TF4 Titan toys found in Melbourne

[rhynox]

Saw these figures at campbelltown toys r us today, they had prime and bee on the shelf. Even my 3yr old turned them down with an 'ewwww yuck'

[i_amtrunks]

Going to be a storm in a teacup over this.

Doesn't matter if the "titans" break street date, they'll still be on shelves in years to come. They are truly awful looking figures!

[CBratron]

What do these "Titans" do?
They don't transform and are barely posable. If the hips were less articulated I'd have thought these were licensed bubblebath bottles

[Lord_Zed]

Should be renamed "Ugmos"

[reillyd]

Should be renamed "Ugmos"

Or Fuglies

[griffin]

What do these "Titans" do?
They don't transform and are barely posable. If the hips were less articulated I'd have thought these were licensed bubblebath bottles

These aren't actually a new thing for Transformers, but the earlier ones are VERY unknown by the fandom. Last year there were two pairs for TFPrime - 12 inch Optimus and Bbee, and 16 inch Optimus and Bbee.
The smaller pair were general release items for US$10 (and I think these were the ones found at a couple TRU stores in Australia).
The larger pair were TRU exclusives in America for a whopping US$25... and if the smaller pair aren't worth $10, there is no way the slightly larger ones were worth $25.

I seriously doubt that these would have been enough of a success to produce more... but is more likely that the profit margin on these are so much larger, retailers are willing to take them on expecting to discount them later.

[i_amtrunks]

Guess that these were made based purely on "potential" for profit as opposed to made to be a good toy or to actually be sold.

I'd feel sorry for the retailers but they've put profit first and it'll bite them in the rump. Sadly the only ones who are going to be negatively affected will be the consumers hoping to buy later waves of other ranges/lines but finding the shelves full of this cheap crap.

[griffin]

The thing I don't understand is why they always hide the "product does not convert" on the packaging of the non-convertible gimmick toys, as if it is a bad thing. If it is such a bad thing to promote the non-convertible figures, then don't make them. They fulfill a purpose in the product range overall, either for the really young ones, or for super-sculpted robot figures... but since it is so hidden in tiny print, kids and parents who don't know one from the other are known to buy these and feel cheated when they are given to their kids (as I've seen them on the shelf as repackaged returned stock).

Transformers is a Brand name, not a required toy element... so toys under that label only need to be characters in the Transformers Universe, not be required to transform. (most of them should as that was the original gimmick, but lack of convertibility doesn't rule out something from being Branded as a "Transformers Toy")

[ChlorHex]

The thing I don't understand is why they always hide the "product does not convert" on the packaging of the non-convertible gimmick toys, as if it is a bad thing. If it is such a bad thing to promote the non-convertible figures, then don't make them. They fulfill a purpose in the product range overall, either for the really young ones, or for super-sculpted robot figures... but since it is so hidden in tiny print, kids and parents who don't know one from the other are known to buy these and feel cheated when they are given to their kids (as I've seen them on the shelf as repackaged returned stock).

Transformers is a Brand name, not a required toy element... so toys under that label only need to be characters in the Transformers Universe, not be required to transform. (most of them should as that was the original gimmick, but lack of convertibility doesn't rule out something from being Branded as a "Transformers Toy")

Griff, as a parent, when I'm asked to buy a Transformer toy, it better do what its brand implies... and that's to transform or you'll have on your hands a truly disappointed kid. Lol.
These figures better be sold cheap here as their obvious intent is to fill the gap for large and cheap transformer toys for folks getting toys on a budget.
Pity the TF collector whose girlfriend decides to be nice and buys him a 'titan' Transformer for Christmas (worse thing is to get this shipped across from the US!) and he ends up with this