Play pattern

40% CHOO-CHOO-CHA-CHA-CHA
25% WHOOOOOSH
30% PCHOW PCHOW PCHOW
4.999% INVISIBLE FORCEFIELD
0.001% I HAVE ALL THE GUYS EVER MADE

In the world of toy design, play pattern is fancy murky industry-speak for "how are kids supposed to use this toy?" You'll find it used a lot in the written description of patent applications. Any feature of a toy that is intended to be used in a particular, specific way is part of some play pattern.

Some sample play patterns:

• Conversion: toys that transform from robot to vehicle, of course. It's the fundamental play pattern that defines the Transformers brand.
• Combination: A feature introduced by toys such as Superion and Menasor, both composed of smaller toys.
• "Micro play": used by Hasbro reps at BotCon 2002 to describe the play pattern of the tiny Mini-Con toys in Armada (and, by extension, their Micromaster predecessors.)
• "Aspirational Play": A somewhat more abstract, design-centric factor, that Hasbro has referenced as a play pattern. Aspirational Play describes a child's preference to go "vroom-vroom" and "whoosh whoosh" with a Lamborghini or Fighter Jet rather than the family station-wagon or a feather-duster.
• "Puzzle play:" The play pattern associated with converting more complex Transformers toys. Since 2014, Hasbro has moved to de-emphasize this play pattern in their film/cartoon tie-in toylines, in favor of simpler and automatic transformations, leaving puzzle play to the Generations and Masterpiece lines.
• "Battle play": Knocking over action figures and the one who doesn't fall over wins.
• "Ecosystem": The intentional compatibility of toys released as part of different size classes, like in Combiner Wars, Titans Return, Power of the Primes, War for Cybertron: Siege, War for Cybertron: Earthrise, War for Cybertron: Kingdom, and Transformers: Legacy.

Attach ALL THE THINGS

If all this seems insanely pedantic, consider that the play pattern is distinct from other potential but unintended uses of the toy. For example:

• Converting Fortress Maximus from city to base to robot? Intended play pattern!
  • Using Fortress Maximus as a blunt instrument to crush your little sister's dollhouse? Not the intended play pattern (but still cool)!
• Converting Megatron from robot to gun? Intended play pattern!
  • Using a G1 Megatron in gun form to rob a bank? There's a good reason the original G1 Megatron has never been reissued outside of Japan.