New Gizmodo Transformers Article: Michael Bay Is Why Transformers Got So Complicated

I can understand wanting to get back to simpler designs, but pair that with simpler transformations and you defeat the movement. Sure the movie toys may not be the best out there, and their designs may be over the top complex, but at least they gave us satisfying transformations. I love them for that and I hope next year's movie figures give me that as well.

Just don't give them those piece of shit gimmick weapons. We buy them for the figure, not the accessory.

Hopefully RTRON.COM gets some credit for their picture.

I have my views on the movie toys and I hope the next movie toys take a different path.

I love the transformations of the movie figures, but if they are wanting to go back to simplistic transformations, I am not sure. I think they should stick with the transformations of the Classics, Universe, Generations lines.

I will take articulation over simplicity any day.

I can get behind the idea of less difficult, more intuitive transformations, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have to sacrifice complexity. A transformation can have a ton of steps that all make sense and are easy to accomplish, yet are still satisfying, so long as you don't have parts that collide or need to very carefully squeeze past each other so they don't snap off. Unfortunately, the PRID toys had exactly the opposite approach, where there would be just as many problematic spots and difficulties getting stuff to fit as the movie toys, but they accomplished it in fewer steps. I guess that's a type of progress, but it feels like we're going the wrong way.

MINDVVIPE wrote:No more stupid weapon or light/sound gimmicks,

ugh. That would be nice because light/sound gimmicks take up space which could be used as part of the transformation. So many figures which could have been great have been made otherwise because of the need to dazzle kids.

Im probally in the minority, but I hate complex transformations. If I wanted a puzzle Id buy a Rubix Cube. If I wanted a challenge Id play todays video games. I enjoy looking at the figures displayed alot more than transforming them. I like the way classics figures transform. Nice and simple can even transform them after drinking a six pack of beer or more.

Look, the G1 toys may be 'beloved', but let's be frank here. They're bricks. Back then they didn't have the know-how or the technology to do ball/socket joints, bicep/thigh swivels, waist rotation, and all the other things that make the contemporary figures so much better. And I for one do NOT want to 'go back' to those days before those existed.

Most of the G1 figures didn't even have bendable arms, or knees. Heck, you were lucky if the lazy-@$$ designers would even bother letting you separate the legs instead of leaving them welded together, forcing you to 'hop' your figure around. And don't even get me started on how many of them simply told you to flip the vehicle over on it's back, revealing crudely sculpted robot-shaped bits. And THAT was supposed to be the 'transformation'.

Why in the world would anyone WANT to go back to that? If you're a collector, that is. Sure, if you're a fat, lazy, el-cheapo Hasbro designer, the idea of stone age transformers probably sounds like a dream come true. For me - not so much.

Certainly, I don't like a figure transformation to be so complicated that it becomes a chore. But with the 2007-2010 Generations figures, they hit a great balance. I say KEEP IT THERE.

The more recent figures bear the mark of the bad economy. The figures are thinner, more hollow, the plastic is flimsy and brittle. All signs of a company trying to cut corners in bad times. They tried to fool us in 2011-2012 by making the figures smaller and charging more for them. That didn't work - we still hated them because they sucked. Now they're trying to fool us by making restoring the figures to the size they should have been, but they're making the figures hollow now.

Well, I understand trying to make do in bad times. But for the love of Pete, DON'T bring back the G1 style 'Brickformers'.

Unless you want the average kid in the target market, who buys 99.9% of these figures, to be able to actually transform them without constantly referring to the instructions. Heck, some of the more recent figures -I- have to frequently double-check the instructions.

Complex and intuitive? Wonderful! Complex and "Where does this part go? Do I this bit before or after that bit?" Not so wonderful.

I don't mind the look and transformations of the movie stuff.

Yeah, I actually do like all the movie designs.
But Hasbro has been doing the movie / classics stuff one after another, so I guess it's only when it comes to the movie figures then they have to make it so complex.

Complex transformations are fine as far as I'm concerned, as long as the alt mode still looks like what it's supposed to be with little to no robot kibble anywhere. Classics Ironhide is a prime example of how a complex transformation should NOT be done, imo. Too many jagged lines running through the body of the alt mode, and Ironhide ends up looking like he's walking with a bad back and can't stand up straight. Then you have the frustration of Masterpiece Megatron. Parts coming off every time you try to transform him (at least they're not breaking). From the waist up, Megs looks great, but he's got some skinny wickets. It's like they designed him to be half anime/half G1 toy. Granted, they tried to make his legs thicker, but the way they did it was too convoluted and ended up not staying properly.

Bayformers have their difficulties too, but I do have to say some of the ROTF figures look great, and get even better looking with some paint apps. Leader class Optimus Prime (after removing the blades and adding some paint) is the best of the bunch, followed by Jetfire. Speaking of Jetfire, transforming him gives me the willies. I'm always afraid I'll break a tab. I'm just glad I've only transformed him twice.