Transformers series - not just a toy advert

[primenova]

Which Transformers related line is the best that isn't just a straight toy advert. The original cartoon was looked at has just an advert for the toys - while if you watch the 3 part pilot & run down the list of characters featured that are not available at the time in toy format.

Most of the cartoons series are mainly toy advert based (so why placing this thread in here first - we can talk about the characters in the cartoon not toys)

This threda could be placed in comics because we had IDW 2005 series which had all character who where not available in that format for toys until 2008. When the comic started drawing the new toys in them & not the other way that we now get with phase 2. We can't really cover computer games because the 2 out had a toy range with them too - but not a full comic line.

Pilot characters not available in toy format
Sparkplug, Spike, Reflector trio looking like they do in the cartoon which isn't anything like the toys,

Armada pilot - we didn't have mini figures of the 3 kids. Or Minicon ship playset - because the minicon ship did play a big part in the pilot.

[primenova]

Could Hasbro do an whole cartoon series which didn't have a toyline for it? It could work if they had the toyline being Generations so they have toy sales. But maybe go with Cybertron planet key theme.

ie have Metroplex repainted a few times - green beast planet red speed planet. & repaints of toys Wasp, Green Optimus. Black metroplex with Scoruge being a con base. The cartoon would then end up being more Beast machines - has in the animation no way being able to have a toy range that looked like it.

Also another thing - none of the Generations toys (that I can think off) have featured in a cartoons series & only some of them got into IDW comics. So with that it was the character names selling the toys. Guzzle (who i want to see in cartoon someday) was too big to be IDW themed toy - his body should have been smaller.

[Toph]

Animated. The writers absolutely did not bind themselves to the toys, which usually left Hasbro constantly playing catch-up.

Their plots had nothing to do with what toy was or was not available.

[The Doctor]

Still existed to sell toys though. When the toy line went the show was pulled. Had Hasbro had any urge to keep it going after the toy range died they would have.

-Ralph

[Toph]

Well yeah, what more do you want though? ALL TF cartoons exist to sell toys, as far as Hasbro's concerned.
And the reason Animated toyline was killed was because they didn't want anything competing against the movie. And with hindsight, we now know the show was killed because Hasbro was developing The Hub, which would be a rival network.

Animated so far though has been the least connected to the toys.
Though I loathe aligned, Prime does come a close second. But they never used and character that didn't also have a toy planned. (I think Tailgate was probably planned, but cancelled in the rebrand to BH)
NuRID *might* be another animated in that as we've seen a bunch of decepticons that so far doesn't seem like Hasbro plans on making toys of.

Hasbro is not going to have a show that exists in a vacuum, without a toyline, to at least start it.
The best one can hope for is a situation like Animated where Hasbro doesn't step in and say "Here's the products we want to sell."

[Bogatan]

For sheer number of characters that weren't available as toys, Animated has to be least adverty.

[primenova]

I agree with everything with Animated too.