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Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 24, 2024 7:05:24 GMT
GENERATIONSKINGDOMWAVE 1Optimus Prime
Rattrap
Vertebreak WAVE 2Starscream
Megatron WAVE 3Soundwave
Dracodon (REPAINT) WAVE 4Autobot Hot Rod LEGACYWAVE 1Autobot Hot Rod (package refresh from Kingdom)
Iguanus
Skywarp (REPAINT) WAVE 2G2 Universe Megatron (REPAINT)
Optimus Prime (package refresh from Kingdom)
Shockwave WAVE 3Bomb-Burst
Soundwave (package refresh from Kingdom) EVOLUTIONWAVE 1Dinobot Sludge
Dinobot Slug
Soundblaster (REPAINT) WAVE 2Bomb-Burst (package refresh from Legacy)
Grimlock
Nemesis Prime (REPAINT)
Thundercracker (REPAINT) WAVE 3Dinobot Scarr
Starscream (package refresh from Kingdom)
Dinobot Swoop WAVE 4Optimus Prime (package refresh from Kingdom)
Dinobot Snarl UNITEDWAVE 1Infernac Universe Bouldercrash
Energon Universe Megatron
Beast Wars II Universe Tasmania Kid WAVE 2Cheetor WAVE 3Energon Universe Galvatron (REPAINT)
Infernac Universe Geocron (REPAINT) WAVE 4Beast Wars Dinobot - tmukhub.proboards.com/post/495034/thread - believed cancelled OtherLegacy United Soundwave with Ravage, Buzzsaw and SS86 Toy Colours Frenzy ExclusivesBuzzworthy Bumblebee Bumblebee & Spike
Pulse Optimus Prime, with Trailer, and Bumblebee STUDIO SERIES2022WAVE 1Shockwave (Bumblebee)
Ravage (Bumblebee) WAVE 2Exo-Suit Spike Witwicky (The Transformers: The Movie) WAVE 3Autobot Ratchet (The Transformers: The Movie)
Autobot Wheelie (The Transformers: The Movie) WAVE 4Laserbeak (Dark of the Moon)
Decepticon Rumble (Blue) (The Transformers: The Movie) 2023WAVE 5Arcee (Rise of the Beasts)
Terrorcon Freezer (Rise of the Beasts) WAVE 6Ironhide (The Transformers: The Movie) WAVE 7Bumblebee (Dark of the Moon) WAVE 8Decepticon Frenzy (Red) (The Transformers: The Movie)
Noah Díaz Exo-Suit (Rise of the Beasts)
Terrorcon Novakane (Rise of the Beasts) 2024WAVE 9Decepticon Mohawk (The Last Knight)
Concept Art Decepticon Rumble (Bumblebee) WAVE 10Starscream (Bumblebee) WAVE 11Steeljaw (The Transformers: The Movie)` WAVE 12Concept Art Decepticon Frenzy (Bumblebee) ExclusivesPerceptor with Ramhorn & Ratbat
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jun 20, 2024 7:33:40 GMT
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 20, 2024 7:53:44 GMT
As I rarely see Core Class in actual shops, I won't be able to tell!
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jun 20, 2024 8:36:24 GMT
That's probably part of the problem.
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Post by Benn on Jun 20, 2024 9:42:17 GMT
Some of the kingdom stuff is still shelfwarming in my local, and as far as I can tell it never goes on sale. The SS86 ones disappear pdq though.
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Post by Toph on Jun 20, 2024 10:05:07 GMT
I see tons of them. But it's always the same three or four figures, in huge quantities, from a year ago.
Honestly? There are two problems.
1. 80% of the core class are just shrunk down "big" guys. It's very repetitive and redundant. They may do like... Eight core class figures in a line, and three of them are "original." The rest are just mini Optimus Prime, mini Starscream, and such. It's an entirely different scale that has a limited appeal.
Kingdom: Eight core class releases. Only two of them (Rattrap and Vertebreak/Dracodon) weren't miniaturized versions of characters who have other recent toys.
Legacy: Eight. Two unique molds (Iguanus and Bomb-Burst). The rest shrunk downs, and three of those are just rereleases from Kingdom.
Evolution: TWELVE releases.
Only one unique new entry: the ankylosaur. Bomb-Burst got a package refresh. Two other Kingdom refreshes, and a repaint of a mold that has been consistently available for two years (soundblaster). And the Dinobots are a controversial entry, whether they could cound as unique or not, since they have had two much better sized and designed sets of recent toys. One of which did the same gimmick these do.
United: This set is interesting. Only six (so far), no package refreshes or repaints from earlier lines. And none are characters you can get normal sized toys of easily. But two are repaints from within this line, so four unique molds, and four unique designs. Two are shrunk down big guys, but again, ones without alternatives, though one does actually scale well with "normal" sized figures (Cheetor).
So honestly? It's a better balance.
I'm not going to break down Studio Series cores, because it's more complicated, but still follows these beats.
2. The way they package them.
Wave 1: 3
Wave 2: 1-2 (usually 1 new figure, with carrying over some W1)
Wave 3: 1-2
Wave 4: 1-2
This results in a lot of frontloading. And almost ensuring that wave 1 will prevent one from finding wave 3 or 4.
And this combination makes it much more difficult to be excited about this class, than it is for the larger classes.
And it's so small, that the rare times we do get a character that makes sense in the class, it's usually still too small for the character (Rattrap). Others only work because there are no other options (Iguanus and Bomb-Burst.)
"Oh. It's another tank Megatron. Just really small." It's hard to be excited about that, when you're getting Detritus, Silverbolt, Vector Prime, Magmatron in the larger size classes.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jun 20, 2024 10:27:57 GMT
The size class has had a bit of an identity problem where it can't decide if it's small versions of larger characters or smaller characters. Legends went through a similar phase early on in T30, into CW, before settling on being smaller characters
It's been too expensive at times, touching £13 here at one point before coming back down to £11. And even then that's probably too much for what you're getting
Most of the size classes have been stable for a very long time. But this sub deluxe Basic/Legends/Core class, all variations on a theme has been rebooted several times with Minicon 3 packs and Micomaster 2 packs temporarily replacing it.
I'm pretty sure it'll be back at some stage under another different name.
Dinobot is still to be unveiled for Legacy and there's a Studio Series Core MV6 Frenzy. We know Core Toy Colour Frenzy is in with Soundwave and SS86 Ramhorn & Ratbat are packed with Perceptor as a Voyager next year, presumed planned single releases that never made it out.
And the Dinoking Pulsecon boxset
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jun 20, 2024 10:42:06 GMT
I see tons of them. But it's always the same three or four figures, in huge quantities, from a year ago. Which ones? The main toy retailer here, Smyths, doesn't carry the size class The Entertainer and Toymaster affiliated shops DO. The Entertainer has had it sporadically, not all assortments and frequently at some way behind the main line releases over both Generations and Studio Series |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jun 20, 2024 11:06:35 GMT
That's probably part of the problem. Well part of the problem HERE, which has got some more major problems with TF distribution and a lack of Supermarket presence from Hasbro in general |
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Post by Jim on Jun 20, 2024 14:00:52 GMT
Over here they're primarily stocked in shops like Müller and Rossmann - they're kind of like Superdrug or Boots but without pharmaceuticals - and they often end up on deep discount before they sell.
They're definitely too expensive, but I'm not sure that they're disproportionately expensive next to the other size classes? That said I did notice that the most recently announced core class releases have a lower RRP, €11,99 rather than €14,99 on Hasbro Pulse and that doesn't apply to the other classes.
Personally I think as a class it's all over the place for reasons people have already gone into, but there are some real absolute gems in there - Iguanus & Soundwave spring immediately to mind. Nicely designed and easy to pick up and fiddle with. There's a niche for that kind of toy, I think, but core class doesn't seem to have found it.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jun 20, 2024 16:02:55 GMT
That's probably part of the problem. Well part of the problem HERE, which has got some more major problems with TF distribution and a lack of Supermarket presence from Hasbro in general The problem HERE is there shouldn't be an apostrophe in the thread title as you're using 'its' in its possessive sense. Problem fixed. Carry on! Martin |
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Post by Shockprowl on Jun 20, 2024 17:53:55 GMT
Core Class has been partitioned amongst the Great Powers!
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 20, 2024 20:58:33 GMT
Points of order:
1: Do we actually know Core Class has been canned other than one guy on a message board saying so? Has this rumour been sourced?
2: If true, we are in 2024 and not 2025 so it hasn't met any kind of demise yet.
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 20, 2024 21:01:40 GMT
Has Dinoking ever been confirmed?
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jun 20, 2024 21:02:18 GMT
One very reliable guy who's been right on nearly everything for the last five or so years.
His track record is exceptional
It's absence from any sort of 2025 listing leak has been noticeable for some time
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jun 20, 2024 21:03:28 GMT
Has Dinoking ever been confirmed? -Ralph |
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 20, 2024 21:03:57 GMT
So who is this guy? Does he work in the industry? What's his real name?
-Ralph
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Jun 20, 2024 21:05:44 GMT
Phil.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jun 20, 2024 21:08:49 GMT
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Post by Llama God on Jun 21, 2024 7:04:35 GMT
I am unsurprised by this. As well as the afore-mention identity issues, Core class is just too expensive for what it is. Given the size differences between these and Deluxes these should be sub-£10 toys, but they very rarely are. It's bad enough when they're £11.99 each, but considering how many of these won't appear in shops but have to be bought online, meaning you have to add postage costs, too, they're just not worth it.
Admittedly my local FP has been quite good at getting these in, but when you can see them on shelves next to similarly-priced Ninja Turtle figures, for example, you do have to wonder if they're really worth it. And they're mostly not.
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 21, 2024 7:50:07 GMT
But will Hasblowwww take the lesson that overcharging and distribution were the problems?
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jun 21, 2024 7:51:18 GMT
No, of course not
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 21, 2024 9:00:29 GMT
I was never able to get Thundercracker or Nemesis Prime anywhere.
I only ever saw them once and that was at this year's Manchester Minicon. A seller had them for £40 each...and they sold!
-Ralph
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Post by Benn on Jun 21, 2024 12:45:48 GMT
That's Hasbro's problem then, they weren't charging enough!
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Post by shaggydave76 on Jun 21, 2024 14:41:17 GMT
Too many Core Class figures were like Happy Meal toys. The quality just wasn't there.
If you still want high quality small Core Class sized figures, you can't go wrong with Dr. Wu.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jun 21, 2024 15:48:30 GMT
Overpriced 3P stuff, no thank you.
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Post by Pinwig on Jun 21, 2024 20:35:07 GMT
I always thought Core class was Hasbro's reaction to the popularity of the 3P legends scene anyway. At the point Core class started, 3P Legends were huge.
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 21, 2024 21:32:15 GMT
What is often overlooked is that having key characters at a lower price point helps to reach other demographics. Not everyone has £55 for an Optimus Prime toy. Having a cheaper Optimus Prime etc can suit lower budgets for kids/parents. Having a lower point of entry is a sensible thing for any toy brand to have.
The price point was too high and distribution was too poor for Core but the idea was solid.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jun 21, 2024 21:57:17 GMT
Another head scratcher was the combined weapon in Legacy.
Parts replaced other guns with Iguanus, Hot Rod & Skywarp. While I'd struggle to say what weapon Iguanus has - is it something to do with the the bike wheels? - Hot Rod's are well known and Skywarp's Null Rays are integral to his overall look!
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Post by Benn on Jun 22, 2024 7:37:57 GMT
Combining weapons was the thing for Legacy W1 though. Hasbro were just maintaining the line-wide gimmick across all the price points. I don't see much mystery there.
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