Hasbro Q&A/August 2009

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A question archive of, and links to the answers from, the August 2009 Hasbro Q&As, released on August 24th or shortly thereafter (not to be confused with the July 2009 Q&A, the answers to which were actually released earlier in August).

The AllSpark.com section also includes a TF-relevant Marvel Q&A answer from September.

Questions

ActionFigs.com

1. This question has been on our "juuuust barely missed the votes" list since the very first round, and our readers definitely seem to want to know it, so here goes. When are you going to remake Kup? Granted, there have been a few other awesome old guy Transformers lately, Ratchet in Animated, Brakedown in the Cybertron line (who did get a Kup-styled repaint), but Kup himself is a beloved character we haven't seen used for far too long in the toy line, neither a US reissue nor a new version (the Botcon exclusive doesn't entirely count). With his recent significant appearance in All Hail Megatron, it seems like Kup is far overdue for a toy, and while a reissue would be a good start, an awesome new figure would be even better. So, any hope for a Kup figure? If so, any chance of that figure coming with his Targetmaster buddy, Recoil?
2. The new Human Alliance is starting to pick up steam, with Bumblebee and now Sideswipe showing up in stores, and the fan buzz about the line is really taking off. With Human Alliance, assuming the line continues beyond the sets shown, what is the future of the line, will we be seeing Sideways or Ironhide in the line? What about human(oid) characters like Major Lennox, Alice, even the Witwicky parents or hologram drivers? Might we even get more movie 1 characters like Jazz? How about off-screen Transformers, larger pricepoint figures, even recent comic book bots and humans for the Human Alliance line?
3. Even though this has been somewhat addressed at your panels at this year's Botcon and Comic-Con, questions about the ROTF Arcee motorcycle trio keep coming up as fans are both stymied and fascinated by the concept and potential behind these 3 characters. Can we get final clarification on a few things, like will this figure definitely be coming out? Can we get a definitive name on the 3rd bike character, is it Moonracer or Flareup or something else? Now that we've seen concept art for that character, the bike mode might pass as a repaint of Arcee but the bot mode absolutely could not, and their colors seem a little too similar, will this 3rd bike be a new sculpt, a retool, or just a repaint? Why haven't there been any images yet of this 3rd character or all 3 motorcycle figures in their combined mode, and might we get photos of that? Have you yet worked out the alternate method by which the combined mode instructions will be revealed since they won't be in the 3rd figure's instructions?

• ActionFigs.com answers. (archive copy)

Action Figure Insider

1. Will we see more Transformer Universe figures?
2. Will there be any more rereleases from the original line after Perceptor and the Insecticons? Are there any plans to release the last Universe Legends wave (featuring Wheelie and Cosmos) to stores?
3. Any chance for Arcee, Jazz or Wheeljack in the Universe line? What date will more Animated TF’s show up?

• Action Figure Insider answers

AllSpark.com

1. It's apparent that there are many more licensing agreements for ROTF than ever before - there's an Optimus Prime piñata for god's sake! - are the relationships with the licensees leaving you very satisfied with the quality and variety of product coming out? And can you tell us what's the strangest request you've had for licensing a product for Transformers (and whether or not you chose to turn it down?)
2. With a lot of the upcoming Movie Deluxes having a redeco with a retool head, is this going to be a standard practice to have an alternate head designed for most Deluxe figures from the get go? Or is this just a special case with the Movie line? Also, if the character is an off screen character, how do you decide what head to use first?
3. Can you confirm any release dates for the final few Animated figures as well as the Universe store exclusives, like the white Leo Prime?

• AllSpark.com answers

Excerpt from AllSpark.com Sep Hasbro/Marvel Q&A

• Does Hasbro have access to the Marvel-created human characters from the original Transformers comic-book run in the 80's? Characters like Circuit Breaker, Rapture, Thunderpunch, Dynamo, and Death's Head (the original appeared in the Transformers UK book)--who actually owns the IP, Hasbro or Marvel? And if you do have access to them, what are chances of 3.75" or 6" figures for these characters?

• AllSpark.com September Hasbro/Marvel Q&A answers

ASM

1. Does Hasbro create redecos before having a willing retailer to sell them, or do Target/Wal*Mart/etc. come to Hasbro and say "We want something for $20" and then Hasbro creates an exclusive? If both are valid methods, which is more prevalent?
2. With the movie line, we've seen non-vehicle-mode Transformers such as Scalpel and Ejector. What are the team's thoughts on designing toys like this? Is it a nice challenging break from vehicles, and do you think the potential is there to bring such ideas to non-Movie lines?

• ASM answers.

Cool Toy Review

1. The final wave of Animated that was revealed at Botcon are awesome, when will we be seeing these hit stores?
2. Any chance of re-releasing the last wave of universe legends figures? I never saw that last wave (Cosmos, Wheelie, etc) anywhere in my area. Maybe all the "Mini bots" from those 2 waves could be packaged together as a exclusive of some sort? Maybe even throw in a Bumblebee repaint into Cliffjumper.
3. Are there any other special/exclusive releases coming out for the 25th Anniversary this year? So, far we've had re-issued Prime and the upcoming SDCC Soundwave, TRU Perceptor, and TRU Insecticons. Any other re-issues that we can hope for or other surprises for this year's anniversary?

• Cool Toy Review answers

Cybertron.ca

1. Why is Canadian shipping from Hasbro Toy Shop so expensive?
2. Will Masterpiece Skywarp and or the last Animated figures (Arcee, Rodimus) be released in Canada? If so will they be exclusives to a particular retailer?
3. When will the Universe Classics line return?

• Cybertron.ca answers

Ozformers Australia

1. Does Hasbro have any data as to what percent of the Transformer market is adults (collectors) vs. children?
2. We are falling several waves behind on the Star Wars and Marvel Transformers. Are we going to catch up, or miss out on the figures that have not been seen here yet (V-wing, Plo Koon, AT-TE, AAT, Kit Fisto, Torrent Fighter, Magnaguard)?
3. The last assortment of Universe Legends (Rodimus, Cosmos, Wheelie, Warpath) have not been seen here yet. Are these still going to be released in Australia?
4. Is there still going to be a second wave of universe special editions being produced?
5. Are we getting any of the following items released here - 'Straightaway Shootout' Legends 5-pack, 'Robot Heroes Battle Scene packs (3 known so far), 'Autobot Strike Missions' 4-pack, 'Fury of Fearswoop' 3-pack, 'Gathering at the Nemesis' 3-pack, Movie small-Titanium 2-packs (US ToysRUs), Large Titaniums (US Target), Transformers Jenga set?
6. Will the new 'Buster Optimus Prime' from TakaraTomy (Movie Optimus with Gun) going to be released by Hasbro as well?
7. Why do running changes (like Movie Mudflap's numberplate, Skids' gold tooth, Sideways' darker colour, Breakaway's darker colour, Scalpel's shorter antenna, Cannon Bumblebee's clear windows) happen so soon after their first release? Why aren't they released like that in the first place?
8. Any plans for Hasbro (or as another AUS Hasbro direct import), to release the Alternity and Disney Transformers?
9. Any plans for an actual Remote Controlled Truck to look like Wheelie from the Movie, in the RPMs RC line?
10. In your last email, you listed the following items:
    93292 Movie 2: Deluxe Battle 2 Pack Asst - Sep-09 - TARGET (TBC)
    93420 Movie 2: Battle Pack - Oct-09 - TRU (TBC)
    16770 Transformers Voyager 2pk - Oct-09 - COSTCO (TBC)
    93357 Movie 2: Voyager Exclusive - Nov-09 - (TBC)
    93294 Movie 2: Movie Deluxe Battle 2 Pk - Nov 09 - (TBC)
    With so many store exclusives being released for the Movie, are there any actual names with these, to know which ones they are?

• Ozformers July answers published in August

Parry Game Preserve

1. Possbility of a RotF Ravage figure in Legends scale?
2. Any RotF Leader Class repaints on the way?
3. About how long will the RotF toy line be in stores?

• Parry Game Preserve answers

Seibertron.com

1. How much involvement does Hasbro have in Japanese-only TF releases such as BinalTech: Alternity and Device Label? Why does HASBRO not want to bring those ideas, and molds over to the U.S., or outside Japan, for release domestically, or in other markets, or at least make them available as HASBRO TOY SHOP exclusives?
2. Any chance of doing Human Alliance Figures for other TF ranges, for example Animated, and Universe (ala Starscream and Dr. Arcehville, G1 Bumblebee and Spike, Chip Chase and G1 Prowl, G1 Ratchet and Sparkplug, etc.)? Is the Human Alliance concept a design element that HASBRO likes enough to carry over into its other generations of Transformers?
3. Any expected re-start date of the Classics/Universe line? Are there any plans to re-release previous classics series toys for those who missed out on the original release? I. E. Classics Optimus Prime, Megatron.

• Seibertron.com answers

TFviews.com

1. By now we all know that the 2007 movie was a box office and toy aisle smash hit, even to the point where Hasbro had to play catch-up with production, but of course that’s looking back at the end results. Our question goes further back to ask if Hasbro had plans for what to do if the movie had bombed, and if so, what were they? If no solid plans, could we play hypotheticals and hear what you guys at Hasbro TF think would have been done if that had happened?
2. There’s no question that the second Transformers movie is a box office powerhouse, all but guaranteeing another sequel. With Revenge of the Fallen, the 2007 movie’s robot aesthetic was tweaked a little, this new film introduced combiners and robot siblings into the mix, and there was even a Pretender in the film (though not the toy line). With TF2 in the bag and TF3 on the horizon, what further tweaks and new additions would Hasbro’s TF design team like to tackle for the next film? Are there other types of gimmicks and shapes you’d like to attempt for the toy line? Other TF legacy concepts you’d like to see integrated into the next film? Of course, we understand that this is too early to actual talk about what WILL be done, but we’d still like to hear what the team would LIKE to do.
3. Despite the new movie’s stellar box office performance both at home and overseas, there have been some significant criticisms and points of negative feedback levied at the film from many different parties. How does Hasbro feel about types of humor employed in the film that could be called “low-brow”, “inappropriate”, and worse representing the Transformers brand as a whole? Is there any concern about that sort of thing possibly having long-term impact on audiences’ future opinions of the Transformers brand, especially as a toy franchise before a film franchise?

• TFviews.com answers

TFW2005

1. When will we hear about the new line / cartoon coming out after Revenge of the Fallen?
2. Would Hasbro be willing to sell Takara-Tomy Transformer products such as Henkei/encore figures to the collector's market in the United States similar to what Takara does with their "USA Edition" figures such as Universe powerglide/Masterpiece Starscream?
3. The large sized Robot Heroes toys (The Fallen, Demolishor, Devastator) in giftsets are a big success. Any plans on giving us G1-style large Robot Heroes (Unicron and Devastator were mentioned in last years Botcon) in 2010?

• TFW2005 answers

Toyark

1. Are there any plans to expand the Human Alliance sub-series to include human / robot pairings from past Transformers series?
2. Are there any plans to make more appliance based Transformers such as the Dyson Vacuum cleaner or the Mountain Dew vending machine "Dispensor" from the first movie?
3. Does the continuation of a Generation 1 reissue line of Transformers depend upon its popularity at Toys R Us? If the line turns out not to be viable in retail stores, would it be possible to offer a reissue line for sale through either HasbroToyShop.com or the Official TF Collector's Club?

• Toyark answers

Transformerland.com

1. As we are all sure, Hasbro is aware of the "gold plastic syndrome" that affected many G1, G2, and Beast Wars figures. Even though the last reported case came from a Beast Wars figure, the problem always took years to manifest. That means that when collectors see such figures as 2007's Protoform Starscream, or Animated Swoop from 2008, there is reluctance to buy. What steps have been taken in order to ensure that problems like "gold plastic syndrome" do not happen again in the future/are not happening with the figures being released today?
2. Earlier there have been questions regarding Hasbro’s view on custom fan-produced upgrade kits (City Commander Armor, ROTF Superion appendages etc.) for Transformers figures, and it’s been made clear that Hasbro does not condone the unauthorized production and sales of their toy designs or intellectual property. Even so, these items seem to have become popular and sought-after by Transformers-fans all over the world, as sometimes the figure offerings feel incomplete without the add-ons (trailers for the Primes and Magnuses, for example). Due to this interest, has Hasbro any plans of releasing any upgrade kits, add-ons or similar, even if it were only in a direct to customer format through your website?
3. In a globalized world like the current, we come to see every new item Hasbro is releasing on their website, however when I go to the toy shops, I can barely find anything. While I understand there may be certain promotional items for some shops (i.e., Toys R Us), I reckon you may be missing potential good sales by not making all your products available worldwide. It seems there are plans to keep releasing re-issues of classic G1 castings (such as: 25th anniversary Optimus, or the TRU exclusive Soundwave from 2007), but here in Chile we can only get them through private sources and not from a retailer. Is it possible to improve products' world wide distribution? (unanswered)

• Transformerland.com answers

Transformers Collectors' Club

1. With Nexus Maximus, the Fallen and Vector Prime, Hasbro has given the fans a taste of the original 13 Transformers in toy form. If the remaining characters are revealed in fiction, what would the chances of getting the rest of these ancient Transformers? Would that be something that Hasbro would consider?
2. Perceptor and the Insecticons are seeing to the revival of Hasbro's reissue line. If these are successful, what are the chances of seeing Hasbro releases of some of the larger Takara Tomy reissues, like Metroplex, Skylynx and Omega Supreme?
3. Has progress been made on the scheduling for the Hasbro/Discovery Kids channel? Is it known when the switch will be made in the channel's name and programming? And will any new shows based on Hasbro's brands begin when the switch is made, or will they start airing further into the channel's inaugural year?

• Transformers Collectors' Club answers (login required)
• Paraphrased summary, no login required

MediaWiki

1. It would appear that Energon Snow Cat, Demolishor (the dump-truck), and Mirage were originally designed as new characters, instead of upgrades of Armada Cyclonus, Demolishor, and Tidal Wave, respectively. Is this true, and if so, why were the original plans changed? And was the dump-truck Demolishor originally going to be called "Long Haul"?
2. At the BotCon 2008 Hasbro Commentary viewing of the live-action Transformers film, an early exchange between Hasbro and Michael Bay was brought up: Michael Bay questioned the logic of damaged Transformers turning into pristine vehicles, and the Hasbro response to him was along the lines of "the Transformers don't actually turn into the vehicles, they're just mimicking them". Is this concept something that the "movie" universe is still operating under?
3. Do the companies that have their vehicles licensed for the live-action movie have any say over how their product is represented in the toyline? The two transforming incarnations of "battle damaged" Jazz (legends and deluxe) in the first movie toyline conspicuously lacked any visible damage in vehicle mode. Would Lockheed, say, be able to object to a redeco of Revenge of the Fallen Jetfire in Generation 1 colors? (Because a white and red SR-71 Blackbird would be hilariously awesome.)

• TFWiki.net answers