Universe 2.0 Cyclonus Pics

[GoktimusPrime]

This is no different than the tactics employed by companies ranging from McDonald's to Playboy magazine and virtually the marketing department of every product-based company in between. The marketing department's job is to make the product look attractive. Realizing that, Hasbro seems to focus on the retail experience. This is evident by their behavior and of course the effort they make on packaging.

Takara makes their products look attractive in photos too, but the photos tend to match the products better. With Takara when it comes to comparing their promotional photos and toys it's pretty much a case of WYSIWYG.

Let's look at the promotional images for Henkei just as an example. I currently only have Henkei Megatron and Astrotrain, but IMO the photos in those promotional images on the site and on their packaging pretty much look just like the toys. Generally when buying Takara TFs I know that the toys will look like the photos whereas with Hasbro's photos I always have to take it with a grain of salt - and like images in McDonald's or Playboy, I know that the real thing doesn't look like what's in the photo. Well, maybe except for griffin's avatar - that thing freaks me out. Cosmetic & shampoo companies do it too but they sometimes include disclaimers telling you that it's enhanced.

In the end I learn to never fully trust images from McDonalds, Hasbro etc. I'll trust Playboy though. Seriously... Megan Fox is not that good looking IRL IMO. But IMO she looks pretty hawt in the Transformers movie - and I like to believe in that image despite having seen how ordinary she actually looks IRL. Movies are fantasies and I'll happily escape into it. Megan Fox may not be that hot, but Mikaela is! (^_^)

meh--> <--yeah!

[kup]

The whole topic has become kind of funny now.

I kept thinking of someone buying a Megan Fox and then returning her because she wasn't as advertised

When it comes to taking Hasbro's pics with a grain of salt, I used to do that before now I have to take it with a spoon full.

[Pulse]

The whole topic has become kind of funny now.

I kept thinking of someone buying a Megan Fox and then returning her because she wasn't as advertised

Hey, I know she's got tats in weird places but it doesn't bother me in the slightest...

[King Atlas]

Seems to be a pretty sweet mould, just needs the right paint app. Whoa, now were using Megan Fox as an example?

[STL]

I dunno, it's like buying a Zinger burger. The pictures all look so fresh, crispy, saucy and green. Yet when I open it up, it's shriveling but I still eat it.

[Pulse]

I dunno, it's like buying a Zinger burger. The pictures all look so fresh, crispy, saucy and green. Yet when I open it up, it's shriveling but I still eat it.

that's a strange analogy... (Well, maybe if TFs were blended up into something tasty... )

[kup]

I like the mold too but the awful paint finish is enough to make me wait for a Henkei release.

If for whatever reason that doesn't happen, only then would I buy the Universe figure (with the intension of finishing the paint job) but I wouldnt be surprised if a year from now we get 'Premium Editions' from Hasbro.

[FFN]

It's not all just immediate profit that keeps a company afloat. Good thing you don't run a business.

You can only ream people for so long before they discover that they can just sit on the broom handle themselves.

They're not reaming anybody. Besides, the majority of people who would care about this issue to such an extent that they would display real anger would be internet collectors. Most of their other customers aren't so discerning.

Obviously, Hasbro's profitability and success with Transformers is the reason why the brand is so strong in the west. Good brand strength means long-term viability. You don't want Hasbro or Transformers to be in the same position as it is in Japan where it's not doing nearly as well, is obscure and the company that originated the toys that led to the creation of the brand is now owned by Tomy.

If anybody remembers, when Hasbro 'merged' with Milton Bradley, the company was briefly known as Hasbro Bradley, before going back to Hasbro. Internationally, TakaraTomy is known as Tomy. All TF copyrights now say Tomy, no more Takara.

This ties in to Hasbro's perception of the _stores_ as their customer, not the actual end customer. They care not if the end customer enjoys the product, as long as the retailer buys the assortment in the first place.

Hasbro balances the need to run a profitable, successful company (hey, their shares are worth nearly twice as much as Mattel's), with the needs of providing X products at X cost per unit, which ends up affecting the price you get charged as a consumer. I think it's extremely, exceptionally cynical to say they don't care if the end consumer enjoys the product or not. Sure, they mostly don't sell directly to the consumer, but they hope you enjoy their work and their wares.

Even if you do return the products to the store, the store loses out - not Hasbro - since it's the store which loses out. They have to try and resell an opened toy. It's not cost effective for them to return it to Hasbro, and that would require a lot of negotiation anyway.

Don't stores have insurance for such things? If things are returned or stock is unsold, usually retailers have some kind of insurance where the manufacturer or distributor has to pay them back for the faulty or unsold stock.

[dirge]

I think it's extremely, exceptionally cynical to say they don't care if the end consumer enjoys the product or not. Sure, they mostly don't sell directly to the consumer, but they hope you enjoy their work and their wares.

No, they hope end consumer _buys_ their wares. Whether or not they enjoy isn't as important to Hasbro, who have stated in the past that they see retailers as the customer. Remember, Hasbro are assuming that this year's customers will largely outgrow Transformers in a year or two, anyway. If the end consumer buys a few toys, has a bad experience and moves on, it only matters to the manufacturer if that end consumer would have otherwise returned. Hasbro are driven by profit and keeping shareholders happy. They only need to care about the end consumer as far (s)he affects profits.

Obviously collectors are more dedicated, but I think Hasbro take for granted that dedication (that's not meant in a cynical way - they know collectors will be around for longer, without them necessarily having to strive to keep the collectors interested).

Don't stores have insurance for such things? If things are returned or stock is unsold, usually retailers have some kind of insurance where the manufacturer or distributor has to pay them back for the faulty or unsold stock.

Remember that I was referring to fans returning "not as described" toys. Which is essentially a change-of-mind thing, rather than a fault. It's not easy for a retailer to claim that back from Hasbro - particularly when the return is likely within the store's refund policy.

I doubt that too many retailers would go to the trouble of exercising their right to return unsold stock when it comes to a clutch of opened, returned stock. That sort of thing is normally for excess volume.

Refunding a Transformer because of discontent with the finished product vs advertised pictures hurts the store only - in the short term. They have to pay the wages covering both sale & refund, and end up with imperfect stock. Hasbro wouldn't care about that unless the sheer number of refunds impacts on the store's likelihood to order again. I suspect this was the case with 1970s Bumblebee (with that faulty trigger), because reports of problems were widespread - and a running change was made.

[MV75]

They're not reaming anybody. Besides, the majority of people who would care about this issue to such an extent that they would display real anger would be internet collectors. Most of their other customers aren't so discerning.

Obviously, Hasbro's profitability and success with Transformers is the reason why the brand is so strong in the west. Good brand strength means long-term viability. You don't want Hasbro or Transformers to be in the same position as it is in Japan where it's not doing nearly as well, is obscure and the company that originated the toys that led to the creation of the brand is now owned by Tomy.

Yes, they are reaming everybody, collecters or not with the decline in quality and craftsmanship. Not so discerning? Why do certain toys set the shelves on fire then? As you quite rightly preach, collecters are the minority, it's the majority of others that are leaving them behind, and that is something to think about. They arn't vocal like we are, they voice their opinions silently by passing on the toy and buying something else. We are the ones to give the companies the why in writing in places such as this.

You can only ride the success of a movie for so long before people get tired of lower and lower quality appearing.

Do I see the need of a beast wars 2 in the near future (5-7 years)? Quite possibly.