Dotm Wave 7 Figures?

[GoktimusPrime]

I agree with soundwave and mirage/dino but don't you think wheeljack/que looks a tad silly?

Yes, but that's Dreamwork's fault, not Hasbro (although it is indirectly Hasbro's fault for approving the design - they could have knocked it back if they wanted to).

Perhaps Hasbro will release a retool later on with Wheeljack's original head -- ya know, before he was nearly killed by Shockwave and had to be rebuilt by Ratchet (and became all kooky, renamed himself "Que" and all that crap)

[Demonac]

Yes, but that's Dreamwork's fault, not Hasbro (although it is indirectly Hasbro's fault for approving the design - they could have knocked it back if they wanted to).

Do Hasbro even get final say in what the 'bots look like in the movies?

[GL-Sideswipe]

cheers griffin! thanks for the link, and yeah I was expecting someone to move this post, wasnt quite sure where to put it since this is my first time here :P

[GoktimusPrime]

Do Hasbro even get final say in what the 'bots look like in the movies?

I believe everything needs to be approved by Hasbro since Transformers is their franchise.

If you watch the Special Features on the DVD of the first TF movie, Aaron Archer explains how Hasbro negotiated for certain changes for Optimus Prime. The earlier designs had elements which Hasbro felt weren't going to "translate" well as toy designs and needed to be modified, such as the wheels on Optimus Prime which had the wheels deforming in some weird way where the tyres flipped inside out or something strange like that. Hasbro felt this wouldn't bode well in action figure form (certainly if they intended on using rubber tyres) - so a compromise was made, and so in the film you can see Optimus Prime's tyres split slightly in some places, but they don't rip right off or flip out or anything that dramatic.

Also Archer explained that he initially wanted Optimus Prime to have a red chest, but Michael Bay explained to him that red was a difficult or more expensive colour to shoot (but apparently it was fine for Mirage/Dino & Sentinel Prime? (mebbe cos DotM had a bigger budget???)) - and that apparently blue was cheaper/easier... so a compromise was made with a composite blue and red chest - hence the chopper flames. Of course, elsewhere on the disc when Michael Bay explained the origins of the flames, he doesn't mention Hasbro at all and just says that he saw a truck with flames on it and wanted it on Optimus Prime cos he thought it looked cool. So erm... I don't know if one of them was lying, or maybe they're both telling the truth. Maybe Archer wanted to introduce red into Prime's chest and Bay suggested using chopper flames - thus satiating Hasbro's desire to have red on the chest, and satisfying Bay's desire to have flames (win win for both parties).

Other people on the DVD special features do reference how Hasbro gave them a lot of creative freedom with the designs - which suggests that there was some level of monitoring/approval.

When you may anything that's through a Hasbro licence, it requires approval at every level. I remember when we were working on the "On Devil's Ground" comic for the OzFormers booth at SupaNova 2003, and I was trying to get it approved by Hasbro -- everything from the scripts to the character models, minutes from meetings etc. were all sent to Hasbro. Every time a change was made to the script or design etc., it was sent to Hasbro. Ditto the script and designs for the Sabretron 2004 comic and toys... ultimately we didn't get the approval, but that was the process that we went through.

[griffin]

With the first movie, Hasbro definitely would have had final say... but by the time the third one was being signed up, and paramount and Hasbro were grovelling to get Bay on board, all power may have been given to him instead by then. The amount of money Hasbro were making off the Movies, they would have done anything to keep the money rolling in, and would have just trusted that he wouldn't do anything irreversible or damaging to the brand, possibly giving him free reign and final (or even total) control.

[GoktimusPrime]

In which case it would still be Hasbro's fault for giving Bay that much uncontested absolute power. (-_-)

[SkyWarp91]

Aww man there's going to be a White Ratchet? I just bought Specialist Ratchet like an hour ago. Ah well, guess I could get it. That mold is so damn good.

[GoktimusPrime]

Specialist Ratchet is based on the colours they were going to use for movie Ratchet before changing their minds and making him green.

A white Ratchet is nothing new, we've had plenty of Rescue Ratchets before.
Legends Rescue Ratchet
Voyager Rescue Ratchet
FAB Rescue Ratchet*
Titanium Series Rescue Ratchet*
Deluxe Rescue Ratchet

Also, you can see "Rescue Ratchet"** in the first Transformers movie - in the scene where Lennox and his men touch down in the U.S. and are intercepted by Sector 7, in the background of their airfield you can see "Rescue Ratchet"
-----------------------------------------
*not sure if these came out in Australia - I personally don't recall seeing them
**Okay, it's not really Ratchet but rather an identical vehicle to his alt mode in the same colours/deco as Rescue Ratchet! Still, a neat little nod to Ratchet's G1 colours placed in the film.

[blackoptimus]

I may have missed something but can anyone tell me if they are making a leader class Megatron and Shockwave, as they are lacking leader class Decepticons.

[Hursticon]

I may have missed something but can anyone tell me if they are making a leader class Megatron and Shockwave, as they are lacking leader class Decepticons.

This was rumoured but nothing ever eventuated, at least yet anyway.
I'd love the pair but something tells me the budget would more likely go towards 30 more Primes and BBs before it's ever considered... Yay for over saturation.