Universe Silverbolt revealed at Australian Toy Fair

[Warcry]

True; once they're released, it'll be simple enough to check for combiner joints. It's just that releasing both Onslaught and Silverbolt, out of the all the characters to choose from, at the highest price point in the line suggest further plans.

True. On the other hand, they've never done a combiner at the scale we're talking about before. An ultra plus four deluxes, all of them new molds, times two teams? That's a big up-front investment on Hasbro's part. IMO, if they were going to sink that much money into the project we'd have been seeing "Classics Combiners" advertising in big flashing letters from the get-go.

I'm not opposed to the idea (I'd start dancing in the streets if they made a Classics Skydive) as long as they could squeeze the combiner gimmick in without compromising the toys themselves. I just don't don't think we should get our hopes up, is all.

[wolfbolt86]

If the two new ultra's are really combiners, then what would the other bots and cons sizes be? I don't think delxues would work, so does that mean that the totals of the teams would be near $110? The limbs would have to be at least in the voyagers size.

on a side not, i think that Silverbolt's new look is neat. I think that it is some type of concept for a plane or shutle. My little brother and sister's school has a shutle desing that looks like it in their gym.

Do we have a date in Augest as to when the things come out?

[Clay]

If the two new ultra's are really combiners, then what would the other bots and cons sizes be? I don't think delxues would work, so does that mean that the totals of the teams would be near $110? The limbs would have to be at least in the voyagers size.

Nah, they'd be deluxes.

[Treadshot A1]

They might actually be voyagers. Energon had bodies 1 class up from the limbs, so voyager limbs might be possible.

Actually, how big would be a ultra and deluxe combiner be?

[Gareth Infinity]

For a combiner with an Ultra body, Deluxes certainly seem more feasible, concerning price and size, than Voyagers.

[Cliffjumper]

Of course, it could all be down to there only being about three well-known jet Autobots, and only one vaguely armoured-truck type Decepticon anyone cares about... They managed to release a Bonecrusher in the film line without him being part of a combining team, after all.

[Halfshell]

They managed to release a Bonecrusher in the film line without him being part of a combining team, after all.

Am I allowed to make jokes about Brawl forming Devastator again yet?

[Warcry]

Of course, it could all be down to there only being about three well-known jet Autobots

By no stretch of the imagination would I call either Silverbolt or Powerglide 'well-known'. They're not absolute nobodies like Cloudburst or Sunrunner or Dogfight, but they're nowhere near as recognizable as Jetfire (one of the most-used names in recent years thanks to the Armadaverse character) either. From a fandom perspective we all know who they are, but neither one is going to catch the eye of parents or kids on name alone.

I say they're choosing characters using the time-honoured technique of drawing names out of a hat, a process I fully endorse because it means they might accidentally wind up making a new Spinister.


Is it just me, or does Powerglide's new colour scheme make a lot less sense now that we know there's going to be another huge, mainly white Autobot jet following right on his heels? Toss Jetfire into the mix and that's a lot of sameness in the expensive size classes. :\

[Clay]

Of course, it could all be down to there only being about three well-known jet Autobots, and only one vaguely armoured-truck type Decepticon anyone cares about... They managed to release a Bonecrusher in the film line without him being part of a combining team, after all.

Well, Bonecrusher could have been called Johnny Bus-Smasher without making a difference . I suppose my original point should read more like, "are Silverbolt and Onslaught well known enough outside of being parts of gestalts to justify such expensive merchandise without incorporating their very claim to fame?"

[Halfshell]

They're not absolute nobodies like Cloudburst or Sunrunner or Dogfight

Lies. My childhood toy collection now hates you.

[Cliffjumper]

By no stretch of the imagination would I call either Silverbolt or Powerglide 'well-known'. They're not absolute nobodies like Cloudburst or Sunrunner or Dogfight, but they're nowhere near as recognizable as Jetfire (one of the most-used names in recent years thanks to the Armadaverse character) either. From a fandom perspective we all know who they are, but neither one is going to catch the eye of parents or kids on name alone.

Kids I'd grant you won't give a toss, but both were moderately prominent in the cartoon. Lots of lapsed fanboys "likd the Arialbots". A lot of people will have had Powerglide Sure, they're not marquee names, and they're not in the same league as Jetfire, but name another pair of more famous jet Autobots? "Well-known" was a bit of hyperbole, I'll admit, but put "anyone outside of fandom really remembers" in its' place and you're basically there. Classics isn't relying on kids of the 1980s entirely for sales, but they're certainly making sure it gets as many of 'em as possible.

Plus the Silverbolt reuse cashes in on his Beast Whatever use, too - BW/BM fans are just getting to the sort of age where they get interested in this stuff again, like a lot of us did.

Agree that the Autobot jets are starting to look very same-y though. I wasn't convinced there was much reason for the Powerglide scheme anyway, now it just looks stupid - Powerglide looks set to be one of the weakest of the line.

[Treadshot A1]

I don't think powerglide will sell well. There's just too many smaller TF's that turn into the exact same plane.

If silverbolt turns out to be a combiner, that might boost his sales, but as of the mock-up, i have my doubts.

And Cloudburst is not an absolute nobody.

And i don't recall CYB Soundwave's lazerbeak figure being referred to as a minicon, so why is blaster's a minicon?

[numbat]

And i don't recall CYB Soundwave's lazerbeak figure being referred to as a minicon, so why is blaster's a minicon?

Lazerbeak was certainly referred to as a Minicon on the Euro packaging. Of course, he blatantly isn't - he lacks any ports. But that is what they called him here...

As to Powerglide, I think he looks to be an exceptionally strong mould - both modes looks great, and the transformation is likely to be interesting. I think it's unfortunate that they've decided to release so many Autobot jets full stop, let alone in the same colour scheme though. That certainly is going to be a problem for Powerglide sales, unfortunately. Particularly the scale change, for a less-known character, with other jets on offer. However, I shall still be looking forward to him more than any of the other Classics 2.0 figures I've seen so far. Good for fans, bad for sales, I'll guess.

I'd have liked to have seen another vehicle type at Ultra scale for Autobots. Two jets seems daft to me. I'm sure a new take on a character like Omega Supreme could have worked at that size Class, or maybe Warpath (although, we have Galvatron as a tank already, I guess) - if we want to have another UltraMinibot.

[Clay]

they're not in the same league as Jetfire, but name another pair of more famous jet Autobots?

I suppose that's the clincher: if Powerglide and Silverbolt are the best they can drum up for big Autobot jet toys, why not just make something else?

[Warcry]

Lies. My childhood toy collection now hates you.

That's OK. My collection hates Cliffy because he spoke ill of Crosshairs and Hun-grrr, so it's only fair.

Ironically, Powerglide would look a lot nicer in Sunrunner's colours...

Kids I'd grant you won't give a toss, but both were moderately prominent in the cartoon. Lots of lapsed fanboys "likd the Arialbots". A lot of people will have had Powerglide Sure, they're not marquee names, and they're not in the same league as Jetfire, but name another pair of more famous jet Autobots?

You've got me there. Aside from Jetfire there just flat-out aren't any really memorable Autobot jets out there (in my experience the Aerialbots are remembered as 'the jet combiner' by some outside the fandom, but no one cares about any of the individuals). I think Clay hit the nail on the head in that regard, though. If those two are the best they could come up with, why bother? It would have made piles more sense to release a ground-based Autobot to follow up Powerglide (Omega Supreme, Hot Spot, Roadbuster or whatever) and do a Silverbolt later, or make one/both of the jets at a lower price point, or use Powerglide's G1 colour scheme to make him distinctive from the rest, or...well, pretty much anything but what they're doing now.

The only way they could top this strangeness is if they follow Onslaught up with Ultra-class versions of Bombshock and Crankcase. Giant blue armoured vehicles ahoy!

[Clay]

Powerglide is passable since, if recognition is a factor, his original toy was cheap and everywhere, and did have at least one episode of the cartoon dedicated to him.

But with Silverbolt and Onslaught, I still think the primary reason anyone would glance at them twice is the combining thing. Without that, what are they doing at the $30 price?

[numbat]

But with Silverbolt and Onslaught, I still think the primary reason anyone would glance at them twice is the combining thing. Without that, what are they doing at the $30 price?

Silverbolt seems to be exciting people more than Powerglide...

(If not me.)

Onslaught, because, I have no idea why.

I would be surprised if these are combiners, really, especially at this scale. You'd be looking at a longer Classics 2.0 run than Classics, certainly, and is that likely?

Plus, you'd be expecting people to wait for limbs, and pick components up piece-meal. I could see it as maybe just breaking even for Hasbro if they were to release all components at once, but that isn't looking likely. Expecting consumers - especially kids - to wait for months and months to complete a gestalt (and at, erm, massive expense) seems to be really pushing things commercially.

Maybe it's just a nice nod to the combiners - having two of the leaders released at large scale opposite each other (roughly).

[Cliffjumper]

Oh, I totally agree that the logical answer is not to bother with Autobot jets - I guess they're trying to balance the numbers out a little for the kids to play with them (which could also be why we're getting Onslaught and Octane, who have about the same status with the land-based Decepticons as Silverbolt and Powerglide have with the airborne bots...).

As much as I'm loving Classics, and would dearly love to see some really insane stuff turn up in the future (Searchlight! Afterburner! Air Raid! Misfire! Horri-Bull!), I think that from a commercial point of view Classics is soon going to be a pretty restrictive line. Bottom line is that only 5/6 characters are genuinely big names (I'm thinking Prime/Bumblebee/Grimlock/Megatron/Soundwave/Starscream, with maybe Hot Rod as well) - this won't bother the kiddies who (especially for a media-free line) will continue to snap up any decent figures, but fans may have a few "FTW?" moments ahead as more obscure names get revived. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I think anyone hoping for Classicified versions of all the pre-Movie characters may be in for a frustrating time.

Did any of that make sense? ****ing Popy.

[Warcry]

I stand by my previous comment that Hasbro would be pimping the combiner gimmick for all it's worth, if Onslaught and Silverbolt were part of a combiner team. We've seen Silverbolt's packaging and there is absolutely no indication that he's anything but your garden-variety ultra-class TF.

But with Silverbolt and Onslaught, I still think the primary reason anyone would glance at them twice is the combining thing. Without that, what are they doing at the $30 price?

There's always the chance that the actual toys will be good, eye-catching and fun -- I wouldn't attach those adjectives to either Powerglide or Onslaught from what we've seen so far, but I've got high hopes for Silverbolt. That said, high price-point toys traditionally haven't sold very well without a cartoon/movie/whatnot to push them, and I've been wary of Hasbro introducing the ultra price bracket into Classics ever since they announced it. In my neck of the woods Classics voyagers were warming shelves when their deluxe counterparts were long gone, and the same was true in the old Universe line.

Because the Movie and Animated toys both have a very different design aesthetic, the Universe line in general (and Classics in specific) are the only option for collectors who want 'traditional' TFs. That's likely to continue for the forseeable future, but will that be enough to drum up sales for the higher price points? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Now, all that said I'm usually not one for defending the larger TF toys. I'll maybe buy one TF above deluxe size in a given year because usually I look at them and think "there's no reason they couldn't have done that one size smaller". That's exactly what I thought when I heard that Onslaught and Powerglide were going to be ultras, and I still think they'd work better as voyagers or even deluxes.

Silverbolt seems to be exciting people more than Powerglide...

I think that's got a lot to do with people being turned off by Powerglide's new colour scheme and the fact that he's bigger than Jetfire now. Silverbolt (at least going by his box art) seems like he'll be a lot more G1-accurate.

which could also be why we're getting Onslaught and Octane, who have about the same status with the land-based Decepticons as Silverbolt and Powerglide have with the airborne bots...

Good point. Although Octane is small enough and cheap enough that he's in impulse buy/cheap birthday present territory.

As much as I'm loving Classics, and would dearly love to see some really insane stuff turn up in the future (Searchlight! Afterburner! Air Raid! Misfire! Horri-Bull!), I think that from a commercial point of view Classics is soon going to be a pretty restrictive line.

I'm not sure it has to be. Unlike the G1 reissues, I think Classics could have quite a bit of staying power. The line isn't aimed entirely at the nostalgia market and the toys are liable to be popular with kids, which gives it life beyond the dozen or so really popular characters who usually drive retro lines. I just hope that they don't trip themselves up by releasing too many similar toys at once, especially in the higher price points (ala Silverbolt and Powerglide).

As for reviving obscure names and characters, I say bring it on.

[secretcode]

I know this seems stupid, but what are the odds of Hasbro releasing other toys into the Universe line, aside from the G1 variety? I'm talking about releasing other characters such as Cheetor, Hot Shot, Dinobot (Please Hasbro?), or Non-US TFs like Victory Leo or Wing Saber?