Animated now cancelled by Hasbro US, not just here?

[griffin]

After getting confirmation that no more new Animated toys should be expected in stores here (earlier this month at Toyfair), it looks like someone in America has been informed by Hasbro US customer service that the line itself is now discontinued - meaning, they won't be shipping any more product to stores (Arcee and Ratchet would probably be the last).

http://tformers.com/transformers-has-hasbro-discontinued-the-animated-line-again-maybe-not/13244/news.html

The wording of the email, and previous Hasbro claims, suggests that we could still see 'store exclusives' of the remaining figures, but since TT are now releasing Animated in Japan, it is not as vital for Hasbro to release figures that they spent money to produce (because TT can now get the return on the investment).

If TT weren't doing Animated, we probably would have seen Hasbro pushing the remaining figures to stores, but now they can just prioritise sub-lines the stores do want (because they are currently being promoted in the media).

We should hear more on this at BotCon in June, so that collectors know to buy the JP versions if Hasbro are definitely not releasing them.

[Kyle]

Very bad news... :(

[Paulbot]

Oh I mentioned this the other day as it strkes me as another "Hasbro is not releasing Masterpiece Grimlock".

I have no faith in a generic rather formulaic email response to a customer question and will wait for a more official announcement before I tell people the sky is falling.

[SMHFConvoy]

okay that's a real shame. Hopefully TT will release Rodimus and Wing Blade Prime still.

At least we can import them still. All is not lost - yet.

[Golden Phoenix]

And that makes me a Sad Panda
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/jimmey-11/Cartoons/306panda.gif

[5FDP]

Looks like we're going to be stuck with the movie-verse for better or for worse. Hopefully we'll see more WFC toys released as an alternative.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Dang that sucks. I wanted Rodimus and Blackout to stand next to my TT ones. Hopefully we wont have to hunt down too much if they are released. At least TT are doing them though.

[SMHFConvoy]

Wing Blade Prime who needs 'im? (Well I wanted him...)

The appeal of that figure was that the armor could attach to Voyager TFA Prime. When you think about it what's the point? Hasbro could've just made an accessory pack (ala MASK) and be done with it, same with the Hydrodrive BB. Armour add ons.

Look I know someone's going to say, "But Hasbro would make more money selling a figure with the armour..."

All they've done now is possibly opened up a market for third parties to make these things...

Man I so wanted a Rodimus!:(

[GoktimusPrime]

I wanted:
+ Scavenger
+ Scrapper
+ Omega Supreme

...they were recurring characters who made notable contributions to the story with significant screen time yet have no toys. :( :(

<sigh> It's like Botanica all over again!
(only that unlike Botanica, toys for the Animated Constructicons and Omega Supreme would sell)

[SharkyMcShark]

Not too fussed, Animated is generally very overrated by the fandom.

Could have done with Rodimus though.

[Doubledealer]

Not too fussed, Animated is generally very overrated by the fandom.
How daaaaare you! Wash your mouth out with soap and water right this minute! :p

Seriously though, spewin' if this is true. As Gok alludes to we need MORE animated toys (I'd love a Spittor and Cyclonus personally) not less!

I'll buy the TT versions of any unreleased Hasbro characters but it'll probably play on my OCD by not perfectly fitting in with the rest. :/

[Sky Shadow]

Not too fussed, Animated is generally very overrated by the fandom.

Could have done with Rodimus though.

Just out of interest, SharkyMcShark (it only strikes me because I've just come from reading the recent posts in the Wreckers thread) - if Animated is "very overrated" and Last Stand Of The Wreckers is "thin on the ground for plot and characterisation" - what Transformers stuff do you think is good?

[SharkyMcShark]

Just out of interest, SharkyMcShark (it only strikes me because I've just come from reading the recent posts in the Wreckers thread) - if Animated is "very overrated" and Last Stand Of The Wreckers is "thin on the ground for plot and characterisation" - what Transformers stuff do you think is good?

To really draw me in as a Transformers audio visual media I generally want there to be either a good plot with deep characters, and/or lots of visceral action. I prefer the former to the latter generally speaking, but some lines are better at providing one or the other.

For TV shows, Beast Wars and Beast Machines had fantastic characterisation and a good amount of action. To me those series represent the height of Transformers TV show writing - the characters were engaging and the plots were reasonably deep. Robots in Disguise had an interesting (and fresh) plot and I quite enjoyed following that (also the switch to a more 'Japanese' style of animation was a good move at the time. I find both of the movies reasonably visually engaging to keep me entertained. In contrast I found Animated neither visually engaing nor interesting to follow.

As for comics, really it just goes to whether the characters and plot draw me in (I don't value action as much in the comics). Any of the Dreamwave G1 series I found quite stimulating (especially the second series, where Magnus and Shockwave had formed an uneasy alliance). I also quite liked a lot of the Spotlight stuff, specifically Hot Rod, Double Dealer, and Blurr. While its had a lacklustre start I find the Ongoing series reasonably engaging - I like what they're doing with certain characters (specifically Rodimus, Magnus, and Swindle).

While I'll openly admit that I don't much care for the Animated aesthetic, it boils down to the characters for me. The Beast Wars characters to me stood the test of time, whereas the only character that I approached liking as much as that in Animated was Starscream (I felt it was a reasonably interesting take on the Starscream concept). With The Wreckers comics, what bugs me is that the rookies characters are all archetypal rookies thrust into heavy combat - the outwardly self assured one, the one that hero worships the rest of the crew, the one that didn't realise that war wasn't just a big adventure, and the one that hero worships Optimus Prime.

[G1Optimal]

Although i am not into the Animated line...

But maybe Hasbro will "or could" release them under the Generations Line?

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Doh, I forgot about Wingblade Prime and Underwater Bumblebee.

I also dont have Electro Soundwave yet:eek:

PANIC TIME

I there Much chance these will get released under the Universe banner? Or is the end of the toys themselves, not just the packaging?

[GoktimusPrime]

Sharky: Yeah, I know what you mean. The problem with Animated is that a lot of the Transformers are more just archetypes rather than actual characters, with little character depth and development. It is character development that is the engine that drives stories. But to their credit, they did try to introduce more character development and better story writing in the later episodes. A lot of the better moments in Animated occured in its later eps. It irks me that Season 3 isn't coming out on DVD here as it's the best part of Animated IMO. :(

Interesting that you said you liked the Dreamwave comics, because initially I really did NOT like DW's G1 series. The first volume of their G1 reboot was just big robots bashing each other about with little story substance to engage me. Bleh. But then the writing started getting better (like the Magnus/Shockwave alliance you mentioned) -- like Animated, I felt that Dreamwave was cut just as it was showing signs of promise (although in this case it was Dreamwave's own fault, oh yeah, I can't _stand_ Pat Lee's "art" <shudder> -- but I can easily forgive crap art if the story is good).

[Sky Shadow]

The wording of the email, and previous Hasbro claims, suggests that we could still see 'store exclusives' of the remaining figures

Indeed. http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=7313

And since Ironhide is supposedly being released, Animated is clearly not quite so cancelled as a single generic form letter from a random Hasbro employee might suggest. What a surprise. :rolleyes: