Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys

Sunday, January 19th, 2014 7:21PM CST

Categories: Movie Related News, Toy News, People News, Interviews
Posted by: Va'al Views: 70,539

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In an article on the New York Times, Hasbro's chief executive Brian D. Goldner discusses how the complexity of the transformation process in previous toys (think ROTF Leader Optimus Prime) may have detracted from the enjoyment of its intended target audience, and confirms that the new toy lines will feature streamlined, simplified designs (though not all of them, as they keep adult collectors in mind) in both figures and branding. The new products will be hitting the shelves in May, a couple of weeks before Age of Extinction will be released in cinemas - read some relevant quotes below, and the full article here!

But as the brand evolved over the years, the toys became more complex, some involving dozens of steps to complete a single transformation. In the eyes of Brian D. Goldner, Hasbro’s chief executive, they had lost their magic.

“We’ve made incredibly sophisticated robots,” he said, “but it can be like a 1,000-piece puzzle.”

Enthralled by the special effects in three big-budget “Transformers” movies that enabled the robots to convert in a matter of seconds, Mr. Goldner decided the toys needed to return to their roots. So he challenged his design team to reconceive them. Now, on the 30th anniversary of the brand, Hasbro is revealing a new look for the toys, including simple maneuvers that will complete a transformation with the push of a button or flick of the wrist.

The remake of the line, which includes new branding and packaging, is meant to coincide with Paramount Pictures’ release of the fourth movie in the franchise, “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” Retailers will get their first look at the line in London this week at Toy Fair, an annual industry trade show.

“Our retail partners, they are getting very excited,” said Joshua Lamb, the senior design director for the toy line. “This rethinking of the brand is setting the stage long-term.”

The toys are expected to land on retail shelves in May, a few weeks before the release of the movie. Hasbro says it will build on the promotion for the movie with a marketing campaign of its own that will include ads on television and in theaters as well as on digital platforms, like mobile and social media.
[...]

Hasbro will continue to make complex Transformers for adult fans who have collected the toys since their inception 30 years ago. But the new design is intended to re-engage parents and children, who found the transformations too challenging.

Credit(s): New York Times

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Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543230)
Posted by Blozor on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:27pm CST

Oh God. Brickformers: Less than Meets the Eye.

You literally have to prop Optimus Prime up on end and it's a robot? It's the late Eighties all over again.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543231)
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:28pm CST

*sees news thumbnail*

Oh, man, is Ultra Magnus finally gonna be in the movies?

*reads name on package*

Nope.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543232)
Posted by Blozor on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:29pm CST

Whatever they say, I think this is a cost-saving move. It must cost a lot more to design, mold, and assemble all the intricate little parts that go into a complex Transforming toy.

I hope they don't continue this trend with Generations or the entire line will be over.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543233)
Posted by Mindmaster on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:33pm CST

Yeesh, that is the most generic-looking packaging I've ever seen. And that's the thinnest Optimus Prime too. Definitely not my taste >:oP

There better be some good stuff in Age of Extinction, else they can forget me.

Blozor wrote:I hope they don't continue this trend with Generations or the entire line will be over.

DON'T JINX IT, YOU DOLT! :BANG_HEAD:

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543234)
Posted by Ultra Markus on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:34pm CST

almost looks like prime ultramagnus

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543236)
Posted by EagleBot13 on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:34pm CST

When I first saw this I thought that it was a new Prime Ultra Magnus toy. I looks absolutely hideous in my opinion.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543238)
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:36pm CST

Hopefully when they say that they want to look after the adult collectors, they mean that they'll let the Generations line continue as it is.

I wish they would keep the movie toys separate from non-movie toys, though. It helps me stay organized.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543239)
Posted by Noideaforaname on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:36pm CST

You'd think this move towards simplicity would be reflected in the actual Movie designs, instead they've managed to become even more impossible. Granted I don't think that'd really affect this type of toy, it looks like one of those gimmicky sidelines nobody cares about.

At least, I hope it is.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543241)
Posted by craggy on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:40pm CST

so, in an age where little kids can figure out smart phones and hack their parents computers to buy extra lives in candy crush games, Hasbro is treating them like they're stupider than I was at that age?

maybe someone at Hasbro really resented being on MENSA's best toys list?

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543242)
Posted by RodimalToyota on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:41pm CST

Enthralled by the special effects in three big-budget “Transformers” movies that enabled the robots to convert in a matter of seconds, Mr. Goldner decided the toys needed to return to their roots. So he challenged his design team to reconceive them. Now, on the 30th anniversary of the brand, Hasbro is revealing a new look for the toys, including simple maneuvers that will complete a transformation with the push of a button or flick of the wrist.

It's called Rescue Bots....

Apparently kids above the RB demo are too stupid to transform them.
This could have been done by just making a AOE Rescue Bots line Hasbro.
Stop making BS reasons your reducing complexity in favor of pinching a few penny's.

Oh well, we have Tak for the "Adult" stuff.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543245)
Posted by tarZen on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:45pm CST

This makes perfect sense from a business point of view, as hideous as I think the new Optimus is. Children have always been the main audience of these toys, not us adult collectors. As much money as we spend on them, I think it barely touches sales to children. I bought a movie Bumblebee for a friend's kid, and he just couldn't transform the thing himself. It was then that I realise how non child-friendly these toys are.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543247)
Posted by Sabrblade on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:47pm CST

I guess this means the silver chrome-painted one that we saw before was Takara's "Premium Edition" version.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543250)
Posted by Ultra Markus on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:50pm CST

(But as the brand evolved over the years, the toys became more complex, some involving dozens of steps to complete a single transformation. In the eyes of Brian D. Goldner, Hasbro’s chief executive, they had lost their magic.)
sure they were bricks back then but they had real metal and lots of chrome and real rubber tires
and the alt modes were made after real vehicles thats what was so great about them. these simplified things are a pale comparison

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543252)
Posted by ILL-Star on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:52pm CST

New simplified look doesn't have to be garbage Hasbro. There are transformer cake toppers on the cakes at grocery stores that have more paint than that. G1 figures may have been simple, but for their time, they were unique and sophisticated enough to not look like a cheap pile of crap. Nowadays we expect more and rightfully so.
And come on. Kids these days can figure out how to navigate smart phones, computers and other technical devices on their own, but they can't transform a toy? Seems to me that the real issue here is laziness and the increasing number of spoiled, impatient brats.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543254)
Posted by MINDVVIPE on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:57pm CST

Blozor wrote:Whatever they say, I think this is a cost-saving move. It must cost a lot more to design, mold, and assemble all the intricate little parts that go into a complex Transforming toy.

It might be cost saving, but as with any giant business, they don't just randomly do a thing. There should be some good chance that there is a market for these, so they do actually sell and only serve to make Hasbro even richer. I HATE this thing in every way, but if it makes hasbro richer with more extra money for stuff with a slimmer profit margin (maybe thats generations figures), then let em do it. With the wicked generations figures of late, I'm trying to stay positive in light of these "transformer" abominations.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543255)
Posted by SlyTF1 on January 19th, 2014 @ 7:59pm CST

If kids find the transformations too difficult, they can take their asses and buy the simplified versions of the toys. Why doesn't Hasbro just make a completely different more simplified line? They did it with the first TF movie, why the hell are they sacrificing the screen accuracy of the main line, when it's not necessary?

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543256)
Posted by #Sideways# on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:08pm CST

I actually felt, quite literally, sick at that image. Hasbro is just using the whole "target audience" hoopla as a justification for making cheaper toys and as such making more money. Ilk. Not cool.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543257)
Posted by Rodimus Prime on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:10pm CST

I just hope they keep these changes to the movie and TV show lines. Generations and Masterpiece figures should remain the good quality they have been so far.

Also, this change makes me appreciate movie leader class figures and their complicated transformations even more.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543258)
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:16pm CST

MINDVVIPE wrote:It might be cost saving, but as with any giant business, they don't just randomly do a thing. There should be some good chance that there is a market for these, so they do actually sell and only serve to make Hasbro even richer. I HATE this thing in every way, but if it makes hasbro richer with more extra money for stuff with a slimmer profit margin (maybe thats generations figures), then let em do it. With the wicked generations figures of late, I'm trying to stay positive in light of these "transformer" abominations.

That's a good point. I mean, looking back, I remember the less-than-satisfactory Fall of Cybertron figures, and how worried I was about the future of the toys. Then we got Springer and Blitzwing.

And like they said, they still plan on looking out for their adult fan base. I'm sure they wouldn't skimp on the Grimlock toy.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543259)
Posted by padfoo on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:19pm CST

I agree with everything you said. It also looks like they are aiming the toys at a younger age as well and the simplification in transformation is aimed at that audience.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543260)
Posted by tarZen on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:22pm CST

So much rage here. Do you guys really think we are the target audience for Transformers? Navigating smartphones doesn't require you to solve puzzles, the mainline toys do. I'm inclined to think that Hasbro is losing a lot of sales to parents who realised their kids can't play with these over complicated toys.

Don't get me wrong, I love the complicated stuff, but I think we ought to be objective here and not just see things from the perspective of "adult collectors".

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543261)
Posted by CommanderHazar on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:23pm CST

I don't care what they say, I can't shake the feeling Hasbro wants to eliminate the adult fan-base. Every piece of news from them, every new reveal, just pushes me further away. Takara and the third parties are the only ones who seem to be trying to encourage the adult fans.

Makes me glad I've been shifting my attention away from Transformers and more towards Gundam.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543262)
Posted by STngAR on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:27pm CST

Call me simple but I kinda like the look of the packaging. And this was said at the end
Hasbro will continue to make complex Transformers for adult fans who have collected the toys since their inception 30 years ago. But the new design is intended to re-engage parents and children, who found the transformations too challenging.

:MAXIMAL:

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543263)
Posted by Hammer on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:30pm CST

Sabrblade wrote:I guess this means the silver chrome-painted one that we saw before was Takara's "Premium Edition" version.

Are you referring to the Premium Edition OP that we saw from ACToys?
Looking at the two, they do appear to be different toys.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543265)
Posted by Sabrblade on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:34pm CST

Hammer wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:I guess this means the silver chrome-painted one that we saw before was Takara's "Premium Edition" version.

Are you referring to the Premium Edition OP that we saw from ACToys?
Looking at the two, they do appear to be different toys.

Same mold, though.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543267)
Posted by Autobot032 on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:39pm CST

I don't understand why no one can read the entire article. I really don't.

Hasbro will still make complex figures for the adult fans. Anyone who's had a current Generations figure in hand can tell you that they still have a nice amount of complexity.

The origin article wouldn't be able to state that if Goldner hadn't indicated such a thing.
The movie toys will be separate from Generations. While some movie toys will be released in Generations, the more adult line will continue. Not to mention, Masterpieces.

While I hate the direction the movie figures are going, I have no worries right now. None, zip, zilch.

I realize these movies bring out the irrationality in everyone, but seriously, you have to start reading these things all the way through before responding. Otherwise, threads like this are going to get ugly and we staffers don't like ugly threads.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543268)
Posted by Sabrblade on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:41pm CST

Mr. Lamb conceded that the brand had gotten a little off track over the years. “As new designers and engineers continued to work on this brand, it got more complicated,” he said. Hasbro will continue to make complex Transformers for adult fans who have collected the toys since their inception 30 years ago. But the new design is intended to re-engage parents and children, who found the transformations too challenging.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543269)
Posted by Va'al on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:46pm CST

It's not as if I put it on bold or anything, either..

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543270)
Posted by OptimusPrimeval on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:47pm CST

They've gone pretty easy on the Age Of Extinction branding on the packaging as well! At least if all the simplified toys feature this Tesco Value boxart they'll be easy to spot and avoid. I'm not really fussed about movie figures anyway, I am just eager to see where they take the next TV show and toyline. I'm really really hoping for an Aligned interpretation of Beast Wars, with Beast Hunters just having been a transitional teaser!

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543271)
Posted by DoctorOblivian on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:49pm CST

i have a feeling that this "smash and go" optimus pictured above is giving people a bad first impression of this "simpler design" crap hasbro will be doing for AOE and possibly further. this thing above is mostlikle some off shoot line specifically made FOR the gimmick. A better example is probably leaderclass prime thats been pictured. sure he is a kibbletastic shellforming thing i wouldn't be caught dead buying. but it is not that.... thing.... pictured above. not by a long shot. deluxes will still be deluxes, voyagers will still be voyagers, leaders will still be leaders. but well be looking at figures more on the lines of things like FOC optimus prime as an example. for the AOE line all this means is that they godforbid, might not be COMPLETELY screen accurate. once hasbro gets back to another cartoon where they can do whatever the hell they want the complex transformations wont be to much of an issue anymore, but i can understand wanting to simplify the junktasic bayformers and as AWESOME as the ROTF leaderclass optimus was. that thing STILL takes me, a grown man, 10 minutes to transform. i think that is what they are trying to move away from, for ATLEAST the movie line.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543272)
Posted by Autobot032 on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:50pm CST

Sabrblade wrote:
Hammer wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:I guess this means the silver chrome-painted one that we saw before was Takara's "Premium Edition" version.

Are you referring to the Premium Edition OP that we saw from ACToys?
Looking at the two, they do appear to be different toys.
Same mold, though.

To which molds are you referring? This slam thing, the one over at ACToys and the "Leader" at NYCC are all different molds.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543273)
Posted by Spleenzorio on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:52pm CST

simple maneuvers that will complete a transformation with the push of a button or flick of the wrist.

Ironic, because this makes me want to NOT EAT CHOCOLATE FOR A MONTH

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543274)
Posted by Autobot Megatron on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:54pm CST

I get there will still be more complicated Transformers, first off.
Really though, complexity aside, it looks horrible. If Hasbro is going to sacrifice complexity, add more paint apps at least. You don't have the intricacies to hide a bad paint job anymore.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543275)
Posted by Autobot032 on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:56pm CST

Spleenzorio wrote:simple maneuvers that will complete a transformation with the push of a button or flick of the wrist.

Ironic, because this makes me want to slit my wrist.

Dude. People of all ages, including children, visit here. Please don't post stuff like that, especially over some toys. There has to be another way to voice your opinion without going...there.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543276)
Posted by Mudwire on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:56pm CST

I'm not sure how I feel about this.

I mean, yes, on one hand, it would make it easier for kids to get into the franchise, especially younger ones, but at the same time, I feel that a bit of challenge in the design is good for plenty of kids, maybe teaching them a little something about working for a reward, in a bit of a simplistic way.

I dunno. The only other thing I have to say is that I do hope that they meant things like the Generations line when they mentioned toys aimed at older fans, and not just things like Masterpiece. Cuz I needs my Beast Wars fix.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543277)
Posted by Shadowstream on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:56pm CST

Worthwhile, neither Complex or Simplistic, a TF toy makes. Either way if the latest and upcoming batches of scouts in deluxe packaging are anything to go off of, I doubt the adult collectors they're looking out for are getting anything THAT much better than this crap.

These poor choices for future releases from the franchise are making it easier for me to make the decision to sell off some of my less desirable stuff in favor of going back and filling out older collections that had more worthwhile releases than this junk.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543278)
Posted by Flakmaster on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:57pm CST

Ah, LEGO.

I think you'll be the one satisfying my plastic vice for the foreseeable future; or perhaps I'll get into 3rd party TF collecting. If this awful figure is any indicator, the bang-for-buck ratio between Hasbro TFs and 3rd party figures will be about 1:1, if not tipped in 3rd party's favor, by 2014's end.

I really hope that this backfires on Hasbro. Not in too big a way, but just big enough that they'll realize the constant corner-cutting is no longer justified or acceptable, even to the "target audience."

You won't get the magic of old TFs back until you stop making shellformers; I could agree with simpler 'bot modes, if in return we got more vehicle components incorporated into the robot form akin to the G1 figures, but what we have here is nothing but an over-glorified Robot Powered Machines toy. Sans durable metal construction, even!

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543279)
Posted by Solrac333 on January 19th, 2014 @ 8:59pm CST

Cost cutting is right. It won't cost me a thing when I pass on this crap.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543280)
Posted by Megatron Wolf on January 19th, 2014 @ 9:03pm CST

more proof that hasbro doesnt have a clue & just one more nail in the coffin. High prices low quality & now no complexity once so ever, yeah your about to lose even more costumers. And dont give me the "oh but their still making complex ones for fans" argument cause its crap, thats just an excuse to charge us collectors more money cause we all know the "collector targeted" figures are going to be expensive but just as crapily made as the rest. And the high prices or the "collector figures" are going to make kids go towards the cheaper lame ones then theyre going to lose interest & thats more people lost. In the end this will only hurt the brand. One of the reasons why ive stuck with transformers since the 80s is the complexity, theres nothing like giving the toy to a friend or family member and see them struggle to transform it then take it back & do it in 3 seconds. Now all kids are going to have are bricks that fall over to "transform". I have to agree with some of you here that hasbro is trying to get rid of the adult collectors, we may not be the target demo but we spend the most. Collectors are the ones that buy an entire toy line not kids, kids have to many choices where as collectors tend to stay with one or two franchises. One of us walks into target and heads right for the TFs where as a kid will look at avengers then ben 1O then bakugon then transformers & have to choose what to get. You draw kids in by making them say "oh thats cool" and these new simple figures will not do that.Oh ywah and ROTF leader prime is not overly complicated. The only time a figure has been overly complicated has been due to crap designing.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543283)
Posted by njb902 on January 19th, 2014 @ 9:10pm CST

Sometimes I think people can't wait for Hasbro to go bankrupt.

Until I'm told otherwise I'm thinking that thing is akin to the weaponizer figures from TFP. It's not the leader class we saw earlier and I think it looks too big to be a voyager.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543284)
Posted by Autobot032 on January 19th, 2014 @ 9:13pm CST

I will give the anti-Hasbro argument one point: Simplifying these for kids doesn't make a whole lot of sense when these movies are aimed at a much older audience and should be. I still wouldn't let a kid who's age is stamped on the box, watch a single one of these movies.

That still makes no sense to me, whatsoever.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543286)
Posted by Spleenzorio on January 19th, 2014 @ 9:16pm CST

Autobot032 wrote:

Dude. People of all ages, including children, visit here. Please don't post stuff like that, especially over some toys. There has to be another way to voice your opinion without going...there.

There I fixed it. :michaelbay:

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543287)
Posted by Ultra Markus on January 19th, 2014 @ 9:18pm CST

these are not the same mold! very different toys!

1390180796_hasbro3-superJumbo.jpg

1389773487_1000029_566595196759554_431568878_n.jpg

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543294)
Posted by SentinelA on January 19th, 2014 @ 9:34pm CST

Dear Hasbro
Think more late g2, less brickformers

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543295)
Posted by Shockwave7 on January 19th, 2014 @ 9:35pm CST

...

Well, I guess we'll see over time if this strategery works. There is some truth when they say the transformations were getting too complex for some people to enjoy them. But I don't think making them into king-size Gobots is the answer.

All I know is, Hasbro comes up with plenty of marketing gimmicks that they say they're 'excited' about every year.

The Crapper-Crap Combiners was one of them.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543303)
Posted by Flashwave on January 19th, 2014 @ 9:53pm CST

Dudes, this smash n go thing is a new (and violent? I wanted to slam RID Side Burn into a table the first time I couldn't get all his little pats to fold in the right way, but geex) take on FAB tranformations, this slam thing is NOT the Beuxe wave and I'll just bet the previous figure schans are more of the same and not Dekuxe wave figures like many were doom-saying.

Now, if Hasbro wants to deisn more figures like Classics Bumblebee and less like, I dunno, WFC Prime who had a lot of fiddly little bits and stiff slide joints, fine, I'm all for it. If the modes are good, I really don't care if the figure can transform by riasin to ghis feet and spinning his chest around and unfolding some arms. Generations Jazz and PRID Hot SHot are some really cool, practical transformations in my opinion, despite being simple.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543304)
Posted by Sabrblade on January 19th, 2014 @ 9:54pm CST

OptimusPrimeval wrote:They've gone pretty easy on the Age Of Extinction branding on the packaging as well! At least if all the simplified toys feature this Tesco Value boxart they'll be easy to spot and avoid. I'm not really fussed about movie figures anyway, I am just eager to see where they take the next TV show and toyline. I'm really really hoping for an Aligned interpretation of Beast Wars, with Beast Hunters just having been a transitional teaser!

I can say for certain that that's not going to happen since, when the Prime creators were putting together the Beast Hunters season of the cartoon, they wanted to avoid any and all possible ties to Beast Wars that they could, as making a new version of Beast Wars was the last thing they wanted to do. And that was because they wanted to do something entirely new and original to give Beast Hunters its own identity and not be related to Beast Wars.

And the end result gave us just that: Predacons are ancient gigantic dragon creatures instead of downsized Decepticons descendants, for instance. :-B

Autobot032 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Hammer wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:I guess this means the silver chrome-painted one that we saw before was Takara's "Premium Edition" version.

Are you referring to the Premium Edition OP that we saw from ACToys?
Looking at the two, they do appear to be different toys.
Same mold, though.

To which molds are you referring? This slam thing, the one over at ACToys and the "Leader" at NYCC are all different molds.

Ah, so they are. I was thinking that this and the ACToys silver chrome one were the same. Similar posture, at least.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543305)
Posted by CommanderHazar on January 19th, 2014 @ 9:54pm CST

Considering how many people jumped in to pound on the "Hasbro will continue to make complex Transformers for adult fans who have collected the toys since their inception 30 years ago" comment after I posted, maybe I'll clarify my remarks. I was well aware of that comment when I said what I did, I simply don't care what they said on that point.

While the complexity issue is one aspect things, and I don't really believe them on that score, it's more than just the complexity of the toys. It's the handling of the franchise as a whole. Hasbro seems to me to be determined to kick the old fans out by any means possible by eliminating all aspects of the franchise that make it recognizable to fans like me. I look at "Bumblebee" these days and see Hot Shot. I look at Optimus and wonder who his combiner partners are supposed to be. I look at traditional style designs and wonder what the next Bay-style modifications will be. I no longer see anything that really links me to what drew me to Transformers in the first place, complexity or no.

Hasbro says one thing, and acts in a way that screams the opposite. It's their right, and I'm not condemning them for making the decision to try to push older fans away. I just wish they'd be honest about it. I'm not angry, I'm not taking it personally, I just think Hasbro is worried about fan backlash if they were to tell the truth.

Either way, I'm resigned to the direction they've taken and I've started moving on, which should give Hasbro at least some of what they seem to want.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543308)
Posted by Vicalliose on January 19th, 2014 @ 9:57pm CST

Hasbro will continue to make complex Transformers for adult fans who have collected the toys since their inception 30 years ago. But the new design is intended to re-engage parents and children, who found the transformations too challenging.

Once again, Hasbro is calling parents and children across the nation "challenged".

INSTANT GRATIFICATION!!! ZERO EFFORT!!! BUY OUR TOYS!!!

Rated PG-13.

Re: Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys (1543312)
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on January 19th, 2014 @ 10:05pm CST

image.jpg

Sorry, but with all the talk about complexity and all...

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