Toy review videos on youtube are mostly crap...

Post by **Hound** » Wed May 30, 2012 4:36 pm

I started watching TF Victory recently and it stirred up interest in the toys from that series so I went to youtube to see if anyone had done any toy review videos. I actually found quite a few videos and since then I've been watching a whole bunch of reviews for TFs from all over the franchise.

It's astounding how many of the people doing these video reviews are just awful at it.

I watched one two days ago by a guy claiming that if you didn't think the original Constructicons weren't just amazing then you weren't a real Transformers fan.

I mean c'mon!

Yeah, I know I shouldn't be surprised. There are a lot of assholes in the fandom, of course some of them are doing video reviews of their TFs and putting them on youtube.

That's not actually my biggest complaint, that's just an example of one of the worst reviews I happened upon and it's not that they all suck, I've watched quite a few by a couple of guys that are really good at it.

The main problem I have with a lot of them are how little time they spend talking about the quality of the toy and how it transforms. I seriously don't need to have the tech spec read to me. I don't care how closely the toy looks like the cartoon model. I don't need to know how cool the character is.

All I want to know is about the toy itself. How it transforms, how sturdy it is, the cool features of it, and what you think of it overall.

I watched an Omega Supreme review where the guy completely skips over showing you how to transform it! Then what's the point of doing a video review?!!!

And what's with doing a toy review of the toy if you aren't exactly sure how the thing transforms? I can't tell you how many times I've watched somebody struggle with transforming a g1 toy like it's the first time they've ever touched it. It makes me wonder how many reviews don't get uploaded because the toy broke because they didn't know what they were doing.

Forgive my petty bitching, I'm just so tired of watching shitty toy reviews...

Knightdramon · Post by **Knightdramon** » Wed May 30, 2012 4:53 pm

Yup, most older figures [circa...BW to Cyberton] don't have decent reviews.

And yes, huge BOO to the reviews that don't showcase the transformation. I'll just watch a pictorial review for robot and vehicle shots. Also, very few reviewers actually try and pose the robot. Only one that actively does so is fxfranz...

Post by **Hound** » Wed May 30, 2012 5:14 pm

thecollector75 is pretty good, I've watched a lot of his reviews.

Auntie Slag · Post by **Auntie Slag** » Wed May 30, 2012 5:15 pm

The power of editing seems lost on the average punter. I've seen godawful reviews of toys/computer stuff on Youtube, and I'd say about 90% of all the content is pointless.

It would be nice if there were limitations in place e.g. If you're going to submit a casual review to Youtube about something, then keep it to 2 minutes maximum.

As soon as people have a limit on something they'll become more creative and precious about what they're going to put up there, hopefully.

numbat · Post by **numbat** » Thu May 31, 2012 10:44 am

Have to admit, I avoid watching video reviews of Transformers for the very reason they do tend to show you how the figure transforms.

Working out the transformation of a Transformer has always been one of the greatest excitements and pleasures associated with getting a new figure. Sod the instructions (after all, Hasbro's instructions these days rarely get you to a correctly transformed figure, and may even result in it breaking, but, frankly, I like the challenge anyway, and have since my first TF) - have a go yourself, it's a puzzle!

Video reviews spoil the transformation even more than instructions do.

Which brings me to my next annoyance - text reviews with nice pictures of the robot and vehicle modes seem to be going the way of the dinosaur (and no, I don't mean evolving the power of flight - I mean that other thing, extinction!) in favour of fast and poor video reviews.

Of the few I have watched, generally they're overlong, lack charisma (do these guys actually care about the figures? I can't tell for the stuffy monotones...), are very low quality (give me a decent photo over fuzzy poorly lit video any day), and destroy the transformations (I'm often sitting here thinking, 'no, wait, no - you got that wrong mate') while revealing enough of it all to spoil it for me.

Peaugh's quite good and to-the-point usually, and I'll try and fast-forward the transformation part, but then you miss the opinion. The great thing about text is you can say 'the transformation is really cool and innovative roughly because of' without giving the game away - if you film it, you reveal the steps to everyone.

Not saying there's anything wrong with video reviews, they're just not for me.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Thu May 31, 2012 12:42 pm

Most video reviews I've seen tend to be of the "Ha ha I've got this and you haven't" variety - it shows that someone's got them from their HK source and just reviewed it about ten minutes after it's arrived so they can get there first. Immediacy is the curse of most toy reviews (both TF and non-TF) and it's really exacerbated on video. The barest amount of thought and post-production (as Ms. Slag says, editing seems to be an alien concept) has gone into them.

Plus watching sex offenders' hands even doing something else is just wrong.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Thu May 31, 2012 5:00 pm

You think everyone's a sex offender.

I don't think I've ever actually watched a toy review video all the way through. Unless that one where Razorback gets crushed to demonstrate gold plastic syndrome counts.

Post by **Clay** » Thu May 31, 2012 5:55 pm

Auntie Slag wrote:The power of editing seems lost on the average punter.

Yes. The only video reviewer I've seen with any concept of this idea is the Vangelous guy. That, and the average run time seems to be about ten minutes, which is eight minutes too long.

inflatable dalek wrote:I don't think I've ever actually watched a toy review video all the way through. Unless that one where Razorback gets crushed to demonstrate gold plastic syndrome counts.

You know I still get emails about comments posted to that video? It's up to 11,500 views or something now.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Thu May 31, 2012 6:00 pm

Youz a supahstar!

Post by **Hound** » Thu May 31, 2012 6:44 pm

Clay wrote:You know I still get emails about comments posted to that video? It's up to 11,500 views or something now.

I literally went, O.O "Noooooooo!!!" when I watched it...

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Thu May 31, 2012 6:56 pm

Clay wrote:You know I still get emails about comments posted to that video? It's up to 11,500 views or something now.

You're Waki-linked too, which means when the revolution comes you will be facing collaboration charges.

I only ever did one video review. I was pretty bored after about 30 seconds TBH. Always meant to do another one of some never-released toy which would be completely covered by hands throughout.

Post by **Hound** » Thu May 31, 2012 9:14 pm

OMG that was brilliant! ****!

I say you were doing some kind of fake voice, Sadie says that's what you really sound like...

Skyquake87 · Post by **Skyquake87** » Thu May 31, 2012 9:44 pm

Genius. Sex-offendery genius.

Have to agree with everything everyone's written here. It takes two minutes to read a written review. Why folk have to feck about giving shout outs to chums and blithering on about anything other than the damn toy is beyond me. And yes, a worrying proportion of those with the tech seem to be sausage fingered date rapists. Which probably tells you a lot right there.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:56 am

Hound wrote:OMG that was brilliant! ****!

I say you were doing some kind of fake voice, Sadie says that's what you really sound like...

Nah, he's just like Borat, in character at all times.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:27 am

Hound wrote: I say you were doing some kind of fake voice, Sadie says that's what you really sound like...

Would've thought the way it changes whenever I lose my train of thought was a bit of a giveaway.

Auntie Slag · Post by **Auntie Slag** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 4:11 pm

That was ace Cliffjumper! I also own a Freeway toy and I never knew he could change back into a car. Thank you :-)

The Reverend · Post by **The Reverend** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 7:19 am

I thought he was always a car, it just depended on which superdeformed version you preferred...

TFARCHIVE FORUMS

Toy review videos on youtube are mostly crap...

Toy review videos on youtube are mostly crap...

:)