BotCon 2012 "small" news and info

[griffin]

Big, exciting news is likely to be posted up as individual news items, and deserve to.

This is just for the smaller news items, and other BotCon events that aren't too news-worthy.

Wed 25th April - pre-registration pickup begins for those in the Custom Classes and Pre-con tours. Golden Ticket holders at 8.30 & 9.30 for the regular pre-registrants.

The attendee figure is revealed to be "Praxus" a Heroic Decepticon from the Mirror-Universe, using the Darkmount/Straxus mould... done in a golden-brown with brown and green.
I have photos of my own, but it is just quicker to give a link to one of the fansites that already have pics up.
(I'll upload my pics as soon as I can, as I have a pic of the robot mode as well)

And the Customising Class figure is "Longarm" (think back to Animated).
Looks like it is a Mirror Universe Shockwave, using the Classics Jazz mould, with a new head, gun-arm and weapon.
Similar idea to the Binaltech/Alternator series, with Shockwave being a purple Jazz.
Update - figure comes with two heads for the class members to choose which version they want...
(quote from TFW link above) "We can use either the Jazz head or ... a custom Shockwave head! Bio: he's a SG Autobot secret police. He's an Autotrooper. Leads them actually."


And after recent years revealing the at-show figures names in the BotCon program guide, a day before the toys are shown, it was the first page I turned to...
The figures for this year:
Small set - (Shattered Glass Gen2) Optimus Prime & Kickout (2000 sets)
Big set - Octopunch & Spinister (1500 sets)
3-pack - Junkions (2000 sets)

Plus 350 copies of two different Lithos this year, one can be seen here (shows off a couple of the at-show characters).

[KalEl]

thanks for the update excited to see more of your experiences mate

[fatbot]

that's some great news on the junkions, I wonder what the colour scheme is?

Any chance you can get the attendee figures for me as well Griffin?

[griffin]

I'm noticing some criticisms towards there being such a heavy focus on Mirror-verse characters/toys this year (and recently).
Of the 15 toys this year, 11 of them are Mirror-verse characters... which is essentially "all new" characters. Something that could be difficult for fans of "classic" Transformers to embrace or be too excited about.

It's kinda like ActionMasters to Gen1 fans - after several years of Gen1, we are faced with a series that is essentially a homage/gimmick line of super-detailed (for that era) figures... but Hasbro ends up releasing more new characters than pre-existing characters. At least if they were all pre-existing characters with great detailing, that line may have been better received, as they usually had more joints than the original figures, and looked more like their cartoon/comic versions.
Same here. FunPub have released so many "new" characters this year and recent years, that they aren't homaging Transformers (as us fans would know it, or expect from them)... they are homaging their own unique story universe, of which most collectors aren't collecting or interested in.
I personally want to see homages of classic characters (like the Overlord, Metalhawk, Spinister, Kickoff & Octopunch)... so if they can only give us 4 or 5 new homages, than don't go padding it out to 15 just to make up the numbers. They'll find that they have even less sympathy for all that wasted time & effort, that they could have been spending on fixing up the club itself and its other features.

[griffin]

that's some great news on the junkions, I wonder what the colour scheme is?

Any chance you can get the attendee figures for me as well Griffin?

Junkions are coloured purple, yellow, black & white... so think "Insecticons".
(they do colour swaps like that a fair bit in Mirror-verse, and can work quite well if paired up nicely - like the Technobots/Terrorcons colour swaps).

You are one of the first on my list - If I can afford the extras, I will get extras.
(you paid with paypal, so that money won't get to me in time for BotCon)

[Paulbot]

SG Shockwave looks really cool actually. I like the Alternator homage. It wouldn't be out of place as a classic earthmode version of the character. So of course it's the toy you can't actually get.

[fatbot]

You are one of the first on my list - If I can afford the extras, I will get extras.
(you paid with paypal, so that money won't get to me in time for BotCon)

that's all right I have the cash to do a bank transfer tonight if you want, LMK

[CHILENO20]

How much are the sets & how many extra can you purchase?

[i_amtrunks]

SG Shockwave looks really cool actually. I like the Alternator homage. It wouldn't be out of place as a classic earthmode version of the character. So of course it's the toy you can't actually get.

Agreed, that shade of purple they are using looks very nice on the Jazz mold.

The fact he is the autorooper leader also make him more desirable, espicially if he is a double agent ala animated Longarm.

[fatbot]

there are some up on ebay now, at the prices the junkions are at now, I may not be able to snaffle them up any time soon