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Post by Llama God on Feb 15, 2015 19:48:04 GMT
And a much-belated: Thanks Phil! from me, too. (It's taken me this long to clear the Magnus drool off my keyboard...)
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 15, 2015 21:29:23 GMT
Tiny Titans were mentioned in a press release on Friday with street date of March. Presumably series 3.
Many thanks, Phil. The Hub was the go-to place this weekend to see what was happening Toy Fair wise .
-Ralph
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Hero
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
King of RULES!
Everything Rules
Posts: 7,506
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Post by Hero on Feb 16, 2015 11:09:23 GMT
New Hasbro products summarized on figures.com in show/press photos. Would have posted on New pics thread, but this seemed to be more immediately a Toy Fair thing. www.figures.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=19322Sold on the press/stock imagery of the new Minicons. Can someone also bring me up to speed on who Minimus is? |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 16, 2015 14:47:37 GMT
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Post by Shockprowl on Feb 17, 2015 16:55:52 GMT
So what didn't we see at the Toy Fair that we wanted to see?
The CW Autobots (inc Prowl). Scattershot.
It was a bloody good Fair though wasn't it?! I can't remember one as exciting!
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 17, 2015 17:17:03 GMT
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Post by Shockprowl on Feb 17, 2015 19:37:06 GMT
So quite a bit we didn't see. When's the next big reveal-a-rama likely to be?
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Post by Pinwig on Feb 17, 2015 20:04:53 GMT
Botcon I think? I can imagine the car limbs are being kept for that as it seems fitting to reveal those well known names there. Mid June.
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Post by Llama God on Feb 17, 2015 20:09:48 GMT
So what do you think they're holding back for SDCC..?
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Post by Pinwig on Feb 17, 2015 20:24:23 GMT
What did we see there last year and when did it eventually come out? Bruticus perhaps?
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Post by Llama God on Feb 17, 2015 20:39:17 GMT
Didn't we get our first proper look at Combiner Wars at SDCC? We'd been told about it previously, but didn't have anything concrete to go on until then..?
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 17, 2015 21:51:14 GMT
Teased at Botcon, Revealed at SDCC
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Post by Toph on Feb 17, 2015 22:14:58 GMT
Yeah, they showed us CW toys at botcon, without telling us they were CW.
It still irritates me that THE official TF convention is nothing more than a teaser for SDCC, now.
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Feb 17, 2015 23:01:23 GMT
There is no business sense for Hasbro to make big reveals at Botcon. The audience that goes there is likely to buy stuff anyways (we've seen it with the way that despite how shitty Fun Pub are to their customers, they still fork out the cash), it makes sense to make the reveals elsewhere. Also the audience at things like Toyfair or SDCC is far greater than Botcon.
I know it's the official TF convention and all, but (and I am avoiding going on my typical rant about Fun Pub here) but Hasbro know they have an audience at these things already disposed to buy the product. Elsewhere, they have to fight a bit more, so revealing the likes of Magnus and the like elsewhere is the better business decision.
Andy
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Post by Toph on Feb 17, 2015 23:36:26 GMT
Now I don't buy that logic. The TF fans watch botcon like a hawk, specifically for this.
The people who watch SDCC don't necessarily keep up with the fan circuits. Because it got revealed to the people who keep them in jobs, doesn't mean the more casuals that come in for SDCC will bother to know what got showed at botcon.
Those of us who've dedicated 30 years to this hobby, what's the point in paying attention to what hasbro says at our own convention, if they're going to show all that AND MORE a few weeks down the line?
Kind of a shitty way to treat the people who give you the most money, if you ask me. At best it's a sidestep that doesn't gain them any more publicity than they would have, already. At worst you undermine your own convention and your licensee's business.
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Feb 17, 2015 23:44:27 GMT
The honest answer is, because TF fans are not their core target market. If the fanbase that did Botcon's and other TF cons was enough that the line was a smash year upon year then Hasbro would cater solely to that, but it's not. It's a cold hard business decision. We will always be there and they can count upon a certain level of dollars from us, but that's far short of what they want and need to have.
More toys are bought for children than fans, Hasbro would be mugs to not ensure they are getting maximum exposure by going elsewhere.
Also Botcon might be the official convention, but it's pretty much a North American affair due to costs and the like for the rest of the world getting there. Transformers is a global brand and Hasbro want as many eyeballs on them as possible.
Hasbro as a business does not care about how long you have dedicated to the Hobby (not attacking you, they don't give a fuck about my 30 years either!) it's about making money. While there may be employees within the brand that do care about the fans, the company's bottom line is to make money.
Andy
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 18, 2015 0:15:34 GMT
Happened last year. The end of line bits at Botcon, a hint of Superion and a full reveal at SDCC
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Post by Toph on Feb 18, 2015 1:00:52 GMT
The honest answer is, because TF fans are not their core target market. If the fanbase that did Botcon's and other TF cons was enough that the line was a smash year upon year then Hasbro would cater solely to that, but it's not. It's a cold hard business decision. We will always be there and they can count upon a certain level of dollars from us, but that's far short of what they want and need to have. More toys are bought for children than fans, Hasbro would be mugs to not ensure they are getting maximum exposure by going elsewhere. Also Botcon might be the official convention, but it's pretty much a North American affair due to costs and the like for the rest of the world getting there. Transformers is a global brand and Hasbro want as many eyeballs on them as possible. Hasbro as a business does not care about how long you have dedicated to the Hobby (not attacking you, they don't give a fuck about my 30 years either!) it's about making money. While there may be employees within the brand that do care about the fans, the company's bottom line is to make money. Andy But children do not moniter sdcc, either. So ther con reveals ARE intended for the adult fan audience. |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 18, 2015 8:06:10 GMT
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 18, 2015 8:43:45 GMT
I always thought the point of conventions for hobbies was just to have fun being around people and guests to do with that hobby and immerse yourself in it for a few days rather than demand reveals about X, Y or Z but perhaps I am an odd one out.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 18, 2015 8:53:58 GMT
Hasbro have effectively treated it as a second Toyfair for a while now.
It'd be interesting to work out when the change occurred. New Star Wars product was being shown there in 1997, possibly 96, I can't remember when TFs started being shown.
SDCC is just a money making juggernaut these days.
Problem is Botcon is just a few weeks before SDCC usually. So any big announcements Hasbro has are more likely to be saved for the second show.
Last year we saw Brainstorm, the fembots and CW Optimus for the first time.... And Optimus they hid the key feature on! There was a teaser picture for Superion but can I find it on the forum? No.
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Post by Toph on Feb 18, 2015 17:12:14 GMT
You ARE right about the Superion teaser. I remember that happening. I think it was either silhouette or no pictures allowed.
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Post by Pinwig on Feb 18, 2015 17:16:40 GMT
Good summary of the event including that teaser picture here |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 19, 2015 11:13:46 GMT
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 20, 2015 20:29:21 GMT
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Post by Shockprowl on Feb 20, 2015 20:34:55 GMT
Damn, that was one great Fair. Why has this fair stuck in my mind more than any other? Aside from the fact it's just happened?
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 20, 2015 21:18:54 GMT
Lots of nice surprises relating to a line which has universally got off to a great start. It's been a while since a line (CW) has been so well received.
-Ralph
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Post by Shockprowl on Feb 21, 2015 19:48:59 GMT
Why has Combiner Wars energized all our turbo-chargers so? More than than any other TF line, arguably.
It was a great era of 'The Transformers' back in the day. High nostalgia factor. But also an extremely playtastic concept, and not undecently executed. (I've just answered my own question).
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Post by Pinwig on Feb 21, 2015 20:01:30 GMT
For me it's the collectability and completability as well as the simple fact that combiners are fun and we haven't had any good ones in the CHUG line before. There are sets to complete that make displays. T30 in comparison was the Battlestar Galactica of Transformers lines, a ragtag fleet of random figures in search of a home. They were all jolly good, but apart from being linked by (sometimes forced) appearances in the comics there was no connection. Sure they make a nice display of 30 years of Transformers, but they don't actually make a playset. I don't want one Headmaster, if you're doing that I want the four core Autobots. Don't do Springer and Sandstorm without Broadside.
Before that you're dealing with a range that tried to encompass everything and update it. With CW you can say, right, I've got the four special teams, Devastator and other assorted Voyagers and I've got a self contained complete set. Like an adventure happening in the TF world that doesn't need every character present to make it feel complete.
I bought all four wave one limbs in one hit off Amazon in a panic back in the early days of CW wondering how available they would be in the UK. But if wave two is following through into shops as it now seems we might get, I'm not doing that. I'm sticking one in the shopping basket each week. Collect and build!
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Post by Shockprowl on Feb 21, 2015 20:14:24 GMT
....T30 in comparison was the Battlestar Galactica of Transformers lines, a ragtag fleet of random figures in search of a home. HA HAAA!!! OH BRILLAINT ANALOGY! |
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