Hasbro Q&A/May 2009
From MediaWiki
Question archive, and links to the answers from, the May 2009 Hasbro Q&As, which the answers slipped until after BotCon, i.e., they were two weeks late and actually arrived in early June.
Questions
ActionFigureCollectors.com
- With the success of the new GI Joe Resolute online animated shorts is there a chance that Transformers will receive a similar treatment, possibly in a more "G1" style?
- Are there any cross promotional plans with Shout! Factory in the works for the G1 DVDs? For instance a DVD and G1 Classic figure combo pack?
- Can you give us some insight into the future of the Animated line and what might come after TF Animated in terms of both toys and cartoon?
AllSpark.com
- How long is the ROTF line scheduled to run? While there may not yet be a concrete end date yet, is there product slated through Christmas '09 or even Spring of '10? When it ends, will we see a return to Animated and Universe, or something new?
- Is there a difference between obscure characters and brand new characters to the Hasbro design team? Do Hasbro's toy designers prefer to have complete freedom in designing a toy (or repainting an existing one) to make a brand new character or the challenge of modernizing the appearance of an old character (either through a new mold or repaints) while still keeping it recognizable as being the same character?
- Transformers fans have noticed that a number of the recent secondary and tertiary retail store exclusives have been prior figures in new packaging. For an example, there are the Cybertron Scouts in Universe packaging. Why is this done? Is it excess/leftover stock simply put into new packaging, or new stock manufactured solely for the re-release?
ASMZine.com
- Has Hasbro ever considered a subline of Transformers marketed to girls?
- The recent Toys R Us exclusive Universe toys (Autobot Countdown and Darkwind) have an amazing number of paint applications, with many many parts that are completely covered in paint. Are these parts using the same "mask and overspray" method, just several times over (one spray for the flat part of the tire, two or three more to get the rounded side, etc), or is there some other process that doesn't take up more spaces in the allotment of paint applications?
- During Energon and Cybertron, it was revealed at one point that freelancer artists were brought on to design one or both modes of a toy, and sometimes to flesh out the mechanical detailing of some designs. Is this practice still in use, or have things been consolidated under Hasbro's roof since the design work on the 2007 movie toys began?
