The Energon Pub

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

Tell that to all of the Spiderman 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean figures that still clog the toy shelves. The reason why TF figures were so hard to find right after the movie was the stores ordered a conservative amount so they wouldn't be stuck with tons of overstock in case the movie flopped.

As an "older" collector I actually like the new series (and I liked AEC too). While I am not a huge fan of most of them having the "Leno chin", they figures do seem to be a very close representation of their toon counterpart; seem to have unique and well thought out transformation schemes and have good looking alt modes. I am amazed that the toy designers are still able to come up with new ways to take a common vehicle and make a new figure out of it; with a new transformation scheme, alt mode, and bot mode. TF Animated Prowl is a good example. He's been reviewed on one of the other TF sites and I am impressed how the designers created him; especially how they handled his wheels. Now compare him to Arcee (Movie and Energon versions) and Armada Sideways. Instead of using the same tf scheme, they came up with something different and better than what they did in the past.
Persionally, I look at it as a new spin on the TF mythos and I dig it. As a TF collector, I am a toy purist. The toys are the most important factor in this hobby, not the toon or comics or other media vehicles to help sell the toys.

microclone wrote:the animated toys have more character than any TF prior.

tell that to 'ol Rattrap and you'll get one right in the kisser!

well, as for me, i have my likes and dislikes about Animated toys too. most of them involve the goofy looking chins and the thin joints (look at Deluxe Prime's elbows for that matter).

but i must admit that some of the designs are just pretty ingenious, like what SnapTrap said about Prowl's design. the wheels are really innovative, and compared to TFTM Arcee and the past cycle TFs (even Wreck-Gar), Prowl really is a major improvement over TF motorcycle designs.

one thing that really struck me on Animated is how some of the usual TF kibble like wheels are cleverly hidden in robot mode. well, maybe not that hidden, but at least they don't hang off legs and waists and stuff like that. considering that these are mass-market toys aimed at kids, i'd say that's pretty amazing engineering (and effort) on Hasbro's part.

as for fun - well, i really put emphasis on durability as part of the "fun" factor, like how i can freely play with the TF without the worry of its joints loosening up over a short time and breaking, as well as plastic quality. so i really can't say much about how fun these toys are gonna be unless i've already bought them.

but i'm not gonna get them all, no. i'll be picky about them so that i can really save up for the financial Black Hole that is Universe 2.0.

I'm not totally sold the the Animated line just yet, but Hasbro is doing the right thing by making toys for kids. The Movie brought TFs back to the mainstream, so it is fair to want to try something radical while keeping the interest of that 5-8 age group. If the line tanks they'll simply try something else.

But I don't think that it will. In fact, I think the line will be a success, because, from what I've seen so far, Hasbro has given collectors exactly what we wanted:

No lame activation gimmicks? Check.
Show accuracy? Check.
Articulation? Check.

The big 3 that collectors have been clamoring over since irrigation was invented; the only catch being that the line is to be geared specifically for kids. It's something new and I can appreciate it, especially since Hasbro is continuing the Classics line in full recognition of their older fan-base.

I also see this line potentially evolving, so who is to fully count out realistic alt-modes and more robotic head-sculpts two years down the line?

With Transformers, I have learned not to be deterred by change. Lines I at first thought were terrible ended up being enjoyable. I am looking forward to the animated line and hope it meets my expectations. Yes, they look different but I am willing to embrace the change.

I'm 31 , and while not a huge collector, the G1 era is my favorite.
HOWEVER,
I have no desire to collect the original toys (besides getting the re-issued Soundwave),
simply because in the grand scheme, most of them are a letdown (imo).
I've been on the hunt for most of the Classics, which to me are what the G1 toys should've been.
But I personally NEVER liked BW (even though my little bro has a ton of them, and grew up watching the "cartoon").
I passed on Armada, Cybertron, Energon, etc. and really felt that those lines had ended my interest in TF.

The Animated line is fresh and stylistically interesting enough to me that I will buy quite a few of them.
For a while, I was saying I'd get them all...
I'm now backing away from that claim, and thinking that I'll buy 2 of the ones I want.
We'll see... For a while I wasn't buying movie figures.
Other than the Classics, these are truly more appealing to me than any TF's have been for a long time.

Starscreams bad comedy wrote: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.

Quoted for total agreement.

Catering exclusively to collectors would be the kiss of death for Transformers. It's just not sustainable.

Overcracker wrote: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.

I think the key difference here is Transformers was a hit movie. No one really wanted toys from the movies Ghost Rider or Fantastic Four 2.

I tried watching A/E/C, and I don't know what kids made of them, but I found them to be pretty unwatchable. TF:Animated, there's a lot I don't like about that so far, but it's definitely much better entertainment that the previous three.

So I think the show has a much better chance at being a hit show this time around, especially with increased visibility that the Movie brought. And all that's gotta transfer into how well the toys will sell.

I would consider myself to be on the younger side of the "older collector" group. For me, it is and always has been about G1.
From G1 to Classics, I have kept an eye on TF toys and TV shows, however, nothing ever appealed to me as it just wasn't what I personally envisioned TFs as.

Ofourse, like others, I was seduced by the Classics, Alts and MPs and went a little further and fell in love with the full figure statues.

Oddly, I also bought all the figures for the characters that appeared in the movie, mostly because I felt it was a landmark TF moment and I needed a shelf devoted to it.

So now that you know that I pretty much hate anything that isn't G1, on to Animated.

When I first saw pics of what the characters would look like, I hated it. Since then, I have watched the show and...

The show actually isn't bad. I don't really like the looks of the bots, but I can deal with them mostly because I felt they did a great job with the voice acting for Megs, SS and BB. Prime is a little meh for me though.

The biggest gripe I have is the way they animated the humans. How totally wierd and offputting that is. I despise the look. The rest I can deal with. If anything, because of the voice acting and G1 tributes, I do realize that I could have loved this show. Unfortunately, i do not, atleast not yet.

However, I can see how this appeals to the kids and that works for me. It is a better show than anything made during the Trilogy, which appeals to me as well. The toys look fantastic as far as anime accuracy, and once again, this appeals to me. If only I was 10.

You never know though, I may still fall for the show and I may fall for the figures when I see them on the shelves. However, I said that about the BW era and the trilogy and it never happenned.

Still, I had my 4 years of TF fun when I was a kid and get to enjoy the Classics, Statues and Reissues along with IDWs fabulous comics, and that is good enough for me and my wallet.

P.S. What I would really dig was a good voiceover of the HM series. I have always felt ripped off for the way G1 ended in the US.

I know this is a discussion about the toys and not the cartoon, but I think it's worth mentioning that besides Beat Wars, Animated is the first American-made transformers cartoon; I guess the animators were just trying not to simply imitate the japanese animation and to create a more recogniseably western style. It was a bold move, and for a lot of people it was a bad one, but I personally think it was an excellent direction for things to go in- the toys aren't only nicely designed, they also look to be of excellent quality and I look forward to buying several, especially Bulkhead and Lockdown.

I am kind of proving this thread's point though, since I'm 19 and probably can't be classed as an 'older' collector...

ben 10! i love you cp yer a genious.
the new animated toys with their elongated chins suck (lilformers.com), that is not to say i don't find some of the characters great, or fun, but all in all i find myself only wanting a few toys, mostly a few cons, maybe a bot..
these seem more like the bastard children of transformers, than transformers themselves. their toy robot modes seem over zealous, while thier alt modes don't resemble really any specific or memorable vehicle (well, the fat bot can turn into the oscar meyer weiner mobile)
so, does animated mean cartoon drawings, or does it mean the characters themselves. pertty sure it's the later
ehh, i got nothing else, it's too early

The Cactus wrote:I know this is a discussion about the toys and not the cartoon, but I think it's worth mentioning that besides Beat Wars, Animated is the first American-made transformers cartoon;

nope. Beast Wars was technically made by Canucks.

zemper wrote:

The Cactus wrote:I know this is a discussion about the toys and not the cartoon, but I think it's worth mentioning that besides Beat Wars, Animated is the first American-made transformers cartoon;

nope. Beast Wars was technically made by Canucks.

But isn't Canadia the 51'st state?

Valandar wrote:

zemper wrote:

The Cactus wrote:I know this is a discussion about the toys and not the cartoon, but I think it's worth mentioning that besides Beat Wars, Animated is the first American-made transformers cartoon;

nope. Beast Wars was technically made by Canucks.

But isn't Canadia the 51'st state?

I'm British so I'm staying out of this but my point still stands- Animated is American made, so the makers want to give it a western look. At least that's how I figure it. I like it, and from the thread about the opening special of the series, a lot of poeple agree with me.

The Cactus wrote:

Valandar wrote:
But isn't Canadia the 51'st state?

I'm British so I'm staying out of this b

and i'm Asian so that pretty evens it out (not to mention allowing me to take shots at ye Yanks, Brits and Canucks! LOL).

but yep, i see the point clearly. thought i woulda just pointed that one out, y'know...

Canadia may well be the 51st state, but that doesn't change the fact that BW was made in Canada

I'm an older fan. And I really quite like the look of animated. The show is quite good, already beating Cybertron and most of Armada in quality, and the toys look quite cool.

What bothers me is the toy scale. It really seems completely out of whack. Why the friggin hell is Lockdown so big, and Megatron and Bulkhead so small!?

zemper wrote:

The Cactus wrote:I know this is a discussion about the toys and not the cartoon, but I think it's worth mentioning that besides Beat Wars, Animated is the first American-made transformers cartoon;

nope. Beast Wars was technically made by Canucks.

last time I checked, Canada was on the continent of North America. No one said Beast Wars was made in the U.S.

Besides, TF:Animated isn't the first Transformers cartoon to be made in America.

That would be G1.

I don't know about the toy yet.

But the show's animated designs sure doesn't appeal to older audience.

(Just watch an episode for the first time a while ago.)

Speaking of the t.v. show the other thing I found out is the time slot they have the show at right now is not doing as well as they hoped. Because it is going up against Johnny Test and something called dinosaur kings that is why they are skipping the bumblebee episode and going right to the dinobots in hopes of getting some of the demographic that there shooting for to watch the show.

shortround wrote:Speaking of the t.v. show the other thing I found out is the time slot they have the show at right now is not doing as well as they hoped.

What about this:
http://www.seibertron.com/news/view.php?id=12239

Hum well shoot my monkey and call me george of the jungle. I would never have guessed that one because according to a couple of other websites that had the t.v. ratings listed for the last couple of weeks it wasn't winning it time slot. But goes to show don't beleave everthing you read. But I wonder why they are skipping the bumblebee episode and going right to the dinobots.

What I heard was that TF Universe was supposed to have an animated look. I think I read that on the offical TF fan club I'll see if I can find it.

shortround wrote:Hum well shoot my monkey and call me george of the jungle. I would never have guessed that one because according to a couple of other websites that had the t.v. ratings listed for the last couple of weeks it wasn't winning it time slot. But goes to show don't beleave everthing you read. But I wonder why they are skipping the bumblebee episode and going right to the dinobots.

well I don't really know anything about Neilson ratings, so those numbers don't mean much to me.

Perhaps they're going straight to a strong episode just to solidify the series' popularity. Or maybe there's something about the Bumblebee episode that someone decided needs changing.

One thing about the series: so far Bumblebee's been kind of an annoying character.

We collect toy robots that turn into things from video game controllers to spaceships.

How is that a more adult pursuit than what children enjoy?

Sorry, but I don't buy the whole presupposition that adult collectors are into Transformers because it appeals to some kind of more mature aesthetic. Transformers will always be rooted in a child-like desire.

Magnimus wrote:We collect toy robots that turn into things from video game controllers to spaceships.

How is that a more adult pursuit than what children enjoy?

Sorry, but I don't buy the whole presupposition that adult collectors are into Transformers because it appeals to some kind of more mature aesthetic. Transformers will always be rooted in a child-like desire.

True to an extent. It is rooted in a childlike desire. However, that desire is driven by nostalgia. Hence, when things are too different from the way we loved them as kids, we get turned off, which is essentially what is happening with animated.

As a kids show, it looked like they did a pretty good job. However, for those looking for the nostalgic element, it is lacking.

Bumblethumper wrote:

shortround wrote:Hum well shoot my monkey and call me george of the jungle. I would never have guessed that one because according to a couple of other websites that had the t.v. ratings listed for the last couple of weeks it wasn't winning it time slot. But goes to show don't beleave everthing you read. But I wonder why they are skipping the bumblebee episode and going right to the dinobots.

well I don't really know anything about Neilson ratings, so those numbers don't mean much to me.

Perhaps they're going straight to a strong episode just to solidify the series' popularity. Or maybe there's something about the Bumblebee episode that someone decided needs changing.

One thing about the series: so far Bumblebee's been kind of an annoying character.

As a big bumblebee fan.... bumblebee in animated is annoying as hell.. at first I thought he was gonna be sarcastic, kinda like rattrap, but not really, and then he just got annoying.