Transformers Podcast News on Seibertron.com

Twincast / Podcast Episode #195 "City of Fear"

Date: Sunday, March 4th 2018 10:52am CST
Categories: Site News, Digital Media News, Podcast
Posted by: ScottyP

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Views: 57,237

Turn on your cloaking device because it's time to Wreck 'n Rule once again with the Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast. This latest episode features the G2 host Scotty P as he's joined by Aligned Megatronus and Binaltech Asterisk Car Robot RodimusConvoy13. With the fan vote done for another year and the malaise of the springtime upon us, get ready for some takes on all the latest in Transformers that aren't quite hot yet because they need some time to thaw before we can bake them, ok?

Episode #195 "City of Fear" is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

The results are in for the latest Generations Fan Vote, with the winning duo of Deluxe Class figures (each sold separately) announced as Impactor and Mirage. Despite the presence of Classics Mirage, Combiner Wars Mirage, Generations Impactor, and the TFCC Subscription Service Impactor, it seems fans can't get enough of certain characters - or want a proper Transformers toy of Impactor at any rate. Is it the power of comics, or is it something else altogether? Hang on tight as this topic journeys into the wild and goes for quite a long time, with opinions and musings about why some characters keep coming up in plastic form time and again.



Wave 2 of Power of the Primes has been out for at least a couple weeks now, and with our impressions of the Voyagers cut short during the last episode we take some more time to examine them in detail. RodimusConvoy 13 also tells us about the pair of Deluxe Class figures he's had the opportunity to find and purchase in Rippersnapper and Moonracer. Even Rodimus Unicronus and his questionable facial hair decisions get a mention as we hang out and chat about our newest toys.



As the G1 line of the week winds down, another line is winding up in the form of the Movie Studio Series. Listeners of our last episode may remember that Scotty P was one of the early adopters over Toy Fair weekend when the Movie Studio Series Wave 1 Deluxe figures went up for a limited time sale on Hasbro Toy Shop. With these figures in hand, the team discusses the highlights of the wave and even some of the drawbacks too. Plus, we pretend we know anything at all about marketing, but really we're just disappointed that these aren't quite the premium line-up they're hyped up to be.



The toy talk carries on further and into the latest releases and rumors in the Masterpiece lineup. MP-40 Targetmaster Hot Rod has arrived with a fun new deco and another shot for collectors to pick up the Targetmaster Firebolt accessory that was included with the older Hasbro release of the first Masterpiece Rodimus Prime. Of course, there are also comparisons to be made to MP-28, the first Masterpiece Hot Rod.

Then we pick up on the "basically news" that a third version of a G1 styled Masterpiece Optimus Prime is on the way. No one is surprised and the cast is encouraged, as we discuss other incarnations of the character from the Masterpiece lineup such as the first release of MP-1 Convoy. Of course, there is also some talk about room for improvement that could be available when considering MP-10, the first Masterpiece of the bygone "Super Car" era for the line.



We go full on 90s next, with ad-hoc Recommendations From Another Time! This new segment covers some toys you may have overlooked, and possibly even some you'll never be able to afford. We follow the trail set upon us by the ghost of a dead Battle Beast to go off the beaten trail once again. What on Cybertron is this paragraph talking about? You'll have to tune in to hear the sort-of rules for the segment before you hear our random recommendations.



After that we move on to our first Listener Question of the episode from Acesmcgee, who asks:

Acesmcgee wrote:So I saw the video by Gotbot, I think, where he modded his POTP Rodimus. So my question is, what is the most extreme modification you've made to your transformers, if any?

The hour gets a little late, so before we fall asleep in front of the microphones we pick up the pace and mention our favorite art and story moments from Optimus Prime 16. This second part of "The Falling" story arc has excited us and continues to build the excellent character of Soundwave within IDW's Transformers comics. Listen in to hear about what great moments there are in store within this latest chapter of the series.



After that, we take a second Listener question from Ironhidensh who asks:

Ironhidensh wrote:If, say, a content provider that is actually good, like Netflix or Amazon, decided to put out an adult/older fan oriented cartoon, would you want an all new story line? Or one based off of past or current comics?

While the 16th issue will be upon us soon, that means it's a good time to again go through our favorite parts of a comic with Lost Light #15. The Scavengers' part of the tale comes to an end, with answered questions, new mysteries, and significant developments for at least one classic character. Join us as we roar to the rescue and explore answers definitely not provided by any Magnificence.



We wind down with the Twincast doing something it promised it would never do: break news. Well, kind of. Maybe. Let's not actually call it that. Rumors and hearsay that have a chance of being right are presented for your consideration, and time will tell if they end up being the ultimate plan. What are we talking about? Here's a hint.



Join us on the Energon Pub Forums to discuss this episode, and expect more Twincast Podcast fun in roughly two weeks' time.

Twincast / Podcast Episode #194 "Toy Fair 2018"

Date: Monday, February 19th 2018 3:01pm CST
Categories: Site News, Event News, Digital Media News, Podcast
Posted by: Tigertrack

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Views: 45,828

The Big Apple hosted a huge event over the weekend for toy enthusiasts of all types...Toyfair 2018! This gathering held big dreams and hopes for Transformers fans as we looked for reveals of the magnitude that we've come to expect from such past experiences. We waited, somewhat impatiently by our social media feeds, and finally it came. Did the show end up being more of a toy-unfair, or were we done a titan class solid by Hasbro? Opinions vary, but you can hear the thoughts of our host ScottyP joined by xRotorstormx, and Tigertrack, with special guest appearances by Seibertron and friends live from New York! That doesn't quite sound like enough for you? Megatronus also landed an interview with the HASBRO brand team!

Episode #194 "Toy Fair 2018" is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

Our talkative trio wasted no time mincing the small stuff, we jumped right in to discuss the largest and most anticipated reveal, Titan Class Power of the Primes Predaking! More than wings this time, the show had the full-on painted reveal of this monstrous bots' combined mode, as well as, the individual animal, and bot modes. Our crew had some things to say about it...some good, some bad, but we want to know what did you think? Was it what you pictured in your mind's eye? You can refresh your memory by checking out Predaking's Toy Fair 2018 gallery.





You can imagine that big bot took a big chunk of time in discussion, but we also managed to talk about another fairly large bot, Power or the Prime's leader-class Optimal Optimus which also made a splash in the display. Beast Wars fans get a treat as this triple-changing favorite is updated and seems ready to make it straight into our collections. You can use this gallery to re-acquaint yourself to POTP's Optimal Optimus on display at toyfair.





Yes indeed, the cast did also find time to talk a little bit about Abominus, Terrocons, Nova Star, and the newly revealed Prime masters: Bomb-burst, Bludgeon, and Octopunch! Cute, and yet awesome! Check out the Power of the Primes Toyfair gallery to refresh yourself on the new offerings.

Host ScottyP also does a quick in hand check on the POTP Hungrr (Hungurr, Hunger?) mold versus the Combiner Wars Silverbolt mold. Shared parts..more?...less?





But it's not all about the Power of the Primes. The Movie Studio Series was also bantered around and it seems there was much to delight the movie toy collector in the forms of leader-class Blackout and Grimlock, and several other interesting new offerings. Oh, did you know there's a gallery for the Movie Studio series at Toyfair too? (Sorry folks, I mistakenly referred to Brawl as a deluxe in the show, but he's listed as a voyager.)





We manage to also chat a little about Cyberverse (psst...Cyberverse Toy Fair galleries are here)...



ScottyP scored most of the wave 2 Power of the Primes toys at retail, and he couldn't stop gushing about Battletrap, Roadtrap, and Battleslash...and the changeable pants! Have you managed to find any of the wave 2 offerings at retail yet? All classes (legends - Battleslash, Roadtrap, and Tailgate; deluxes - Dinobots Snarl and Sludge, Terrorcon Rippersnapper, Moonracer, and Blackwing; voyagers- Hun-grr, and Elita-One; and finally, leader - Rodimus Unicronus) have now been found out in the wild! You may want to get your hunt on...

Somewhere in the middle of it all we touch on the new fan vote, also. Versus sets (choosing one of the three) or 3 new figures and you're choosing between the two in each set? Nah, it's the first.



And to conclude the show, are Seibertron and friends (unavailable, but credit deserving was fellow podcaster Megatronus!). After a long day of photographing and reporting, these toy aficionados share about the experience and how they felt upon being in the audience of the presentation and able to experience the new reveals with their own eyes.

A post-script conclusion: Megatronus (mentioned earlier) interviewed the HASBRO brand team over the weekend too. We've added the interview to the podcast as a listener bonus! You can check out a summarized text version of the interview in this news post.

Thanks for joining us for another filled-to-the-brim with transforming roboty goodness episode. Please join us next time, as we move one step closer to our our grand bicentennial episode.

Twincast / Podcast Episode #193 "Eulogy"

Date: Monday, January 29th 2018 6:47pm CST
Categories: Site News, Digital Media News, Podcast
Posted by: ScottyP

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Views: 35,871

Welcome once again to the Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast. Host Scotty P returns for your latest episode, joined by Megatronus, RodimusConvoy13, Seibertron, and special guest Kevin from our friends at fellow Transformers fansite Unicron.com. That's right, this iteration of the show widens our universe a little bit - unlike Paramount and Hasbro - so we hope you'll tune in to this special episode!

Episode #193 "Eulogy" is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

We kick off the show with comics discussion, and while it gets truncated a bit since we're polite guests, we do spend some time chatting about Optimus Prime #15. With Onyx Prime bearing down on Cybertron, the crew ponders what the upcoming round of issues for "The Falling" might hold. We also take some time to dive into the book's namesake character and the actual development he receives in the course of this issue. All of that can be heard about within, plus Scoop ruining everything.



While the mainline announcements from Takara Tomy are now incredibly unexciting, the Masterpiece line-up looks like it may be continuing unfettered with the announcement of Beast Wars MP-34S Shadow Panter. Tune in to hear what we think of this, with possibly surprising universal agreement that Tigatron as a mere recolor isn't a step we'd like to see taken. If you're unfamiliar with the origins of this deco, be sure to check out the Seibertron.com gallery of D-7 Shadow Panther while you listen in.



News broke last week about potential and/or actual Toys 'R' Us store closings in the US. But what does it mean? Well, obviously, millenials have now successfully killed another retailer, go us! it could mean several things, and if our anecdotes about different experiences within the store these days is any indication, your mileage may vary on how applicable our discussion is to you. Is this a case of capital starvation? Should we give up and blame the scalpers for buying too many things from them even though that's pretty darn counter-intuitive? Maybe Hasbro, no, Mattel is to blame! We try to keep things above board unlike this paragraph, and let us know how your local TRU seems to be faring by replying to this post on our Energon Pub Forums.



You may be wondering why we've called the episode what we have, since "eulogy" isn't exactly a word that brings up happy memories. Some hard times have been afoot, and Seibertron is brave enough to share some powerful content which we use to segue into our special topic for this episode. We take a look into the influence our parents and family members have had in shaping our continued love and participation in this hobby and community. It's not all tears, but be warned (seriously) that you might need the tissue box for some of this one.





Our thanks again go out to Kevin from Unicron.com for coming on to participate in this discussion. He tells a more lighthearted story during this part of the show with a twist you won't see coming, so be sure to check it out!



After that we move on to our first Listener Question of the episode from Sabrblade, who asks:

Sabrblade wrote:Do you feel that the overall quality of mainstream Transformers fiction (e.g. - the most accessible-to-everyone stuff, like the cartoons and films) has objectively diminished over the years, or do you feel that some of the newer fiction is actually more along the same level as some of the older stuff and that is it just a dual case of "We're adults now, so we're not as easy to please as we were when we were children" and "We're nostalgic to the older stuff because we're more familiar with it than we are with the newer stuff"?

Or is it a little of both?

Or do you think the quality varies depending on things like the creators, or the networks (like, Cartoon Network having a say on RID's content vs. Discovery Family's say on Rescue Bots's content), or the target demographic, etc.?

After that, we take a second Listener question from Ironhidensh who asks:

Ironhidensh wrote:Are the forced gimmicks hurting more than they are helping recent lines?

You may be surprised to hear that it's not all just about Power of the Primes in our responses to this one! Thanks to both Sabrblade and Ironhidensh for the questions, and be sure to post yours in the Ask The Twincast thread.



Bragging Rights herald the coming of the end of another episode, and eventually we do get there. Tune in to see what we're finding in stores and online. Some super recent finds are sure to be very good news for fans of Robots in Disguise, so with that in mind don't forget to share your Sightings with other local collectors through one or both of our Sightings tool and the Local Sightings Forums.



Join us on the Energon Pub Forums to discuss this episode, and look out for hopefully one more episode featuring 300% more discussion on Lost Light #13 before Toy Fair!

Twincast / Podcast Episode #192 "Transformers vs. Impropriety"

Date: Sunday, January 14th 2018 2:50pm CST
Categories: Site News, Digital Media News, Podcast
Posted by: Razorclaw0000

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Views: 35,011

Welcome to the latest Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast episode, featuring host ScottyP, along with xRotorstormx and Razorclaw0000 as we journey through the latest toy and comic news in the first episode of 2018.

Episode #192 "Transformers vs. Impropriety" is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

First up, we continue the in-hand impressions of Wave 1 Power of the Primes toys, this time focusing on the Leaders. We discuss the common QC issues as well as the play pattern, inner robots, evolution modes, and discuss the relative successes and compromises of both Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime.



The discussion of the Power of the Primes toys leads us into a roundtable on the collecting epoch that is the Prime Wars Trilogy: as a new collector, are you OK to focus on Prime Wars (Combiner Wars, Titans Return, Power of the Primes) and largely ignore the first "Neo-G1" set of lines made up of Classics, Henkei, Generations, Universe 2.0, Thrilling 30, United, and Power Core Combiners? We discuss putting together a set of shelves of G1 characters using nothing but Prime Trilogy toys, thoughts on head sculpts, and other rules to help regulate a collection. Have opinions? We'd love to hear about them in the comments!



While our thoughts are on Power of the Primes, we spend a few minutes discussing the recent news regarding the unconventional, but high profile, casting for Machinima's Power of the Primes cartoon. Ron Perlman, Samoa Joe, Mark Hamill, Jamie King, Wil Wheaton, and many others round out a large ensemble cast for the third show in the Prime Wars animated trilogy. We get down to the nitty gritty on potential reasons for the big-name talent, discuss the current fan apathy towards the shows, and discuss a coordinated fan response to the recent and future developments.



Next, we shift focus to the recently revealed Movie Masterpiece Ironhide, focusing on scale, accuracy, face sculpt, and more. We then digress to a discussion of GMC Topkicks as well as other movie Ironhide toys, looking back at some of the decos and more. We also give our thoughts on the Movie Masterpiece line and question Hasbro's decision of numbering.



Things take a decidedly heated turn as we enter into a spoiler-filled and angry teardown of Transformers vs Visionaries #1 and IDW Publishing's social media presence around it. Hear our thoughts on the issue, the ending of the issue and editorial decision, and finally the Tweetstorm around IDW's decision to both spoil the ending of #1 two days after the book launched, and the borderline sociopathicly chipper way they did it. You won't like ScottyP when he's angry.



Turning our attention to happier things, we give our thoughts on the recently released MP-39 Masterpiece Sunstreaker. We break down the accessories and packaging, discuss scale, Chip Chase, transformation and the "masterpiece moments", and finally pairing him next to MP-12 Sideswipe. We get in depth on some transformation steps so take this as fair warning if you want to experience the transformation first hand and enjoy the surprises unspoiled.



We conclude the episode with some listener questions, specifically Skullcrunchberries' question regarding "surprise"/forgotten purchases and pre-orders. After discussing some, we hit some bragging rights from the holidays and discuss a few collecting goals for 2018.



We hope you enjoyed the latest episode and would love to hear your thoughts on our roundtable or any other topic. We've got some exciting things on The Road to 200 and we hope you'll keep listening!