Movie packaging template revealed (MOVIE SPOILERS)

[griffin]

Spoilers in the title in case people weren't thinking that the packaging would give too much away about the Movie itself.


For those keen to see what to look out for on shelves from April/May, a base template of the Movie packaging looks to have leaked (http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-toys-products-30/transformers-4-age-of-extinction-box-images-dinobots-179029/).

It is a red & white outer colour scheme, and inside it looks to have a heavy dinosaur wallpaper.... showing that the TF4 movie is going to be featuring or marketed on its Dinosaurs plot element.

Not sure if any or all of those dinosaurs will even feature in the movie, or as toys.

[VERT]

I do like the boxes. This movie has me confused. Its so focused on being marketed as a Dinobot movie. But remember what Bay thinks of our beloved Dinos.
QUOTE

According to an article in the latest issue of Empire magazine Transformers Revenge of the Fallen director Michael Bay makes clear his views on the inclusion (or lack thereof) of the Dinobot's in the live action films. Bay comments that "They've never been discussed [for inclusion]. I don't like them. Actually, I hate them.". This comes as sad news to fans of the beloved G1 characters and does not bode well for those hoping for the inclusion of the Dinobot's for the third installment of the film.

[Paulbot]

I wonder about the Optimus pic on the front. Every other place where the individual toy's details are featured is generic or blank (eg.co sells on the bottom) but there's a big illustration of Prime. As cost cutting, might this be like the Beast Mahines boxes and not feature individual character art?

[griffin]

It looks like the back will have character image or art (if that dino wallpaper is on the back as well as inside). Or maybe the Optimus is just on there as an example, since this is a sample template and it would look wrong without something in that spot.

As for the emphasis on Dinos... even if Bay doesn't have much of them in the movie, this is just Hasbro's use of them, perhaps as it would market better than the Movie itself (which has been shelfwarming in stores for the last 4 years). Dinosaurs are "cool" to kids, and retailers might even be made by Hasbro to focus on that element as well, to encourage them to buy more camaro Bumblebees and flame-deco truck Optimus toys after several years of them headlining the Movie Lines (and shelfwarming because most kids already have at least one of each).

I mean, why can't Bay give Hasbro a distinctly new alt mode and some new colours to go with the iconic yellow (Bee) and red (Op)... It's like re-living the Beast era and having 5 years of Cheetors and Primals - how many different ways can you make a cheetor and gorilla convert into a humanoid before it gets boring or too bizarre.

[Deonasis]

Regarding Bay, I think anything can be accommodated to suit the movie studio, car manufacturer, army or toy company <- we get the result of that orgy.

That triceratops dino does not look like it is from a history book but it is a BEAST! :cool:

[5FDP]

I just want my G1 reissue Dinobots :( Hopefully, this movie paves the way for them the same way ROTF revived Devastators career ;)

[Paulbot]

It looks like the back will have character image or art (if that dino wallpaper is on the back as well as inside). Or maybe the Optimus is just on there as an example, since this is a sample template and it would look wrong without something in that spot.

Oh yes definitely photos of the toy in both modes on the back. Some "also available" toy photos on the red panel that's the bottom of the box too.

The box would look bare with just "product art" instead of Optimus, but I guess we wait and see.


I just want my G1 reissue Dinobots :( Hopefully, this movie paves the way for them the same way ROTF revived Devastators career ;)

Ever since robot dinosaurs were confirmed for this movie I've been very confident that it will increase the odds of an official, retooled as needed, Encore release of at least some of the G1 Dinobots. (Ideally all of course, but if they just do Grimlock that's a good thing too.)

Whenever someone mentions the unavailability of G1 Dinobot reissues I always want to mention this but, you know spoilers. Although there will be a point, if it's not already past, that the inclusion of robot dinosaurs in this movie will be knowledge impossible for even the most casual TF fan not to know.

[griffin]

Oh yes definitely photos of the toy in both modes on the back. Some "also available" toy photos on the red panel that's the bottom of the box too.

The box would look bare with just "product art" instead of Optimus, but I guess we wait and see.



They were already cost-cutting with Beast Hunters, by just having Predaking on the front of the packaging. I'm not sure if they did any character art for the new Beast Hunters toys.

So at least it won't be new to the current consumer, to have a standardised front-packaging character image. :(

[Paulbot]

Oh yeah! I forgot about the Beast Hunters toys. That does make it seem more likely.

[Sinnertwin]

It's nothing new. We've seen Hasbro use one generic piece of artwork before. The Constructicons & Rescue Force figures come to mind.

[Paulbot]

It's nothing new. We've seen Hasbro use one generic piece of artwork before. The Constructicons & Rescue Force figures come to mind.

That was probably the first time but still limited to a particular group of toys and they had a group of figures on the box. Beast Machines (with Cheetor and then Primal) was the first time they really went line wide with one character regardless of what was in the box. TF box art is one of the things that made the toys stand out in the day so its a shame when it's lost.

[Sinnertwin]

I agree, PB
Be it a single piece or a group shot & to a certain degree recolouring existing ones, that individuality is lost when using generic artwork. It'll be a shame if that is the direction they're headed in- especially those of us that keep their cards & boxes or keep them MISB/MOSC or enjoy looking at TF boxart