i think the reason why hasbro uses so many repaints is because of Takara. Takara prefers their tf toylines to have only a few main characters because tf's aren't very popular in Japan. also, Takara had to share the manufacturing costs for the AEC saga so they had the final say on how many tf's there were per series.

Look more closely at the years 87-90. Barely any of that was reused, and there was a lot of it. Hell there were even good opportunities to reuse crap and they didn't.

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A very good point. But, on a side note, if you look at the '86 and on lines, they just aren't very good. The original diaclone TFs were much better designed than the subsequent yrs. I mean who wanted to see a Gnaw or Sky Lynx recolor?

 

Back to the original point, it is just that like most everyone knows, it is cheaper to reuse an already viable mold then to design or even redesign a new one. My only complaint from the current lines is their choice in recolors. Seriously, who needs something like 4 Runamuck recolors??? But the flip side of that is that they have done some good recolors. Case in point, they did recolor Omega Supreme into Omega Sentinal and that was vastly superior, so recolors aren't all bad.

I dont mind repaints personally...I'd be happy with repaints of same molds, but if its gonna be a different character, I *would* like to see a new head sculpt...that shouldnt be very pricey to do...one of my fave Cybertron repaints is Cannonball...I love that color scheme much better than Red alerts.  I feel the same way about Cybertron Repugnus...I think he's way cooler than Undermine.

 

This is kinda off the topic of this thread, but the repaint of Leo Breaker...Nemesis Breaker...I have a dumb question...Leo is Overhaul upgraded...who is Nemesis Breaker originally in the cartoon?

 

I'm kinda disappointed with the whole "Dark" "Insert Name Here" things...Dark Skorponok, Dark Crumplezone...and along those same lines, Override and Brakedown GTS...I like the Override GTS, looks cooler to me than the original...but to just add 3 letters to the box and color a few things different? Ouch.

 

And G1 Thrust, Ramjet and Dirge *are* coneheads...sure, you dont *have* to leave the nose of the jet upright in bot mode, but I display my figs as they're portrayed in the series and comics, and if you *do* leave em up, the nose, along with the much different wing configurations mixes the Seekers up enough so theyre not a visual aesthetic bore.

I dont mind repaints personally...I'd be happy with repaints of same molds, but if its gonna be a different character, I *would* like to see a new head sculpt...that shouldnt be very pricey to do

 

This is kinda off the topic of this thread, but the repaint of Leo Breaker...Nemesis Breaker...I have a dumb question...Leo is Overhaul upgraded...who is Nemesis Breaker originally in the cartoon?

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Actually a new head sculpt is jsut about as pricy as resculpting any part.  Because if they made a new head they'd have to make a new mold.  All parts that are the same color are usually on the same mold.  So if the arms, legs, and head are all the same color and you remake the head then you have to make a new mold for the whole thing.  And of course a new head would mean a new configuration for the computer thats controlling the painting system for the new head shape.  Its cheaper then scuplting a completely new figure, but its not like its an easy or cheap thing to do.  And since repainting doesn't require that extra cost Hasbro and Takara are going to stick with that to make maximum profit.

 

As for Nemisis Breaker.  He's a dark clone of Leo Breaker.  After the first time Megatron gets killed he comes back with this dark mist thing and when Leo Breaker attacks him he turns the mist into a clone of him.

i think the reason why hasbro uses so many repaints is because of Takara. Takara prefers their tf toylines to have only a few main characters because tf's aren't very popular in Japan. also, Takara had to share the manufacturing costs for the AEC saga so they had the final say on how many tf's there were per series.

Then why haven't we seen this pattern of blanket repainting in previous Japanese exclusive TF lines? Japanese G1, BW and Car Robot never had endless slews of repaints. There were some limited exclusive repaints of the major characters and of course, the three Car Robot brothers were repainted as the "upgraded" Super Car Robot Bros. -- even that concept was kinda weak, but since it was limited to only three characters in the entire line, they got away with it without too much criticism. AEC on the other hand has seen this concept blown way out of proportion with almost the entire freakin' line undergoing the "upgrade repaint" (Powerlinx) process in a shameless attempt to make more money but without really giving us new toys (just repaints). Then there was Universe...

 

Look... repaints is like anything else in life - it's fine if it's done well and done in moderation.

 

And G1 Thrust, Ramjet and Dirge *are* coneheads...

Only in the comics and cartoons. Not in toy continuity. (remember, in toy continuity Megatron =/= Galvatron)

sure, you dont *have* to leave the nose of the jet upright in bot mode,

No, you're not meant to at all. The instructions specifically tell you to lower the nosecone, and the box/tech specs art and package photography all show the toy with the nosecone down. Also, some books also illustrate the 2nd year Sky-Raiders with their nosecones down (e.g.: the adventure books).

but I display my figs as they're portrayed in the series and comics, and if you *do* leave em up, the nose, along with the much different wing configurations mixes the Seekers up enough so theyre not a visual aesthetic bore.

Which is the same reason why the Marvel/Sunbow illustrators/animators decided to give them the conehead look (also to further distinguish them from the 1st year Sky-Raiders), but the problem with doing this with the toys is:

1. the nosecones are way too long - they look more like Klansmen than coneheads. :P This is why Armada Thrust had a faux conehead which was far shorter and looked better as a conehead.

2. Technically, you've just mistransformed all your 2nd year Sky-Raiders. As mentioned before, they're only coneheads in the cartoon and comics, but normal headed in toy continuity and several other G1 sources.

 

Having said that, Takara seems to share your penchant for mistransforming their own 2nd year Sky Raiders too, as they all look like Klansmen in their TF:Generations and Generations Deluxe books. But of course, according to TF:Generations, Chainclaw's name is "Chaincrow." d: :P

Then why haven't we seen this pattern of blanket repainting in previous Japanese exclusive TF lines?

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Because it was Hasbro who wanted more toys-per-series in order to milk tf's higher popularity in North America and repaints are more cost effective for Takara since tf's have lower popularity in Japan.

I don't think Transfandom is as low in Japan as Takara would believe it is. Takara just hasn't really cared about the TF franchise for the last six years.

 

The reason why Takara shrunk it's TF production in recent years hasn't been because of reduced interest from the fandom... in fact, Japanese Transfandom was booming until Takara had it's big fall-out with Japanese Transfandom in December 2000. Since then, Takara has taken some measures to repair their relations with the fans, such as repairing the rift with Ichikawa Hirofumi - but things have just never been the same since the death of BotCon Japan. There has never been another Japanese BotCon, despite vehement calls for its revival by the fandom, and as we know, halfway through releasing Car Robot, Takara declared that it was on the verge of bankruptcy. So in 2001, Takara decided to rescue itself by virtually pouring all of their efforts into reviving Beyblade. A ploy which worked for them in the short term, but unfortunately it meant that a lot of their other lines started getting ignored as they fell by the wayside - and one of those was Transformers. Sure, the G1 reissues were great, but what Japanese fans were really pining for was a NEW Transformers line. After the 2001-2002 drought, Japanese fans finally got a new line with Micron Legend, which of course was a cooperative project co-developed with Hasbro. Then came Super Link, and of course, Galaxy Force. Then Takara merged with their arch rival Tomy. TakaraTomy has shown bugger all interest in the Transformers franchise. And ever since TakaraTomy kicked in, all we've seen so far are sporadic releases of projects that were obviously in their concept or design stages by time the merger occured, e.g.: THS Convoy, Masterpiece Convoy, Masterpiece Starscream, KISS BT (and even that seems uncertain).

There where also a large amount of repaints in Beast Wars. Fox Kids anyone?

As for the late 80's / early 90's toys that didn't have many repaints... well, can we say "Staxx", people? To be blunt, a LOT of the TF's from that time period made GoBots look like 20th OP / MP Convoy.

 

And technically the Datsuns weren't repaints... they were all remolds. Prowl had the lightbar, and Smokescreen had the lower bottom edge.

I don't think Transfandom is as low in Japan as Takara would believe it is. Takara just hasn't really cared about the TF franchise for the last six years.

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i think that's because RID tanked big time so Takara probably considers TF's to be a high risk investment. they want to cut out all the fat and concentrate mostly on products that are an easy sell.