What is G1?

[andersonh1]

This question of "what is G1?" is always tricky because it's kind of like watching George Lucas make changes to Star Wars. We just thought we had three movies that were finished products, but then he went back and made changes and suddenly there are multiple versions of the Star Wars films. We had one version for years that was set in stone, and suddenly there are new additions that don't quite match the original aesthetic or design.

I still tend to categorize G1 by the years in which things were originally released. So anything after that isn't really G1, because G1 is a done deal, a finished product line. But it's not that easy, is it? Not with reissues and mini-bot keychains and Classics figures that are clearly meant to be updated G1 figures, and comics using the original characters. Categorization has become complicated.

Sometimes I tend to think of the original line from 84 to 92 as just "The Transformers" as it was originally named, and everything created since then that's been retroactively added to the line since then as "Generation One", just to distinguish between original releases and new releases.

[Dominic]

Are there hard numbers about how many fanfics a franchise produced? I am still betting on Potter, just because the furrie demographic is inherently limited. Potter-fic is written largely by talentless teen-aged girls who *think* they are normal. Sonic-fic is likely written by self-aware deviants.

It would be nice to have hard numbers all the same.


As for categorizing the toys....is this a bad time to mention that for the first time in ~15 years, (the last being a few waves of toys post-G2), there will be a basic "Transformers" line, with no sub-branding, on the shelves?

Better watch out Anderson, your method just got chucked out a window....and landed on me.

Dom
-realized this conversation is completely insane.

[BWprowl]

Are there hard numbers about how many fanfics a franchise produced? I am still betting on Potter, just because the furrie demographic is inherently limited. Potter-fic is written largely by talentless teen-aged girls who *think* they are normal. Sonic-fic is likely written by self-aware deviants.

It would be nice to have hard numbers all the same.

You can always do come quick number crunching over at fanfiction.net and adultfanfiction.net, as those are the main sites. I think Sonic has a leg-up on Potter simply by being around for much longer.

As for categorizing the toys....is this a bad time to mention that for the first time in ~15 years, (the last being a few waves of toys post-G2), there will be a basic "Transformers" line, with no sub-branding, on the shelves?

Better watch out Anderson, your method just got chucked out a window....and landed on me.

Dom
-realized this conversation is completely insane.

Eh, this is kind of a yes and no. The line that's just called 'Transformers' is a continuation of the Movie line, the first incarnation of which was also just called 'Transformers', with 'Revenge of the Fallen' added for the sequel. The line that actually features all the redone G1 guys is 'Transformers Generations', with 'Transformers Power Core Combiners' forming a third line of almost entirely new content, and yet seemingly getting the least attention.

[Shockwave]

I was under the impression that Power Core Combiners was a subline of "Generations". Curious, would that make it G1 as well?

[andersonh1]

I was under the impression that Power Core Combiners was a subline of "Generations". Curious, would that make it G1 as well?

I thought it was just a part of the current post-movie line. I guess not.

[BWprowl]

PCC is...tricky, like I said. The boxes are red, like Generations, but the top label is just 'Transformers' like the current incarnation of the Movie line (even though those boxes are gold). And then they just say 'Power Core Combiners' on the bubble. And there's no backstory or series placement or anything anywhere on the box.

So many factors make me wonder how much thought Hasbro *actually* put into this line.

[Shockwave]

Hasbro Exec1: "Is Wheelie done in the bathroom yet?"
Exec2: "Almost, why?"
Exec1: "I want those Power Core Combiners out on the shelves as soon as possible!"

At this point I would put them in their own line: Transformers: Pure Suck.