The Energon Pub

]This line is designed to appeal to five year olds there are going to be some figures that will appeal to adult collectors. But hasbro knew that they were getting there asses handed to them by disney and bandai with the whole power rangers franchise which was aimed at a younger demographic then transformers have been. So they went back to the drawing board with the new animated series and designed it to appeal to the power rangers age range. But the good news is hasbro has thought of the older collector with new universe/classics 2.0 line of toys this oct 08. So save those pennies and if you need something to tied you over consider takara encore series of toys.

Couple of things:

How many adult collectors have you spoken to before pronouncing these facts?

Not being an economic expert, I wasn't aware Hasbro was being beaten so badly, so can you point me at wherever you got your figures from? I'm actually pretty surprised at this, given Transformers were named the number 1 toy for the Christmas just gone.

Armada was aimed specifically at 5-8 year olds and as an adult collector, I loved it.

Here is the exact reason I don't like Animated toys:

For the past FOUR general release lines we have had a near standard in Transformers design and look. Armada, Energon, Cybertron, and Classics all share a design look and feel that allows these toys to coexist as one continuous line. Animated is way far off from that look. To that end, I have little to no reason to buy it. I don't want to "start over" anymore. I'm good to go. Seen it, been there, and at this point am more interested in finding rare AECC stuff.

Animated is too different for me.

Not to say they won't be good toys, not to say they aren't appropriate for today, and not to say that they won't be popular. But the fact that they would look more at home next to a Ben-10 monster than they would next to Cybertron Prime is where I draw the line.

I can see where you're coming from. I've only recently started collecting more than Skywarp figures and decided to start with all the Classics (minus Megatron) and was looking forward to adding this new series of toys to my collection when they came out. You're right that there are only some figures in the line that will appeal to adults, and while I will almost certainly be getting Starscream, Blitzwing and both Megatron toys; I won't be getting any of the Autobots because they just look lame to me. So for myself at least what you say rings true.

But again we can't speak for everyone, because I know there are some who will buy them all simply because they are Transformers. And others who genuinely do like the look of all the toys.

i am 15 and find animated to be the best thing since the movie and g1
the cartoon is different a good change and when you are watching it, its not like watching a 20 minute comercial like energon and cyberton. the figures are great! look realy fun and will look great next to my others. in my opinion it is the only transformers series that can live up to generation 1

For myself, I probably will just get Prime, Megs and BB.

I don't like the animated look because these days everything "animated" tries to follow the art style that began with Batman the Animated Series, then Superman, Justice League, etc. It makes sense to me to stylize what was previously comics or live movie and present it in a new way for a cartoon.

It doesn't make sense to me to
1. Follow that style for a series that are, by their nature, ROBOTS, making them too anthropomorphic and
2. Reinvent a look that began as a cartoon to make it more 'cartoony'.

My consolation is that after my movie 2007, Classics, and the Cybertron buying quest, I now am guaranteed of giving my wallet a rest until late 2008. Other than SOC God Marz and the revoltechs, I can pretty much save my wallet and that is a relief for me.

autobot_aza wrote:the figures are great! look realy fun and will look great next to my others. in my opinion it is the only transformers series that can live up to generation 1

and you haven't even held one of the toys yet!

Brilliant!

Counterpunch wrote:

autobot_aza wrote:the figures are great! look realy fun and will look great next to my others. in my opinion it is the only transformers series that can live up to generation 1

and you haven't even held one of the toys yet!

Brilliant!

and i cant wait to have megatron optimus bumblebee and prowl
i sure do hope they are as good as the pictures
knowing my luck only the pictures on there box will be good

my immediate circle of toy collecting geek friends are in their late 30's-early 40's, aside from microman/diaclone origin TF toys they have all pretty much ignored TF through BW>trilogy but all are seeing the animated line as something worthwhile, interestingly enough they also see the movie toys as being particularly passable.

Im happy to say that with animated TF really has evolved in an unexpected but welcome direction. It could have been a disaster but the toy designer has come up with something I will look forward to owning.

2008 with animated, universe, movie/allspark and reissues has something for everybody, if you are still complaining then its time to collect another toyline or maybe stamps.

Counterpunch wrote:

autobot_aza wrote:the figures are great! look realy fun and will look great next to my others. in my opinion it is the only transformers series that can live up to generation 1

and you haven't even held one of the toys yet!

Brilliant!

one doesnt actually have to hold a toy to know if you like the look or not, a flat 2D image presents enough information to make a judgement.

Its not like the original comments (from the first couple of images of the animation autobot characters) like 'these toys will suck' 'these wont transform' when nobody had seen a single toy image online. those were pure assertion, assertion without evidence.

microclone wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:

autobot_aza wrote:the figures are great! look realy fun and will look great next to my others. in my opinion it is the only transformers series that can live up to generation 1

and you haven't even held one of the toys yet!

Brilliant!

one doesnt actually have to hold a toy to know if you like the look or not, a flat 2D image presents enough information to make a judgement.

A judgement and a good judgement are two different and often times seperate things.

quote. A judgement and a good judgement are two different and often times seperate things. unquote.

I agree, but we are talking about nice clear photos of toys, not touched up, prime of her life photos of mail order brides

It doesn't matter how clear the photos are, you still can't judge if the toy is fun or if it's "great." What you can judge is how it looks. So if you like the look, great. Buy it, then play with it and decide if it's fun. But don't look at a couple of pictures and say "that's a great, fun toy."

I'm an "older" collector and I think Animated looks awesome. I can't wait for them to come out.

and you know what.. if YOU don't like something.. stop jumping down the throats of the people that do. And if YOU like something.. stop jumping down the throats of people that don't. This thread could have been a fine conversation, just devolved into a flame war because because of this.

RodimusConvoy13 wrote:I'm an "older" collector and I think Animated looks awesome. I can't wait for them to come out.

and you know what.. if YOU don't like something.. stop jumping down the throats of the people that do. And if YOU like something.. stop jumping down the throats of people that don't. This thread could have been a fine conversation, just devolved into a flame war because because of this.

This is not a flame war of any kind.

Perhaps a mild flame skirmish of the mediocre kind.

I'm 32 (does that make me an "older" collector?), and I think the Animated toys look awesome. I can't wait to collect them.

.

Classics and Animated are two of the best things to happen to Transformers in a long while. Im really looking forward to the new Animated toy much more than what we currently got, the movie line. Given the choice I would have passed on the movie toys if both lines were available at the same time.

Older collectors need to realize that these shows are not made for you, they are made for kids. There are plenty of reissues and other lines out there to buy. Its actually good that they are trying to pull in a newer generation of fans with Animated, otherwise, its only going to get stagnate and stale if these lines and shows only cater to the "hardcore"/older collectors.

Well, I can see both sides.

While they do offer something new, and manby people wll find then nice and attractive, there are just some designs I and my collector friends in there 30's just can't digest. Some if the designs I like, but I just won't buy many of them. Prowl, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Starscream just to name a few of the ones I'm just not interested in. Maybe when I see them in person but i doubt it.

And now even though Tf was labeled as the number 1 toy. It did so just because of the Movie hype.
Before the movie, TF's weren't that hot of an item.
Power Rangers / Justice League Animated / etc... all got the better and bigger displays and shelves and yes sold more.

While TF's got the slightly smaller sections.

Movie related toys always sell better and faster because they have a movie to back them. Children always want to buy stuff from movies.

Hasbro knows this, Animated is just another standard series like A/E/C where. While they did sell, they weren't ripped of the shelves. And while Animated can ride the Movie's wave somewhat, it still needs that extra push. Make the target demographic a younger age group.

Most of the figures where pretty easy to find, and i don't recall many people saying, "geez, I just can't find a single Armada Hot Shot figure anywhere I go". Or "Man the aisles are clean, no TF's to be seen anywhere" .

There was always something to be bought, even months after a line had officially ended.

Still I see why some may like them, I particularly do not. And will save most of my cash for Universe.

I'm 34.
I did not like Robot Heroes and do not like the "animated" versions. I hate the quality of this new show. Could be a great story, but I couldn't get past the eyesore for more than ten minutes. It's unfortunate that style is common in today's western animation. I wouldn't even describe it as "Timm-esque". I think someone was right in describing it like Ben 10, only I would say it can't claim the quality. I won't be buying the new animated figures except maybe Blackarachnia, but only because I love the character as depicted on Beast Wars and have been collecting each of her incarnations.

I agree, while it tries to emulate Bruce Timm's animation style, it just doesn't get there. and doesn't really work with transformers.

On the other hand I'm a total Timm fan of his Batman, Superman, Justice League, Batman Beyond etc.. series. Specially a big fan of Mark Hammil's Joker in any of them.

Just bought the Superman: Doomsday Movie, and all i can say is WOW .
Bruce Timm is the man., can't wait to see what he comes up with for the Batman:Gotham Knight Animated movie.

Counterpunch wrote:Armada was aimed specifically at 5-8 year olds and as an adult collector, I loved it.

Here is the exact reason I don't like Animated toys:

For the past FOUR general release lines we have had a near standard in Transformers design and look. Armada, Energon, Cybertron, and Classics all share a design look and feel that allows these toys to coexist as one continuous line. Animated is way far off from that look. To that end, I have little to no reason to buy it. I don't want to "start over" anymore. I'm good to go. Seen it, been there, and at this point am more interested in finding rare AECC stuff.

Animated is too different for me.

Not to say they won't be good toys, not to say they aren't appropriate for today, and not to say that they won't be popular. But the fact that they would look more at home next to a Ben-10 monster than they would next to Cybertron Prime is where I draw the line.

QFT couldn’t have said better my self.

Overcracker wrote:Well, I can see both sides.

While they do offer something new, and manby people wll find then nice and attractive, there are just some designs I and my collector friends in there 30's just can't digest. Some if the designs I like, but I just won't buy many of them. Prowl, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Starscream just to name a few of the ones I'm just not interested in. Maybe when I see them in person but i doubt it.

And now even though Tf was labeled as the number 1 toy. It did so just because of the Movie hype.
Before the movie, TF's weren't that hot of an item.
Power Rangers / Justice League Animated / etc... all got the better and bigger displays and shelves and yes sold more.

While TF's got the slightly smaller sections.

Movie related toys always sell better and faster because they have a movie to back them. Children always want to buy stuff from movies.

Hasbro knows this, Animated is just another standard series like A/E/C where. While they did sell, they weren't ripped of the shelves. And while Animated can ride the Movie's wave somewhat, it still needs that extra push. Make the target demographic a younger age group.

intersting if teen titans, ben 10 and power rangers are popular with kids then it might go some way to explaining why TF have evolved to be more like those super hero deformed types, maybe the kids didnt like cybertron, very little character, the animated toys have more character than any TF prior.

Armada and Cybertron sold insanely well.

For the record.