 Gobots
was a 1980s transforming toy line marketed in North America by Tonka.
The company licensed the rights to Bandai's successful Japanese Machine
Robo toyline, which had been unsuccessfully marketed in America
by Bandai as Machine Men. Most
likely inspired by Hasbro's then-gestating Transformers
project, they decided to split the toys into two factions - the good guys
were the Guardians, and the bad guys were the Renegades. Each figure received
a new name too. The backbone of the line were repackaged toys from the
Machine Robo '600 Series' of small figures. Sold carded and at
around $4, this assortment would begin arriving in stores in late 1983,
and included many of the most famous Gobots characters, including the
Guardians Leader-1, Scooter and Turbo, plus the Renegades Cy-Kill, Cop-Tur
and Crasher. Due to Tonka rushing the release, Gobots beat Transformers
to the shelves by around six months. However, this would cause long-term
problems for the line. |
 Unlike
Transformers, Gobots toys did not feature any character
biographies on their packaging, a consequence of the lack of time taken
before release, and the lack of a partner (whereas Hasbro developed Transformers
alongside Marvel Comics). While Gobots had initial massive success throughout
1984, making Tonka nearly $53m, the debut of first the Transformers
comic and then the animated series saw Hasbro's carefully planned line
begin to take control. The small Gobots figures had been joined
by Playsets including Zod and the iconic Command Center, both designed
by Tonka, but in truth attempts to expand the line had only mixed success.
The larger Super Gobots sacrificed the cheap price bracket of the original
toys, while the Power Warrior sets fared badly compared to the Combiners
of the Transformers line. When Gobots did receive a combiner,
Puzzler, the single set found itself completely outgunned. While Gobots'
tie-in series, Hanna-Barbera's Challenge
of the Gobots show, had began its' initial five-part mini-series
in September 1984, it would be a while before a full run of episodes arrived,
Transformers firmly had a foot in the door. |
|
The 1986 line was made up of the dregs of Machine Robo (including a number of aborted Bandai prototypes), a few commissioned designs from the Japanese company, and various toys roped in from other lines. |
While
Gobots revenue rose to $132m in 1985, the line lost a lot of its' market
share. Back in Japan, Machine Robo had suffered at the hands
of Takara's decision to import Transformers, and the line was
winding down in Japan. This created a problem for Tonka - their experiences
with toy trucks and the like meant they didn't have the design staff
to build Gobots. |
Transformers continued to reap the reward of its' high profile, and the release of the Dread Launchers in early 1987 effectively brought Gobots to an end. Had the line managed another year, it seems recolours of earlier small figures would have formed the basis of the series, as well as a few planned toys like the Power Suit Nemesis and the Gobotron Fortress. |
Allied
to competition from Tonka's newer Bandai import, Rock Lords (also
drawn from Machine Robo), Gobots revenue fell drastically
to just $25m. With no usable new figures coming in from Bandai, the
line was in trouble. By now the market for transforming robots was beginning
to contract after the 1985 boom - lines like Select's  Ultimately,
Tonka paid the price for their rushed genesis of Gobots. Hasbro's
experience with GI Joe had taught them the importance of fiction
in defining their line from competitors, and their renewed partnership
with Marvel and careful media strategy resulted in a product that was
much more memorable for buyers. Despite the similar quality in toys, the
Gobots suffered from being somewhat faceless characters, and hastily-convened
partnerships with Hanna-Barbera and Telepictures Publishing (who produced
the forgettable Official
Gobots Magazine, a quarterly comic-cum-children's science magazine
that only added to the childish feel of the line) did little good. |
|
Due to the trademarks and so on being owned by Hasbro, and the figures being owned by rivals Bandai, Gobots will never be reissued. At least of late the line is gradually being acknowledged as containing some good figures, even if it was badly marketed. |
In
1991, Tonka were bought out by Hasbro, with Gobots just one of
a number of failed lines the company suffered in the 1980s (others include
the short-lived Rock Lords, Legions of Power, Steel
Monsters and Silverhawks). The deal included all Tonka's
assets regarding Gobots, such as the brand name, the character
trademarks and (it would seem) part of the rights to the cartoon series.
Since
then, Hasbro has sought to preserve the trademarks by using them on
various Transformers from 1994 onwards. |
Gobots
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