Yes, we do like whining...
Although, to be fair, those of us who spend a lot of time and money getting here, are entitled to be a *little* more critical, because we expect more from the Convention toys than would those who don't attend (instead, end up getting the toys "cheaper" and easier... than the cost of going to BotCon that is).
But you compared this year's (FunPub) set with pre-FunPub years, before they were easily allowed to use official names (to make a homage from).
FunPub are able to use almost any character, and most official names (if they clear legal), so it feels like the regular "Hasbro half-homages" we get in the mainlines, when something uses colours or alt-mode similar to a classic figure, but ends up getting a name or allegiance that doesn't match.
FunPub are supposed to be able to avoid that, by being "fan focused", to give us full-homages, not half-homages.
At least with the pre-FunPub years you listed, those original characters weren't trying to copy or homage an existing character/colour-scheme. The Mirror-verse are claimed to be "new", but some borrow heavily on pre-existing elements.
And there was mixed support back then for those new characters too... the ones who were supportive were mostly excited about there being an exclusive, limited-edition toy to go with the convention. Many, if not all, of the characters themselves, haven't attracted any long-lasting/permanent fan-following.
The years/toys that did? The ones homaging existing characters.
Something Mirror-verse toys this year distorts too much to be an acceptable (to the whiners) full homage, because we already have those homage toys in their PROPER colours from Generations/RTS/etc.
Junkions (for example) coloured as Insecticons are a homage? The ones already released by Hasbro and Takara are the homage... these are a distortion of reality, that aren't homaging anything. Same with Straxus/Darkmount. More so with Ultra Magnus with the skull face. That ruined the Diaclone homage of that one.
Red Tracks is at least a workable homage of the Mirror-verse figures, because there is an existing Gen1 toy in that colour.
Soundwave, Treadshot , Optimus, and Longarm are homages I guess, but not to their Gen1 versions... which seems to be the theme to this Mirror-verse storyline.
And Straxus/Darkmount
Don't get me wrong - I do like the creativity, and the concept of mixing up elements of one character/group with another character/group (ie Insecticons & Junkions), but they should leave that for the comic, and give us toys of the Gen1 (or other pre-existing) characters that Hasbro haven't done, or the ones that they feature in their BotCon comics.
It's such a tease seeing all those Gen1 or pre-existing characters, and instead end up getting toys of their own creation.
In a way, it's like their "Gen2" year (2010), not having a whole lot of toys homaging characters that were new to Gen2. It would be like having a "Rebirth" themed BotCon and just releasing homage toys Seasons 1-3 characters just because they were in Rebirth.
I think FunPub are padding out this Mirror-verse concept because they used up so many Classic homages already with their 15 toys-per-year format. They have run out of options from the moulds currently available to fill up a full BotCon roster of toys, so keep going back to this Mirror-verse of theirs (which is barely above the concept of a "what if" fanfic to a lot of more dedicated long-time fans). They've fleshed out the Mirro-verse now, and I think fans want to either move onto something new, or go back and flesh out something pre-existing (like 2006 did with the BW story, and 2011 with Animated).
So if it is so difficult to get approval from Hasbro to produce 15 toys that reflect their original intention of a year's theme - is it better to still have 15 toys that ends up disappointing fans (as this year's seems to have, with the boxset not selling out, like it did in 2005 & 2009), or, is it better to have half as many toys that capture the theme perfectly and have a more positive response from the fans?
I'd prefer the latter, as it would be quality over quantity (to me at least).
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Originally Posted by griffin
