Transformers line is officially called 'Autobot Alliance'

[griffin]

The new mid-year 2010 assortments have been Generations, PowerCore Combiners, Yellow packed toys that have the 'Hunt for the Decepticons' promo until January, and Red packed gimmick lines (like Activators).

Until now, the toys that aren't part of Generations or PCCs, were just known as 'Transformers', and often referred to as HFTD by fans. But since that is just the name of the promo that ends in 6 months, it seems that the toyline actually does have a name, according to Hasbro.

It was even mentioned in the Exclusives update we got from Hasbro Australia a couple weeks ago, but I just thought it was just an error.

Now looking at the Product display at BotCon, all of the toys not part of Generations and PCCs were listed as 'Transformers Autobot Alliance'. Even most of the store exclusives, including non-movie themed ones.

So from now on, I'll be referring to the yellow packed figures, activators, Powerbots and probably anything else not in the Generations/PCC lines, as 'Transformers Autobot Alliance', Autobot Alliance, or TFAA.

It's just more convenient referring to them, and Hasbro should have had it on the packaging already. It's just confusing to customers and retailers having one Transformers subline, just called 'Transformers' with no other wording/sub-title.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Wait -does this mean we effectively have CHUG-AA?:D

[griffin]

Since I was only educated to the CHUG acronym yesterday... for those who don't yet know, CHUG is what some fans are calling the moulds used in Classics, Henkei, Universe, Generations. It's all been considered the one line under different names, and makes it easier to refer to redecos of toys in that 4-series era.

[Jaisun]

Thanks for the info =o)

It isn't unlike hasbro to be confusing though. For example, when I first started collecting about 4-5 years ago, the deluxe Prowl figure I purchased was labelled "Transformers Universe", but is part of the "Robots In Disguise" series =oP. It does kinda break up my lists and displays though, because I thought HftD/AA was an off-shoot of RotF (hence all the redecos), but if they are seperate, then I have some reorganising to do. Even with the whole CHUG thing, many are Movie line redecos or even new molds of movie characters (Leader Starscream), so it makes it more confusing, rawr...

[tinyJazz]

oh no, CHUGWAY :eek: You all remember Chugway right (http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww93/tinyJazz/1268981004509.jpg)? I wonder if this means something.

Anyway, I agree with you griffin, they should have had this "Autobot Alliance" on the packaging already.

Also, isn't that a little unfair for the Decepticons? :/ Being part of a line called "Autobot Alliance"? No wonder they're so violent and full of civil unrest, they're being oppressed!

[GoktimusPrime]

so... Autobot Alliance is a movie subline then I take it.


It isn't unlike hasbro to be confusing though.
Cos have two different Transformer lines called "Classic" and two different Transformer lines called "Universe" totally isn't confusing! :p </sarcasm> Don't even start me on character names...

[Jaisun]

Cos have two different Transformer lines called "Classic" and two different Transformer lines called "Universe" totally isn't confusing! :p </sarcasm> Don't even start me on character names...

Indeed... I think it all comes down to this: http://tfwiki.net/wiki/To_sell_toys. If nameless, package-less, series-less toys sold, they would do it. But our need for such things requires them to accommodate in some degree so they have our interest. I would assume that continuity, simplicity and sense would rarely enter their plans unless it would lead to increased sales. And to go off-topic for a moment, can someone please tell me the html code for hyper-linking a single word with an embedded url? If thats doesn't make sense, look at tinyJazz's post, where he has the url embedded in 'right'. I tried googling it, but I had no luck because I don't know what the command is called. Any help appreciated, thanks =o)

[kurdt_the_goat]

Just highlight the word in the editor, then press the insert link button on the toolbar. That'll wrap the URL tags [bracketted bits] around the word.

[GoktimusPrime]

You can also use:
<url=http://www.transformers.com/>Click here</url> <---but replace the <> with [] and it will look like this:

Click here (http://www.transformers.com/)

:)


Indeed... I think it all comes down to this: http://tfwiki.net/wiki/To_sell_toys. If nameless, package-less, series-less toys sold, they would do it. But our need for such things requires them to accommodate in some degree so they have our interest. I would assume that continuity, simplicity and sense would rarely enter their plans unless it would lead to increased sales.
Transformers lore exists fundamentally as a marketing gimmick to sell these toys - so making basic attempt to maintain the continuity helps. The entire reason why these toys have names, personas and have stories is all to sell the toys. Keeping fans happy (even kids - we cared about TF lore when we were kids, it's logical to assume that kids today (who are _real_ fans) would care too)

[Jaisun]

Just highlight the word in the editor, then press the insert link button on the toolbar. That'll wrap the URL tags [bracketted bits] around the word.

Cheers, tyvm =o)

testing... (http://www.craphound.com/images/w1kspidersquirrel.jpg)

[Robzy]

Oh, how I miss the 80s... the days when we just had one name for these awesome toys... "Transformers". :p

Nowadays, there are just far too many variations.

[GoktimusPrime]

The 90s too. We didn't have multiple concurrent lines of Transformers until the 00s.

[1AZRAEL1]

Funny thing I noticed is the Toys R Us catalog had the toys written with the 'Autobot Alliance' tag.

Edit: Says exactly "Transfomers Autobot Alliance Dluxe Generations" right next to the picture of WFC Prime.

[griffin]

It seems that Hasbro are also putting the 'Autobot Alliance' before 'Generations' but now 'PowerCore Combiners'. So if you want to be exactly 'Hasbro', then Generations would be labelled as 'Transformers Autobot Alliance Generations'. But it is easier to just call them 'Generations' - it was only necessary for the main line to have a sub-title for convenient reference.

[blackoptimus]

The new mid-year 2010 assortments have been Generations, PowerCore Combiners, Yellow packed toys that have the 'Hunt for the Decepticons' promo until January, and Red packed gimmick lines (like Activators).

Until now, the toys that aren't part of Generations or PCCs, were just known as 'Transformers', and often referred to as HFTD by fans. But since that is just the name of the promo that ends in 6 months, it seems that the toyline actually does have a name, according to Hasbro.

It was even mentioned in the Exclusives update we got from Hasbro Australia a couple weeks ago, but I just thought it was just an error.

Now looking at the Product display at BotCon, all of the toys not part of Generations and PCCs were listed as 'Transformers Autobot Alliance'. Even most of the store exclusives, including non-movie themed ones.

So from now on, I'll be referring to the yellow packed figures, activators, Powerbots and probably anything else not in the Generations/PCC lines, as 'Transformers Autobot Alliance', Autobot Alliance, or TFAA.

It's just more convenient referring to them, and Hasbro should have had it on the packaging already. It's just confusing to customers and retailers having one Transformers subline, just called 'Transformers' with no other wording/sub-title.
Didn't Transformers movie 1 have there toys packed as just TF without a name?

[tinyJazz]

Yes, I assume because the movie was just called "Transformers" :/

[GoktimusPrime]

Indeed. And they also had a distinct packaging style and used the movie font. But then again, so did Real Gear Robots -- and it's debatable as to whether or not they count as movieverse toys or not (well, TakaraTOMY markets them as being movie toys, but if you purchased a Hasbro one it's not as clear).

It was like Classics all over again. We had most Classics toys with the word "Classic" printed on the packaging, but some didn't. Then you had Hasbro's G1 Soundwave reissue and MP Starscream which were also sold in the same Classics packaging style... are they Classics or G1/MP??

AAAAAAAAAAARGH! So... damn... confusing!

[Sharky]

at teh end of the day i stick em on a shelf and refer to it as my transforemers collection... i dont really care what they call them.. and neither do kids they just want bumblebee

[SharkyMcShark]

Yeah I just sort mine by association - Energon Energon Starscream, Inferno and Bulkhead sit with the Universe figures, and Universe Cheetor and Dinobot with the Beast Wars stuff.

[griffin]

I'm certainly not wanting to force people to associate toys into groups, away from their own pre-conceptions, as we often have toys from one packaged line fitting better into another line on the display shelf.

I'm just posting this as a news item so that members here are aware of what I'm referring to when calling something 'AA' or 'Autobot Alliance' (because it makes my cataloguing of figures in news postings easier).

Technically, when it comes to packaging/product-lines, there are just the two Transformers mainlines (Autobot Alliance, PowerCore Combiners), with the AA mainline being split into sublines (AA, AA-Generations, AA-Powerbots, AA-Activators).
Then there are the other non-Transformers lines - Speedstars Transformers and Crossovers Transformers.

As to how fans see lines and individual figures, based on the character or alt-mode, is entirely up to them.
Toys like Bludgeon, Seaspray, Tracker Hound, Sandstorm, Scout Windcharger, Mindset, Fallback (Outback), New Legends Optimus, Megatron, Starscream and Prowl, Voyager Grapple, etc. would all fit better into the Generations line, but as noted by Aaron Archer, Hasbro wanted a secondary product line for non-Movie characters, but could only get support for Deluxe class. Everything else is in the AA subline, including moulds that originated in the Movie lines.

It's just way too confusing to try to understand it all, and because of retailer requirements, we have characters being reworked after their initial purpose, to fit into the subline/storyline they ended up getting packaged in.

Best advice is to just ignore the packaging and bios and just go by the character name and personal preferences/imagination when collecting anything leading up the next movie.

[jaydisc]

While Generations share the same red packaging as their cohorts, aren't they only ones labeled as Generations?

I like the way the Wiki has done the divide: There's Generations, PCC and everything else (regardless of packaging color) is Transformers 2010. Transformers 2010 sounds more like a working title, but they have lumped the Powerbots and Activators with the HTFD stuff.

I will likely follow the same model for iTFDB, but will use Autobot Alliance instead of Transformers 2010. It would really be good to see Autobot Alliance in writing somewhere though.

[Autocon]

I'm certainly not wanting to force people to associate toys into groups, away from their own pre-conceptions, as we often have toys from one packaged line fitting better into another line on the display shelf.

I'm just posting this as a news item so that members here are aware of what I'm referring to when calling something 'AA' or 'Autobot Alliance' (because it makes my cataloguing of figures in news postings easier).

Technically, when it comes to packaging/product-lines, there are just the two Transformers mainlines (Autobot Alliance, PowerCore Combiners), with the AA mainline being split into sublines (AA, AA-Generations, AA-Powerbots, AA-Activators).
Then there are the other non-Transformers lines - Speedstars Transformers and Crossovers Transformers.

As to how fans see lines and individual figures, based on the character or alt-mode, is entirely up to them.
Toys like Bludgeon, Seaspray, Tracker Hound, Sandstorm, Scout Windcharger, Mindset, Fallback (Outback), New Legends Optimus, Megatron, Starscream and Prowl, Voyager Grapple, etc. would all fit better into the Generations line, but as noted by Aaron Archer, Hasbro wanted a secondary product line for non-Movie characters, but could only get support for Deluxe class. Everything else is in the AA subline, including moulds that originated in the Movie lines.

It's just way too confusing to try to understand it all, and because of retailer requirements, we have characters being reworked after their initial purpose, to fit into the subline/storyline they ended up getting packaged in.

Best advice is to just ignore the packaging and bios and just go by the character name and personal preferences/imagination when collecting anything leading up the next movie.

glad i stopped at yellow packaging.:confused:

[jaydisc]

Interestingly, BBTS is now using Autobot Alliance to describe the Takara Tomy versions of the new toys:

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/menu.aspx?menu=1913&category=6506