The Energon Pub

With some Cybertron toys we got awesome planet maps and extra goodies. Now with with the movie toys all we've got is an instruction sheet. A waste of storytelling potential if you ask me. What gives Hasbro?

And with the product range, I agree it's diverse, but seriously, Real Gear? What is so cool about these toys? This is not meant in sarcasm or trying to insult anyone at all, but why should I spent $17 AUS on any toy from this range?

Yup they are definitely getting lazy and failing to meet the needs of the marketplace with all the movie demand for the toys. This is just plain stupidity on their part, they knew the movie would be big and the merchandising tie-in huge, but chainstores cannot even stock the inventory enough to meet demand. Who dropped the ball, Hasbro; wake up and get with it already!

i'm still new to this hobby, so i really can't complain, except about avaliblitiy!!

Hope they're more prepared for the animated series.

Sigh stuff liek the Planet maps for Cybertron really added to the toy's value. Pity they dont have these ones naymore.

Raymond101 wrote:With some Cybertron toys we got awesome planet maps and extra goodies. Now with with the movie toys all we've got is a crummy instruction sheet. A waste of storytelling potential if you ask me. What gives Hasbro?

Um, we got a Blockbuster movie instead?

GetterDragun wrote:

Raymond101 wrote:With some Cybertron toys we got awesome planet maps and extra goodies. Now with with the movie toys all we've got is a crummy instruction sheet. A waste of storytelling potential if you ask me. What gives Hasbro?

Um, we got a Blockbuster movie instead?

There's also the bios on the back of each package. The protoforms had mini posters. All the movie toys come with litle product catalogs. Some of the Target exclusive Sector Seven themed basics come with their respective planet keys. What did the planet maps really add to the Cybertron product that blew you out of the water so much to say that hasbro dropped the ball? You're not really getting anything less than you should. Instead of blaming Hasbro for some imagined slight, why not take a step back and think about what it is you really have to complain about.

Flux Convoy wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:

Raymond101 wrote:With some Cybertron toys we got awesome planet maps and extra goodies. Now with with the movie toys all we've got is a crummy instruction sheet. A waste of storytelling potential if you ask me. What gives Hasbro?

Um, we got a Blockbuster movie instead?

There's also the bios on the back of each package. The protoforms had mini posters. All the movie toys come with litle product catalogs. Some of the Target exclusive Sector Seven themed basics come with their respective planet keys. What did the planet maps really add to the Cybertron product that blew you out of the water so much to say that hasbro dropped the ball? You're not really getting anything less than you should. Instead of blaming Hasbro for some imagined slight, why not take a step back and think about what it is you really have to complain about.

To address both points: We got a cartoon series for cybertron. Yeah, I know, I started a topic once asking why so many people hated the Cybertron series, but a lot of fans also dislike the new movie (I'm not one of them). Besides, thank Michael Bay - I'm talking about Hasbro products.

Bios on the back of each package - Cybertron also had them, and other lines had a more aesthetically pleasing layout of technical data too - the ones for the movie line seem to be just afterthoughts, whereas remember the 'clip and collect' cards from Beast Wars/Machines? They were probably the most systematized and coolest collectable pieces of hard paper I knew. Even something like 'Technical Data' or 'Tech Specs' would have done a lot for me, instead of going on and on about Automorph (don't get me wrong - I love the toys themselves - but for me Automorph only works well on a couple of the toys).

Protoforms had mini-posters? What the? Did I get the wrong Protoform Prime, because seriously all I got was the instruction sheet and figure. I swear I never threw anything away except the plastic and wire stuff. Where is this mini-poster?

Little product catalogues? Have I been missing something? Do you mean the 'Also Available' pictures? Cuz if you don't mean that then I have no idea what you're talking about.

And I never threw away anything else I got in the package.

Where was all this extra stuff? And I know full well the exclusive basics had their Energon/Cybertron attributes; redecos as far as I'm concerned aren't good or bad.

BTW: I am in Australia right now - I realised what you talked about might have been unique to the States - but I find that unlikely.

Raymond101 wrote:

Flux Convoy wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:

Raymond101 wrote:With some Cybertron toys we got awesome planet maps and extra goodies. Now with with the movie toys all we've got is a crummy instruction sheet. A waste of storytelling potential if you ask me. What gives Hasbro?

Um, we got a Blockbuster movie instead?

There's also the bios on the back of each package. The protoforms had mini posters. All the movie toys come with litle product catalogs. Some of the Target exclusive Sector Seven themed basics come with their respective planet keys. What did the planet maps really add to the Cybertron product that blew you out of the water so much to say that hasbro dropped the ball? You're not really getting anything less than you should. Instead of blaming Hasbro for some imagined slight, why not take a step back and think about what it is you really have to complain about.

To address both points: We got a cartoon series for cybertron. Yeah, I know, I started a topic once asking why so many people hated the Cybertron series, but a lot of fans also dislike the new movie (I'm not one of them). Besides, thank Michael Bay - I'm talking about Hasbro products.

Bios on the back of each package - Cybertron also had them, and other lines had a more aesthetically pleasing layout of technical data too - the ones for the movie line seem to be just afterthoughts, whereas remember the 'clip and collect' cards from Beast Wars/Machines? They were probably the most systematized and coolest collectable pieces of hard paper I knew. Even something like 'Technical Data' or 'Tech Specs' would have done a lot for me, instead of going on and on about Automorph (don't get me wrong - I love the toys themselves - but for me Automorph only works well on a couple of the toys).

Protoforms had mini-posters? What the? Did I get the wrong Protoform Prime, because seriously all I got was the instruction sheet and figure. I swear I never threw anything away except the plastic and wire stuff. Where is this mini-poster?

Little product catalogues? Have I been missing something? Do you mean the 'Also Available' pictures? Cuz if you don't mean that then I have no idea what you're talking about.

And I never threw away anything else I got in the package.

Where was all this extra stuff? And I know full well the exclusive basics had their Energon/Cybertron attributes; redecos as far as I'm concerned aren't good or bad.

BTW: I am in Australia right now - I realised what you talked about might have been unique to the States - but I find that unlikely.

I think you are blowing this out of proportion. The Cybertron Planet maps were just the catalog, and usually they were so far behind they were worthless. Hasbro has ten times the products out do to this movie, I wouldn't call that lazy.

My Protoform Prime came with a mini poster, yes. AFAIK all the Wal-Mart ones did. Yes, the "Also Avaible" Catalogs are what I mean. What exactly do you feel you should be getting extra? The only real difference in product and paperwork is the inclusion of Planet maps and keys. I bought so much of Cybertron that I hated the damn things. You're not owed anything else. You've been given enough fiction between the movie and bios to create your own story from there. Not to call names but I think it's more likely that you're the lazy one here and not Hasbro. You've been given plenty to work with.

Oh so is that why I detect some dismissal of my concern - ? Because I used the word 'lazy'? My apologies; I'm actually not that frustrated. Maybe lazy was too strong a word. I didn't mean lazy as in 'I'm a crappy toymaker' lazy - I just think they could have done more - I'll change the topic name.

I was wondering why I was getting such strongly opinionated responses.

Flux Convoy wrote:My Protoform Prime came with a mini poster, yes.

Not to nitpick, but if that's the case, then mine didn't. See it seems that people get the impression I'm really angry/frustrated about this thing, I'm not. If I think something from some other toyline was better, I will post about it. If not then I don't see the point of the discussion board.

With the slightly too-strong-a-word lazy, I've already made amends to that.

Fortress_Maximus wrote:Yup they are definitely getting lazy and failing to meet the needs of the marketplace with all the movie demand for the toys. This is just plain stupidity on their part, they knew the movie would be big and the merchandising tie-in huge, but chainstores cannot even stock the inventory enough to meet demand. Who dropped the ball, Hasbro; wake up and get with it already!

Hasbro didn't drop the ball, big retail did. It's got nothing to do with Hasbro being lazy, scalpers buying everything, ect., it's all big retail. When they heard of another movie toy line they immediately thought Spiderman, FF4, PotC, and the other movie toy lines clogging shelves, not making them money. So what do they do, order less TF movie merch so they don't eat it likethey did with the other lines. Of course, the line was a hit, so big in fact that BIG RETAIL, NOT HASBRO failed to meet demand. I used to work retail, I know how this works. I've even made the mistake of not ordering enough of an item to meet demand. It sucked on all ends, especially cuz I had to answer to those who were looking for said product. But it happens, that's why it's called a mistake.

So maybe do your research the next time before telling the wrong people to "wake up and get with it".

not to mention that they have a product suitable for damn near every age group...sounds like good marketing to me.

Well, I got a flyer thing with my Wreckage with a list of available figures on it...

D-340 wrote:

Fortress_Maximus wrote:Yup they are definitely getting lazy and failing to meet the needs of the marketplace with all the movie demand for the toys. This is just plain stupidity on their part, they knew the movie would be big and the merchandising tie-in huge, but chainstores cannot even stock the inventory enough to meet demand. Who dropped the ball, Hasbro; wake up and get with it already!

Hasbro didn't drop the ball, big retail did. It's got nothing to do with Hasbro being lazy, scalpers buying everything, ect., it's all big retail. When they heard of another movie toy line they immediately thought Spiderman, FF4, PotC, and the other movie toy lines clogging shelves, not making them money. So what do they do, order less TF movie merch so they don't eat it likethey did with the other lines. Of course, the line was a hit, so big in fact that BIG RETAIL, NOT HASBRO failed to meet demand. I used to work retail, I know how this works. I've even made the mistake of not ordering enough of an item to meet demand. It sucked on all ends, especially cuz I had to answer to those who were looking for said product. But it happens, that's why it's called a mistake.

So maybe do your research the next time before telling the wrong people to "wake up and get with it".

No Marketing dropped the ball.
Amidst all the energy drinks out there, why the HELL
wasn't there an energy drink called energon?
Duh, the most obvious side item to reap profits and
not a single effort to take even more money from us.
They could have put Movie and G1 characters on the cans
and WHAMMO! instant collectors item.
Pepsi, who was obviously a sponsor could have just thrown
some Amp in a can an called it Energon. Guaranteed to
sell millions. Chug.Chug..Chug!

Was Energon even mentioned in the movie?

Did it really need to be?
Were energon cubes? No, but we sure got
little plastic cubes filled with candy
with the name.

I think they mentioned Energon in the prologue-y bit, and maybe later on too. That'd have been a cool idea. It'd been great if it was bright pink like in the cartoon!

Personally I've not bought any movie toys yet, but I like the look of the Real Gear ones, and they're kinda harking back to the old Micro-Change TFs like Soundwave, Reflector and Perceptor.

Is SpyShot6 ,the digital camara, an autobot? Cause he resembles alot Reflector and has red eyes like any decepticon would have.