Cyberverse - are the toys getting too simple or are people getting dumber?
(Admin edit - moved discussion from CYB Warrior Starscream toy review topic)
$30 Happy Meal toys without the meal.
Would it be an over-exaggeration to say this is the worst Transformer main line ever? Especially considering we're in 2018?
(Sorry if I'm being mean. The point is I would not even give this to a kid, let alone pay $30 for it. Like Gok said, there's Legion toys that are better than this)
Last edited by griffin; 9th August 2018 at 08:19 PM. Reason: moved posts
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Possibly.Originally Posted by FatalityPitt
The other main contender would be Animorphs. Animorphs are worse in terms of just not even really being Transformers, but in terms of design and engineering I'd say that they are better than these Cyberverse toys... maaaaaybe. On one hand they do have fully articulated rob--, human modes that are unhindered by gimmicks (except for Cassie/Wolf and Rachel/Lion's human heads). But on the other hand, the Cyberverse toys don't rely on detachable accessories to form the alt modes. e.g. if you lose Marco/Gorilla's gorilla hands then you can't fully transform him to beast mode. The Cyberverse Warriors have no accessories at all, so there's literally nothing to lose. Yeah, Cyberverse Starscream's jet mode is awful, but he will always be able to transform into it. In this regard he's arguably better than the G1 Seekers because they're nothing more than "cigars" that rely heavily on detachable accessories. The secondary market is full of "cigar" Seekers missing their wings, horizontal stabilisers, vertical stabilisers, landing gear, fists etc.
But yeah, by 2018 standards this toy is inexcusably excremental.
Yeah, by today's standards, the G1 Seekers won't fly. The only things they have going for them these days are their historical significance and nostalgia value. They are the great granddaddies of all the Starscream and seeker transformers we have today.
But in fairness, they were basically repacks of toys from another brand that existed pre-Transformers, and no one knew how transforming robots would fare commercially back in the early 1980's.
I'm not sure why the Cybervese line exists. They've made much better toys in the past, and might as well have gave us repacks of those. Also if they are suppose to be for young children/fans, then isn't that what RescueBots is for?
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The Cyberverse line supports the new TV show and both the show and toys are aimed at a young (but not Rescue Bots young) audience. Just like the Robots In Disguise show and toy line it replaces were for the pst few years.
But because Cyberverse is going full G1 I think some older fans assume it must be meant for them (in a way they didn’t think the same about RID). Seige/WFC and Studio Series is aimed at us.
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Core "Boys" is so sexist.
But I don't buy that defence. Most Transformers lines are aimed at kids, including G1. Many of us children of the 80s were in that "Core Kids" age range when we got into G1. G1 was "Ages 5 and Up." Yet the toys managed to both engage and expand our interest (or we wouldn't be here now). I know kids today in the Core Kids age range who are mad fans of the Generations line. I recently picked up a Titans Return Rewind figure to give to my daughter's friend because he's been looking everywhere for that toy but has been unable to find it. I've seen kids at my daughter's school playing with Generations figures.
As Michael McConnohie said, kids aren't stupid and they really hate it when adults treat them as idiots by presenting them with condescending material. McConnohie believes that this is why Transformers succeeded where many of its competitors failed. I'm inclined to agree with FatalityPitt... I really don't know which demographic they're targeting with these toys. They're above the level of toddler/pre-school age children (age 4-), but below the level of school age children (age 5+).
Pic: Me when I was in the "Core Kids" age range enjoying G1 Transformers
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HeHeh I had that Voltron. Parents didn't understand the difference between cars and lions
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(moved discussion from CYB Warrior Starscream toy review topic)
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Don't forget, us consumers aren't the customer of the Toy Company... it's the Retailers... and that's who the Toy Companies care about pleasing with their demands or requirements. This sort of "dumbing down" of toys isn't the fault of the Toy Companies, it's the fault of the major retailers (mostly Walmart,TRU, and Amazon) who demand these lower standards in order to be able to sell to the lowest common denominator, so that their profit projections are maximised by capturing all of the potential market (if a toy requires too much thought or skill, they lose a portion of the market who just wants some cheap coloured plastic to throw at their game-ap, youtube-zombie kid).
Remember, retailers are presented with a range of products every year at Toyfair (in several countries around the world). The Retailers are the ones who choose the toys that they think they can sell to the most customers, and if possible, marketed for free (by a cartoon, movie or TV advertising paid for by the Toy Company), and with the best profit margin possible. Toy companies can produce all the quality toys they want, but if they don't meet those 3 criteria (free advertising, simple/gimmick, huge profit margin), the Retailers will just ignore it and walk over to the products that ticks their checklist. This could be why Hasbro has tried to split up Transformers across 3 demographics, to get most of their products to appeal to Retailers (the two younger demographics) in order to get the Brand into their stores, and if possible, convince them to order some of the older demographic toys (Generations) if they have room in their budget... because Hasbro knows that a 30+ year Brand like Transformers ends up having adults who were fans as a kid, buying TFs for their kids or kids of their friends.... and then maybe buying something nostalgic for themselves while they are there because they remember those toys/characters as a kid.
Generations toys are the more interesting and challenging line of Transformers (even with the various gimmicks added just to be able to get Retailers to even look at them at Toyfair), but the major retailers go for the cartoon/movie based toys that are gimmick heavy and simple for all types of children, not just the ones who are more likely to embrace and demand toys of the Brand.
Before the major players dictated things, the smaller operators and independents would have more buying power to be more interested in quality over quantity... which is why the 80s and early 90s had some great toylines. Now, Toy Companies have to make what *their* customers want, or else they go out of business.
Maybe a way to encourage Retailers to buy/demand the more challenging, detailed Transformers toys, is to have recommended "intelligence" levels on the packaging instead of "difficulty", so that their public image is that they aren't a source of simple products... or would it be too politically incorrect in today's world to imply that a child isn't as intelligent as others just because they prefer a toy that has an intelligence rating on it of "non-challenging" ?
Last edited by griffin; 9th August 2018 at 05:27 PM. Reason: typo
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Kinda answered your own question there Griff. Why pick a term which is potentially controversial (warranted or not) when you can choose a word with none of the connotations?
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Have to disagree about Starscream. First time I handled one as a kid (mid eighties), I knew even in the context of toys of that day and age it was a disappointment. I remember clearly thinking “Is that it? It doesn’t do anything!”.
Dovie'andi se tovya sagain
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