Cyberverse - are the toys getting too simple or are people getting dumber?

[MayzaPrime]

I initially said that I would be skipping the RID line, but was eventually won over by how much fun I had with my kids playing with them. So I bought a few myself.

I really don't think I will have this problem with the Cyberverse line. I really think that my kids will be bored by this line. My 7 year old has now moved on to the the Studio Series line and is bugging me for Starscream, I really can't see him going back to a basic line like this.

[SharkyMcShark]

Even if we just do a straight up comparison with Warrior Class RID Starscream, we can see that this Warrior Class Starscream is outright inferior. I actually gave RID Starscream a pretty positive review, but I cannot say the same about this steaming pile of faecal matter.

If we do an outright comparison with the bloody Thrilling 30/Combiner Wars legends class seeker, this comes out as a loser.

[griffin]

(moved discussion from CYB Warrior Starscream toy review topic)

[griffin]

I don't think that 6 year olds are necessarily this stupid, but rather Hasbro is assuming that they are. The tone of these toys is condescending to children which is usually a recipe for shelfwarmers.

Don't forget, us consumers aren't the customer of the Toy Company... it's the Retailers... and that's who the Toy Companies care about pleasing with their demands or requirements. This sort of "dumbing down" of toys isn't the fault of the Toy Companies, it's the fault of the major retailers (mostly Walmart, TRU, and Amazon) who demand these lower standards in order to be able to sell to the lowest common denominator, so that their profit projections are maximised by capturing all of the potential market (if a toy requires too much thought or skill, they lose a portion of the market who just wants some cheap coloured plastic to throw at their game-ap, youtube-zombie kid).
Remember, retailers are presented with a range of products every year at Toyfair (in several countries around the world). The Retailers are the ones who choose the toys that they think they can sell to the most customers, and if possible, marketed for free (by a cartoon, movie or TV advertising paid for by the Toy Company), and with the best profit margin possible. Toy companies can produce all the quality toys they want, but if they don't meet those 3 criteria (free advertising, simple/gimmick, huge profit margin), the Retailers will just ignore it and walk over to the products that ticks their checklist. This could be why Hasbro has tried to split up Transformers across 3 demographics, to get most of their products to appeal to Retailers (the two younger demographics) in order to get the Brand into their stores, and if possible, convince them to order some of the older demographic toys (Generations) if they have room in their budget... because Hasbro knows that a 30+ year Brand like Transformers ends up having adults who were fans as a kid, buying TFs for their kids or kids of their friends.... and then maybe buying something nostalgic for themselves while they are there because they remember those toys/characters as a kid.

Generations toys are the more interesting and challenging line of Transformers (even with the various gimmicks added just to be able to get Retailers to even look at them at Toyfair), but the major retailers go for the cartoon/movie based toys that are gimmick heavy and simple for all types of children, not just the ones who are more likely to embrace and demand toys of the Brand.
Before the major players dictated things, the smaller operators and independents would have more buying power to be more interested in quality over quantity... which is why the 80s and early 90s had some great toylines. Now, Toy Companies have to make what *their* customers want, or else they go out of business.


Maybe a way to encourage Retailers to buy/demand the more challenging, detailed Transformers toys, is to have recommended "intelligence" levels on the packaging instead of "difficulty", so that their public image is that they aren't a source of simple products... or would it be too politically incorrect in today's world to imply that a child isn't as intelligent as others just because they prefer a toy that has an intelligence rating on it of "non-challenging" ?

[Ralph Wiggum]

Kinda answered your own question there Griff. Why pick a term which is potentially controversial (warranted or not) when you can choose a word with none of the connotations?

[Trent]

As long as there’s context for the comparison I have no issue with G1 comparisons.

Sure, G1 Starscream the unposeable partsformer doesn’t stack up against a lot of more modern Transformers, but in the context of the 1984 Transformers, he’s not a notably bad toy. Reflector was a Partsformer mess. Prime has add on fists that can’t hold his gun.

If we’re just doing a direct comparison between a G1 toy and a modern toy without that time setting context... well then yeah. Rose coloured glasses may be relevant.

Have to disagree about Starscream. First time I handled one as a kid (mid eighties), I knew even in the context of toys of that day and age it was a disappointment. I remember clearly thinking “Is that it? It doesn’t do anything!”.

[dirge]

Have to disagree about Starscream. First time I handled one as a kid (mid eighties), I knew even in the context of toys of that day and age it was a disappointment. I remember clearly thinking “Is that it? It doesn’t do anything!”.

Yeah it wasn’t a standout back then. But, I mean, there were a few Transformers back then that were kibbleformers & add-on fists were common. Heck. Even Optimus Prime has a trailer than just sat to the side of the robot itself.

The fact the winds and tail fins detached makes it look worse than it is - technically they rotate to transform, rather than detach. But of course they detach very very easily.

[Bemblebuu]

The 'parts-formery' aspect of the original G1 seekers was always annoying to me as a kid, mainly because there'd always be that chance of losing something. As an adult, I look back on those toys as flawed but at least they were well made (the amount of die-cast metal alone was awesome). Say what you will about G1 figures, but the vast majority had fantastic vehicle/ alternate modes, even if the robot modes suffered.

The new Cyberverse line has mostly crap robot and alt modes. The plastic used feels cheap and there is no way in Hell these are worth what Hasbro/ retail want for them...which is really the crux of the matter for me, irrespective of whether these figures are 'meant just for kids'. They should be priced at at least a third of what they are asking.

[i_amtrunks]

My six year old nephew has really been bitten by the tf bug in the last three months. Loved his rid and rescuebits figures but prefers my spare predators and turbomasterswhen he comes to visit (also loves the real gear sublime from the first movie but can’t quite get the transformations as yet)

I showed him the pics of the first wave and asked if he’d like some of them as presents, his response of “no thanks, I want more of these” (whilst shoving rid battle bashers /whatever the two packs that combine are called in my face.

I think they’d be a good transformer for a three to four year old with no experience in the same way I think those ginormous brittle/ thin plastic figures that only have moving shoulders (which there are tf ones) are good toys... not very much and please never for my kid. There are bootleg knockoff toys with better feeling plastic and designs than these, for a much more appealing price.

I know the retailers drive a lot of these decisions now, but those are the same idiots who only buy a thousand wave one movie figures and wonder why they don’t sell...

[DELTAprime]

I know not everyone will agree but I like the simplified engineering we have on more recent figures over the figures that were complicated up because of the Bayverse success. While yes there are plenty of great figures from that era before the re-simplification there are also those that were needlessly complicated. I want to have fun with my Transformers and a transformation that strikes the balance of it's just plain fun and not boring is right for me.

And frankly one of my favorite Transformers is the electronic RB Optimus Primal, a one step transformation which is just fun.

Though I do miss the solidness of figures like my Henkei Convoy and now that we have lost Takara's higher quality paint jobs I'm missing that also.