The Energon Pub

I dunno, lately, I've felt that things are, kind of... unexciting. Like, really unexciting. I mean, the last Transformer that I was highly anticipating was Universe Hardhead, and I have him. So now what?

By far, I'm no sort of movie "hater", in fact, I'm probably the only person who bought all of the camera heads from the last movie, and liked them. The ROTF toys are great as well, and of the six figures I own I've loved all of them. I'm interested in getting more at some point too, but ROTF alone isn't really enough to excite me. The NEST alliance toys are somewhat underwhelming to me, I don't know why either, but as nice as the new Bludgeon is (for example), I'm still just not excited. I'm interested, but not excited.

In Japan, we seem to only be getting so-so things that are all highly priced (Skids and Screech come to mind), which are nice, but again, not exciting. Especially not for import prices.

I've slightly found the recent Botcon sets kind of underwhelming too. The next Botcon set will probably be like, five totally random guys Funpub made up, all in gray, speckled plastic to look like statues. Now watch someone come on a tell how awesome it'd be if they did that...

Now, if by all the whining and complaining I sound like someone who's getting out of the hobby, by far, I'm not. Just a little bored with the current offerings. I mean, last year, despite our main line being Animated, there were plenty of things to enjoy. Universe, as short lived as it was, was very exciting to me. Those were some rad toys dude. Encore was going strong too, with things like Metroplex, and Sky Lynx.

I guess it's somewhat hard to take in for me, when you go from so much good stuff to chose from, to ROTF, only ROTF, and nothing but ROTF. I like ROTF, but right now it's virtually all I've got. I know Hasbro guys browse the boards, so come on, throw me an AEC or Universe figure painted up as some Micromaster no one knows about. I'd love it.

Does anyone else feel like me?

And to everyone who braved this not so epic piece of fanboi whining and venting, without thoughts of ever looking back, I award you with this medal:



Not many have the medal of boredom, take good care of it.

I tend to agree, and I think that's why I've been spending so much on filling in gaps in older lines the last few months. I'd love to have some more figures like Fracture, Grindcore, Big Daddy, etc. Bludgeon and Mindwipe look really good, and I'm really excited for them, but I just know there's going to be some unpalatable stuff to slog through, like more BB repaints, more barely repainted repaints, and more uninspired stuff. AEC had some of the best repaints (Cannonball!) and after that, the movie ones have been generally a let down, with a few shining exceptions. Recon Barricade? Gears? Come on!

I kind of feel the same way. There is only about four figures comeing out in the next few months that I want. In a way, I'm kind of glad though. I lost my job last month, and totaled my car over the weekend. So I'm all about saving money right now.

I tend to agree with you guys. I'm not really bored, but I feel like we're in a little bit of a lull after the movie barrage. Which is fine with me, because I'm trying to get the few remaining Deluxe and Voyager figures I need.

However, I am definitely looking forward to upcoming figures like Leader Starscream and Voyager Bludgeon. On the other side, I'll get Recon Ironhide and Shadow Megatron, but they don't exactly create fanboy-level excitement.

I'm not a fanboy, I collect because I dig the mechanical wizardry of these toys, and I like posing and modifying them. Thus, my excitement level isn't really tied to whatever new toys are coming down the road- if there's nothing I'm interested in, I go after the old stuff.

However, my collection is mostly boxed up in the basement right now, as I still need to build my shelving system down there. Thus, any boredom I may feel towards this hobby comes from not having a place to display and work on my figs. I highly doubt I'll ever run out of TFs to buy that interest me. I'll prob run out of patient-wife first.

Hip-Hoptimus Rime wrote:I collect because I dig the mechanical wizardry of these toys

Well said! I totally agree.

Hip-Hoptimus Rime wrote:I'll prob run out of patient-wife first.

Oh yeah. All I have to look forward to is MP Skywarp, and a POL shipment of DL Blaster and Ravage. I am a movie hater, well, I liked the movie for what it was, but I don't like the toys. So all I have to look forward too is Botcon (will be my first), TFCC Punch/CP and Universe 3.0. I am typically not that enthused about Botcon toys, so I am looking forward to the event more than the toys.

The sad thing is as I get bored, I tend to sell older figures, rather than buy new ones, so these down times cause me to thin out my collection. The only thing sadder than not getting new TF's is letting the older ones grow up and get new homes .

I am completely with Nekoman on this. Though, where at points I'm not bored, I'm annoyed by things.

I still love the toys, I still like the fiction, but...

I certainly don't need anything that's pending to come out. How much I want of it could be less than that. I kind of knew this would happen with the toys post movie. The movie franchise does well and makes Hasbro a giant profit. There's nothing endearing about the aftermath though. There's no continuing excitement from it all. The movies are self contained single dose stories. The dose is large, but there's no need for further medication. We had the fever and we're cured now.

On the fiction end of things, no new show + really lackluster comics equals a total lack of interest from me.

You know what really, really gets me in all of this? I mean, above all else?

The Transformers Club and the big FAT nothing it does until BotCon rolls around. Those are some nice guys who occasionally bring forth exclusive toys and who manage to get 8 pages of comic out every two months, but in the between times, they should be the ones to offer up something for collectors. They should be on the ball with ideas, stories, and Classics-related things.

Maybe I'm just burnt out after 8 years or so of the franchise barreling along at break neck speed. Maybe I'm just old and grumpy now. I don't know.

I did cancel a pre-order and put the money towards purchasing DJ Hero this past weekend.

Do any of you know how long it's been since I canceled a TF related purchase in favor of something/anything else?

Yeah, it is slow right now.. But it is like normal, a break in the action before something else comes out.

I'm in a similar spot as most of you folks but at the same time, I'm going back through older lines to see what piques my interest. I'm also taking a bit of a break from Transformers and branch out to other areas of interest since most of my "hobby" time during the summer was spent on Transformers. Things will pick up for me again when new figures from new molds like Bludgeon arrive at the local stores.

Counterpunch wrote:I did cancel a pre-order and put the money towards purchasing DJ Hero this past weekend.

Do any of you know how long it's been since I canceled a TF related purchase in favor of something/anything else?

Just curious, what did you cancel? I cancelled the pre-order for HOS Prime, I just couldn't justify 80 bucks for what is basically a deluxe class, and I just wasn't excited by it anymore.

Counterpunch wrote:I am completely with Nekoman on this. Though, where at points I'm not bored, I'm annoyed by things.

I still love the toys, I still like the fiction, but...

I certainly don't need anything that's pending to come out. How much I want of it could be less than that. I kind of knew this would happen with the toys post movie. The movie franchise does well and makes Hasbro a giant profit. There's nothing endearing about the aftermath though. There's no continuing excitement from it all. The movies are self contained single dose stories. The dose is large, but there's no need for further medication. We had the fever and we're cured now.

On the fiction end of things, no new show + really lackluster comics equals a total lack of interest from me.

You know what really, really gets me in all of this? I mean, above all else?

The Transformers Club and the big FAT nothing it does until BotCon rolls around. Those are some nice guys who occasionally bring forth exclusive toys and who manage to get 8 pages of comic out every two months, but in the between times, they should be the ones to offer up something for collectors. They should be on the ball with ideas, stories, and Classics-related things.

Maybe I'm just burnt out after 8 years or so of the franchise barreling along at break neck speed. Maybe I'm just old and grumpy now. I don't know.

I did cancel a pre-order and put the money towards purchasing DJ Hero this past weekend.

Do any of you know how long it's been since I canceled a TF related purchase in favor of something/anything else?

So what did you cancel?

Also, I couldn't agree with you more on the Club not doing exactly what they should be doing: engaging the fandom. Where's my P/CP? Where's even an announcement of the other exclusive figure? Why have I shelled out $200 over 5 years to get four basics, a deluxe, and the opportunity to buy four other figures? In 5 years? Why can't they sustain anything?

Maybe you just need a second hobby.

GuyIncognito wrote:Maybe you just need a second hobby.

Oh, I have plenty of other things to buy. GI Joes, Marvel Universe figures, Revoltech, Gundam stuff, anime DVDs, plenty. But these are my Transformers, and nobody's making anything wowing. These are one of my favorite things to buy, to collect, but there's nothing exciting.

Counterpunch, good point on the club. I actually forgot about them they've been so inactive. I've never joined the TFCC of the GI Joe Collectors Club, and I'd consider it now if either of them were doing anything.

I canceled pre-orders for Alternity Bumblebee, Alternity Cliffjumper, and Brave DeathGarryGun (who was to be my Shattered Glass Sky Garry).

I really suggest that people start making their voices about the club more vocal.

Seriously, it won't be long before the club is nothing but a vehicle for BotCon. It's close to that already, but not all the way there yet.

I have purchased all of the current figures I am interested in. I have been using this "down" buying time to go back and get G1 stuff I always wanted. I am looking forward to Movie Leader Starscream and Bludgeon, but that is about it.

I am kind of hoping they get the Universe line going again, but I don't think they will. It seems like Hasbro is using the movie line to get their classic ideas out. From what I saw, Hoist and Bludgeon look like Universe figures. Are they streamlining the brand?

I guess I am not really bored. I am kind of thankful for the break on the wallet. Christmas is coming up quick.

I'm only getting bored with the movie line, there is nothing I want to buy, and if there is, it costs a fortune here in the stores (85$ for a leader? 26$ for a deluxe? 17$ for a scout??? Not in hell will I pay that much...) So the current line of Hasbro doesn't fire me up one bit...

On the good side, I just got into filling the holes in my collection with actionmasters and pretenders.

Also got Revoltech Gurren Lagann today, this figures are masters of engineering (the only Rev TF I want is Megatron, maybe he is the next on the list)

Definitely sick of seeing ROTF stuff in stores but...it's easy on the wallet.

Bored? Why yes, I am.
I don't like the movie toy designs. They don't really look like robots to me, they just look like a jangle of limbs and parts. I know, jump up and down my ass for prefering G1 to the new stuff, and lambast me for being closed minded becuase I like something that isn't what you like better. I know.
I love the Classics line so much. I'm looking for Skyjack and Hardhead, and then there isn't too much on the horizon for me, outside of the previously mentioned Club, which I'm getting to.
I collect Starscreams above everything else, so theres two figures from the movie line that I have to get. As far as Starscream goes I don't discriminate between lines. But those two figures feel more like things I have to get instead of want to get. Mindwipe looks cool and so does Bludgeon, but they'll be game time decisions, really.
I love the Botcon figures, because they seem to be the only things really worth the effort to hunt for and the expense to buy. But I agree with the negative Club sentiments that have already been writen. I like the Club fiction but I find it lacking from months to months, like the real interestng stuff happens that month that Mastercollector comes without the magazine, if that makes sense, like when the coolest stuff happens when you aren't looking?
I think the Club does or is getting or gotten lazy. The GI Joe club offers like, more than one or two exclusive figrues a year, and we basically might get two from the TFCC yearly, like Astrotrain and Airazor. That was 05, or 06. Then, in 08 we got Nightbeat (piece of ****!) and the Seacons. Now, P/cp is coming up, but when? At this rate, in 2010 they'll start taking pre orders.
CP, right as usual. No new series, the comic fiction is on the wan, ROTF was just terrible (my statement, not yours), and now the new comics are going to take on that movie style. Blech. Sure, the previous eight/nine years have been a great run, but now, there's not much to be excited about at all. And god help us if Hasbro/IDW/everyone else makes us have to go down the movie inspired road for the next handful of years. That's going to be pure hell.

I won't beat you up for your preferences, Dagon! Hey, you like what you like. No one's going to sway what a person likes in a TF.

For me, I think the movie designs as a whole are great. Are all the molds winners? Definitely not (Yeah, you, Wheelie, Arcee and Chromia!). But, I like all the detail, intricate transformations, and new looks that the movie designs give us. Many of my friends are the same as you, they say "ehhh" to the movie toys because they prefer G1 designs. I like them all as separate entities. I like my ROTF Long Haul, Universe Hardhead and Beast Machine Cheetor even though they're all quite different.

Maybe it's my background as a comic collector...I'm so used to them reinventing characters, teams, origins, costumes, etc. I can't count how many times they've revamped the X-Men... So, I'm normally not shocked or appalled when a new direction comes along for one of my favorite toys/comics.

So, I guess I'm in better spirits than some here. I love both "schools" of toys, so there's almost always an upcoming toy I'm looking forward to.

But, I can definitely sympathize about being a little bored if you hate the new designs. If I felt that way, I'd be praying for a different direction too!

I'm in the same boat, there are some new figures from the ROFT line that I want like Bludgeon and Mindwipe, but to say I was excited about them would be an overstatement. On the other hand my wallet is enjoying the break.

On to the subject of the club. I've been dissapointed with them for quite a while. Let's see what you get for your money: 12 newsletters, 6 of which have no real content and a free figure. I'm not counting access to the club exclusives or Botcon, because realistically it's a nonissue. Everybody, member or not, has the same access you just have to pay an additional fee if you aren't a member and that extra fee buys you a membership for a year. No real benefit in that respect. I agree with CP they need to do more. Putting a magazine in every newsletter would be a nice start.

I was bored from about May until now. I'm not a fan of the Movie figures, only getting a total of 6 legends, 6 scouts, 1 deluxe and 2 voyagers for my collection. Total, not up until now. That'll be all the movie figs I have gotten and will get that I can see. After that, I think I'm done for the line, bar any further repaints of the figs I like.

I'm not going to jump on the anti-club bandwagon, only because I've never given them my money, aside from Botcon. I got all my exclusive club figs 2nd hand, or by a reseller, who was selling the figs for cheaper than their non-members price.

I'm really hoping that the prototypes we saw earlier mark the beginning of the next line, because this one is done.

Meh, my wallet's happy for the break.

My "main" collection has been Marvel Legends, and with the breakdown of that line for the 3 3/4 stuff, and with a little lull in TF stuff I'm tucking away $$$ for christmas.

But with that said, In recent memory I just got three 2-packs of Marvel characters, 2 "Giant scale" 12 inch Marvel guys (released under the 3 3/4 line, but whatever) MP Skywarp, some insecticons and there is a buttload of 3rd party stuff I have on preorder or Pile of loot over at BBTS.

So while it may be a lull of sorts, it's not a complete dead zone for me.

I really, really don't like the ROTF nor '07 toys at all. The only ones I got from '07 were the repaints like Fracture and Breakaway. This time it was the ROTF combiners, and "Speens when he comes out. Bludgeon I will get as well. I am not bored though. The only movie toys I will get are the Black ROTF Optimus Prime, and Jetfire. Other than that, I have been collecting from past lines. Thanks HAsbro for making my choices to spend my dough a whole lot easier.