In more Botcon news, today we’ve got our first look at the 2013 box art mock up. Reminiscent of the old Machine Wars box art of more than a decade ago, Obsidian is prominently displayed in his new colors scheme, as well a a quick peak at Obsidian and Strika in alt mode. Does this artwork do it for you?
Make sure to keep an eye on Botcon.com for more reveals as Botcon quickly approaches.
RavageX-9
I think neither me or N10zguy really cleared it up properly. (I didn't notice until now. My bad!)
Machine Wars is in the same continuity as G1.
Beast Wars & Beast Machines is in the same continuity as G1.
Therefore Machine Wars is in the same continuity as Beast Machines, with Machine Wars being in Beast Machines's past.
With Strika and Obsidian being famous great Autobot generals, it's possible that they would be around back then.
gawddammit
I think you're failing to remember one of the defining aspects of a spin-off.
What, if anything, does MW focus on from BW? Even if we're going just by the toyline, and not fiction. I fail to see how Machine Wars fits this criteria. War? All TF series have that. Transformation? Again. Spring loaded transformations for basics? Maybe, but those MW figures that featured spring loaded transformations were cancelled G2 figures.
I'm not saying MW wasn't influenced by BW, since they shared design teams, but there's not enough focus to be considred a spin-off. If you want to keep thinking that, fine. I don't see enough evidence to think that, myself.
G.B. Blackrock
You must be using a definition of "derived" other than I am.
The name "Machine Wars" is derived from "Beast Wars"
A prequel is a story derived from another story, set to take place before that other story. (This is less certain, but is following your own thought that MW is a prequel to BW. If it is so, then MW is, by definition, derived from BW)
Thus, Machine Wars is absolutely a spin-off of Beast Wars.
Bogatan
If the fiction is important remember that Hasbro/Kenner didnt initially use the cartoon back story, the Primal Megatron 2 pack is very clearly G1 as are early bios and G2 had properly introduced the idea of characters fairly randomly changing bodies (think G2 Gobots) Machine Wars fits into the concept fine, the fact that Beast Wars later got a reboot is irrelevant.
In a similar way Knotts landing was a Dallas spin off despite Dallas eventually retconning out of existence the event that caused the spin off to occur.
……I so wish I could have thought of a cooler example than that…………no, nothing comes to mind…..
But for me this is a toyline so the fiction and bios aren't the issue, they weren't spinning off characters they were spinning off concept. Machine Wars exists because Beast Wars branding was doing well and wanted to cash in so they spun off the "Wars" part and as they had unreleased vehicle moulds (in the US at least ) they went with Machine Wars. If that had been successful we might have gotten others, they could have re-released all the old watches under a Time Wars line.
gawddammit
Choosing a name for marketing purposes doesn't make it a spin-off. Many aspects of MW are borrowed from other toy lines, due to the rushed and afterthought nature of the line. They may have named it as such to tie it in, but according to the fiction and bios, it takes place after G1 using G1 characters.
And no, a prequel isn't always a spin off. Again, a spin off is:
If Machine Wars was all about a lone group of Stasis pods that fell down on the other side of Earth and took place at the same time as Beast Wars, then yes, you'd be right.
OR, if it was about the adventures of Megatron before BW, it would be a prequel AND a spin-off.
As the line is in real life, other than sharing some design aspects, I wouldn't call it a spin-off.
G.B. Blackrock
Do you really think that the name "Machine Wars" was chosen as a coincidence? It happened as direct result of the fact that the Beast Wars name was being used.
(FYI, a prequel would still be a spin-off)
Autobot City Comics 2008
I actually commented before I figured out that the box was see-through I feel that the box is a good choice just a little upset that we are getting one character on the front And as usual every year the toys price goes up And just like everybody else we like to bitch a little bit Wouldn't be a true transformer collector without bitching
gawddammit
I don't see how Machine Wars can be considered a spin-off of Beast Wars. If anything, it's a prequel to Beast Wars, since it takes place before the Beast Era, but after G2.
n10zguy
Okay anything that is a side story to a main story whether it comes out later or at the same time is still a spin-off. The Machine Wars line came out AFTER the Beast Wars line began. So no correction necessary. My point is still valid. 8)
Maximo Prime
elaborate, please?
Stepper
A nice boxart,cool
RavageX-9
Well, the reveal in the magazine of the other color scheme could have been before the final colors were decided, but this would suggest otherwise, that we are in fact getting show-accurate colors. That's neat. (Heh. I wonder if there are people disappointed by this. Now the justification of more friendly Autobot colors are working against this.)
Hm. That's a good point. Machine Wars styled box with a previous Machine Wars character would be… the original thing. Also, Obsidian is the large figure of the set, so he's highlighted.
Oh, I forgot about Megatron. (I must have done that on purpose.)
I was going to argue against that, but apparently I am wrong.
via TFwiki.net : "The card artwork is often cited as a testament to rushed production; almost all of the packages have character art from different toys, altered to resemble very vaguely the toy inside the package. Only Hoist and Hubcap have new art, a single new piece that was recolored between them."
Well, let me know when you have a GOOD idea for a MW OP they could do.
I'm biased towards my own idea on this one, but Universe Inferno or nothing, and that mold was already used by them not too long ago.
…Oh, yeah, I guess TFP Ultra Magnus if we're going to take inspiration from Megaplex, although that's just as new (newer or older? I don't keep track of the waves.), so they probably couldn't have done that at the last minute.
Also that would take up another large figure's spot.
Also, why Prime and Megatron AGAIN? Yeah, they're popular, but you can't wheel them out every other year. Let's see. We had (a Deathsaurus in 2005,) BW Primal and Megatron (not quite the same) in 2006, SG OP and Megs in 2008, (Spark and Clench in 2010, Motormaster and Toxitron in 2011, so 3 years without one), SG OP and Ultra Magnus in 2012, and so far this year in 2013 a Megaplex.
Gonna correct you there. It came out about the same time as Beast Wars started, so not a spin-off of Beast Wars. While technically we're dealing with FunPub's "Wings of Honor" continuity, Obsidian and Strika could have been Autobot generals back in Machine Wars. (That's been mentioned in previous discussions, but for anyone just joining us now.)
Hey, I changed my avatar just at the right time! G2 Decepticon+Vehicon. (I designed it.) It must have been subconscious.
NemiMonkey
Yes that would complete the nostalgia ride I'm feeling right now.
Have the original price slashed out in red and in red writing some insanely reduced price like $19.99 or one of KB's famous buy x for y deals.
Digilaut
Looks good, I guess. I copies the Machine Wars boxes, and it succeeds at that. Also nice that there's a part translucent, a first for Botcon boxes, I believe?
Still, I prefer the big illustrations of robots duking it out, like on mosts sets. But this one is better than the Animated one, which, although my favorite set, had a super-dull box that depicted a really bad looking advertisement panel – something that wasn't even clear until I saw it pop up in the comic.
Silvershot
I hope the back of the box features all the instructions which need to be cut out.
n10zguy
Seriously dude. Seriously. That's what you pick to complain about?
It doesn't really take a rocket scientist to figure out that both characters are tied to Machine Wars because Machine Wars was little more than an afterthought spin-off of Beast Wars/Machines.
Automorpher
I'm pretty sure I'm giving this Boxset a big skip, just like the one that were released in 2011.
Only Strika & Hoist works for me…For now.
Macross7
So a set with packaging made to look like Machine Wars features artwork the character NOT from Machine Wars & through the window, two characters not in Machine Wars. Must be some Ivy League grads working over there.
[Wing_Saber-X]
Eh, I'll just get Strika and Obsidian, that is all.