Here is an interesting item for all of you variant collectors. It seems that there’s a packaging variant on the Combiner Wars Legends series. TFW member Payres reports that European Legends class toys, both from the UK (care of TFW member Wildfly) and Germany (care of Nevermore) now sport cross-sells on the back of the packaging. This is something sorely missing from US releases of the Legends class toys – just check out the attached images of the European cardbacks for Groove, Viper and Warpath, and then compare with the US cardback of Viper (for example) and you’ll see the difference.
Interestingly, these cross-sells do show toys who’ve never yet made it to Europe, like Huffer.
Whether this is a running change that will also eventually be reflected on US releases or not remains to be seen.
Nevermore
So I searched my ass off for official Hasbro stock photos of the same figures in multilingual American and European packaging.
Wouldn't you know? European online retailers and online storefronts of European big box retailers have stock photos of the Voyagers and Deluxes in European packaging, but the Legends? They're depicted in American packaging.
Meanwhile, Canadian online retailers and online storefronts of Canadian big box retailers have stock photos of the Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books, but not in multilingual Canadian/Latin American packaging. Typical.
I eventually found stock photos of Groove and Viper in European packaging… at Distribuidora de Brinquedos Hobby. A Brazilian site.
Just… what the hell.
Anyway.
Groove and Viper. English/French/Spanish/Portuguese packaging (USA, Canada, Latin America, Australia, Asia) on the left, English/French/German/Spanish packaging (Europe) on the right.
In detail:
You might also notice that the bios have different translations for the French and Spanish versions between Canada/Latin America and Europe (France/Spain) as well. Not completely different, but not entirely identical either.
Nevermore
These aren't really "running changes" – the European packaging of the wave 1 Legends also featured cross-sells:
And yes, Europe is still getting different packaging for Combiner Wars than the rest of the world, even though it appears Hasbro reduced the languages on the packaging from thirteen to four.
Here's how it breaks down:
USA, Australia and Hasbro's Asian markets (Deluxes with comic books only): English-only, "Ages 8+"
Canada and Latin America (all size classes), plus USA, Australia and Hasbro's Asian markets (everything except for Deluxes): English/French/Spanish/Portuguese, "Age Edad Idade 8+"
Europe: English/French/German/Spanish, "8+"
As you can see, the French and Spanish parts aren't even synchronized between the two versions. This is also a common occurrence for multilingual Transformers packaging.
French has "Permet de créer" for Canada but "Combine pour créer" for France, while Spanish has "Combina para formar a" for Latin America but "Combina para crear a" for Spain.
jon trooper
I put up the rodimus and skywarp cards on my twitter if anyone wants to see them https://twitter.com/jontrooper117/status/618846196380094464
Autovolt 127
I haven't seen co-sells in a while….feels good man.
payres
Rodimus and Skywarp cardsback have now been provided in the UK sightings thread and added above.
Nevermore
I have no idea, I assume there was some recent behind-the-scenes incident that makes that site toxic or something.
Also, expect this entire conversation to be deleted very soon as if it had never happened.
Gepard
What's up with that, by the way? They have no problem crediting or linking to other sites like the Allspark, but so much as a whisper of that other place and they'll go through and edit links, posts, etc. Is there a blood feud?
Nevermore
That-website-which-shall-not-be-named's galleries also shows no cross-sells on the undersite of the multilingual American packaging version (which is available in the US).
payres
Not on the imported Combiner Wars Legends and Deluxe I have. If anyone knows different, photos please!
T-Hybrid
I haven't been paying attention as much, but the standard US release includes the Co-Sell on the underside of the bubble for Legends and Deluxe right?
payres
A chance comment on the UK sightings thread has led to an interesting discovery:
I've got imported versions of both those toys and there's no co-sells there. So I asked for a scan:
Left European Groove, right imported Groove (US, with Hong Kong stickers)
It does appear as if the Europeans are now getting different carded stock to the rest of the world!
Interestingly neither the UK or Germany has had Huffer and the UK hasn't had Viper!
EDIT:
And here's the Rodimus & Skywarp cards: