The NFT market is sure a growing (and kind of polemic) market right now, and it seems we have some NFT Transformers products coming in. Funko have just revealed a new Transformers x Funko NFT Collection Series 1.
These are animated digital tokens featuring Funko Pop Transformers characters. Sale will start this Tuesday, March 15 at 11:00 am PT / 2:00 pm ET via Digital Funko Website. There are 2 different Digital Pop Packs:
- Standard Pack (5 Digital Pop!): $9.99 USD
- Premium Pack (15 Digital Pop!): $29.99 USD
Each digital token is classified as Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary and Grail according to their rarity. There are also some exclusive limited physical Funko Pop Transformers figures that you can redeem if you get the Legendary or Grail tokens or if you complete all the series (more information via Digital Funko website). You could get the following characters:
- Optimus Prime (Gold with Matrix)
- Devastator
- Hot Rod
- Rumble (Black & red)
- Sideswipe
- Freddy Funko as Bumblebee
Interested in these new Funko Pop Transformers NFT or in the exclusive Physical figures? Maybe both? Or not? Click on the discussion link below and share your impressions on the 2005 Boards!
Optimum Lime
wait, so if i wanted to get the blitzwing but not get the legendary, would i have to get every other varient of him? or would i have to collect every character in that rarity level?
Heliblade
Regular funko pops are already objectively horrible, this is just disgusting.
TAZZY
What a joke, even Starscream had some better comedy.
Galvacron 3
PEACE. THROUGH. RIGHT-CLICKING.
Jeddostotle7
Trust me: it's not an age thing, it's a "you're not a mush-brained techbro or business major" thing. these things aren't catching on, they're a type of scam that most people have already wisened up to, but some companies are still trying to squeeeeze that last bit of money from the truly gullible
vicious7171
" first you have to collect digital tokens in order to redeem the physical toys."
Omegax80
There's nothing to understand. It's completely stupid and a waste to put any effort into.
Spyne98
Maybe it's because I'm pushing 40, but I don't understand these digital collection things. I'd rather have a physical thing that I can hold and show people. I suppose the times are changing. Still seems silly.
JJJ
No, I cannot. For something to be collectable, as you put it, it has to be scarce. There is no sane reason for anything digital to be scarce. And I dislike physical scarcity as well, because there's just no reason for it either.
Jeddostotle7
there is absolutely no good reason for digital scarcity, NFTs are just far and away the worst incarnation of the idea for many reasons
Aernaroth
The collective 'we' as a society/market, to be clear. And even then there seems to be a push to rein in some of these mechanics. But good on you, I get where you're coming from. Can you envision any sort of 'digital collectible' that you'd be comfortable with (doesn't have to be like the stuff I gave as examples)? If not, can you explain why?
Mecheon
Significantly worse. Blockchain technology is specifically designed with that whole system in place to require heavier and heavier processing costs as it gets older, specifically requiring stronger and faster technoology. Games, comic book websites, stores? They all use barely a percent of what NFTs do. I doubt even all the traffic Amazon gets worldwide is comparable to the stuff NFTs are doing
Requirements for blockchain stuff is most on the degree of like, a steel foundry or small country.
I put it simply
1: NFTs. Like, just "It is an NFT" is simply enough reason for hostility. NFT advocates made enemies out of basically the entire internet for the longest time and we thrive on their suffering
2: Lottery. Its not enough you're buying what are basically trading cards, but let's be honest, most people going into this, even people in the thread who like the Funko stuff, just want the regular stuff at retail. But, can't get it because you have to do some assinine lottery to get the actual figure you want while other Funkos are littering shelves. This is a clear case of "Oh we wanted to scam people to lottery in to buy this popular property" rather than, y'know, put it out and available for people to just, buy
3: Its Funko Pops which, specifically, thrive on that "Think what it could be worth in the future, keep it boxed!" type of marketting as compared to Transformers which are more "Crack open the box and transform the figure"-orientated in place
JJJ
We? Uh uh.
Some of us would rather the things mentioned in the past couple of posts did not exist either, and want nothing to do with them. A pox on all their houses.
Aernaroth
Digital scarcity does not originate with NFTs. I'm not going to say NFTs weren't overwhelmingly scams, exploitative models or bullshit with ulterior motives (they were), or that they're somehow an essential thing to create (they aren't), but they aren't some diabolical eureka as much as they are a (as yourself said, debatable) reasoned concept to real issues that have been identified as the digital marketplace/ecosystem has developed. Digital scarcity already existed through lottery mechanic-based DLC content like gatcha games, weapon skins/game cosmetics, even steam digital trading cards, even in discussions about the metaverse.
Like, for me, its the incredibly energy intensive use of the blockchain that sours me on the concept, combined with applying predatory marketing concepts and a (often) a promise of speculative value. Take those elements out and I might not love, or even like, what's left, but I don't see much of a difference from what we already seem to tolerate.
Purple Heart
You bring up a very fair point. How much energy do these NFT’s consume vs, say, the servers supporting the Comixology app? Fortnite? Or any server that store digital goods?
I do see your point towards buying digital goods also. I play gacha games like Genshin Impact, Azur Lane, etc, and all those have microtransactions. I’ve paid real money just so I can have a character/get a new skin, etc. And when you boil it down it’s the same concept. You are paying for something that doesn’t exist. How many people put money into Fornite? Or other games that require constantly active servers? Servers that if shutdown, will “rob” people of the digital items?
NFT’s however are (debatably) a scam in concept. People saw that people are willing to pay money for a digital item and realized that they could, through a “tech savy” way, introduce scarcity to it and tell consumers it was also a way to get rich. It is a scam built from the blockchain like many cryptocurrencies. But, I do think people need to consider how other digital goods impact the enviroment and whether or not thats equatably worse.
Aernaroth
Thought experiment here, I'd appreciate it if folks could weigh in with an open mind.
Let's say Hasbro or some licenser made an app. A digital ecosystem or whatever, controlled by the company in charge and not on blockchain or a distributed community or whatever. And they sell (for the sake of argument lets assume a reasonable price), packs of digital 'trading cards' that function as items in a set, some are rarer than others, etc. All either licensed art or fair payment to artists, overseen by the company (and I guess Hasbro via the license). And there's some level of social interaction through the app so that you can trade or bid for these cards. And lets say you can do some little things with them, like theyd have little animations or unlock videos or digital dioramas or other content when you get a full set, or you can use them to play little games, etc. Stickerbook kind of stuff.
Would that be a completely different animal than what we're seeing here, or more of the same?
What specific aspects are driving the animus we all (including me) seem to have for this idea? The lottery mechanic? The digital property aspect? The fact that its associated with the NFT movement itself, which ties it to the issues that has had?
Neko-bot77
Sorry Funko, I'm too busy buying actual, physical Hasbro product to bother with your e-waste
Roufuss
Gotta be decent enough that there is a wave per month for different franchises. About to be Star Wars and Star Trek ones soon.
I just skip the NFT gamble for a physical, and just buy the actual Pop for a good price once the market saturates if I really want it. I paid around $50 for Sideswipe to get it signed by Michael Bell.
Black Convoy
Yeah, that's the "idea". After spending money on the NFT you have a chance to get one physical toy. Aftermarket prices for these items are absolutely crazy. I wanted that Cheetor, but no way I'm paying hundreds of dollars for a Funko Pop.
Snaku
After reading this thread, I still don't understand. You buy an nft and then maybe get a figure?! Like you have to buy X amount of nfts or it's a lucky draw or something? There are a few of these is like to get to put with the rest of my G1 pops but I'd only go for it if I could just straight up buy the figures.