Some of you seem to be forgetting one very important little detail.

 

This show was created to sell toys, not to tell a story.

 

Gundam, on the other hand, it's focus is to tell a story. The toys and models are a sort of bonus.

 

Transformers has always been about the toys, just like dozens of other shows in the 80s and today. G.I Joe, My Little Pony, Care Bears, all of them were to sell toys. Just because Transformers has been one of the longer lasting ones, that doesn't mean the focus has changed.

 

When Transformers becomes about the characters and the story, then you'll see less toy molds, because there will be more character development going on and less time to add new characters to the mix. Personally, I'm fine with the leaders being Optimus Prime and Megatron. What I'm sick of, is Megatron constantly switching armor colors and saying his name is Galvatron. MAKE UP YOUR MIND. Galvatron can go as far as I'm concerned. Megatron is a much more interesting character. He didn't even have a master, and if he did, he certainly wouldn't have fallen apart mentally after it's destruction.

 

As for the characters, I too am sick of the same gimmick for every character, and seeing old characters rehashed as new ones. They need to change, just not become totally different people.

 

But you have to give Hasbro credit. At least they're listening to us. They know that we want to see the show continue, not end every season. Otherwise, we wouldn't have this whole mess of Cybertron trying to hump Energon.

I will partially agree with you. Originally Gundam was created to tell a story. The creator of the last series, Gundam Seed Destiny, said that he would create a series that would have people rushing to stores to the buy the toys and models. Sounds like Gundam is now focused to sell toys, but it still tells a great story. Once again, Beast Wars captured this. It told a great story and it sold toys. Go figure, you can do both. Beast Machines told a great story, but the toys were poorly recieved.

 

Unfortunately you are right about the purpose of the Transformers show. It was made to sell toys. I just wish it would also tell a decent story. I really don't think that's too much to ask. I think a good story could help sell more toys.

Some of you seem to be forgetting one very important little detail.

 

This show was created to sell toys, not to tell a story.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

a better story would sell more toys.

I've not seen the newer TF cartoons since they're never shown here, but I have to agree about the needed change in leaders.  Prime adn Megs are alright and such, but it would be nice if Prime just played a very small part and we saw a new Autobot leader, someone who has a dark story and a question about why he's become leader when he, or she, isn't exactly Autobot material.  For a Decepticon leader, we need someone who is truly evil and doesn't retreat all the time.  Someone who is willing to take as many lives with him as possible before he'll admit defeat.  An evil leader who does what he says he'll do, if he says he's going to kill a traitor, then he does.  And has a nasty sense of humour when it comes to making his followers or enemies, of even both, suffer slowly.  Like for example having them being slowly torn apart while being repaired at the same time, then just as it looks like they're get away, placing the notion of a another brick in their way before killing them.

It's unlikely to see those kind of new ideas though, it probably wouldn't make big profits when you can dumb down the viewers with the same old rubbish time and time again and make a profit.

 

-Chuckles

Some of you seem to be forgetting one very important little detail.

 

This show was created to sell toys, not to tell a story.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In the eighties they made a character to suit a toy truck, it was Prime.

The toy was the product, the character was the gimmick.

 

Now, they make the toy to suit and resemble the character.

Prime is the product, the toy is the gimmick.

What it started out as and what it became a long time ago are two different things.

Still both about making money of course, but the molds are not the sole product, and haven't been for over a decade and a half.

 

When Transformers becomes about the characters and the story, then you'll see less toy molds, because there will be more character development going on and less time to add new characters to the mix.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That happened.

Here in the UK, the cartoon was never as dominant.

But we bought into over 300 comic issues, many of which sold on characters never released here or never actually made as toys at all.

And many of these got more exposure and characterisation than the latest lines.

 

And as far as newer series go it's actually similar to what you say it would be if it were character driven, as we do see less new character molds.

A hundredth version of Optimus prime is not really a new character mold, and they spend more time selling the series on new versions of established favourites that date back to G1 than than they do introducing all new ones.

 

It did start off like every other toy line of the eighties. Just a toy with a half hour and comic book commercial.

But that commercial became a product in it's own right.

I have to admit I'm probably as big a G1 fan as any, and i would like to see a brand-new G1 series that elaborated on the characters a bit more. i feel optimus became too strait-laced because of the matrix, and galvatron was just annoying, even if he was powerful.  (agreeing with an earlier post about megatron having no master.)

 

But at the same time, we need an all-new storyline. retreads are simply a way of putting old characters in new settings. How about something ompletely different? How about a series focusing on an EARLIER prime, like sentinel prime? Or a new series entirely, with two DIFFERENT factions? Perhaps even a Diaclone series, where the machines originally were human-controlled, only as a twist, they gain sentience?

 

The possibilities are endless here; it sounds like hasTak doesn't want to risk an all-new venture, but rather stick with what's been proven. i can't really say i blame them, but it's time for a new look t the series. after all, Optimus and megatron had to start somewhere too.

I just flat out tired of reading the b*tching about wanting Gen1 to return in a updated cartoon just to sell the reissues... its not gonna happen.. Even with this supposed movie(doubting it coming at all) the charactors are going to be different from the original characters- at least in vehicle and alt modes.. not a true gen1.

 

I myself would wish the fans of transformers show understand that all the different shows are different diminsions.

 

Gen1 plus the japanese gen1

Beast wars and the other two shows and concluded with Beast Machines.

RiD in a separate time line.

 

Armada to energon(though I agree with the new form crap)

 

An then finally Galaxy force/cybertron...

 

I highly recommend(if you can find them) the Gundam novels based on the original series... very good read... ranks up there with the Robotech novel series. :thumb

I have always hated the idea of g1 being made into a different form. I mean, i liked RID, and i thought that was great because the vehicle modes were, for the most part realistic aside from megs and the beast wars rejects. and when i saw AEC i just couldnt see transformers from what i remember back then as the replacement for now. I enojoyed the idea of DISGUISED vehicles, not well you know.......If to have a final answer to the past dependancy, thr answer is yes.

a series based on war within or even pre war within would be quite interesting. i dont think i remember it very well, but werent there like 4 different factions? or at least respective groups? id like to see an entirely new faction. and not something ghey like minicons or predacons aside of decepticons like in rid.

 

as far as new leaders go look were its gotten them in the past. rodimus. i loved him but im apparently the only one. all they did was bring prime back from the dead due to that. and the megs galvy thing i do agree with. i like the idea of megs being reformatted into galvy but not in every series, and it just being a different paint job. this is one of the reasons bw was so great. the primal and megs upgrades were entirely different molds.

 

bland characters in the newer series' is something i see also. again going back to bw and bm rattrap for example had quite the transition during bw, then bm he became more selfish again (didnt realy understand his attitude change from bw to bm) but then overcame it through certain events. i just dont see things like that in the newer shows. theres little to no character development. in bw primal was learning the job. newer ones hes just there to fill the position.

 

it would seem the rehashed old characters as toys are doing quite well (for me anyways) i just dont accept the characters on their respective shows because they arent done in the respects they were in the past. but for bw, everything was new and i still liked it bc the writing was amazing. i think i have to blame the shows for this.

 

weve seen that people not only accept new characters and ideas, but it has to be accompanied by a really good story. the proof that we are not dependant on the past would be bw.

I just flat out tired of reading the b*tching about wanting Gen1 to return in a updated cartoon 

 

I myself would wish the fans of transformers show understand that all the different shows are different diminsions.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

First off, Beast Wars is in the G1 continuity.

Not the same line, but same continuity.

 

As for the rest:

 

RiD = G1 redone

Armada = G1 redone

Energon = G1 redone

Galaxy Force = G1 redone.

 

I'm personally bored of watching G1 return in an updated cartoon, I want something new.

And new doesn't mean the same old with a superficial face lift, or different dimensions as you call them.

It means taking a story in a direction it can only go once it's been established.

 

And I'm tired too, tired of being told, as if I don't know, that it's alternate realities more like Gundam or similar.

I know it is.

But if I wanted that I'd be on a Gundam board or similar wouldn't I?

 

That wasn't what I bought into 22 years ago and I'm not just gonna stop liking my aspects because of that, nor wanting to see them.

 

In the end your comment about the movie is probably what makes all of this redundant.

Those who just want Transforming robots and will buy any continuity, and those who want what they saw as the best continuity but improved al a Binaltech, will be getting the same thing.