And as far as licenses go the Decepticans don't have to be of existing planes just planes with the same quality of features and details that are on the cars. And lastly we're are still stuck on the scale issue. This is why I referenced G1 in my argument for the planes. G1 planes were never in scale to the cars, they don't have to be in the alternators either.

 

There are not going to be any Alternator jets. Live with it, people.

Hasbro bashing isn't so much about the rockets and guns spring loaded or not. It is the obvious fact that the Hasbro of today has lost its creative control to a bunch of coorperate meat heads who don't care about the product. Yes this is a toy for 5 and up. They got that far. But they as in the lousy marketing department to the top executives do not have any vision what so ever! To give you an IDEA of what what I am talking about lets examine the most commen complaint on these boards "REPAINTS". Energon for example does have some new designs (starscream, scorpinock, jetfire) then they have the armada repaints (unicron, tidle wave). But the biggest repaint problem is they have just started to pass off recently introduced energon characters that have been repainted to be new ones. Check out the newest Hasbro product update. But that is a minor offence compared to what Hasbro has in store for us collectors. The Alternators, a great new toyline that seemingly atempts to recreate our favorite G1 characters in a highly detailed articulated well featured modern version. The transformations from vehical to robot are similar in appearence to what we had as kids. Now the cars have working doors, hood, steering. The cars are based on existing cars. You know the deal. But here is the slap in the face to collectors; the Desepticons are going to be repaints of the same pre-existing autobot alternators. Thats right folks not one jet plane, not even a military vehical. Yes it has been said to create planes in the same scale as the cars it would be too expensive. Well no kidding! Hasbro thought about that back in the 80's but that didn't stop them from making starscream, skywarp, thundercracker back then. But today we have a new Hasbro; one that isn't thinking. Yes Hasbro wants profits but only the quick buck. 

See if the marketing geniouses at Hasbro were using their brains then they would have figured out that "thanks to the very first production line of transformers 20 years later we now have a new TARGET AUDIANCE one that is in their late 20s and their 30s that are still collecting. So lets appeal to this audiance and give them more detailed, more funtional, transformers based on planes and cars just like what we did for them when they were once kids. We have successfully attracted both the kid market and the adult market." Yeah they didn't have that meeting, did they. No they are thinking "lets make a few good robots that turn into cars that are detailed, we'll get the licenses from the major auto companies and tell them that these toys will be for kids but detailed enough for the parents to appreciate and may be want to buy the actual car! The best car advertisment ever and the kid plays with it every day!

What a promotion!" Thats why there will be no real Desepticons for the Alterators line. This idea that kids don't know will buy anything is bad for Hasbro. Because its the parents who were and still are collectors who tell our kids what we will buy for them. Repaints and crappy quality TFormers are not not going to be bought. Advice for Hasbro, keep making new characters for new toy lines; get rid of the old molds and make new ones with even more complicated transformations. The only Hasbro toyline that has the best quality and constantly upgraded characters is Star Wars. Then again Hasbro has to actually listen to somebody who actually loves Star Wars don't they?! To bad there's nobody at the top of Hasbro that love Transformers like we do. So you wanted to know why there is so much Hasbro bashing well I hope this gives you some insight.

Ok, first of all, learn too use paragraphs please, that was an incredibly difficult read.

 

Second, Transformers Toys require alot more development than a simple star wars toy. I believe Hasbro does theyre best too ensure we get a toy that is both functional , safe, and fun.

 

A companys first priority will ALWAYS be profit, and people are hired to come up with ideas too increase profit, like using existing molds again. Some decisions are silly , like some of the names of newer transformers, or crazy color schemes. Other decisions though, like deciding to make the deceps in the alternator line also cars are just financially smart. A jet in 1:24 scale would be outrageously expensive too produce, not to mention rediculously large. Are we all even aware of how much each individual liscence costs? I personally am not too thrilled that the deceps will be made from existing molds, but I can understand why they might have to take that route. Dont you think a company will do everything possible to ensure that people who purchase theyre products are satisfied enough to keep purchasing?

 

How can you claim Hasbro has lost its creative control too a bunch of "corporate meatheads" when you have no clue about the internal workings of Hasbro.

You may call them meatheads, but theyre responsibility too the company is too insure a profit is made and that the company survives. Sometimes they might be forced to make decisions their customers might not be too happy about. They dont make these choices because they want too, they make them because they have too.

 

Hasbro provides me with toys that I enjoy quite a bit, at a very reasonable price. When they have to make a decision too ensure safety from liability, or too make sure they post a profit, I will not fault them for it.

Yes it is Hasbros responcibility to make profits so that it does not go under but they can make more profits if they stick to being creative and making more new products. This is not rocket science: if Hasbro has a new toy/mold out, people will buy what is new and differnet than what is lets say repainted? When there are a lot of new transformers but most of them are repaints of stuff one allready has then there is nothing new to buy, if there is nothing new to buy then the company loses profits. In this strict economy buyer are selective about what they are going to buy. If customers are more selective then it is the responcibility of the company to meet those demands.

 

Meathead may sound like a harsh term but when it comes to the simple ideals of advertising, one of which:

 

" To keep people buying you need first make them dissatisfied with what they have....

Advertising is nothing more than a technique to keep people in a state of perpetual dissatisfaction what they posses and in a permanent state of itchy acquisitiveness."

---Felix Greene

 

Yeah a repaint of alternator Smokescreen to pass off as Starscream is really going to make me dissatisfied with my Smokescreen.

 

And as far as licenses go the Decepticans don't have to be of existing planes just planes with the same quality of features and details that are on the cars. And lastly we're are still stuck on the scale issue. This is why I referenced G1 in my argument for the planes. G1 planes were never in scale to the cars, they don't have to be in the alternators either.

 

These are simple things that Hasbro can do to keep its customers happy and still make a huge profit!

 

I'm already worried about the alternator line due to the release of Sideswipe. While Smokescreens doors, hood and trunk open (agian a full featured car model) the trunk on the Viper Sideswipe appears it does not. I do have hope for Hound though for that model has a working suspention system supposivly. You can say I am being picky but I have Smokescreen which I am very impressed with. I would expect that the next vehical would measure up or even be better than the one I have.

Again it's that dissatifaction thing Hasbro has to make me feel before I buy.

Repaints are gonna happen, deal with it. try too understand what I am saying about balancing production costs with profit. If you dont like repaints, dont buy them. Repaints are a great way to get more products onto the shelves, while minimizing production costs. .

 

Hasbro puts out new creative molds all the time.

 

 

I honestly dont understand what you mean with that advertising quote. Are you saying you think hasbro is releasing repaints to make their customers dissatisfied, or that these repaints will drive the customer base too other companys.

 

The alternators line IS about scale, they wont do jets.

 

It sounds to me like you just like to complain. Sideswipe worries you because his trunk doesnt open?

What was ment by my quote is that in order to keep customers buying you need to constantly give them something new and better than the last, not repaints of what is old and done. This is not hard to figure out.

 

I agree with alternater being about scale but also the alternators are mostly about quality. Yes I figured that someone would find my trunk issue on Sideswipe be a bit picky, but it is the quality and detailsmakes this line shine. Give me more of what I want to buy; a quality transformer that is as good or better than the one that impressed me (Smokescreen). What is so hard about this. Hasbro just started a great thing here and already we are losing quality and are going to give us repaints on top of that.

 

But again I must focus on the issue of scale. Well for the Decepticon just make them one half of the scale of the cars. Is that so hard. Hasbro did it in 84.

 

I hope Hasbro is reading this and instead of tell me about profit margin and what is the fastest way to get product on the shelves, they take what I and every other TFAN complains about and use this information as part of market research to help develope and better their toy lines.

 

What I am saying here is not new, I just expressing what I've seen alot of other fans are talking about.

I don’t know but sometimes it sounds as if transfans are under the impression that the world revolves them, and that was established for no other reason than to make toys for them and to say hell with a breaking even let alone make a profit.

 

Lets get real guys, Hasbro is in the business of making money by making toys, ok. Hasbro’s main customers and much as some of us would like to think other wise are kids, yet they still try and take care of the transfans by coming out with the G1 reissues and alternators, and well I don’t know about most of you, where I live there are millions of those g1 reissues on the shelves still, yet Hasbro continues….which a lot of companies wouldn’t. Let’s give them a break and move on....can we just do that??? :redface

I don’t know but sometimes it sounds as if transfans are under the impression that the world revolves them, and that was established for no other reason than to make toys for them and to say hell with a breaking even let alone make a profit.

 

Lets get real guys, Hasbro is in the business of making money by making toys, ok.  Hasbro’s main customers and much as some of us would like to think other wise are kids, yet they still try and take care of the transfans by coming out with the G1 reissues and alternators, and well I don’t know about must of you where I live there are millions of those g1 reissues on the shelves still, yet Hasbro continues….which a lot of companies wouldn’t.  Let’s give them a break and move on....can we just do that??? :redface

Exactly, we are not the target demographic, yet hasbro goes out of their way (dealing with the TRU greed, among other things) too bring us collectors something cool.

Yes, we are the target audiance just like the kids are. Come on now Hasbro has not only kid buy Transformers but now adults?!

 

I'm afraid that we collectors are a very important target audiance for Hasbro's profit margin.

 

Tod Mcfarline of Spawn fame has proven that adults are willing to buy toys as long as they are made well.

 

Hasbro can do the same thing with the Alternators line or any other line.

 

As far as the G1 reissues, again it is the old thing but it's cool to see them again. However these toys were once $12-$15 dollars now they are a whopping $30?! Of course they are going to stay on the shelves at TRU. The packaging is not al that great either, at least not for a $30 on up price point.

 

Some people are just too complacent.

What was ment by my quote is that in order to keep customers buying you need to constantly give them something new and better than the last, not repaints of what is old and done. This is not hard to figure out.

 

I agree with alternater being about scale but also the alternators are mostly about quality. Yes I figured that someone would find my trunk issue on Sideswipe be a bit picky, but it is the quality and detailsmakes this line shine. Give me more of what I want to buy; a quality transformer that is as good or better than the one that impressed me (Smokescreen). What is so hard about this. Hasbro just started a great thing here and already we are losing quality and are going to give us repaints on top of that.

 

But again I must focus on the issue of scale. Well for the Decepticon just make them one half of the scale of the cars. Is that so hard. Hasbro did it in 84.

 

I hope Hasbro is reading this and instead of tell me about profit margin and what is the fastest way to get product on the shelves, they take what I and every other TFAN complains about and use this information as part of market research to help develope and better their toy lines.

 

What I am saying here is not new, I just expressing what I've seen alot of other fans are talking about.

Of course, you do realize that 1985 was comprised of almost *entirely* repaints and retools of what was already on the shelves in 1984, yes (not to mention the original F-15 mold being used 3 times exactly the same 'cept for paint in the first year anyways)? Redecos and minor retools have been a part of Transformers since the very begining. That's not going to change for the reasons already given. Just felt the need to point out that you're seeing G1 through rose-colored nostalgia glasses here.

 

Also, on a minor squibble: Hasbro didn't do anything of the sort on scale in 1984: All '84 Transformer molds were pre-existing from other toylines, and both the Seekers and Autobot cars were designed and tooled by Takara.

Well we kinda are the target demographic when it comes to the Alternator's and reissues. Hasbro isn't going out of their way to give us reissues or alty's, their going out of their way to make a profit. Obviously there's a market of a bunch of nostalgic twenty-something's and they are more than happy to oblige us. I'm not complaining, I enjoy the Alternator's and its nice to see the reissues on the shelf, but since we are the target demographic for those two, I think anyone on these boards is entightled to complain about them.

 

Edit: Apparently 4 minutes late. Gonna have to type faster.

you guys should have read this posted on TFormers from an interview with a hasbro designer from all spark .

 

quote from all spark interview

AS: The fandom always wants to have more input in the Transformers brand, for Hasbro to listen to us more. What advice can you give on how we can make that happen, having actually worked on the brand and seeing what effective means of communication to Hasbro there are.

 

Kyde: Don't be a nuisance. If you really don't like something, you can be vocal and adamant, and that'll actually probably help, but don't be a pompous jerk about it. I read the boards almost every day when I was there, and Aaron of course did too. He no doubt still does, so the boards are probably the most effective means of communication. Just be respectful and don't jump to conclusions. Someone at Hasbro probably already knows exactly what the fans want, and sometimes it's just a matter of priorities. We have influence, though. That should be pretty clear by now.

 

this may help with the hasbro bashin , you never know when big brother (hasbro) is watchin . Remember they did bring us the toys we are here to talk about . :canada

However these toys were once $12-$15 dollars now they are a whopping $30?! Of course they are going to stay on the shelves at TRU. The packaging is not al that great either, at least not for a $30 on up price point.

 

Some people are just too complacent.

Hmm…seems like someone didn’t go to his Principles of Business 101 class, there is a little thing known as inflation.

 

Inflation - A persistent increase in the level of consumer prices or a persistent decline in the purchasing power of money, caused by an increase in available currency and credit beyond the proportion of available goods and services.

 

Now don’t get me wrong 30 bucks for a toy the size of jazz is quite a bit high, but really think about it…they are low volume toys (G1 reissues) and between the die-cast parts, the boxes and possible fixes to the molds (they are old after all) the prices really are not that bad.