First Image of ROTF Constructicon Toy? - UPDATED!
Saturday, January 17th, 2009 6:12AM CST
Categories: Movie Related News, Toy NewsPosted by: Skowl Views: 46,043
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Details surrounding this figure are few, but the photos do give us a look the mecanics of the toy allow for transformation, while also giving us a look at the robot head. It is unclear if this toy is part of the rumoured deluxe Constructicons, who each have their individual robot modes but cannot form Devastator, or part of a rumoured second set, who sacrifice individual robot modes to be able to form the large Devastator toy.
Looking closely, it does seem that the transformation scheme of this figure is strangely simple, and lacks any visible robot panels and plates (which are numerous on the movie figures). Perhaps this is part of the Devastator set, and the visible head may be the head of Devastator himself?
See the images by clicking here.
UPDATE: further pics including a clearer picture of the altmode, and Devastator's head can be found here.
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Posted by mattyc1007 on January 17th, 2009 @ 6:24am CST
Posted by Hard Hacker on January 17th, 2009 @ 6:31am CST
Posted by Autobotic9 on January 17th, 2009 @ 6:34am CST
Posted by Technically weird on January 17th, 2009 @ 6:56am CST
Posted by Chaoslock on January 17th, 2009 @ 7:04am CST
Posted by Primus, Second-In-Command on January 17th, 2009 @ 7:13am CST
Posted by Heavy B on January 17th, 2009 @ 7:26am CST
Posted by Tigertrack on January 17th, 2009 @ 7:49am CST
Posted by craggy on January 17th, 2009 @ 8:11am CST
forget about raping your childhood, this is raping your wallet. or are we suddenly in a situation where the technology that was available 25 years ago has been forgotten? hasbro can go shovel!
Posted by ThunderThruster on January 17th, 2009 @ 8:42am CST
craggy wrote:so there will be one set of constructicons that transform into robots but don't combine, and another that don't have their own robot modes but do combine into devastator?
forget about raping your childhood, this is raping your wallet. or are we suddenly in a situation where the technology that was available 25 years ago has been forgotten? hasbro can go shovel!
Indeed! a 'combiner' should be just that that: altmodes, individual botmodes, combined botmode
Not 2 seperate versions!
Posted by Seibermore on January 17th, 2009 @ 9:23am CST
ThunderThruster wrote:craggy wrote:so there will be one set of constructicons that transform into robots but don't combine, and another that don't have their own robot modes but do combine into devastator?
forget about raping your childhood, this is raping your wallet. or are we suddenly in a situation where the technology that was available 25 years ago has been forgotten? hasbro can go shovel!
Indeed! a 'combiner' should be just that that: altmodes, individual botmodes, combined botmode
Not 2 seperate versions!
Agreed! We shall contact Hasbro immeditly!
Posted by First-Aid on January 17th, 2009 @ 9:34am CST
craggy wrote:so there will be one set of constructicons that transform into robots but don't combine, and another that don't have their own robot modes but do combine into devastator?
forget about raping your childhood, this is raping your wallet. or are we suddenly in a situation where the technology that was available 25 years ago has been forgotten? hasbro can go shovel!
Maybe...but another thing to consider: ILM has likely just recently put the finishing touches on the digital models. They may not have gotten all the robot modes for these bots in time to have them come out with the initiall wave of figures- especially with one this potentially complex. Remember it takes 12-14 months PER FIGURE...granted they are all being worked on at the same time, but still I'd figure you have to throw in additional time for the combination mechanics. Give them time and wait for details...and THEN yell at them...
Posted by Firebird on January 17th, 2009 @ 10:00am CST
I'm not sure what I am more excited about though, The fact that we finally see a Constructicon. Or that the first images that we received arn't blurry!
Posted by Justicity on January 17th, 2009 @ 10:06am CST
Nevermore wrote:ThunderThruster wrote:craggy wrote:so there will be one set of constructicons that transform into robots but don't combine, and another that don't have their own robot modes but do combine into devastator?
forget about raping your childhood, this is raping your wallet. or are we suddenly in a situation where the technology that was available 25 years ago has been forgotten? hasbro can go shovel!
Indeed! a 'combiner' should be just that that: altmodes, individual botmodes, combined botmode
Not 2 seperate versions!
Agreed! We shall contact Hasbro immeditly!
To the Bat-phone!
Or would you have us infiltrate Hasbro via it's marketing department, using a complex system of ropes and levers?
Posted by Solrac333 on January 17th, 2009 @ 10:20am CST
Count me in! Synchronize watches...
Posted by Kibble on January 17th, 2009 @ 10:29am CST
tigertracks 24 wrote:Well that could be part of the $99 combiner... which I believe was rumored earlier to have pieces that can combine to form Devastator, but the individual bots would NOT transform to robots.
Talk about fail! I actually liked the first movie's figures, but the more I see and hear of the second movie's, the more money it sounds like I'll be saving this year.
Posted by Nekoman on January 17th, 2009 @ 10:52am CST
tigertracks 24 wrote:Well that could be part of the $99 combiner... which I believe was rumored earlier to have pieces that can combine to form Devastator, but the individual bots would NOT transform to robots.
I thought only one of them wouldn't transform into a robot.
Confusing movie news is confusing.
Posted by Bumblebeast on January 17th, 2009 @ 11:16am CST
Posted by roll out on January 17th, 2009 @ 11:17am CST
Posted by sideswipe6520 on January 17th, 2009 @ 11:41am CST
Posted by primeoptimus on January 17th, 2009 @ 11:44am CST
Posted by murkk on January 17th, 2009 @ 12:03pm CST
Posted by kirbenvost on January 17th, 2009 @ 12:04pm CST
Posted by futronimus on January 17th, 2009 @ 12:16pm CST
murkk wrote:there are more photos at this link:
http://www.hk-tf.com/discuz/upload/view ... a=page%3D1
Did anyone look at this? There's seriously more pics.
Posted by PlasticAddict on January 17th, 2009 @ 12:27pm CST
Posted by Venomous Prime on January 17th, 2009 @ 1:12pm CST
craggy wrote:so there will be one set of constructicons that transform into robots but don't combine, and another that don't have their own robot modes but do combine into devastator?
forget about raping your childhood, this is raping your wallet. or are we suddenly in a situation where the technology that was available 25 years ago has been forgotten? hasbro can go shovel!
The G1 combiners were freaking hideous!
why would they want to recreate those?
Posted by Megatron Wolf on January 17th, 2009 @ 2:17pm CST
Posted by Seibermore on January 17th, 2009 @ 2:36pm CST
Not 2 seperate versions![/quote]
Agreed! We shall contact Hasbro immeditly![/quote]
To the Bat-phone!
Or would you have us infiltrate Hasbro via it's marketing department, using a complex system of ropes and levers?[/quote]
Oh yes or we could just blow a huge hole in their wall and then talk to them.
Nah,(Puts on all black suit) Lets go NINJA STYLE!
Posted by craggy on January 17th, 2009 @ 3:09pm CST
First-Aid wrote:craggy wrote:so there will be one set of constructicons that transform into robots but don't combine, and another that don't have their own robot modes but do combine into devastator?
forget about raping your childhood, this is raping your wallet. or are we suddenly in a situation where the technology that was available 25 years ago has been forgotten? hasbro can go shovel!
Maybe...but another thing to consider: ILM has likely just recently put the finishing touches on the digital models. They may not have gotten all the robot modes for these bots in time to have them come out with the initiall wave of figures- especially with one this potentially complex. Remember it takes 12-14 months PER FIGURE...granted they are all being worked on at the same time, but still I'd figure you have to throw in additional time for the combination mechanics. Give them time and wait for details...and THEN yell at them...
I'll reply to this with the same sort of comment I always do when I hear about a billion-dollar company not doing the work they should ahead of time, just to meet a deadline they themselves have set...if it's not ready in time, don't solicit it.
Will parents not buy these toys for there kids if they don't come out 3-4 weeks before they film's release? Will kids stop wanting toys of the characters after they've seen them on screen? (If the answer to that one is yes then they really are screwed) Will adult collectors turn down a modern version of one of the most beloved toys the company has ever released? (lets be honest, Devastator is up there with Grimlock in the ranks of superpopular b-list TFs yes?)
I think, if it's a good toy people will buy it. At the movie's release there will be plenty of Optimus Primes, Bumblebees and whatever to keep people happy, but the Devastator set will likely be a big seller up to and maybe even after Christmas. IF it's a good toy, and the film makes the character interesting enough to buy (by which I mean that it'll blow up more stuff than most TFs and look a little bit bigger and scarier). But I can see a lot of people being really put off at having to buy double the amount of toys to get a complete representation of the character.
What if they only released a non-transforming Truck with flames on it, and then a non-transforming robot mode Prime? Sure, people might buy them, but it kinda defeats the purpose of the line being called Transformers doesn't it? This situation isn't quite the same, but it's pretty darn close.
If the reason is that the digital models weren't completed in time, then it's someone at Hasbro/Dreamworks/ILMs fault. Really, Hasbro has licensed the filmmakers to produce a film based on their toys. Supposedly Hasbro works closely with the film company to help design the characters, so they can make the toys accurate. It's their job to make toys. If they can't make toys that match the licensed advert they're allowing to go out then it doesn't take a genius to realise someone didn't do what they were getting paid to do.
Of course, it might turn out that there is only one set of Constructions, they each have a robot mode, a vehicle mode and also combine to form a larger robot. I could be overreacting. I am anyway, regardless, but it might be a case of someone not caring, or consciously trying to fleece consumers for more money. Either way, I don't like it. I don't even buy the movie toys much, but think that it'd be crap for the folks who do (whose money is likely responsible for getting the classics 2.0 toys made) to have to pay double for the something that was already done in the 80s pretty damn well.
Posted by Sledge on January 17th, 2009 @ 3:11pm CST
Posted by craggy on January 17th, 2009 @ 3:13pm CST
original sin wrote:craggy wrote:so there will be one set of constructicons that transform into robots but don't combine, and another that don't have their own robot modes but do combine into devastator?
forget about raping your childhood, this is raping your wallet. or are we suddenly in a situation where the technology that was available 25 years ago has been forgotten? hasbro can go shovel!
The G1 combiners were freaking hideous!
why would they want to recreate those?
They weren't always great, but look at how everything else has improved. G1 Prime versus Classics for example. Even going down to the most basic level, Minicons Vs Legends. Technology and engineering have advanced significantly, so how can it be possible to create a TF that is made up of 6 individual robots that each have their own alt mode then, but not now?
Posted by Sledge on January 17th, 2009 @ 3:22pm CST
Posted by emeraldbeacon on January 17th, 2009 @ 3:31pm CST
Sledge wrote:Because G1 Devastator was an unarticulated lump that would be laughed off the shelves by the standards of modern Transformers.
Except at Big Lots.
Posted by Chaoslock on January 17th, 2009 @ 3:53pm CST
Sledge wrote:Because G1 Devastator was an unarticulated lump that would be laughed off the shelves by the standards of modern Transformers.
The G1 constructicons are, what, scout or legend-sized by themselves? I think their build and equipment is far above "modern" Transformer standards.
If combined, the "modern" combiners could only bring as much posability as the old ones with worse designs (lack of hands, feet, etc...)
Posted by craggy on January 17th, 2009 @ 4:05pm CST
Sledge wrote:Because G1 Devastator was an unarticulated lump that would be laughed off the shelves by the standards of modern Transformers.
i don't think you understand. i'm not saying rerelease the old toys. i'm saying that it should be more than possible to create new toys, up to the standard of today, that have individual robot and vehicle modes which also combine into a larger robot.
Posted by Sledge on January 17th, 2009 @ 4:10pm CST
Ok, to answer your new question: the problem with what you suggest is that essentially we're back to the problem of creating a really good triple changer. It's got to have (in this case) a realistic alt mode, a well-articulated robot mode AND be functional as part of a combined well-articulated robot. That ain't easy.
Posted by craggy on January 17th, 2009 @ 4:16pm CST
Sledge wrote:No, I understand what you said. You just didn't say what you meant.
Ok, to answer your new question: the problem with what you suggest is that essentially we're back to the problem of creating a really good triple changer. It's got to have (in this case) a realistic alt mode, a well-articulated robot mode AND be functional as part of a combined well-articulated robot. That ain't easy.
no. i said what i meant. you inferred a different meaning from my words. i'd forgotten why i don't post here much. now i remember, thanks.
like i said, looking at how far a standard transformer has come from the early 80s to today, the technology and engineering is far superior. if it's possible to create a toy that changes from one thing into another and make it so much more articulated and detailed than it was in the 80s, it shouldn't be too much to expect that the same process can be applied to a triple-changer, which, as you correctly state, in this case has to change from vehicle to robot to part of a larger robot.
the original constructicons, taken as individuals were not significantly less articulated than other transformers of the same size at the same time. i would think that with the advances that have been made it'd be far easier to make a combiner today than it was back then.
Posted by Sledge on January 17th, 2009 @ 4:25pm CST
Posted by craggy on January 17th, 2009 @ 4:29pm CST
Posted by Omega Charge on January 17th, 2009 @ 4:41pm CST
a body part for one robot = fine with me. As long as that one robot looks awesome.
And if there really will be a second round of the combiners that don't actually combine, but have robot modes, that's a second option. But really, how are they going to appear in the movie?
Posted by shortround on January 17th, 2009 @ 5:00pm CST
Posted by Skowl on January 17th, 2009 @ 6:07pm CST
Fans don't know what's best for them sometimes - they want perfection when they should learn to be grateful for excellence.
Autobotic9 wrote:He's a voyager shovel. His shovel splits into two arms, one tread goes behind his head, and the other one he rolls around on. This is a fact. His alt mode is also horribly mistransformed. It should look like this:
Fact, eh? I'd like to believe you - that actually sounds like a cool idea for a bot mode!
EDIT: Wait, further research has revealed that you are actually the guy who got to see one of the ROTF Voyager figures during that Hasbro tour! You did describe it as a Voyager-class shovel-scoop construction vehicle - so you must know what you're talking about!
What a scoop! Both figuratively and literally speaking...
Posted by Serpent O - R on January 17th, 2009 @ 6:28pm CST
There is no real world excuse for these Constructicons to not have both Bot modes and Combiner modes.
I have been designing a combiner for some time now [extremely part time, maybe 30 hours total] with pencil on graph paper, no auto cad. I build with hand tools out of super sculpy...
My moral- I HAVE ALT, BOT, & COMBINER MODES FOR EACH PIECE!
Granted, my detailing skills are not up to par with movie designs, but it functions like a movie design as well as having room for intensive detailing when my skills get better.
Finally, it is not hard to design a Transformer of any kind. I've been blueprinting them for YEARS. All you need to do is prioritize the different modes detail levels. When I design Combiners, I use these steps...
1. Non-detailed Combined Form.
2. Non-detailed Combined Modes for each piece.
3. Transform Combined Mode to Alt Mode.
4. Transform Alt mode to Bot Mode.
5. Prioritize Mode Detailing [for me; Alt > Combined > Bot].
6. Detail Alt Mode [Max detail].
7. Transform Alt Mode to Combined Mode.
8. Detail Combined Mode/Form [detail until it interferes with Alt Mode detail].
9. Transform to Bot Mode.
10. Detail Bot Mode [detail until it interferes with Combined Mode detail].
11. Tweek till happy.
12. Design each moving piece individually into an exploded design.
13. Build each piece, one at a time.
14. Test Assemble.
15. Tweek till happy.
16. Detailed build of each piece.
17. Paint.
18. Final Assembly.
19. Display.
Remember, I do all this by myself when I have the time. For my current project, I'm up to step 12 [it's a six bot combiner].
Now, because I must defend that which is inferior to me...
Maybe the reason for the 2 sets of Constructicons is simply plot related. They started as regular Decepticons, but had to sacrifice their individual bot modes for the greater bot mode...
[cough, lame, cough]
For the record, I don't own a single movie TF and at this rate, I probably never will.
Posted by JaZzTaStIc on January 17th, 2009 @ 8:25pm CST
altho the alt mode looks vastly improved now its transformed right and i for one am lookin forward to the way hasbro are dealing with it.
it could be awesome it could be crap but either way its a combiner set which will be big (for once) and very different from previous sets.
but i wonder how many people will go rush out and buy the set OR wait for the blatant G1 repaint.....
Posted by Skowl on January 17th, 2009 @ 8:33pm CST
Some fans may recall a news story that was posted on Seibertron.com this past summer (that was removed as per request of Hasbro), about a member who saw a Voyager-class construction vehicle being painted while on a tour of the Hasbro HQ. Though the member who took the tour never divulged more than simply the vehicle mode and size class of the figure, he knows tells us that this new toy is indeed the figure he saw during the tour and - contrary to speculation in our previous story - is an independant toy with its own robot mode, not one of the rumoured vehicle-only Constructicon figures.
Autobotic9 also gave us a brief run-down of what the properly transformed robot mode should look like:
He's a voyager shovel. His shovel splits into two arms, one tread goes behind his head, and the other one he rolls around on. This is a fact.
Also, some new images have surfaced in the original thread, which have been mirrored below:
Posted by GuyIncognito on January 17th, 2009 @ 8:57pm CST
Posted by Barrelass on January 17th, 2009 @ 9:04pm CST
GuyIncognito wrote:OK, can someone just confirm for me: these are going to be Voyager class TFs, with robot and construction vehicle modes... that also combine to form a giant Devastator?
I don't think anyone can confirm much of anything at this point, but after reading through the comments, everyone really seems to freak out and infer a lot from a couple blurry pictures. All there have been is rumor and speculation (and an as usual angry Sledge sighting). I am willing to be patient and see that they have done with the whole set. I just hope that all the colors of the different vehicles look decent together.
Posted by Zeds on January 17th, 2009 @ 9:08pm CST
Posted by Mirage22 on January 17th, 2009 @ 9:21pm CST
Posted by shadowtyger00 on January 17th, 2009 @ 10:19pm CST