the long term, they need to change the way they approach storytelling.

From what I hear, TF: Animated moves in this direction, so that's a positive sign.

If Hasbro plans to be all about the brand recognition, then it can only mean stronger storytelling in the media related to the toy lines. The movie was a big step in the right direction- serious investment followed by serious coin for all concerned once it came out. TF:Animated won't be as big a money spinner as the movie line and Classics 2.0 will be smaller again for the same reason that Clone Wars and Expanded Universe weren't as big as Revenge of the Sith- it's just a difference in scale. TF displays will shrink as the Allspark Power figures make way for Animated and public enthusiasm will wane, then next year all going well TF:2 will come out and hit the toy aisles like a flaming sack of awesomeness and the whole thing explodes again.

So... yeah. Autobot032, cheer up. Everything's gonna be dandy.

-Nick

Asepticon wrote: HASBRO LAND!

Well if there is going to be a whole theme park dedicated to Harry Potter, I can see a Hasbro themed area, even if it was just a small section put in already pre-existing theme parks, kinda like when every kiddy section was Hanna Barbara based...

Kayevcee wrote:So... yeah. Autobot032, cheer up. Everything's gonna be dandy.

-Nick

That's my hope, good sir. That's my hope.

Where can we buy that jacket-pillow?