Beast Machines “Dinobots” - are they actually BM?

[Seraphim Prime]

The 2003 Dinobots are a similar case. They had the Armada style packaging, but were only "Transformers: Dinobots".

As they were clearly not Armada toys, I mentally placed them with 2001 RiD line.

Whereas in the case of the BM Dinobots, I think all the fiction (BotCon and the like) place them around the BM time period, and the same packaging style makes me think that they are more BM releases. I thought the packing made reference to Megatron's transformation virus?

[dirge]

I know what the consensus is, Gok. But it occurred to me today that - like the 2003 Dinobots - there’s not any actual “Beast Machines” on the packaging.

The blurb and later fiction tells us they’re technorganic; the moulds themselves aren’t. Which is why I pose the question - while I know they’re intended to be taken as BM toys / characters, they’ve always felt like misplaced BW toys to me. I was curious how others see it.

[SharkyMcShark]

Their in-fiction appearances were part of that 2003 Universe cluster-whatsit, though I think even that was the work of retroactive hijinks.

I've always through of them as belonging roughly to that line.

[BigTransformerTrev]

The 2003 Dinobots are a similar case. They had the Armada style packaging, but were only "Transformers: Dinobots".

As they were clearly not Armada toys, I mentally placed them with 2001 RiD line.

I recently bought Snarl from that line. Despite the really odd robot mode, his alt-mode is a grey Stegosaurus with golden legs and a bunch of red thrown in. Ironically Animated Snarl looked a lot like G1 in robot form but had the wrong alt-mode. Between the two they make a good homage

[Paulbot]

Never seen them as anything other than Beast Machines figures although I see a logic in the thinking.

I was trying to think of other examples like this where there was a subline in mainline packing. Maybe the first movie exclusives that oughta be classics (Fracture, Breakaway, Crankcase) but were released in movie packaging and incorporated into movie expanded universe fiction. Or the Reveal The Shield subline that has figures considered CHUG and others that better fit Movieverse - like the rest of the Hunt for the Decepticon figures.

[SharkyMcShark]

or the RiD 2001 release of Air Attack OP.