Talk:Circular reporting

Do we add the Wing Team being Decepticons in everything due to us only having those pictures? --ZacAttack (talk) 19:00, 4 February 2021 (EST)

Adding to that, Streetwise's personality in Timelines? --ZacAttack (talk) 19:04, 7 March 2021 (EST)

I know there's no write-up yet so forgive me if I'm taking this the wrong way, but are 3rd party toys being used for Lost Light vehicle models really an example of citogenesis? -- Dark T Zeratul (talk) 20:53, 7 March 2021 (EST)

If the artist wasn't aware that they based an image off of an unofficial product, I'd say it counts as citogenesis. Fanofcoolstuff27 (talk) 20:58, 7 March 2021 (EST)

But the concept of citogenesis, at least to my understanding, is that misinformation on the wiki becomes official information because it was on the wiki. Using third party toys as character models is a whole other thing. -- Dark T Zeratul (talk) 16:16, 9 March 2021 (EST)

That's why it's listed under "Non-TFWiki references". If an artist isn't fully aware of what is 3P and what isn't when searching for reference images on Google, then it's an easy mistake. Transformers citogenesis—from what I have seen at least—isn't exclusive to the wiki, as Hasbro and its affliates are well-known to use Googled images for reference material. Hasbro really needs a proper archive lol. Fanofcoolstuff27 (talk) 17:16, 9 March 2021 (EST)

Are other people allowed to add to this? I'm thinking of making the Igu/ Igu S section, but I'm not sure if that's against rules. --ZacAttack (talk) 06:55, 20 May 2021 (EDT)

Yes --notsoalex (talk) 10:36, 20 May 2021 (EDT)

Tailwind

The Gorlam Prime micromasters getting reused as actual characters happened multiple times. Is there any reason that Tailwind in particular is getting called out? -- Dark T Zeratul (talk) 16:53, 14 June 2021 (EDT)

To answer this question for future reference, MTMTE displayed multiple instances of the author researching a character's listed appearances on the wiki before using the character. By contrast, Dropshot, Barricade, and Blackjack were meant to shill new toys or a recent console game design in ignorance or defiance of the Gorlamites. S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 47 (talk) 21:27, 13 February 2022 (EST)

"Third party" designs in official media

Does this qualify as more instances of Non-TFWiki references?--Nevermore (talk) 20:04, 16 June 2021 (EDT)

Moving bulk of page

Hey, since 'citogenesis' moreso refers to circular reporting and the use of unofficial material in official material is loosely following that, how about everything under User:Grum/Sandbox/Citogenesis#Non-TFWiki references is moved to IP theft#Third party designs in official products and marketing? And errors that aren't the result of 'third party' toys can just be moved to their respective article? So the page would be something like: User:Notsoalex/sandbox/Circular reporting in Transformers --notsoalex (talk) 23:29, 31 August 2021 (EDT)

As others have suggested in the Discord server, I agree that this "Circular reporting" page can be pared down by not duplicating too much information from the "IP infringement" page. S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 47 (talk) 03:53, 9 September 2021 (EDT)

Enemy

Does Enemy qualify? His creation as a separate character occurred via a bizarre chain of events that involved a Hasbro licensee that gave its product odd names in lieu of actual character names, TFWiki running with it because of lulz, Walky basing SG Enemy on that joke, and then Takara taking inspiration from TFWiki. Even if we were to assume that Takara was perfectly aware that "Enemy" wasn't an actual, established character until they made him one—does that really make a difference?--Nevermore (talk) 14:54, 8 January 2022 (EST)

I believe Andrew Hall was the one behind those bios. When it's something intentional like that, I would never call it circular reporting. Escargon (talk) 15:31, 8 January 2022 (EST)

Straxus

Removing the bit about Darkmount's colors, because it's not actually true, it's just an assumption people made! Darkmount's colors are not, in fact, my artwork's doing. As much as it'd be cool to claim that. --ItsWalky (talk) 23:02, 13 February 2022 (EST)

SG Flamewar

Far be it from me to bring up something on a topic that I feel largely has been erroneously pointed to a lot but it's kind of insane that SG Flamewar isn't on here at all. Everything about the issue from her association with Cannonball to Hailstorm being someone she's with entirely because the main Flamewar's page's image for her sole TransTech appearance has him in it, it all absolutely is a case of a writer looking at a wiki page and using that as a basis (probably far more than at least 4 of the ones already on this page). Escargon (talk) 23:31, 21 April 2024 (EDT)

I think the only reason it's not is because like... is anything in that issue actually erroneous? Not really. But I totally agree it should be here in some capacity, because it's one of the most striking examples of stuff being invented whole cloth based entirely on a wiki article. I guess it's all in how the issue's framed in the article—maybe sandbox it, and see what people think? —wadapan (talk) 04:34, 22 April 2024 (EDT)

Yeah, this is a case of glaring bare-bones research, not false historical reporting. IDW SG is a different story continuity. This would be better for a wiki page titled something along the lines of "Influence of this site on official research". S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 47 (talk) 11:52, 22 April 2024 (EDT)

Orange Sentinel Prime

IDW Sentinel Prime was consistently portrayed as predominantly yellow until the Titans Return figure, which based him on the only full-body panel available on the internet at the time (also used on his disambiguation page). This photo is set in dramatic mid-day lighting, making him look more orange than usual. Then, he was orange in IDW 2019 and it looks like yellow Sentinel has become a thing of the past. Does this oddity deserve a mention here or should it just be put under the notes section on his own page? Brickmaster57 (talk) 21:16, 23 June 2025 (EDT)

Here’s the proposed section, preferably placed under "incorrect decos for official toys" before Anniversary Igu, as Sentinel came first. Feedback is appreciated. Brickmaster57 (talk) 15:23, 4 August 2025 (EDT)

Looking back, Origin had a lot of panels where the yellows straight up looked orange, not just the one you've mentioned; the coloring was not super consistent. I don't know that we can chalk this one up to citogenesis so much as "He just kinda looked orange". -- Cyberlink420 (talk) 02:35, 5 August 2025 (EDT)

I'd have to disagree with that, having just reread Megatron: Origin, it’s just that panel (and the 2 small ones in the same lighting). His appearance in issue 2 is properly colored, he’s standing in a shadow in issue 3 so he looks a little darker, but the highlights of the colors are correct, and his appearance in issue 4 is the most yellow he'd ever looked (until dawning the blue apex armor). Perhaps you’re confusing some of his mugshots (for lack of a better term) to be representative of the rest of his body? His helmet has orange accents which, depending on the artist, results in a completely orange helmet or a yellowy-orange helmet indiscernible from his torso color. Funnily enough, that would also explain his helmet being the same color as the rest of his body even though it shouldn’t be.Brickmaster57 (talk) 14:21, 5 August 2025 (EDT)

Regardless, I seriously question this as a citogenesis thing, especially when this pic has also been on the wiki for 15+ years. -- Cyberlink420 (talk) 14:44, 5 August 2025 (EDT)

I wondered that too, until I saw the original version of the picture on the wiki. The contrast on that photo is insane, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the deco artist disregarded that image. Also, I’m not exactly blaming the wiki here (I’ll remove the "it was his disambig photo" if approved), I think it was mostly a google thing. The first image on google for "IDW Sentinel Prime" is from the villains wiki, not this one. IIRC, the TFWiki showed up very low on google results back in 2015-2016 for that specific search.Brickmaster57 (talk) 14:52, 5 August 2025 (EDT)

Kaskade

I made a note of this on her page, but is it possible that the reason Kaskade's toy has a monocle on the headsculpt is because the mainpic that I uploaded for her back in... uh, 2020 or so, was that one where she has a monocle? She doesn't usually have one as a default in many of her scant appearances, she just deploys it to scope people from a distance. --Nu-Priest (talk) 19:31, 25 February 2026 (EST)

She has the monocle on in most close-ups, and it could have just been a stylistic choice because it's visually interesting, same as Armada Nemesis Prime's face. -- Cyberlink420 (talk) 10:50, 26 February 2026 (EST)

Age of the Primes Sideways

So Age of the Primes Sideways's section previously showed the version of the collage of cartoon screencaps responsible for the newer toy being mistakenly-given yellow eyes. The image file got updated with the final screencap swapped for one with proper pink eyes, which while the right way to go about things on Sideway's article, does kinda mess up the section on this particular page. Especially since it could work wonderfully to have yellow eyes collage->pink eyes collage->2026 Crosswise as opposed to how it's now updated collage with a note the eyes used to be yellow as the first pic. Maybe we could upload the older collage as its own pic solely for usage on this page? Kirby0189 (talk) 07:45, 21 April 2026 (EDT)

This was discussed on Discord, the collage has been reverted to the original for this page and a gif of his transformation has been added for use as a replacement elsewhere. BluJayWarrior (talk) 14:40, 21 April 2026 (EDT)