Should There Be Another Beast Series?

[GoktimusPrime]

One of the things I've had in my head ever since Beast Wars began was an idea where the Maximals/Autobots fought against the Predacons/Decepticons.

It was a lot like what we're about to see with the Power Core Combiners, but would have had the Beast characters as partners instead of Mini-Cons. A "G1" character was partnered with a "Beast" Character with the Beast Wars guys sacrificing their weapons/body parts to act as power-ups and armour for the G1 guys.

Advancing that idea though, you could have the four factions set up as four individual parties. The Autobots and the Maximals fight for good, but disagreeing about the methods used to defeat their enemies. The Decepticons and Predacons could fight for conquest and destruction, splitting into factions because of individual power-lusts.

The Decepticons would eventually overpower the Predacons, refusing to acknowledge the pretenders to the throne, and force them into sub-servience, defeating both Autobots and Maximals quite easily with their new power. Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal reconcile their differences and combine to form Primal Prime, and the unified Autobots/Maximals fight against the powered-up Decepticons.

Then further G1 fan-wanks could ensue by having Primal Prime need to find the sword of Star Sabre and the Magnus Hammer in order to defeat the combined form of both Megatrons (aka Galvtron/Gammatron)...

Okay, so I got a little ahead of myself. But the initial idea was always kinda cool to me.

That could only work if there was a continuity reboot. It wouldn't work if the new series tried to stay in-continuity with existing G1/G2/BW/BM canon because the Autobot and Decepticon factions were dissolved after Pax Cybertronia and the rise of the Maximals and Predacons.

Having Autobots/Decepticons vs. Maximals/Predacons would be akin to having the Republic/Separatists vs. Empire/Rebels at the same time! The Autobots became the Maximals and the Decepticons became the Predacons just as the Republic became the Empire and the Separatists (some of them) became the Rebellion. The fanboy in me would love to see Mace Windu go toe-to-toe with Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Maul, but canonically it's impossible.

But that's what toy fantasy play is for (and why I still love playing with my toys)... I frequently invent totally ridiculous (but fun (to me)) stories when I play with my toys, like this one! The story is complete bollocks, but damn it was fun to play out!

[Seraphim Prime]

That could only work if there was a continuity reboot. It wouldn't work if the new series tried to stay in-continuity with existing G1/G2/BW/BM canon because the Autobot and Decepticon factions were dissolved after Pax Cybertronia and the rise of the Maximals and Predacons.

Oh I know that in the G1 canon it would be impossible. But I wasn't necessarily proposing it need be in-continuity. I'm actually one of those who don't mind the alternate realities/reboots we get. It provides for some interesting stories and figure designs.

[GoktimusPrime]

It provides for some interesting stories and figure designs.

You can get this with in-continuity stories too. Either way I like both reboots and in-continuity stories (although I have a personal preference for in-continuity) -- I think one thing we can all agree on, regardless of canonicity, is that a story needs to be well written and interesting!

And toys... absolutely. Good toys will sell even with a crap story or even no story at all. Just look at Classics. Yeah I know that stories exist for them, but they're rare - and the toys sold like hotcakes regardless. Robots In Disguise in Australia is another example (arguably a better example since they don't have "pre-existing" marketing like Classics do from G1) -- RiD toys were flying off shelves here months before the TV show debuted.

[kup]

Classics do have a story - They are direct representations of G1 1980s characters as well as the many continuities in which these characters have appeared such as Sunbow, Marvel, DW, Botcon, IDW, etc.

Many people that bought them were attracted to the toys for this reason. Of course they are also very good toys all by themselves.

[GoktimusPrime]

Classics do have a story - They are direct representations of G1 1980s characters as well as the many continuities in which these characters have appeared such as Sunbow, Marvel, DW, Botcon, IDW, etc.

That's what I meant by "pre-existing marketing" and why RiD is probably a better example of toys selling really well (initially) without supporting fiction to market it. The toys were selling like crazy here long before the TV show ever aired on Australian TV.

[CryptiK]

I had a thought. I would like to see Beast Machines completely thrown out the window(it was crap compared to BW) and on there way back to cybertron they hit another time portal and are sent to G1 earth either after or during the G1 earth war in which we see Autobots and Maximals vs Decepticons and Predicons. I just want to see this happen so we can get Garry Chalk and Peter Cullen in the same show Prime and Primal that would be the greatest ever.