Our readers came up with these 2 questions to send in on August 9th, and today Hasbro has supplied us the answers. Are there figures that get planned for repaints but don’t make it? And what’s up with bendy sword accessories? Click in to read ‘em.
TFviews.com: Repaints have been a built-in aspect to the Transformers brand since the beginning of the line. Really, it’s a line of thinking that’s been a key part of Hasbro’s business model since Mr. Potato-head and the original GI Joe. Fans know that if there’s a new-mold figure, they can almost count on it getting repainted somewhere down the line, or even retooled into a new character. Whether it’s the same character with a new deco, an existing character with new accessories, or a second all-new character from the mold, most figures get this treatment eventually. Has there been a figure that someone on the team really wanted to do a redeco/retool of, but it never made it to market, that is especially noteworthy, and why it didn’t end up coming out?
Hasbro: There are a lot of characters that the team considers every year due to the huge library of characters that we have established over the past 26 years. So of course a few characters that have not had the chance to be released yet, but since there is always a chance that they might come out at some point in time, we do not want to spoil any surprises!
TFviews.com: Several recent Transformers have come with sword accessories. However the plastic used to make these swords tends to warp and bend easily. Examples include Vector Prime from the Cybertron line and Bludgeon from Revenge of the Fallen. Obviously, Hasbro’s concerns for consumer safety is a chief criteria for choosing the type of plastic used for accessories like these, but in the specific examples we cited, why is the plastic so much softer than other Transformers’ swords? Is it possible to use something less prone to warping and still meet safety standards? And could future scabbards for these sword accessories be designed with a little more clearance so as to not warp the production versions of those accessories?
Hasbro: You are correct that consumer safety is a top objective when it comes to designing and producing our products. Equally important is the design aesthetic of the toy. Needless to say, we are aware of this challenge and we are continuing to work to find a way to deliver great accessories that deliver both safety and cool accessories.
– Well, that’s it for this round. This is a bi-monthly Q&A series so we’ll have more great questions ready to go on November 1st. Thanks to all the readers who participated by coming up with these questions, and thanks to Hasbro for making this Q&A possible.
If you’d like to discuss these answers with other fans, or you’d like to submit a question of your own, join us in the Transformers Q&A thread in our forums!