Are we becoming jaded or more discerning as Transformer fans?

[Verno]

I'm jaded as all hell, but then my relationship to the franchise for the past 15 years has been that of a spectator for the most part.

As a spectator (going so far as to call myself an outsider), I spend a lot of my time reading and listening to the thoughts of others, and there is no doubting the negative vibe/vein that runs through the fandom as a whole. I'm as guilty of the next person when it comes to having a whinge about something from time to time.

An example of my whnging would be about the paint job on Hasbro's 2006 Beast Wars 10th Anniversary Dinobot. To this very day, I cannot understand how such a pathetic rendering of that figure was released to the market, baring absolutely no resemblance to the CGI model's colour scheme.

But whinging such as this is entirely justified. Hasbro deserves a kick in the ass in such instances -- when they get something so very simple so very, very wrong.

The overuse/repeated use of characters like Optimus Prime and Bumblebee is another frustration that even fans of the movies would have to admit.

Hasbro do occasionally get things right, and must be applauded for that. Generations Rhinox, Waspinator and Rattrap look absolutely sublime. I can only say look however because Hasbro have screwed up their own production of the Waspinator figure, meaning I'm yet to enjoy any of them. Also, the figures aren't stocked by stores here in Australia. It's a total s#!t storm for a casual fan like myself.

But I think the biggest frustration of the franchise as a whole (to me) is the fact that Transformers is Optimus Prime vs Megatron. Every year, every series, every line, it's the same. Even Beast Wars, which was hailed as a new beginning, was led by an Optimus and a Megatron.

I wouldn't want the Transformers franchise to survive another 30 years if it's just going to be those two again and again. Give us some new blood.

[Trent]

But I think the biggest frustration of the franchise as a whole (to me) is the fact that Transformers is Optimus Prime vs Megatron. Every year, every series, every line, it's the same. Even Beast Wars, which was hailed as a new beginning, was led by an Optimus and a Megatron.

I wouldn't want the Transformers franchise to survive another 30 years if it's just going to be those two again and again. Give us some new blood.

I agree with the whole Optimus/Megatron thing. It's getting old. That's why I'm such a fan of Dai Atlas. Not only is he not a Prime, he kicks arse! He is the way a leader of a intergalactic civil war needs to be to win.

[Verno]

I agree with the whole Optimus/Megatron thing. It's getting old. That's why I'm such a fan of Dai Atlas. Not only is he not a Prime, he kicks arse! He is the way a leader of a intergalactic civil war needs to be to win.

It almost seems like Windblade is the first new character in a decade. We have a huge number of established characters, so there seems to be a trepidation to break new ground. Hasbro were so scared of this that they made the public vote on who the new character would be, just so they had some relation to her before she debuted. But the most interesting part is that it wasn't to feature in the main TF property at the time (TF: Prime) but delayed to appear in the comics. Do they not trust the fans?

[Trent]

Do they not trust the fans?

The fandom tried to get Erector into the TF hall of fame. I think it's safe to say that Hasbro doesn't trust us

[Verno]

The fandom tried to get Erector into the TF hall of fame. I think it's safe to say that Hasbro doesn't trust us

But where does that derision for Hasbro stem from in the first place if not from Hasbro themselves and their past misdeeds?

And besides, the HoF is laughable anyway. 1st year - Optimus, Megatron, Bumblebee and Starscream. What's the point of it?!

[Shirokaze]

What is your current opinion of the current state of Transformers in all its myriad forms?

Movies - While the movies have advanced the brand in leaps and bounds when it comes to recognition and have accomplished some fantastic big-screen feats, it seems they have also become notorious. These days I can't seem to get through a conversation about Transformers with anyone in the 20-30yo age bracket without the mention of how terrible the movies are.
As people that have an emotional investment in the franchise, I think it's easy for us to become critical about how Transformers is being handled when all you hear from the general public is negativity.

Toys - In this case, I feel that every step Hasbro takes forward, they take two back.

Characters we thought we'd never see/strong collector focus via Generations: Poor distribution to anywhere but the US, generally terrible paint apps.

Expansion into many different lines: reduced figure size, reduced figure quality.

The list goes on

TV - I think TF Prime did pretty well at telling a story and hitting it's target demographic. Bring on the Bumblebee Prime

What do you believe has influenced your current opinion of the Transformers brand? (age, experience etc)
Again the declining quality and shrinking of figures is getting me down. This combined with growing up and the realisation of the value of money, I no longer feel like I'm getting my money's worth when I buy a figure.

Do you believe that either you yourself, or the fanbase taken as a whole, has become somewhat ungrateful and jaded?
Yeah definitely. When you care about something and have no control over what happens to it, all we can really do is express ourselves on forums and a lot of them time, it's going to come across as ungrateful.

[Magnus]

IMHO we tend to judge Hasbro unfairly and seem to forget that their key market is children and making toys. Adult logic should not apply. We're fortunate that from time to time they cater toward the adult collector.

I think that we should not label all fans that are critical of Hasbro/Toys as jaded or ungrateful as at the end of the day, even if we are adults, we are all Hasbro customers too.

While I do recognise that Hasbro have done a lot of great things for the Transformers brand that we can be thankful for, I don't think we have to prostrate ourselves before them whenever they throw us fans a bone. I also don't think it is a crime for us to demand that they do things BETTER, especially when we're buying the stuff.

This. I agree that we shouldn't have to accept every single thing that Hasbro sends our way, but at the same time, I can't help but feel that more than a few adult members of the Transformers fandom have a sense of self-entitlement, as if Hasbro exists solely to make them collectibles.

I agree with the whole Optimus/Megatron thing. It's getting old. That's why I'm such a fan of Dai Atlas. Not only is he not a Prime, he kicks arse! He is the way a leader of a intergalactic civil war needs to be to win.

It would make for an interesting shake-up. Maybe I'm being cynical, but I can easily imagine some fans protesting such a change if it were to happen now - "Transformers HAS to have Optimus vs. Megatron!!!!11111!!!!one!!1111 What blasphemy is this?!"

I say this because I find the (adult) fandom is highly resistant to change, at least at first - I still remember the uproar when movieverse Optimus was revealed to be a long-nosed truck instead of a flat-nosed one, and back in the '90s, there was 'TRUKK NOT MUNKY'.

[MayzaPrime]

I am actually pretty excited about the future of Transformers.

The Masterpiece series that Takara is currently releasing are just the best Transformers I have (and I have almost 1700).

The new line of Generations are really good, in fact I have bought multiples of particular figures which I dont normally do unless they are a repaint/retool.

With the 3 more movies to come, which will bring Billions of $$. Hasbro will be able to take more risks, like hopefully Titan class Trypticon .

Could Hasbro do things better? Yes they could, improved distribution, Headmasters , would be a good start.

[Paulbot]

I'm nearly mid-30 and TFs have been part of my life non-stop since I was 6. I find things to like and I find things to dislike. Such a long time has created an intense brand loyalty for me. so when I dislike something it's usually because I feel potential has been missed, but it's not the end of the world; I'll just wait for the next incarnation, the next toyline/comic/cartoon/movie whatever it is.

I think it's quite easy to focus on the jaded/negative stuff that fans talk about and become disillusioned with fandom and not see the stuff that's liked. When I've been at fan meets (in Vic, NSW, QLD and BotCon) the negativity that comes out of the keyboards doesn't come out of mouths, and if it does it's pretty well deserved.

Unfortunately it's a very common Internet thing to complain more than praise. The Internet was a great boost and rallying point for TF fans (I'm thinking back to the A.T.T. days) but the online complaint culture goes beyond TF fandom.

[GoktimusPrime]

Whenever I review anything, I always start with mentioning the pros first, to make myself consider the positives before discussing any negatives, then finally I draw a conclusion.

Wow I've never even thought of, read or seen anyone mention there was some racial characteristics behind transformers eye colour before. This is exactly why I have given up on the general fandom and couldn't care less if transformers faded into oblivion.

It's not a fandom thing. It's called the Hidden Curriculum and is widely recognised when discussing/evaluating children's literature. It's something that was I personally examined when I was doing Ethics in Education during my post graduate studies. A cartoon series targeted at children is a form of children's literature (film literature), and all children's literature (and indeed anything else that we present to children) is susceptible of having a hidden curriculum. It's something that everyone who is communicating with children needs to be mindful of, whether you're an author, teacher, parent etc. It's often interesting to see what the audience takes despite authorial intent.
e.g. Lord of the Rings functions as an allegory for the First World War, despite Tolkien having explicitly stated that it was never intended to be.