light up eyes gimmick question

[primatives]

has anyone noticed with the recent toys most notably generations soundwave and reveal the shield perceptor. They have those things in the back that makes the eyes look likes it glowing under light. Well they don't actually work so I was wondering whats the point of having that extra piece in the back, wouldn't it cost hasbro more to put it there???

Those light up eyes things look really cool! the henkei hound one looks really good

[kup]

has anyone noticed with the recent toys most notably generations soundwave and reveal the shield perceptor. They have those things in the back that makes the eyes look likes it glowing under light. Well they don't actually work so I was wondering whats the point of having that extra piece in the back, wouldn't it cost hasbro more to put it there???

Those light up eyes things look really cool! the henkei hound one looks really good

Eyes light piping has always been a bit of hit and miss. You can see that the toy was designed to have it but often the surface angle of the head, surrounding kibble or size of the eyes/pipe doesn't help it while on the other hand, some can be very successful.

Sometimes Hasbro/Tomy seem to be able to identify a failed light pipe gimmick and actually paints over it rather than keeping the plastic clear just so that the eyes stand out rather than letting it remain dull.

[GoktimusPrime]

light piped eyes is nothing new, we first had it in Transformers Generation 2. In some cases it seems that Hasbro sometimes changes their mind at the last minute when it comes to 'cancelling' light piping, so they'll replace what would be a translucent piece with a solid piece. We had quite a few Transformers with this in 1996-97 e.g. Waspinator, Machine Wars Megatron etc. What's occured more recently is, as kup described, actual translucent plastic put in that does light pipe, but then that plastic is painted over. My guess is that it's a last second decision to 'cancel' the light pipe.

I find it to be pretty annoying as the problem you have is light "weeping" out of the corners of the eyes. (T_T)

[Paulbot]

light piped eyes is nothing new, we first had it in Transformers Generation 2 Turbomaster and Predators in the Euro/Aus exculsives at the end of Generation 1.

Fixed

Actually were there any earlier than those? I recall the gimmick from when I got Flash back in the early 90s and thinking it was really cool.

[GoktimusPrime]

I indeedily doodily. Hmmm... can't think of any TFs before '92 that had light piping, but it's way past my bed time now. <flop> (-_-)zzZzzZZzzz...

Edit: According to TFwiki the 1992 G1 Turbomasters and Predators were the first to have light piping.