Next wave of TF voyager & deluxe Classics?

[kid]

anyone have any idea on the next wave of TF classics or which characters you would like to be made?

[lastmaximal]

before this goes on i have to reiterate that Classics is pretty much DONE as it is.

if the line does well [ie sells well to kids, not just collectors, in the primary Western markets], they may go back to producing a handful of molds -- but no more than we've seen already, i suppose. and the earliest we may see them is during the latter movie stuff waves [one or two sporadically inserted] or in 2008, after we move on from the movie and into the next main/cartoon-based line. that is, is they need filler material between the end of the movie toys and the start of the new show toys [which production timing states that they must be working on right now].

if they do continue the line it'll be with recolors [repaints]... which so many "fans" feel insulted by for some reason. i personally don't mind -- if it gets us Thrust and Dirge [without the unique wings] or Thundercracker or any good color scheme slapped onto these molds, i'll buy it [bottom line is that we DO want more product out there, right?].

i don't mean to be a killjoy, just to keep people from raising unfounded hopes and then getting disappointed when things don't happen.

that said, on to the wishful thinking...

i'd love to see new Deluxes. of any hood-chest car transformer [can be recolored into Jazz/Prowl/Bluestreak/Smokescreen/Jazz/etcetcetc-- anti-recolor whiners be d**ned, this is the most likely course of action since it produces new essentially-the-same-looking-anyway product with the least design expenditure]... and a new Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.

these three have never had mainline updates before [not counting Armada Wheeljack and Cybertron Crosswise, arguably Sideswipe and Jazz nods]. i'd opt for a new Dinobot or Springer/Blitzwing or other characters, but since the classics 'eras' had a lot of cars i decided to go with the choice that presented the most redo-ability [ie could be redone as the most characters if extra quick releases were needed].

Voyager-wise, i dunno. a bigger, better tank Megatron? Stormbringer Thunderwing [oh PLEASE GOD]?

- last "it's a shame this will likely not be happening any time soon" maximal

[kid]

aw man, i really love the classics line due to its modern look and articulation. i wanted to see a soundwave in the voyager class. in the deluxe class, more decepticon seekers would be nice, insecticons, cyclonus, scourge and a blitzwing. For the autobots, rodimus prime in voyager, and to finish of the deluxe line, kupp, springer, jazz, and a combiner. ho well, all we can do now is hope they do more, ill even teke re-paints.

[clowz]

This IS all very wishful thinking, but still I was hoping for the rest of the dinobots as deluxe class . . . and a Prime trailer for voyager class, or even for the deluxe Prime would have been nice hehehe . . .

If they are just going to re-color, they should re-color voyager megatron!

[hamutaro]

is it really officially over? (weeps shamelessly like girl)... D**n, the toys were really wonderful. the articulations, the detail (well, except maybe the paints on starscream which left him kinda bland esp the face), staying close to the G1 transformation with a little updated twist. they were spectacular and on to something TF fans clamored for. Not to anger other collectors, but i really found the Grimlock shoddy. Dino face for feet??? c'mon. they stuck it out with their usually formula, it would've been a perfect update to a true, classic dinobot classic. and the paints for me was rather haphazardly done. lots of stock were seen with black smudges or overpaints..

the devastator left a lot to be desired in my humble opinion. limbs were just doubles of each other (bilaterally similar, save for the paints). and only 5 combiners, leaving him to look emaciated and stumped at the torso.

well, enough rambling...

repaints as thundercracker and sunstorm have been made by fellow collectors in the US. hint hint to hasbro... we DO want to complete our line of seekers!

dirge and thrust would be really outstanding with the unique wings and all... wouldnt be that expensive to make extra molds just for their wings...

if a grimlock was made, the rest of the pack would be even better!

soundwave/blaster would also be cool. or shockwave!!!

[hamutaro]

Just read a lot of threads from various sites regarding the upcoming Botcon 2007 in Toronto, Canada. I read that there will be a 5-pack set exclusive. From what i gathered, the TF Classics may not me dead. Yet. At least.

From what i gather from various sites and threads, the official word is that the exclusives will be Classics. Whether retooled or repaints of previous is up in the air. Speculations and rabid conjectures have spawned numerous threads, that the three remaining seekers (Thundercracker, Dirge, Thrust) will be 3 of the 5 exclusives. Some speculate nemesis prime and galvatron (repaints obviously) are the other two. but nemesis seems unlikely as they stated that no black toys will be making it as exclusives in this botcon. some speculate sunstorm, starscream's insane brother. or megatron retooled and repainted as galvatron (still with an orange cap). these are all speculations, as the lid is tight on this one, with as yet no leaks of the possible tfs.

BUT it's gonna cost ya. Attendance is around 300 USD. Non-attendance will get you at least the three (correct me if i am wrong).

Any chance of this being available to us? It's up in the air. Hopefully the seekers WILL be available as retail. I'm hoping, but not counting on it. and d@ng it, i really hope it will.

[hamutaro]

me again. reg is on. it's official. TF Classics as the "Games of the Decepticons". The exclusives include 5 seekers: Thundercracker, Dirge, Thrust, Dreadwing, Bugbite.

just waaaaay to pricey for me, even if i could manage to secure connections or a means to pre reg even on Iacon package. and they said it will NOT be available on retail. sad, really.

www.botcon.com/botcon07/brochureri.pdf

[lastmaximal]

Classics as a mainstream-store release line is indeed dead with the Constructicons being the last release.

i'm glad this set is coming out, though. the point of this is that Hasbro wasn't going to produce the three Seekers who are part of the set, so the club decided to incorporate them into an already-interesting set that includes obscure but intriguing characters such as Dreadwing and Bugbite [likely a white Bumblebee]. meanwhile, Hasbro gets to focus on working on movie stuff and the lines that follow [and hey, maybe if this sells phenomenally well they'll see reason to do Classics 2].

i hope people don't go all around blaming Hasbro or the Fan Club for "making it so !@#$! hard for fans to complete their Seekers." at least this makes sure they exist.

the price is indeed a hefty factor. i'm going nuts trying to figure out what i can sell to try and finance picking up a set. but hey, it's a business and i can respect that -- because it's stuff like this that keeps them around to produce more stuff we like.

me, i'm more intrigued about a Dreadwing from the Classics Jetfire mold.

- last "i hope it has the G2 or RiD colors" maximal

[hamutaro]

hey lastmaximal, can i ask how you're going to make your purchase? you signing up online, and what package you getting? looks like if i'm gonna have to sell of some stuff too... hehe!

Forgive the ignorance, but isn't Dreadwing originally a powermaster combiner? What is he now?

[LC]

A 5-pack exclusive TF Classic set?!!
Whew! Forgive the rant, but one of the reasons I liked TF Classics was that it was "mainstream" and visibly available from retail and hobby shops...Anyway, I'll skip on this set, its just too much for me to indulge in...

[lastmaximal]

ALL non-botcon mainlines have been more or less mainstream.

- last "it's a convention, they have exclusives to get people to attend" maximal