...And What About AFTER the G1 Revival?

What now?

The revival line has been out for a few years; it's getting old, sales
are flagging a bit, and it's clearly time to turn in a new direction
before things turn stale. What's that direction going to be?

What I would like to see story-wise is more delving into the
politically charged universe of Beast Wars. This could mean a prequel
series set before Primal and Megatron's crews left Cybertron (with the
occasional cameo by members of the old BW crew, or even Strika and
Obsidian), or a series set on Cybertron after they've left. Another
possibility that intrigues me is something several people kind of came up
with together a while ago: a series set on a distant Cybertronian outpost,
totally removed from Cybertron and any doings there. There might be room
in any case to squeeze in some familiar G1 faces, but the cast by and
large would be all-new characters we've never met before.

A fourth possibility is an exploration of the post-Beast Machines
universe. I can't imagine that the Transformers just left all that
techno-vegetation running rampant all over the planet; at some point
they'd have to segregate things out, so you could have your
cyber-techno-cities with patches of techno-jungle sticking out all over
the place. It could be pretty cool, I tell ya!

In the toy department, this would lend itself to lots of ultra-slick
Cybertronian vehicles and mechanical beasts. Imagine getting TFs whose
alternate modes were as slick and streamlined as the movie characters look
on-screen... that transform into equally slick robots with full
posability. Yummy!
--
Robert Powers of the Ever-Changing .sig
repo...@uwm.edu ______\ /__ _____ _ ________
| The .sig don't work cuz / \ the /\/\/ |\ / \
| _\ / __ vandals took /^/\_/ the \/ h \
|___\ /__ ___/_\______ _/\ / a/\
| | n/ \
| _d \
\ l /
\e!/
\/

No doubt be forced to wade through the countless bitchfests about how
Hasbro somehow screwed it up because they didn't do it as well as
(*snerk*) Takara.

superspy, sorry, but it had to be said.

Yes! YES! I have no doubt that's EXACTLY the kind of response Rob was hoping
to get in this thread!

Oy. Shoot me now.

Good lord, Victor Caroli's gone senile!

Well, nothing. I mean, that's kind of a silly question. If they already *did*
whatever it is that I wanted, what is there *left* to want? (Besides
toon-accurate TMNT figures, I mean.)

A prequel series might be a neat idea. How did Megatron rise to power? How
did Optimus Prime assemble the Autobots into an effective fighting force?
Except for a couple of historical time-travel episodes, much of Cybertron's
history remains unexplored. There would be opportunities for some interesting
toys, too. Highly poseable action figures with Gundam-scale detailing (which
presumably do not fall apart when you flare your left nostril at them
menacingly) that don't transform, which makes perfect sense if transforming
hasn't been *invented* yet. Totally off-world, alien designs that are neither
Earthen nor Cybertronic, the result of robots who were sold by the Quintessons
to other planets, assumed the native forms, and subsequently came back to the
fold. Rich storytelling potential, here.

Another idea would be to leave Transformers alone for a few years. What you're
talking about represents the culmination of 20 years' worth of toys; giving it
a rest would give the line a chance to catch its breath and, perhaps, become a
smash hit like never before once it finally came back. I tend to believe in
equal and opposite reactions, and the advent of G2 thrilled me in exactly the
same way that the end of G1 broke my heart. I haven't been so excited to hear
the name "Transformers" since I first saw Jazz, Inferno, and a black Sideswipe
pop up on the Sci-Fi Channel one morning. :)

--
Zobovor

ZMFTS: ....
http://members.aol.com/zobovor/index.html

I hope your entire post comes to fruition, starting with the supposed G1
revival. And then we can move on, also to other exciting adventures in one
canon, etc. Yours were all good ideas.

I know it's the response *I* was looking for.

>Oy. Shoot me now.

But . . . Hasbro can't release a gun Megatron that fires bullet-pellets . . .

:(

But let me see if I can give Rob a real answer (probably not, but I can
try).

It's 2005+. Obviously the toy technology has advanced some.
Computer effects have, too (whether the new show is CGI or Cel-
animated, computers will be used in some form or another). However,
that don't mean diddly-squat without a good story.

I agree with Rob that it ought to focus on the Beast Wars stuff, but
it should keep some Generation 1 style subline as a . . . well, subline.

This is something that I've been thinking about recently, and while
transforming robots battling in a war for good versus evil is a great
concept, it is a bit limited. I think what Hasbro should do is a sort of
revolving door of transformers concepts. Gen-one style realistic cars/
vehicles/objects plus futuristic cars/vehicles/objects would have ended,
so the next year that would be shoved into a subline with maybe 6 basics, 3
deluxes, 2 megas, and maybe one whatever's-beyond-mega
a year. The focus of the line would be realistic animals again, for one
year. Then *that* would be shoved into a sideline for a year while the
concept goes to a focus of mechanical animals. Then that gets shoved
into a side-line while organic-mechanical animals fight twisted-psycho
machines. Then that goes into a side-line as . . . the new concept
becomes the focus . . . and that line will be . . . uh . . . something.
Something like . . . the Japanese Multi-force except based around
two basics that can each transform individually into whatever,
combining into a mega-sized robot that can also transform (weirdly)
and possibly combine with another mega-sized robot to become a
SUPER ROBOT

I've been saying it for a while, robots that transform into bigger,
badder robots!

Aaron "The Mad Whitaker" Bourque; and then that gets shoved into
a subline, and the focus shifts . . .
--
"If you don't know concentration, which gives you peculiar pleasure, your life
looks like hell."--Hiroyuki Nishigaki

http://delinquents.keenspace.com/d/20010703.html

I can't believe I say this and then don't even mention the story . . .

How about a story similar to the original techs specs for Optimus
Primebat and Megaligator? The war has changed, and now to capture
more fuel, the combatants must fight IN THE SWAMP . . . and the
sewers . . . and the farms . . . . and the . . . zoos? Y'know, that's kind
of a silly concept, actually . . .

Ah, well. They could repaint some G.I. Joes to sell as "animal hunters"
who try to capture the new Beast Warriors, so the conflict is three-
sided, like with Beast Machines (Maximals vs. Predicons and Mutants
vs. EVERYONE).

As the ecology dies from the more primal and guerrilla tactics (huh?)
war, the only way for the Cybertrons to stay alive is to adapt their
beast modes. They no longer have the ability to blend in with real
animals, but since healthy animals would stand out anyway, the
disguise factor is lessened. The "good-guys" try to aid the animals
by infusing them with mechanic bits, while the "bad guys" don't
care, as long as they are still able to get fuel.

Now, all animals are organic-mechanical, and the disguise factor
is big again for one side in the war or the other. The non-beast
side decides that the best way to continue their cause is by abandoning beast
modes altogether in support of fully functional
(functionality over stylism, though they are highly stylized) vehicle
battle modes.

The weapons build-up begins, as both sides abandon recognizable
beast modes for vehicle battle modes, and decide that only through
cooperation can their side win. And thus, since they're robots, they
combine into larger and stronger battle modes!

SUPER ROBOTS!!!!!

Aaron "The Mad Whitaker" Bourque; SUPER ROBOTS!!!! Ha!

Unfortunately, there's a large contigency of the fanbase that hate, hate, hate
(not me, I like the idea) the idea of "non-transforming Transformers".

It would be nice to see some very new alien designs (that's what I liked about
the vehicons--some very original, very non-traditional robot modes) and
adventures outside of battling the same leader-led Decepticons every episode.

[snip]

Rob, you rock. Here's my idea:

Though most would say G1 prequel, which has its merits, and though we could
delve into the BW prequel, which too has its own merits, how about something
set on Cybertron, after the Pax Cybertronia, but way before BW, to gives us
an insight on the dynamic of the politican relationships on Cybertron
between Maximal, Autobot, Predacon and Decepticon. I could go for that.

That, or the space outpost idea.

--Ant, Kinda like that show that was set in Deep Space, where there was that
thing in Deep Space, and there was a war in Deep Space, and people would
trek to Deep Space to go there...I think the title was, "The Station at the
Wormhole."

--
*****************************************************
Anthony "Tonyfitz" Brucale
"A friend will help you move,
A best friend will help you move a body."
-Chris Roberts, A best friend of mine
<Hooper_X> You're Woptimus Prime, Tony.
Visit my site! http://members.nbci.com/Tonyfitz/index.html
#TFU IS DEAD, go to #WiiGii!
*****************************************************

<snip>

<snip>

I agree that a G1 prequel would have a lot of potential to contribute to TF
canon. This could even be a reasonable compromise for fans as there would
be a notable presence of known G1 characters, although there's a large
window that would allow for tons of new characters to be incorporated.
Assuming that the entire G1 line was rereleased, this line could serve as a
nice companion as far as toys goes, Zob's idea of non-transforming action
figures is sound, but the toys of the line could incorporate Cybertronian
alt modes into them. This would give toy designers lots of creative
liscence as most character's Cybertronian modes weren't shown.

An all new cast of characters would be a nice change of pace, but I would
love to see a backstory that would fit seamlessly into the rest of TF canon
(as much of a logistics nightmare it would be) as there are tons of loose
ends that could be tied up. An example of a discrepancy that comes to mind
that could be cleared up is the dispute between Transformers origins
(Quintesson vs. Primus). Issues such as this could be cleared up without
ruling out one or the other by melding ideas and storylines together. Of
course, I'd hardly want to see a whole series dedicated to clearing up
debates within the TF community, this would just be an added bonus to a
backstory.

-Dexius_R

Swoop and Dirge could host a porn soap opera.

Or maybe prime and megs on the real world?

Hehe :)

*
--
-Megatron? is that you?
-Here's a hint

Starscream's death [Transformers: The Movie]

ICQ: 7414084

Aw, come come. I don't mind snarky comments when they're *funny*.

And probably TRUE, too, but that's neither here nor there... :\
--
Robert Powers
repo...@uwm.edu ________________________________________
| Built St. Louis |
| http://www.BuiltStLouis.net/ |
|________ Tracking the city's endangered architecture _|

Nowhere for my money. Let it "retire" in the grace and dignity it deserves.
Never to be called forth again and slapped on transforming carrots of
different colors or some other silliness. It's always been fine the way it
is, let's have Hasbro put it on the shelf and keep it there. I realize this
will be one of those instant-flame-getters, but Transformers as a line
reminds me a lot of sitcoms that stay on the air too long. The show is
initially great, and then just runs out of steam. But people still watch it,
so they keep turning the crank on their formula and slowly drain away
whatever was once good about the show. Sure there are occasional bright
spots, and the reruns are always neat. But at some point you just want them
to let it die already.

Hmm. So if this revival has everything we always wanted, I guess I will get
to see Return of the Nightbird in the theaters. :)

--
Skyflight - Decepticon, ATTCM co-moderator, skeptic, maker of stuff
"And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming."
Shockwave at Dominion MUSH - Join us and rule! bb13.betterbox.net 1999
ATTCM questions? http://www.panix.com/~attcm Now with Viewing Club archive!

Hasbro looses quite a lot of money and has to close down. It's the end
of Transformers.

Bandai decides to rerelease the Gobots and they sell like hell. Then
they release new Gobots that also sell like hell. Bandai gets richer
than Microsoft and releases even more toys that sell like hell.

Aziraphale...you can swap 'Bandai' with 'Tomy', and 'Gobots' with
'Zoids'...

--
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Now ... , now they fulfill my belated Trannies 2000 wish , and take a
break .

Or ... , if Anime style stuf is still popular , then perhaps they coud
re-dub the Masterfirce & Victory shows ... , and lunch the appropriate
line of toys offcourse ! ;-)

-Gabi

Skyflight <Skyf...@Decepticon-Empire.org> wrote in message
news:9kqkhc$llf$1...@news.panix.com...

Why should Hasbro retire a line that is - for the most part - their own
answer to Barbie? That is, a timeless line with enough flexibility to remain
fresh for every generation to come. What could have more diversity and
play-value than giant alien shapeshifting robots? Just because you and I
grew up with Transformers from its inception and may have grown weary of
either the concept or the current incarnation (which I have *not*) why
should Hasbro end a popular toyline simply because a handful of fans - who
are really too old to be buying it anyway and aren't the target consumer
base to begin with - take it upon themselves to decide when the idea is
"past it's Prime" so to speak?

It still amuses me to this day how some fans can be so "purist" when it
comes to Transformers that nothing short of a full-blown
G1-character-and-design revival which is unequivocably continuitous with its
roots will ever satisfy them. Why does Soundwave *have* to be a
micro-recorder and have a robot mode completely identical to the original in
order to be accepted by some? Why does Optimus Prime *have* to remain a semi
and have windows on his chest and a grill for an abdomen?
I've said this before and I'll say it again. People (and giant robots) are
defined by their personalities and not their appearance. If someone were to
change the way they dress would that necessarily change who they are inside?
Of course not. So why can't the same be true when it comes to Transformers -
a concept whose entire *premise* is change?

"Why change just for the sake of change?" From a toy perspective the answer
would be to keep the line fresh and exciting. Kids these days have very
short attention spans and both fads and trends can change at a moment's
notice. If a line doesn't experiment and change with the times the current
generation is most likely going to become bored with it and move on to
something radically different and new. From a character perspective the
answer might be evolution. For example, while I would prefer that Bumblebee
remain a VW Beetle (of any year) I had no problem accepting his G2 mold
because I felt that it was a decent alternative. Why shouldn't he upgrade
his old form to something faster and sleeker after remaining a VW for so
long? Is he not allowed to grow weary of one "look" and choose another that
might be more fitting due to some recent experience or personal growth?
For that matter, why should Megatron remain a wimpy hand-gun when he could
become a flying cannon or even a tank? Those forms certainly feel like an
upgrade to me.

First of all, if you believe that your post is immediate flame-bait why go
through the trouble unless that is exactly the response you're shooting for?
Controversy can be fun but there's a point where it degrades into nothing
more than thoughtless provocation.

Second, when people reach the point you described above it is only because
they've *already* experienced what you have from the very beginning. They
grew up with G1 toys and episodes so it's only natural that they might reach
a personal "saturation point" where they feel that the concept has "run out
of steam" as you put it. They bought the classic toys, watched the TV show
and the movie, and read the comics. However, what about the countless
generations to come? Are they to be denied the Transformers universe simply
because some fans selfishly decided that there was no longer any
entertainment value left in the franchise?

Do we really have that right?

-Star Saber

Personally, I don't mind having all-new bodies and alternate forms, so
long as they have the same heads as before...

Which is pretty much the main reason I hated Transmetal 2 Cheetor...

> What I would like to see story-wise is more delving into the

Hm, and I thought I was the only one interested in the political
aspect of the BW series. But seeing some of the responses to this
thread I am happy to say I was mistaken...

Hm x2... Colony Omnicron is what immedietly came to my mind. *shrug*

I'd be interested in any sort of 'origions' one-short stories for the
BW characters, myself... each episode devoted to a single charecter
and how they came to be _who_ they are- the rank they have, the
function and abilities, and (most interestingly) their personal
beliefs... with the stories tieing together along the way and ending
with the space-ship fight scene from BW:part 1.

Actually, I think one could devote an entire series of this sort to
Megatron alone.

-Whirlaway
Hey, I can dream.

*twitch* ...predAcons... it's predAcons....

-WhirlAway

*twitch* ...simple TYpo... it's a simple TYpo....

--

I have no idea who Chewie here is quoting, but to this I'll just point out that
it's probably more difficult to redesign a Transformer while still remaining
consistent with his overall look than it is for most other characters, I should
think. For a Transformer, you have both the feel and aeshtetics of his
alternate mode(s) as well as his robot form to consider. If they made a new
Optimus Prime toy that was very accurate to his cartoon appearance in robot
mode, but he turned into a motorcycle instead of a truck, I think a lot of
people would still have a problem with the toy because of the fact that it only
meets half of his aesthetic considerations.

(I love the word "aesthetic." It's fun getting to use that "ae" spelling, even
if Jackpot probably thinks the extra vowel is superfluous.)

I think the overall color scheme is pretty important, too. I mean, a few
Transformers are identifiable by their heads alone, like Prime and Megatron and
Soundwave, but I reckon there are at least a few people who couldn't
distinguish between the cartoon models for Bluestreak and Prowl, for instance,
if they weren't in color. (And yeah, they are different designs.) Machine
Wars Hoist, for instance, would have been a far more acceptable representation
of the character to me if they'd made him green and orange instead of black and
brown. His vehicle mode and head design aren't the same, but it would still
help a lot.

The Notorious Z.O.B. <zob...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010811020859...@mb-mp.aol.com...

> I have no idea who Chewie here is quoting

That would be me, Zob.

My point - and I still stand by it - is that there are some fans (and we all
know who they are) that won't accept any new Transformer toys/shows/whatever
unless they're expressly-tied-no-doubt-about-it-this-is-a-sequel into the
original G1 continuity and don't think that the characters should change *at
all* and that it's only OK to change the toys if it helps them resemble
their TV counterparts more closely than before.

G1 ended over a decade and most kids couldn't care less that Prime was a
semi, that Megatron was a gun, or that Soundwave was "a sorry excuse for a
sound-system". ;)

Basically, it all comes down to wishful thinking on the part of older fans
who want Hasbro to treat Transformers as if G1 never ended (or Season 2 in
some cases) so that they can relive their childhood exactly as they
remembered it but with better toys based on the same guys. End of story.

-Star Saber (ain't gonna happen, people)

All talk. No shock.

No, most kids today likely have only a vague inkling who Soundwave and Optimus
Prime *were,* let alone being in any position to accept new incarnations of the
characters based on their colors or transformed-modes alone. It's not the kids
who are clamoring for new toys of these characters in the first place, though.
If Hasbro *does* reincarnate the classic characters at some point, they should
at least make the new toys recognizable to the folks who consider these
characters their childhood favorites to begin with.

There are, of course, lots of ways to go about this. They could combine
elements from the toys and cartoon models, like the Decoy figurines did. They
could be based entirely on the original toy designs, like a lot of Action
Masters were. Or, they could work exclusively from the cartoon models like the
PVC figures. None of these were boring retreads of the exact same toys, but
representations based on the characters that are different, yet definitely
recognizeable.