Beast Hunters Starscream

[GoktimusPrime]

Image from packaging
http://snakas.blog95.fc2.com/blog-entry-2873.html

Eewww...

[ILikeSoundwave]

Doesn't look all that nice, but Ripclaw and Smokescreen are a definite get for me in this wave.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

I think I just barfed in my mouth...

looks like a cross between sky-byte, starscream and ROTF Old Man Jetfire in one. Colours look like bumb.

[AJ_Prime]

It just feels like they're not trying anymore. :(

[griffin]

Well, now we know what the fourth figure is in Wave 2 (as we knew numbers 6-8 from the other three).

[lj7369]

i dont hold high hopes for beast hunters, i will watch it as it comes out, but not as keen as first 2 seasons. this figure made me vomit from my bum.

[UltraMarginal]

I'm starting to wonder how much of these "beast Hunters" uniforms are actually going to turn up in the show. It doesn't look like it'll fit with the rest of the style of the show. sure the beasts will be there, but I can't see the weapons and armour being that prominent.

[Paulbot]

I'd guess that this "look" has been market tested and found to appeal to the key boys demographic. I'm reminded of all those superhero toys that are the same character (like Batman and Spider-Man) over and over just in different sorts of armour/costumes.

Besides the new "Beasts" (which may be show accurate) all the other toys revealed so far are the existing cast (and often existing toys) with new "costumes". Less range of "characters", more repeats. At least the Cyberverse line has new figures coming, although again not many new characters.

[UltraMarginal]

That's why I'm not convinced all these "costumes" are going to show up, in the show. well articulated there Paulbot

[Polursine]

Uuh. First thing I saw was "Distributed in Australia".
This is new?

[Bidoofdude]

Everyone on TFW seems to love him. I have no freakin' idea why. :confused::p

[Lord_Zed]

It just feels like they're not trying anymore. :(

Or they fired all the talent and replaced them with cheap inexperienced yes-men.



I'd guess that this "look" has been market tested and found to appeal to the key boys demographic. I'm reminded of all those superhero toys that are the same character (like Batman and Spider-Man) over and over just in different sorts of armour/costumes.



yeah they do seem to be a lot of those type of figures around, Batman in Shelfwarmer armour etc. :D

Which only make me think they have become even more short on creativity that they have become like the Hollywood machine pumping out more of the same rather than trying anything new.

[kup]

Or they fired all the talent and replaced them with cheap inexperienced yes-men.

That is very possible. I know first hand that a corporation will prefer someone who is cheap to maintain and doesn't ask any questions irregardless of the quality of work produced.

[SMHFConvoy]

My first question is, "is it a retool or a new figure?" My second one is, "what's with the Cybertron brimstone homage?"

I love the vitriol this thread has generated. It's like you'll be forced to buy it for some abstract reason. A Hasbro rep holding a gun to your head or something. It's funny.

[Gouki]

Uuh. First thing I saw was "Distributed in Australia".
This is new?

Yeah I noticed that too, and I'm surprised so few people have noticed.

I kind of like the Beast Hunters toys so far, even the weird colours and armour. It's like 1992 all over again, only this time I don't need to rely only on Birthday and Christmas to get them.

[Paulbot]

Most TF toys for the past few years have had the "Distributed in Australia" text. Even toys that never where (like First Edition Prime toys and Amazon Unicron. I've had my hopes dashed on this point before.

I don't think anyone feels forced to buy them, but there's disappointment with the Prime line direction (which is more child focused now and that does make sense for the Hasbro market) particularly with the toys that were overlooked (like Deluxe Ironhide, Frenzy, Voyager Breakdown etc) for these.

But I think Gouki reminds us of a good point, some kids will grow to nostalgically remember the Beast Hunters the way some of us look back at G2. :)

[kup]

I love the vitriol this thread has generated. It's like you'll be forced to buy it for some abstract reason. A Hasbro rep holding a gun to your head or something. It's funny.

Some narrow thinking there. Read Paulbot's post, he gets why people are upset. However I will disagree about 'being remembered'. Like most things these days, it will be forgotten the week after it ends.

We have been fans of Hasbro and Takara for a long time so it is just very disappointing to see this deterioration in general quality and lack of creativity.

[Quickstrike]

"what's with the Cybertron brimstone homage?"

First thing I though when I saw him! Brimstone's cool.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Everyone on TFW seems to love him. I have no freakin' idea why. :confused::p
They all think FOC Grimlock is a masterpiece as well, so um, yeah ?



I love the vitriol this thread has generated. It's like you'll be forced to buy it for some abstract reason. A Hasbro rep holding a gun to your head or something. It's funny.

I dont think anyone is feeling they will be forced to buy it at all from the comments so far. The criticism is well justified. It is an ugly looking toy regardless of purchase or not.

I for one like some of the retooled beast hunters stuff. Wheeljack looks good and it reminds me of Mad Max in a way, so am very interested in the new toys. However Soundwave and Starscream are the two weakest figures they have shown imo. Maybe it's a plane thing?

[GoktimusPrime]

Some narrow thinking there. Read Paulbot's post, he gets why people are upset. However I will disagree about 'being remembered'. Like most things these days, it will be forgotten the week after it ends.

We have been fans of Hasbro and Takara for a long time so it is just very disappointing to see this deterioration in general quality and lack of creativity.
Yeah, bad toys hurt the brand, so one can understand fans being upset over what they think might hurt the brand. As you say, we've been fans of this brand for a long time, and we've seen what has and hasn't worked well for this brand.

[Gouki]

The problem with that is that as you get further and further away from being a kid and knowing what kids want (and, for example how different 2012/2013 is from 1984 or 1997, or even 2007 in terms of business plans from Hasbro, distribution models of stock, retailers attitudes, technology that has kids interests, kids themselves), it becomes harder and harder to say you understand what does and doesn't work for the franchise. Because you don't. You know what works for you now and what worked for you in the past.

That might have sounded harsher than intended, I mean, I absolutely know where everyone who says that is coming from (and I say it all the time about things like Power Rangers no longer importing sentai mecha), it's just... it's a fallacy.

[griffin]

Uuh. First thing I saw was "Distributed in Australia".
This is new?

It's a standard packaging template for Hasbro US, to allow them to sell stock to Australia, NZ and North America, if ever they are able to. When people are doing up the packaging design, they don't know if the American product is going to end up in Australia or NZ, but they know that it can be sold here if Hasbro AUS needs it or wants it.
It's just forward planning (to save money later) ever since the late 90s when Hasbro Australia started getting their stock from Hasbro America in stead of Hasbro UK... Otherwise, it would cost money to do up completely new packaging just for Australia.
It doesn't cost them anything to have the extra bit of text on every packaging from the start.

[Bidoofdude]

They all think FOC Grimlock is a masterpiece as well, so um, yeah ?



I dont think anyone is feeling they will be forced to buy it at all from the comments so far. The criticism is well justified. It is an ugly looking toy regardless of purchase or not.

I for one like some of the retooled beast hunters stuff. Wheeljack looks good and it reminds me of Mad Max in a way, so am very interested in the new toys. However Soundwave and Starscream are the two weakest figures they have shown imo. Maybe it's a plane thing?

I always did sorta like TFW...:p

[The_Damned]

My first question is, "is it a retool or a new figure?" My second one is, "what's with the Cybertron brimstone homage?"

I love the vitriol this thread has generated. It's like you'll be forced to buy it for some abstract reason. A Hasbro rep holding a gun to your head or something. It's funny.

i find the hate funny as i am sure my 4 year will love this starscream and that is who the TOY is aimed at and not some 20+ toy collector. Anyway i find it hard to really make my mind up abou the toy without seeing a good pic of it.

[SuspectimusPrime]

My second one is, "what's with the Cybertron brimstone homage?"


I was thinking the same thing when I saw this.

Maybe the same guy who did Starscream was also the same person who did Predaking, and absolutely LOVED Cybertron/Galaxy Force..

[SMHFConvoy]

There is that whole, "reforging" thing in the Rage of the Dinobots mini maybe that's what has happened to Soundwave and Starscream hence the Cybertron call backs.

[i_amtrunks]

Not sure if the hasbro demographic has shifted a few years younger, but I just showed some of these pics to my 8 and 10 year old cousins and they were not impressed. Possibly could have something to do with them not seeing the show.

These kids loved the movie toys that they could actually transform too, so they are not non-tf kids.

I do find it silly that animated got cancelled for Prime, and now Prime is going off the crazy side, when Animated would have possibly been a better fit for a series with armour and spikes and costumes.

Maybe Hasblow have seen the success of costume sets for bayblades, zhuzhu pets or even the non movie batman toys and decided to chance their arm on what is a diminished toyline to them? Can't say I think it's a good idea, their last two forays into new markets with the tf license have been lacklustre; hot wheels tf and Lego tf (I like kreo, but they were not a big seller.) even botshots have been poor sellers locally, but I'd wager that is more due to price.

[griffin]

Clearer images of DLX Starscream (http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/beast-hunters-starscream-clear-images-176691/), in and out of packaging.


The changes make that tiny toy a lot bigger, but very ugly.

[SMHFConvoy]

In hand pics of Beast Hunters Starscream and Ripclaw at TFW2005 (http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/beast-hunters-ripclaw-and-starscream-in-hand-176773/)

Like Bulkhead, A Starscream's smaller. I think the BH SS would look better in silver with gold accents. Looks a lot like an unmanned drone like Soundwave. Ripclaw looks awesome though.

[kaiden]

SS looks like some kind of ugly jet/insecticon lovechild.

[Megatron]

The colour scheme's all wrong, otherwise it'd look okay.

[Omega Metro]

I like Beastie Starscream. ....but what do I know?.....I generally hate the look of most G1 toys.:)

[BigTransformerTrev]

Considering I have the Voyager Starscream and the purple-esque Starscream that came in the 2-pack with BBee, I can't really see the point of buying this one with it's garish colours. The only figures from the last seasons that have been updated that I may buy are the potential Supreme-class Optimus (I'm a sucker for an Optimus with a trailer) & Smokescreen since I don't own any version of him.