1) Comparing the Alts to collector cars is another bad example of why strict repaints should be acceptable.

 

Aren't they? Same issues are invovled - as far as the company making them goes. That's what you're not getting. The 'G1 purist fans' are, even for Alternators, nearly a negligible percentage of sales. There's a lot more 'cool transformer car' buys than 'cool Grimlock Alternator' buyers.

 

2) Making a new tranformation design out of another shell would not necessarily raise the cost of an Alt, especially if it supplants getting a brand new licensed vehicle.

 

Actually, it would cost around $250,000 - roughly - for the new design, plus an additional $15,000 for each retooled/remade part, please any legal fees for approval and licensing. Transformers are one of the most expensive development lines in toys, period - every new mold is a huge investment.

 

3) It's unnecessary for you to call me out as a whiner because I disagree with you.

 

No. It's just that you don't seem constructive (though I wasn't singling you out). You're saying something that's impossible financially for Hasbro to do, and declaring the death of the line because of it. IE, because you (and others) aren't getting what you (and they) want, specifically, you're wishing for the death of the Alternators line.

 

I don't have sympathy there. Sorry.

 

4) Ravage may be sold out in some areas because he's brand new and distribution blows, like with every other Alt. release.

 

Honestly, I've found every Alt in good numbers just finding them when I go grocery shopping, and that's in an area notorious for bad distribution. Alts are just one assortment per, though, which may make them LOOK worse, but they're getting spread as much as any other assortment in a Transformers line.

 

You may not LIKE Ravage, personally, and that's your right, but I've seen nothing compelling anywhere that implies that he's a figured 'loathed and reviled' by the public at large. Just the opposite, in fact.

1) Comparing the Alts to collector cars is another bad example of why strict repaints should be acceptable.

 

Aren't they? Same issues are invovled - as far as the company making them goes. That's what you're not getting. The 'G1 purist fans' are, even for Alternators, nearly a negligible percentage of sales. There's a lot more 'cool transformer car' buys than 'cool Grimlock Alternator' buyers.

 

2) Making a new tranformation design out of another shell would not necessarily raise the cost of an Alt, especially if it supplants getting a brand new licensed vehicle.

 

Actually, it would cost around $250,000 - roughly - for the new design, plus an additional $15,000 for each retooled/remade part, please any legal fees for approval and licensing. Transformers are one of the most expensive development lines in toys, period - every new mold is a huge investment.

 

3) It's unnecessary for you to call me out as a whiner because I disagree with you.

 

No. It's just that you don't seem constructive (though I wasn't singling you out). You're saying something that's impossible financially for Hasbro to do, and declaring the death of the line because of it. IE, because you (and others) aren't getting what you (and they) want, specifically, you're wishing for the death of the Alternators line.

 

I don't have sympathy there. Sorry.

 

4) Ravage may be sold out in some areas because he's brand new and distribution blows, like with every other Alt. release.

 

Honestly, I've found every Alt in good numbers just finding them when I go grocery shopping, and that's in an area notorious for bad distribution. Alts are just one assortment per, though, which may make them LOOK worse, but they're getting spread as much as any other assortment in a Transformers line.

 

You may not LIKE Ravage, personally, and that's your right, but I've seen nothing compelling anywhere that implies that he's a figured 'loathed and reviled' by the public at large. Just the opposite, in fact.

:pfx

 

Yes and yes, you have said everything that needs to be said to anyone who is complaining about the Alternator line. :thumb :tfgrin

I summarized chapters 1-10 including notes for all the obscure references. There was no Blackrock anywhere.

 

Binaltech preview (mentioned as one of the guys who founded the Binaltech project). It's also tied into the Masterpiece Prime story. Of course, that may be other 'connected' literature (a lot of the sales blurbs have odd takes on the core story) and not part of the core story itself. Pain in the ass to follow.

 

I think I'll just write my own.. screw it.

 

There's nothing written on the license plate yet.

 

You're right. I misremembered with the 'Thrust Power' thingie...

 

He's got "Thrust Power" sponsor logos, but also "Hyperlinq Racing", "Dinotron Racing Fuel" and a few others. There's no reason why that one ad should be an indicator for his name, while the others aren't.

 

They're all in-jokes about BW2 Thrust/Thrustor, actually, which is why it screams Thrust (Hyperlinq is his weapon system, Dinotron is the Thrustor base mold, etc). It's also strange because of the custom logos in the first place, which makes me doubt this one a little bit. Though, with Prowl confirmed, and his 'not real' stickers, it's still possible.

said by TFVangard...The 'G1 purist fans' are, even for Alternators, nearly a negligible percentage of sales. There's a lot more 'cool transformer car' buys than 'cool Grimlock Alternator' buyers.

 

What leads you to believe that? Does anybody have sales statistics of who the predominant buyers of these figures are?

 

2) Making a new tranformation design out of another shell would not necessarily raise the cost of an Alt, especially if it supplants getting a brand new licensed vehicle.

 

Actually, it would cost around $250,000 - roughly - for the new design, plus an additional $15,000 for each retooled/remade part, please any legal fees for approval and licensing. Transformers are one of the most expensive development lines in toys, period - every new mold is a huge investment.

 

I understand that...Hence the reason I said if it supplants a brand new licensed vehicle. I don't like it, but if they have probelms getting new licenses, this is a way around it.

 

because you (and others) aren't getting what you (and they) want, specifically, you're wishing for the death of the Alternators line.

 

You've misunderstood, if you think that any of the fans are wishing for the death of the Alt line, and also that I have contributed nothing positive to the discussion. Unlike some other comments on the net, such as "Swerve = meh", I have made several suggestions as to what I think would help the line continue or make become better.

 

Honestly, I've found every Alt in good numbers just finding them when I go grocery shopping, and that's in an area notorious for bad distribution.

 

Soooo you have no problem finding Alts in an area known for bad distribution? That is a 100% contradictory statement.

Again, what is the logical thought process that led the designer(s) to think "hey let's pay homage to BW Ravage in the Alternators line!"? I just don't get it, especially since everything else about Alternators has been straight outta G1.

Has it? Let's do a run down, shall we?

 

Smokescreen - same head and basic body design, completely different colors, different car form. Looks more like the infamous 'Blue Bluestreak' than Smokescreen.

 

Silverstreak - no longer Bluestreak. Similar colors, different car form.

 

Meister - no longer Jazz. No longer with racing details. Different head, different car form.

 

Zoom Zoom - not at all G1.

 

Hound - close homage to G1, not a military form.

 

Swindle - no longer a Combaticon.

 

Dead End - no longer a Stunticon.

 

Tracks - close homage to G1, missing detailing. Yellow version very much not G1.

 

Sideswipe - close homage to G1, different car form.

 

Windcharger - not at all like the G1 figure, aside from being red and grey. Overdrive would have been a better fit, but incredibly obscure.

 

Prowl - close homage to G1, but wouldn't he be dead in 2005?

 

Swerve - TFU Homage.

 

Ravage - BW Homage.

 

Thrust - BW2 Homage.

 

I'm not sure how else to put this but Transformers: Alternators is not a continuation of Transformers: Gen One. Yes, it's obviously a nod to G1 and its fans, but it is not G1 continued. For one, the damn movie couldn't have happened.

Perhaps you missed the ENTIRE TRANSLATED JAPANESE story to the Binaltech line/ You know, the one where just about everyone from G1 is referenced and where the writer says it's supposd to take place between Scramble City and MAtrix Forever (TFTM). Definately not a continuation, but it's made to fit somewhere in between, so this is definately G1....

I only have 2 more word to say...

NEW MOLD!!!!

(grrrrr.....)

What leads you to believe that? Does anybody have sales statistics of who the predominant buyers of these figures are?

 

Why, yes. This comes up at every single convention that's ever been held for TFs. Fans are a good indicator of the lines' direction and what works and doesn't, but we're - as a whole - nothing in percentage sales.

 

I understand that...Hence the reason I said if it supplants a brand new licensed vehicle. I don't like it, but if they have probelms getting new licenses, this is a way around it.

 

They've got plenty of license possibilities for Alternators already. That's just a part of the cost. The mold design going to both decent toy specs and fufilling the license requirements is most of the cost. Remember, unlike Energon, we can't have a big-ass robot head sticking out of the hood of an Alternator. :)

 

Unlike some other comments on the net, such as "Swerve = meh", I have made several  suggestions as to what I think would help the line continue or make become better.

 

What you lack, then, is perspective. That vast majority of buyers for this line don't know who Grimlock is, even those who look back fondly at G1. That's hard to accept, but it's true. Truth be told, it would make more sense for Alternators, sales wise, to focus more on RID characters such as Sideburn, or Armada characters such as Hot Shot - for pure appeal for specific characters.

 

The majority of buyers for Alternators are not fans in the sense that people on TFans or what have you are. They won't know Drag Strip from Trypticon without some pictures.

 

Soooo you have no problem finding Alts in an area known for bad distribution? That is a 100% contradictory statement.

 

Now you're reaching just to argue. Clearly, I meant that in this area - which tends to get things late and sporadically, I've found all the Alts anyway. Most people may have missed one or two during peroids where they admit that they didn't look, or didn't go 'scalping' or something, but there's no real evidence that these toys are suffering in distribution any more than Universe or Energon.

Perhaps you missed the ENTIRE TRANSLATED JAPANESE story to the Binaltech line/ You know, the one where just about everyone from G1 is referenced and where the writer says it's supposd to take place between Scramble City and MAtrix Forever (TFTM). Definately not a continuation, but it's made to fit somewhere in between, so this is definately G1....

Perhaps you missed the ENTIRE TRANSFORMERS FRANCHISE over the past 20 years? Explain to me how Matrix Forever can already be done with Prowl yet to come out, Wheeljack and Grimlock in different bodies, etc? Or do we accept the movie's year changing again?

 

And, of course, we all know that the Japanese continuity is the exact same as all those identical American continuities, which is exactly the same as the contiunity in the UK comics. It's all one big 'canon', right?

 

Or, wait. No.

 

Binaltech is a new story, taking place now, borrowing some elements here and there, but it's not G1. It's an extension, a 'what if' story designed to sell some toys and be kinda cool. It was not now, and never was, a Bible from which all Alternator designs much follow. If it were, Ravage and Grimlock would not be what they are.

 

Oy.

Most people may have missed one or two during peroids where they admit that they didn't look, or didn't go 'scalping' or something, but there's no real evidence that these toys are suffering in distribution any more than Universe or Energon.

I didn't nead to reach to argue that finding toys pretty easily in a "bad distribution area" just doesn't make sense.

 

 

 

I have read PLENTY from multiple sites to support that these are suffering worse distribution than the previosuly mentioned lines.

 

I personally am within a several miles of 4 TRU's, 2 KMarts, 2 KB's, a Target, and a Walmart.

 

I look at all of these places at least once a week.

 

I have seen 1 Tracks...ever. I have seen 1 Deadend ever...I have seen one Alt at all 4 TRU's...ever. Kmart's never had anything beside Smokescreen. KB's has never had any besides Smokescreen and Sideswipe (and for months now, none at all). I have only seen Silverstreak, Sideswipe, and Smokescreen at Target...in limited numbers (they come and go quickly and take forever to get restocked). Walmart had been and still is flooded with...you guessed it, Sideswipe and Smokescreen. Now they also have mix in Hound and Silverstreak.

 

...Real evidence

...Real evidence

 

No, anecdotal. Sorry.

 

It only proves you've had some back luck in your area. Could be anything from K*Mart's well-documented problems, etc... Again, from Hasbro, distribution is the same for Alternators as it is any other assortment. That's well backed up by sales numbers, and general availability.

 

If there was this big 'distribution' problem, Hasbro would be all over it, since they want their toys to sell. Unless you think Hasbro has this weird scheme going where they make money by not having adequate stock or allowing shelf-warmers to go on for months.. just to piss you off?

 

Edit - Quote problem again...