Still the same problem. Each figure would have cost two to three times the cost of a normal figure of their respective classes, if not more.

Meh. I can appreciate the amount of work that went into it but ROTF Devastator looks like such a mess to me that I just cant get excited about it. I'd really like that guy to explain how he made Hightower, that crabby Rampage (the yellow one with 4 legs that dont suck ass) and that other yellow Bulldozer.

 

Sigh.

 

*waits patiently for TransTech Scavenger*

I would too. I even asked about what he used for Hightower, and Scrapper, but he hasn't been forthcoming with a response.

The reason why Hasbro didn't was money. Such a figure would have cost too much to produce at that size and complexity, especially using all seven Constructicons. There's also the safety regulations that toys have to pass. Legends class figures are simpler by design, and thus it's easier to create a fully transforming set of Constructicons and still have them combine. Kitbashers don't have those kinds of limitations since we build one of a kind pieces which are then primarily models and not toys anymore, and certainly wouldn't pass the safety tests required under US child safety laws that toy companies have to follow. To create and mass produce a Supreme class Dvastator which could break down into seven fully transformable and articulated Constructicons, and have it pass all of the required child safety tests would be cost prohibitive. The final toy, if they did invest that kind of money, would end up costing the consumers (us) well over $200 to $300 US . It's simply not financially viable.

 

They could of just sold them seperately, and have each pieces of the instructions to combine with each constructicon. Lego did that with Bionicle so....

 

Still the same problem. Each figure would have cost two to three times the cost of a normal figure of their respective classes, if not more.

Sorry, no disrespect Tramp, but I don't buy any of this, particularly after the release of the Legends Devastator. First, just looking at Legends Dev...upscale those components, add a little more detail & complexity, and I'm convinced those will pass child safety laws. But to back up even further to pre-production, as Transformersaur suggests, Hasbro should have put together a marketing strategy...something like, one of seven Constructicons sold every month or every other month for $35 a piece (that would satisfy your range of between $200 - $300 dollars for the total combination). By now, every TF fan would have been able to buy one without severe financial burden, as well as Hasbro creating these without any financial loss. Quite the contrary, they'd make bank on this idea! And folks would obviously still buy them, as we're all still purchasing ROTF figures now! What it boils down to is that Hasbro didn't have the foresight, nor the drive, to design a creative way to produce a Supreme figure; but instead, chose to go the faster, get-it-out-the-door, less creative route. Now we could get into time constraints and deadlines, but that's another matter...I'd rather just keep this on the topic of reasonable plausability.

No. People from the general public are not going to spend $30 to $40 for a Deluxe class figure or even a Voyager class for their kids, not on the primary market. Sure, the "Hard core" fans might buy them, but that's only a small fraction of the market. The typical parent will not pay that much for a Deluxe or Voyager class toy.

 

Secondly, the more complexity you add to a figure, the more fragile it becomes. That is why the combiners are usually done at a smaller scale and tend to have very simple transformations per individual robot. Simplicity increases strength and durability. When you get as big as Supreme class Devastator, it just gets too problematic. It's too big to produce with fully transforming components without going way over the price point (this is also where time and deadlines come in) or failing the drop test, or both. There's just too much complex engineering needed to make it feasible. That is why the individual components are so simple in their construction. There's not a lot of moving parts in the limb bots (in particular). They're very solid structurally. This is because they need to support all that weight.

 

The Legends class figure can do it because it is small (and thus light weight) and the individual components have very simple transformations. This is also why the Energon combiners were made up of a single Deluxe class figure and four Scout class figures all with relatively simple transformations. That's also why the new Power Core Combiners (five packs) will likely use smaller class component bots, the largest probably being no larger than Deluxe class.

No. People from the general public are not going to spend $30 to $40 for a Deluxe class figure or even a Voyager class for their kids, not on the primary market. Sure, the "Hard core" fans might buy them, but that's only a small fraction of the market. The typical parent will not pay that much for a Deluxe or Voyager class toy.

 

Secondly, the more complexity you add to a figure, the more fragile it becomes. That is why the combiners are usually done at a smaller scale and tend to have very simple transformations per individual robot. Simplicity increases strength and durability. When you get as big as Supreme class Devastator, it just gets too problematic. It's too big to produce with fully transforming components without going way over the price point (this is also where time and deadlines come in) or failing the drop test, or both. There's just too much complex engineering needed to make it feasible. That is why the individual components are so simple in their construction. There's not a lot of moving parts in the limb bots (in particular). They're very solid structurally. This is because they need to support all that weight.

 

The Legends class figure can do it because it is small (and thus light weight) and the individual components have very simple transformations. This is also why the Energon combiners were made up of a single Deluxe class figure and four Scout class figures all with relatively simple transformations. That's also why the new Power Core Combiners (five packs) will likely use smaller class component bots, the largest probably being no larger than Deluxe class.

I respectfully disagree with your assumption that the 'general public' is unwilling to spend $35 on a Deluxe/Voyager, 'IF' the marketing campaign is executed in a similar fashion as what I've previously described. And hasn't the Legends Devastator figure (basically the size of a 'Deluxe') been produced for the 'general public' at a price point of $34? And it's selling...not to just the 'hard core' fans, but parents for kids (I've seen it with my own eyes!). And it's selling b/c of it's marketed gimmick (7-in-1!)...I'm proposing a similar marketing strategy.

 

Concerning the complexity, I'm not proposing making these into extremely complex pieces. I understand the basic physics of that, and why they can't be too complex. But actually, you've brought up a really good idea in turning to the example of the Energon combiners. I'd honestly be perfectly fine with a couple of core deluxe figures (Scavenger & Overload) with scouts as head & appendages! Scale has never been a big concern with Hasbro, and this would still tower over most of the voyager figures in the line. Also, this would actually lower the price of the individual pieces! We may have just stumbled upon a compromise, Tramp! :thumb

First off, the Legends class Devastator is not a Deluxe class figure. It's seven Legends class figures, each of which runs over $5.00 apiece Thus it is actually worth the $32.00 that Hasbro is charging. It's a lot more plastic, and a lot more toy than a single Deluxe class figure. You can't compare the two. It is not one toy, but a set of seven individual toys.

 

As for doing Scouts and two Deluxes, that might have worked, but then again, it might not. It still depends upon how complex and accurate to the movie characters the individual components were desired. That's why the Legends class figures are so simple in their transformations, and some aren't as accurate to the movie as they are at the larger sizes. My point is, using Deluxe class, Voyager class, and Leader class components is too big to Transform into individual robots and still combine without being either too fragile or too expensive, or both. Hasbro wanted Devastator to be the biggest bot of the entire line, thus he was built at Supreme class. At that size, transforming his components into individual bots cost effectively while maintaining structural durability so that it would pass child safety standards became impossible. We kitbashers don't have to concern ourselves with that, Hasbro does.

The seventh component is Overload. And yes, the electronics do add a lot of weight to the model.

I hate ROTF Devastator, but I love common sense. To me, Hasbro should have made 7 Deluxe class Constructicons or 5 Deluxes and 2 Voyagers, that could have robot modes and combine to form Devastator. End of story.

First off, the Legends class Devastator is not a Deluxe class figure. It's seven Legends class figures, each of which runs over $5.00 apiece Thus it is actually worth the $32.00 that Hasbro is charging. It's a lot more plastic, and a lot more toy than a single Deluxe class figure. You can't compare the two. It is not one toy, but a set of seven individual toys.

 

As for doing Scouts and two Deluxes, that might have worked, but then again, it might not. It still depends upon how complex and accurate to the movie characters the individual components were desired. That's why the Legends class figures are so simple in their transformations, and some aren't as accurate to the movie as they are at the larger sizes. My point is, using Deluxe class, Voyager class, and Leader class components is too big to Transform into individual robots and still combine without being either too fragile or too expensive, or both. Hasbro wanted Devastator to be the biggest bot of the entire line, thus he was built at Supreme class. At that size, transforming his components into individual bots cost effectively while maintaining structural durability so that it would pass child safety standards became impossible. We kitbashers don't have to concern ourselves with that, Hasbro does.

I never said it was a Deluxe figure, I'm comparing size...put him next to Rampage. I've got no quarums with the pricing of the Lengends Dev figure, again just making a size-to-price comparison. And it's not 'a lot' more plastic. And again, I'm not comparing figures, I'm comparing size.

 

Dude, we found a compromise, and you can't even agree on that! You really won't bend on the plausability of this, huh? Even when knowing this would totally work with Scouts/Deluxes, you want to start arguing about the Supreme figure and child safety standards again. Whatever...I'm done. :fire

 

I hate ROTF Devastator, but I love common sense. To me, Hasbro should have made 7 Deluxe class Constructicons or 5 Deluxes and 2 Voyagers, that could have robot modes and combine to form Devastator. End of story.

:agree