What would you do if you were in charge at hasbro

[Smokescreened]

I would improve the distrubution of the franchise outside of the US, we tend to miss out on quite a few here in the UK.

 

Also the quality control team would be improved since many TF's are released in poor condition. Plus a lot of those who do amazing custom work would be hired to design the products, they've clearly shown that they have the ability to design some amazing TF's that should be for retail.

[bugstomper1973]

I'd bring back the Alternator's line, except make it more G1 accurate. Vehicles such as Arcee, Kup and Hot Rod would keep their cybertronian look but apdated with alternators scale and articulation. Characters such as Optimus, Megatron and other big hitters would be apart of the line but in Masterpiece form.

Awesome! You're hired! :tflaugh

 

I love the Alts (working on a 1/24 G1 Sideswipe kitbash as we speak) but the line could have done with some more imagination. Instead of just all sports cars, expand it to include military vehicles like tanks; construction vehicles (yep you know who); fire and rescue; trucks like Huffer/Gears; minivans/people carriers for Ironhide/Ratchet...and, as you say, cybertronian cars.

 

:agree

 

except for the the working on my own kitbashed Sideswipe! The Alternators were by far and away the greatest Transformer idea in the last 10 years!

 

 

Oh and I'd hire the guys at FansProject! Cause damn their stuff is SWEET!!!!

[formerly nortagem]

Just thought about something else...one thing that I would CONTINUE TO DO WITHOUT CHANGES is to keep using the magnificently updated STRING TIES instead of those annoyingly destructive, overused, plastic twisties! Still happy about that one! :D

[O-Packs]

Guns.G1 style abundance of weaponry.(with weapon storage)

 

QC.Crappy molds end today.

 

Upgrade kits.Give fans the choice to enhance enjoyment of the fig.

 

Universe/generations/classics.Main line treatment all classes scouts,deluxe,voyager,etc.

 

Big tfs.Omega Supreme, Trypticon, Combiners sold as sets.Pricey but lets have a proper six con Devestator.Predaking made of deluxes.(dream with me)

 

G.I.JOE Crossovers.What are they waiting for.

 

Bayformers. I'm at a loss on this one. Can't live with'em can't make excess cash from movie publicity w/o.Dance with the devil I suppose. A necessary

evil.But not to the point of outrage or at the expense of better lines.

 

BeastMachines/wars.Never again.

 

Gobots. Never should have stopped this line was rock solid and my kids love them(no guns ofcourse)

 

ServiceCanada. Because i'd actulally like to see some of this stuff.

 

Shipping. Tighten up the schedule. It takes too long, just too long.

 

I'm sure there is more but this should suffice for now.

[megatron103]

if i was in charge i would put an end to the retelling of the g1 story, instead continue the story creating a true 2nd generation where the focus is on new characters with old ones making cameos or dying off.have great writers; create a toy line using the classic/universe/generation scaling. revamp the collectors club into a fansproject type of thing. hire frenzy_rumble

[Rodimus-Maximus]

if i was in charge i would put an end to the retelling of the g1 story, instead continue the story creating a true 2nd generation where the focus is on new characters with old ones making cameos or dying off.have great writers; create a toy line using the classic/universe/generation scaling. revamp the collectors club into a fansproject type of thing. hire frenzy_rumble

 

 

This is my main change I would make.

Someone please toss Megs and Op in a nearby coffin(After a mighty battle) and seal that coffin with some sortof sealing spell(or Jitsu what have you) so they can't come back to life or be reincarnated. Let's get new characters.

 

That being said...I would like to see actual deluxe/Voyager/leader class figures made out of the H/M/V series. The leaders like Star Saber and Death Saruas were Supreme size and don't fit into today' stoylines. And since these shows have not been shown in America...

 

I would push to aquire distribution rights to these shows and have the english redubbed in qualified actors (but not by FUNimation).

 

I love the idea of the TFmovies straight to DVD....I buy much of the Batman animated features and I think TF can learn and benefit from this idea.

 

I would like to see more variations of the Transformers, it does not have to bee G1 inspired, just not MBverse please(IMO)

 

I would continue the Classic line with adding figures that may have had a good figure in the past, but are needed to complete the line.

[Superconductor]

Just thought about something else...one thing that I would CONTINUE TO DO WITHOUT CHANGES is to keep using the magnificently updated STRING TIES instead of those annoyingly destructive, overused, plastic twisties! Still happy about that one! :D

 

Gotta disagree on this at least a little---those new paper string ties are the devil's work---incredibly tough to cut and just as annoying or moreso to untie as the metal/plastic types---and they're actually tied in knots that won't slip to untie! How about some Japanese style clam-shells instead---just get rid of the cards altogether.

[Neologan]

I would create a division that would create 'voted on On-Demand' figures. I kinda picture it working like this

 

Lets say this division comes up with an idea to create the Stunticons in the Alternator/MP scale complete with merging to create Menasor.

 

The designs are CG initially to show the customers what the toys will look like. You, the fan, go to , oh I dunno, HasbroSkunkWorks.com and the CG designs are there for you to view. Multiple angles, robot and vehicle mode. Weapons, attachments, the whole nine. At this point, nothing exists in the real world.

 

The fanbase can offer suggestions for tweeking, then the 'final' designs are then posted.

 

The cost to make the toy is figured out and there is a 'magic number' that needs to be met in the number of orders to create a certain price point.

 

Here's the sticky part.

 

You would need to 'put your money where your mouth is' and put a refundable portion of the cost for the one figure that you are voting 'Yes' to have this toy made. Say the price is $30.00 Alternator's type Stunticon, $60.00 MP type Motormaster. You'd have to put down 15% of the figure. This money goes toward the purchase of the figure when it's made and if the 'magic number' is not hit, then you will have you're money refunded to you or put toward another 'on-demand' figure, your choice.

 

This would provide Hasbro with a count of who in the fan base wants the toy(s) and is willing to pay the amount listed.

 

I'd also have something where if there are a large number of fans that want a figure, but didn't hit the number, put it up again with a new price point to adjust for the new number. There would have to be some trust involved here (yeah, sure there were only 8,000 people interested and that's why it's $40 instead of $30).

 

I would think that this type of process in conjunction with the existing model, would work great.

 

I'm sure there's a lot of other logistics that would go into something like this that I haven't though of, but that's kinda it in a nut shell.

 

Also, I'd ask the Transformers, Transformers Crossover and GI Joe divisions why the HELL have we not made THIS crossover property. Transformers/GI Joe make the most sense to me. You can use Optimus, Bumblebee, Megatron, Starscream and have them be Joe vehicles. I don't think the price point would work for the vehicles to fit the Joes into the vehicles, unless you do something like Darth Vader/Death Star, but then that would have to be a special figure and not the entire run.

 

After all, who wouldn't want a Raven that changes into Starscream? :D

 

Hasbro, make it so.

[TheForgottenTaxi]

First, I'd cut down on the production of random movie-style toys with no connection to the fiction. Many of these are nice enough toys, but there are just plain too many of them to care about any given one. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sick of the endless retools or redesigns of the existing movie characters too, so maybe, just maybe, we should just cut down on the movie-style line entirely in the year between movies. Right now it seems as though at least 60% of the line is movie-style figures, which aren't very enticing now, and aren't going to make very good repaints or exclusives later.

 

I fail to see why there weren't more War for Cybertron toys. Seems like missing a golden opportunity. And as long as I'm the boss, this would include a Supreme WFC Omega Supreme. Screw it, I've only got this job for a day, who cares if it doesn't sell.

 

I would renegotiate the IDW contract to force them to lower the price of Transformer comics to $2.99. Come on, these are supposed to be advertisements for the brand, guys. It just makes sense to get more of them into the hands of more people.

 

And finally, Hasbro owns Wizards of the Coast. Why the hell haven't we gotten a good Transformer collectible game yet? The last one, the Constructable Strategy Game, was a joke. The designers had all of six weeks to work on it, and had the gimmicky constructions foisted on them. It's so mind-blowingly dumb. I'd love a HeroClix-style miniatures game, but a simple, good CCG would suffice. Include cards of the characters with their figures. There are tons of possibilities here. They have a great license and an unparalleled game division... why hasn't this happened?

[BurstEDO]

ALTERNATORS - Best line since G1...scratch that...Best. Line. EVER. The best way to monetize the line was to add to it.

• Expand it: Alternators were for big kids: Delicate parts, removable/small parts, complicated conversions.
• Create variation in the line for smaller tykes and big kids - Legends class through (Voyager?). $4 price points through $50.
• Combiners/Gestalts - One of the best custom projects I saw was the MP Prime/Alternators Menasor kitbash.
• Some Vehicle variation - I understand that the main focus of Alternators was the licensing with the auto-makers (hence, no Bumblebee VW). Keep the attention to detail but add variety - Military, Civilian, Prototypes, classics (Porche Jazz?)

 

 

TRIM THE MOVIE LINE - Too much peg-warming chaff.

• Use the Movie line to introduce consumers to the existing lines and tie them in together.
• Stop going full-retard with the movie lines: Another Prime with only 2 new features? A weak excuse for a Gestalt Prime? A Testicle-enhanced hulking Devastator with no personality? Countless "just because" characters that have a 1 second movie appearance - in vehicle form - as background?!
• Movie tie-in should have been handled similar to the WFC Game tie-in. Minimalist. Market the characters in the films that have a presence. No more.

 

LEARN FROM MISTAKES - "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

• The Optimus Prime/Megatron conflict was brought to a head and ended in "Transformers: The Movie" (1986) and was received poorly.
• Prime vs Megs is the core of the Transformers Hero/Villain dichotomy - Lesser characters don't have the appeal to the target audience. Young kids now are learning about Transformers from their parents. Optimus Prime is the iconic leader. Tell any side stories you want, but to remove Optimus from the mix is unwise. Transformers Season 3 (Rodimus Prime Arc) was a miserable failure both in the ratings and in sales. (FYI - HotRod/Rodimus Prime is my favorite leader character - but his non-Alternators, non-Masterpiece/Classics are trash.)
• Beast Wars was cute. Let it go. Those of us who were adults during it's time remember it for exactly what it was - filler. The love affair with the Beast Wars story and characters is futile.
• Generation 2 was the right idea with terrible execution. The colors were stupid and the firing weapons and the "electronic lights and sounds" gimmicks were over-the-top and unnecessary.
• Don't rewrite history: Headmasters/Masterforce/Victory/Zone should have been imported - intact. A/E/C was imported with only minimal tinkering.
• IF YOU WANT TO PRODUCE TRANSFORMERS WITH M.A.S.K. GIMMICKS, RE-LAUNCH M.A.S.K. INSTEAD. You heard me.
• PowerCore Combiners fall short because the "drones" are not characters - they're missing a vital play component for children. The other parts are just parts. There are no destructicons, just one character with sleeves and boots. Kids know this.

 

DEVELOP CLASSICS/GENERATIONS - Next best, all ages line with incredible and fresh designs that hold true to the source material (except Megatron...WTF?! A neon-green NERF gun?!)

• The seekers from this line have been gorgeous.
• Jetfire was the best hybrid between Macross Valkyrie and G1 cartoon Skyfire to date. Beautiful job!!
• Fan projects Ultra Magnus Armor, Prime Trailer and Rodimus Minor/Prime upgrade are the proof that the successful line is popular!!
• The iconic characters that were produced left us wanting more! (HOUND?! MIRAGE?! REALLY?! WHERE'S MY WHEELJACK, DAMMIT?!)
• Who DOESN'T want a Classics/Generations version of Superion/Menasor/Devastator/Defensor? And not a recolored release of the Energon versions...been there, done that...over it.

DEVELOP VIABLE ALTERNATE PROPERTIES - Why confine them to toys only?

• HASBRO/Wizards of the Coast - Create a team to study with the CCG division to develop a Collectible Gaming Property.
• Partner with another vendor for licensing (most cost efficient) and develop a Miniatures gaming property- how this hasn't happened yet is beyond me. Star Wars Minis, D&D minis, HeroClix are all viable examples. For the Non-collectible version, take notes regarding the Privateer Press games, Games Workshop, etc. I've often been tempted to develop Tabletop gaming rules for the TF property.
• WFC is the first example of a GOOD Transformers game. Armada was close, but not open-ended enough, too few characters, and the made-up, game exclusive mini-cons were over the top.
• The Transformers Edition Bumblebee Camaro was a great idea. Let's expand on that.