Hasbro confirms both simplified and complex AOE toys.

[DELTAprime]

Hasbro Executive Brian Goldner has confirmed to the New York Times that the upcoming AOE toy line will mostly feature simplified toy designs but some that will feature more complex designs but will be aimed at collectors.

http://www.seibertron.com/transforme...on-toys/29167/

[Paulbot]

Basically he says there will be simple, gimmick based easy to transform toys for this movie. Just like there have been for all three previous films.

The main line toys, in deluxe, voyager and leader size (and maybe a Titan), will be more traditionally complex and released under the Generations banner to appeal to adult collectors.

Please don't judge the Generations AOE toys based on a simple gimmick toy photo. So much damning of a toy line that we've seen only one toy from is silly.

[UltraMarginal]

The explosion of the internet about this has been rather amusing.

I get the feeling that Hasbro are pushing simplicity in their message to win back a lot of the parents that were probably scared away with ROTF and to a lesser extent DOTM.

[CBratron]

The explosion of the internet about this has been rather amusing.

I get the feeling that Hasbro are pushing simplicity in their message to win back a lot of the parents that were probably scared away with ROTF and to a lesser extent DOTM.

No doubt. I shudder to think of how many RotF Leader class Primes got returned.

[griffin]

Well... what are the two most popular eras of Transformers toys? Gen1 & Beast Wars - two eras of the simplest, playable (fun) toys.

As long as there are some "puzzle" figures for us older collectors, the main focus of the Brand should be on the target demographic, that will then stay on to also want the more challenging figures.

As we saw during the the latter half of the Noughties, the main line of figures were too challenging for the target newbies (kids) and parents to enjoy enough to buy more.
As long as the main line has the same level of difficulty as Gen1 and Beast Wars, we will see a return to popularity and an increase in fans... warranting more stuff after the movie line is finished to meet the new demand.
It's a compromise between the vocal minority (the dedicated fandom who want some challenging figures) and the silent majority of their consumer base (the kids and parents buying their first TFs toy).
We both win... so that has to be a good thing.

I'm optimistic, but like Paulbot says, until we see the FULL line, it is all just speculation at this stage.

[doublespy]

This is definitely a good thing, for the franchise.

I thought it was established last year that Generations will be the single line tailored for adult collectors? So all WE need to need to do is keep an eye out for AOE figures released in Generations line.

[SMHFConvoy]

I thought the Titan class were non transforming action figures, like the larger Avengers figures with little articulation.

[SMHFConvoy]

No doubt. I shudder to think of how many RotF Leader class Primes got returned.

I saw one returned stuck in mid transformation and I returned my 07 bumblebee when the auto morph got stuck because I forgot a step!

[VERT]

I just showed this to my 6 year old Son. He said a bad word when he saw it And that he does not want a babies toy. Wants real TFs he can fiddle with. Kids are smarter than this. But its really just Hasbro cost cutting making cheaper toys. Look at Iron Man 3 figures and the cheap new SW figures with 5 points of articulation. This is happening all across Hasbro.

But like they say the good stuff is in Generations for us. Gen is like our SW Black series.

[UltraMarginal]

It's an interesting problem for Hasbro, what level of complexity to make their toys.

I remember when I was a youngen, I got megatron. I must have been between 5 and 7 years old, I already had a few Transformers, Skids Thundercracker, Prime and some of the Autobot cars. Megatron I couldn't do. I got pretty frustrated but I asked my Dad for help. We worked on it together for probably 20 - 30 minutes and figured out how it was supposed to work. the high complexity gave us something to play/work on together and this is one of my fondest transformers memories.

@ Vert, you'll just have to point your son towards the Generations line.