Wing Saber vs. Mega-Dinobot: A Lesson
M Sipher
Beachcomber by stopping in a Wal*Mart mainly to kill time before the bank
opened (one of those rare days where I'm up before noon), which was later
followed by Omega Sentinel (on sale at another Wal*Mart) and the SWAT pack,
which makes my pants tight.
(Also grabbed the Joe TRU Cobra Ninja set... I hate Storm Shadow, but the
Red Ninjas are neat and the Vypra twins have GREAT deco, as well as a few
tools and things for kitbashing purposes.)
But let's talk about Wing Saber and Mega-Dinobot. I find it very interesting
that both of these toys came out in the same wave.
Because both are prime examples as to why neither Takara or Hasbro should be
allowed to make Transformers without extensively working with the other
company on them.
Wing Saber. I grant you he is beautiful. He's visually VERY impressive, with
lots of sculpting detail. But... I'm no posability stickler, but in this day
and age... I expect a little bit more than the sum total of a robot's
posabilbity to be "45-degree elbow bend and wrist swivels." I mean, at least
Overload could aim weapons at targets and do a little kicky-motion. (And was
packing massive heat and could pack even more thanks to rampant PX ports.)
He might as well not even HAVE the elbow joints, frankly. Add to this the
single least aerodynamic flight mode in TF history, which is a pretty low
bar. He's a lump in both modes, plain and simple. And why don't those
removable missile launchers have pegs so WS or other guys can hold them? He
was designed to look nice and be Prime armor... and that seems to be about
it. Great engineering, bad design.
Meanwhile, we have Grimlock and Swoop. To start with, they're a lot like
E-Downshift in that once you get past the OH MY GOD ITS A G! CHARACTER
DOOD... you're not left with a whole lot. No accessories, no missile
launchers. Posabilbity is okay, and turning into a pair of dinos counts for
a fair bit. But their sculpting leaves a lot to be desired. There are far
too many flat boring panels. Grimlock's fists are ill-defined lumps, and
both their noggins are way too smooth and rounded. Swoop's arms pop off way
too easy, which I suppose beats "breaks", while his beast-head sticks out of
his chest far too far and has a giantic hole in his beast mode neck. The
Mega-Dinobot mode? Two words: "Don't bother". It's barely held together by a
clip and forcing a square peg into a slot so it kinda sorta holds together,
and it's amazingly top-heavy and awkward looking, with another bad head
sculpt. It's not a bad design... but the engineering is lacking, and it
really needed some Takara detail-guy work done to it. Great design, bad
engineering.
Which pretty much sums up what I've noticed about both companies'
shortcomings when it comes to TFs over the years. Takara is EXCELLENT in
engineering and robot-sculpting... but their designs are odd and seem to
lack "editing", someone who steps back and looks at the toy as a whole and
goes "does this really make it fun? Does this work as a whole?". While
Hasbro seems a lot better at the "fun" aspect, the overall design... but
when it comes down to the techy details and delicate workings to get all
those moving parts moving as they should... they don't got it.
As such, I'm all for never letting either company make a TF "by themselves"
ever again.
M "Mega-Dinobot Just Sorta Edges Out Wing Saber, If Only Due To Altmodes"
Sipher
--
King Weasel Productions
Home of the productions of King Weasel!
Original stuff, Transformers, MegaMan/RockMan and more crap!
http://www.fortunecity.com/tatooine/simak/109/
Ethan Hammond
--
All Purpose Cultural Randomness
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/apcr/index.html
ShingoEX
<esha...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>How much do the Dinobots cost?
I believe they're $19.99 (mine were a bit higher since I ordered them
from BBTS on a short-term pre-order). You're essentially getting 2
deluxe figures in a pack.
Steve-o Stonebraker
> Because both are prime examples as to why neither Takara or Hasbro should be
> allowed to make Transformers without extensively working with the other
> company on them.
That's sort of an interesting point, but I have a question: What is the
source of your (apparent) into that Wing Saber had no Hasbro involvement?
I hadn't heard that one before. I *had* heard about the Dinobots,
although I don't recall the source of that one... Could you restate both?
--Steve-o
--
Steve Stonebraker | http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~sstoneb/
sst...@yahoo.com | Transformers, astrophysics, comics, games, cartoons.
M Sipher
news:slrncpcdu5....@fox.mps.ohio-state.edu...
> On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 01:31:42 GMT, M Sipher wrote:
> > Because both are prime examples as to why neither Takara or Hasbro
should be
> > allowed to make Transformers without extensively working with the other
> > company on them.
>
> That's sort of an interesting point, but I have a question: What is the
> source of your (apparent) into that Wing Saber had no Hasbro involvement?
> I hadn't heard that one before. I *had* heard about the Dinobots,
> although I don't recall the source of that one... Could you restate both?
For the life of me, I can't remember. With so many info tidbits floating
around about TFs and TFs not yet released and the blur of info nuggets from
Hasbro and 3H and whatnot, things get lost.
And if ultimately, it turns out WS is a joint creation (which I severely
doubt), then, well, just substitute DX E-Prime.
M "Or Most Of BWNeo, The RiD New Molds..." Sipher
Bermuda Mohawk
"M Sipher" <msi...@nc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:82sld.2882$iI2.1...@twister.southeast.rr.com...
> "Steve-o Stonebraker" <sst...@fox.mps.ohio-state.edu> wrote in message
> news:slrncpcdu5....@fox.mps.ohio-state.edu...
>
> > On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 01:31:42 GMT, M Sipher wrote:
> > > Because both are prime examples as to why neither Takara or Hasbro
> should be
> > > allowed to make Transformers without extensively working with the
other
> > > company on them.
> >
> > That's sort of an interesting point, but I have a question: What is the
> > source of your (apparent) into that Wing Saber had no Hasbro
involvement?
> > I hadn't heard that one before. I *had* heard about the Dinobots,
> > although I don't recall the source of that one... Could you restate
both?
>
> For the life of me, I can't remember. With so many info tidbits floating
> around about TFs and TFs not yet released and the blur of info nuggets
from
> Hasbro and 3H and whatnot, things get lost.
>
> And if ultimately, it turns out WS is a joint creation (which I severely
> doubt), then, well, just substitute DX E-Prime.
>
>
> M "Or Most Of BWNeo, The RiD New Molds..." Sipher
But problem is, those molds may not be fan favorites, but they have been
used multiple times cause kids have bought them over and over, which is the
whole point. They are toys that kids seem to enjoy even though fans/I
personally don't.
The Dinobot team could very well turn out to be a smash hit with kids, and
therefore mean the design is in fact a good one.
Time will tell I suppose.
--Dave
Contact me at: bermudamohawk(a)yahoo.com
"You are not what you own"
M Sipher
news:ODxld.20379$Rf1....@newssvr19.news.prodigy.com...
> But problem is, those molds may not be fan favorites, but they have been
> used multiple times cause kids have bought them over and over, which is
the
> whole point. They are toys that kids seem to enjoy even though fans/I
> personally don't.
That doesn't quite explain why the originals didn't sell great in JAPAN on
their first go-through, though. The rampant recoloring has been done in
America, where Hasbro's recoloring practically every mold available to them
to ride the wave of popularity they're currently on.
> The Dinobot team could very well turn out to be a smash hit with kids, and
> therefore mean the design is in fact a good one.
Well, they're dinosaurs. That's INSTANT kid-appeal.
M "Whether Or Not They Keep Interest While Wrangling Panels Is Another
Question" Sipher
Bermuda Mohawk
> "Bermuda Mohawk" <deada...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:ODxld.20379$Rf1....@newssvr19.news.prodigy.com...
>
> > But problem is, those molds may not be fan favorites, but they have
been
> > used multiple times cause kids have bought them over and over, which is
> the
> > whole point. They are toys that kids seem to enjoy even though fans/I
> > personally don't.
>
> That doesn't quite explain why the originals didn't sell great in JAPAN on
> their first go-through, though.
Wasn't actually factoring in the Japanese market. Weird market that
is.That's the place where the toy company thought the ArmaEnerverse was a
"great sci-fi story", and well the kids......the kids didn't seem to watch
it much at first, and now don't seem to watch it near at all. Possibly best
engineered toys to date, but worst TF series ever on t.v., go figure.
Steve-o Stonebraker
>> That's sort of an interesting point, but I have a question: What is the
>> source of your (apparent) into that Wing Saber had no Hasbro involvement?
>
> around about TFs and TFs not yet released and the blur of info nuggets from
> Hasbro and 3H and whatnot, things get lost.
I don't mean to treat you like Neale or anything, but, if you can't
remember where a little-known factoid comes from, you should probably
couch your words with a "I remember hearing..." or something.
> And if ultimately, it turns out WS is a joint creation (which I severely
> doubt), then, well, just substitute DX E-Prime.
I think DX E-Prime is a great toy, though, so that doesn't seem like a
good example to me... I like him way better than full-size Prime. I felt
the same way about the Armada ones.
> M "Or Most Of BWNeo, The RiD New Molds..." Sipher
Eh. I haven't seen a Wing Saber yet, but my understanding is that he's
Victory-ish, which is a far cry from Neo-ish. It could still fit your
description of "Takara alone makes pretty, but unplayable toys" / "Hasbro
alone makes playable toys, but they are flawed in execution" dichotomy,
but... I dunno. Seems a little like you're trying to fit the examples
into a predetermined pattern instead of the other way around. I think
Takara has made plenty of great TFs on their own, with no Hasbro
involvement. Not all of them, sure, but I think their solo efforts have
been successful (to my criteria of a playable/fun toy) almost as often as
the joint efforts are. There haven't been enough Hasbro-only TFs for me
to really form an opinion on that side of the issue.
M Sipher
> On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 18:05:56 GMT, M Sipher wrote:
> >> That's sort of an interesting point, but I have a question: What is the
> >> source of your (apparent) into that Wing Saber had no Hasbro
involvement?
> >
> > For the life of me, I can't remember. With so many info tidbits floating
> > around about TFs and TFs not yet released and the blur of info nuggets
from
> > Hasbro and 3H and whatnot, things get lost.
>
> I don't mean to treat you like Neale or anything, but, if you can't
> remember where a little-known factoid comes from, you should probably
> couch your words with a "I remember hearing..." or something.
Inquiries are being made to those who know this stuff.
> > And if ultimately, it turns out WS is a joint creation (which I severely
> > doubt), then, well, just substitute DX E-Prime.
>
> I think DX E-Prime is a great toy, though, so that doesn't seem like a
> good example to me... I like him way better than full-size Prime. I felt
> the same way about the Armada ones.
You're odd.
DX E-Prime is an absolutely lousy design. Had he been bigger, had they
altered the proportions to better accomodate the PXing gimmick, it might
have been vaguely pulled off decently. As it is, he's just a way-too-small
version of a much better, larger toy, with a gimmick that the body was never
designed to accomodate. His PX modes just SUCK, plain and simple.
And DX-E-Prime was just... kinda dull. He works better as TFU Magnus,
really.
> > M "Or Most Of BWNeo, The RiD New Molds..." Sipher
>
> Eh. I haven't seen a Wing Saber yet, but my understanding is that he's
> Victory-ish, which is a far cry from Neo-ish. It could still fit your
> description of "Takara alone makes pretty, but unplayable toys" / "Hasbro
> alone makes playable toys, but they are flawed in execution" dichotomy,
> but... I dunno. Seems a little like you're trying to fit the examples
> into a predetermined pattern instead of the other way around.
No, I've come to this conclusion after quite a few years of playing with the
things. It's something I've noticed for a while now, only with WS/MD coming
out right next to each other, there's never been a better and more readily
apparent comparison.
I've noticed in more Takara-only molds long before Wing Saber the same
GENERAL TONE of problems I have with WS. Little things that you look at and
realize they fit engineering-wise, when focused on individual details, they
work as individual details... but step back and look at the whole, and
there's problems. They're not always crippling problems, but they do make me
scratch my head and wonder "why didn't they try it another way?" Like... the
toys are made under a microscope, but never looked at actual size. Or played
with.
(Or, as Avias put it in chat one night, it's like there's not an editor
there to look at the whole and say "trim this bit, fix this part, the whole
will be better without it.")
The BrainMaster gimmick, which only really works well with Star Saber
because he's huge. Road Ceasar's robot mode period. The funky proportions of
various SixWing Micros. SixTurbo's useless arms. Road Police & Neo-Wheel's
pointlessly long hood/windshield capes. Glide and other Six-Micros'
chicken-leg stances. And the needless complexity of the Neo & RiD orignial
molds.
Not that various joint efforts haven't suffered from various "overall
design" problems. But I've noticed it in a much larger percentage of the
Takara-original toys.
> There haven't been enough Hasbro-only TFs for me
> to really form an opinion on that side of the issue.
There have been considerably less, yes, but what we have reportedly as
Hasbro-only seems to form a pattern. G2 Power Masters, Animorphs, and now
Mega-Dinobot.
M "Good Premises, Lousy Execution" Sipher
Ethan Hammond
>
> >How much do the Dinobots cost?
>
> I believe they're $19.99 (mine were a bit higher since I ordered them
> from BBTS on a short-term pre-order). You're essentially getting 2
> deluxe figures in a pack.
You did pay $35 for them. $20 isn't bad that is the Alternators
price point and therefore the bestest price point evah!!!!
Derik Smith
>
>But problem is, those molds may not be fan favorites, but they have been
>used multiple times cause kids have bought them over and over, which is the
>whole point. They are toys that kids seem to enjoy even though fans/I
>personally don't.
They're also deluxes, which appears to be Hasbro's favored price point for
recolors. And,a s someone else said- dinosaurs.
I want Hasbro to deluge us with Break recolors, damn it.
-Derik
"I'm torn between being pissed off at you and being in
complete awe of you." - Zobovor
"I'm a sucker for G1 homages." - The Wombat King
I want the weeks of endless recounts and litigation I
was promised.
ShingoEX
<esha...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>"ShingoEX" <ldo...@satx.rr.com> wrote in message
>>
>> >How much do the Dinobots cost?
>>
>> I believe they're $19.99 (mine were a bit higher since I ordered them
>> from BBTS on a short-term pre-order). You're essentially getting 2
>> deluxe figures in a pack.
>
>You did pay $35 for them. $20 isn't bad that is the Alternators
>price point and therefore the bestest price point evah!!!!
Actually, BBTS's price was $27.99 for the Dinos on that preorder.
Desperado00
I'd love to see Hasbro bring the entire line of BWNeo figures out here, and pad
it out with completely new molds that fit in aesthetically and
transformation-wise with the rest of the line.
Yeah, I'm dreaming, but I believe in dreaming big.
-----
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
An egotist is a self-made man who worships his creator.
If we aren't meant to eat animals, then why are they made of meat?
No horse is too dead to beat.
M Sipher
news:20041114142257...@mb-m25.aol.com...
> > I want Hasbro to deluge us with Break recolors, damn it.
>
> I'd love to see Hasbro bring the entire line of BWNeo figures out here,
and pad
> it out with completely new molds that fit in aesthetically and
> transformation-wise with the rest of the line.
EYUW.
M "Please, No" Sipher
Kil - Michael McCarthy
> I want Hasbro to deluge us with Break recolors, damn it.
What if they choose to break us with Deluge recolors instead?
-Kil
----
Michael "Kil" McCarthy
The Kil File: http://hometown.aol.com/michaelmcc79/index.html
"Y'know, evil comes in many forms, be it a man-eating cow or Joseph Stalin. But
you can't let the package hide the pudding. Evil is just plain bad!" -The Tick
Onslaught Six
> There have been considerably less, yes, but what we have reportedly as
> Hasbro-only seems to form a pattern. G2 Power Masters, Animorphs, and now
> Mega-Dinobot.
...and the Cyberjets, MW Flipchangers, G2 Dreadwing, and a mess of other guys...
David Willis
> "Desperado00" <despe...@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:20041114142257...@mb-m25.aol.com...
>
>> > I want Hasbro to deluge us with Break recolors, damn it.
>>
>> I'd love to see Hasbro bring the entire line of BWNeo figures out here,
> and pad
>> it out with completely new molds that fit in aesthetically and
>> transformation-wise with the rest of the line.
>
> EYUW.
>
>
> M "Please, No" Sipher
Seconded. I would cry.
--David
www.itswalky.com
David Willis
"Onslaught Six" <mew00...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:150f8eab.04111...@posting.google.com...
....are those really Hasbro-only? I.... don't think so...
--David
I really don't think so.
www.itswalky.com
Doug Dlin
> "M Sipher" <msi...@nc.rr.com> wrote in message news:<4zEld.387$YP3.1...@twister.southeast.rr.com>...
>
>>There have been considerably less, yes, but what we have reportedly as
>>Hasbro-only seems to form a pattern. G2 Power Masters, Animorphs, and now
>>Mega-Dinobot.
And from what Ichikawa-san tells, me Takara actually did have a hand in
some of the design work for the Animorphs.
> ...and the Cyberjets, MW Flipchangers, G2 Dreadwing, and a mess of other guys...
What makes you think Takara had no involvement in the design of any of
those figures?
Doug Dlin
apcog at hotmail.com
M Sipher
news:20041114155001...@mb-m01.aol.com...
> Derik wrote...
> > I want Hasbro to deluge us with Break recolors, damn it.
>
> What if they choose to break us with Deluge recolors instead?
I can get with that.
M "I WANT That Last BiaB Set..." Sipher
Desperado00
>>>
>>> I'd love to see Hasbro bring the entire line of BWNeo figures out here,
>> and pad
>>> it out with completely new molds that fit in aesthetically and
>>> transformation-wise with the rest of the line.
>>
>> EYUW.
>>
>>
>> M "Please, No" Sipher
>
>Seconded. I would cry.
Then it's settled. It is an absolute imperative that Hasbro go with my
suggestion. ;)
Steve-o Stonebraker
>>> M "Please, No" Sipher
>>
>>Seconded. I would cry.
>
> Then it's settled. It is an absolute imperative that Hasbro go with my
> suggestion. ;)
Pissing off their fans *is* their primary motivation, so I guess it's
inevitable now. :)
Bermuda Mohawk
news:zc-dnd5JGqs...@texas.net...
Yeah, cause if it were not for Takara's design stafff, we would never have
had those, or even the BW line as we know it at all.
Derik Smith
>>> > I want Hasbro to deluge us with Break recolors, damn it.
<xnip>
>>
>>
>> M "Please, No" Sipher
>
>Seconded. I would cry.
http://members.aol.com/regenesis0/icebreaker.jpg
You see how Hasbro has cleverly integrated their 'Spy Troops' style
accessories for added play value.
M Sipher
news:20041115030726...@mb-m03.aol.com...
> Walky wrote:
>
> >>> > I want Hasbro to deluge us with Break recolors, damn it.
> <xnip>
> >>
> >>
> >> M "Please, No" Sipher
> >
> >Seconded. I would cry.
>
> http://members.aol.com/regenesis0/icebreaker.jpg
>
> You see how Hasbro has cleverly integrated their 'Spy Troops' style
> accessories for added play value.
Except he's missing the huge MAXIMAL logo in beast mode.
M " http://www.itswalky.com/shortpacked/d/20030317.html " Sipher
Derik Smith
>>
>> You see how Hasbro has cleverly integrated their 'Spy Troops' style
>> accessories for added play value.
>
>Except he's missing the huge MAXIMAL logo in beast mode.
No, see- the Bowler hat is the disguise! He's a giant penguin, bu he puts
on the hat and wanders into town IN DISGUISE, and it's nor until Koji bumps
into him and knocks the hat off that they realise- "GASP! You're a
Decepticon!" Then Icebreaker flaps and squawks in alarm before Transforming
and trying to play it off legit.
Also, there's no need to be snippy about these things. Just for that I'm
not showing you any of my OTHER fafulous Break Digibashes. :`)
Onslaught Six
> > ...and the Cyberjets, MW Flipchangers, G2 Dreadwing, and a mess of other guys...
>
> What makes you think Takara had no involvement in the design of any of
> those figures?
What makes you think they did? :P
Doug Dlin
Well, I'd have preferred that you back up your stance before asking me
to back up mine, but all right...
Their name on the copyright/trademark stamps, the general design
aesthetics...and the fact that they were all sold as TFs in Japan at one
time or another. To date, Takara hasn't been in the habit of doing that
with products it didn't have a hand in developing.
That's my answer. Yours?
Doug Dlin
> On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 01:31:42 GMT, M Sipher wrote:
>
>>Because both are prime examples as to why neither Takara or Hasbro should be
>>allowed to make Transformers without extensively working with the other
>>company on them.
>
>
> That's sort of an interesting point, but I have a question: What is the
> source of your (apparent) into that Wing Saber had no Hasbro involvement?
> I hadn't heard that one before. I *had* heard about the Dinobots,
> although I don't recall the source of that one... Could you restate both?
Sipher had me double-check with Hirofumi Ichikawa on this one, since he
did the design art for Wing Saber. Ichikawa-san gave me a nice, LONG
response, which not only clarifies things about WS but also about the
current TF design process in general. Feel free to edit it into the FAQ
wherever you feel it's applicable, Steve-O. It'll be framed here by
commentary on Wing Saber, but I'll add extra space above and below the
general development commentary to set it apart. Some elements of the WS
commentary might still be worth working into the general commentary, though.
------------------------------------------------------------------
True, the Wing Saber toy was a Takara request, and development of it
began after Omega Supreme's. However, Hasbro did participate at a few
points in the process, so you couldn't say it was solely a Takara
product. And as with all the characters, the details of the toy
development are quite complicated. (It's not nearly as simple as the
"Hasbro = Design, Takara = Engineering" scheme often brought up among
the fans.)
This seems like a good opportunity, so let me explain about the toy
production process. (Though I should note that some points may be
insufficiently covered, as this will be limited to the scope of my
personal knowledge. Also, this is just the current procedure in which I
take part; the methods used during the middle and later periods of G1
may have been different.)
Broadly divided, toy development proceeds through steps as follows:
1. BRIEFING
Takara and Hasbro consult each other by interview, fax and e-mail on the
series' direction, distinctive gimmicks, character organization,
transformation motifs and so on.
2. CONCEPT SKETCHES
Hasbro's designers present rough images of the various characters and
gimmicks.
In most cases, Hasbro mainly suggests the alternate form design, such as
the vehicle or beast mode. Sometimes they send sketches of both robot
and vehicle modes, but the actual transformation mechanism hasn't been
considered at this point in the process. (And depending on the
character, sometimes the concepts themselves are abbreviated or
omitted.) The TF design images revealed by Hasbro or Draxhall Jump are
almost all from this stage.
3. BASIC PLANNING
The Takara designers complete the finished vision of the characters,
then set about planning the specific transformation mechanisms.
When it's Hasbro's concept, they respect it as much and endeavor to
reproduce it as closely as they can, but when this is physically
impossible, this is the point where design elements that interfere with
the transformation or gimmicks get changed. (At this stage, the
character of the vehicle and robot modes are still vague, so this is
when they decide the where the axes for hinges or joints will go or how
to handle the internal space for the gimmick(s).
Aside from all that, Takara also draws up the schematics for the
transformation process and parts organization, which are used to explain
the toy to the prototype production company.
4. FINALIZED DESIGN
And here's where I finally come in! Takara's blueprints and schematics,
Hasbro's sketch materials and so on are sent to illustrators or "mecha
designers" like us, and we draw up the design images that decide the
final outward appearance, details, character features, etc.
We draw and provide front and rear views of each mode and weapon, the
reverse views of parts where need be, and the various angle shots needed
for the work of the prototypers, TV show CG modelers, and animation
character designers.
We usually get supervision from Hasbro during this work, or even afterwards.
*I think anyone who saw the design panel for Transtech Starscream will
understand this process well, but just in case, here's a link:
http://obsequiosity.home.mchsi.com/tt/
The color image at upper left is Hasbro's concept design, while the line
art at upper right is Takara's final design. In this fashion, the
design produced by Takara is the one ultimately used, regardless of the
character.
I was in charge of seven designs for Energon (Optimus, Scorponok,
Megatron, Divebomb, Cruellock, Omega Supreme, and Wing Saber--that's in
the order they were developed), and am now in charge of several more for
Cybertron. You can see a few of my design images on ASM's web page
(www.alteredstatesmag.com).
5. PROTOTYPE MANUFACTURE
Based on Takara's blueprints and our designs, an affiliated prototype
production company establishes a full-blown blueprint and makes the
first prototype.
The prototypes covered in gray surfacer that you see in catalogs and
such are from this stage.
6. COST ANALYSIS/DIE PRODUCTION
Costs are calculated using the diagrams and prototype(s) as reference.
Depending on these calculations, a few gimmicks or movable parts that
were present in the design/prototype stage may be deleted. (Gimmicks
and parts are also sometimes omitted depending on weight limitations.)
Since the priority for TF play value goes Transformation > Gimmick >
Posability, there are even times when posability, with its low
preference level, gets deleted in the Planning phase.
Hasbro's cost range, weight restrictions and package size regulations
are extremely strict compared to Takara's, and there are times when
these place limitations on the design itself.
After these assessments are received, the revised prototype is sent to
the die factory in China, where they make a "master model," a model with
parts made of metal, and the die is shaved out using a technology called
"electrical discharge machining."
7. COLOR ASSIGNMENT
In almost all cases, Hasbro is in charge of assigning color schemes.
They coordinate colors based on the Pantone color guide on the design
images from Step 4. (However, there are also characters colored by
Takara, like Wing Saber.)
8. PRODUCTION
And then we go through the package/booklet production, molding,
assembly, and packaging work, and the toy is finally completed as a
commercial product and sent out to everyone.
And that completes this rough overview of a TF toy's journey from
development to production.
While Wing Saber is definitely primarily a Takara product, its
development also followed the above process, so I wouldn't say you could
view it as a counterpart to Mega-Dinobot. (Mega-Dinobot's development
was done entirely without Takara's involvement.)
Wing Saber's toy was developed with the most heavily stressed concepts
being, "It should combine several ways with Optimus and make him even
bigger than his first super mode."
This all had to be implemented within the framework of Hasbro's
Mega-size product package measurements and weight limitations, so the
Takara designers devoted quite a lot of trouble to it. Wing Saber's
lack of posability is all due to these limitations.
And for this project, Hasbro also added the instruction that it couldn't
be split up into separate pieces for the packaging, which was a big
constraint on the design. Takara's designers said that they could
probably have given WS's vehicle mode much better styling if not for
these conditions. Ironically, the American-market Wing Saber in
question was packaged split up into separate pieces! This sort of thing
probably happens a lot in the business world.
Also, regarding WS's lack of a hand weapon, the developer had hoped to
make the Energon Saber his main weapon, but unfortunately, his request
wasn't granted.
That's all there is to tell about Wing Saber, but there's probably
back-stories like this for all toy development.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Segal
>
>Sipher had me double-check with Hirofumi Ichikawa on this one, since he
>did the design art for Wing Saber. Ichikawa-san gave me a nice, LONG
>response, which not only clarifies things about WS but also about the
>current TF design process in general.
Thanks, Doug. Ichikawa's description of the phases of TF toy development is one
of the most interesting and valuable things I've ever read on ATT.
-Paul Segal
Email: aster...@yahoo.com AIM: asterphage
http://asterphage.lunarpages.com - toy robots and cosplay photos.
Why u always hatin'?
Ethan Hammond
> >price point and therefore the bestest price point evah!!!!
>
> Actually, BBTS's price was $27.99 for the Dinos on that preorder.
I should have looked instead of going by my obviously faulty
memory.
Ethan Hammond
>
> M " http://www.itswalky.com/shortpacked/d/20030317.html " Sipher
ROTFLMAO I love every single Shortpacked strip.
Ethan Hammond
>
>
> What if they choose to break us with Deluge recolors instead?
They will color him black and call him Nemesis Scourge Prowl.
Pyre
>>>...and the Cyberjets, MW Flipchangers, G2 Dreadwing, and a mess of other guys...
>>
>>What makes you think Takara had no involvement in the design of any of
>>those figures?
>
> What makes you think they did? :P
You're dodging the issue. The fact that Takara involved them in their
own line while not including stuff like Animorphs and Mega-Dinobot says
allot as well.
--
Pyre[Rock] - pyres...@crosswinds.net
http://pyresdomain.crosswinds.net/
"I feel my world shake, like an earthquake.
Hard to see clear. Is it me, is it fear?
Madly in Anger with you. I'm madly in anger with you."
M Sipher
> Sipher had me double-check with Hirofumi Ichikawa on this one, since he
> did the design art for Wing Saber. Ichikawa-san gave me a nice, LONG
> response, which not only clarifies things about WS but also about the
> current TF design process in general.
See, I'm very interested in this stuff. I LIKE learning about the
step-by-step that goes into TF toy design. The restrictions they're under.
The details.
> 3. BASIC PLANNING
> The Takara designers complete the finished vision of the characters,
> then set about planning the specific transformation mechanisms.
> When it's Hasbro's concept, they respect it as much and endeavor to
> reproduce it as closely as they can, but when this is physically
> impossible, this is the point where design elements that interfere with
> the transformation or gimmicks get changed. (At this stage, the
> character of the vehicle and robot modes are still vague, so this is
> when they decide the where the axes for hinges or joints will go or how
> to handle the internal space for the gimmick(s).
But do they have axes for axes?
> I was in charge of seven designs for Energon (Optimus, Scorponok,
> Megatron, Divebomb, Cruellock, Omega Supreme, and Wing Saber--that's in
> the order they were developed), and am now in charge of several more for
> Cybertron. You can see a few of my design images on ASM's web page
> (www.alteredstatesmag.com).
You know, Divebomb does not surprise me one bit. Something about him just
seems very, very Ichikawa-y.
And he's responsible for Cruellock's face? I LOVE Cruellock's big fangy
face.
And... now that I know Ichikawa was responsible for Omega Supreme, that the
head-robot looks like Omega Spreem comes as no shock whatsoever.
> 6. COST ANALYSIS/DIE PRODUCTION
> Costs are calculated using the diagrams and prototype(s) as reference.
> Depending on these calculations, a few gimmicks or movable parts that
> were present in the design/prototype stage may be deleted. (Gimmicks
> and parts are also sometimes omitted depending on weight limitations.)
> Since the priority for TF play value goes Transformation > Gimmick >
> Posability, there are even times when posability, with its low
> preference level, gets deleted in the Planning phase.
That value chart is interesting. It's also pretty much exactly what my
feelings on the toys in general are too. All the gimmickery and posability
in the world doesn't stack up to if the damn thing is no fun to transform.
I'm looking at YOU, Side Burn and Mach Kick.
> Hasbro's cost range, weight restrictions and package size regulations
> are extremely strict compared to Takara's, and there are times when
> these place limitations on the design itself.
Not surprised. We'd been talking about this in chat one night, namely about
tail-end G2 and how there were price-points all over the place and things
just didn't seem to be working out with things like that.
Frankly, set price points is a blessing.
> And that completes this rough overview of a TF toy's journey from
> development to production.
Bars and punch in the fellowship hall.
> While Wing Saber is definitely primarily a Takara product, its
> development also followed the above process, so I wouldn't say you could
> view it as a counterpart to Mega-Dinobot. (Mega-Dinobot's development
> was done entirely without Takara's involvement.)
Fair enough.
> Wing Saber's toy was developed with the most heavily stressed concepts
> being, "It should combine several ways with Optimus and make him even
> bigger than his first super mode."
I think that's where the main problem lies, to be honest. As a standalone,
he's pretty "ehn". RiD Magnus suffers from the same thing. So much work
going into making it combine with some other toy.
Where your Armada Jetfires, Overloads, Tidal Waves and Energon Omega
Supremes hold up a lot better as toys by themselves. (Hell, Omega's Prime
compatablity almost seems like an afterthought.)
> This all had to be implemented within the framework of Hasbro's
> Mega-size product package measurements and weight limitations, so the
> Takara designers devoted quite a lot of trouble to it. Wing Saber's
> lack of posability is all due to these limitations.
Huh. Hasbro got to dictate all that? On a Takara-initiated toy? Interesting.
I guess they didn't want another RiD Trains episode...
I dunno. I mean, honestly, I could care less about the legs' lack of
posability, and the head & waist don't bother me at all either, since
there's very obvious design limitations going on there. It's all the arms.
Could the elbow hinge have been put on a "track" of some sort in the forearm
so it can slide down, to at least give it 90 degrees of forward movement? I
see that there's a screw inside the right arm to keep the Spark Crystal in
place that might have restricted that... extending the groove on the top of
the forearm to the same length as it is on the underside? It's really just
his inability to point a gun in his hand straightforward that does it. I'm
trying to think of ways to do this without increasing parts count, which
probably wieghs into the shoulders' immobility.
(I've been taking apart a fair few spare Energon toys I've gotten to dye up.
There's a lot more individual pieces of platic than you'd think. And bolts
are the bane of my existance.)
> And for this project, Hasbro also added the instruction that it couldn't
> be split up into separate pieces for the packaging, which was a big
> constraint on the design.
Considering the big clear window school of packaging, unsurprising.
> Takara's designers said that they could
> probably have given WS's vehicle mode much better styling if not for
> these conditions. Ironically, the American-market Wing Saber in
> question was packaged split up into separate pieces! This sort of thing
> probably happens a lot in the business world.
It's happened to me back when I worked on computer games. One licensed game
that never happened (thank the gods) in particular was full of the company
in control saying one thing then turning right around and doing another.
That's dealing with Large Corporations.
(I hated working on that project from the start. They sent samples of the
toys that I LITERALLY had an allergic reaction to. Hives.)
... Isn't WS's vehcile mode too wide to go in a Mega box?
> Also, regarding WS's lack of a hand weapon, the developer had hoped to
> make the Energon Saber his main weapon, but unfortunately, his request
> wasn't granted.
What, as in "packed in with the toy"? That would have been wildly
appproprite, and more Mini-Cons is always a good thing... a recolor, I'm
guessing? Three tech jets packed with a tech jet, the minis becomng the
sword of the guy modeled after the guy from G1 with the big sword...
I'd have liked that a lot.
I think it's just the lack of a peg on the guns attached to his legs. I
guess they're technically not SUPPOSED to come off, and only do so for
safety purposes, but... well, they remind me very much of
Cliffjumper/Beachcomber's guns. A peg on the side opposite the screw-hole
(the side that's not pressed against the leg when swung back), I think,
would have added a lot. There's clearance for it in jet mode, too.
Maybe I'll make some.
Ah, who the hell am I kidding.
> That's all there is to tell about Wing Saber, but there's probably
> back-stories like this for all toy development.
It's been fun and a real interesting read. For a toyline as unique as TFs,
insight as to how they get made is very welcome.
M "And Now, Lunch" Sipher
Steve-o Stonebraker
> Ichikawa-san gave me a nice, LONG response, which not only clarifies
> things about WS but also about the current TF design process in general.
Wow! That is a superb post, man. I think that's the most detailed
account of the development process I've ever seen. Thanks, Hiro! ^_^
Doug Dlin
On Ichikawa-san's behalf, you're both quite welcome.
Sipher:
I don't know if Ichikawa-san has answers to your follow-up questions at
all, but I'm sure he's checking on the feedback to this post, and once
he muddles through all the English :-), if he does have answers, I
imagine he'll tell me when his next free moment to communicate comes around.
M Sipher
> I don't know if Ichikawa-san has answers to your follow-up questions at
> all, but I'm sure he's checking on the feedback to this post, and once
> he muddles through all the English :-), if he does have answers, I
> imagine he'll tell me when his next free moment to communicate comes
around.
So... June, then?
M "Heheheheh" Sipher
Doug Dlin
> "Doug Dlin" <ap...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:NYidnTOOpcM...@texas.net...
>
>>I don't know if Ichikawa-san has answers to your follow-up questions at
>>all, but I'm sure he's checking on the feedback to this post, and once
>>he muddles through all the English :-), if he does have answers, I
>>imagine he'll tell me when his next free moment to communicate comes
>>around.
>
> So... June, then?
Optimist.
> M "Heheheheh" Sipher
Laugh it up, fuzzball...
Seriously, it'll depend on how long it takes him to parse out all the
English responses. If he understands everything right away, actually
composing his reply won't take too long. The main delay would then be
finding a break in his work, and I wouldn't expect that to be more than
4-6 weeks at his busiest. If he happens to luck into a free day, it
could even be as little as a week. That first factor, though, is the
real mystery point. Well, just have to be patient.
Thylacine 2000
> Sipher had me double-check with Hirofumi Ichikawa on this one, since he
> did the design art for Wing Saber. Ichikawa-san gave me a nice, LONG
> response
ker-SNIP
That was one of the best and most worthwhile things I've ever read
come out of the online fandom.
Thank you, Doug and Ichikawa-san!
Quag Prime
>
> Sipher had me double-check with Hirofumi Ichikawa on this one, since he
> did the design art for Wing Saber. Ichikawa-san gave me a nice, LONG
> response, which not only clarifies things about WS but also about the
> current TF design process in general.
Thank you, and thank Ichikawa-san for me too! This is the kind of
detailed "how are Transformers made/ where do Transformers come from?"
answer I've always wanted to read. Sure we've had a lot of insights
into the process, but this is the most detailed, easiest to wrap my
head around version I've ever seen.
>
> 6. COST ANALYSIS/DIE PRODUCTION
> Costs are calculated using the diagrams and prototype(s) as reference.
> Depending on these calculations, a few gimmicks or movable parts that
> were present in the design/prototype stage may be deleted. (Gimmicks
> and parts are also sometimes omitted depending on weight limitations.)
> Since the priority for TF play value goes Transformation > Gimmick >
> Posability, there are even times when posability, with its low
> preference level, gets deleted in the Planning phase.
> Hasbro's cost range, weight restrictions and package size regulations
> are extremely strict compared to Takara's, and there are times when
> these place limitations on the design itself.
>
This is gold Doug, gold. Understanding exactly what prevents HasTak
from doing certain things is wonderful to know, and in hindsight
explains quite a bit when I think of some toys we've gotten.
The priorities of Transformation > gimmick > posability is an
interesting insight. One that suprises me, but when I think about it,
it shouldn't. I personally would preffer the gimmicks priority
switched out with posability.
> After these assessments are received, the revised prototype is sent to
> the die factory in China, where they make a "master model," a model with
> parts made of metal, and the die is shaved out using a technology called
> "electrical discharge machining."
>
This is interesting to me, as I work with deep hole EDM machines, and
have a working knowledge of the different types of EDMing techniques.
I never knew the dies that form the parts of my favorite plastic toys
were constructed using electrical discharge machining, but it makes
perfect sense. One can EDM into very hard materials very accurately
to produce very clean, detailed molds that will last a long time in
production.
Neat. And thanks again!
-Quag
Paul Segal
>
>> After these assessments are received, the revised prototype is sent to
>> the die factory in China, where they make a "master model," a model with
>> parts made of metal, and the die is shaved out using a technology called
>> "electrical discharge machining."
>>
>This is interesting to me, as I work with deep hole EDM machines, and
>have a working knowledge of the different types of EDMing techniques.
>I never knew the dies that form the parts of my favorite plastic toys
>were constructed using electrical discharge machining, but it makes
>perfect sense. One can EDM into very hard materials very accurately
>to produce very clean, detailed molds that will last a long time in
>production.
Do you think you can explain it in terms that non-engineers can understand?
I've never heard of it before, and I'd like to know how it works.
Ethan Hammond
> back-stories like this for all toy development.
Thank you Doug that was very good insight into how TF's are made.
Ethan Hammond
>
> > That's all there is to tell about Wing Saber, but there's probably
> > back-stories like this for all toy development.
>
> Thank you Doug that was very good insight into how TF's are made.
And thanks to Ichikawa san as well, heh.
Quag Prime
>
> Do you think you can explain it in terms that non-engineers can understand?
> I've never heard of it before, and I'd like to know how it works.
>
In traditional machining processes, one cuts away material with a
blade, drill, mill, saw, or something. Basically using one hard
material to cut into a less hard material. In EDMing, material is cut
away using a spark.
For instance, lets say you have a block of steel that you want
hollowed out. You could grind into it with a drill or endmill, which
will physically cut the material away. If you wanted to EDM it, you
would apply voltage to the steel block, with a circuit to an electrode
which is spun at high speed. The spinning electrode is lowered slowly
into contact with the steel where electricity will arc between them.
The resulting spark will cause the point of contact on the steel to
erode, and that eroded material is flushed away with a dielectric
liquid (like kerosene) that washes over the whole process.
Basically, thousands of tiny sparks pound away at the material that
you want to cut, instead of physically touching a cutter to the
material. The Electrical Discharge Machines the part.
This method allows you to cut into very hard materials much easier
than you can with a tool. The process can be very exact, and
programed into an automated system. So the molds that our toys will
be cast in can be made out of very durable material, with a lot of
detail.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceburg as far as techniques
and application go. Did I succeed in explaining EDMing in an
understandable way?
I try anyway.
Y'know, now I'll never be able to watch the spark gap when I run my
EDM machine the same again. I'll always imagine a little storm of
Transformer Sparks in some kind of Allspark inspired attack. Or
something. It's funny how many things I work with that seem to be TF
references. I make cathode ray tubes for a living, and the guns
feature elements known as grids (usually up to three), that are
refered to as G1's, G2's, and G3's. We also have a hydrogen furnace
that goes up to 2000 degrees C that has "A3" prominantly displayed on
it for some reason. Maybe it's Alpha Trion's alt mode?
-Quag
Doug Dlin
> Sipher:
>
> I don't know if Ichikawa-san has answers to your follow-up questions at
> all, but I'm sure he's checking on the feedback to this post, and once
> he muddles through all the English :-), if he does have answers, I
> imagine he'll tell me when his next free moment to communicate comes
> around.
And sure enough, he's done so:
-----------------------------------------
I've checked out the responses to your post on a.t.t., and I'm happy it
was well received by everyone.
Now let me respond to Sipher's entry:
>> I was in charge of seven designs for Energon (Optimus, Scorponok,
>> Megatron, Divebomb, Cruellock, Omega Supreme, and Wing Saber--that's
>> in the order they were developed), and am now in charge of several
>> more for Cybertron. You can see a few of my design images on ASM's
>> web page (www.alteredstatesmag.com).
>
> You know, Divebomb does not surprise me one bit. Something about him
> just seems very, very Ichikawa-y.
I must add in here that Divebomb had some extremely cool concept art
from Hasbro, which played a big part in his design quality. His robot
and beast mode head designs are practically unchanged from the Hasbro
concepts.
> And he's responsible for Cruellock's face? I LOVE Cruellock's big
> fangy face.
And Cruellock's face is also by Hasbro. Aside from these two, the faces
of the characters I was in charge of are all my designs. (However, I
did not take part in the addition of a mouth to Optimus.) Scorponok's
visor was added in at my insistent request.
>> Takara's designers said that they could
>> probably have given WS's vehicle mode much better styling if not for
>> these conditions. Ironically, the American-market Wing Saber in
>> question was packaged split up into separate pieces! This sort of
>> thing probably happens a lot in the business world.
>
> ... Isn't WS's vehcile mode too wide to go in a Mega box?
I can't confirm this, as I don't have a sample of Wing Saber on hand,
but the plan was that his wings would fold back in vehicle mode to make
a "container mode" for packaging purposes. However, at the
cost-calculating stage, the gimmick that let you store away the "toe
cannons" on his feet was omitted, so the gun barrels remained exposed.
This may have prevented the container mode from being realized. Anyone
who has Wing Saber, please confirm this.
>> Also, regarding WS's lack of a hand weapon, the developer had hoped
>> to make the Energon Saber his main weapon, but unfortunately, his
>> request wasn't granted.
>
> What, as in "packed in with the toy"? That would have been wildly
> appproprite, and more Mini-Cons is always a good thing... a recolor,
> I'm guessing? Three tech jets packed with a tech jet, the minis
> becomng the sword of the guy modeled after the guy from G1 with the
> big sword...
Er, this demand was in regard to how he'd be treated in the SUPER LINK
TV show; the idea wasn't about packing a Mini-Con team in with the toy.
(For TV, the Energon Saber was given the role of Kicker's personal
weapon, so the request for WS to use it wasn't approved.)
I did my Energon design work at the same time I was writing the
"Linkage" DVD comics at We've's request, and since this work let me hear
requests directly from the Takara designers, I wanted to make use of
that info in the comic. One of the most useful pieces of background
info was that the Omnicons and Terrorcons were evolved Mini-Cons.
At that point, which was just before SUPER LINK started airing, I had a
discussion with We've in which I asked them, "Would it be okay if I drew
several Mini-Cons in the final episode of 'Linkage' in their evolved
state as Omnicons or Terrorcons?"
Surprisingly, though, they knew nothing about this background info and
had already created their own explanation for the origin for the
Omnicons. Apparently, in the meetings between the anime production
staff and Takara, the only people attending from Takara were from the
Marketing Department, so none of the ideas or requests from the
Development Deparment people were conveyed.
I was told several such disappointing stories, and so my interest in the
SUPER LINK cartoon declined drastically, and I quickly gave up any
efforts to connect the "Linkage" story and SUPER LINK. (When I saw
Kicker's hair light up in SL Episode 1, I thought, "Oh, this can't be
good," but despite that, I went ahead and made Stella's hair glow
platinum blond as I'd originally planned. Naturally, there's no
connection between her and Kicker.) If I were to compare, I'd say I
liked Dreamwave's ENERGON comic many times more than the SUPER LINK cartoon.
I still have a little sense of expecation for the GALAXY FORCE cartoon,
but I think it's about time the storytelling for TF shows was left to
scriptwriters from the West.
------------------------------------------------------------
Thylacine 2000
> Meanwhile, we have Grimlock and Swoop. To start with, they're a lot like
> E-Downshift in that once you get past the OH MY GOD ITS A G! CHARACTER
> DOOD... you're not left with a whole lot. No accessories, no missile
> launchers. Posabilbity is okay, and turning into a pair of dinos counts for
> a fair bit. But their sculpting leaves a lot to be desired. There are far
> too many flat boring panels. Grimlock's fists are ill-defined lumps, and
> both their noggins are way too smooth and rounded. Swoop's arms pop off way
> too easy, which I suppose beats "breaks", while his beast-head sticks out of
> his chest far too far and has a giantic hole in his beast mode neck. The
> Mega-Dinobot mode? Two words: "Don't bother". It's barely held together by a
> clip and forcing a square peg into a slot so it kinda sorta holds together,
> and it's amazingly top-heavy and awkward looking, with another bad head
> sculpt. It's not a bad design... but the engineering is lacking, and it
> really needed some Takara detail-guy work done to it. Great design, bad
> engineering.
My response to the Dinobot set was exactly the opposite of what I
expected.
I thought I'd be able to work out all their tricks immediately (since
it's basically a one-trick set anyway), and that I'd think it was at
best silly, at worst grotesque.
Instead, I actually think they look great.... but DAMN is that a
hostile and frustrating assembly.
The instructions are so vague, and the *everything about them* so
blasted unstable, that there are easily a handful of different ways
you could cram Grimlock into Swoop and manage to convince yourself you
had successfully combined the two. I finally, after great effort and
some coaching from others, managed to find a way to actually get them
to *solidly* link together. Swoop's robot head has to fold down
between his legs, and then shove Grim's dino-head down until it's
kissing the back of Swoop's dino-head. Even that way, some parts are
just flopping around and threatening to disassemble, but at least the
waist connector is secure.
And now with that accomplished, see point one: I think they look
great. It's monstrous and formidable and Dinobotty and covered with
sharp blades and claws. I like the head sculpt and the color scheme.
I don't use Grimlock's fists for the combined form: instead, fold
down the T.rex claws to form huge pincers for the super-robot. Looks
way better and more properly proportional, and kind of covers over the
fact that otherwise he would have blatantly right-there fist holes
that can't actually hold anything.
Has anybody found any accessories that they *can* use? It's really a
shame that these guys do so little.... heck, just the ability to hold
the Armada / Energon universal accessories would have really raised
them way up.
Mark Brown
news:2b1d4f0f.0411...@posting.google.com...
*SNIP*
> In traditional machining processes, one cuts away material with a
> blade, drill, mill, saw, or something. Basically using one hard
> material to cut into a less hard material. In EDMing, material is cut
> away using a spark.
*inhales*
*SNIP*
> Y'know, now I'll never be able to watch the spark gap when I run my
> EDM machine the same again. I'll always imagine a little storm of
> Transformer Sparks in some kind of Allspark inspired attack.
*exhales*
. . . dammit.
*SNIP*
> We also have a hydrogen furnace
> that goes up to 2000 degrees C that has "A3" prominantly displayed on
> it for some reason. Maybe it's Alpha Trion's alt mode?
Huh. Somehow appropriate (hydrogen furnace => used in making machines =>
Alpha Trion => Responsible for the (re)construction of at least two
Autobots).
Mark
"Perhaps some 80s cartoon writer was thus inspired."
M Sipher
news:NJCdnaCz6ax...@texas.net...
> > I don't know if Ichikawa-san has answers to your follow-up questions at
> > all, but I'm sure he's checking on the feedback to this post, and once
> > he muddles through all the English :-), if he does have answers, I
> > imagine he'll tell me when his next free moment to communicate comes
> > around.
>
> And sure enough, he's done so:
(Checks for rivers of blood)
> -----------------------------------------
> I've checked out the responses to your post on a.t.t., and I'm happy it
> was well received by everyone.
It's the kind of info that the fandom NEEDS.
> Now let me respond to Sipher's entry:
[snip]
> I must add in here that Divebomb had some extremely cool concept art
> from Hasbro, which played a big part in his design quality. His robot
> and beast mode head designs are practically unchanged from the Hasbro
> concepts.
Intersting. I wouldn't have expected them to go for something so ninja-y.
> > And he's responsible for Cruellock's face? I LOVE Cruellock's big
> > fangy face.
>
> And Cruellock's face is also by Hasbro.
Aheh. Well, my face is red.
> Aside from these two, the faces
> of the characters I was in charge of are all my designs. (However, I
> did not take part in the addition of a mouth to Optimus.) Scorponok's
> visor was added in at my insistent request.
Aw, but I liked the mouth. Oh well. And the visor on Scorponok is a
wonderful little touch. Actually, Scorponok is pretty much a giant pile of
wonderful.
> > ... Isn't WS's vehcile mode too wide to go in a Mega box?
>
> I can't confirm this, as I don't have a sample of Wing Saber on hand,
> but the plan was that his wings would fold back in vehicle mode to make
> a "container mode" for packaging purposes. However, at the
> cost-calculating stage, the gimmick that let you store away the "toe
> cannons" on his feet was omitted, so the gun barrels remained exposed.
Hm. That's something I'd noted about the design (as in, wondering why it
didn't have that feature), but I didn't think much of it, really. He looks
fine with the long gun-toes, and not being able to retract them doesn't hurt
him at all, I think.
> This may have prevented the container mode from being realized. Anyone
> who has Wing Saber, please confirm this.
I have Wing Saber (obviously), but have thrown away his box, since I don't
keep packaging anymore outside of convention pieces and my single BinalTech
toy (Zoom-Zoom).
Wait, I have a Mega box from this spare Mirage I picked up that I've
forgotten about. Let's see...
Whoof. Saber's jet mode is about 3.5 inches wider than a Mega-sized box
(adjusted slightly so the toy isn't pressed right up against the sides). His
robot mode is just a shade too deep to put in the box (because of the
gun-toes), and while it would fit is packaged sideways height-wise, I doubt
Hasbro would want him packaged sideways, since they like a unified package
look for all the toys in a size-class.
So basically, there's no way this toy was going in a Mega box without taking
the legs off... giving me the general feeling that the toy would have been
better off designed within the Ultra price point. Though I could be wrong.
> >> Also, regarding WS's lack of a hand weapon, the developer had hoped
> >> to make the Energon Saber his main weapon, but unfortunately, his
> >> request wasn't granted.
> >
> > What, as in "packed in with the toy"? That would have been wildly
> > appproprite, and more Mini-Cons is always a good thing... a recolor,
> > I'm guessing? Three tech jets packed with a tech jet, the minis
> > becomng the sword of the guy modeled after the guy from G1 with the
> > big sword...
>
> Er, this demand was in regard to how he'd be treated in the SUPER LINK
> TV show; the idea wasn't about packing a Mini-Con team in with the toy.
Damn. I want more Mini-Cons. Oh well, I can always give him the Micron
Booster Blizzard Saber... it kind of matches his color better anyway.
I should get around to assigning Mini-Cons to the various Autobots.
> (For TV, the Energon Saber was given the role of Kicker's personal
> weapon, so the request for WS to use it wasn't approved.)
Damn shame that's about all they ARE. Kicker/Ironhide's weapon. Have we even
seen them separated outside of that first episode?
> I did my Energon design work at the same time I was writing the
> "Linkage" DVD comics at We've's request, and since this work let me hear
> requests directly from the Takara designers, I wanted to make use of
> that info in the comic. One of the most useful pieces of background
> info was that the Omnicons and Terrorcons were evolved Mini-Cons.
Yeah, the Energon comic used that angle, and I like it. It's a nice piece of
continuity.
> At that point, which was just before SUPER LINK started airing, I had a
> discussion with We've in which I asked them, "Would it be okay if I drew
> several Mini-Cons in the final episode of 'Linkage' in their evolved
> state as Omnicons or Terrorcons?"
... that would have been great.
> Surprisingly, though, they knew nothing about this background info and
> had already created their own explanation for the origin for the
> Omnicons. Apparently, in the meetings between the anime production
> staff and Takara, the only people attending from Takara were from the
> Marketing Department, so none of the ideas or requests from the
> Development Deparment people were conveyed.
(facepalm) Oy.
> I was told several such disappointing stories, and so my interest in the
> SUPER LINK cartoon declined drastically, and I quickly gave up any
> efforts to connect the "Linkage" story and SUPER LINK. (When I saw
> Kicker's hair light up in SL Episode 1, I thought, "Oh, this can't be
> good," but despite that, I went ahead and made Stella's hair glow
> platinum blond as I'd originally planned. Naturally, there's no
> connection between her and Kicker.)
I tried my best to shoot that rumor down when the final Linkage issue went
public, but it's nice to get the official word.
> If I were to compare, I'd say I
> liked Dreamwave's ENERGON comic many times more than the SUPER LINK
cartoon.
I have my issues with the DW Energon comic, but I'd have to agree overall. I
mean, there are aspects to the cartoon I do really enjoy... Dr. Jones is
hilarious, I like the premise of Alpha-Quintesson and Megatron being
separate forces (two teams of competing Decepticons makes things very
interesting to me), and Strongarm's voice pretty much defines how I see and
hear the character. (His Peter Falk-like voice. I miss distinctive voices
like that. We got a couple in RiD, but nothing to the extent of BW/BM and
G1.)
Thing is, I actually preferred the Armada cartoon's storyline over the DW
comic's story overall. Where I thought the comic was far superior in
highlighting the Mini-Cons as characters, the only real story high-points,
to me, were the first two issues, and then the Moon Base arc up through the
Arctic rescue. Once "Worlds Collide" came in, it all went to hell. The
Armada cartoon featured more characters, actually fleshed them out a lot
better (Sideways is one of my favorite TFs now), and had a much more
compelling overall story (sadly told in often-weak individual chunks) than
the comic... so I was very pre-disposed to enjoy the Energon cartoon more.
And then the first issues/episodes of each came out, and it was as I thought
it would be... better cartoon than comic.
And then a few more issues/episodes in... complete flip-flop. The comic got
over its abysmally long intro and began picking up speed with some nice
character-driven pieces, and the cartoon quickly began to fall apart,
dropping highly-compelling facets like Demolishor's uncertainty,
Starscream's back-from-the-dead confusion... sigh.
> I still have a little sense of expecation for the GALAXY FORCE cartoon,
It seems to have companies with a good pedigree behind it. Of course, there
have been many projects done by indusrty heavyweights that have ended up
complete turds (Polar Express, anyone?), so that only goes so far.
> but I think it's about time the storytelling for TF shows was left to
> scriptwriters from the West.
I don't think it's possible for me to agree more. It's been my GENERAL
observation that the Japanese TF series have had generally weaker individual
episodes, but tend to have a better overall story arc, a real idea of where
they want to go for the finale. While the Western-scripted shows focus much
more on episodes as individuals. And with TV scheduling being how it is (and
kids' attention spans being what they are), it's probably a lot better the
grab them with strong individual episodes rather than drag out a single
story across 52 episodes.
(Unless you're Yu-Gi-Oh, apparently. That show makes my head hurt. And I
thought Dragon Ball Z battles were overlong.)
There are of course exceptions, most series have a few very strong episodes,
and Beast Machines seemed to sacrifice individual eps for a much better
"background arc" style of storytelling. You mileage may vary.
I do think Beast Wars' writing level was an aberration; a combination of
Hasbro's willingness to take a big risk with a franchise that was struggling
for life, pure dumb luck with getting two writers who would give the project
just a little EXTRA, and honestly, the internet fandom AT THAT TIME wasn't
the gigantic sprawling mass it was now, with a more centralized feel to it,
making it seem a lot more accessible to said two writers. We'll likely never
have that level of writing again... not without the franchise in death
throes again.
M "Which Doesn't Seem Too Likely Anytime Soon" Sipher
M Sipher
news:44ac6dd8.04112...@posting.google.com...
> Has anybody found any accessories that they *can* use? It's really a
> shame that these guys do so little.... heck, just the ability to hold
> the Armada / Energon universal accessories would have really raised
> them way up.
No Armada/Energon accessories work.
I tried giving Grim his G1 accessories. Those pegs are too small. Pretender?
Too big. Action Master? Uh... missing his rifle, not that it matters. No way
in hell.
As it stands, I might try to Dremel the fist-holes a little wider. Grimlock
armed with a couple of Energon axes would be wonderful, maybe even
Doom-Lock's sword.
M "A Clear-Red Cruellock Sword Would Be PERFECT" Sipher
Ethan Hammond
> expected.
>
> I thought I'd be able to work out all their tricks immediately (since
> it's basically a one-trick set anyway), and that I'd think it was at
> best silly, at worst grotesque.
I think they look fine in individual mode, but the combined mode
is kind of silly. I will wait to ultimately decide if I want to buy them
when I see them in the store.