What Made Transformers Successful Lately?

[TheCasualOblivion]

I had this argument with my friend lately. Why have the new Transformers caught on like they have. He pays more attention to this sort of thing, but he says that Transformers has really been successful starting with Armada. Armada has been far more successful than BW/BM or Rid, and Transformers are enjoying the most success they've enjoyed since Gen1. If these ideas are wrong, so be it, they aren't really mine, but what would you think the reasons for this would be.

 

I'll save my opinions for later.

[DJ HMRising]

I agree. Somehow Armada was very popular despite the average figures (obviously with few exceptions).

[CkRtech]

No. I think time is what has made Transformers popular. Armada's placement is just at a matured place in "Transformers History."

 

The original G1 fans have grown up. Many of them collect Transformers now. They latch on to some of the newer things just because of the whole Transforming idea that connects them to their younger days. This in itself is pivotal.

 

Beast Wars was different. New Transformers at the time - but not vehicles. Age of original fans...just hitting the brink of "in school/got a job"

 

Rid - Vehicles return. Show gives more of a Nostalgia feel. Fox Kids picks it up.

 

Armada - If you were 8 in 1984, now you are 26 in 2002. Struggle is classic Autobots vs. Deceptions and is all vehicles. You got the money? You got the Transformers....and many to choose from now

 

Energon - Continues the current trend in the 20th Anniversary year.

 

Conventions have been around awhile now too. Plenty of Botcons.

 

It is quite possible - that we have come full circle in terms of generations of Transformer fan. It is perfectly conceivable that a kid who loved Transformers in 1984 has grown up, had a kid (or kids) who are now into Transformers. Trips to the store create nostalgia & sometimes the *parents* now want to buy the Transformers of old.

 

Therefore - Enter the reissues. Brilliant marketing.

 

That's my take.

[Ren]

Last Christmas was Armada heaven for my son.....he thinks Santa's an Autobot!!!!!

I loved collecting G1 and started again after he got interested in Armada, so I know this house has been extremely helpful to the Armada series!!!!

[RoyalZarak]

I cold hardly believe Beast Wars saved Transformers during the mid 90s. It's the only show that got me into it once G1 was over. Robots in Diguise made Transformers more popular for kids. Which in turn it spawn two other TF series Armada and Energon.

[scrapperboy]

So a good question would be with whom transformers are popular today, is it kids or adults around 25? How do they compare in number to each other? More kids than adults?

[Cyber Bear]

I really don't see the adult collector market is a huge pesentage of sales.. However, I would say adults have a lot to do with it. Parents that is. I would have to say that most parents are really tired of the whole Japanese card game toy lines. When bringing a child down the toy isle they kind of gravitate to something they know i.e Transformers, Turtles, GI Joe.

[STRONTY]

There's several reason TF is doing well:

The return to the classic Autbot/Decepticon conflict with the traditional cars vs military transforming vehicles

 

20th anniversary Prime- prime has generated a ton of interest, those just looking for info on 20th prime get sucked into Armada and Energon.

 

Energon having even stronger G1 referances, like Megatron looking more faithful to G1 toon Galvatron than the actual G1 toy did!!

 

Energon toon is a vast improvement over the crappily animated Armada 'slideshow'

 

Takara and Hasbro Re-issues get adults drawn back in

 

G1 fans now have kids

 

Local conventions like Cybercon in Jersey get the active fans a place to meet

 

Tons of fan run websites and message boards allowing many fans to interact instead of being isolated back in the 80's

[TheCasualOblivion]

BW did save Transformers from the dead, but didn't launch it to the heights Armada did. I've heard your ideas, now I'll give you my side of the argument.

 

I don't think its just the vehicles concept, though I do think thats part of things. Vehicles just tend to be cooler thats all. But RiD did not hit like Armada did, so it can't just be the vehicles

 

I don't think its necessarily the cartoon either. BW was a far better cartoon, and the Armada cartoon was in my opinion an inferior cartoon to the He-Man cartoon that was launched alongside it. And that line is dying. I don't think the cartoon is it either.

 

I also agree that the adult collector market isn't responsible for the renaissance either, since Armada started before G1 reissues and well before 20th anniv Prime.

 

The answer I think is simply accessability, and the fact that while Armada are not better Transformers than BW and Rid, they're better toys. Armada has two things going for it: 1. The bots are simple. It doesn't take a genius to transform them. This allows the toys to be enjoyed by a younger and broader audience. 2. The bots are stronger. While they probably have similar durability in terms of people like us, Armada is much more solidly designed and in my opinion better built to withstand abuse. This also makes it stand up to kids better, and there is the perception aspect too. They just look more durable, which probably influences parents.

[Devilbat]

...Armada started before G1 reissues and well before 20th anniv Prime.

 

??? I thought that RID came along, then the re-issues, THEN Armada. But my memory is not very reliable. You may very well be right about the order...

 

But for me, the re-issues and the awesome Dreamwave comics are what got me interested in Transformers again. I was almost lured back by RID, but not quite. Now I'd like to go back and get at least the RID Prime, Megatron, Ultra Magnus, X-Brawn, Side-Burn, and...crap. I can never remember the other one's name. (lol) But anyway...

 

For some reason the Energon vehicle and character choices are reminiscent of G1 toys, so to me it's like a return of Transformers to their G1 roots; I really didn't like the Minicon concept driving Armada. I prefer a struggle over Energon. That makes much more sense as a catalyst for conflict between Autobots and Decepticons. And I really like how Unicron has been written in as a central plot point too.

 

So for me, the G1 re-issues and the Dreamwave comics have been a springboard for me interest wise, and Energon is supplementing my interest quite nicely.

[Carnifexoldoneye]

The reissues started to hit around the same time RID did, at least in japan. I remeber i got Black Convoy and reissue Optimus, Ultra Magnus and Megatron all from japan around the same time. Those were the cooler reissues IMO. They had the G1 style packaging and what not.

[eclipse1]

i think g1 collectors who are buying reissues are also getting the new toys. as for the cartoon, just because i don't watch it, doesn't mean it's not well recieved by kids today, they are the target anyways.

[pogoman]

MP Prime, Reissues and Alternators got the attention of old school collectors.

 

Energon show is popular with kids and the animation is not bad.

[rodimusconvoy21]

What has made tf a succesful lately?

 

 

Better TV exposicion than other (MOTU) kids shows.

 

Toys that can relate to the show

 

Wide variety

 

one unique gimmick: Transform

 

diferent prices range

 

A very large fanbase

 

Marketing skills of Hasbro. (repaint related)

 

They have been there all the time since 1984.

[Cyber Bear]

 

Marketing skills of Hasbro. (repaint related)

 

Old school fans were brought up on repaints when you think about it. The first 2 years of toys had several that were their own characters.

[Darren]

As a G1 Transformer kid,I have to say that the return of the classic Autobots/Decepticons conflict is what brought me back.I find that even the original formula with some twists often proves best.

 

You go back to what was SUCCESSFUL in the first place.That's part of why I see this whole 80's Cartoon/Toy Revival being successful was because this is "what worked" with kids back in the 80's and the same formula (with some differences) is repeating the similar success of the past.

[Quickshift]

I think these last few posts have really hit on something - drawing from past success. I think what really hooked so many people on Armada was that it was billed as (and correctly so) a "new beginning" for TFs in the new generation/millenium... a second G1 of sorts, if you will. There were enough classic references to draw in the older fanbase who remembers G1, while not making the characters/storyline inaccessible to new fans, who felt like they could get in on this w/o feeling "left out" of what came before. The whole Mini-Con concept was huge, too - a whole new faction of TFs?? And they were tiny and gimmick-laden too! BIG attention-grabber/money-maker there. Now comes Energon, which again pulls from Armada but also calls in even more G1 references, and acts in many ways like the post-movie G1 did to its predecessors. Just look at the namesakes we haven't seen in Armada that made it into Energon: Rodimus, Ultra Magnus, Arcee, Scorponok, Quintessons... and then there's the obvious G1 scuplt similarities like Downshift, Shockblast, Megatron, Tow-Line, Skyblast, and Starscream. It's obvious that Hasbro has paid attention to what's worked in the past and pulled on its huge fanbase to create new toys that in one way or another tend to harken back to their original success in the 80s, while still putting a new twist on them to keep them from being little more than rehashes of an old concept (cough cough... MOTU... cough)

[TheCasualOblivion]

I have an interesting addition to the last couple of posts. What has been stated is that Transformers has a heritage that it has recently started to embrace which has led to its success. One of the really unique things about G1 is how much they built a heritage and story into the line before it ever came out. Read the original bios and tech specs, they put a lot into the world of Transformers before it was even born, and it was done in the toys themselves. I believe the cartoon and comic came between 6 months to a year after the toys, and the toys themselves were absolutely huge from the moment they came out as I remember it from being there.

[CkRtech]

while still putting a new twist on them to keep them from being little more than rehashes of an old concept (cough cough... MOTU... cough)

Except regarding cartoons, the new MOTU blows Energon and Armada out of the water.

 

Ashame that Mattel didn't roll things they way they should have.

[SKYWARP]

No. I think time is what has made Transformers popular. Armada's placement is just at a matured place in "Transformers History."

 

The original G1 fans have grown up. Many of them collect Transformers now. They latch on to some of the newer things just because of the whole Transforming idea that connects them to their younger days. This in itself is pivotal.

 

Beast Wars was different. New Transformers at the time - but not vehicles. Age of original fans...just hitting the brink of "in school/got a job"

 

Rid - Vehicles return. Show gives more of a Nostalgia feel. Fox Kids picks it up.

 

Armada - If you were 8 in 1984, now you are 26 in 2002. Struggle is classic Autobots vs. Deceptions and is all vehicles. You got the money? You got the Transformers....and many to choose from now

 

Energon - Continues the current trend in the 20th Anniversary year.

 

Conventions have been around awhile now too. Plenty of Botcons.

 

It is quite possible - that we have come full circle in terms of generations of Transformer fan. It is perfectly conceivable that a kid who loved Transformers in 1984 has grown up, had a kid (or kids) who are now into Transformers. Trips to the store create nostalgia & sometimes the *parents* now want to buy the Transformers of old.

 

Therefore - Enter the reissues. Brilliant marketing.

 

That's my take.

I have to agree with this totally.

 

Also think about the Alternators line maybe they threw them in there too for all the adults buying energon for their kids.

[Mahzian]

well i cant speak for the success in the states but its popular here in oz atm mainly because they are actually airing the show , the other shows were aired briefly but not given the wide exposure that armada has.