Transformers Super Thread 5

[David Hingtgen]

Survey for collectors from Hasbro----fill out the form, tell them what you think.

http://www.hasbro.com/common/surveys/hasbr...ocollectors.htm

I restricted my rant to "oversized firing missile gimmicks that ruin the sculpt of TF's". I used Cybertron Thundercracker as my example.

[Fit For Natalie]

Not much they can do about the actual missile sizes, as they need to be a certain length to pass the choke test.

[Hoptimus]

Yeah I did the survey too. I moaned about the BOTCON seeker set. Bah!

[promethuem5]

I did the survey and mentioned paint apps!

[Black Valkyrie]

Asked them if possible for :

Titanium Optimus Prime G1.

Titanium Starscream G1.

Titanium Galvatron.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

I suggested more even case packouts, classics megatron became hard to find after they packed 2 jetfires in the cases in place of him.

[JB0]

I suggested better quality control.

Given that in a half-year I had to exchange one 'bot because they glued a joint shut*, another has damage from where they tried to ram the steel pins in and missed the holes, a third required surgery to get a plastic spur out of a joint, a 4th just has a paint streamer running across the chest that isn't supposed to be there, and a fifth has damage AND a paint streamer... I'm a tad unimpressed.

(Yes, I kept the damaged ones. Was purely cosmetic damage, and to be honest I just didn't care enough to go back to the store. I guess they can get away with this partially due to lazy people like me.)

I rode G1 from beginning to end. I even have ActionMasters, for Pete's sake. I NEVER saw a toy that was defective out of the box(though in the interests of fairness, they WERE simpler designs).

*(Actually had to return it and resume searching, because there weren't any more in stock. Anywhere. Argragagh!)

[promethuem5]

Oh balls, you know what I just realized we all shoulda put on our surveys? Less twisty ties in the packaging! I've damaged TF trying to liberate them from those twisty prisons...

[eriku]

My suggestion to Hasbro on the survey was that they expand the Classics line.

[Veritas]

My suggestion to Hasbro on the survey was that they expand the Classics line.

Yes sir, same here. That and they continue the alternators line past Ravage and Rumble.

[Cyclone]

Pretty much covered the same bases, continue Classics and Alternators as well as plugging for more Star Wars Clone Troopers and dumping/starting from scratch their Marvel action figure lines.

I was kind of concerned with the collectable grading stuff though...

[David Hingtgen]

Not much they can do about the actual missile sizes, as they need to be a certain length to pass the choke test.

I wasn't complaining about the missiles, I was complaining about the launcher being integrated into the arm, and being oversized. Look at Classics Hot Rod. He doesn't have a gigantic Frankestein arm, he's fine. The launcher is his GUN, and it's not half as big as Cybertron Thundercracker's arm. Leave the gimmicks/weapons to the weapons, not the limbs. Targetmasters were a good gimmick, because the robots didn't suffer at all. They were even retrofitted to existing toys. But Armada---nearly every toy was gimped by having to incorporate gears and springs inside big boxes to make mechanisms work.

[promethuem5]

I hear ya DH... it';s the built in stuff that leaves us with big chunky compromised bots...

And I didn't understand why there were so many questions about grading either... I've never bought a graded toy, and really have no need for one... in my open answer, I explained that graded stuff is of no use to me bc/ I open and display all my toys...

[Veritas]

I was kind of concerned with the collectable grading stuff though...

Yeah they were really pushing that as an issue in their survey. Even had a question asking to justify your decision about whether or not AFA grading was important in deciding to purchase a figure. Personally i could care less about AFA grading. It seems like a pretty random practice to me, but than again i open most of what i collect so i'm sure there are some ppl. that had more to comment on it than i did.

[eriku]

Regarding the AFA graded stuff, I got the impression that Hasbro's main initiative for the survey was to see if they should get into "graded" toys, weather it's AFA graded or their own grading system. I sincerely hope they do not because "gradings" and "collectability" are two things that suck the life out of this hobby.

[Roy's Blues]

Looks like there is going to be a new animated series in 2008. 26 x 30min eps and a 90 min special

linky

[JB0]

Regarding the AFA graded stuff, I got the impression that Hasbro's main initiative for the survey was to see if they should get into "graded" toys, weather it's AFA graded or their own grading system. I sincerely hope they do not because "gradings" and "collectability" are two things that suck the life out of this hobby.

Also a lot of stuff about the online store.

Premium boxes, etc.

Whatever. just stock the toys and don't bust them in shipping.

[Veritas]

Looks like there is going to be a new animated series in 2008. 26 x 30min eps and a 90 min special

linky

Yikes, i'm really not digging the new logo. I hope the series is more promising than that logo is leading me to believe.

[Renato]

Is the tagline for that logo, "Diet Transformers -- The Choice of a New Generation"?

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Just bought Classics grimlock. Love both the dinobot mode (good articulation on his legs) and humanoid mode. Big improvment from his old 80s version as now the parts of the dinosaur don't just hang off the back like wings. It's got *weathering on its body but no where else which I found a little strange. Its like the autobots took parts off Grimlock, cleaned those parts to make them nice and spotless, but then forgot to wash the middle portion of grimlock. So it looks aged in one area but new in other areas..

I may get classic ramjet and SS now.. Argh there goes the money for the 1/100 toynami vf1j...Maybe when the fast packs finally come out.

*Yamato this is what the low visibility should have had! Not the stuff that rubs off on your fingers.

Edited April 15, 2007 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Fit For Natalie]

Oh balls, you know what I just realized we all shoulda put on our surveys? Less twisty ties in the packaging! I've damaged TF trying to liberate them from those twisty prisons...

From fan's own stories, there's alot of in-store thievery of toys in the US (and switcheroos), so twisty ties are there to to stop the toy from becoming dislodged while in transit or damaged when it falls off the shelf or something, and to stop thieves from easily stealing them.

I wasn't complaining about the missiles, I was complaining about the launcher being integrated into the arm, and being oversized. Look at Classics Hot Rod. He doesn't have a gigantic Frankestein arm, he's fine. The launcher is his GUN, and it's not half as big as Cybertron Thundercracker's arm. Leave the gimmicks/weapons to the weapons, not the limbs. Targetmasters were a good gimmick, because the robots didn't suffer at all. They were even retrofitted to existing toys. But Armada---nearly every toy was gimped by having to incorporate gears and springs inside big boxes to make mechanisms work.

Its not so much the gimmicks alone that crippled Armada's toys (though they contributed significantly), it also had to do with a small budget and the beginnings of an all-new line style of Transformers. Budgetry restrictions were cited as to why Armada figures had such piss-poor articulation, even when the design allowed for it which dissapointed the Hasbro designers themselves (Aaron Archer cites Smokescreen and Hot Shot as his biggest dissapointments in the line, IIRC). However, Armada being one of the most sucessful Transformers lines ever allowed their design and engineering budget to be increased steadily since then. Yes, its true, Armada was enormously sucessful for Hasbro.

Cybertron largely uses the same sorts of gimmicks, but with much more articulation and less compromised designs, no?

Just bought Classics grimlock. Love both the dinobot mode (good articulation on his legs) and humanoid mode. Big improvment from his old 80s version as now the parts of the dinosaur don't just hang off the back like wings. It's got *weathering on its body but no where else which I found a little strange. Its like the autobots took parts off Grimlock, cleaned those parts to make them nice and spotless, but then forgot to wash the middle portion of grimlock. So it looks aged in one area but new in other areas..

I may get classic ramjet and SS now.. Argh there goes the money for the 1/100 toynami vf1j...Maybe when the fast packs finally come out.

*Yamato this is what the low visibility should have had! Not the stuff that rubs off on your fingers.

That weird weathering is there because originally that part was to be vac-metal chromed plastic (like certain parts of G1 Dinobots). But they found out the now-brittle plastic couldn't take the stress of being the load-bearing legs. So they came up with that paint wash in a hurry.

[David Hingtgen]

Wouldn't silver or gold paint have looked a lot nicer?

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

That weird weathering is there because originally that part was to be vac-metal chromed plastic (like certain parts of G1 Dinobots). But they found out the now-brittle plastic couldn't take the stress of being the load-bearing legs. So they came up with that paint wash in a hurry.

Ah I see. Still I can't complain. The cheap price plus the increased articulation of these new reimaginings is perfect for me. One thing I didn't like was how the part of the arm beyond his elbow joint seemed a little short. It would have been good if that hand could extend and you see pistons where you pulled it out from. Maybe even put a spring in there and you push a little button to pop the hand/wrist out.

As it is it just looks like he has dwarf wrists.

Edited April 15, 2007 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Metal_Massacre_79]

Load bearing legs? How much does the toy weigh? Half a pound at most? Must be some pretty weak plastic.

[Doctor Reggae]

Some of the movie toys are starting to appear in Toys R' Us's in Ohio...there have been reports of finding deluxe-sized Bonecrusher, Bumblebee, and Jazz. Check TFW 2005 and Seibertron for links and pix of Jazz's figure.

[David Hingtgen]

With the complexity of the transformations, I think Deluxe is too small for almost any movie character. Especially Bonecrusher----imagine him Leader-sized.

[HoveringCheesecake]

Looks like I'm going to pick up Bonecrusher as well. He looks sexy. I'm liking the Decepticons way more than the Autobots at this point.

[Doctor Reggae]

God knows my finances still can't really afford any more TF's...but I definitely want Barricade, Blackout, and probably (maybe) voyager-class Starscream.

[do not disturb]

YESsssssssss!

Still feel that the scope LED should have been a one-click switch instead of a 'press-and-hold'.

for real. what was the point of making so you have to hold the button down?

lego did the same stupid thing with those light up lightsabers figs, its a cool feature but they made impossible to have fun with.

i'm happy to report my Megs has made a few transformations the past few days and nothings broken., though i have a small heartattack when i have to fiddle with the arms and legs....could they have made those joints/hinges any tighter?!?!?

[Metal_Massacre_79]

My wife was so nice to me this weekend. Not only did she not make me go visit the in-laws, but she picked up a Classics Starscream at the Walmart for me. Now the kid and I are missing Megatron and Cliffjumper and the set is complete.

[Chindenathus]

for real. what was the point of making so you have to hold the button down?

lego did the same stupid thing with those light up lightsabers figs, its a cool feature but they made impossible to have fun with.

It's pressure switch so you don't run the risk of burning the LED out,

just like MP:Convoy/Primes matrix chamber.

[JB0]

It's pressure switch so you don't run the risk of burning the LED out,

just like MP:Convoy/Primes matrix chamber.

That makes no sense, given LEDs last pretty much forever.

The batteries are what prevent you from burning the LED out.

[Fit For Natalie]

Load bearing legs? How much does the toy weigh? Half a pound at most? Must be some pretty weak plastic.

It has to do with stress and how much it can take during play and transformation (kids toys are supposed to take a hell of a beating). The process of vacuum-metalisation substantially weakens the plastic, making it more brittle. When vac-metal plastic snaps, its EXTREMELY SHARP, which is why Hasbro has been avoiding it on toys with thin parts, such as the smokestacks on 20th Anniversary Prime.

That makes no sense, given LEDs last pretty much forever.

The batteries are what prevent you from burning the LED out.

Obviously then its a pressure switch because people might forget to shut it off if it was a regular switch. Probably also to prevent it being accidently turned on while being assembled or packed in the factory.

[GobotFool]

It has to do with stress and how much it can take during play and transformation (kids toys are supposed to take a hell of a beating). The process of vacuum-metalisation substantially weakens the plastic, making it more brittle. When vac-metal plastic snaps, its EXTREMELY SHARP, which is why Hasbro has been avoiding it on toys with thin parts, such as the smokestacks on 20th Anniversary Prime.

Obviously then its a pressure switch because people might forget to shut it off if it was a regular switch. Probably also to prevent it being accidently turned on while being assembled or packed in the factory.

I always wondered why chromed plastic sucked. Know I know.

[Chindenathus]

That makes no sense, given LEDs last pretty much forever.

The batteries are what prevent you from burning the LED out.

If there isn't a resistor in the circuit and/or the batteries fluctuate(+)

it can rapidly burn out a LED.

(+)Which they do over their lifetime , quite a bit in fact if they are

cheaply made batteries.)