Hasbro reveal - Legacy w2 & Robosen Trailer

[GoktimusPrime]

Difficult topic, however they should all really be gender neutral... However I get that they aren't and why they shouldn't.

Transformers have genders to make them more relatable to the audience, and because languages like English lack gender-neutral third person pronouns. The first (and only?) tech specs bio in English to have no gendered pronouns was G2 Dreadwing/Smokescreen, making them the first gender-neutral Transformers... for a short while at least - until they appeared in the G2 comics and were referred to with male pronouns. And also because the voice actors/actresses are either men or women, and will have a man's or woman's voice.

I gotta admit that Machine Men handled robot genders better than Transformers. Lipstick aside (which TFs is equally guilty of), none of the female Machine Men had effeminate body proportions. Toys were just randomly assigned as male or female and just looked like their toys. And female Machine Men with faceplates just looked the same as the male robots... you couldn't tell if they were male or female until you heard their voices.

For Elita and her Dunebuggy alt mode, I just hope that a) it can be tooled to look like her proper alt mode, or they don't try and ham-fist Nightbeat into that mould and b) this dunebuggy does not equal Sureshot, Joyride, Ruckus. and I seriously want those guys, but not repurposed from this.

It might not be so bad if these characters have already been pre-purposed as other characters, like Nightbeat. I think that pre-tooling is a better option than retooling. e.g. Earthrise Cliffjumper was also pre-tooled as Bumblebee. It's obvious that from the outset, that mould was built to be both characters (then later retooled as Hubcap). As a result, all three figures are pretty solid. Kingdom Ultra Magnus on the other hand is clearly a retrospective retool of Siege Ultra Magnus, and does consequently suffer somewhat.

[griffin]

As others have pointed out, it does seem to be a pre-tool of Minerva. The alt mode does look much more G1-accurate than the Netflix figure though. To me it looks like what Elita-1 might transform into if she scanned an Earth mode.

Even though we never get a good look at Elita-1 in the original cartoon, we saw the front part as a pointed vehicle a bit like Arcee, which is nothing like the square car in Legacy...



...but they did homage her head poking out the top though, so I guess that's one thing. I just don't know why they chose this vehicle mode, as if the previous toys with very odd alt-modes (a boat for BotCon, a Jet for POTP, an Arcee redeco for Netflix toyline) made it okay to keep the tradition alive.

As for the claim that people are saying that Elita-1 is a "pre-tool of Minerva", I find it hard to believe because the car and robot mode of Elita-1 look nothing like the original Minerva toy or JP cartoon appearance (or any appearance that I could see on the tfwiki page for Gen1 Minerva (referring to the non-human component) and Animated Minerva), which would need a major remould t

The original Minerva toy and cartoon appearance looked more like the Jazz car than Legacy Elita-1, but if the focus is on robot modes being accurate, a remoulded SS Jazz toy might look right in car mode, but not in robot mode with the car front on the chest.

[Paulbot]

As for the claim that people are saying that Elita-1 is a "pre-tool of Minerva", I find it hard to believe because the car and robot mode of Elita-1 look nothing like the original Minerva toy or JP cartoon appearance (or any appearance that I could see on the tfwiki page for Gen1 Minerva (referring to the non-human component) and Animated Minerva), which would need a major remould t

You probably have not caught up with the IDW Wreckers Treads and Ciruits comic yet as I know you have a backlog of comics. In the book Minerva is drawn looking just like this Elita-1 toy (but with a head that's more like the original version.)

The same series featured Knock Out based on the toy that's just been revealed (people picked up his comic appearance was a Studio Series Jazz retool)

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

You probably have not caught up with the IDW Wreckers Treads and Ciruits comic yet as I know you have a backlog of comics. In the book Minerva is drawn looking just like this Elita-1 toy (but with a head that's more like the original version.)

That i very interesting, especially since on the live stream, the guy pointed out the way that Elita-1's backpack wheels can be wiggled around. Which would represent that comic Minerva a LOT.
I wonder if they'd keep her as a headmaster.

[griffin]

If anyone is interested in buying the trailer, Robosen has a form for interested international customers to complete. If there are enough numbers, they'll make it happen.
https://forms.monday.com/forms/7aeab...3ac2dc83407d42

It is a strange way of seeing if there is interest (I couldn't find anything on their actual website), so if they really are doing something for non-Americans, I'm not sure how they were going to do it (like through an agent in certain countries, or directly from America).

The official product page on the Robosen website, with heaps of info and images, to be released in November 2022.

(the price for the trailer from the site (only to America) is us$750... but they are currently selling the Optimus cab for us$1000, which keeps going up, as it was originally released for us$700)

[griffin]

Another one of the Hasbro designers has been posting on Instagram for a little while now, and has released design details for Motormaster/Menasor, showing sketches and a grayscale prototype to work out the combiner mode.

[griffin]

Official images of the re-release Siege VOY Soundwave in wave 2 of Legacy, looking very sharp without the Siege paint apps.

[reillyd]

Transformers have genders to make them more relatable to the audience, and because languages like English lack gender-neutral third person pronouns. The first (and only?) tech specs bio in English to have no gendered pronouns was G2 Dreadwing/Smokescreen, making them the first gender-neutral Transformers... for a short while at least - until they appeared in the G2 comics and were referred to with male pronouns. And also because the voice actors/actresses are either men or women, and will have a man's or woman's voice.

I always thought Starscream was the first gender neutral, or at least gender non-binary, Transformer.
The voice was always ambiguous and sounded very feminine, and at best Starscream?s personality was androgynous with elements of masculine and feminine. Even through the eyes of a child at the time, Starscream seemed?.. both boy/girl combined.

[Trent]

It is a strange way of seeing if there is interest (I couldn't find anything on their actual website), so if they really are doing something for non-Americans, I'm not sure how they were going to do it (like through an agent in certain countries, or directly from America).

The official product page on the Robosen website, with heaps of info and images, to be released in November 2022.

(the price for the trailer from the site (only to America) is us$750... but they are currently selling the Optimus cab for us$1000, which keeps going up, as it was originally released for us$700)

I look at this trailer and all I can think is that Armada Optimus says hi.

[griffin]

Hasbro America had another roundtable with invited (american) fans, answering some questions after the latest round of reveals...

Transformers Roundtable April 20th 2022
** Below are very short notes from the Transformers Brand Team roundtable today. This is ALL PARAPHRASED, jotted down quickly during the event.

General notice – Asia leads the Masterpiece reveals, MPM Blackout will be offered in the US soon.
TFormers – Will the non-G1 universes be considered sub-lines within Generations/Legacy going forward? Legacy is it’s own line, won’t be sub-lines within it for each universe. Buzzworthy and Selects are separate, and will have cross branding with when it fits.
Awesome Toy Blog – Concern with limbs being split across waves, hard to find first ones for someone coming in late. Box sets like what was done with Devastator not off table.
Transmissions – Yellowing on recent figures – Aware, researching issue. Has been seen by Mark and team, forwarded to engineering for research. Feedback, specifics always welcome, helps narrow down the problem. Pandemic restricted traveling to Asia for quality checks.
Allspark – Legacy Blitzwing – turret – can it turn all the way around. Yes. Got a sample and did so on camera (though choppy connection).
Anthony Karcz – How do you pick out which characters to do? Delicate balance. What’s on shelf all together, cars, planes, beasts, colors. What’s been done before. Budget. Takara’s input, marketing wanting tier 1 characters. Lots of angles.
TFW2005 – Cybertron Metroplex – what was the thought process behind choosing a non-G1 character for such a large expensive figure? Story at first. He mines Energon, play pattern across Legacy involves Energon. So initial trigger for including this Metroplex was story. In addition, toys are still designed with kids in mind so the play pattern and overall coolness of a big construction vehicle was factored into the decision.
??? (sorry) – How is Legacy doing sales wise, non-G1 characters etc. – PO numbers are doing well, crushing War for Cybertron. The non-G1 characters are also doing better than some G1 characters, which shows demand is there.
BWTF – Pricing. 12-18% increase across line. Will this continue? Can’t say there won’t be more. Reacting to world events. Deluxe will be 24.99 going forward for now.

Matt Thomas – Soundwave – Siege vs Netflix – why? Walmart exclusive originally. When exclusives are done, they have it for a certain time, so couldn’t be done now. Walmart does have right to do another run right now. (No clarification or confirmation that it would be done after the exclusive time frame ends.)
Rodimus Primal – Open box – issues with heads removed, crushed boxes from shipping. – Most likely not going back to plastic. Closed box an option. Balance out seeing figure and how important. Kids testing likes the open box.
West Lee Dixon – Menasor – compatible with Combiner Wars? – legs, yes, but not 100% sturdy. Arms – no. Goal is to make Menasor proper best he could be, not be scramble city functional.
Siebertron – Weapon packs? – anything possible, on radar, looking at things like this. Try to get missed weapons into new molds if tool and budget allows.
Anthony TFU – Legacy and ports/connections from past lines present – Metroplex using them? – lots of 5 and 3 mm ports, connectors for city /road connections. Drill Bit – costed out. Core offering in future – possible.
Kevin Unicron – ROTB delay affecting product on shelf this year? Didn’t affect Legacy / fan side. And for Studio Series – that’s when SS ROTB stuff was intended to come out anyway. RE: live events – looking at the options now at corporate level.
TFwiki – Legacy core not mentioning Weaponizers gimmick – not called Weaponizers but there are “gimmicks” for collecting more than one to build things out. Kids focused angle. Not making it a primary focus, just there to let fans/kids create their own things from all the pieces.
Jeremy – Shattered Glass comic with Magnus? – New 5 part mini series, Magnus issue, continuing story.
Matt Thomas – Can Galaxy Upgrade Prime hold Cybertron Metroplex weapon? Not sure, didn’t have one handy to check. Wheel doesn’t open.