Hasbro is laying off about 170 employees, and the crew asks what that means for Transformers on this March 7, 2012 Radio Free Cybertron. Hasbro also commented on Fun Publications’ credit card breach for the first time. The crew tries the new Bot Shots online game and looks at Takara’s blue Zombie Cliffjumper. Nicole Hale tours the extras in the Last Stand of the Wreckers hardcover, and Rob Springer makes the case for blind-packed Bot Shots.
News
Hasbro Comments on Fun Publications’ Credit Card Breach
Hasbro commented on the Fun Publications credit card breach, saying it treats security as a top priority, trusts its licensees to do the same and is sure Fun Publications is fixing it. One host reads that as a final warning, like a team’s vote of confidence in a coach. Chris Triplette got his club overrun figure and says it doesn’t justify getting “FunPub’d.” One host expects his Twincast and Soundblaster on Friday. [Source: not found]
Takara’s Blue Zombie Cliffjumper
Takara’s Zombie Cliffjumper comes in a shade of blue one host compares to an ocean shrimp, likely meant to show him soaked in Dark Energon. One host has zero interest in it. The US red Zombie Cliffjumper was planned for the canceled First Edition line, and its fate is unknown. One host suggests it would make a good club exclusive or Generations release. [Source: not found]
Bot Shots Online Game Launches
A Bot Shots online game launched last week. One host played it and found it harder than expected. It uses a matching grid of swords, shields and fists that queue attacks in simultaneous turns, with damage calculated. Only single player is up now, and multiplayer is expected in May. He calls it a way to kill five minutes. [Source: not found]
Last Stand of the Wreckers Hardcover
Nicole Hale shows off the Last Stand of the Wreckers hardcover, which she got from Amazon for about $18 against a $30 retail price. Extras fill about a third of the book. They include Bullets, Dead Man’s Boots, character profiles, covers, script extracts, guest artwork, short stories and pinups. The crew jokes about how Skyquake’s death hurt, and lists the Skyquake mold’s repaints. [Source: not found]
TF BBQ: Rob Springer on Bot Shots
In a pre-recorded segment, Rob shows off his Bot Shots, which he has collected except for the launcher Optimus Prime and Megatron. He compares them to Choro-Q and Robot Heroes. He would like the dice to roll randomly rather than be pre-set. Rob suggests Hasbro sell blind-packed Bot Shots in the card aisle next to Bakugan, alongside the carded ones. That would allow Seeker repaints, G2 colors or a Shattered Glass Prime.
Chat
Nicole Hale reports the chat is comparing First Edition hauls, with some people landing multiple Arcees. Chatters are also looking forward to Fall of Cybertron and swapping stories of getting “FunPub’d.”
Topic: Hasbro Layoffs and the Future of Transformers
Hasbro is laying off about 170 employees, roughly 3% of its workforce, partly in the gaming division after a weak holiday for board games. One host notes Mattel and Hasbro both missed estimates, but Hasbro missed by more. The crew notes the canceled Dark of the Moon waves and First Edition, and how hard G.I. Joe is to find. Another expects Hasbro to refocus rather than spiral, and says fans have long complained about too many Bumblebees. One host says collectors are a small slice of the audience and will feel cuts first, like scaled-back articulation. The crew says third-party toys aren’t the cause, since they only appeal to collectors. Another expects the 2013 Generations push to be a focus, and the crew lists queued recolors, from Scourge as Ratbat to Rumble and Frenzy cassettes. One host argues the distribution problems sit at retail because the Dark of the Moon toys underperformed. One host thinks deluxes going over $10 pushed them past the impulse-buy threshold.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.