Regarding TF fans comments about TF toys getting smaller.

[Tigermegatron]

IMHO Below:

I don't see any shrinkage nor down sizing. because the TF toys have always flucuated in their toy sizes. basics have always fluated between 3 to 4.5 inches. deluxes have always flucuated between 5 to 6 inches. voyagers have always fluated between 5.5 to 7.5 inches. leaders have always flucuated between 8 to 11.5 inches .

Honestly,Down sizing/shrinkage in TF toys will be as follows: a 2.7 inch basic/commander sized toy. a 4.5 inch deluxe size toy. a 5 inch voyager toy. a 7.5 inch leader sized toy. SINCE THIS HASN'T HAPPENED their is thus far no downsizing/shrinkage found on the DOTM nor TFP nor Generations FOC toys.

[JediTricks]

There definitely is downsizing, DOTM and Prime figures are 10% smaller on average than ROTF and Animated figures, respectively. In vehicle mode it's not as noticeable, Archer was right about that...




BUT in robot mode, it's a ridiculously different story...



It's like Ratchet is taking his son out for a trip to the zoo. I lowered Animated Ratchet's shoulders so his shoulderpads wouldn't tower even higher and throw off my point, but even with them down he's so tall that the second macro cannot even get his friggin' face in focus.

And here's the real clincher, this is why you really cannot listen to anything Hasbro says without taking it with a grain of salt...



So, the product hasn't gotten smaller, but it's somehow the Animated product's weight is 50% higher (aka Animated shed 33% of its weight for Prime)??? No way. This is weight taken without accessories for either, btw. These were just 2 figures I had close at hand, but it's the same on all the figures I've compared since DOTM and Prime came out, Hasbro shrunk the product.

[Gustavo]

So, the product hasn't gotten smaller, but it's somehow the Animated product's weight is 50% higher (aka Animated shed 33% of its weight for Prime)??? No way. This is weight taken without accessories for either, btw. These were just 2 figures I had close at hand, but it's the same on all the figures I've compared since DOTM and Prime came out, Hasbro shrunk the product.

TF:Prime Bulkhead is tiny. He's barely a short, squat head taller than Generations Warpath (the first Deluxe I grabbed off my shelf), and way less massive than ROTF Heavy Load, or RTS Strafe (both Voyagers, which is a price-point, if not size match for the Weaponizers)

Ok, Bulkheads have always been kind of short, because they use a lot of the budget on bulk, but compare Weaponizer Megatron to a Voyager from two years ago -- there's no way to say that they are anywhere near the same level of complexity or mass. And, Megatron is a head shorter.

DOTM gives us some direct character-by-character comparisons with ROTF molds. Bumblebee, Barricade, Ratchet... all smaller.

Hasbro shrunk the product.

[Tigermegatron]

Hasbro & fans keep asking for more higher highly stylized TF sculpts.

Looking at the TFP sculpts compared to the animate sculpts. the TFP sculpts have more details are more high highly stylized sculpts.
honestly the 2008 animated ratchet looks like a playschool gobots toy. while TFP Ratchet almost looks like a realistic movie verse TF toy. adding more detail in the sculpts steals money away from other areas in the budget,like size,weight,plastic quality,engineering.

Takara isn't at fault. because takara is currently trying to please hasbro by doing their best to use all of hasbro's TF toys ideas & trying to come out on budget.

ever since the TF movie-verse happened. Hasbro took over the TF toy line world wide. hasbro orders takara around & takara has less say as the years pass by.

I really miss the AEC toy years. where takara was calling the shots & running everything.

These highly stylized TF molds are nothing new to hasbro. this is what ruined the TM1,TM2 & BM toy lines. adding too much detail forced the toy budget to create cheaper TF toys with weaker/thin plastic,smaller toys,uglier toys,weak engineering,stabilty problems,etc..

[Onslaught Six]

Detail doesn't factor into cost the way size does; you can't functionally use that argument. A better comparison would be the 2007 film Bumblebee, HFTD Battle Blade Bumblebee (I think all the ROTF toys were remoulds of the 2007 toy) and DOTM Bumblebee.

[Tigermegatron]

Detail doesn't factor into cost the way size does; you can't functionally use that argument. A better comparison would be the 2007 film Bumblebee, HFTD Battle Blade Bumblebee (I think all the ROTF toys were remoulds of the 2007 toy) and DOTM Bumblebee.

ofcause extra highly stylized sculpts factor into the spending budget. hasbro wants every square inch of the sculpts filled with either gears,bolts.twist,curves,rounded off parts. all of this takes time to carve & takes more precision machines to make sure the details show up on the sculpts.

[andersonh1]

The toys are definitely getting smaller, while the prices have increased. I'm amazed at how much the Legends class cost... they're essentially at the old basic/scout class price point.

[Tigermegatron]

The toys are definitely getting smaller, while the prices have increased. I'm amazed at how much the Legends class cost... they're essentially at the old basic/scout class price point.

Like I pointed out elsewhere.

if TF toys are getting smaller in their size classes. it's only by a 1/4 of a inch or at the highest 1/2 of a inch. Does anyone honestly know how small a 1/4 of a inch or 1/4 of a inch is.

[Shockwave]

The toys are definitely getting smaller, while the prices have increased. I'm amazed at how much the Legends class cost... they're essentially at the old basic/scout class price point.

Like I pointed out elsewhere.

if TF toys are getting smaller in their size classes. it's only by a 1/4 of a inch or at the highest 1/2 of a inch. Does anyone honestly know how small a 1/4 of a inch or 1/4 of a inch is.

Yes. I very much know the difference between a 1/4 inch and a half inch. I learned this while renovating my house and having to fuck around with 8 foot sheets of sheet rock that had to be exactly cut and sometimes the difference is by a 1/4 inch. And beleive me, when you have to shave the same piece of sheet rock six times to get to the right size to anchor to the wall, you very much understand the difference after that.

[andersonh1]

The toys are definitely getting smaller, while the prices have increased. I'm amazed at how much the Legends class cost... they're essentially at the old basic/scout class price point.

Like I pointed out elsewhere.

if TF toys are getting smaller in their size classes. it's only by a 1/4 of a inch or at the highest 1/2 of a inch. Does anyone honestly know how small a 1/4 of a inch or 1/4 of a inch is.

Height isn't the way to look at this. Volume of plastic would be a better gauge of size, and basics probably have twice the volume of plastic as Legends class figures. That's not hard and fast by any means, just a generalized estimate. But it means I'm being charged twice as much for that price point, or getting half the plastic for the same price. Either way, I'm paying more for less.