I sorta get what you're saying but still not quite 100% so... so just fill me in more clearly.

 

The original molds of the transformers where made in the 70's under various banners... mostly Diaclone, Microman, and Micro-Change right? You say that Takara owned these companys at the time. And that Hasbro owned Takara. Is that correct?

 

Now I'm comparing how this works as to how stuff works around where my job is. I do artwork for a company.... that company is owned by a much larger company... we work completely independant of there influence. Our company this year made a #@$load of money... but the parent corporation lost alot of dough. We are considering buying our way OUT of this relationship and instead just being partners with our current parent company.

 

Translating that to Transformers... I see something else. I'm seeing at as we are Diaclone... our parent company Takara. If our parent company felt like objecting in our buisness they probably can... and if we continue to kicka$$ we feel they just might. Our buisness is black and white... they want to go full color. That's good.

But now go back to how I keep seeing the Diaclone/Takara relationship. The parent company (takara) may have said, "hey... you where doing good making those little lisenced car things on your own, but now we think we're gonna step in and you're gonna make futuristic things".

 

Make sense?

 

I don't know... I'm still not understanding the facts enough to see it how you are...

 

 

Hasbro didn't own Takara back then at all they just got the rights for the molds back then. That is my point the whole time.

Takara didn't kill G1, Hot rod killed G1

*sings*"You've got the touch..."

 

If memory serves me correctly, Kup was designed in the US... so Hasbro are at least partially responsible.

 

Not that i mourn the loss. IMO Bt's wipe the floor with the original cars :-)

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Dude, Video games killed Transformers and a lot of other lines at the time.

 

Nintendo and subsequently SNES and Genesis were the reasons that kids moved away from toys to a new flashy and definately exciting form of entertainment.

 

And further, I remember loving the new style of Transformers. I don't think I ever wanted any TF more than FortMax, Misfire, and Pointblank.

Takara = toy company

 

Diaclone = toy line

Not trying to be a jackass bout it, so please don't take it as such. I'm just trying to fill you in.

And no, you're not being a jackass at all... you seem to know something I don't but you're unfortunately not reaching me...

 

If you can, type a bit more understandable maybe, and of course lemme know where you get your facts from (like what year Hasbro aquired Takara or if Microman was under Takara banner then but isn't now, stuff like that)

 

I've seen ALOT of posters come in an spout stuff off as fact and the written word and be proved wrong 'cause they just believe what they hear. No, I am not doubting you AT ALL... but I'm not a big believer of "word of mouth" when it comes to transformers without a source is all.

Hasbro didn't acquire Takara until Takara went into Financial Trouble.

 

Click Here for More Insight

 

That explains some stuff. Back then Hasbro didn't own Takara at all. Takara was completely independent from Hasbro.

I think what "killed" G1 was the post-TF:TM figures. No longer were the TF familiar cars, planes, etc. Now they were all futuristic looking and that may well have been good for a sub-line, but not for the main line. The construction methods were all different and it almost seems like they used lower-quality materials and the figures seemed more like they were designed for "kids" where the original 84 and 85 figures, while not sleek or elegant by any stretch of the imagination, they at least were reasonably detailed , had decent construction, and were fun for kids and "bigger" kids alike.

 

TF were "robots in disguise". The post TF:TM ones were not really disguised as anything familiar.

 

Then to compound the issue, they started with the gimmicks - MAsters lines, PRetenders, Micromasters, etc. The gimmicks eventually killed it as they all got more and more outlandish until they finally made TFs that didn't transform (Action Masters).

 

To borrow a phrase, TF "jumped the shark" when Optimus Prime died. The rest was all downhill. The new toys to replace the old ones just didn't live up to the same feelings and "standards" as the original ones. Fans loved the originals not only because of the cartoon, but the toys themselves. Why do you think htere are homages and Alternators and such of Hound, Jazz, Silverstreak, Sideswipe, Wheeljack, etc. We liked those characters, have cherished memories of them, and still enjoy them to this day. I doubt that we'll ever see any such thing for the likes of Cloudraker, Mindwipe, Apeface, or Bludgeon, just to name a few.

 

It's not one thing that "killed" G1, it was a series of misfortunes that lead to its downfall. Although if I had to name one cause, it would have been Arrogance. Corporate Arrogance. Hasbro thought that they could just do whatever they wanted with the line and we would all follow like blind sheep. They did it and we didn't all follow.

 

Chris

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hey hey, you're entitled to like your opinion of '86+ characters fine... let's not turn this into a "WHAT killed G1" thread though... we have those... let's keep it more to I think "Takara Killed G1" and I'm looking for the facts to prove otherwise here...

 

...as stated in the very begining topic, outside forces also effected the decline of G1... but I am (for the moment at least) still under the impression that a chain event caused by Hasbros decsicion to have directly Takara (and not one of there under-companies) do Tranformers is what killed G1 and forced the "furturistic" change in climate which sprialed into everything.

But you don't understand the situation properly. Takara produced EVERY pre-movie TF (except for Omega Supreme, and the Deluxe Autobots / Insecticons). There was no change. The change came in the design decision *someone* made to shift TFs to a more "futuristic" look.