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

[GoktimusPrime]

Deal with it eh?

I just prefer to leave it and spend my money on something else instead of dealing with it.

The simple solution is to move onto something else that offers real hands on playing with with no fuss or compromises. I chose to not even make it a problem to deal with in the first place.

Well that is a way of dealing with it - by boycotting products that you don't feel are worthy of purchase.

If you see a toy that makes you cringe and think, "What a hunk of crap," then seriously... DON'T BUY IT! That's just a generalisation of course... sometimes I buy toys that I know I won't like because I want the character. It's the sole reason why I bought the Beast Machines Nightscream toy... it's all kinds of fail. :/

[Lord_Zed]

If you see a toy that makes you cringe and think, "What a hunk of crap," then seriously... DON'T BUY IT! That's just a generalisation of course... sometimes I buy toys that I know I won't like because I want the character. It's the sole reason why I bought the Beast Machines Nightscream toy... it's all kinds of fail. :/

There's also the sale factor, when you see a TF reduced by massive amounts and go OMG that's such a bargain I must get it! And your brain goes you'll never see it at the price again, and before you know it your walking out of the store with a TF you weren't really sure you wanted.

I generally avoid TF's that I don't really want, but there are excpetions, the above explains how I ended up getting Energon Omega Supreme.

[kup]

Deal with it eh?

I just prefer to leave it and spend my money on something else instead of dealing with it.

The simple solution is to move onto something else that offers real hands on playing with with no fuss or compromises. I chose to not even make it a problem to deal with in the first place.

I share that sentiment.

An example of a toy loaded with gimmicks that felt 'satisfactory' despite having a relative simple transformation is the original Ultra Optimus Primal. All its gimmicks were peripheral to the actual toy and did not get in the way of it yet they added massively to its play value. In my opinion that is how gimmicks should be.

[roller]

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

you want me to deal with it huh?! eh?!!!! Dont hide in there, i know your in there!!!

i dont like to deal with things, im notoriously lazy

plus, after the breakup you know, its like a pasta, you eat it, you like the sauce, but you keep some for tommorow

[GoktimusPrime]

Just because something is necessary doesn't excuse it for being bad. I mean, food is necessarily for survival but I'm sure most of us wouldn't eat crap and are reasonably picky in terms of wanting to eat something that we find pleasing and hopefully with nutritional benefit. Likewise while gimmicks may be a necessity we would hope that they would be good gimmicks.

Accepting a necessity doesn't mean that we necessarily need to stop being discerning consumers. I don't think most people ever think that Transformers should ever be devoid of gimmicks altogether - as I said before, simply being able to transform itself is a gimmick. But they should have good gimmicks.

A good gimmick should be like a good music score for a movie - it should be noticeable but doesn't stick out like a sore thumb... i.e.: the gimmick should compliment the toy, not the other way around.

roller: lay off the red cordial man, seriously.

[STL]

Accepting a necessity doesn't mean that we necessarily need to stop being discerning consumers.

Oh I agree completely. I myself am a very discerning consumer. I'd wager I'm the only one or one of very few collectors who possesses a database that not to keep count of my TFs but to record my rankings on all the facets of a Transformer so I have a handle on what aspects of it work best. I'm very meticulous and can be downright harsh in my assessments. That said, I think that the fandom needs to look beyond its island and realise that gimmicks, good or bad, are part and parcel of Transformers. That doesn't stop us from being discerning consumers as you say but it means we start realising that Hasbro are not dolts for filling their toys with gimmicks.

roller: lay off the red cordial man, seriously.

What he said!