The Energon Pub

News Credits: 15 · by **Ravage XK** » Mon May 14, 2012 9:15 am

I think Hasbro panicked and thought that they had to throw new ideas into the mix. All the non transforming crap silly gimmicks etc. As those above said, they should have concentrated on core products. Do people really want Bumbleebee masks? My local TRU became a no go area for finding new figures during DOTM as I knew they would only have the same old crap and the only DOTM figure I bought was leader Sentinal Prime.

As a possible after effect of DOTM toys not selling so well my local TRU cut back the shelf space for Transformers to about half of what it was. Its still tiny now that the Prime figures are out. Used to be most of a 10m isle and an end section to catch your eye as you walked past.

by **Dean ML** » Mon May 14, 2012 10:10 am

Autobot032 wrote:- Powerglide.(Fantastic figure. Not cheapish, felt like a real figure.)

Thought about getting Powerglide for my classics collection. Thanks for the heads up.

I'm just amazed that not only is TF: DotM the biggest TF movie yet, it's one of the biggest movies of all time, and the third time around, after doing such a great job with the RotF toys, the DotM line is so poorly conceived that they had to scrap it seemingly halfway through! I hope Has/Tak learns from this huge misstep for the next TF movie line. I do suspect that kids and their parents were finally burning out on BB and some of the other more familiar characters. "Sweetheart, but you already have five Bumblebees and three Optimus Primes!"

Complaining aside, there were a few figures from this line that I really love. Leader Sentinel Prime is incredible. He could have been a glorified shellformer, and I suppose he is to some degree, but his complex transformation and movie accurate looks put him in the same league as RotF leader Optimus and leader Starscream. Deluxe Barricade was a real surprise for me. A huge improvement in every way over the original. He's the only one other than Soundwave that I display with his Mechtech gun since he actually had one in the movie. Deluxe Bumblebee is highly underrated due to BB burnout and terrible paint apps (or lack thereof), but he's the best BB yet. I feel he's an improvement over the excellent BattleBlades BB, who's too hunchbacked and nearly voyager sized in 'bot mode. Topspin is one of the most fun and best looking figures from the line, too. Can't say enough good things about him. I love how his car parts are imcorporated all throughout the figure resulting in minimal back kibble. I love it when deluxes have a high degree of ankle articulation. Super stable, too. Also, I finally got what is as close to an ideal movie Ironhide as I think I'll ever get in voyager Ironhide. The ONLY drawback for me his is small stature. His legs DO look too long, but if you collapse his knees he looks nice and squat, just like in the movies. Super accurate, minimal kibble, highly articulate and a vast improvment over the original voyager mold in every way. I love these figures as much as any others in my collection.

I plan on ordering deluxe Leadfoot and Que for Father's Day. Can't wait!

News Credits: 33 · by **Genocide G2.0** » Mon May 14, 2012 10:41 am

i agree with most pro/cons

i think the first 2 waves of deluxe wernt strong enough character wise i bought Roadbuster and Crankcase and waited for wave 2

if as said we got the 4 missing TF and Roadbuster in combat mode in the first 3 waves instead of the shelf killers twins,Jolt, imo Starscream it would have been great

also to add to that those so called exclusives which only had one good figure which was Spasecase , they should have just put Leadfoot and the rest in that wave instead of movie 1 moulds and other **** repaints.

News Credits: 1 · by **Erailea** » Mon May 14, 2012 4:02 pm

I really have to doubt the retailers lack of interest had anything to do with Hasbro not bringing the likes of Leadfoot and Que to the US when I can walk into Walmart, which has been mostly void of DOTM figures for the last month or so, and find a FULLY restocked (overflowing actually) selection of DOTM toys yet the PRID selection is the same as it has been for the several weeks - virtually non existent.

by **RAcast** » Mon May 14, 2012 6:23 pm

The lists of pros and cons have been discussed, so I'll mention something I don't believe anyone else has.

I'm a big fan of the Voyager Dotm Optimus. I picked him and Laserbeak up last week after I saw a few pictures of the two all merged up. For anyone who hasn't seen it, Laserbeak has 5mm-ish posts on his feet that let him perch on the likes of Voyager Shockwave. Well, Prime happens to have two peg holes exactly on his back (they're the cab-door holes) and are on hinges, making them just perfect for something like a jetpack (or Laserbeak) to peg onto. Now that said, the pegs on Laserbeak are a little smaller than 5mm, so he just sits in the peg holes; but he does sit well.

The aesthetic is just awesome. With Laserbeak's combined weapon and his own also massive gun, he looks like a proper super-mode Optimus, MUCH better than that Jetfire nonsense from Rotf. =_= Though, as I saw a week or two ago, there was *apparently* a Voyager planned that was to have a Jetfire-armor that was never released, and it looked AMAZING.

It makes me wonder though, if this OP mold wasn't intended to have a release that came with the jetpack from the movie? The way his legs are very very tall and chunky (and he's even got jet-heels) compared to his torso immediately make me think of some super-mode Prime. It's just a crack theory, so feel free to tell me I'm dead wrong. :lol:

by **Optimum Supreme** » Mon May 14, 2012 7:00 pm

Mech tech weapons were crap, at least at deluxe size. What's the point of a gun turning into a chainsaw if it won't stay a chainsaw the second you stop pushing on it?

Sadly, that also filtered out to the voyager PRID weapons.

On DOTM voyagers at least they lock into place, but it's still kinda silly. Voyager Prime's gun turns into... a slighly different gun. Yay?

Maybe the kiddies really go for this sorta ****, but I sure don't.

by **OptiMagnus** » Mon May 14, 2012 9:28 pm

One point I'll emphasize is the amount of random merchandise. This has actually happened even in the recent 2010-2011 toy line. Who REALLY is going to go to the Transformers section to buy a mask or a costume? When I was 10, I went to Toys R Us in search of an actual transforming action figure, not a mask. I mean, we've had walkie-talkies, Allspark Rubik's Cubes, robots that don't transform into cars, cars that don't transform into robots, simpler "kiddie" action figures that ended up shelf-warming so bad that they took up the ENTIRE Transformers peg section at TRU.
I remember when I first got into TF around 2004, at the very left there were several shelves of the medium and large sized figures, then to the right there were all the ones on the pegs, then below them were G1 reissues and on the bottom shelf were more larger figures. No masks, no random crap. Just real Transformers.

You'd think with all the detail and realism they try to put into the film characters it would only motivate them to make detailed, realistic toys. Maybe this stuff WOULD sell better if it all looked like what happened on-screen.

News Credits: 1 · by **Duke of Luns** » Mon May 14, 2012 10:19 pm

Continuing the point of lack of new onscreen characters, could a fault of the line be a lack of varied alt. modes? DOTM had mostly cars and trucks, while DOTM had cars, trucks, construction vehicles, several molds of jets, a bi-plane, a microscope, a toaster, tanks, helicopters, motercycles, an ice cream truck, etc.

Yeah ROTF did have an extended shelf life, but I think it distributed it's characters quicker and more efficiently. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

by **Dean ML** » Mon May 14, 2012 10:19 pm

OptiMagnus wrote:One point I'll emphasize is the amount of random merchandise. This has actually happened even in the recent 2010-2011 toy line. Who REALLY is going to go to the Transformers section to buy a mask or a costume? When I was 10, I went to Toys R Us in search of an actual transforming action figure, not a mask. I mean, we've had walkie-talkies, Allspark Rubik's Cubes, robots that don't transform into cars, cars that don't transform into robots, simpler "kiddie" action figures that ended up shelf-warming so bad that they took up the ENTIRE Transformers peg section at TRU.
I remember when I first got into TF around 2004, at the very left there were several shelves of the medium and large sized figures, then to the right there were all the ones on the pegs, then below them were G1 reissues and on the bottom shelf were more larger figures. No masks, no random crap. Just real Transformers.

You'd think with all the detail and realism they try to put into the film characters it would only motivate them to make detailed, realistic toys. Maybe this stuff WOULD sell better if it all looked like what happened on-screen.

I totally agree. All that ancillary crap only waters down the brand. Focus on making great action figures, great TV shows, and great movies (at least try to give the TFs character and personality!).

It's funny that when I think of TFs I think of the G1 toys and cartoon. That's the "real" Transformers in my mind. But my little Classics collection I've started pales in comparison to my movie figures. The Classics figures look like simplistic kids toys compared to the detail and sophistication of my movie figures. Given a custom paint job, they really look like works of art. Until the next movie comes out, I'll probably concentrate on filling the holes in my movie collection (leader Brawl, leader Jetfire, RotF Jolt, deluxe Scorponok, ice cream truck Twins, and most definitely Leadfoot and Que).

by **Dean ML** » Mon May 14, 2012 10:20 pm

Sorry. Double post.

by **Dean ML** » Mon May 14, 2012 10:29 pm

Duke of Luns wrote:Continuing the point of lack of new onscreen characters, could a fault of the line be a lack of varied alt. modes? DOTM had mostly cars and trucks, while DOTM had cars, trucks, construction vehicles, several molds of jets, a bi-plane, a microscope, a toaster, tanks, helicopters, motercycles, an ice cream truck, etc.

Yeah ROTF did have an extended shelf life, but I think it distributed it's characters quicker and more efficiently. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

I think you're right. The main RotF line featured a huge variety of characters. Too many molds for me to count, many of them excellent. I think Cyberverse and HA really watered down the DotM toy line. The DotM toy offerings seemed really scattershot. A little here, a little there, with no line being very strong.

News Credits: 1 · by **njb902** » Mon May 14, 2012 11:26 pm

I think Hasbro really tried to see if they could branch out the brand. what better time for them to do so then after 2 successful movies/toy lines. even though it didn't work out for them I still give them kudos for trying.

by **funklizard** » Tue May 15, 2012 1:02 am

OptiMagnus wrote:One point I'll emphasize is the amount of random merchandise. This has actually happened even in the recent 2010-2011 toy line. Who REALLY is going to go to the Transformers section to buy a mask or a costume? When I was 10, I went to Toys R Us in search of an actual transforming action figure, not a mask.

The costume merchandise trend appears to be continuing with Prime. Retailers are abundantly stocked with masks for Prime Bumblebee and Optimus, as well as a full Optimus Prime helmet that apparently does some voice filtering.

And, yeah... I cannot recall any time in my childhood that this stuff would have been even a little bit interesting. I can see marketing this stuff around Halloween; but in May? I don't get it.

News Credits: 668 · by **Autobot032** » Tue May 15, 2012 2:55 am

funklizard wrote:
OptiMagnus wrote:One point I'll emphasize is the amount of random merchandise. This has actually happened even in the recent 2010-2011 toy line. Who REALLY is going to go to the Transformers section to buy a mask or a costume? When I was 10, I went to Toys R Us in search of an actual transforming action figure, not a mask.

The costume merchandise trend appears to be continuing with Prime. Retailers are abundantly stocked with masks for Prime Bumblebee and Optimus, as well as a full Optimus Prime helmet that apparently does some voice filtering.

And, yeah... I cannot recall any time in my childhood that this stuff would have been even a little bit interesting. I can see marketing this stuff around Halloween; but in May? I don't get it.

Trying to tap into kids imaginations. Let them become part of the fantasy. It's obviously not working, because they don't sell worth a crap, but I do think they're at least trying to reach kids on all levels.

News Credits: 1 · by **RhA** » Tue May 15, 2012 7:33 am

Autobot032 wrote:
funklizard wrote:
OptiMagnus wrote:One point I'll emphasize is the amount of random merchandise. This has actually happened even in the recent 2010-2011 toy line. Who REALLY is going to go to the Transformers section to buy a mask or a costume? When I was 10, I went to Toys R Us in search of an actual transforming action figure, not a mask.

The costume merchandise trend appears to be continuing with Prime. Retailers are abundantly stocked with masks for Prime Bumblebee and Optimus, as well as a full Optimus Prime helmet that apparently does some voice filtering.

And, yeah... I cannot recall any time in my childhood that this stuff would have been even a little bit interesting. I can see marketing this stuff around Halloween; but in May? I don't get it.

Trying to tap into kids imaginations. Let them become part of the fantasy. It's obviously not working, because they don't sell worth a crap, but I do think they're at least trying to reach kids on all levels.

You don't know what works untill you try it. Unfortunately, childrens toys are designed by adults.

by **dinojack86** » Tue May 15, 2012 10:46 am

I think they just redistributed their resources for DOTM (Cyberverse, costumes, those bot-shot like toys). I think Cyberverse worked and I think they're more popular with kids. Plus adults see the cyberverse and say why on earth would I pay $20.00 for an Optimus when I can pay $7.99? Kid gets 3 figs for price of 1. Plus they're cheaper to make than actual full-fledged transformer toys. Here's my breakdown (heh heh) of the situation:

Good:
1. Cyberverse (GI joe sized transformers that keep improving (Prime)

Bad:
1. Choices of Leader class (Bumblebee, Ironhide)
2. Voyager quality (much smaller than any previous Voyagers, Optimus looked awful)
3. Lack of new characters (replace Nitro Bumblebee and scan series garbage with Que, Leadfoot, Soundwave)
4. Ultimate Optimus (maybe if it resembled his onscreen jetpack and actually had a weapons rack inside with shield, axe, etc.) but the bot mode can't compare with ROTF Leader or Battle Blades
5. Characters that even show up in the film (Skids and Mudflap)

What could/should have been:
1. Leader Shockwave (would've sold like hot cakes I think)
2. Ultimate Megatron/Leader Megatron (something to make up for ROTF and the strange alt mode of TF07)
3. Should have just made a trailer that was in scale with ROTF Leader Prime- would have satisfied all I think. They could have actually focused time and money on making jetpack, gatlin guns, axe, shield, etc. Maybe repackage ROTF Leader Prime in DOTM packaging so those who didn't have could buy it then.
4. HA Soundwave released in US (I think it's the one most anticipated out of all HA figures ever discussed)
5. Que(actually calling him Wheeljack), Soundwave, Dino(actually calling him Mirage), etc. deluxes released

Just my thoughts- but the cyberverse has taken on a life of it's own and I think it'll thrive under TF Prime. Their cyberverse figs rock.

by **Dean ML** » Tue May 15, 2012 11:20 am

dinojack86 wrote:4. Ultimate Optimus (maybe if it resembled his onscreen jetpack and actually had a weapons rack inside with shield, axe, etc.) but the bot mode can't compare with ROTF Leader or Battle Blades

Forgot about Ultimate Optimus. Another big misstep. Why they didn't just release Striker Optimus or the Jetpack Optimus I cannot guess. Give them a premium paint job (you know, the "Buster" look), call THAT Ultimate Optimus, and I think they would've moved at least twice as many units as the crummy figure that made it to the shelves.

What might be good news for movie figure collectors like me is that I remember TF: Prime's producers said the show is designed to be three seasons. Meaning that by 2014 Prime should be winding down and maybe HasTak can devote more care and attention to the next line of movie figures. I actually love the Prime show, but I'm not a fan of figures with that animated / cartoon aesthetic, G1 aside.

by **OptiMagnus** » Tue May 15, 2012 10:37 pm

As RAcast talked about, one of my strange favorites of this line was Voyager Optimus Prime. I'm not sure if I just excommunicated myself from the Fandomist Church, but I really love him. Even though by the quotes of many fans upon his first pictures he is one of the worst main line figures ever made in the movie universe just for his inaccuracies, I can't help but display him in my bedroom because I like him that much. He's just...I dunno...different. Granted, a straight-up Hasbro re-release of the Takara retool with the trailer would have made it twice as great, but the original Hasbro version is worth buying.

News Credits: 1 · by **njb902** » Tue May 15, 2012 10:46 pm

OptiMagnus wrote:As RAcast talked about, one of my strange favorites of this line was Voyager Optimus Prime. I'm not sure if I just excommunicated myself from the Fandomist Church, but I really love him. Even though by the quotes of many fans upon his first pictures he is one of the worst main line figures ever made in the movie universe just for his inaccuracies, I can't help but display him in my bedroom because I like him that much. He's just...I dunno...different. Granted, a straight-up Hasbro re-release of the Takara retool with the trailer would have made it twice as great, but the original Hasbro version is worth buying.

it's his BFG. he just looks like he can turn things into puddles with that thing.

News Credits: 1 · by **dirk2243** » Wed May 16, 2012 9:52 am

dinojack86 wrote:I think they just redistributed their resources for DOTM (Cyberverse, costumes, those bot-shot like toys). I think Cyberverse worked and I think they're more popular with kids. Plus adults see the cyberverse and say why on earth would I pay $20.00 for an Optimus when I can pay $7.99? Kid gets 3 figs for price of 1. Plus they're cheaper to make than actual full-fledged transformer toys. Here's my breakdown (heh heh) of the situation:

Good:
1. Cyberverse (GI joe sized transformers that keep improving (Prime)

Bad:
1. Choices of Leader class (Bumblebee, Ironhide)
2. Voyager quality (much smaller than any previous Voyagers, Optimus looked awful)
3. Lack of new characters (replace Nitro Bumblebee and scan series garbage with Que, Leadfoot, Soundwave)
4. Ultimate Optimus (maybe if it resembled his onscreen jetpack and actually had a weapons rack inside with shield, axe, etc.) but the bot mode can't compare with ROTF Leader or Battle Blades
5. Characters that even show up in the film (Skids and Mudflap)

What could/should have been:
1. Leader Shockwave (would've sold like hot cakes I think)
2. Ultimate Megatron/Leader Megatron (something to make up for ROTF and the strange alt mode of TF07)
3. Should have just made a trailer that was in scale with ROTF Leader Prime- would have satisfied all I think. They could have actually focused time and money on making jetpack, gatlin guns, axe, shield, etc. Maybe repackage ROTF Leader Prime in DOTM packaging so those who didn't have could buy it then.
4. HA Soundwave released in US (I think it's the one most anticipated out of all HA figures ever discussed)
5. Que(actually calling him Wheeljack), Soundwave, Dino(actually calling him Mirage), etc. deluxes released

Just my thoughts- but the cyberverse has taken on a life of it's own and I think it'll thrive under TF Prime. Their cyberverse figs rock.

I bought both the normal figures and the cyberverse. I bought the cyberverse for a few reasons.

1. These are the ones I bought for my young son. Figure if he breaks these, there cheap and not terribly hard to come by.

2. There were figures that were not released in other versions like "flak, Guzzle, powerglide, roller w/ the ark... just to name a few"

3. Accessories. The prime w/ trailer is probably the most usable, playable trailer of all of them made. Very close to G-1 and had 2 modes. The Ark. Jet pack prime. The only class that I could get all the Dreads....

I don't think Cyberverse watered down the series as much as people think. I do think it did a little, but a lot of people collected both for these same reasons. Of all the failures I would have to say all the bumblebees added a lot, if not the most to the downfall. Once I counted 24 bumblebees and 5 non bumblbees on the shelves in the height of the toy line back in June of 2011. I get it, they geared it around him and prime, but it was just too much.

Like korisifu on Facebook · by **korisifu** » Wed May 16, 2012 10:03 am

I second that about the cyberverse. The cyberverse prime line has really impressed me

by **Cobalt Prime** » Wed May 16, 2012 11:10 pm

The only real complaint I have about the DOTM Cyberverse line was how few Decepticons there were in comparison to the Autobots. I would have liked for them to have done some expanded universe 'cons in the same spirit with which they did Flak and Guzzle, you know, make the playing field a little more level. It certainly would have been a better investment of plastic than Skids and Mudflap.

News Credits: 8 · by **LiKwid** » Thu May 17, 2012 2:33 pm

Wrong?..Bumblebee..plain and simple...

*note sarcasm

Im actually glad the movie line ended when it did. Cleared the way for Prime figures and eventually the FOC figures. Some of the figures not getting released was kind of a bummer but they are still available, just for a slightly higher price. If you want them you can get them..I scored deluxe Leadfoot and soundwave at botcon for 45..combined..got HA Soundwave coming from japan for 50 as well..reasonable for discontinued figures if you ask me

I honestly wonder if hasbro even realizes how many BB's sit on the store shelves...

Like Omegatron10 on Facebook · by **Omegatron10** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 7:50 am

I often wonder though, how much time and effort must Hasbro take in order to build some of these toys.

Occasionally I think very well thought out. Then you have the ones they obviously didn't even bother testing where the paint disintergrates or the joints just randomly pop off and can't go back in again.

I agree though the cyberverse toys were cheaper and maybe a little better than the voyager/leader class figures. Maybe in the future they could do like City based transformers like Trypticon/Metroplex for the cyberverse figures as giant playsets.

Both the movies and newer series of transformers suffer from not having any city-based transformers they would work perfectly with cyberverse figures.

by **RAcast** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:13 am

norwichchris wrote:I often wonder though, how much time and effort must Hasbro take in order to build some of these toys.

Occasionally I think very well thought out. Then you have the ones they obviously didn't even bother testing where the paint disintergrates or the joints just randomly pop off and can't go back in again.

I agree though the cyberverse toys were cheaper and maybe a little better than the voyager/leader class figures. Maybe in the future they could do like City based transformers like Trypticon/Metroplex for the cyberverse figures as giant playsets.

Both the movies and newer series of transformers suffer from not having any city-based transformers they would work perfectly with cyberverse figures.

Well, the Ark was pretty great (I don't have it, that's what I gather from what I've seen/heard), and the Energon Drill and Jackhammer are spot on if you're interested. Optimus Maximus reminds me a lot of a city-former, it's just a shame they went with a giant Optimus to make it sell rather than say, Fort Max or Metroplex. That said, I'm sure someone interested in painting it up and doing somethnig with the head could get a good Fort Max/Metroplex out of it.