Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:44 am
Names are a different thing to characters.Treadshot A1 wrote: releasing a slightly different version of Strongarm as him.
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Names are a different thing to characters.Treadshot A1 wrote: releasing a slightly different version of Strongarm as him.
Screw you, Crosshairs is awesome.Cliffjumper wrote:People like Crosshairs? I mean, dear God, why?
Good point. With Hasbro on a "give big Classics toys to unpopular nobodies" kick right now I think all bets are off. I really wouldn't be surprised if someone well and truly random like Hubcap or Venom or, yes, even Crosshairs popped up in the next few waves of Classics (which would be awesome for me, since I love obscure characters like that). That must make it a lot harder for the Club to choose their exclusives, but from a marketing perspective it would make so much more sense for their toys to represent an existing character in some form or another.numbat wrote:Like Powerglide and Onslaught!
Erm...
If there wasn't that many people that liked Crosshairs, why did Hasbro use the name again? They could have named it Hound, Trailbreaker, or any other TF 4x4 and gotten away with it. There must be more people that like Crosshairs if they picked such an obscure name.Denyer wrote:Names are a different thing to characters.
Probably because it's actually a neat name. A similar example, aptly enough, is RiD Scourge - the toy bears next to no similarities to '86 Scourge, it's just a cool, fitting name they happen to have trademarked (thankfully before the Emo Nemesis crap started). Terradive is another name someone at Hasbro seems to just like, and thus it's ended up on a string of unrelated figures of late (or is it just two and I've got confused); Downshift's a third - just a cool name they have on file that can be wheeled out for just about any toy with a transmission system. I mean, one Downshift's a damn Wheeljack homage, and none of the three I can remember have anything to do with the Omnibot...Treadshot A1 wrote:If there wasn't that many people that liked Crosshairs, why did Hasbro use the name again?
Am I getting the wrong end of the stick here or something? Are you saying that the name Hasbro slaps on a particular toy effects its sales?Treadshot A1 wrote:Yeah, but they could have used a name which has a character with an alt like Strongarm's that had peoople who liked it. That should have made more cash. Instead they go with Crosshairs. The only way that would make sense is if enough people like Crosshairs to make them the money that they would have made if they had gone with something people like, some other popular TF 4x4 (why can i only think of Hound and Trailbreaker... ).
MAKING MONEY IS THE ONLY THING HASBLOW CARES ABOUT!!!
I can think of several reasons, actually... firstly, both turned up in the game looking totally different. Secondly, there could be plans for a Hound and Trailbreaker in the second film. Thirdly, Hasbro have been trying to get hold of the Trailbreaker trademark for years - the Universe/BotCon thing, the Binalt thing, the Overhaul thing. So that's why he's not an option. Fourthly, by your moronic logic, Clocker is a much more popular character than Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and just about any other car-based Autobot you'd care to mention (with the obvious exception of Bumblebee and Jazz, already used in the line), Payload the Mini-Con is more popular than Onslaught, Red Alert's old sidekick Long Arm is more popular than Hoist, the Pretender Landmine is more popular than anyone who could turn into a jeep, and so on. And let's factor onto that the fact that Hasbro haven't used the Crosshairs trademark for years, and probably wanted to keep it active - whereas Hound has been used fairly recently (well, Autobot Hound, but that's as close as they could get).Treadshot A1 wrote:Yeah, but they could have used a name which has a character with an alt like Strongarm's that had peoople who liked it. That should have made more cash. Instead they go with Crosshairs. The only way that would make sense is if enough people like Crosshairs to make them the money that they would have made if they had gone with something people like, some other popular TF 4x4 (why can i only think of Hound and Trailbreaker... ).
MAKING MONEY IS THE ONLY THING HASBLOW CARES ABOUT!!!
Listen to this, it makes sense. The only people who pay that much attention to this sort of thing are the fans. You think a 10-year old is going to put Crosshairs back on the shelf because he's not named after someone he's never heard of?Shield Strike wrote:Because I believe that most people would go out and buy a cool figure regardless of the name of the Transformer.
Well, a lot of that has to do with him being one of the few toys I have left from my childhood that are still in one piece, although I'd argue that Sureshot was slightly worse (he certainly wasn't as durable). But after running him in the RPG for going on five years now I can safely say that Crosshairs is a character with a lot of room for interesting development if given the chance -- in a lot of ways he's the anti-Wheeljack, with all the character quirks that go along with that.Cliffjumper wrote:Crosshairs? Struggling to see it, myself. Weakest figure of the big TMs (though not bad in the scheme of things) and a pretty bland character too... Still, I have non-ironical love of Hubcap, so I probably shouldn't comment...
I can certainly see that, but for the most part I don't know if it's really necessary. Hasbro won't release characters using the same mold/colour scheme as the club toys, of course. From a legal perspective they probably can't, and even if they could they wouldn't because screwing over your business partners isn't a very good idea in the long run.numbat wrote:It's always possible that the Club have had serious limitations imposed by Hasbro, given the increased interest in all things Transformers, and their releases of Classics figures - Hasbro may be wanting to keep their options open regarding characters?
You would be wrong. Certain character/figure names are 'all important' to Hasbro, such as 'Optimus Prime', 'Megatron', and 'Starscream'. Classic names and show-character names sell toys. 'nobody' figures are generally shelf-warmers. This has been proven time and again since the line first came out, and is HARDLY isolated to just Transformers.Shield Strike wrote:Because I believe that most people would go out and buy a cool figure regardless of the name of the Transformer.
TFVanguard wrote:You would be wrong. Certain character/figure names are 'all important' to Hasbro, such as 'Optimus Prime', 'Megatron', and 'Starscream'. Classic names and show-character names sell toys. 'nobody' figures are generally shelf-warmers. This has been proven time and again since the line first came out, and is HARDLY isolated to just Transformers.
Actually, nearly every time I see another parent try to select a toy for the kids, the PARENTS are the one that says 'this looks cool', but the KIDS say "But I want PRIME!" Kids have always wanted their cool characters for their action figures. Period. End of story.Shield Strike wrote:However, take a nipper into a shop, ask them "do you want this one?" while showing them a TF and they'll most likely jump up and down in delight.
Movie Ratchet's G1 scheme actually sold out very quickly.. and 'Green' Ratchet was nearly a non-entity in the movie. So, you tell me where your logic lies.As for your point of nobody characters being shelf fillers, well, that's a bit silly. The biggest shelf filler from the movie line has been Ratchet, a "classic" G1 name.
I dismiss your opinion because it's based in wrong fact. Fact that has been repeatedly established by nearly every Hasbro interview given since they STARTED given interviews on the franchise.I would quite like it as well if you didn't just dismiss my opinion on this topic because it doesn't agree with yours. Trying to state that someone is just wrong while discussing something like this is a bit of a cop out. " Oh, errrrm, no. Thats wrong cos I said so hur hur hur."
True enough, but which toy do they get bought? Most of the time the parent will end up buying the cheaper one rather than forking out £40 just because their kid whinges that they want Prime. At the end of the day Hasbro has sold another "nobody" toy.Actually, nearly every time I see another parent try to select a toy for the kids, the PARENTS are the one that says 'this looks cool', but the KIDS say "But I want PRIME!" Kids have always wanted their cool characters for their action figures. Period. End of story.
His G1 scheme didn't sell out very quickly where I am. The only movie Voyager figures you can get around here are either Ratchet or Rescue Ratchet at the moment. He has a classic G1 name so shouldn't he be flying off the sheves accoding to your logic?Movie Ratchet's G1 scheme actually sold out very quickly.. and 'Green' Ratchet was nearly a non-entity in the movie. So, you tell me where your logic lies.
I'm not arguing that name association isn't important. Clearly when it comes to the Starscreams and Megatrons etc it is. But to suggest someone would be put off buying a toy because it DIDN'T have a well established name seems to me a bit naive.I dismiss your opinion because it's based in wrong fact. Fact that has been repeatedly established by nearly every Hasbro interview given since they STARTED given interviews on the franchise.
If the name association wasn't important, do you REALLY think they would go through incredible lengths to secure 'Bumblebee' when they could have named him 'Hot Shot'?
You're conflating two different things there -- exposure and kewl characterisation on a show will sell toys, certainly, but attaching the "classic" names to random moulds to reap huge sales through recognition factor... nah. G2 Gobots didn't take over the world, nor did ape Optimus Prime. It's a slight bit of cake icing on sales.TFVanguard wrote:Classic names and show-character names sell toys.
If the movie character had been called Doc Bolts and been featured in the film, I'd wager it'd have sold well. The exposure counts.Treadshot wrote:Movie Ratchet would have been warming even more shelves if it wasn't called Ratchet.