Check out all the juicy details from the Hasbro QNA Panel at Botcon 2009. Full transcript of live coverage inside!
Hasbro Review and Q&A | (05/30/2009)* |
**
Close** |
1:06 | Okay, I’m in position, just waiting for it to kick off |
1:09 | [Comment From Tekkaman Blade] Yes the panel where we will find out how much money we will waste for the rest of the year |
1:11 | Yeah, that’s the one! |
1:11 | No photos or video for this one, still waiting for it to kick off guys |
1:12 | Message for aksmth while we wait “truck to robot” ๐ |
1:15 | And here we go! |
1:15 | Whoa, feedback! |
1:17 | Just doing introductions now |
1:18 | Greg Lombardo, Aaron Archer, Eric Siebernaler (sp), Bill Rawley, Joe “Big Daddy” Kyde, Forest Lee |
1:18 | Going to see 2010 stuff |
1:19 | RotF up first |
1:19 | Exclussives |
1:20 | Target Hot Zone, Prime, Thrust |
1:20 | Reissue Insecticons |
1:21 | [Comment From me] are those the 6 inch titanium ones? |
1:21 | Yes |
1:21 | Reissue Perceptor |
1:21 | Will all have vac metal, Perceptor no missile launcher |
1:22 | WAlmart Masterpiece Skywarp, closer to the toy |
1:22 | RotF Battle Pack at Tru, Blue Soundwave, Movie 1 Voyager Megs |
1:23 | Target exclusive burning Fallen |
1:23 | ANIMATED |
1:23 | These will be released, Hasbro will make every effort, timing TBD, will be released |
1:24 | will run into 2010 |
1:24 | may be exclusives in places |
1:24 | Electrostatic Soundwave |
1:24 | with Ratbat |
1:25 | Arcee |
1:26 | They want to get her out there somehow |
1:26 | Rodimus Minor, Ratcher Cybertron Mode |
1:27 | Rodimus looks awesome, bow spoiler missiles, odd legs |
1:27 | Ratchet looks pretty close to the flashbacks |
1:28 | Ironhide will be made from the mold as well, new sculpt head |
1:28 | WASP |
1:28 | Bumblebee repaint, no new head though |
1:28 | Name Fugitive Waspinator |
1:29 | Deluxe first Bumblebee repaint |
1:30 | Goldfire Grimlock |
1:30 | Hydrodive Bumblebee |
1:30 | He does detach from the scuba pack |
1:31 | Blackout, Wingblade Prime |
1:31 | Blackout is an earth mode |
1:31 | Arm launches disks |
1:32 | Wingblade is the nDeluxe Optimus, with the wings, gauntlets and hammer |
1:32 | Voyager Thundercracker |
1:32 | because they made the other two as Voyagers |
1:32 | On to 2010 plans |
1:33 | RotF Legends Wheelie, Soundwave |
1:33 | Scout Breakdown, G1 style deco apparently |
1:33 | Skystalker, Scout class, based on a drone plane |
1:34 | Scattorshot, Scout, little minesweeper / tank, twin rifles |
1:34 | Meant to fight Skystalker |
1:35 | Movieverse Lockdown |
1:35 | will be a Deluxe class, looks a lot like Animated done real world |
1:35 | EMP blaster weapon |
1:36 | Deluxe class Ratchet |
1:36 | Deluxe Dirge |
1:36 | conehead |
1:36 | like a harrier jump jet |
1:36 | big missiles |
1:37 | Voyager Ironhide |
1:37 | redeco, new weapons, bumpoer turns into crossbow |
1:38 | Voyager Bludgeon, tank, samurai robot mode, huge sword, orange body, red helmet, green tank orange robot |
1:39 | Human Alliance Barricade with Frenzy |
1:39 | Frenzy can hold twin guns |
1:40 | that sounds like it is it for the sneak preview, more tomorrow |
1:40 | Ironhide is a mission specific repaint, not red, black with thunderbolts |
1:41 | [Comment From torque] are all the toys you said after Lockdown and before HA Barricade from the movie universe? |
1:41 | Yes, all 2010 stuff is for the Movie |
1:41 | including Lockdown |
1:42 | Classics Universe will be back in 2010 at least in Deluxe scale |
1:42 | third bike will get made, will be a redeco but will be made different from the others |
1:43 | no plans to make Female Starscream, her name is confirmed as Slipstream by the way |
1:43 | Drift toy – come back tomorrow |
1:43 | [Comment From Pravus Prime] Was there any pics of Wingblade Prime in alt mode or what the wings do in truck mode? |
1:45 | The core robot is the Deluxe, the wings and stuff make up a trailer |
1:45 | [Comment From Pickle] Did Deluxe Movie Ratchet have his gun or buzzsaw? |
1:45 | big gun |
1:45 | Some of this stuff might be in the display case later today so stay tuned |
1:46 | New cartoon series will be of Animated’s quality |
1:47 | Animated toys will have Animated packaging for the short term anyway |
1:48 | Won’t be doing repaints for the sake of repaints, won’t be a full line of repaints, will be mixed with new toys, and will have a story behind them |
1:49 | MP Grimlock – if an opportunity comes up, he’ll get brought out in the US. They plan to try to release him in the next 18 months, details sketchy |
1:49 | No immediate plans for more G1 Robot Heroes |
1:50 | Animated Omega Supreme – wanted to do him and others who don’t have toys, Constructicons for example, decided it was not the best time to do them at the time. |
1:52 | Female Starscream Slipstream cannot get a toy because there was not room to fit her into the line |
1:53 | Devastator – individual robot modes not possible because of the cost involved, to make them all look as good as they cold, to hold together, to be playable, to be a lot of fun. Wanted the individuals to be the best possible toys without the combining feature pulling them down |
1:54 | No plans to add in Animated to the possible Universe line relaunch Fall 2010 but that is the line it might come into. |
1:55 | RotF bikes – toys will be able to combine, apparently the combining was dropped from the Movie |
1:56 | No plans for Citybots |
1:57 | Looking into reducing the numbers of twist ties, looking at ones that will be easier to cut, greener packaging in general |
1:57 | Smaller packaging |
1:57 | Smaller packaging blisters, even |
2:00 | Hardhead – redeco of Universe Onslaught, based on IDW comic incarnation, head not remolded |
2:01 | [Comment From scorpion] A little clarification…was Wingblade Prime the deluxe Cybertron mode or (as I assume) the Earth mode (battle damaged two pack with megatron) |
2:01 | Two pack version, Voyager pricepoint |
2:01 | Legends Devastator will be a store exclusive in Spring 2010 |
2:02 | [Comment From Chris McFeely] ROTF Legends Dev – individually packed or giftest? |
2:02 | giftset I assume |
2:03 | [Comment From Rhinox] Voyager price for a deluxe? that’s… laaaame. Inconsistent too, with samurai prowl ‘n all. |
2:03 | It’s pretty huge all assembled, wings and hammer are huge |
2:03 | Much bigger than Samurai Prowl |
2:04 | Fall 2010 will have a new Leader, not Blackout, not confirmed as Starscream but not denying him either ๐ |
2:04 | Alternity – not coming to US, Takara has a deal with Takara, not Hasbro so can’t bring it over |
2:05 | No plans to release Mighty Muggs Shockwave and Jazz at this time |
2:05 | Blah, Takara has deal with Nissan |
2:05 | Springer will probaly not get a mainline toy, you have probably seen all the toys of him already. |
2:06 | Mighty Muggs – no current plans on the third wave, but they’ll try to find a home for him |
2:08 | Price rises, put up the costs rather than make the toys smaller – if they’d kept the cost the same the toys would have been 75% of the size |
2:12 | Yes, aborted design by all accounts |
2:13 | It Was Real to Me was a bit of test footage they liked so much they decided to release it |
2:13 | [Comment From Chris McFeely] What was an “aborted design”? |
2:14 | Apologies, comment did not copy through. Springer was an aborted character from the Movie, was planned but dropped out |
2:15 | Ice Cream twins – they decided it was so weird that they had to do it |
2:15 | Same as toaster bot |
2:16 | Some RotF Megatron tank designs incorporated flight mode elements like the Voyager, originally was meant to fly awkwardly, sounds like the jet was kept to keep the character cool |
2:18 | Animated Activators Fireblast Grimlock and Soundwave will be coming out, not saying when |
2:20 | Devastator is made of 6-7 Constructicons,SPOILER –
He’s formed by however many Constructicons are around. So 6 and 7 members are both accurate! |
2:20 | [Comment From C.Lennox] “It Was Real to Me”? |
2:21 | Video clip redoing the 1986 Movie Optimus Megatron fight in full CGI |
2:26 | Fan made products (FansProject and stuff) – love them for doing things that they generally would not do, however they’re starting to infringe on Hasbro’s IP, they’ve gone too far with some of the stuff coming down the road, officially not approved of at all, Hasbro is looking hard at it. Sounds to me like the hammer is coming down. |
2:27 | Robot mode packaging depends on the character – robot modes are used when it is felt it might sell the product better / present it better on the shelves. |
2:28 | Universe Cyclonus means no Animated Cyclonus |
2:30 | Focus on the br |
MagnusPrimal
Ok, I'll give you part of this. I can't remember if in the Q&A Hasbro mentioned the colorscheme or not. Maybe someone who knows where to find this particular Q&A can post a link to it or tell us. Personally, I would like to see the Henkei molds, not the Botcon ones, which have been destroyed, as Thrust and Dirge. But I'll take them in other colors as well without flipping out and ranting about it.
Except we didn't want them at the same time. Which has been stated before. Knowing how Hasbro likes to slip repaints from previous lines in with current offerings (Superion, anyone?) we just wanted them all eventually. Heck, by now, with Starscream, Ramjet, Skywarp, Acid Storm, and Starscream, if they'd stuck to just making one version of the G1 seekers, we would only be one short.
Except they then released another version of Starscream. Who has nothing resembling a realistic paint job. The realistic paint job business does not seem to be an absolute rule. And you're making a lot of assumptions about what would be worse business decision for Hasbro. I don't think it's been demonstrated that the realistic paint job necessarily sells better than say, TC, Thrust or Dirge would. Acid Storm is still the most readily available version of this mold. Now, I believe, and yes, this is my belief, I have no market studies or focus groups to base this on, that Thrust and Dirge would sell at least as well as any "realistically colored" versions of the mold would. I'm curious as to where this "realistic color scheme seems to be a success" has come from. The only figure I can see this applying to is Acid Storm, and he seemed to be an average seller at best. The movie toys were realistically colored, of course, but then they were movie toys. I don't think the realistic color schemes could actually be given much credit for the fact that they sold well.
nkelsch
So? that was the truth of the pre-Movie franchise.
I said that bringing Henkei molds =! universe thrust and dirge. People were not asking for the Henkei Molds they were asking for Universe releases of G1 thrust and dirge.
What I said and what you are saying are two different things. Show me where Hasbro said they want to release G1-colored Dirge and Thrust as part of universe and your point may be valid. That isn't what was said.
How do you dodge a question when you are lying about what I said to supposedly make me somehow disagree with hasbro? Bringing a mold over is not the same as releasing a Thrust/Dirge colorscheme.
MagnusPrimal
Your questions make no sense and are poor attempts flame-bating. Hasbro says lots of things and this 'AR THEY LIARZ??? ANSWOR ME!' makes no sense. Bringing molds over =! Thrust/Dirge colored releases at retail. I don't see why that would make me think they are liars or not? That is why your whole 'You think hasbro lies' thread is really stupid and makes no sense even though you are premptively trying to say "Your response makes no sense! I win!"
Oh your point? Trying to claim that some point I disagreed with Hasbro and I am a hasbro lover which somehow invalidates my existence. Bad troll.[/QUOTE]
Ok. For the last time. And I'll try to go slowly and use small words.
When the Botcon seekers were made, Hasbro said they would never have been made otherwise, which is why they were allowed to be a convention exclusive. In nearly every thread about the seekers, you trotted this quote out, which I assume meant that you took it as the truth. Later, Hasbro stated in a Q&A that they were looking into bringing the Henkei seeker molds over to this country, which you seemed to dispute earlier in the thread. So either you didn't believe the person who posted that, which would make no sense considering it's been mentioned several times before, or you didn't believe Hasbro when they said they were looking at bringing the molds over. If that was the case, I was curious as to why you would believe Hasbro in one instance, but not the other. But you have steadfastly dodged the question, called me names, and offered replies that have only a superficial bearing on what I've said. And as far as trolling, people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Fort Max
Hasbro must be loving this, they've got a whole raft of easy to do wave swelling figures for the next uni line and the fans aren't going to give them a hard time for it for once.
BB Shockwave
The "previous two releases" is hardly a wide market. The Botcon toys were limited to 1500 (I think?) and the Henkei to as many as were pre-ordered – with their 60$ price, I think only die-hard fans like us preordered them, not the general public audience. So there could be maybe like 5-6000 of them currently existing (vague guess).
By your logic, Hasbro would be totally losing out money on releasing Universe (Henkei colors) Starscream because, it is already existing on the market… Yet it doesn't seem so, otherwise they would not be repainting Powerglide to Henkei colors (store exclusive though, but that is still a more wide distribution then being a japanese toy only avaliable though Ebay for double/triple the price of its sizeclass).
I get your point – and all other Botcon Seeker owner's – and totally understand it. The thing is – it's pointless that you and MagnusPrimal argue about what could happen and what Hasbro could do. If they want to release the seekers in some odd G1 rainmaker repaint, they can do it. If they want to release them colored like the G1 originals, they can do that too ( due to them being different molds then the Botcon ones that'd mean different toys and they CAN do that). The decision is all up to Hasbro, so until we hear a more definite answer on a Q/A, speculating is, while might be fun, is totally pointless.
nkelsch
[2quote]
Your reply really makes no sense.
[/quote]
Your questions make no sense and are poor attempts flame-bating. Hasbro says lots of things and this 'AR THEY LIARZ??? ANSWOR ME!' makes no sense. Bringing molds over =! Thrust/Dirge colored releases at retail. I don't see why that would make me think they are liars or not? That is why your whole 'You think hasbro lies' thread is really stupid and makes no sense even though you are premptively trying to say "Your response makes no sense! I win!"
Oh your point? Trying to claim that some point I disagreed with Hasbro and I am a hasbro lover which somehow invalidates my existence. Bad troll.
Except one is re-releasing a 3rd colorscheme to fans who have already purchased one or both of the previous 2 releases and would be a damaged market. The other would be a figure no one has ever had the chance to own, would match the 'realistic paint scheme' that seems to be a success with the kids for continuation of the movie line and would probably be bought by the seeker collecting fans. One seems like a selfish idea that would sell poorly, the other seems like a smart business move.
BB Shockwave
I totally agree with MagnusPrimal – Nkelsch, as much as I like your icons, your constant attempts to instantly bash anyone who even hints at the possibility of a US release of the Classics Seekers is getting… tiresome.
I have bought all the Henkei Seekers, so personally I'm not interested, but it'd be nice for everyone to have affordable versions of these two molds. Hasbro has certainly shown us that they have understood the fan's wishes to see G1-accurate classics/universe toys – the re-release of the G1 colored Classics Starscream, and the (g1-accurate) red Universe Powerglide shown this Botcon are living proof of this.
At any rate, they said in that QA that "we should not expect this to happen soon – maybe in 2010". So there is time to debate.
Oh and Dirge IS a remold. Unlike the (IMHO quite lackluster) Botcon version which is a repaint of Ramjet, Henkei Dirge has got totally new G1-accurate wings. If by your definition, Thurst is a remold (I'd call it a retool myself) then Dirge is one too.
MagnusPrimal
Still having trouble with comprehension. Hasbro is a business. Wow. Did not know that. Thanks for clearing that up. I asked the question (which you never did answer) twice because in the past you took great joy in explaining how Hasbro pointed out that without Botcon, the Classic seekers would not have been made. You took that as truth. Hasbro also stated in a Q&A that they were looking to bring the Henkei seeker molds (presumably at least Thrust and Dirge) over to the Universe line at some point, which you seemed to disagree with. So I was asking if you believed that Hasbro was lying in this case, after taking their words as the gospel truth earlier.
And how exactly is asking if you think they're lying about trying to bring the molds over a "stupid" question? I never said they were liars, nor did I imply they would be liars if they never managed to bring them over. They said they would like to, if they had the opportunity. Your reply really makes no sense.
I was under the impression, and I may be mistaken here I admit, that Henkei Dirge had remolded wings as well. And again, people aren't asking for Botcon seekers. They are asking for other versions of Thrust and Dirge (and preferably Thundercracker as well) to fill the gap with. I can't speak for others, but I will be perfectly happy if we get the Henkei versions, with the different paint applications and wings, in the Universe line. I wanted all six G1 seekers in the Classics/Universe line before half of them were offered at Botcon, and I would still like to have some version of all six of them. And apparently, the Henkei versions are different enough from the Botcon ones that they are able to be sold at retail.
It is just as possible. And never is just as possible as well. Neither of which I ever disputed. Nor did I say Hasbro was lying, or would be liars if they didn't manage to bring the molds over. They said they would like to. I understand that is not the same as saying 'It's a done deal.' I never said or implied otherwise.
And I would not. I would still like to get some version of Thrust, Dirge and Thundercracker from the Classic/Universe seeker mold available at retail. Two different, but equally valid viewpoints.
Dinobot Nuva
By my count, that should be enough to reduce the mold to swiss cheese if we're lucky!
nkelsch
Way to duck what question? Your question is stupid… Is Hasbro Lying? They are a Business and nothing they say to us at Botcon is binding or legal. If they never deliver the Henkei Mold are they liars? Has Hasbro rooned transformers forever for lying? That is why your supposed question is stupid and really doesn't even have a valid answer because all they are doing is being nice and sharing things with us and fans like you PARSE every word into elaborate expectations and then hold them to it as if they promised you the cure for cancer.
Wanting Henkei Mold (since Dirge was not a unique mold, just Henkei Thrust ) and then coloring them as G1 Dirge and G1 Thrust and calling them Universe Dirge and Universe Thrust is basically the same as asking for 'OMFG BOTCON SEEKERS!' Since people in this thread have asked for universe Thrust and Dirge by name, it is still an expectation for some.
Bringing the Thrust mold over and releasing him as 'Rainstorm' or a generic 'Wind Turbine' a Movie realistic colorscheme robot is called 'bringing the mold over. So that is just as possible. And it never happening is also possible. And a year from now if someone is "HASBRO PROMISED ME HENKEI MOLD! LIARRRRRRZ" then we will have reached a new level of delusion in this fandom.
I would rather have pretty much anything in a new paint scheme than a 3rd repaint of the seeker mold as existing figures.
MagnusPrimal
Wow. Reading-comprehension impaired, aren't you? I'm looking for the Henkei seeker molds in the Universe line, as Hasbro said they were looking to bring the molds over. Again, surely you're not implying that Hasbro would lie, are you? Way to duck that question.
You seem to be the one with a hard-on regarding the Botcon seekers. And honestly, you're one of the last people on this site whose opinion on anything would interest me.
Oh, and they actually have said they'd like to bring the Henkei seekers over here if they can manage it as well. I'm not the only person who remembers reading about that.
bobby_C
Yeah, but FP are precisely the ones likely to get in trouble now? My question was regaring what Venksta said about full figures released by fan groups before FP's current endeavour.
nkelsch
They mentioned last year Botcon wanting to make the rainmaker trio available for the first time to the fans and Acid Storm was indeed based off the Rainmaker.
And they also mentioned Gobot characters when we got Crasher on the Mirage mold.
So there are 3 Obvious repaints on hasbro's radar for the Classic Starscream mold that have not been done that they have said are real possibilities. I would personally like a Sunstorm and a Rainstorm and any and all Go-bot homages before a 3rd repaint of Thundercracker, Dirge or Thrust. Hell, I would like G2 paintschemes (G2 ramjet looks like Susan's colors from animated) before a 3rd repaint of seekers that already exist.
NeilJam
Where did they say anything about MP Thundercracker? I thought it was only MP Skywarp coming this year and that they would like to release MP Grimlock here.
I already have the Taktom MP Skywarp (wish I had waited now), and now am trying to decide if I should go ahead and get Thundercracker since I doubt he'll be released in the US. However, I will wait for a US version of Grimlock though since I'm sure that is coming eventually.
Shelfwarmercon
Hasbro is going to release a Leader-1 jet robot?
Or did I misread that?
Laser_Optimus
Well, not to play Devil's Advocate here… but Hasbro has expressed interest in bringing the remolded Henkei versions of Dirge and Thrust over to the US under the Universe line in the Q&A sessions we had with them. I seriously doubt that extends to Thundercracker though as a simple repaint (in my mind anyways) doesn't differentiate him enough for a state side release. Also, I would expect these two (if Hasbro ever does decide to bring them over here) to be some kind of exclusive. Of course… that's all just IF. Hasbro has said they could and that they are interested, but… looking at their offerings at Botcon… there's no proof that they plan on doing it in the immediate future. Frankly, at this point… I think it's about time they moved onto another mold (though I'll happily take Sunstorm and the Rainmakers from the Classics SS mold).
nkelsch
So yes… People like you are reading into Hasbro's comments with the expectation of BOTCON seekers at retail still.
"BOTCON SEEKERS were part of the classics line! These would be UNIVERSE releases, it is totally different! It's for the fans!"
Considering we still have a Sunstorm, Leader-1 and another rainmaker left who need characterization on the Starscream mold and they *actually* have said they want to release all 3 rainmakers for the fans, I still see this hardon for botcon seekers at retail as a sick obsession.
Fort Max
I know, I love that Hasbro isn't being too restrictive with who goes where. Blackout has already crossed over into animated and now for no apparent reason Lockdown is ocming over to the movie verse to continue his feud with Ratchet.
Now I know it's incredibly wishful thinking but maybe, just maybe.. Lugnut could come with him and get that leader class he so deserves.
We have after all just been granted HA Barricade and Leader Starscream, both items that fans have been crying out for since the first movie line*.
*Yes, HA is a recent invention but a lot of us wanted to see movie alts since shortly after we started seeing how good the 07 deluxe cars were and HA's are pretty much what we wanted.
Xcandescent
Um … actually they did.
Admittedly, the three series they licensed to make Robotech had pre-existing storylines — but there was EXTENSIVE re-writing and editing done to cut the three together. As far as the intellectual property goes, Robotech IS a Harmony Gold creation, just as much as Transformers is a Hasbro creation.
The difference being: now that people know about Macross, no one gives a damn about Robotech.
The toy argument is a non-starter as well — both Robotech and Transformers were based on pre-existing molds NOT developed by Hasbro OR Harmony Gold. Hell, Hasbro even got access to the VF-1 mold through a licensing quirk.
Of course, no one will argue who's done the better job of maintaining the franchise — but as far as rights go, that's beside the point.
You're making the same mistake as the poster I responded to. Either Harmony Gold has the rights, or they don't. There are no degrees involved. And if they have the rights, then they have EXACTLY the same legal defense under law as Hasbro does — REGARDLESS of how tenuous or not you think their claim is. It's certainly solid enough that it's prevented the licensing and import of ANYTHING Macross for years now:
It doesn't matter whether said product was made legally outside their jurisdiction — they still have final say over their turf. AND THAT SUCKS, but it's the EXACT same legal defense as what Hasbro would claim over derivative works here (note the use of the copyright argument in the C&D).
Yes, IANAL — but it's pretty straightforward.
-XCN-
T-Logicon
Lots of action!! Lots of money. Very inetersted in a movie-styled Lockdown. Maybe that opens the door for other characters to get the "movie" treatment. I like the idea of Hasbro getting creative with characters they have already made.