Ok, this question has been bouncing around in my head for a while and I finally decided to ask it. I'm sure it's been asked many times before but I never saw it asked or answered. So here it goes.

 

If we can sub-divide the fandom into different catagories I think that it would look like this.

 

 

The Gobots circle should really say "I don't care/they are just toys/I'm going to buy them no matter what".

 

If we did a little survey - I think that we would see the majority of the HARDCORE G1 FANS would be on the older side of the TransFan spectrum. On the flip side, I think that the majority of the fans who really enjoy the new series are the younger fans.

 

Part of the big question is this: How do these younger fans see wave 1 of the Classics line? I'm talking about the fans that think of the G1 cartoon as super cheesey and don't give a care for the movie. Are these fans purchaseing classics and what do they think of them.

 

I am biased and am having trouble judging these figures without the added nostalgia of "WoW THiS STARSCREAM R0XX0RZ!!".

 

Second part of the big question. If the younger fans don't care for the G1 guys, and really don't know about the back story - why not just sell more Classics? It's not like they care what Bumblebee looks like or if Beachcomber gets made. They'll buy them because they are new figures. So will the "Don't Care" group.

 

Hasbro, if 2/3 of the fans are going to buy Classics and the other 1/3 will get them just because you make them then it's win - win - win. You see how they are selling don't you? You've got YEARS of ideas in the old toy posters. Check them out... watch the old show and GIVE US WHAT WE WANT!!!1

 

The End.

If the Yellow circle = "I don't care, I'll buy whatever" Then shouldn't it just be the purple part, with no third circle? Who would fall into the "New Ideas" group and the "Old Ideas (G1)" group WITHOUT falling into the "I'll buy everything" group?

 

I mean, what's left after "new" and "old"?

The only problem with this completely unbiased analysis :tfgrin is that you're forever locking Transformer design in to a particular aesthetic that originated in the 1980's. You would be crippling the brand's vitality. Not to mention the fact that every new TF series would have to have these characters in it. Originality, creativity -- those things would be gone. And so would what makes the franchise interesting.

 

I grew up with G1 and that's where 100% of my TF nostalgia comes from. But does that mean that that's all the Transformers brand can and should ever be? Should it always be backward-looking? Can we never let new fans in, now that *we're* in? If this type of thinking had dominated in 1996, we would never have had Beast Wars (for example).

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: to me, G1 purism means respecting G1 for what it was and is, NOT trying to slavishly recreate it at every given opportunity. Because it can't be recreated. That's not being a G1 purist. A true G1 purist would laugh at TF Classics or any other such thing. He would see them for what they are -- shallow imitations of a far more significant toy line.

 

The right word for people who buy up anything marketed as G1 (whether or not it actually is) would be "whores".

 

 

(or "junkies", you take your pick)

Umm, I like GoBots.

Bots Master for me.

My first transforming robot was "Loco". I loved him :tfsad

The only problem with this completely unbiased analysis :tfgrin is that you're forever locking Transformer design in to a particular aesthetic that originated in the 1980's. You would be crippling the brand's vitality. Not to mention the fact that every new TF series would have to have these characters in it. Originality, creativity -- those things would be gone. And so would what makes the franchise interesting.

 

I grew up with G1 and that's where 100% of my TF nostalgia comes from. But does that mean that that's all the Transformers brand can and should ever be? Should it always be backward-looking? Can we never let new fans in, now that *we're* in? If this type of thinking had dominated in 1996, we would never have had Beast Wars (for example).

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: to me, G1 purism means respecting G1 for what it was and is, NOT trying to slavishly recreate it at every given opportunity. Because it can't be recreated. That's not being a G1 purist. A true G1 purist would laugh at TF Classics or any other such thing. He would see them for what they are -- shallow imitations of a far more significant toy line.

 

The right word for people who buy up anything marketed as G1 (whether or not it actually is) would be "whores".

 

 

(or "junkies", you take your pick)

I am a fan (of varying degrees) of every TF line that has come stateside. Some lines take longer for me to warm up to but once I do - they're all just a bunch of robots, and that's Ok.

 

I do think it's ironic (moronic) for people to argue that the best TF toys were the 1984-85 line and ignore the fact that those were all Diaclone and Microchange toys from years before. Totally ignoring the current lines because the aren't G1 goes against the very heart of what Transformers represent.

 

My point is that if the old fans want G1 like homage’s (which the buzz and sales have proven) and the newer fans like totally new designs - then do both on an equal scale. Don't kill the classics and replace it with a 52 episode anime series.

 

You know that you thirty something year olds tend to avoid the "main lines" and go for the Alts, Robot Masters, BTs, Beast Wars Reissues, T1Ts, and Classics. Those are all remakes and remolds of toys and characters that are ten to twenty years old! (except for Decepticharge)

 

I was just joking about Hasbro only selling Classic like toys and never trying anything "new" again... but honestly, It's so stupid to flush every character after the series is over and start new. They did that in the movie and the fan reaction spilled over into GI Joe causing them to keep Duke alive.

 

Look, Minicons (one of the best TF marketing gimmicks) were just Micromasters with holes. Energon had combiners and G1 character names, Cybertron has an awesome WheelJack and Smokescreen toy. There's really nothing new right now. Beast Wars pushed the Transformers brand in a great new direction but it took RiD to get those Truk not Munky fans to take a second look. If Hasbro had done Beast Wars AND a small vehicle line to keep those narrow minded fans then it may have gone more than 3 seasons.

 

I think this is the most I've said in one post in a long time so I'll summarize.

 

Hasbro - keep making Classics, even if it's just one or two toys a wave. They are good toys and also have built-in personalities. Also, keep doing new stuff. I'll keep on buying both :thumb

I suppose I'm purple.... like Galvatron

I suppose I'm purple.... like Galvatron

I think I'm gray.

 

I like the old and remade old stuff, I like the new stuff, and Gobots are pretty neat too. I hope nobody misreads my first statement :tfgrin

Bots Master for me.

:note I'm Ziv zoolander. ZZ for short!

You know I fight the corp

I'm the bots master

Listen up you all your the BOYZZ birgade.

When its laser time put on the 3D shades!

Botsmaster

Clang clang clang

Botsmaster

*repeat* :note