Things you never realised about Transformers (toys etc)

[Seraphim Prime]

on a side note, I don't think the skylanders or Disney infinity download anything from the toys, it's just an RFID tag inside the toy that when close enough to the RFID reader in the game base is read and unlocks the game character and data that is pre-installed on the game disk or downloaded from the interwebs as required by the game.
incredibly cheap to produce and a massive money spinner.

Don't know about the Disney Infinity figures, but I remember one of the early selling points of the Skylanders figures was that they would level up and have unique stat improvements/weapons/clothes that would stay with the individual figure and could be carried between different games.

Admittedly, you could do a lot of that via an internet-based database, but you'd be dealing with a lot of unique codes.

[UltraMarginal]

Don't know about the Disney Infinity figures, but I remember one of the early selling points of the Skylanders figures was that they would level up and have unique stat improvements/weapons/clothes that would stay with the individual figure and could be carried between different games.

Admittedly, you could do a lot of that via an internet-based database, but you'd be dealing with a lot of unique codes.

Very interesting.

[griffin]

Ironic that the unobtainable 'chase figure' is called Chase... Hasbro just trolled us all hard.

It's actually been the curse of the Rescue Bots Chase character. The convertible figure in the first year (2011) was in the second wave with Blades, which saw very limited distribution. Then the Chase 2-pack figurine was in the first wave but was short-packed to make room for an extra Optimus figurine (the character is so "iconic" to adults, it was deemed more important to have it on the shelves in place of a cast character ), so it was very rare in the first year. Fortunately it was re-released in a later wave, but it was demanding decent prices on ebay for a while.

on a side note, I don't think the skylanders or Disney infinity download anything from the toys, it's just an RFID tag inside the toy that when close enough to the RFID reader in the game base is read and unlocks the game character and data that is pre-installed on the game disk or downloaded from the interwebs as required by the game.
incredibly cheap to produce and a massive money spinner.

I had a feeling it was something similar to the Transformers one, but wasn't sure how they were able to keep releasing new character figurines over a long period of time. If they are all in the game to start with, there should be a way to unlock them all with something techy. Or if they are uploaded online into the game, that would mean the later figurines would need to come with a warning that they may not work if you don't have an internet connection.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

The faux wheels on the feet aren't just decorative, they also perform a practical function in preventing Ultra Magnus from rolling in robot mode and thus having that "roller skate" effect that you get on G1 Ultra Magnus (and even the City Commander 3P upgrade).

That just seemed logical to me. Am I getting too old and grumpy nowadays

[griffin]

This has been around for a while, and probably even posted here before... but these things are always worth re-posting, for the new and old fans.
The 1985 Sears Christmas catalogue, featuring toys... and it's a LOT of toys.
A couple pages of second year Transformers, plus MASK, MOTU, She-Ra, Voltron, GIJoe, GoBots.
The thing that always amazes me though is the GIJoe Flagg aircraft carrier... at four times the size of Fortress Maximus... it's over a foot taller/longer than me.

Now that's the sort of catalogue I'd love to shop from... I'd be so poor if I was this age back then.

Another retro catalogue, this time from the UK store Argos. Sounds like it might be a mail-order catalogue.

[millhouse]

Another retro catalogue, this time from the UK store Argos. Sounds like it might be a mail-order catalogue.

Coming from the UK, I remember being back their on holidays in 1993 aged 10 and visiting Argos.

You basically (as I remember) go in with a catalogue, and they get the stuff from the back for you. Not a big box self-service department store like Big W.

Actually, the TFW2005 board post mentions it as an "order & wait" store. A totally foreign concept these days - but I don't know how common it was around the world at the time. The same post mentions it was unique in the UK.

[M-bot]

Another retro catalogue, this time from the UK store Argos. Sounds like it might be a mail-order catalogue.

I flicked through a few pages and the page just prior to the TFs in the winter '85 catalogue has a pre-Transformers Omega Supreme! (called Convertors Omegatron). As soon as they invent the Delorean Time machine...

[Seraphim Prime]

Masterpiece Wheeljack has a mustached face hidden behind his mouthplate!

Like MP1 convoy before him, the MP designers have had a bit of fun and given Wheeljack an actual face behind the plate. I don't have a photo, but if you go to Seibertron, you'll see what I mean.

It appears you need to unscrew the two half of the heads to open it up and see.

[M-bot]

Masterpiece Wheeljack has a mustached face hidden behind his mouthplate!

Like MP1 convoy before him, the MP designers have had a bit of fun and given Wheeljack an actual face behind the plate. I don't have a photo, but if you go to Seibertron, you'll see what I mean.

It appears you need to unscrew the two half of the heads to open it up and see.

Something similar behind MP Ultra Magnus's face too.

[CoRDS]

That you can do this


edit: smaller darn image (sorry for that huge one)