Questions for Hasbro, round 3

[andersonh1]

Well, if nothing else cool comes up before February, I'll support it. It's not like anyone else is gonna ask it.

Hasbro's going pc on us! It's like Optimus Primal is running the company or something!!

[JediTricks]

So, some not-so-great news about Q&A. It appears that Hasbro TF cannot handle the Q&A load of 5 questions per site every 2 months, so they are lowering the load to 3 questions per site. I am going to try to get Hasbro to at least answer questions more often then, every 2 months is ridiculously long for just 3 questions.

[Onslaught Six]

That's understandable, I guess, though every month would rule.

[JediTricks]

That's understandable, I guess, though every month would rule.

I'll be honest, I don't understand switching from 5 to 3 for a bi-monthly Q&A. 5 at least feels substantial, you can wait a couple months to get 5 answers, but 3? That's almost like a sample at best. It's gonna be really rough to choose the best 3 questions in Feb, that's for sure.

I am just too used to Star Wars, which started in '06 as a weekly 3 question Q&A, switched to bi-weekly, and then finally a few months ago went tri-monthly. And they have 20 sites in theirs. This stuff is meant to keep the consumer base coming back for more, it's advertising, it's informational, it gives hardcore fans a reason to stick with the brand, so getting a fairly steady stream of answers is good for business.

[Onslaught Six]

Remember, though, the SW brand is a much larger piece of Hasbro's pie than Transformers is--or at least, I'd assume it is. They've also got Lucasfilm's flunkies helping them out on stuff. I'd imagine they were expecting a turnout among the same as the GI Joe team, but they got instead...well, us.

In light of this, I think collaborating our questions has become much more imperative.

[Dominic]

Also, it is important to ask nuanced, layered questions. Of coure, that only works if Hasbro is answering honestly.

Dom

[onslaught86]

Re: Trademarks, the reason there's no Autobot_Bluestreak is because some other company owns the trademark to Bluestreak. We get Autobot_Jazz and friends because Jazz, Hound, Grapple, and Ravage are all deemed 'generic words'. Individually, they're not strong enough for Hasbro to hold the trademark, so they add something onto it to strengthen it.

So, some not-so-great news about Q&A. It appears that Hasbro TF cannot handle the Q&A load of 5 questions per site every 2 months, so they are lowering the load to 3 questions per site. I am going to try to get Hasbro to at least answer questions more often then, every 2 months is ridiculously long for just 3 questions.

Strikes me as likely that there's simply too many sites submitting questions, and that this is their compromise to keep everyone able to ask them. How many sites submit SW Q&As?

Remember, though, the SW brand is a much larger piece of Hasbro's pie than Transformers is--or at least, I'd assume it is.

I find that doubtful. It's a bigger collector market, absolutely, but I'd wager Hasbro make more money from TF on a product-by-product basis as they completely own Transformers as a brand.

Here's a question. What roles do mythology and symbolism play in character design? As a character's personality is designed right into the toy, features such as spikes and horns obviously help shape the character. What sources do the design team turn to for this?

[Dominic]

I think that changes depending on the line. In "Armada" or "Cybertron" it played a larger role than in say, "Robots in Disguise" or "Alternators". Still, I say we consider the above question.


Dom
-is pretty sure SW makes more money that TF, aside from possibly during '07.

[JediTricks]

Remember, though, the SW brand is a much larger piece of Hasbro's pie than Transformers is--or at least, I'd assume it is. They've also got Lucasfilm's flunkies helping them out on stuff. I'd imagine they were expecting a turnout among the same as the GI Joe team, but they got instead...well, us.

TF outperformed SW in '07, I think they were on pace year before that, and in '04 I think TF outperformed then too. And Lucasfilm doesn't answer anything, it's all the Hasbro team. Lucasfilm licensing division generally is more a hindrance to design than a help, constantly sending things back until they're done right.

Re: Trademarks, the reason there's no Autobot_Bluestreak is because some other company owns the trademark to Bluestreak. We get Autobot_Jazz and friends because Jazz, Hound, Grapple, and Ravage are all deemed 'generic words'. Individually, they're not strong enough for Hasbro to hold the trademark, so they add something onto it to strengthen it.

Someone owns the trademark Jazz for a car, yet we have Autobot Jazz. That argument doesn't hold water and doesn't fit their answer. Bluestreak is a phrase in the lexicon, that should make it generic enough, yet it doesn't for some reason. There's far more to it with stuff like that. This is what Hasbro gets for using too many lazy G1 names.

Strikes me as likely that there's simply too many sites submitting questions, and that this is their compromise to keep everyone able to ask them. How many sites submit SW Q&As?

They capped it at 20 sites per round, and from mid-December until February it's back to bi-weekly with SW.

[Onslaught Six]

This is what Hasbro gets for using too many lazy G1 names.

No, it's what 'Budiansky' gets.