TFs getting too hard to transform?

[Ground Zero]

Since the Beast Wars era, Transformers have been getting more and more advanced in terms of engineering. As a result, we've been seeing some pretty tricky transformations. The movie figures and even the new Prime figures are no exception.

I remember as a kid being able to pick up most "deluxe" sized G1 figures and being able to figure them out with a bit of help from the instruction manual. I used to be able to transform my entire Autobot "fleet" in no time, zip off to fight the Decepticons, and transform them back.

Now though, figures are much more complicated. I can't imagine 7 year old not getting a bit frustrated with them. I realize we have the smaller figures, activators, legends and such that are easier but given the target audience would generally be children (especially for something like Transformers Prime) you'd expect the larger figures to be a bit more accommodating. I remember a friend of mine buying Tigerhawk for his kid and thinking "yeah, good luck with that". I'd say the same for any parent buying their kid some of the larger figures these days.

We all know the "difficulty" meter on the figures is almost arbitrary too at times. :-\

[joshimus]

Alternators line was tricky at times. While i can figure my bots out without a manual i do agree that they have become more complex and less fun to transform. Some anyway. The "fit perfectly pegged" ones annoy me the most as you cant properly transform them unless all sides peg in at the same time. It is a bit dumb.

[Akroyer]

Originally Posted by Ground Zero

I remember as a kid being able to pick up most "deluxe" sized G1 figures and being able to figure them out with a bit of help from the instruction manual. I used to be able to transform my entire Autobot "fleet" in no time, zip off to fight the Decepticons, and transform them back.



We all know the "difficulty" meter on the figures is almost arbitrary too at times. :-\

I would echo the above. I have vague memories of being able to transform my Autobot and Decepticon forces on the fly to battle their enemies.

But now, one side or the other would need a time out while the opposition transforms.. lol

I would think that kids are better at some of this I imagine than we think. But it's still no doubt that the figures have become quite complex.

That's one thing I like about TFC Herc so far. Exgraver and Heavy Labor seem to be nice figures, but also straight forward and simple to transform.

[Akroyer]

In addition to the transformation complexity it's almost like you could think of Transformers as Puzzles now as much as toy. I know I don't want to transform my ROTF leader Prime ever again.

[PyjamaPrime]

Originally Posted by Akroyer

In addition to the transformation complexity it's almost like you could think of Transformers as Puzzles now as much as toy. I know I don't want to transform my ROTF leader Prime ever again.

that's the beauty of Transformers!! they're a 3-in-1 toy (car, puzzle, action figure). yes, the toys are getting more complicated, but kids are also getting smarter younger, with this being the age of information and kids these days having the internet and all that. I like to think that the complexity of modern toys is a mixture of toy companies realizing this growth in intelligence and the designers just flying off the handle when thinking them up lol

[Gaetznes]

Couldn't we say this is about spatial awareness. Depending on the person some tf's are more complex to transform. Hense the complexity scale they use is usless, as perviously mentioned.

I figure, that the more a child is introduced to such puzzle's the better they will get at them. Over time that is. So we as childern had relativily simple Puzzles to figure out. However any child that may have got anything from E/C/A maybe more suited to transforming the say a child from G1. Not to say we can't do it, but its about adaptation.

Examples would be video games or other parts of our world requiring tech. When I was 6 I got my first Nes, some games were hard some where easy. However as games evolved, some games became impossible. Being 27, and having relatives that are 12 being more adaptive paying some of those newer games. As they had access to video games as early as 3. Which is earlier in there developmental stages.

So these complexities have been hard wired into them. Weither it be puzzle solving Tf's or being more adaptive to the lastest tech. As we get older, our ablity to adjust to new problem solving issues deminishes. Its sadly a fact of life. Each generation desires requires more complexity, while the older gen desires the simplisitic memories of times gone by.

In regards to fustration, I do believe that has more to do with the individual. I myself, enjoy complex transformations that take me a few mins or more. On the other hand a kid that wants instant satisfaction would not.

__________
Edit, in the time it toke me to write my post, some one bet me to the same points of intrest I was wanting to get at. LOL

[gagagalvatron]

I would say there's more than one answer to this question.

First, though, it needs to be said: G1 toys were simpler in a lot of ways. They were easier to figure out because they often didn't articulate in many areas. I don't think anyone wants to see a return to that. At least I sure don't.

I think the biggest problem Hasbro has is that the toys that they are aiming as must-have Christmas gifts are too complicated. Last year's Battle Ops Bee and this year's Ultimate Optimus are both completely inappropriate for young children. I found a Battle Ops Bee in Talize that was probably donated because a kid transformed it to robot and couldn't get it back to car. Heck, I didn't find it easy.

I think there's plenty of variation in the smaller classes, but the Leaders seem to have the problem of too far in either direction: obscenely complicated or too simplistic. ROTF Prime? Complicated. ROTF Megatron? Way too easy. Sentinel Prime? Don't give it to anyone who gets easily frustrated. Ironhide? This is a leader?

One thing this does make stand out is an elegant transformation. Skyhammer is an example -- not too complicated, not too fiddly, and you get great modes.

A simple solution is to revamp the laughable "difficulty" meter. Maybe keep it, but add a new level "Extra-Challenging!" and market it to "Masters of Transformation". This way you're taking a downside ("Too complicated!") and turning into a positive ("Do you have what it takes to be a Transformers Master?"). The same thing could go in the other direction -- rather than call them "easy", maybe call them Speed Transformations. How fast can you go from one mode to another? Be the fastest among your friends! These should be in big stickers on the front, not the easily ignorable difficulty meter.

This just lets people know what they're getting, which is never a bad thing and prevents otherwise well-meaning but uninformed people from giving gifts that will either frustrate or bore their recipients.

[Dynamo.Dave]

On the topic of videogames, I agree completely.
I consider myself a decent gamer from the 90s, but the first time I tried to play Mechwarrior (on PC), I was totally goofed by the controls- it was like QWOP with guns.

On Transformers, I think the point of the line is, uh, transforming. If you don't like transforming, buy Power Rangers Zords or some other robots.
Classics Bumblebee/Cliffjumper are the perfect example - decently quick to transform, but great posing ability.

[Hylo]

Originally Posted by Ground Zero

Since the Beast Wars era, Transformers have been getting more and more advanced in terms of engineering. As a result, we've been seeing some pretty tricky transformations. The movie figures and even the new Prime figures are no exception.

I remember as a kid being able to pick up most "deluxe" sized G1 figures and being able to figure them out with a bit of help from the instruction manual. I used to be able to transform my entire Autobot "fleet" in no time, zip off to fight the Decepticons, and transform them back.

Now though, figures are much more complicated. I can't imagine 7 year old not getting a bit frustrated with them. I realize we have the smaller figures, activators, legends and such that are easier but given the target audience would generally be children (especially for something like Transformers Prime) you'd expect the larger figures to be a bit more accommodating. I remember a friend of mine buying Tigerhawk for his kid and thinking "yeah, good luck with that". I'd say the same for any parent buying their kid some of the larger figures these days.

We all know the "difficulty" meter on the figures is almost arbitrary too at times. :-\

And this is why I avoided the movie line completely, they take forever to transform and once you do, they don't look like autobots or decepticons anyway, just giant bugformers.

[anotheran]

i love how they're getting more difficult. Hasbro addresses the complaint of difficult transformations with different lines like the Rescue Bot, PCC, activators, gravity bots, etc.

I think Hasbro took the complaints to heart, DOTM prime was easy to transform compared to ROTF leader prime. They didn't even bother to re-release leader prime in the US. I'd rather they make great looking toys and let the market decide.