[JTF] Victory to Zone - what the Hell happened?

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Mar 19, 2004 2:18 am

Right, can someone explain how this state of affairs:

1989
32 episode animated series
Toyline consisting of 90% ish unique figures
Massive popularity - enough to see a three-year old movie issued

led to this: -
1990
1 episode released straight to video, several possibly canned.
Toyline including, what, three new moulds?
Comic-only series conclusion

I mean, what the Hell happened there?

DrSpengler · Post by **DrSpengler** » Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:13 am

Got me.

Perhaps Takara produced a ton of Victory toys but they didn't sell all that well? Hence the major cut backs to the Zone line.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:19 am

It's possible... I duno whether I've just misinterpreted how much fans like it, but I always got the impression Victory was ultra-successful

Actually, maybe they had financial problems, like they did around CR?

Bombshell · Post by **Bombshell** » Fri Mar 19, 2004 4:27 am

Well, it must have been popular enough, considering that they went ahead and did "Battlestars" and "Operation: Combination".

Do you honestly think that these two lines would have been made had it not continued to be a success?

OK, the toys were either cr*p of the highest order or repaints, and the story was told in the pages of magazines that no one can find nowadays, but the fact that they exist at all means that it wasn't that bad.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 4:26 am

Not really. It means it would sell to a limited audience, much like the European 1991/1992 lines, which were backed up by a reprint comic.

Astrotrain255 · Post by **Astrotrain255** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 5:23 am

Perhaps it has something to do with Victory Saber's replacement with an uncharismatic Dai Atlas,or perhaps the deformed,ultra crappy Predaking's face(never could understand that...)or just that annoying Pokemon-like flying rabbit...

Unfortunately I think Zone hasnt the quality of Victory(designs and animation) nor the humoristic appeal...

Still it isnt as bad as say...Armada

:rolleyes:

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 11:57 am

But, you see, it can't really be to do with that, as Zone was already one episode before anyone saw Dai Atlas...

Lambda prime · Post by **Lambda prime** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 6:57 pm

declining interest in TV series. Zone scored no viewers or interest and produced no destron toys as they werent selling.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 11:04 pm

But how did they know it'd score only "a handful of viewers", and thus make sure the first episode went straight to video, with no thers appearing. People really aren't grasping what I'm asking - it's not "why was Zone less successful that Victory", it's "why didn't Takara even really bother"?

DrSpengler · Post by **DrSpengler** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 12:15 am

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
But how did they know it'd score only "a handful of viewers", and thus make sure the first episode went straight to video, with no thers appearing. People really aren't grasping what I'm asking - it's not "why was Zone less successful that Victory", it's "why didn't Takara even really bother"?

Well, like I said before, my impression was that Victory just wasn't all that successful. They made the whole tv series, the manga, the toys, expecting it to be a big success like Masterforce. But when all was said and done, it really didn't sell well, despite all the marketing. Thus Zone was turned into only an OVA with mange detailing the rest of the story and the Transformers line was shrunk according to the financial losses from Victory.

I always assumed that Victory was well-received by Transformer fans, but didn't draw in casual fans or collecting frenzies.

Just my thought, since that's the only reason I can think of as to why Zone and all the subsequent series were rather small.

I mean, the same can be said about it in America, right? It went from having a full season and a movie to just a three episode miniseries and a comic book, all in the span of a year.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Sat Apr 10, 2004 4:47 pm

Perhaps someone at Takara noticed the Japanease toys were selling about the same as the TVless American toys?