My mind was going to weird places a couple of nights ago, and I came up with this idea for a hypothetical new Transformers line. I was trying to come up with a line-wide gimmick, one that would allow Hasbro to include characters who need updates but would also be a chance to revisit Optimus, Megatron, etc.

What if they did a Transformers toy line where every single toy had an undocumented "secret" transformation? With, say, Starscream for example, you'd have the regular robot-to-vehicle transformation that was documented clearly in the instructions, but let's say he's also got some curious moving parts that don't seem to be used in plane mode at all. You play with the toy a bit more, and you discover that he's got car wheels tucked inside secret compartments, and two heretofore hidden clear parts can come together to form a windshield. Suddenly, you realize Starscream's got a car mode that you had no idea existed!

Admittedly, this isn't an entirely new idea, because Hasbro has done this in limited ways for select characters. Titans Return Sixshot had that infamous "submarine" mode which was pretty obviously his gun mode, only upside-down and not acknowledged officially by Hasbro at all. Same with Siege Shockwave. I'm not just talking about turning a toy upside-down, of course. I'm talking about a legitimate transformation in its own right.

It would really strongly play up the desire to collect all the toys so you can be the first to discover what the secret, hidden transformations are. Also, it would be a way of injecting some fresh ideas into the toy line, giving characters new types of transformations they've never had before. Optimus Prime could be a freight train! Megatron could be a bulldozer!

The only downside is that it might cause frustration if the hidden transformations aren't intuitive. The toys would have to be fairly simple, probably with a limited number of moving parts. Something like G1 Astrotrain, where the vehicle modes are very separate and distinct. There's virtually no way to be confused about whether you've successfully gotten him into space shuttle or locomotive mode. It's obvious when you've gotten it and when you haven't.

Zob (my wife came up with the name, by the way)

On Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 11:31:55 PM UTC-5, Zobovor wrote:
> My mind was going to weird places a couple of nights ago, and I came up with this idea for a hypothetical new Transformers line. I was trying to come up with a line-wide gimmick, one that would allow Hasbro to include characters who need updates but would also be a chance to revisit Optimus, Megatron, etc.
>
> What if they did a Transformers toy line where every single toy had an undocumented "secret" transformation? With, say, Starscream for example, you'd have the regular robot-to-vehicle transformation that was documented clearly in the instructions, but let's say he's also got some curious moving parts that don't seem to be used in plane mode at all. You play with the toy a bit more, and you discover that he's got car wheels tucked inside secret compartments, and two heretofore hidden clear parts can come together to form a windshield. Suddenly, you realize Starscream's got a car mode that you had no idea existed!
>
> Admittedly, this isn't an entirely new idea, because Hasbro has done this in limited ways for select characters. Titans Return Sixshot had that infamous "submarine" mode which was pretty obviously his gun mode, only upside-down and not acknowledged officially by Hasbro at all. Same with Siege Shockwave. I'm not just talking about turning a toy upside-down, of course. I'm talking about a legitimate transformation in its own right.
>
> It would really strongly play up the desire to collect all the toys so you can be the first to discover what the secret, hidden transformations are. Also, it would be a way of injecting some fresh ideas into the toy line, giving characters new types of transformations they've never had before. Optimus Prime could be a freight train! Megatron could be a bulldozer!
>
> The only downside is that it might cause frustration if the hidden transformations aren't intuitive. The toys would have to be fairly simple, probably with a limited number of moving parts. Something like G1 Astrotrain, where the vehicle modes are very separate and distinct. There's virtually no way to be confused about whether you've successfully gotten him into space shuttle or locomotive mode. It's obvious when you've gotten it and when you haven't.
>
>
> Zob (my wife came up with the name, by the way)

With the name Xtreme Secrets my first thought was that they'd have some crazy story revelations, with Soundwave appearing on Maury and revealing the paternity tests for Rumble and Frenzy, finding out he's indeed the father, or Jazz revealing he's got hearing loss from too much music. Blot revealing he's actually cleaned up his ways and gone after his true passion as a fashion designer. Dead End reveling that he's actually grown out of his emo phase but bots didn't react well to his true hippie nature.

As a gimmick that sounds too in-depth from what Hasbro has been willing to build as of late. We've had Studio Series toys that don't have all of their transformations so they can sell us an extra separate toy to get the final gimmick, like with Drift, Dropkick, and Shatter. I worry that these extra parts wth extra engineering wouldn't be cost effective as a whole. Unless we're talking about things like the Transmetals extra modes where the extra mode is pop out roller skates, I doubt they'd go for it, because it sounds too good for Hasbro.

Zobovor <zmfts@aol.com> wrote:
>
> It would really strongly play up the desire to collect all the toys so
> you can be the first to discover what the secret, hidden transformations are.

That thrill would last about 8 seconds. Too many reviews of toys out there.

>Also, it would be a way of injecting some fresh ideas into the toy line,
> giving characters new types of transformations they've never had before.
> Optimus Prime could be a freight train! Megatron could be a bulldozer!

Or, you know, they could just make Optimus a freight train and Megatron a
bulldozer.

> Zob (my wife came up with the name, by the way)

Ok, so we have to keep the name…

Each transformer has a space for a tiny ActionMaster version of itself,
about the size of a Titan Master, but without the giant face on his back.
Maybe a little larger. An homage to Diaclone Pilots and ActionMasters.

The secret is that they are swappable, so no one knows who is really
driving Optimus.

The Xtreme is that they also all come with either a tiny skateboard or bmx
bike.

On Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 5:31:55 AM UTC+1, Zobovor wrote:
> My mind was going to weird places a couple of nights ago, and I came up with this idea for a hypothetical new Transformers line. I was trying to come up with a line-wide gimmick, one that would allow Hasbro to include characters who need updates but would also be a chance to revisit Optimus, Megatron, etc.
>
> What if they did a Transformers toy line where every single toy had an undocumented "secret" transformation? With, say, Starscream for example, you'd have the regular robot-to-vehicle transformation that was documented clearly in the instructions, but let's say he's also got some curious moving parts that don't seem to be used in plane mode at all. You play with the toy a bit more, and you discover that he's got car wheels tucked inside secret compartments, and two heretofore hidden clear parts can come together to form a windshield. Suddenly, you realize Starscream's got a car mode that you had no idea existed!
>
> Admittedly, this isn't an entirely new idea, because Hasbro has done this in limited ways for select characters. Titans Return Sixshot had that infamous "submarine" mode which was pretty obviously his gun mode, only upside-down and not acknowledged officially by Hasbro at all. Same with Siege Shockwave. I'm not just talking about turning a toy upside-down, of course. I'm talking about a legitimate transformation in its own right.
>
> It would really strongly play up the desire to collect all the toys so you can be the first to discover what the secret, hidden transformations are. Also, it would be a way of injecting some fresh ideas into the toy line, giving characters new types of transformations they've never had before. Optimus Prime could be a freight train! Megatron could be a bulldozer!
>
> The only downside is that it might cause frustration if the hidden transformations aren't intuitive. The toys would have to be fairly simple, probably with a limited number of moving parts. Something like G1 Astrotrain, where the vehicle modes are very separate and distinct. There's virtually no way to be confused about whether you've successfully gotten him into space shuttle or locomotive mode. It's obvious when you've gotten it and when you haven't.
>
>
> Zob (my wife came up with the name, by the way)

Interesting. Triple changers, but the third mode is simultaneously undocumented, with that very secrecy
serving as a selling point.