Hasbro Q&A Round 2 2009, Answers! Options

[NightViper]

* How long is the ROTF line scheduled to run? While there may not yet be a concrete end date yet, is there product slated through Christmas '09 or even Spring of '10? When it ends, will we see a return to Animated and Universe, or something new?

The movie line is planned through Spring of 2010 and will include both new versions of core characters pulled directly from the movie and several new molds of characters inspired by the the real world styling seen in the film.

* Is there a difference between obscure characters and brand new characters to the Hasbro design team? Do Hasbro's toy designers prefer to have complete freedom in designing a toy (or repainting an existing one) to make a brand new character or the challenge of modernizing the appearance of an old character (either through a new mold or repaints) while still keeping it recognizable as being the same character?

This varies from designer to designer. The challenge of creating a new character or one from the past is the same because it is putting out the best toy possible. Either way, it is a rewarding part of our job to be able to do this stuff day in and day out. Whether it is designing a new toy or re-imagining a classic, each has its own unique challenges.

* Transformers fans have noticed that a number of the recent secondary and tertiary retail store exclusives have been prior figures in new packaging. For an example, there are the Cybertron Scouts in Universe packaging. Why is this done? Is it excess/leftover stock simply put into new packaging, or new stock manufactured solely for the re-release?

While we do not want to get into too many specifics, we felt that for the items in question, they were still relevant and delivered the core aspects of Transformers: conversion and the story of good vs evil. Needless to say, these items were produced and put into the current Universe packaging in order to meet a specific need at the time.

Links to other Questions:

http://www.16bit.com/
http://www.actionfigs.com/index.php?catego..._articleid=2471
http://actionfigurecollectors.com/articles...rsqa_june09.php
http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/main/?p=3457
http://www.asmzine.com/qanda/transformers/qa0509.shtml
http://www.cooltoyreview.com/story/front/H...wers_122754.asp
http://www.cybertron.ca/boards/showthread.php?t=16158
http://tformers.com/transformers-hasbro-an...11707/news.html
http://www.tfviews.com/news/main/hasbro-q-and-a/455
http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers...rs-tfw2005.html
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Hasbro_Q%26A_May_2009:_Answers

This post has been edited by Powered Convoy: Jun 5 2009, 05:52 PM

[Silent_Magnus]

For number three,
I thought they did that as to help "battle" KOs?

[Malikon]

that last answer sounds like some weird double speak lawyer talk, lots of words while not actually saying anything.

Still I do look forward to reading these things, thanks for posting it.

[G.B.Blackrock]

that last answer sounds like some weird double speak lawyer talk, lots of words while not actually saying anything.

Yeah. I *think* they said that they specifically made new Scattorshots to put in Universe packaging (as opposed to packaging overstock), but I'm not entirely sure....

[Mighty Maximal]

Considering how long people have wanted lil Scattershot to be repainted it's rather galling to see they made more and still used the original color with out even a paint color change.

Even a small tweak might have been nice as was done with a version of RID Optimus Prime that had a different color of paint to the chest.

Scattershot could have been done in Green, or Sand color or something like that - he'd have been just as fun and a lot more collectable - if he's just a repack less so.

Did them epsecially make it as something to sell to little kids who've seen Cybertron on DVD or TV ? and to make something Scalpers would be less likely to buy in bulk ... thereby maintaining some shelf prescence - that would be bonkers to make something not to sell. !!!!

I still wish they'd repaint these reissue scouts - there's so much potential there's the missing Armada Minicons and Target scouts, there more repaint potential in Real gear robots there's plenty of show acurate or made up color potential in Terrorcons.
I'm sure it's worth reissuing Minicons - heck even a straight reissue of the rarer minicon teams like the repaint Emergency team would hold more interest than what they've been doing with universe scouts so far.

Terrorcons would be good as the weapons are always handy to have.

This post has been edited by Mighty Maximal: Jun 3 2009, 05:53 PM

[crazyjw18]

Another Q & A that leaves us really none the wiser on anything, I see..

[Might Gaine]

that last answer sounds like some weird double speak lawyer talk, lots of words while not actually saying anything.

Yeah. I *think* they said that they specifically made new Scattorshots to put in Universe packaging (as opposed to packaging overstock), but I'm not entirely sure....

Haven't they publically said before that this was the case? I could have sworn they did...

[Dake]

Another Q & A that leaves us really none the wiser on anything, I see..

Eh, it's nice to know how long ROTF toys are going to run.

Thanks for picking the general gist of my question btw - I do have to chuckle that they basically ignored the second half of it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-fire.gif)

[---The Rat]

that last answer sounds like some weird double speak lawyer talk, lots of words while not actually saying anything.

Yeah. I *think* they said that they specifically made new Scattorshots to put in Universe packaging (as opposed to packaging overstock), but I'm not entirely sure....

Haven't they publically said before that this was the case? I could have sworn they did...

yea, I think that question was answered at botcon '07, or '08 in a panel. If I remember correctly they specifically made new figures for the new packs. As It would be far more costly to repack older toys. Although I could be wrong its been a few years and the memory of that question is a bit fuzzy

[ChessPieceFace]

Another Q & A that leaves us really none the wiser on anything, I see..

Eh, it's nice to know how long ROTF toys are going to run.

Thanks for picking the general gist of my question btw - I do have to chuckle that they basically ignored the second half of it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-fire.gif)

Well, at BotCon we learned that there'll be a return to Universe as its own line in fall 2010, though it may be called something different. And at this point, it definitely seems like there'll be something entirely new in the Spring... definitely not Animated, most likely whatever show they have planned for the new Hasbro TV network. So we kind of know.

[Bocc Kob]

Was the new molds for movie toys thing meant to include all the stuff already out or that they'll be doing more than just repaints in Spring 2010?

[OmegaX80]

that last answer sounds like some weird double speak lawyer talk, lots of words while not actually saying anything.

Yeah. I *think* they said that they specifically made new Scattorshots to put in Universe packaging (as opposed to packaging overstock), but I'm not entirely sure....

Haven't they publically said before that this was the case? I could have sworn they did...

I don't remember that, I actually thought at one point they admitted to overproduction.

Did anyone ask why certain figures do not see a mass release, for example Classic Legends Warpath, Cosmos, Brawn, etc...?

I'd like to know that answer.

[G.B.Blackrock]

that last answer sounds like some weird double speak lawyer talk, lots of words while not actually saying anything.

Yeah. I *think* they said that they specifically made new Scattorshots to put in Universe packaging (as opposed to packaging overstock), but I'm not entirely sure....

Haven't they publically said before that this was the case? I could have sworn they did...

I don't remember that, I actually thought at one point they admitted to overproduction.

Did anyone ask why certain figures do not see a mass release, for example Classic Legends Warpath, Cosmos, Brawn, etc...?

I'd like to know that answer.

I'm pretty confident that the answer is something along the lines of "retailers aren't buying them like we wanted." I don't think it's a Hasbro problem, per se.

(of course, Hasbro COULD put them up at HTS....)

[OmegaX80]

that last answer sounds like some weird double speak lawyer talk, lots of words while not actually saying anything.

Yeah. I *think* they said that they specifically made new Scattorshots to put in Universe packaging (as opposed to packaging overstock), but I'm not entirely sure....

Haven't they publically said before that this was the case? I could have sworn they did...

I don't remember that, I actually thought at one point they admitted to overproduction.

Did anyone ask why certain figures do not see a mass release, for example Classic Legends Warpath, Cosmos, Brawn, etc...?

I'd like to know that answer.

I'm pretty confident that the answer is something along the lines of "retailers aren't buying them like we wanted." I don't think it's a Hasbro problem, per se.

(of course, Hasbro COULD put them up at HTS....)

GB, I think they all got shipped to Canada since majority of ebay sellers with them are shipping from Canada. Packaging is slightly different. Instead of instructions on the rear of the card, it shows the set of 4.

[NightViper]

The Universe Legends are almost purely the fault of the retailers. In the US, they don't leave a spot for them on the planogram, and therefore don't order many. I know that the only store in my area carrying the Movie ones is TRU; Walmart and Target don't seem to care about them at all. Therefore, with fewer ordered, fewer make it to shelves, and then fewer fans are able to get a hold of them.

That's for the US though. Go to another country where Deluxes cost almost $20, and you'll see that they appreciate the Legends far more than their US cousins. That last wave of Universe Legends had no troubles hitting saturation in Canada and the UK, since stores actually ordered enough of them.

Apparently Hasbro wasn't entirely aware of how under-ordered the Legends were in the US though, since at Botcon they had said they were unaware of how many collectors weren't able to buy them in the US. They said that they MAY look into getting more for HTS or some other means of rectifying the situation.

[OmegaX80]

The Universe Legends are almost purely the fault of the retailers. In the US, they don't leave a spot for them on the planogram, and therefore don't order many. I know that the only store in my area carrying the Movie ones is TRU; Walmart and Target don't seem to care about them at all. Therefore, with fewer ordered, fewer make it to shelves, and then fewer fans are able to get a hold of them.

That's for the US though. Go to another country where Deluxes cost almost $20, and you'll see that they appreciate the Legends far more than their US cousins. That last wave of Universe Legends had no troubles hitting saturation in Canada and the UK, since stores actually ordered enough of them.

Apparently Hasbro wasn't entirely aware of how under-ordered the Legends were in the US though, since at Botcon they had said they were unaware of how many collectors weren't able to buy them in the US. They said that they MAY look into getting more for HTS or some other means of rectifying the situation.

Ok Viper, I hear that. So the question is... where are they if retailers didn't want them?
Did Hasbro just not produce them, or they did produce them and sent them all overseas?

This post has been edited by OmegaX80: Jun 4 2009, 09:36 AM

[Dake]

I can't help but wonder if the Legends situation is somewhat like GI Joe fans are facing with the last DVD battle pack. Hasbro says they were made and they're out there - but no one has seen them. Though for the record, I did see the 2nd wave of Universe Legends in a number of stores very briefly right before and after Christmas around here, but that was obviously a bit of a fluke.

I wonder if they're in retailer limbo, sitting in warehouses with nowhere to go b/c the planograms don't support them anymore. They'll either show up randomly or be shunted down to Big Lots and Tuesday Morning or something strange like that.

[G.B.Blackrock]

Apparently Hasbro wasn't entirely aware of how under-ordered the Legends were in the US though, since at Botcon they had said they were unaware of how many collectors weren't able to buy them in the US. They said that they MAY look into getting more for HTS or some other means of rectifying the situation.

Heck, if BotCon dealers don't even have them (I found exactly one that did), you know something's hard to find!

[G.B.Blackrock]

I wonder if they're in retailer limbo, sitting in warehouses with nowhere to go b/c the planograms don't support them anymore. They'll either show up randomly or be shunted down to Big Lots and Tuesday Morning or something strange like that.

(Praying that it's Tuesday Morning and not Big Lots. Big Lots' prices on Transforers are insane these days.)

[Bass X0]

Another Q & A that leaves us really none the wiser on anything, I see..

I know. Sometimes they get really involved in answering the questions on a personal level but this time, the answers seem like an after-thought like it took this long to find someone who could be bothered to do so.

The answer they gave for the second question which I asked makes me wish now I hadn't bothered submitting it.