The Energon Pub

Thanks to Ozformers members colin78 and griffin we have our first in-hand images of Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Ultimate Class Beast Fire Predaking. griffin's post, which contains a nice written review, can be found be clicking here.

I'm really looking forward to this and the huge Optimus Prime as well. It's been a while since we've had some Leader Class or Supreme Class toys.

He looks good. And those back legs don't seem bad. I originally wanted this guy over titan metroplex. I could just picture this guy on my shelf with his wings spread shadowing over the smaller figures. Ok I'm 90% sold.

Now that's what you call a dragon transformer.

I'm not liking how his wings just kinda hang off the back like that.

Doesn't look particularly exciting, but it does seem to go in scale with the Voyager Optimus. I might get this, but it's definitely not a priority.

Wow. He's painfully simplistic.

So, by going with the Voyager, I not only own a more complex figure, but I saved a boatload of money? WIN.

Pretty Meh overall. I honestly think Ripclaw makes for a better looking beast mode, as the limbs look like an animals and not all akward and blocky. The chest detailing is cool, and I do like the sorta matt black on it, but definitely nothing I'm interested in. Rather put that cash towards Metroplex.

One word: Gimme.

Looks pretty awesome. If I was into collecting the beasts and had the space for it, I'd definitely pick this up over the voyager class. The paint job and color layout just look so much better, instead of the plain unpainted orange wings and shoulders. I guess the voyager has more paint detail on the chest but the ultimate one still looks better.

Predaking's got a cool "evil knight lord/dragon" thing going, more so than the smaller versions manage to evoke, but he's still pretty bland and uninspired. I mean, he's a cool evil knight lord/dragon, but there are so many of those types of characters (not necessarily both knight lord AND dragon) it's kinda like "yawn, seen it".

The gimmicks nullifying any type of articulation in his neck and tail kill it for me.

Whoa ho oh ho oh oh oh, check out his wing span. He can fly like an Eagle and frighten small kids. He's big bad and mean looking and he...

A bad as dragon that can transform.

Simple is not necessarily a bad thing. Unlike Optimus, he looks great in both modes and is also more in scale than the Voyager version. Plus the light up gimmick adds more terror to this guy. I'll definitely get him as soon as I can.

Xephon0930 wrote:Simple is not necessarily a bad thing.

Well, if we're paying $40+ for something this big, complexity would make it all the better. Revenge of the Fallen Optimus Prime, who is nice, big, and very complex, was worth every penny (even got the Deluxe Preview Soundwave for five bucks extra to boot!).

Mindmaster wrote:

Xephon0930 wrote:Simple is not necessarily a bad thing.

Well, if we're paying $40+ for something this big, complexity would make it all the better. Revenge of the Fallen Optimus Prime, who is nice, big, and very complex, was worth every penny (even got the Deluxe Preview Soundwave for five bucks extra to boot!).

Don't remind me. The RotF was so good, Takara milked it and as in a rare occasion, it was worth ever deposit spent. But alas, this is still part of the TF Prime line which started so well but then gradually fell from grace. I take what I can get but still cautiously avoid the worst stuff. Like the Prime that was released in the same Class.

Interesting, I don't care for it but it does look interesting.

Wow, I absolutely HATE the placement of the wings in robot mode.

Hmm. Now that I see the size comparison pics, I realize that he's more akin to a Leader Class figure. He's big, no doubt, especially in the wing span department, but he's not a great deal bigger than the Voyager in the body size. Looks just large enough to be a Pretender shell for him.

The way they tried selling us on the idea made it sound like he was just this massive piece of plastic and electronics. He's not. He's really not *that* much larger than the Voyager. I'm even less impressed than I was previously.

TimothyR wrote:Wow, I absolutely HATE the placement of the wings in robot mode.

Yeah, the lower back is a weird place to attach wings, and both the Voyager and this Predaking do just that, but for whatever reasons the Cyberverse does not.

If I'd known about this one I wouldn't have gotten the Voyager. This is awesome!

I really like the look of this thing. I agree the wings are sorta off, but nothing I'll loose sleep over. Predaking needs only one thing: a decent pricetag.

It's going to shelf-warm. Have you seen how many Predaking's are lining the shelves???? I think it's absolutely insane to make a THIRD version, when the previous two aren't really moving at all.

Put a Shockwave on the shelf? GONE. Predaking? It's like you're asking stores to lose money...

That said, I'd be willing to pick him up at a discount or heavy markdown, but I've already got a Voyager Predaking, and this one seems excessive. Why can't we get more variety, Hasbro? Do we need THREE sizes of Predaking? (Or at the very least, start working in shrink rays into the show, so the 3 sizes makes some sense... )

MetroSUplex wrote:It's going to shelf-warm. Have you seen how many Predaking's are lining the shelves???? I think it's absolutely insane to make a THIRD version, when the previous two aren't really moving at all.

Put a Shockwave on the shelf? GONE. Predaking? It's like you're asking stores to lose money...

That said, I'd be willing to pick him up at a discount or heavy markdown, but I've already got a Voyager Predaking, and this one seems excessive. Why can't we get more variety, Hasbro? Do we need THREE sizes of Predaking? (Or at the very least, start working in shrink rays into the show, so the 3 sizes makes some sense... )

Predaking is like the Megatron of the Predacon faction. They aren't just gunna make one version and call it a day.

Mindmaster wrote:Predaking is like the Megatron of the Predacon faction. They aren't just gunna make one version and call it a day.

I'm concerned it's this old way of thinking that's going to bankrupt Hasbro (or at the very least force them to "restructure" the boys brand). Ever think about starting a mass email campaign of sending Hasbro images of local toy shelves? Sometimes I think, "if only Hasbro exec's could see all the unsold Bumblebee's... Maybe they'd start making smarter business decisions of what to put out there."

Incidentally, I'd be far more interested in a giant Megatron fig. Prime only had 2 Megatron's: the normal Voyager one, and the poor-man's Commander class. 2 sizes makes sense, as it seems like the diminutive one is geared toward kids with small budgets. But why a $60 Predaking??? Is that intended for kids, or collectors?

I have an image of Hasbro execs rubbing their hands together and chanting, "DRAGONS SELL!!! MAKE MORE DRAGONS!!!"

MetroSUplex wrote:

Mindmaster wrote:Predaking is like the Megatron of the Predacon faction. They aren't just gunna make one version and call it a day.

I'm concerned it's this old way of thinking that's going to bankrupt Hasbro (or at the very least force them to "restructure" the boys brand). Ever think about starting a mass email campaign of sending Hasbro images of local toy shelves? Sometimes I think, "if only Hasbro exec's could see all the unsold Bumblebee's... Maybe they'd start making smarter business decisions of what to put out there."

Incidentally, I'd be far more interested in a giant Megatron fig. Prime only had 2 Megatron's: the normal Voyager one, and the poor-man's Commander class. 2 sizes makes sense, as it seems like the diminutive one is geared toward kids with small budgets. But why a $60 Predaking??? Is that intended for kids, or collectors?

I have an image of Hasbro execs rubbing their hands together and chanting, "DRAGONS SELL!!! MAKE MORE DRAGONS!!!"

Listen very carefully, I'm gonna say this only once: It's the stores' fault for overordering the first waves, and thus not ordering the later waves with newer figures. Enough stock of a certain item group or assortment = no need to order.

And Hasbro will not go bankrupt any time soon. True, they're restructuring as we speak (several TF team members got the axe or were moved to other departments), but I don't see Hasbro falling just because Transformers "is failing miserably". But I digress...

MetroSUplex wrote:I'm concerned it's this old way of thinking that's going to bankrupt Hasbro (or at the very least force them to "restructure" the boys brand). Ever think about starting a mass email campaign of sending Hasbro images of local toy shelves? Sometimes I think, "if only Hasbro exec's could see all the unsold Bumblebee's... Maybe they'd start making smarter business decisions of what to put out there."

I'd love to start a collection of photos that you guys provide in a topic here on Seibertron.com. If enough of you came up with pictures showing the toy aisles in the way many of you describe, and if we turn it into a news story, I'm sure that the pics would make their way to the powers-that-be at Hasbro.

MetroSUplex wrote:

Mindmaster wrote:Predaking is like the Megatron of the Predacon faction. They aren't just gunna make one version and call it a day.

I'm concerned it's this old way of thinking that's going to bankrupt Hasbro (or at the very least force them to "restructure" the boys brand).

Hasbro going bankrupt just because one line didn't do well seems very unlikely. They have GI Joe, MLP, their board games, yadda yadda yadda.

Ever think about starting a mass email campaign of sending Hasbro images of local toy shelves? Sometimes I think, "if only Hasbro exec's could see all the unsold Bumblebee's... Maybe they'd start making smarter business decisions of what to put out there."

Like what JelZe said, it's not Hasbro's fault; the blame is on retailers for overstocking them.

Incidentally, I'd be far more interested in a giant Megatron fig. Prime only had 2 Megatron's: the normal Voyager one, and the poor-man's Commander class. 2 sizes makes sense, as it seems like the diminutive one is geared toward kids with small budgets. But why a $60 Predaking??? Is that intended for kids, or collectors?

I have an image of Hasbro execs rubbing their hands together and chanting, "DRAGONS SELL!!! MAKE MORE DRAGONS!!!"

Because all Hasbro wants to do is create nothing but dragon Transformers.

There are very few dragon Transformers, anyway. I don't mind if there are some good ones.