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Transformers Roundtable April 20th 2022
** Below are very short notes from the Transformers Brand Team roundtable today. This is ALL PARAPHRASED, jotted down quickly during the event.
General notice – Asia leads the Masterpiece reveals, MPM Blackout will be offered in the US soon.
TFormers – Will the non-G1 universes be considered sub-lines within Generations/Legacy going forward? Legacy is it’s own line, won’t be sub-lines within it for each universe. Buzzworthy and Selects are separate, and will have cross branding with when it fits.
Awesome Toy Blog – Concern with limbs being split across waves, hard to find first ones for someone coming in late. Box sets like what was done with Devastator not off table.
Transmissions – Yellowing on recent figures – Aware, researching issue. Has been seen by Mark and team, forwarded to engineering for research. Feedback, specifics always welcome, helps narrow down the problem. Pandemic restricted traveling to Asia for quality checks.
Allspark – Legacy Blitzwing – turret – can it turn all the way around. Yes. Got a sample and did so on camera (though choppy connection).
Anthony Karcz – How do you pick out which characters to do? Delicate balance. What’s on shelf all together, cars, planes, beasts, colors. What’s been done before. Budget. Takara’s input, marketing wanting tier 1 characters. Lots of angles.
TFW2005 – Cybertron Metroplex – what was the thought process behind choosing a non-G1 character for such a large expensive figure? Story at first. He mines Energon, play pattern across Legacy involves Energon. So initial trigger for including this Metroplex was story. In addition, toys are still designed with kids in mind so the play pattern and overall coolness of a big construction vehicle was factored into the decision.
??? (sorry) – How is Legacy doing sales wise, non-G1 characters etc. – PO numbers are doing well, crushing War for Cybertron. The non-G1 characters are also doing better than some G1 characters, which shows demand is there.
BWTF – Pricing. 12-18% increase across line. Will this continue? Can’t say there won’t be more. Reacting to world events. Deluxe will be 24.99 going forward for now.
Matt Thomas – Soundwave – Siege vs Netflix – why? Walmart exclusive originally. When exclusives are done, they have it for a certain time, so couldn’t be done now. Walmart does have right to do another run right now. (No clarification or confirmation that it would be done after the exclusive time frame ends.)
Rodimus Primal – Open box – issues with heads removed, crushed boxes from shipping. – Most likely not going back to plastic. Closed box an option. Balance out seeing figure and how important. Kids testing likes the open box.
West Lee Dixon – Menasor – compatible with Combiner Wars? – legs, yes, but not 100% sturdy. Arms – no. Goal is to make Menasor proper best he could be, not be scramble city functional.
Siebertron – Weapon packs? – anything possible, on radar, looking at things like this. Try to get missed weapons into new molds if tool and budget allows.
Anthony TFU – Legacy and ports/connections from past lines present – Metroplex using them? – lots of 5 and 3 mm ports, connectors for city /road connections. Drill Bit – costed out. Core offering in future – possible.
Kevin Unicron – ROTB delay affecting product on shelf this year? Didn’t affect Legacy / fan side. And for Studio Series – that’s when SS ROTB stuff was intended to come out anyway. RE: live events – looking at the options now at corporate level.
TFwiki – Legacy core not mentioning Weaponizers gimmick – not called Weaponizers but there are “gimmicks” for collecting more than one to build things out. Kids focused angle. Not making it a primary focus, just there to let fans/kids create their own things from all the pieces.
Jeremy – Shattered Glass comic with Magnus? – New 5 part mini series, Magnus issue, continuing story.
Matt Thomas – Can Galaxy Upgrade Prime hold Cybertron Metroplex weapon? Not sure, didn’t have one handy to check. Wheel doesn’t open.
