The triumph of marketing. And now Hasbro are locked into perpetually churning out that same damned character over and over and over again.
The triumph of marketing. And now Hasbro are locked into perpetually churning out that same damned character over and over and over again.
It is funny, all these optimus's and we have almost all of them with 'modern' toys. If Hasbro continues their 'Prime a year' thing with legacy (or whatever future lines are called) we only have 3 or 4* to go, Energon, alternators, PMOP and Fall of Cybertron. You could argue they can do Prime, RID15 etc but at that point you are up to modern day and then what? Perhaps it's time for some more 'new' Prime designs.
But it is a fun idea we have these all done in the same design philosiphy.
*I'm not including Bat Primal, Action Master or real niche ones like G2 Go Bots here because some of them are real pipe dreams (that i would still buy)
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It's also dependent on what people are willing to buy. Hasbro keeps on using the same tired-old characters ad nauseum because they know it sells, especially Optimus Prime.
e.g.
+ Canon camera Optimus Prime - okay, they also did Reflector, but why also Optimus Prime? The answer to my own question comes from the fact that I have noticed that the Optimus Prime toy sold faster than Reflector. It sold out on The Gamesmen's website long before Reflector. I bought Reflector but skipped Prime.
+ Volvo VNR Optimus Prime - why is this not Huffer? Oh, because Optimus Prime sells. Granted I bought this toy too.![]()
etc.
Also, how well are new character toys selling vs known characters? I personally love buying new characters, like Axlegrease, Crashbar etc. Although there are some that I skipped simply because I just didn't like the toys or concept; e.g. half of the Fossilisers and the current Legacy Infernac Armourisers (or as I call them, "Flintstoneformers"). I do appreciate that Hasbro are giving us new characters, and I do hope that these toys sell well, but they're not for me.
I did buy Legacy Skar, who was the only Core Class Legacy Dinobot that I bought, because I really don't care about having combining Dinobots - I already have the Dinobots as Deluxe CHUGs and I'm one Swoop away from having them as Studio Series Leaders... I don't need the set again as Core Class figures. But as Skar is a new character, I happily gave Hasbro my money for one. Not only that, but only the third Ankylosaurus Transformer after Beast Wars' Bazooka and Robots in Disguise Slapper (repaint of Bazooka, not the Predacon... so not confusing). Also happily bought Cloudcover and G2 Sandstorm etc. and other new characters based on abandoned concepts or prototypes etc. I skipped most of the other Toxitron range like Sideswipe & Dorito Jazz because they're just new versions of existing characters. I did get Laser Cycle, who's based on an abandoned toy for Jazz, because her name's not Jazz. tfwiki's listed her as a Jazz toy (and I understand why), but to me, she's a new character. And yes, I've head-canonised her as female, since she's using the Legacy Prime Arcee's body (Legacy Road Rocket's is also female, despite the original G2 toy being male). I have no issue with Transformers changing genders, it's an entirely social construct for their species anyway. I just prefer Laser Cycle being a unique character. I have more than enough CHUG Jazz toys.![]()
I think it is also because the same old characters require the least amount of effort in advertising. Optimus and G1 has heaps of history and advertising behind it. A new Transformers series and new characters requires effort (=money) to get to a likeable level.
Optimus has that in spades for free!
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Yep. Nostalgia baiting requires bugger all effort in marketing. You could release Optimus Prime as a shoe and he'd sell. Oh wait, they did.![]()
I have a list of all G1 characters that have been released in CHUG form. You can find it here. Please feel free to let me know if I got anything wrong so I can fix it.
Ah yes. I just remembered that United is yet another reused trademark by Hasbro.
I guess I need to specify Legacy United when I'm searching for Transformers United on Google.
https://tfwiki.net/wiki/United_(toyline)
I have a list of all G1 characters that have been released in CHUG form. You can find it here. Please feel free to let me know if I got anything wrong so I can fix it.
And the same will happen next year, with the line apparently being called Prime something-or-other.
United was actually a takara line so this is the first hasbro use.
But i will admit Legacy had been lacking in the naming department.
Combiner Wars
Titan Return
Power of The Primes
Even the wfc names, these were all interesting names. Legacy, Legacy Evolution and Legacy United just don’t have the same ring to it, i would have preferred something like;
Legacy banner and then each part has a name:
Golden days of Cybertron
Evolution of Cybertron
Cybertron United
Assuming the lines as they are currently were originally tying into the show the names i suggested also tie into the branching out of the Legacy line (each year has had more characters from different continuities)
Sales thread: http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showth...796#post656796
Support the Hot Shot obsession: http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showth...us-wants-these
I know, but given there's no major difference between Japan and the Rest of the World, I stopped caring about what is Takara Tomy's and what is Hasbro's long ago.
And if the rumours are true, I'm sure you'll love how little effort Hasbro seems to be putting into naming next year's line. Legacy Prime doesn't sound like a line, it sounds like another pre-Optimus Prime.
I have a list of all G1 characters that have been released in CHUG form. You can find it here. Please feel free to let me know if I got anything wrong so I can fix it.