That has to be old stock they found in a warehouse. There's no way someone picked those molds to do new runs.
Transformers: Age of the Primes toyline discussion || update: stock renders of upcoming Alpha Trion, Micronus, Flatline, Fireflight, Skydive, ++
- Thread starter TriBlurr
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Haven't investors been getting on Hasbro for excess stock? Sounds like they just found some unsold product in a warehouse sweep.
Sunstreaker I can kind of see (the recent reuse was in a store exclusive multipack). But SIEGE Prowl would be some stunning tone-deafness. That is, unless there's some exclusivity hoopla that's managed to stay in effect this long (we never did get a straight reissue of either that Ironhide or non-dead Earth mode Prowl). This despite also-Amazon exclusive Dirge and Ramjet both getting released elsewhere.
There's no stand-alone version of Prowl to reissue aside from the Siege one; they'd have to reissue the two pack entirely, and that Ironhide probably isn't too popular now that the SS version is out. Otherwise they'd need to generate new packaging for him and at that point it's no longer a reissue, it's a product repack.
Sunstreaker is a weird choice given we're getting an '86 version next year.
Siege Prowl has been listed on a couple sites as a pre-order for this fall, so I think this was intentional. (We may be discussing this in the wrong spot, though.)
So many lines, reissues, and recolors have made things so blurred it's hard to guess, honestly. I'm reminded of when Classics/Generations and Reveal the Shield overlapped in such a confusing manner even TfWiki openly griped about where to put things in G1 or Live Movie headings.
It's simple; They're all 'CHUG'.
For my nickel on Prowl and Sunstreaker, this is what I’m suspecting:
Prowl is probably getting dusted off because the character just hasn’t been available in a hot minute outside of higher budget retail exclusives and whatever the eff is going on with Earthspark. He’s also a name/character Hasbro likes to keep in circulation. And, as I recall, the last rerun actually sold out so there might actually be a bit of demand for the character or mold.
Sunstreaker might be intended to compliment Sideswipe (the Target Devastation exclusive).
Given how not all hands talk to each other in a company and how far in advance production plans are made, the decision to rerun these particular figures might have been made before future plans had been finalized.
Prowl is probably getting dusted off because the character just hasn’t been available in a hot minute outside of higher budget retail exclusives and whatever the eff is going on with Earthspark. He’s also a name/character Hasbro likes to keep in circulation. And, as I recall, the last rerun actually sold out so there might actually be a bit of demand for the character or mold.
Sunstreaker might be intended to compliment Sideswipe (the Target Devastation exclusive).
Given how not all hands talk to each other in a company and how far in advance production plans are made, the decision to rerun these particular figures might have been made before future plans had been finalized.
To clarify, I wasn't necessarily looking for a reissue, more an alternate release like the Dirge and Ramjet I mentioned. But that's on me, I should've said "rerelease" or sometbing instead of "a straight reissue"; I just meant to distinguish that from retools like Dead Prowl. To get a Siege reissue instead of that just feels very "we have Prowl at home", purely out of circumstance rather than intent.
As Steevy Maximus notes, we are getting a handful of reissues (the Phantomstrike Squadron one being notable) and this may have just been one more on the to-do list there.
I do hope that between SS86 (however close to done they are on that) and AOTP, Hasbro finds more room for package refreshes of previous exclusives or harder to find stuff. Prowl, Runabout, Thrust, Earth mode Hound...
If there really is some contractual reason they can't reissue Earthrise Prowl, just do a Retro release with launchers and toy decals. It's better that way anyway.
It would be nice if I could get one of these.
Slingshot was my first Aerialbot, and if memory serves, maybe my second or third Transformer overall (I feel like there was someone between Twin Twist and him, but I'm blanking there).
Then they did my boy dirty in Combiner Wars by dropping him and replacing him with Alpha Bravo, and killing him in the comic. Then releasing him later as some sort of exclusive. Never got him.
And now I just can't afford him. XP
(My TF funds are currently being taken up by Heatwave and SS '86 Perceptor/Ramhorn/Ratbat.)
Maybe next time...
From how the current and former Hasbro guys have explained it, how I‘ve understood it:
Whenever you change the product design or format, it has to go through a new set of management and budgetary approvals. Almost like a new product, even if the changes are minimal. “Package refreshes”, which are just print material changes, don’t go through as much (if any) of the same review process since the toy itself is unchanged.
Through some arcane process of accounting, releasing Earthrise Prowl as a single product would cause the release to be considered a “new product”, and therefore count towards the allotted number of budgetary spots Hasbro allotted to the brand segment. Dirge and Ramjet basically counted as “new releases”, despite having few (if any changes) from their prior release.
From the cone heads and Soundwave, we KNOW most of the “Earthrise/WFC” exclusivity is pretty much over. I think it‘s just a matter of the Hasbro guys finding a “spot” for him among the myriad of releases they do each year. I would be surprised if we don‘t get either a single release of ER Prowl next year or the year after, if not a full blown new mold (Especially in SS86)