The Soapbox VI: Don’t like Gimmicks? Start dealing with it.

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The Soapbox VI: Don’t like Gimmicks? Start dealing with it.


Gimmicks. The word’s mere utterance carries with it a number of connotations in the mind of a collector, most of which are generally negative. It is the (somewhat ambitious) intention of this Soapbox to debunk the fandom’s negativity towards gimmicks. The term “gimmick” in itself is broad. What is the scope of the term? Gimmicks in essence are a unique feature of an individual Transformer or line of Transformers that is supposed to enhance play value. While this may seem too broad a definition, gimmicks go beyond the standard weapons and incorporate motion-based or electronic-based features. Now, having examined this preliminary issue let’s have a look at the larger issue of their pertinence and prevalence.

First up, let’s start with more recent developments because they are really where the concerns are emanating from. Ultimate Bumblebee was a heavily priced toy and anyone who has read my reviews knows my utter disdain for the toy. But that’s not the issue. At its price point, with its level 4 conversion rating, you’d expect more than the shoddy toy that it is. However, I’m going to argue that for all its inherent flaws Ultimate Bumblebee was and is a success.

Not to us. But to the mass market. All of those electronic gimmicks that grossly inhibit articulation – the repetitive sounds, the burning blue lights, the sound acceleration gimmick, the electronics-guided arm cannon –, all of those are what makes the toy a success. To appreciate this, you need to have a look at the average parent, the person who will ultimately buy this. If they are going to fork out $100+ on a toy, the cold hard reality is that they expect more than just an awesome transformation or unbelievable articulation or an incredibly detailed alt mode.

Newsflash: they’re not the ones playing with it.

Their kids are. They, as parents, are simply seeking a gift they deem to be value for money. A technically brilliant transformation for a Supreme Class Transformer means squat to a parent. To them, there’s no difference between that and a Deluxe. Parents want extras, need extras, to justify the purchase of a more expensive Transformer than the usual deluxe. And guess what those extras are? You guessed it, gimmicks. All those flashy electronics and motion-based gimmicks are what they want for Christmas or that special occasion. An Ultimate Bumblebee that is merely a massive representation of the Deluxe would just not cut it.

That’s the cold hard truth.

While incredible transformations and awesome articulation are things that we as collectors value, these are lost on your average consumer. These gimmicks are absolutely necessary to sell Transformers, especially in the higher price ranges from Ultras upwards. They are a commercial reality. And when one examines the broader toy marketplace, Transformers are vying against video game consoles and the ingenuity and educational quality of Lego. It only makes sense that Hasbro has moved to incorporate electronic gimmicks into its larger toys. It is the only way Transformers can effectively compete in that price range.

And it is us as a fanbase who need to grow up. It’s no secret that flash and flair play an important part in our social phenomenon and is a determinative factor in the minds of the modern consumer. Why then should Transformers be exempt? They shouldn’t be. Hasbro is simply responding to the marketplace, trying to align its product offering with consumer’s value.

What has been said above can pretty much be extended to Supreme Class Optimus Prime, the Bumper Battlers, the new Universe Ultras. The common feature of all of these are electronics.

The trend has shifted from unique weapons activated by Mini-Cons in Armada to morphing/combination gimmicks in Energon to cyber key initiated weapons or electronics in Cybertron to electronic sounds in the Movie, Animated and Universe. The future of gimmicks in Transformers is going to be electronics in nature. While I find this worrying, it is also a reality we will all have to accept.

It is the thing that adds value. It is what justifies the price point in the mind of the market that really matters: parents who buy on behalf of their kids. It is evolution.

Don’t like what you’re hearing?

Let’s peep back into time and have a closer look. The Beast Wars Basics are essentially the cornerstone of the Animated Activators. The Bumper Battlers and the Fast Action Battlers before them? Really just extensions of the Throttlebots. G1 Sky Lynx? Basically a brick on electronic legs. G1 Omega Supreme? Sure, that flashy tank drives in circles but that is one hell of a parts-former. G1 Trypticon? Electronic walking aside, lie me down and stick parts on me, I have no transformation. I’m really just an unfolding brick.

So there it is. It’s not like gimmicks are a new scourge that have been unleashed on Transformers. They’ve been around for a long time now simply because Hasbro is constantly seeking ways to make Transformers more marketable. And that’s not their fault really. A gimmick’s primary objective is to move Hasbro’s product and and develop its brand in the eyes of consumers as a leading edge toyline. As much as transformations of our Transformers mean to us, parents will and do not delineate a Transformer by evaluating the transformation of a Supreme class toy and comparing it to that of a Voyager. They need incentive to be hooked and the bait Hasbro has to use today is electronics as unimaginative as they might be.

Silverbolt might be the weakest of the Universe Ultras in terms of transformation but he is also highly marketable b/c his play value is so high. He’s highly poseable, his sleek jet mode and those aerial/air combat sounds to a parent scream “preferred choice”.

At the end of the day, it has never really been about us, the collectors. It has been about the parents. It’s about what they perceive constitutes “value”. Not us. That’s the reality.

That said, this Soapbox is not trying to make light of all gimmicks. To collectors, some are great. Some are not. Many involve a trade off where you lose say articulation but then gain something else such as some electronic feature or automorph function. Take for instance Animated Leader Bulkhead where you lose head articulation for jaw movement and speaking gimmicks. Alas, this Soapbox’s aim is not to examine and evaluate gimmicks but rather to look at the underlying trends. That’s not to say though that this issue will not be examined in a future instalment of the Soapbox.

Ironically, our real hope lies with Hasbro and Takara’s designers. It is only their ability to develop designs that effectively incorporate gimmicks into Transformers without sacrificing the articulation and transformation of a Transformer that will prevent us from being subjected to the mercy of such inhibitive gimmicks.

Ultra Magnus might not be able to deal with his problems, but as collectors, we better start dealing with gimmicks. Moaning and groaning about it isn’t going to change things anytime soon. Some are good, some are not; but in the final analysis they are a necessary part of Transformers and they’re here to stay.