Very tempting :D:D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by fatbot
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Very tempting :D:D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by fatbot
Reveal 2 (youtube video) is up...
THE MUSCLE - Battletrap from Generations 2013 Voyager Springer
very very tempting!Quote:
Originally Posted by Krayt
I wanted to get a Battletrap made from Springer (for those who can't watch YouTube at work, that's what it is) but now it's a BotCon toy so that aint gonna happen. Oh well. It's still a good idea.
I really wanna get that Botcon Pack but I can't really afford it :(
I would grab battletrap straight up, but not interested in anything else at all. Didn't like springer, or cloud rodimus, had hasbro sandstorm but never opened him before passing it on, been meaning to get sandstorm since but this Battletrap looks ace. The original battletrap was one of the only transformers my older brother had so ofc it was always something i wanted and was just out of reach... Colours are good, head's good, weapon is good, all good imo
At least not for at least 18-24 months... and while the focus is on Combiner Wars with that size class, the chances are slim after that. But never say never with Hasbro, TakaraTomy, or even Hasbro HK, when they have some creative ideas as an exclusive. (like the 2012 HK Generations and TakaraTomy Cloud toys)Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulbot
But like the 2007 Seekers, it's best to jump on them just in case, and at the very least, the more popular BotCon toys like this one is likely to be, will be worth more than the purchase price, even if Hasbro/TT do one later.
That's the problem with FunPub BotCons - most years are a hit & miss set of toys, that have one or two high-demand toys being sold with low-demand or unwanted toys. As such, people wanting a particular figure often have to be stuck with buying other toys with it (four extra toys in the boxset, or one extra toy from the at-show sets) that they have to sell off cheap if no one else wants it either (making the one they keep really expensive). It's also a risk for people going, who want to help out fellow Australians, but don't want to be stuck with unsold toys.Quote:
Originally Posted by Akky82
At least with pre-FunPub BotCons, there were only one or two toys, which were sold separately, and it made it easier for people to get attached to each one (their attention was divided by two instead of 20).
Battletrap is one of those rare Botcon toys that interests me. Don't think I will be able to get him though.
Also, I like him but is it just me or does his head seem really small? Springer and Sandstorm's heads never looked that small did they?
Now would be a good time to book flights... even if pre-registration is still a month away and you aren't sure how long you will be in Chicago. Because some sales have just started from QANTAS and V-Australia.
I was just at the travel agent on Wednesday, asking how likely they thought there might be a sale on soon, because I saw on the airline website that there were heaps of seats still available for June. With the exchange rate stopping a lot of people going overseas at the moment, I figured that the airlines had to be looking at some discounts soon.
And sure enough, two days later... QANTAS knocks off $400 from their return tickets to Los Angeles, and V-Australia is apparently the same.
Two days ago I was looking at $1965 just for Brisbane to LA and back... but today it is $1564, and if I fly out two days earlier because of the peak/offpeak cut-off, I'm now paying $1205 for the international flight.
(the 12th June is the peak period, so flying before then is cheaper for both to and from America - if you look at the QANTAS site and change the "to" date, it changes the "from" prices, so that you can still fly back on the same date, but leaving a day or two earlier saves me $350... to spend on the extra two days of travelling and accommodation)
Also, if you book through Flight Centre (I always do my international travel through a travel agent, so that if anything goes wrong, they can help fix it, or will fix it if it was their error), look at the "Captain's Premium Value Package". It is a $99 add-on, that gives you a 30-day price-drop guarantee (you have to keep an eye on prices and sales, not them... but they will refund the difference if there is a sale within 30 days, like if I'd booked two days ago I would have been refunded $400), plus a $150 credit to accommodation if you spend $500 through them (so unfortunately if you are just going to BotCon and staying at the convention hotel, it won't apply).
It isn't for everyone, but something to consider if you buy outside of a sale, and spend over $500 on hotels (which I did, so the $99 add-on saved me $51).
I'll post up my plans in the meet topic, for fatbot and anyone else going this year, to coordinate where possible, if interested.
Since the GIJoe convention is currently on this weekend in America, I looked up how late they were for opening pre-registration... and it was just 13 days before the Convention events started. Pre-registration started Thursday 26th March, and the first events starting Wednesday 8th April.
That's the second time that's happened, and if it is Hasbro holding up things, they really need to look at dropping the license. They still get official toys and Hasbro involvement & presentations, without the red-tape approvals on every teeny tiny detail. And if it is not Hasbro holding things up, then they need to drop whatever element keeps slowing them up, as they should be so streamlined by now after 10-20 years of fan conventions, it should just take a couple months to prepare, and then promote for the rest of the year.
Battletrap as a triple changer. I like the idea and though I'd be keen for it, but after seeing that video the figure just looks SUPER plain. Not a super-plane.
Head sculpt seemed ok, but I thought it looked a bit small as well. Maybe they shrunk it a tad as it feels like a pretty close fit with Springer.
Good idea, but it falls flat somewhere.
More images of Packrat... and looks like I was right in thinking that Pete might be using Seibertron now to promote Club stuff after abandoning the Q&A topic at TFW2005, as Seibertron has managed to post up exclusive galleries now for two of FunPub's upcoming toys, and one of the Packrat photo shows that Seibertron has photos ready for one more, or all of the Boxset toys.
Oh, and now that the GIJoe convention has now finished, I would expect to see more reveals, the Brochure and pre-registration within the next few weeks.... at least I hope.
I'm on my phone so no link, the 3rd is " the loose cannon" Shattered Glass Stepper. An orange repaint of RTS Jazz with black flames down the side & a blue /purple repainted Nightstick as his targetmaster partner
Link to the Youtube reveal.
Shattered Glass Stepper with Nebulon.
The orange reminds me of some Euro Gen1/Gen2 toys, but if the gold colourings work, they will pop out nicely.
So he says that it is a second chance at doing a Mirror Universe Stepper/Ricochet toy, because they ran out of time on the 2008 version (because they do too many toys each year), and so now this Stepper toy is being made out to be Ricochet's brother in the Mirror Universe.
Well that ought to confuse people... who try to follow the technicalities of Transformers, or cares about FunPub toys.
In the existing toy universe of Hasbro/TakaraTomy, Stepper IS Ricochet (like Convoy is Optimus, or Jaguar is Ravage... even TFWiki retconned Stepper into Ricochet so that they were on the one page - - which IMO the character pages should be titled according to their first official name, otherwise they have to keep changing Character pages whenever an existing Japanese character gets a Hasbro version/name years later, but that's sidetracking a little).
But now in the Mirror Universe, they are separate characters, with Ricochet being a maroon toy for BotCon 2008, and Stepper being and orange toy for BotCon 2015.
So does that mean other Hasbro characters that have different Japanese names (like Convoy, Bumble, Jaguar, Lambor) will start showing up in the Mirror Universe as separate characters?
I must admit I'll be putting the shout out for anyone who can be good enough to grab me a Battletrap (giving the screen a pleading, wide-eyed puppy look right now) - the other two dont hold much appeal for me personally
Wonder if this means at some point we will get a redeco of Gen Blitzwing as Flywheels to complete the pair (hope hope hope!) :D
Did you miss this one Trev?Quote:
Originally Posted by BigTransformerTrev
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-...1426606631.jpg
Well, Trev did say Generations, which could pair nicely with the BotCon Battletrap. (two triple-changers as Duocons, so that they suit each other visually on display)
if fun pub were smart it would be one of the at show exclusives.
Official images of Battletrap are now on the BotCon website, and once again Seibertron has gained exclusive access to the toy for their own photo gallery.
And it looks like they will also have a gallery up of Stepper as well, some time in the next few days.
If FunPub were smart, they'd be revealing the at-show toys as well, to get the fence-sitters signing up just to secure any popular at-show toys.Quote:
Originally Posted by UltraMarginal
We've had years when at-show toys have sold out, or out-sold the boxsets, that could have helped FunPub with attendance numbers or helped sell out boxsets.
They only need the attendee and Custom Class toy to be a secret for the at-show surprise element of the show... as people don't sign up and spend several hundred dollars to be surprised by their toys, they will only spend hundreds of dollars if they know what they are getting.
I'm someone who loves the surprise reveal of toys, but not two-thirds of the toys I'm spending a couple thousand dollars on a trip to get... or for other people back home who only get about 24 hours to decide.
Shout out for SG Stepper!!!!! Love Shattered Glass!!!! :D:D:D
The gallery of Packrat at Seibertron was of the pre-production sample that Pete has, but now comes a gallery from an Asian source that should be the factory version. Not too different, but to me the blue and gold look a little different (which could just be lighting).
I don't get why the rat's butt & tail is white though. The original Packrat toy only had the tail white, and that was only because of gang-moulding requirements, so doing it by choice in this version doesn't look good. If they wanted to break up all that blue in rat mode, then maybe a lighter shading of blue air-brushed from one direction to give it more texture and shading.
Number 4 is "the boss", Megatron using the TFPrime Breakdown Mold done in an army camo style pattern, a homage to DOTM Megs.
He comes with three microns, Scalpel, Boombox & Heavyweight.
The head is a combination of movie and G1 style. He looks bloody good!
https://twitter.com/BotCon/status/59...551104?lang=en
I think this figure is really nice, especially if you don't have the mould yet, which a lot of Americans wouldn't. If I was going I'd be happy to have it a third time.
There are 2 Voyager class figures in the set this year! massive. Apart from packrat, all the other moulds are excellent selections
Sure does.Quote:
Originally Posted by fatbot
I want him.
And Stepper too.
Maybe Packrat. Nah, scratch that.
It's worth noting that Pete has mentioned on TFW that it is NOT the Silas Breakdown version of the mould... there is NO human in the chest.
It was in the better half of the TFPrime/Arms Micron moulds, and it was a shame that it didn't get released as a TFPrime toy... instead Hasbro released toys of characters or colours that weren't even in the cartoon.
(Breakdown was by far the heaviest of the Voyagers, so I think it just came down to cost - it cost more to manufacture each unit, and cost more per unit to ship around the world from the factory... and that extra cost was probably very small. :rolleyes: :mad:)
A agree that they should be targeting moulds not released by Hasbro, if they can repurpose them and it make sense. The Hasbro Online Store when it first started, was doing direct imports for American collectors, but after a couple years, stopped... leaving it to the official club to pick up the slack.Quote:
Originally Posted by UltraMarginal
Two Voyagers is indeed huge for a Boxset, but the fifth figure is supposed to be a Legends toy (with or without a "shell" that they might sell separately like the Soundwave bandanna in 2012), leaving us with two Voyagers, two Deluxe and one Legends.Quote:
There are 2 Voyager class figures in the set this year! massive.
But, compared to recent years...
2013 (Machine Wars) also had two Voyagers, but with three Deluxes.
2009 (Elite Guard) was the same with two Voyagers and three Deluxes.
2014 (Pirates) was about the same as this years set, by having an Ultra toy (between Voyager and Leader) with four Deluxes.
2012 (Invasion) had six figures, with one being a Voyager,
2010 (Gen2/Euro) was probably the biggest ever with a Voyager, Ultra and 3 Deluxes.
(2011 on the other hand, was the smallest since 2007 with just a Voyager and 4 Deluxes... and the 2006 Beast Wars year was the smallest ever with just a Voyager, 2 Deluxes and 2 Basic)
So at least their boxsets are not getting smaller... which would be hard to except when they keep raising the price by $20-30 each year.
FunPub have posted up a teaser from the comic, of Packrat and Megatron.
The comic this year is drawn by Matt Frank.
Frank Welker VIP ticket is $200,
Gallery of Megatron http://www.seibertron.com/transforme...e-boss/3656/1/
Frank Welker VIP details http://www.botcon.com/BotCon2015/bc15welker.cfm
vip deets:
• One (1) autograph signed in person by Frank Welker
• One (1) professional 5x7 photograph with Frank Welker (Saturday afternoon)
• Exclusive Megatron art print
• Exclusive Megatron Cloisonné Pin
• First seating at the Frank Welker Panel
Limited to 300 people, 150 each on Friday & Saturday
No conflicts between GT & VIP events
Photos on Saturday
they also reckon the brochure will be up in the next few days
Wow, that's pretty expensive, but it's also really awesome! such a rare opportunity to meet him face to face.
The price is what I had originally guessed, so I'll probably be okay with spending it... because... you know, Welker is pretty old now, and you never know when these aging actors will just suddenly drop off. So even if he becomes a regular at fan conventions and everyone gets bored of him, I still won't risk missing out on the chance to hear him in person.
I fear though, that based on the last time Peter Cullen was at BotCon, that these Friday and Saturday events are going to be during Convention hours and clash with panels.
Like, what if it is up against the Hasbro panel, or a Voice Actor panel... that is going to be a really difficult thing to have to sacrifice, after paying several hundred dollars to see all the panels (with the Golden Ticket to get unobstructed views of the people and slide-show).
Sounds like the Brochure is ready to go the moment the last video reveal is up, as I don't think that they'd do like a recent year and release the brochure (with all the boxset names) before revealing the entire boxset.... especially if their fifth toy is their "Scorponok" of this year's set (the one that they did the most work on, hoping that it will carry the set for anyone not yet sold on the other four).
And then Registration is likely to be a week later (at least I hope it is a week later, as I'll be out of the country next week, which will make registration difficult).
A pity that we've only had two guests announced so far, and if they don't announce more before Registration starts, they are going back to the usual formula of expecting people to hand over hundreds of dollars without knowing much of what they are getting. Hiding 2/3 of the toys and most of the guests until after you commit to the Convention, is not a way to convince people to spend several hundred dollars to get there and attend. They have so many fence-sitters each year, and detractors, who would commit to attend if they knew more than a third of what they were getting.
They are promising on Twitter that there will no clashes between the Welker specials and any Golden Ticket eventsQuote:
Originally Posted by griffin
https://twitter.com/BotCon/status/591030201632555009
Not sure if that prevents any clashes with non Golden Ticket things like the panels.
Yeah, I had expected that the $200 FW events wouldn't be allowed to clash with the $300 GT events. My main concern is the "cheaper" events that FunPub expects people to sacrifice... like the random draw, one-only autograph session with Peter Cullen a few years ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulbot
Friday would be okay, as they only have the Dealer Room running at the last three hours of the day... so if I was lucky enough to get in the Friday session, that would be okay. (IF I was lucky... :rolleyes: )
But Saturday they will have Panels right until closing at 5pm, and with an Awards dinner this year, that is likely to start at the usual 6.30pm, making me think that the Frank Welker session for Saturday would be on early enough to finish by 5pm.
:(
I think that if I am able to get there this year and attend these things, this could be a good year to be my last. (which I also said a lot in 2007, so you never know)
Frank Welker is the "grail" of Transformers guests, and I can't see FunPub being able to top that in future years (as they keep dying off) without getting in some of the live Movie stars (who would cost a fortune). With the demand dropping for the Convention now, and the toys being easier to obtain later at reasonable prices because they don't sell out, that is no longer one of the bigger reasons for me to go. (I missed BotCon 2006, and it cost me more to buy all the toys later than it would have cost me going over there... so that was always a big reason to not miss it since then)
The other big reasons I go were the guests, the people I know to meet up with, and the non-convention touristy things at the same time.
Now that I've met/seen most of the priority guests now, and since less people I know are going these years (especially from Australia), it leaves the touristy elements left... and BotCon in the last five years has been in boring locations (for tourists) or repeat locations, leaving me with less to do without going somewhere else first (which is added expense). :(
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/...20140704100449Quote:
Originally Posted by griffin
but in all seriousness, if I were going my biggest concern would be missing out on a cracker panel to stand in line for an hour or two for a special event/opportunity I'd paid special money for. I could live without a Hasbro panel but I'd hate to miss the script reading if there was one, but then if they did a script reading panel and Mr Welker wasn't involved that would be the end of Fun Pub.
Yes... there MUST be a script reading this year, with the one true Megatron. :p
(and only Soundwave if they can get a device to digitise his voice, otherwise it would just be a guest appearance by Dr Claw ;) )
The next guest is John Moschitta jnr, the voice of G1 & Animated Blurr
Hehehe... you keep beating me to all the good BotCon news, which is understandable since you are going, so don't stop. :D
So, the voice of Blurr will be there this year.... now I can die happy. :)
(it is one voice actor I've been hoping would return after his appearance 15 years ago)
This is a line up we could have had last year, when I was actually attending Botcon! :(:rolleyes: even though I really did have a great time at last years con.
I'm more jealous now.
Yes, and if they get Peter Cullen as well*, it feels like these people are either a year too late (for the 30th Anniversary of Transformers), or a year too early (for the first Movie's 30th anniversary).
Maybe FunPub have already got plans for a Beast Wars theme next year, and were aiming to have mostly BW guests like they did 10 years ago for the 10th anniversary.
(I guess if Hasbro doesn't do much, or anything for the BW anniversary, FunPub probably will.)
So are we still just at two Australians going this year?
Any more on the fence or thinking about it?
There were a few airfare sales last week, so might still be on at the moment.
*It's been three years since Peter Cullen was at a BotCon, so odds are good for him to be there this year as well... and it would make for the perfect pairing.