TF4 Robot Modes

[Sparky Prime]

TFW2005 has posted some renderings of Optimus, and one image that includes Bumblebee and Grimlock, giving us our first look at their new looks in the new film. Take with a grain of salt as the images have yet to be confirmed, but it does seem that they came from a licensing style guide.

[138 Scourge]

If that's legit, then I kind of dig the Prime design. What there is of Grimlock there looks pretty good, too. If, of course, it is Grimlock and not just some other movie guy that's a robot dinosaur.

I haven't been paying that close of attention to the movie stuff yet, do we know that a character named Grimlock is in the movie?

[Almighty Unicron]

I like the prime design (I like my primes to have powerful upper bodies), but I'm not a fan of his color. He's way too blue. He needs a red chest and blue legs- that's one of the few things that the previous movie prime did well, IMO.


I also don't like how they really seem to be associating Prime with swords and shields. Prime's axe was a backup weapon but he was always a guy with a big gun to me.

[Tigermegatron]

Hasbro gave Optimus a primarily blue color for the TF4 movie/toy to help his TF4 toy sell better in stores. Because parents/kids don't like buying the same toy over & over. A different color+newer design will confuse parents/kids & they'll buy more of this TF4 Optimus toy.

The DOTM toy line in stores didn't sell as well as the ROTF & 2007 TF movie toy lines. Due to the designs & colors looking too similar. While collectors/fans will buy similar looking toys over & over,parents/kids will not. Lets not forget Hasbro has said repeatedly online & at conventions that parents/kids make up more than 95% of the TF toy sales world wide.

[Tigermegatron]

I haven't been paying that close of attention to the movie stuff yet, do we know that a character named Frimlock is in the movie?

No,Thus far we haven't heard of any Frimlock character being in the TF4 movie. Their will be a Grimlock in the TF4 movie.

[Sparky Prime]

Hasbro gave Optimus a primarily blue color for the TF4 movie/toy to help his TF4 toy sell better in stores. Because parents/kids don't like buying the same toy over & over. A different color+newer design will confuse parents/kids & they'll buy more of this TF4 Optimus toy.

I'd agree that could be a factor in giving them newer designs, but I doubt they made it primarily blue for that same reason. And Optimus is a pretty iconic character, he's still recognizable even if he's got more blue than red on him. And I'm sure there was some other factors for DOTM's toyline not doing so well, considering the designs really hadn't changed that much across the first 3 films and ROTF didn't suffer at all from that.

[BWprowl]

These designs look decidedly more TFPrime-eque than the ones in the previous movies. Color me not crazy about them, especially since I was kinda hoping going into a new movie would be a good reason to get a look that stood more apart from the series that just wrapped up.

[Tigermegatron]

These designs look decidedly more TFPrime-eque than the ones in the previous movies. Color me not crazy about them, especially since I was kinda hoping going into a new movie would be a good reason to get a look that stood more apart from the series that just wrapped up.

I dis-agree,as the TFA & TFP/BH designs were not based off liscensed vechicles nor realistic military vehicles. most of the TFA & TFP/BH Robot modes+head sculpts were made more cartoony to be catered towards a much younger kids buying age Than the buying age of the TF Movie-verse toys.

none of the TF Movie-verse robot heads mouth feature smiley faces,frowns,long chins,etc..

This TF4 Optimus leader sized toy still has tons of movie-verse elements in it. like the realistic liscensed alt mode. the movie-verse robot designs in the sculpt. similar movie-verse optimus head sculpt.

it appears some regal knight design was added into the TF4 Movie-verse optimus leader toy design. This regal knight designs added into the sculpt most likely came from the IDW TF Comics & various TF Trade paper backs that tell the tale of the "original 13." Their was no regal knight designs in any of the TFA nor TFP/BH toy designs.

[Sparky Prime]

Image of a clapboard showing Bumblebee? Looks like shields and melee weapons are going to be a big theme in this movie from what we've been seeing so far.

These designs look decidedly more TFPrime-eque than the ones in the previous movies.

Yeah, I see what you mean and I'd have to agree. The way that the vehicle parts have a more... streamline modular armored look in the robot mode, I guess you could call it? I like the look of the design, but I don't think it translates into toys very well, especially from what we saw of the Leader Class Optimus toy. The previous movies and Prime had to 'cheat' quite a bit with the toy designs as it is, and it looks like these designs will have to even more so if this is any indication.

[Tigermegatron]

Image of a clapboard showing Bumblebee? Looks like shields and melee weapons are going to be a big theme in this movie from what we've been seeing so far.

These designs look decidedly more TFPrime-eque than the ones in the previous movies.

Yeah, I see what you mean and I'd have to agree. The way that the vehicle parts have a more... streamline modular armored look in the robot mode, I guess you could call it? I like the look of the design, but I don't think it translates into toys very well, especially from what we saw of the Leader Class Optimus toy. The previous movies and Prime had to 'cheat' quite a bit with the toy designs as it is, and it looks like these designs will have to even more so if this is any indication.

If anything copied off anything,It was the TFP/BH designs that copied off the Movie-verse & TFA designs.

It's kinda silly to say the TF4 movie/toy designs look like the TFP/BH designs. When the TFP/BH designs were a fusion of the Movie-verse & TFA toy designs. The fusion was done to please kids in the gap ages,The TFA intended kids age was toddlers,The movie-verse kids age were teenagers,The TFP kids age was kids ages 7 thru 12.

TFP/BH didn't have any liscensed vehicles nor any realitic military vehicles in it,so TF4 TF Toys in vehicle modes Won't look like any of the TFP/BH toys in vehicle modes. TFP/BH toy designs in robot modes were a fusion between the movie-verse & TFA----> So no,the TF4 movie/toys did not steal any designs from TFP/BH,It was the other way around.

A huge chunck of the Dotm toys were more narrow/slim/stream lined armor on the parts/toys/kibble because Hasbro was trying to cut corners everywhere,This is the number one fans complaint regarding this line. This stream lining/narrowness was not unique to the TFP/BH toy line. Hasbro did all of this because they were getting hammered with the high gasoline prices & needed to come in budget on the various DOTM,TFP/BH,FOC/30th TF toy lines.