Transformers The Greatest Line NEVER

ShadowBoxing · Apr 30, 2006

There is a lost Transformers line that some may not know about known as Transtech

I give me great Pleasure to introduce on of the most sought after lines never made

Prototype for Starscream

Transtech was suppose to take place after Beast Machines. It was to be a computer animated cartoon that was going to feature writing staff akin to Beast Machines.

Cheetor

from a TF FAQ site

Developed as a succesor to Beast Machines, TransTech never got off the ground. It was scrapped at some unknown point in development and Hasbro instead imported Car Robots as Robots In Disguise. For years, all we knew about TT came from a few pieces of concept art done by a design firm called Draxhall Jump. In mid-2003, however, a photo surfaced of a toy prototype. (In the hand-made actual prototype sense.) So, at least one toy was being designed for real, not just in the concept stage. The artwork all originates with Draxhall. They've displayed a number of pieces and apparently sold a few as well, and are now relatively easy to find on TF websites. The toy prototype was found on a sort of online resume site for design professionals. A TransFan who uses the site happened to stumble across the picture in another guy's portfolio, showed it to some friends, and eventually it spread widely.
It's unclear why the line was dropped. It seems like a strange decision, especially considering the apparently late stage of development of the line when it was cancelled. The generic answer would of course be that Hasbro probably decided it wasn't going to work well enough to be profitable. (Or, to be more profitable than another use of the resources.) But of course that doesn't really say much.
As for what we know about the line itself, it featured returning characters from the Beast lines but without any beast modes. A couple new or classic characters have also been seen, including Shockwave (albeit in a completely new form). The designs that have been seen are a lot more Japanese mecha-like than traditional TF designs. This wouldn't necessarily translate directly to the toys. When design firms are contracted to do this sort of work, they provide vast quantities of art in a sort of visual brainstorming. Presumably the pictures we've seen are some of the "better" ones, but, there's not really any way to tell.
Also, it should be noted that Draxhall has done a lot of other concept work for TFs over the years, including designing the look of the Beast Machines show characters, and inspiring the Mini-Con idea for Armada. Their site has a lot of interesting work on display, including a variety of TF stuff.
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from Wiki

After Beast Machines ended, Hasbro planned a follow-up series called Transtech. The series was supposedly to bring back some of the characters who died in Beast Wars along with some Generation 1 characters, all in new, more organic-looking bodies, though with vehicle alternate modes instead of the animals used in Beast Machines. Many concept sketches and even a few toy prototypes were made, but Hasbro scrapped the idea in favor of bringing Car Robots to Hasbro markets.
The only toy design from the Transtech you to see release was Air Attack Optimus Primal from the Robots in Disguise line, who was supposed to the Transtech version of Optimus Primal. Concept sketches or prototype toys have been seen for Blackarachnia, Cheetor, Depth Charge, Megatron, Nightscream, Optimus Prime, Scavenger, Shockwave, Soundwave, Starscream and a new character called Immorticon. There were also rumors of a Transtech Dinobot.
It is generally believed that the concept for Transtech Cheetor inspired the design of Transformers: Cybertron Brakedown and the concept for Transtech Megatron inspired Armada Megatron.
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Megatron

(No head design available)

ShadowBoxing · Apr 30, 2006

ShadowBoxing · Apr 30, 2006

Presumably Soundwave

More stuff here
http://tfarchive.com/fandom/transtech/index.php

Jochimus · Apr 30, 2006

I wish Hasbro would release this line and air this show instead of just importing more crapime.

ShadowBoxing · Apr 30, 2006

Jochimus said:

I wish Hasbro would release this line and air this show instead of just importing more crapime.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what scared them off from it in the first place...although they say (in what I posted) that several figures since have used molds/designs from this line.

DrSpengler · Apr 30, 2006

Maybe it was all the flak Beast Machines got for being so drastically different (personally, I adored Beast Machines).

Still, I'd have taken Transtech over the dub of Car Robot we got ANY DAY. Robots in Disguise was an okay line. We got a b*tchen Laser Optimus Prime repaint and the left-over Beast Machines toys out of it, anyhow.

But the cartoon was so baaaaad. And it inspired Hasbro to just get lazy and import the poorly written, poorly paced, poorly structured and poorly animated modern Japanese cartoons instead of allowing North Americans write the show.

I'm not gonna say Americans "get" the Transformers more than the Japanese; the Japanese have a very different view of the franchise then us and it goes back all the way to Diaclone.

However, if Hasbro wants a show for an American audience that appeals to the American perception of Transformers...well...they're not going to find it in Japan.

And that Starscream toy is hardcore.

ShadowBoxing · Apr 30, 2006

DrSpengler said:

Maybe it was all the flak Beast Machines got for being so drastically different (personally, I adored Beast Machines).

Still, I'd have taken Transtech over the dub of Car Robot we got ANY DAY. Robots in Disguise was an okay line. We got a b*tchen Laser Optimus Prime repaint and the left-over Beast Machines toys out of it, anyhow.

But the cartoon was so baaaaad. And it inspired Hasbro to just get lazy and import the poorly written, poorly paced, poorly structured and poorly animated modern Japanese cartoons instead of allowing North Americans write the show.

I'm not gonna say Americans "get" the Transformers more than the Japanese; the Japanese have a very different view of the franchise then us and it goes back all the way to Diaclone.

However, if Hasbro wants a show for an American audience that appeals to the American perception of Transformers...well...they're not going to find it in Japan.

And that Starscream toy is hardcore.
Click to expand...

Actually the Car Robots/RiD toyline was probably the best toyline yet...at least according to most fans. It was nothing short of brillant. However the cartoon was crapola.

DrSpengler · Apr 30, 2006

I've heard a lot of mixed feelings about RiD. For every person that loved it, I see someone who hated it.

Personally, I liked most of the toys I got from the line. I think it went overkill on the Spychangers repaints, though. And Gigatron was pretty bleh.

Still, I think it was actually a good "Hey, the Transformers are vehicles again!"-line, what with a nice blend of new molds and repaints of some of the better G1 and G2 stuff.

It was certainly better than Armada and Energon, anyhow.

WalkingDead · May 23, 2006

There are certain things about Trans-Tech I love. The Starscream and Soundwave designs come to mind immediately. I LOVE THOSE DESIGNS.
The Prime and Megatron Designs are neat and would have probably been awesome.

The thing is TT would have kept the G1, G2, BW, BM storyline going...meaning we would have kept seeing how things went with one giant American Storyline instead of now having like 5 different continuities or whatever we've got now. Ah well, it happens.

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