Via Mr Alan In The World Of Toys YouTube channel we can share for you a very interesting interview with Hasbro Transformers brand marketer Ben MacCrae and toy designer Evan Brooks.
On this 33-minute interview we get some interesting tips and information about the latest Hasbro projects and lines like Haslab Deathsaurus, Legacy, Studio Series and more. Read on for some highlights:
- Haslab Deathsaurus
- Deathsaurus was originally planned for the Transformers 2023 main line (Legacy) but it was then changed for Haslab due to the success of Victory Saber.
- More features could be achieved as a Haslab like a bigger and more appropriate size for the character.
- Deathsaurus chest animals were originally planned to be sold as separate Core class toys if they would have stayed in the main line.
- They thought fans weren’t so excited with a stand as a tier (as it was with Victory Saber), so they added Deathsaurus’ throne.
- A color sample “is coming soon”.
- Legacy & Studio Series
- The team has now less rules than they had in the past for characters choices.
- The goal is to finally release characters from the far past that never got an update.
- Studio Series didn’t have plans to use characters from Age Of Extinction and The Last Knight for a while.
- Modern Pretenders idea was originally planned by Lenny and the figures were finished by Evan Brooks.
- Pretender shells were out of the price point in the main line definitively.
- It would have been like paying a Deluxe class price for a small Core with a Pretender shell. So they preferred to make a full deluxe or core character.
- If fans want Pretender shells, it still may happen. Let Hasbro know you want them in their social media channels. They are still open to the idea.
They also talked about their personal preferences, the development process of the toys, how around 2012 they decided to establish a range for the transformation steps to avoid too complex toys and keep them fun, and much more.
Watch the full interview after the break and then let us know your impressions on the 2005 Boards!
jamarmiller
Yeah I want proper pretenders too
Seeaich
I've been wondering if a Marvel UK Inferno (same Kingdom Inferno buck but the shouting face Hauler head, with a left-red face, and black or very dark blue painted helmet) might be a potential Voyager for W'n'R Wave 3 (*IF* there is a Wave 2 to come!)?
Yes to more Marvel Comic deco repaints though (I consider W'n'R Springer a UK comic homage as in Target 2006 he was closer to toy colours before they switched to hewing closer to his TFTM deco)!
Dirge121
That would be nice, given the layout of Volcanicus so far it seems like Dinoking was 100% on the table for these molds. No other reason to randomly make Slug the upper body if you aren’t just going to remold/repaint it into Kakuryu’s shell.
General Tekno
I could see them having new heads already on the existing tooling. Maybe even other parts given Dinoking was likely planned from day 1.
R3M1NGT0N
I would like these too, but it seems if any figure gets a repaint after any alternate character has been done with the mold, it’s likely a toy deco. I’ve decided that while 3P legends are a bit pricey, particularly NewAge, I’ll pick up their comic redecos since I think they look pretty good and capture those designs pretty well.
Dinobot Snarl
You speak truth sir!
Thundershot
Marvel Blaster is part of my dream capsule. Along with Marvel Ratchet, Marvel Megatron, Marvel Optimus Prime, Marvel Soundwave, and Marvel Grimlock.
ScorponokIsHere
Well, I'm an idiot.
Dirge121
As much as my preference would be to retool the Dinobots into the pretender monster alts and then tool new dinosaur shells, I think the reality is they will just be repaints, maybe a new head for Dinoking.
I was kind of bummed out about that initially, but I realize as far as an official Dinoking goes it’s probably this or nothing.
T-Hybrid
Maybe there's a path to doing the shells? Like…if they backed off Dinoking and adjusted those molds to be the Dinobots…they could do a Selects or special release with the Core figures molded closer to the originals:
The drawback, of course, is only two of the Dinobots are bipedal compared to four here. So maybe they're going to adjust the beast modes to more closely resemble the inner bot alts and then keep the current Core robot modes?
I suppose it's possible they do a limited Capsule run where the Dinoking components are packed with articulated shells. I think most of them sat in a "backpack" on the figure…so it's possible you could get away with a $10 Core figure and a $25 articulated shell. Hasbro has no shortage of 6" figure lines they could pull in designers from to make it work.
Sell them for $35 or so? Would be on par with some of the larger "Deluxe" offerings in the Marvel and Power Rangers line.
G.B. Blackrock
While it's not my preference (for reasons already stated), I definitely AM curious to at least see how this Core Dinoking is going to look.
Dinobot Snarl
I wonder if Marvel Blaster is on the table?
T-Hybrid
This whole back and forth about Pretenders makes me wonder if the decision to turn Dinoking in to a Volcanicus was because of the desire to do shells but not sure how to approach it. Originally it was going to be Dinoforce, but then they realized there may be options worth exploring so pivoted to the Dinobots to still get something to retail and bolster it with some name value.
And since Volcanicus is a relatively new creation there's less baggage around how to actually execute on it (this'll be our third, and it will be as different from the last as it was from the first).
Because ultimately that's what these Core Dinoking pretools would have been. More Pretenders who blended the shell and inner bot.
G.B. Blackrock
I'm not sure what you think he was responding to. The bit you quoted was in response to one of MY posts. And while we don't share this particular opinion, I haven't felt attacked by his responses to me thus far.
ScorponokIsHere
Hey put the gaddang knives away, cowboy. I expressed zero thoughts on how Pretender toys must be. I was only correcting an inaccuracy. Keep yer shirt on.
G.B. Blackrock
None of these facts are in dispute (well, I'll quibble that we've actually gotten a few Leo Prime-based toys in the states, a decade or so back). And if I haven't been clear, let me say that my own desires have evolved over the years. I wanted different things in years past than I want now.
And I repeat, I really don't expect Hasbro to cater to me. This discussion is, ultimately, about what I want, but I don't expect much of it to actually come to pass. I'll buy want I want, and leave the rest for others.
T-Hybrid
I mean that was what Generations was prior to WfC. And even now we're getting new characters (Modular dudes, Volcanicus, Skar), new takes on guys (Motormaster) and guys who've never had figures before (Marvel Jhiaxus, Tarn).
Legacy Motormaster is based on G1, but he's not like any Motormaster we've had before. Even Leo Prime, while based on a classic toy/character, is getting his first mainstream release outside Japan.
G.B. Blackrock
I acknowledge this. I don't expect to be the target anymore. But I do wish that they'd just do "new" stuff if they're going to deviate so far. At some point, don't bother trying to target "me" at all if you're not going to try to target me.
T-Hybrid
Okay, but also we're not the target audience anymore. They're not going to bend over backwards for *us* if it means figures that risk selling poorly. That's the reason I don't care about deviations from classic stuff….because I get we're secondary and the primary goal is making cool toys kids will want.
G.B. Blackrock
True. But I'm no longer interested in toys that differ so greatly from the original toys (or, more importantly, the original characters). I'm older now, and my interest is either in getting better versions of characters that I already have, or getting the character I was unable to get back in the day. Other fans may have different needs, but for me, that's most of what I'm here for these days. A toy that depicts an old character with too much deviation, may as well just be a new character, in my mind. There's nothing wrong with THAT, but if it's going to be a classic character, I want it to be recognizably the character I remember.
(FWIW, I ignored most of the BW toys in WfC, so I think I'm being consistent)