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I always found it fascinating how the Transformers exploded in the '80s. I'm curious about the ELI5 answers regarding how it genuinely reshaped the toy industry specifically. it wasn't just a popular toy line, right? Did it change how toy companies approached marketing, character development, or even toy design itself? For example, where things like licensed tie-ins with cartoons or complex engineering previously rare, and Transformers pushed them into the mainstream?
Beyond just showing cool robots, did the cartoon's serialized narrative drive sales in a way that previous toy-based shows hadn't? I'm thinking about how you needed Optimus Prime, but then you also needed Megatron to have a bad-guy to fight.Then you needed Starscream for backstabbing dynamics! Did this "collect them all" mentality get ramped up as of the cartoon's expanding cast, and did it influence toy strategies going forward with other lines?
considering the engineering involved in the transformations, did it encourage toy companies to invest more heavily in complex mold design and manufacturing processes? I wonder if it raised the bar for what kids expected from their toys in terms of features and playability. Were other toy lines forced to step up their game technically to compete with the Transformers juggernaut?