The Energon Pub

Why are Transformers toys now in robot form when you buy them instead of their vehicle form.?

Because marketers decided that would make them more visually attention-grabbing on the store shelves, and advertise that they were robot toys right off.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Because marketers decided that would make them more visually attention-grabbing on the store shelves, and advertise that they were robot toys right off.

Plus they look bigger in bot mode since Transformers these days are more compact than they used to be.

Emerje

It's also led to at least the packaging for Voyager figures being more tall than wide as opposed to before when those proportions were flipped, which means stores can easily stock them without having to attribute more space to them on shelves to accommodate the width of the packaging and therefore makes it easier for more stores to be able to dedicate space to carrying them (probably).

I guess to grab attention.

Transformers are action figures and all the other action figures in the toy section (especially the collector-oriented lines like Lightning Collection, Marvel Legends, Black Series, DC Multiverse, and MOTU Origins) are packed in upright boxes.