TFCN has posted a couple of images of an unknown Transformers toyline featuring Optimus Prime and Bumblebee.
The page titles the two figures as Transformers: Cyberverse – Chapter One. For those who do not know, Transformers: Cyberverse is Hasbro’s latest Transformers animated series which is currently planned to debut next year. Season 1 is titled as Chapter One while Chapter Two is set to release in 2019.
TFCN previously leaked several packaging art that may originate from this mysterious toyline.
Update: Several 20005 Boards Members pointed out that the images are in fact from the upcoming Transformers Authentic “Evergreen” Value Channel toyline.
You can check out the images, after the jump.
ProtectronPrime
Fair enough, but remember one of the biggest gripes for parents in the 80's were how expensive TFs were. The minibots were the "cheapie" price point at $3.99 in 1984… which pans out as nearly ten bucks these days. For reference, the average household income back then was $23,620, as opposed to $56,516 now. In short, households have slightly less toy buying power these days as inflation hasn't even doubled household incomes. A household these days would have less of an ability to buy an adjusted-price G1 Bumblebee.
I don't know the price point on the evergreen figures, but the TLK legends class guys are now what? 5-6 bucks? Even if the Evergreens straddle the price point at 7-8 dollars, they're still cheaper than what we paid for in 1984 and more importantly give everyone access to the toys.
While we'd all love to think that kids should get the best toys available, that's not what happens. Moms and Dads think of toy volume, not quality, when faced with a dizzying array of little toy robots that they can barely recall, much less pronounce, the names of. As a brand holder, Hasbro wants to make sure that Mom and Dad have a greater chance of grabbing OPTIMUS PRIME because he's six bucks, beating out CHANGE-O-BOT 9000 for seven. The kid is sure as hell going to recall if he got Heroic Autobot Leader Optimus Prime because that was the funny name they said in the movie that involved wild camera angles and the removal of faces.
Honestly, are these toys forgettable? Yes, as a grown person and collector with a disposable income I wouldn't look at them at all, much like I barely look at the Legends class stuff or anything else that I don't want because I am a collector that wants toys that address my interests. When you're six and you want a damn OPTIMUS PRIME, I'm sure they're much less forgettable.
ProtectronPrime
They had rubber tires though… PREMIUM.
Smokescreen38
Minibots had multiple materials, pins, screws, innovative design, vac metal chrome (that didn’t flake) rub symbols and even goddamn rubber tires on a few of them.
I don’t know about you but I’m old enough to remember when they were New. Regardless of how they look to kids today, they were special and unique. These are neither.
I haven’t handled these new figures and neither have you. Yep. They’re an entry point. A wildly forgettable entry point, expended childhood toy time spent with inferior versions of characters better represented in higher tier toys.
Just my opinion.
BigRed
Buddy when you were a kid you spent money on stuff like the original Throttlebots, which were small, stumpy AND ugly.
Ramberk Magnus
Agreed. We all collect stuff that someone else would not even take as a gift.
AnonymousDwell
Or parents can buy whatever they want and/or can afford for their kids and maybe kids will still grow up to be adults who have their own unique tastes regardless, just like some of us grew up to collect RiD, Cyber Battalion, or Generations (or all of the above,) and some of us grew up to exclusively collect MP or what have you.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
MROptimusPrime
TRANSFORMERS fans… the more Chinese knock off level figures they target at 3-5 year olds, the more they just prepare them to grow up with the very figures we dislike. Do not purchase these for your children. Teach your children about quality, and to not just accept what is thrown at them.
Smitty.1981
I think what people are failing to understand is that this is the line the brought such dollar store hits like Universe Bumblebee, again, Universe Starscream, again and Universe Optimus Prime as inner robot Magnus.
Now it's getting all new molds and people are bitching.
Ramberk Magnus
I politely disagree. G1 Minibots were junk, we just have fond memories of them. To say that they had a "premium feel" is absurd. They had arm articulation and super limited paint apps. What is premium about that? Furthermore, just run a test. Show young kids "evergreen" Bumblebee and G1 minibot Bumblebee and see what they choose…
This product is a perfect "entry point" product. The worst thing that Hasbro can do is price themselves out to the point that its not growing new customers with low priced toys and simply catering to a shrinking demographic of older customers who can afford higher priced toys.
AnonymousDwell
Do people really, seriously interpret this as some sort of downfall for the franchise? It's just another option at another price point. It's not supplanting the other options. On the contrary, they're expanding those options, with what looks like a Movie based line in the style of Generations, on top of the continuing Generations lines they have planned all the way through 2021, and whatever Cyberverse turns out to be (this will likely be the new RiD style line, at that price range and relative complexity.)
And it's not like this is even totally without precedent. Remember those little rubber figures that in the west were called Decoys? In Japan, keshi figures like that were a big deal, and they were released independently (not just as pack-ins with carded TFs like in the West.) They also served as game pieces.
Granted this isn't at all the same, but I'm just saying. I don't personally see the issue with this whatsoever. Everyone's been saying the line is doomed and going downhill since… well, forever. It's over 30 years old. It isn't going anywhere.
TyrantLizardKing
Honestly I was expecting worse but these actually look decent. I just hope we get better toys of these designs.
Wasn’t there a Grimlock leaked earlier this month too?
SgtLemon
For what these will cost in the environment we are in these are REALLY good. I hope I can find some of them some day.
Spontificus
Wow, that is quite the difference between the Decepticon Toys and the Autobot ones. Kind of disappointed in Optimus Prime and Bumblebee after seeing these.
I honestly hate Overlord
That Megatron looks good, wish it was a voyager sized figure though, that would make it a good representation of mtmte Megatron
Burnout
sad the direction the one great tfs line is going….to essentially gumball machine junk.
galien
More like \"Evergrey\"
96megatron
Starscream's Facial Expression reminds me of his Armada self. I might get it.
SilverOptimus
Man, the Decepticons are in a totally different league than the Autobots yesterday. That Starscrem is a must buy for any Starscream lover.
bumblebeej8
Megatron and Starscream both look very good
Fasttrack
These are Evergreen. Not Cyberverse