Transformers and the TMNT Effect..

[JLvatron]

Recall the Energon line when the Superion/Bruticus/Constructicon combiners were released? All sets had only 2 repainted molds for the 4 limbs. Naturally, we felt jipped.

Of the 3 sets, Superion was unstable, not to mention Silverbolt wasn't that great on his own.
So we felt jipped-er.

Now Hasbro repaints this Superion set (where 2/5 were repaints anyway), ...and we rush to buy it!

So the message we are giving Hasbro is: Repaint! Repaint! Repaint!

Matrix, if we're willing to buy repaint molds we complained about just cause they are repainted, then this 'Repaint' technique must be 1 magic money maker!

[Scrapper6]

Originally Posted by Scrapper6

That's about five molds from the first assortment repainted. We also had a few others, but they were scattered throughout at least four to six years of Beast Wars toys.

Quoted because it seems you neglected to notice that part.

Originally Posted by GMfan101

Except for the fact that these were redecoed more then the times you listed...I won't even count the Japanese versions as that would make the list bigger.

BW Dinobot/ BW Grimlock/ Fox Kids Dinobot/ Dinobots Grimlock/ 10th Ani. Dinobot
BW Cheetor/ BW Tigatron/ Fox Kids Cheetor/ Shadow Panther/ 10 Ani Cheetor
BW Tarantulus/ BW Blackarachnia/ 10th Ani Tarantulus (though cancelled there was the Halloween edition planned as well for Blackarachnia...)
BW Waspinator/ BW Buzzsaw/ Fox Kids Waspinator/ 10th Ani Waspinator
BW Terrorsaur/ BW Laserbeak/ Botcon Fractyl/ Dinobots Swoop

I don't why people get all bent out of shape for redeco's (ya they aren't repaints)....it's been happening since Transformers started and it ain't stopping any time soon no matter how much we bitch or hate on them.

Quite frankly you seem to have missed my point, the Beast Era repaints were not released in the SAME YEAR, they were released over a longer stretch of time. Much like they could be doing in this day and age with Movieverse figures.

The 10th Anniversary figures were released ten years after the first use of their respective molds.

What Hasbro is doing in this new modern era of Transformers is what some commonly like to refer to as, oversaturation of the market, with millions of useless repaints that we don't really need.

I blame the decline of likeminded toylines, there is no longer any competition, so Hasbro has become a little complacent. Because there is nothing standing up against Transformers. No real competition from a toyline similar enough. True they have to compete with videogames and other things, but that isn't the same as if they had a similar toyline of transforming vehicles and things with personalities to compete with like Tonka's old Go-Bot line.

You may be right that it has been a part of Transformers since the beginning, but repaints/redecoes were not as common as you would think in the G1 era. Years went by without any repaints, they had all new original molds a hell of a lot more, but I consider that to be a sign of the times. Cheaper production costs = more new molds. Remember, less oil means less plastic unless they recylce plastics for toys. I mean oil is used in the manufacture of plastics.

And we are free to bitch and moan all we want, just because it won't change anything doesn't mean we shouldn't complain when we are handed yet another Bumblebee figure in the Movie lines.

After all it's like Hasbro is going a tad on the deep end with all these bloody repaints, or to use a familiar quote... "But, she's got a new hat." And if you don't know what I'm getting at, well do I really have to say it?

[JLvatron]

Originally Posted by Sun Swipe Prime

The key word here is "seems" if you look at the number of transformers they put out in G1 vs the number they put out now, I'm betting G1 gets dwarfed. How many bots were there in the first year or so of Transformers. I'm guessing, so someone set me straight here, but wasn't it like 13 autobots and probably the same number of decepicons? That many probably get put out in one wave now.

And remember G1 transformers are just a repackage of Diaclone/microman/etc. from Japan, so none of first waves G1 transformers were new molds, just reuse of old ones.

The 1st G1 series had 18 Autobots, 10 Decepticons (some sold in sets). Not much, but it was just the 1st year. Plus they were 'new' molds to the Hasbro 'Transformers' line.

It may have been less toys, but seemed higher, in part because they were all different characters, (not 5 'Bumblebees') even from season to season they were newer characters with un-repeated names.
So the quantity of 'characters' was defnitely more.

[Team Jetfire]

I think the difference is that there is more product on the shelves. Back in the day you would have 10 moulds on the shelves. Now you have 12 moulds, 5 of which have been repainted in to different characters, so 17 toys are on the shelves, it just seems like less because of the increase of re-paints.

[JLvatron]

Originally Posted by Scrapper6

What Hasbro is doing in this new modern era of Transformers is what some commonly like to refer to as, oversaturation of the market, with millions of useless repaints that we don't really need.

I blame the decline of likeminded toylines, there is no longer any competition, so Hasbro has become a little complacent. Because there is nothing standing up against Transformers. No real competition from a toyline similar enough. True they have to compete with videogames and other things, but that isn't the same as if they had a similar toyline of transforming vehicles and things with personalities to compete with like Tonka's old Go-Bot line.

I agree, the value of series of repaints is cheaper than the more original characters from G1.
But the fact is, Hasbro is making good money on this for 1 reason: people are buying it. Alot.

After all it's like Hasbro is going a tad on the deep end with all these bloody repaints, or to use a familiar quote... "But, she's got a new hat." And if you don't know what I'm getting at, well do I really have to say it?

Yes! Say it!

[JLvatron]

Originally Posted by Team Jetfire

I think the difference is that there is more product on the shelves. Back in the day you would have 10 moulds on the shelves. Now you have 12 moulds, 5 of which have been repainted in to different characters, so 17 toys are on the shelves, it just seems like less because of the increase of re-paints.

Exactly!

[Scrapper6]

Originally Posted by Sun Swipe Prime

The key word here is "seems" if you look at the number of transformers they put out in G1 vs the number they put out now, I'm betting G1 gets dwarfed. How many bots were there in the first year or so of Transformers. I'm guessing, so someone set me straight here, but wasn't it like 13 autobots and probably the same number of decepicons? That many probably get put out in one wave now.

And remember G1 transformers are just a repackage of Diaclone/microman/etc. from Japan, so none of first waves of G1 transformers were new molds, just reuse of old ones.

Generation One had at least 350+ figures released during it's six year run, many more if you also count the years in which Takara released new mold figures and the Generation Two line, which in itself is an extension of G1.

The first wave of G1 in 84 included the following...

Optimus Prime
Ironhide
Ratchet
Prowl
Bluestreak
Hound
Mirage
Wheeljack
Trailbreaker
Sideswipe
Sunstreaker
Bumblebee
Cliffjumper
Brawn
Huffer
Gears
Windcharger
'Bumblejumper'
Megatron
Soundwave
Buzzsaw
Starscream
Skywarp
Thundercracker
Frenzy
Rumble
Ravage
Laserbeak
and I believe Mail-Away Reflector which consisted of Spyglass, Spectro and Viewfinder.

That is 18 Autobots and 13 Decepticons (The Decepticons have long been outnumbered as far as releases go.)


Generation One was a powerhouse, the way Transformers are made and marketed in this day and age they individual series last about two to two and a half years.

Therefore...

Armada = less than 300+ figures, even including Mini-Cons individually.
Energon Ditto
Cybertron Ditto
Beast Machines Most Definitely
Beast Wars Possibly
Animated You bet your shirt
Universe 1.0 Doesn't Count to be honest
Universe 2.0 Filler Line definitely not 300+ yet
Classics Ditto
Robots in Disguise Most Assuredly
Movie 1 (Not counting Robot Heroes, or non-transforming figures like the short lived action figure-esque sub-line.) I would imagine it barely makes the 200 mark, even with all the non-transforming figures I'd wager it's just shy of 290 figures.
Revenge of the Fallen not finished yet, but probably won't reach the 300+ mark.

Therefore I reiterate, G1 is the real success story, the true powerhouse, it lasted over 6 years 7 in Japan and included a multitude of Transformers in excess of 350+ individual figures.
Because of the new design on Transformers lines, none of them, EVER will be able to match G1. Unless you want to get picky and count Armada/Energon/Cybertron together as the Unicron Trilogy, but even then I doubt they match the sheer volume of G1.

[Team Jetfire]

Sorry, I don't buy it.

We call it Generation 1, but there were many different generations over that time period. Origional, Movie toys, Head Masters, Pretendors, Actionmasters: all part of a different line of transformers. And 350 seems like a very high number, but if you include individual Micromasters it could be true I suppose.

But if you took all the releases of Transformers over the last 7 years and added it up, it would be more than the first seven years. Sure it would be made up of many Re-paints, but also made up of multiple sublines and moulds that were way more complex then anything G1 had to offer. You can not tell me that one Alternator equals the complexity of ANY G1 toy released.

[Scrapper6]

Originally Posted by Team Jetfire

Sorry, I don't buy it.

We call it Generation 1, but there were many different generations over that time period. Origional, Movie toys, Head Masters, Pretendors, Actionmasters: all part of a different line of transformers. And 350 seems like a very high number, but if you include individual Micromasters it could be true I suppose.

But if you took all the releases of Transformers over the last 7 years and added it up, it would be more than the first seven years. Sure it would be made up of many Re-paints, but also made up of multiple sublines and moulds that were way more complex then anything G1 had to offer. You can not tell me that one Alternator equals the complexity of ANY G1 toy released.

By that logic then Transformers as a whole has released over 1000 figures since 1984 to the present. Because they are all part of the brand Transformers, no G1, no G2, no Beast Era, no Unicron Trilogy and no Movieverse. In which case... Hasbro has given us at least over 100 repaints in the line since 1984, I think it's high time they reconsidered that practice, don't you?

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by Scrapper6

By that logic then Transformers as a whole has released over 1000 figures since 1984 to the present. Because they are all part of the brand Transformers, no G1, no G2, no Beast Era, no Unicron Trilogy and no Movieverse. In which case... Hasbro has given us at least over 100 repaints in the line since 1984, I think it's high time they reconsidered that practice, don't you?

Not really. While certin characters have reached Re-paint overkill, I still likethat some characters are born out of re-paints. Skywarp, Thundercraker, Bluestreak, Smokescrean, Frenzy and all the cone heads, just to name a few.