why did hasbro change the name of bluestreak to silverstreak? and why dosen't any of the re-issues have firing missles? all the energon and armada fires.

i think bluestreak was a copyright issue so they changed it and re-issue jazz has a firing missle and a few others aswell

When the TF series died in the early 1990's, Hasbro assumed they wouldn't need the names again, so they simply let many copyrights expire. When the TF series re-started, Hasbro either couldn't get some names back, or figured they were too much trouble to get back, and replaced them with relatively similar substitutes.

aka Autobot Jazz, Autobot Tracks, etc., etc.

you can't copyright a name, you can only trademark it. Trademarks are to prevent brand confusion. Thus, I could create a flavor of ice cream called "Starscream" and Hasbro couldn't do a thing about it because no one is going to confuse ice cream with a transforming robot. However, if I created a series of toy robots and called one "starscream" or "megatron" they could sue because that would be a trademark violation. You can't trademark common names like "Jazz", "Tracks", or "Hot Rod" because they're just common phrases, so hasbro added "autobot" before them to make them trademarkable.

They changed the name of bluestreak for a combination of reasons. First, the word "bluestreak" can't be trademarked and secondly, since the character didn't have any blue on him, they changed it to "silverstreak" to match his appearance and avoid having to try and explain why he was called bluestreak when there's no blue on him.

And about the missles-- it's a saftey law. Projectiles have to be than 2 inches long and some particular thickness. Lots of old TFs were made prior to that law, and in order to meet it today, they either need to be retooled (the seeker missiles), or nerfed by taking the launcher springs out.

 

On a side note... why does everyone think Bluestreak's name makes no sense? He's called Bluestreak because he never shuts the hell up, not because of what color he is. :nuts

Another reissue question I have is if Hasbro is planning to release any decepticons that's non-planes? Since takara just release astrotrain and planning to release the insecticons, don't you think this might encourage hasbro to follow the similar ideas? If so, what are thr rumored reissues?

I really hope Hasbro gets around to doing some non-seeker Decepticons. Heck, more Decepticons period would be nice! The balance of power in the reissue line is tipped so far in favor of the Autobots, it's sick!

 

And as for Bluestreak's name, that still makes no sense - I've heard of cursing a blue streak, but never just talking a blue streak. Maybe he's got Tourette's??? :P

One entry found for blue streak.

 

 

Main Entry: blue streak

Function: noun

1 : something that moves very fast

2 : a constant stream of words

 

Courtesy Merriam Webster Online Dictionary

 

Also, Astrotrain's in the Queue for stateside reisssue, so we'll get something other than just seekers soon.

Astrotrain, insecticons, and soundwave are all possible future US releases. They might not be including the energon cubes in the US insecticon reissue, though, since those things are small enough to choke a child, and soundwave's missiles will probably be cast in rubber instead of plastic and enlarged since those things broke like mad and left behind plenty of sharp edges.