The Energon Pub

Nightbirds car looks too small like the wfc cars and looks like a single seater

Wheeljack... Just another argument for the movie to be called transformers name swap. The face is awful but there has still been plenty worse baynus faces. The camper van not having circular head lights? Not licenced? Way too small and looks like it might scale with the teeny tiny vehicle mode ss Ratchet I don't like the design enough to have it as a not wheeljack on my shelves so at least it saves me some money.

Overcracker wrote:In a similar vein, Nightbird’s BMW mode is pretty sleek looking. Her robot mode, looks a but skeletal though, and those feet…

It's supposed to be a Nissan Skyline, not a Bimmer, although it seems the toy has to be slightly distinct to avoid licensing much like Wheeljack's VW Bus mode here!

Emerje wrote:Dude, that's not how public forums work. Anything you post is fair game for others to reply to, you don't get to choose.

Emerje

Really? That's how public forums work? Wow! smh

84everfan wrote:

SpaceEagle wrote:

transformers_va wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Asking me what I think of kiddie toys won't get us anywhere since I am not the target audience.

I didn't ask you... you just injected your opinion, because you think you know more than others. Unfortunately, given your posts throughout the years, your opinions hold no value with me... you tend to favour weak designs.

I'm going out on a limb and think no one asked for your opinions on the offerings for youngsters, either. Funny how that works.

Considering designs didn't look this stupid and uncool when I was a kid, your argument doesn't work. You can't just use "it's for kids" as an excuse when "kids" have been the target audience for going on 40 years. Especially when this movie is targeted at an adult audience. Was SONIC pg-13? No.

Personally I don't understand why people are comparing cheap, basic toys to something like the legendary 80's Optimus Prime toy? This is NOT that level, 80's OP was a high ticket item. It was more expensive than other toys available. Sure this and the modern kiddie offerings have little different in the way of engineering, but these kiddie toys are much more meant to be like something that the Jumpstarters/Battlechangers/Duocons/etc. offered us. Cheap, simple, and something gimmicky little novelties to make a very young kid smile.

SpaceEagle wrote:

Overcracker wrote:In a similar vein, Nightbird’s BMW mode is pretty sleek looking. Her robot mode, looks a but skeletal though, and those feet…

It's supposed to be a Nissan Skyline, not a Bimmer, although it seems the toy has to be slightly distinct to avoid licensing much like Wheeljack's VW Bus mode here!

Don’t recall any 90’s Skyline’s having a split grill. That looks closer to a BMW than a Skyline.



Also, the scoop is in the wrong place if we are going by the Movie car:

Overcracker wrote:

SpaceEagle wrote:

Overcracker wrote:In a similar vein, Nightbird’s BMW mode is pretty sleek looking. Her robot mode, looks a but skeletal though, and those feet…

It's supposed to be a Nissan Skyline, not a Bimmer, although it seems the toy has to be slightly distinct to avoid licensing much like Wheeljack's VW Bus mode here!

Don’t recall any 90’s Skyline’s having a split grill. That looks closer to a BMW than a Skyline.

D948F748-0DFF-40BC-93ED-270804E17D87.jpeg

Also, the scoop is in the wrong place if we are going by the Movie car:

DBDF14E7-3526-4D74-AE70-BA2538DD9457.jpeg

Right right, that's why I mentioned the toy's trying to be legally distinct. Much like how Sideways's Audi mode looks nothing like a regular R8 but just a legally distinct sports coupe that we still consider a faux R8. Besides, Nightbird's toy here still has the Skyline's taillights, seems like the front had to be messed with a bit.

SpaceEagle wrote:

Overcracker wrote:

SpaceEagle wrote:

Overcracker wrote:In a similar vein, Nightbird’s BMW mode is pretty sleek looking. Her robot mode, looks a but skeletal though, and those feet…

It's supposed to be a Nissan Skyline, not a Bimmer, although it seems the toy has to be slightly distinct to avoid licensing much like Wheeljack's VW Bus mode here!

Don’t recall any 90’s Skyline’s having a split grill. That looks closer to a BMW than a Skyline.

D948F748-0DFF-40BC-93ED-270804E17D87.jpeg

Also, the scoop is in the wrong place if we are going by the Movie car:

DBDF14E7-3526-4D74-AE70-BA2538DD9457.jpeg

Right right, that's why I mentioned the toy's trying to be legally distinct. Much like how Sideways's Audi mode looks nothing like a regular R8 but just a legally distinct sports coupe that we still consider a faux R8. Besides, Nightbird's toy here still has the Skyline's taillights, seems like the front had to be messed with a bit.

True, but outside of VW and its subsidiaries, did not think there was an issue licensing cars. Did Nissan not allow their cars to be used?

Audi is owned by the VW group as is Porsche, but I{m definitely hoping they don't pull a Sideways with Mirage.

Overcracker wrote:True, but outside of VW and its subsidiaries, did not think there was an issue licensing cars. Did Nissan not allow their cars to be used?

Audi is owned by the VW group as is Porsche, but I{m definitely hoping they don't pull a Sideways with Mirage.

I'm honestly just as confused about the inability to get Nissan licensing, though I guess there hasn't been that many attempts to get their licensing outside of Japan? I know Alternity and TF GT exists but those weren't released outside of Japan's market if I remember correctly.

SpaceEagle wrote:

84everfan wrote:

SpaceEagle wrote:

transformers_va wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Asking me what I think of kiddie toys won't get us anywhere since I am not the target audience.

I didn't ask you... you just injected your opinion, because you think you know more than others. Unfortunately, given your posts throughout the years, your opinions hold no value with me... you tend to favour weak designs.

I'm going out on a limb and think no one asked for your opinions on the offerings for youngsters, either. Funny how that works.

Considering designs didn't look this stupid and uncool when I was a kid, your argument doesn't work. You can't just use "it's for kids" as an excuse when "kids" have been the target audience for going on 40 years. Especially when this movie is targeted at an adult audience. Was SONIC pg-13? No.

Personally I don't understand why people are comparing cheap, basic toys to something like the legendary 80's Optimus Prime toy? This is NOT that level, 80's OP was a high ticket item. It was more expensive than other toys available. Sure this and the modern kiddie offerings have little different in the way of engineering, but these kiddie toys are much more meant to be like something that the Jumpstarters/Battlechangers/Duocons/etc. offered us. Cheap, simple, and something gimmicky little novelties to make a very young kid smile.

Also since when did a movie aimed at adults stopped companies selling the designs to kids? Hasbro's been doing it ever since the 07 movie.

More famously, Kenner toys (now part of hasbro) tried to sell the xenomorph from alien to kids to say nothing of the other examples from the 80s onwards.

So yeah, for the kids is a valid excuse because that's what's going on. All the lines (exception Masterpiece I believe) because the majority of those who buy tfs are kids.

People are right, he should look more like Armada Wheeljack

Overcracker wrote:I{m definitely hoping they don't pull a Sideways with Mirage.

Oh, but, Takara already did!

Paint him green, and he's Riddler-tron!!

Different head on that bus and it is fantastic, calling it wheeljack in it's current look with the glasses is just plain stupid. Bay is a jackass (since he has allegedly had his hands in the design) , They need fresh minds designing them.

Just remember, folks. VW Bus Wheeljack here is gonna look like this in about two decades:

Sabrblade wrote:

Overcracker wrote:I{m definitely hoping they don't pull a Sideways with Mirage.

Oh, but, Takara already did!

True.

Sabrblade wrote:Just remember, folks. VW Bus Wheeljack here is gonna look like this in about two decades:

That's what I'm sayin'!

transformers_va wrote:

Emerje wrote:Dude, that's not how public forums work. Anything you post is fair game for others to reply to, you don't get to choose.

Emerje

Really? That's how public forums work? Wow! smh

I'll be ironic but here it is:
Please grow up.

Overcracker wrote:

SpaceEagle wrote:

Overcracker wrote:In a similar vein, Nightbird’s BMW mode is pretty sleek looking. Her robot mode, looks a but skeletal though, and those feet…

It's supposed to be a Nissan Skyline, not a Bimmer, although it seems the toy has to be slightly distinct to avoid licensing much like Wheeljack's VW Bus mode here!

Don’t recall any 90’s Skyline’s having a split grill. That looks closer to a BMW than a Skyline.

D948F748-0DFF-40BC-93ED-270804E17D87.jpeg

Also, the scoop is in the wrong place if we are going by the Movie car:

DBDF14E7-3526-4D74-AE70-BA2538DD9457.jpeg

The deco is also wrong, they added way more brown on the hood area.

SpaceEagle wrote:

Overcracker wrote:True, but outside of VW and its subsidiaries, did not think there was an issue licensing cars. Did Nissan not allow their cars to be used?

Audi is owned by the VW group as is Porsche, but I{m definitely hoping they don't pull a Sideways with Mirage.

I'm honestly just as confused about the inability to get Nissan licensing, though I guess there hasn't been that many attempts to get their licensing outside of Japan? I know Alternity and TF GT exists but those weren't released outside of Japan's market if I remember correctly.

When it comes to licensing, I'd wait till we get the Studio Series figures before looking too much into this. There's no rhyme or reason to licensing as it differs per company (even owned within the same conglomerate) and per country. It could be that, as with previous movie toylines, not all figures for a particular character gets a licenced alt mode. This nightbird and wheeljack may not be licenced but their SS counterparts could be.

Cyber Bishop wrote:Different head on that bus and it is fantastic, calling it wheeljack in it's current look with the glasses is just plain stupid. Bay is a jackass (since he has allegedly had his hands in the design) , They need fresh minds designing them.

Just in case you are referring to what I wrote, we don't know if Bay had a hand in this specific design. We just know that he was involved in this film more than on Bumblebee and that he had a hand in the designs in the Ninja Turtles movie, even though he was just producing that one as well.

william-james88 wrote:

Overcracker wrote:

SpaceEagle wrote:

Overcracker wrote:In a similar vein, Nightbird’s BMW mode is pretty sleek looking. Her robot mode, looks a but skeletal though, and those feet…

It's supposed to be a Nissan Skyline, not a Bimmer, although it seems the toy has to be slightly distinct to avoid licensing much like Wheeljack's VW Bus mode here!

Don’t recall any 90’s Skyline’s having a split grill. That looks closer to a BMW than a Skyline.

D948F748-0DFF-40BC-93ED-270804E17D87.jpeg

Also, the scoop is in the wrong place if we are going by the Movie car:

DBDF14E7-3526-4D74-AE70-BA2538DD9457.jpeg

The deco is also wrong, they added way more brown on the hood area.

SpaceEagle wrote:

Overcracker wrote:True, but outside of VW and its subsidiaries, did not think there was an issue licensing cars. Did Nissan not allow their cars to be used?

Audi is owned by the VW group as is Porsche, but I{m definitely hoping they don't pull a Sideways with Mirage.

I'm honestly just as confused about the inability to get Nissan licensing, though I guess there hasn't been that many attempts to get their licensing outside of Japan? I know Alternity and TF GT exists but those weren't released outside of Japan's market if I remember correctly.

When it comes to licensing, I'd wait till we get the Studio Series figures before looking too much into this. There's no rhyme or reason to licensing as it differs per company (even owned within the same conglomerate) and per country. It could be that, as with previous movie toylines, not all figures for a particular character gets a licenced alt mode. This nightbird and wheeljack may not be licenced but their SS counterparts could be.

That makes sense. Maybe these are mainline toys, and we get the Licensed versions in SS.

Its going to get really confusing down the line.

Nightbird looks fantastic. Wheeljack is just okay.

So I'm guessing Nightbird is going to be a triple-changer.

- Beaky helmet.
- Wingy kibble on hips.
- Claw weapon.
- Animal name.

As far as Wheeljack. I'm going to choose to see Les Nessman.

To comment briefly on Wheeljack's head, I'm 100% on board with not rehashing G1 designs again, but the head they went with is just kinda boring. It's probably closest in design to movie Crosshairs, but Crosshairs has goggles with 2 very different lenses and a headset with a comms antennae on one side, making it much more visually interesting than this.

I'm expecting the glasses to be a really advanced HUD or scientific gadgets.

Dr. Caelus wrote:So I'm guessing Nightbird is going to be a triple-changer.

- Beaky helmet.
- Wingy kibble on hips.
- Claw weapon.
- Animal name.

This Nightbird is meant to be the Movieverse version of the original Nightbird:

Dr. Caelus wrote:So I'm guessing Nightbird is going to be a triple-changer.

- Beaky helmet.
- Wingy kibble on hips.
- Claw weapon.
- Animal name.

Or the Terrorcons all have a third attack mode? I did notice Battletrap's mace seems to have a hinge (though then again that might just be to attach it), and Nightbird now has those tailgate-blades.