Transformers modern re-release assortment

[Philip Ayres]

For many years Star Wars has had a Greatest Hits line. It's called Legends and brings popular toys back to retail with little or no paint alterations and occasionally some extra goodies like a bag of guns. It's recieved better UK distribution than the main SW line in recent years and has even brought toys to the UK shelf that were missed out (shocking, would never happen to Transformers would it;-) )

Hasbro looks like they're getting interested in a similar idea: we've had Universe Starscream, Challenge at Cybertron, Battle in Space and RTS Bumblebee all returning toys to shelf as the original character.

So..... a deluxe wave is EIGHT toys. Which eight deluxe toys from.... well deluxe started with Beast Wars so we'll say from Beast Wars onwards would you return to retail with little or no paint alterations? we're not looking to repaint them so no Yellow Night Slash Cheetors or green & purple Armada Hoists as Scavenger. The original toy character.

Links to www.tfu.info/ if you'd like to show us the toys.

[The Huff]

Transmetal Rattrap deserves a re-release!

[Nigel]

As I've got most Deluxes anyway, rather than make a personal selection, I shall put my retailer's cap on for this one.

A Bay Bumblebee. (Just about any version really, though the Concept would be better than the '76. Although, we shall shortly have umpteen new Bumblebees, which reduces the appeal of this choice.)
ROTF Sideswipe. (But not Strike Mission Sideswipe.)
Just about anything from Classics/Universe/Generations. (Actually, I will select something personally here and say the Generations figures we haven't had, especially WFC.)
Just about anything from Animated.
I'd probably put something in from Beast Wars to test the market and see if that series has enough of a retro appeal yet.

[Bogatan]

Waspinator possibly one of the more show accurate repaints.
Bumblebee (Classic)
Jazz (RTS)
Supercon Prime or RTS Prime or WFC Prime or Animated Prime
Starscream (classic)
Soundwave (WFC)
TM Tarantuals
Cheetor

I can't think of a deluxe Megatron worth reissuing and I I could get a 2 pack of basics I'd stick in Rattrap and Terrorsaur instead of Cheetor or Tarantulas.

[blueshift]

Feb 25, 2011 17:31:52 GMT Bogatan said:

I can't think of a deluxe Megatron worth reissuing

I'd definately like a punt at the silver tank Megatron from universe!

[Bogatan]

Oh yeah that one looks ok I was just thinking of the green version.

[Philip Ayres]

Still isn't the world's greatest toy.

[Shockprowl]

Delux Galvatron?









HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

I'M ONLY JOKING!!!




This is a toughie. Maybe a fig from each line. Uni Prowl for sure, baby!

[Philip Ayres]

The subject came up in the Generations thread....

Do you think there's a market for a Transformers "Heroes" assortment? An updating range keeping many of the CHUG deluxe figures in circulation similar to the Star Wars Legends that ensured many popular figures stayed on the shelf.

Stick a few Autobot cars in, a couple of the jets/tripple changers. Maybe a couple of new repaints of existing toys, Universe style, to pad it out.

Would it work?

[blueshift]

I dunno. Many of the figures are ten a penny still on ebay. And even the ones that are expensive, well, churning out several thousand new ones will make the demand vanish instantly.

If it was like another (original) Universe line full of exciting and weird repaints, sure!

[The Doctor]

I could see it working but we live in a universe where most of Generations bypasses the UK so I can't see Hasbro UK bothering. Though the picture may change if the kiddy AOE line does gangbusters and retailers want more TF product.

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

May 2, 2014 19:11:32 GMT blueshift said:

I dunno. Many of the figures are ten a penny still on ebay. And even the ones that are expensive, well, churning out several thousand new ones will make the demand vanish instantly.

If it was like another (original) Universe line full of exciting and weird repaints, sure!

See I'm not sure Universe repaints would work by itself, though I think there's scope for it.

Having spent a while looking at recent toys on eBay most of the ones I'd like are rather vertically priced.

Put the two ideas together and you might have a winner

[kayevcee]

I wish there was enough cross-generational support for characters with a single look to sustain such a line but, alas, I don't think there is. Every year or other year, a small core of TF characters (Prime, Megatron, Starscream, Bumblebee, Ratchet, random others) get released in new forms. To anyone who was a TF-loving kid at the time, that is what "their" Optimus Prime, Megatron et al looks like so a line of supposedly definitive characters would only work for one section of the fanbase at a time. I think Hasbro made the right call by slotting G2, Beast Wars & Beast Machines characters into Generations rather than taking all their cues from the original line. Pack-in comics telling buyers who these guys are were a great idea. Removing them for sales outside the US was not

-Nick

[Toph]

I think best idea is instead of a full line dedicated to keeping certain toys in constant circulation, the best idea is to "dust off" a mold every so often and give it a same character redeco. The way they've done with Classics Bumblebee and Starscream.
Maybe they could label these "allstars" when they do.
Most characters at this point have alternate decos.
Though personally I'd prefer all new molds after a while, that takes an alternate approach to the design, or homages a different design of the character. Starscream for example, let the classics mold go! Great toy, character accurate, and so profitable they've obviously recreated it at least once, if not multiple times. But jeeze.
Give us a new "classics" mold, deluxe of voyager, based on EJ Su's design.
Classics optimus is also a great toy, and it's been a while since it's had a non-asian, non-con release. It's due for another shot. Or, maybe give us one closer to his iconic look?

Either way, i do think certain characters do need to make the rounds every few years, whether they're same character repaints of previous releases, or if they're all new molds.
But I don't think theres enough of a market for a consistent line. Adding an All-Star label for a rerelease of a popular mold is a happy medium, to me.

[Pinwig]

I'm not sure about this. Part of me thinks that a 'greatest hits' pulling from the whole of the CHUG canon as, I dunno, special edition versions of the best toy done for each character with spruced up paint jobs would be a nice line to follow if they were released in patterns that matched the G1 releases, but then again I think about that and wonder with Generations ongoing, who would buy it?

If the Generations line was rebooted and restarted with new figures, starting from the beginning of G1, I would go for that. I think toy technology has moved on enough in the last ten years that it would be worth revisiting characters that haven't had a toy for a while. I liked the idea of a Commander/Legion scale line with Masterpiece quality finishes.

But when it comes down to it, all these things have been done so many times. I'd get more excited about Generations doing things like Headmasters properly - get into the later G1 gimmicks. But we know that won't happen either. I think Hasbro would say the Thrilling 30 badged figures are a soft reboot of sorts - we had a Prime & Megatron to start with and it's clear under the T30 banner they're trying to do a retrospective of the whole history, currently at BW/BM with Rattrap and Tankor.

[Toph]

Will *NEVER* happen, but what would be cool would be sort of a "Legends of GPS" line dedicated to reissuing GPS afflicted toys with better plastics. Even if this was a direct-to-market sold only online kinda deal.