The Soapbox VI: Don’t like Gimmicks? Start dealing with it.

[STL]

The Soapbox VI: Don’t like Gimmicks? Start dealing with it.


Gimmicks. The word’s mere utterance carries with it a number of connotations in the mind of a collector, most of which are generally negative. It is the (somewhat ambitious) intention of this Soapbox to debunk the fandom’s negativity towards gimmicks. The term “gimmick” in itself is broad. What is the scope of the term? Gimmicks in essence are a unique feature of an individual Transformer or line of Transformers that is supposed to enhance play value. While this may seem too broad a definition, gimmicks go beyond the standard weapons and incorporate motion-based or electronic-based features. Now, having examined this preliminary issue let’s have a look at the larger issue of their pertinence and prevalence.

First up, let’s start with more recent developments because they are really where the concerns are emanating from. Ultimate Bumblebee was a heavily priced toy and anyone who has read my reviews knows my utter disdain for the toy. But that’s not the issue. At its price point, with its level 4 conversion rating, you’d expect more than the shoddy toy that it is. However, I’m going to argue that for all its inherent flaws Ultimate Bumblebee was and is a success.


http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/8642/ultbbxs9.jpg

Not to us. But to the mass market. All of those electronic gimmicks that grossly inhibit articulation – the repetitive sounds, the burning blue lights, the sound acceleration gimmick, the electronics-guided arm cannon –, all of those are what makes the toy a success. To appreciate this, you need to have a look at the average parent, the person who will ultimately buy this. If they are going to fork out $100+ on a toy, the cold hard reality is that they expect more than just an awesome transformation or unbelievable articulation or an incredibly detailed alt mode.

Newsflash: they’re not the ones playing with it.

Their kids are. They, as parents, are simply seeking a gift they deem to be value for money. A technically brilliant transformation for a Supreme Class Transformer means squat to a parent. To them, there’s no difference between that and a Deluxe. Parents want extras, need extras, to justify the purchase of a more expensive Transformer than the usual deluxe. And guess what those extras are? You guessed it, gimmicks. All those flashy electronics and motion-based gimmicks are what they want for Christmas or that special occasion. An Ultimate Bumblebee that is merely a massive representation of the Deluxe would just not cut it.

That’s the cold hard truth.

While incredible transformations and awesome articulation are things that we as collectors value, these are lost on your average consumer. These gimmicks are absolutely necessary to sell Transformers, especially in the higher price ranges from Ultras upwards. They are a commercial reality. And when one examines the broader toy marketplace, Transformers are vying against video game consoles and the ingenuity and educational quality of Lego. It only makes sense that Hasbro has moved to incorporate electronic gimmicks into its larger toys. It is the only way Transformers can effectively compete in that price range.

And it is us as a fanbase who need to grow up. It’s no secret that flash and flair play an important part in our social phenomenon and is a determinative factor in the minds of the modern consumer. Why then should Transformers be exempt? They shouldn’t be. Hasbro is simply responding to the marketplace, trying to align its product offering with consumer’s value.

What has been said above can pretty much be extended to Supreme Class Optimus Prime, the Bumper Battlers, the new Universe Ultras. The common feature of all of these are electronics.


http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/2661/supremeprimekz6.jpg


The trend has shifted from unique weapons activated by Mini-Cons in Armada to morphing/combination gimmicks in Energon to cyber key initiated weapons or electronics in Cybertron to electronic sounds in the Movie, Animated and Universe. The future of gimmicks in Transformers is going to be electronics in nature. While I find this worrying, it is also a reality we will all have to accept.

It is the thing that adds value. It is what justifies the price point in the mind of the market that really matters: parents who buy on behalf of their kids. It is evolution.

Don’t like what you’re hearing?

Let’s peep back into time and have a closer look. The Beast Wars Basics are essentially the cornerstone of the Animated Activators. The Bumper Battlers and the Fast Action Battlers before them? Really just extensions of the Throttlebots. G1 Sky Lynx? Basically a brick on electronic legs. G1 Omega Supreme? Sure, that flashy tank drives in circles but that is one hell of a parts-former. G1 Trypticon? Electronic walking aside, lie me down and stick parts on me, I have no transformation. I’m really just an unfolding brick.


http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/8167/omegasupremehk2.jpg

So there it is. It’s not like gimmicks are a new scourge that have been unleashed on Transformers. They’ve been around for a long time now simply because Hasbro is constantly seeking ways to make Transformers more marketable. And that’s not their fault really. A gimmick’s primary objective is to move Hasbro’s product and and develop its brand in the eyes of consumers as a leading edge toyline. As much as transformations of our Transformers mean to us, parents will and do not delineate a Transformer by evaluating the transformation of a Supreme class toy and comparing it to that of a Voyager. They need incentive to be hooked and the bait Hasbro has to use today is electronics as unimaginative as they might be.

Silverbolt might be the weakest of the Universe Ultras in terms of transformation but he is also highly marketable b/c his play value is so high. He’s highly poseable, his sleek jet mode and those aerial/air combat sounds to a parent scream “preferred choice”.


http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/4814/silverboltvc8.jpg

At the end of the day, it has never really been about us, the collectors. It has been about the parents. It’s about what they perceive constitutes “value”. Not us. That’s the reality.

That said, this Soapbox is not trying to make light of all gimmicks. To collectors, some are great. Some are not. Many involve a trade off where you lose say articulation but then gain something else such as some electronic feature or automorph function. Take for instance Animated Leader Bulkhead where you lose head articulation for jaw movement and speaking gimmicks. Alas, this Soapbox’s aim is not to examine and evaluate gimmicks but rather to look at the underlying trends. That’s not to say though that this issue will not be examined in a future instalment of the Soapbox.


http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/73/bulkheadsh2.jpg

Ironically, our real hope lies with Hasbro and Takara’s designers. It is only their ability to develop designs that effectively incorporate gimmicks into Transformers without sacrificing the articulation and transformation of a Transformer that will prevent us from being subjected to the mercy of such inhibitive gimmicks.

Ultra Magnus might not be able to deal with his problems, but as collectors, we better start dealing with gimmicks. Moaning and groaning about it isn’t going to change things anytime soon. Some are good, some are not; but in the final analysis they are a necessary part of Transformers and they’re here to stay.

[kurdt_the_goat]

My wife just translated the latest MP 08 scans (http://otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?p=65068#post65068), indicating he's the most gimmick-heavy MP toy yet. I think most of these gimmicks will appeal to the collector audience though - they've got the influence from comics (crown), cartoon (waiter), engineering (mouth/tail/legs) as well as electronic (sword, eyes? - i forget). Depending on how the electronics are implemented, they might be can be an engineering feat in themselves, which i think some collectors can admire as well. Unfortunately Grimlock seems to be the shining example whereas all the Ultra Universe and Leader Animated toys we've seen recently have almost interchangeable electronics and that's it. I think if they hade more clever engineering gimmicks (like BW Ultra Primal's arms), collectors would be happier with larger toys.

[Pulse]

Don’t like Gimmicks? Start dealing with it.

but it's much more fun to moan & carry on rather than to put up with it... :D

I guess you're right about Parents' thinking of "So it's got lights, shooting sounds, it transforms by itself etc. My child will luv it!" & ultimately - us Adult Collectors only make up a small percentage of Hasbro's overall market.

IMO If the gimmick doesn't have a massively negative impact upon the figure, I can live with it :)

[dirge]

I'm not against gimmicks as such, even if many of them don't impress me. My issue is with toys laden with or dominated by poorly executed or overused gimmicks, where those gimmicks are included at the expense of the transformation - which _should_ be the gimmick of the toy, since that's the whole point of Transformers action figures.

Ultimate Bumblebee suffers not because he's laden with gimmicks, but because they come at the expense of the transformation (And I don't think parents buying that toy gave a toss about gimmicks - they bought it because the kid wanted Bumblebee for Christmas, and the deluxe was nowhere to be found).

On the other hand, Cybertron Evac (as an example) has two gimmicks in the hook and rotors, but both are on the periphery, allowing for a clever and reasonably involved transformation.

The gimmick should add to a toy as a Transformer, not subtract from it.

[Kyle]

I'm a big kid, and I like gimmicks. :)

[GoktimusPrime]

Going on from dirge's sentiments, I don't like gimmicks where it overwhelms or detracts from the Transformer as an action figure/play-toy. And I'm sure many of us felt the same as kids... look at the Battlechargers from G1... how much did you enjoy playing with those toys as a kid compared to other TFs that weren't as dominated by their gimmicks.

There's nothing inherently wrong with gimmicks, it's how they're executed in the toy and how much of the toy's playability which is of paramount importance for a child... I hated(still hate) toys that I cannot have fun playing with, and to me - even as a child - that meant action figure role-playing. Gimmicks are fine with me so long as they don't detract from being to play with the toy.

[Lord_Zed]

It's not Gimmicks that bother me so much as the lack of creativity in implimentation.

As long as where talking gimmicks I think it would have been cool if they had used the slime gimmick for Oil Slick, I understand why they couldn't but it still would have been a funky change.

[Sky Shadow]

Gimmicks ruined the Transformers toyline. The first wave was excellent - small Autobot vehicles that transformed into robots: the 'real' Transformers. However, most fans don't know what on Earth Hasbro was thinking with the second wave. Cassettes? Transformers just don't transform into cassettes, as the now much quoted phrase "M1N1CaR NOT KaSETE!!!" sums up perfectly. These cassettes, considered by most fans to be worse than GoBots, also had a gimmick, the first of many lame and pointless gimmicks. Rather than being Autobots, as all previous Transformers had been, these tapes were called 'Decepticons,' a supposed *second* race of Transformers and enemies of the peace-loving Autobots. The 'Decepticon Tapes' also came with another gimmick: weapons - a blight upon everything the Transformers stood for.

Of course, most Transfans had long since stopped collecting by this point, but after this failure, Hasbro continued to try and keep the franchise alive with more gimmicks; planes, cassette recorders, guns and even larger cars, which were an obvious attempt to reclaim what fans originally liked about the series. The last hope for the line was a toy they called 'Optimus Prime,' which was basically like the much-loved Huffer, but bigger and with lots of gimmicks.

Naturally, Optimus Prime was a failure. Kids couldn't carry him to school in their pockets, and he came with lots of what is now known as 'kibble'; guns, a trailer, missiles etc.: lots of extra gimmicks that ignored the fact that what most fans of the 'real' Tranformers liked was the fact that the toys were self-contained and peaceful. With the addition of guns and an enemy to fight, Hasbro had sealed the fate of the Transformers line, which, after some further pitiful attempts to revive the line, would draw to a close in 1990 in the U.S. (The toys continued in Europe and Australasia, continents that still hoped to see a return to that one great month in 1984.)

Of course, as we all know, the U.S. line returned in 1993 with Transformers Generation 2, heralded with a gold vacuum-metallised Bumblebee. But that's a different story...

[GoktimusPrime]

lawl. :D


Naturally, Optimus Prime was a failure. Kids couldn't carry him to school in their pockets,
Actually, Optimus Prime does fit into kids' pockets - I used to carry him in pockets as a kid. He only just fit but he did. Only the cab though. :p

[roller]

some gimmicks are good some are bad

i dont really like electronic ones, they make the toy heavier, fragiler, i have to unscrew the lid to put a battery in, i have to buy a battery... where does it stop?!!!!

The Armada gimmicks i dont really like, what if you buy 2nd hand and there is no minicon? No gimmicky worky! Also, the cybetron keys, they are so lame.

The best gimmick ever was G2s megatron, "Megatron attack" sometimes on those cold lonely nights i push his head down and shiver as that mighty voice roars out in the darkness... wonder who voiced the toy

[MV75]

Deal with it eh?

I just prefer to leave it and spend my money on something else instead of dealing with it.

The simple solution is to move onto something else that offers real hands on playing with with no fuss or compromises. I chose to not even make it a problem to deal with in the first place.

[Lord_Zed]

Deal with it eh?

I just prefer to leave it and spend my money on something else instead of dealing with it.

The simple solution is to move onto something else that offers real hands on playing with with no fuss or compromises. I chose to not even make it a problem to deal with in the first place.

Hehe yeah I had that thought to, all the money I haven't spent on electronic universe Ultras and thier gimmick ladden predecesors is more money for my other collections.

For me the title reads closer to "Don't like Gimmicks? Buy some GI joes!" (at least until they start getting crappy gimmicks) :D

[GoktimusPrime]

Deal with it eh?

I just prefer to leave it and spend my money on something else instead of dealing with it.

The simple solution is to move onto something else that offers real hands on playing with with no fuss or compromises. I chose to not even make it a problem to deal with in the first place.

Well that is a way of dealing with it - by boycotting products that you don't feel are worthy of purchase.

If you see a toy that makes you cringe and think, "What a hunk of crap," then seriously... DON'T BUY IT! That's just a generalisation of course... sometimes I buy toys that I know I won't like because I want the character. It's the sole reason why I bought the Beast Machines Nightscream toy... it's all kinds of fail. :/

[SofaMan]

Gimmicks ruined the Transformers toyline.

<snip>

Of course, as we all know, the U.S. line returned in 1993 with Transformers Generation 2, heralded with a gold vacuum-metallised Bumblebee. But that's a different story...

Dude, that's some epic snark. Nice work. :D

Most of the time, I like gimmicks.

[Robzy]

Gimmicks ruined the Transformers toyline. The first wave was excellent - small Autobot vehicles that transformed into robots: the 'real' Transformers. However, most fans don't know what on Earth Hasbro was thinking with the second wave. Cassettes? Transformers just don't transform into cassettes, as the now much quoted phrase "M1N1CaR NOT KaSETE!!!" sums up perfectly. These cassettes, considered by most fans to be worse than GoBots, also had a gimmick, the first of many lame and pointless gimmicks. Rather than being Autobots, as all previous Transformers had been, these tapes were called 'Decepticons,' a supposed *second* race of Transformers and enemies of the peace-loving Autobots. The 'Decepticon Tapes' also came with another gimmick: weapons - a blight upon everything the Transformers stood for.

Of course, most Transfans had long since stopped collecting by this point, but after this failure, Hasbro continued to try and keep the franchise alive with more gimmicks; planes, cassette recorders, guns and even larger cars, which were an obvious attempt to reclaim what fans originally liked about the series. The last hope for the line was a toy they called 'Optimus Prime,' which was basically like the much-loved Huffer, but bigger and with lots of gimmicks.

Naturally, Optimus Prime was a failure. Kids couldn't carry him to school in their pockets, and he came with lots of what is now known as 'kibble'; guns, a trailer, missiles etc.: lots of extra gimmicks that ignored the fact that what most fans of the 'real' Tranformers liked was the fact that the toys were self-contained and peaceful. With the addition of guns and an enemy to fight, Hasbro had sealed the fate of the Transformers line, which, after some further pitiful attempts to revive the line, would draw to a close in 1990 in the U.S. (The toys continued in Europe and Australasia, continents that still hoped to see a return to that one great month in 1984.)

Of course, as we all know, the U.S. line returned in 1993 with Transformers Generation 2, heralded with a gold vacuum-metallised Bumblebee. But that's a different story...:D:D

[Lord_Zed]

If you see a toy that makes you cringe and think, "What a hunk of crap," then seriously... DON'T BUY IT! That's just a generalisation of course... sometimes I buy toys that I know I won't like because I want the character. It's the sole reason why I bought the Beast Machines Nightscream toy... it's all kinds of fail. :/

There's also the sale factor, when you see a TF reduced by massive amounts and go OMG that's such a bargain I must get it! And your brain goes you'll never see it at the price again, and before you know it your walking out of the store with a TF you weren't really sure you wanted.

I generally avoid TF's that I don't really want, but there are excpetions, the above explains how I ended up getting Energon Omega Supreme.

[STL]

Skyshadow, I love your randomness. :D :D :D



The gimmick should add to a toy as a Transformer, not subtract from it.

I absolutely agree with you and would dearly prefer for the gimmick to the be transformation itself w/ periphery as weapons. But what I was hoping to argue was that like it or not, they are entirely necessary. Not in our minds but those of the parents inclined to purchase it.


Going on from dirge's sentiments, I don't like gimmicks where it overwhelms or detracts from the Transformer as an action figure/play-toy. And I'm sure many of us felt the same as kids... look at the Battlechargers from G1... how much did you enjoy playing with those toys as a kid compared to other TFs that weren't as dominated by their gimmicks.


I never had a battlecharger as a kid. Actually, still don't. :) But I do want them. They're just very low on the list of priorities. Well except for when i watch a season 4 intro and really want Flywheels. :o



Gimmicks are fine with me so long as they don't detract from being to play with the toy.

I agree w/ you completely about the fact that there's nothign inherently wrong w/ gimmicks, it's there execution. But I think there's a very large apprehension in the fandom towards them

That said, I'd say that in the mind of a parent, play value is great when you've got heaps of sounds (as basic as they are) or flashing lights. This doesn't necessarily sync up with most of us as collectors. Especially so often electronics cause figures to be disproportionate and affect their balance. So I think that gimmicks can actually enhance play value of a Transformer but simultaneously impinge its success.

I consider Silverbolt to be a perfect example of this. My cousins, my little sister all love him compared to the others. He's solid and he's so perfect to play with. Even my mate who is a very fringe collector (he refuses to being dubbed one) agrees he looks great and is "neat" to have on display. The downside though is my sister and all her cousins can transform him. They can't figure out certain Legends or Real Gear but Silverbolt is walk in the park. So gimmicks can enhance play value greatly but still damage another facet of a toy.

[GoktimusPrime]

I think that when people say "gimmicks" they tend to mean "gimmicks that detract from the toy" but perhaps they're too lazy to specify that. :p

Let's face it, making a robot transform into a car, animal, object etc. and back again is a gimmick in itself!! :D

[kup]

Deal with it eh?

I just prefer to leave it and spend my money on something else instead of dealing with it.

The simple solution is to move onto something else that offers real hands on playing with with no fuss or compromises. I chose to not even make it a problem to deal with in the first place.

I share that sentiment.

An example of a toy loaded with gimmicks that felt 'satisfactory' despite having a relative simple transformation is the original Ultra Optimus Primal. All its gimmicks were peripheral to the actual toy and did not get in the way of it yet they added massively to its play value. In my opinion that is how gimmicks should be.

[Sky Shadow]

Random TF Fact: Did You Know?

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/th_ginrai_prototype.jpg

Powermaster Optimus Prime's super mode head was originally intended to transform into a roller buggy and robot. Although this idea was abandoned (probably because it was cost-prohibitive), Powermaster Prime's trailer still has a cavity and fold-down ramp for the roller buggy head!

This is an appropriate "Did You Know?" for this thread. :D (And keep them coming! It's rare to find such a worthwhile sig.)

[The Scream Man]

i tend to agree with Goktimus; when fans say "No gimmicks" they mean "No gimmicks that detract from the toy".

Animated Starscreams Auto transform was kind of cool I thought. DIdnt get in the way, was kind of cool.

Animated Leader Bulkheads non turning head with electronics: THAT annoys me.

[Sky Shadow]

This is an appropriate "Did You Know?" for this thread. :D (And keep them coming! It's rare to find such a worthwhile sig.)

And re: the new 'Did You Know' ("In G1 there were two women who have had romances [with] Transformers: Astoria Carlton-Ritz and Charlene.") Astoria and Powerglide have a romance but not Cindy Newell and Ultra Magnus? Not Carissa Carr and Skullgrin? Not Marissa Fairborne and Sky Lynx? (Okay, scratch that last one. And I guess Arcee and Daniel don't count either since Daniel's apparently not a woman.) So what makes a romance? And was there no inter-species romance at all in Japanese G1?

[GoktimusPrime]

Eeehhh... I've personally never seen the relationship between Cindy and Ultra Magnus to be a romantic one - more like really good friends - ditto Carissa and Skullgrin. Astoria-Powerglide and Charlene-Skids was different in that there seemed to be a more emotionally intimate bond between those couples. But is it love?

With Powerglide and Astoria I would say that it was love because they care very deeply for each other unconditionally... to the point that they were both willing to sacrifice their lives to protect one another. Charlene and Skids had a strong attraction between them based on deep caring for one another (similar to the romance between Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala in The Phantom Menace). Skids' dream where he sacrifices himself to protect Charlene demonstrates a deep sense of affection/love for Charlene. Although Skids and Charlene did break up in the end, I think that there was a noteable level of romance between them when they were together.


And was there no inter-species romance at all in Japanese G1?
None that come to mind. The only romances in Japanese G1 I can think of are:
1/ Minerva and Cancer - an unspoken attraction, but it's between two humans.
2/ The Victory Decepticons and their wives and children. But this is of course between Decepticons, so again, not inter-species.


Not Marissa Fairborne and Sky Lynx? (Okay, scratch that last one.
And scratch Marissa and KISS Play Convoy - or KISS Play period. The KISS Play girls don't appear to have any strong romantic emotional bonds with Transformers, but are required to kiss them as a plot device. Yeah, it's weird. :p

[Paulbot]

Goktimus you may wish to consider starting an ongoing thread where you log your trivia so people can comment on it there? Sky Shadow's post makes little sense now that your sig has changed again. And the last two posts aren't on topic.


Back on topic:

I like some gimmicks, I dislike some. I won't deal with it though :p

As others have said Transforming it self is a gimmick and plenty of one.

Although I dislike it when an Action Figure is marketed on it's weapon/accessories, I do prefer it if the gimmick is something separate from the main toy (and can be disregarded). Action Masters was the most extreme case of this, but in Cybertron for instance I prefered those toys where the Cyber Planet Key worked on the robot's weapon (Override, Ransack etc) over ones where it was built into the toy.

As for the growth of electronics? Flashing lights don't interest me (and they lead to absurb things like Powerglide's flashing breasts) but sound effects (done well) do. The Animated Bumper Battlers and the the Leaders are nice because they have the 'real' voices which is a nice touch, rather than random jet or car noises. The inclusion of the transformation sound effect is also a great touch. If they could get every Transformers to make that sound when it was transformed I wouldn't complain.

[GoktimusPrime]

I always take a Transformer with me whenever I go out ('cept to work or training). Earlier this week my wife and I went out for dinner and I was picking a TF to take with me... I thought of Powerglide, but the orange boobs made me change my mind - they're so embarrassing! I might take him out if I'm just going shopping maybe... but not to a restaurant. :/

[TheDirtyDigger]

I always take a Transformer with me whenever I go out

Haha..that's funny as! Is that a habit/ritual you've continuously done since you were a child? I used to take a Lego knight or spaceman with me wherever I went as Tf's were a bit too big but I'm sure Seaspray and Cliffjumper accompanied me on some youthful adventures.



Ok ok...on topic: I agree with the general consensus and arguments put forward by the majority of posters in this thread. It's pretty logical.

[GoktimusPrime]

Haha..that's funny as! Is that a habit/ritual you've continuously done since you were a child?
Not really, it's only something I've done since uni. About 10 years ago I realised that I had enough Transformers that I could bring a different Transformer to uni every day. So a lot of my friends (and some of my tutors) were interested in seeing my "Transformer of the day" on campus. :) It became a habit to have a Transformer on my desk whenever I was in a lecture or tutorial... like a mascot.

[Lord_Zed]

Eeehhh... I've personally never seen the relationship between Cindy and Ultra Magnus to be a romantic one - more like really good friends - ditto Carissa and Skullgrin. Astoria-Powerglide and Charlene-Skids was different in that there seemed to be a more emotionally intimate bond between those couples. But is it love?


I would think the length Cindy went to save Ultra Magnus was pretty intense in terms of risk taking and mutual sacrafice, and then there was the fact she even dreamed about Ultramagnus. I personaly can't see any big difference between them and Astoria-Powerglide. The Cindy-Ultramagnus bond to me was at very least as strong. Although how one defines a relationship between a human an a sentient alien robot is open to conjecture.

[STL]

I think that when people say "gimmicks" they tend to mean "gimmicks that detract from the toy" but perhaps they're too lazy to specify that. :p

Let's face it, making a robot transform into a car, animal, object etc. and back again is a gimmick in itself!! :D

Not that I disagree with you. But I think the point of this Soapbox has been missed. The point is gimmicks, good or bad, are entirely necessary and aren't precisely new. We as a fanbase really need to get over it and accept that fact. Properly executed or not, gimmicks are needed to differentiate classes and prices and complaining about Hasbro's lack of good design is immaterial. Their objective is to incorporate this extra gimmick to justify a price point or bring out some other aspect that can become a selling point. IE. Activators or Bumper Battlers.

The point of this Soapbox wasn't to delineate between good and bad gimmicks or how gimmicks should be done but to emphasise that like it or not they are part and parcel of Transformers. We need to look beyond our own incessant whining as fans about poor gimmicks and accept them as a commercial and practical reality.

[roller]

The Soapbox VI: Don’t like Gimmicks? Start dealing with it.


you want me to deal with it huh?! eh?!!!! Dont hide in there, i know your in there!!!

i dont like to deal with things, im notoriously lazy

plus, after the breakup you know, its like a pasta, you eat it, you like the sauce, but you keep some for tommorow

[GoktimusPrime]

Just because something is necessary doesn't excuse it for being bad. I mean, food is necessarily for survival but I'm sure most of us wouldn't eat crap and are reasonably picky in terms of wanting to eat something that we find pleasing and hopefully with nutritional benefit. Likewise while gimmicks may be a necessity we would hope that they would be good gimmicks.

Accepting a necessity doesn't mean that we necessarily need to stop being discerning consumers. :) I don't think most people ever think that Transformers should ever be devoid of gimmicks altogether - as I said before, simply being able to transform itself is a gimmick. But they should have good gimmicks.

A good gimmick should be like a good music score for a movie - it should be noticeable but doesn't stick out like a sore thumb... i.e.: the gimmick should compliment the toy, not the other way around.

roller: lay off the red cordial man, seriously. :p

[STL]

Accepting a necessity doesn't mean that we necessarily need to stop being discerning consumers. :)


Oh I agree completely. I myself am a very discerning consumer. I'd wager I'm the only one or one of very few collectors who possesses a database that not to keep count of my TFs but to record my rankings on all the facets of a Transformer so I have a handle on what aspects of it work best. I'm very meticulous and can be downright harsh in my assessments. That said, I think that the fandom needs to look beyond its island and realise that gimmicks, good or bad, are part and parcel of Transformers. That doesn't stop us from being discerning consumers as you say but it means we start realising that Hasbro are not dolts for filling their toys with gimmicks.



roller: lay off the red cordial man, seriously. :p

What he said! :D