Thomas The Tank Engine Discussion Thread

Thomas the tank engine is finally making his debut on TSW. I’m not surprised this has happened though as people have wanted him in the game for years. I also grew up with Thomas watching him on the big screen, waking up early at 7am as a 5 year old, turning on ITV and being marvelled at what I was seeing. Okay, so yeah maybe I’m a bit old for Thomas now ha, but it’s still a great collaboration for the TSW brand. It’s a great way to introduce young train fans to game.

Could we see more collaborations in the future?

Thoughts?

 

Happy it’s not the god awful newest version of Thomas. If they sell this as a standalone Thomas edition then it’s going to be a license to print money.

 

Genuinely pleased at this reveal, laughing at the outrage (which I totally understand is probably warranted, but I still find it funny).

I don't know if Mattel own other train-related brands, but I do know of a couple of other TV shows including Underground Ernie and Chuggington...

 

I still stand by it being a joke. If this is the big reveal then DTG's marketing department need to get out of DTG towers and do some bloody market research. I laughed, but that's because it's a joke and the real reveal will be out in an hour.

 

I don't want this at all, but I also see it as a good thing. Just maybe not something to keep the community on Tenterhooks for, it was quite hyped up and clearly the 'community' aren't that happy - Class A trolling by DTG. As you say it's a lot of peoples entry into trains. It'll likely bring a lot of people into the hobby, which long term is likely to be a good thing.

 

My thoughts: . . .

 

It was most definitely over-hyped. Hilarious and fun, but over-hyped.

 

I honestly don’t know why people are mad, there’s been plenty of reveals and future content announced.
I said this before, but this is good marketing strategy to introduce young people to the game. I have a 4 year old son, so I’ll definitely be showing him this

 

Agreed, perhaps if it were one of the bonus reveals, it wouldn't have come as much of a shock, though still very much a what are they doing reaction, but the way they were building it up were that it would be game changing, for the better, not dragging the 'S' out of TSW.

 

Perhaps you don't know as much about their market as you thought?

 

Think you could be on to something, thought the same.
This sets the bar so low it's underground.
Make the real announcement at 3pm and everyone will love it.
Psychology and advertisement going hand in hand.

If it is the final reveal though, oh well.
Next Xmas it best be Chuggington.

 

I don't think I have seen such a negative reaction to anything up to now. Even WCL had a better reception.

 

The side activities are replacing Mrs. Sir Topham Hat's breakfast and cleaning up jam spills?

 

Please.....it's the fat controller. Let's keep it original.

 

On a very niche forum, not representative of the playerbase.

 

I don't get the "outrage" at it.
It's just good business.
All those kids are future TSW customers (well present customers if they have to get the core pack to use the Thomas DLC)
With so many people here saying they got into it "as kids" and even some "because of Thomas"... how can they be that upset?
It has ZERO effect on any existing DLC. If you don't like it just don't buy it....
It is DEFEINITELY a "big reveal" so what can people possibly be upset about except "well it wasn't what I personally wanted?"

 

Children into train games isn't the intended audience?
Where else would they go?
If someone brought their kid into your local hobby shop, would you invite them in and start showing the kids the trains... or would you stand in the corner and grump about "no place for kids in my toy train shop"?

 

For a game thats a simulator I found this incredibly disappointing as a announcement... It certainly feels like the descent into these ridiculous add ons in future. If you're going cater for children make a separate children's based game? It's funny how the VR got a separate base game, but this is fitted into the actual TSW platform?

Very disappointing to say the least, I have to say I don't think DTG will be doing themselves any favours with the community with this type of announcements. As a Christmas reveal and build up to the last day, we are told about a childrens add on? You have got to be kidding me... It is aimed at children... It doesn't actually offer anything to the regular players of this game other then being a bit of a glorified novelty feature. There as me thinking it'd be something that catered for every region of the game.

 

Okay let’s talk about your profile pic. It’s hilarious

 

Isn't that what TSW Tycoon is for?

 

Same for the youtube comments when I were reading them whizzing by, and that is full of young people. Frankly this is a simulator, and so it can be expected that the large majority are here for a simulator experience.

 

Lmaoooo

I'm in Canada and so I grew up with the US version. I watched this show through a live action show built around it called Shining Time Station. Ringo Starr and George Carlin both played "Mr. conductor".

 

I know, modern times and all that.
Everything seemed so simple back in the 80s

 

I do understand the outrage. I was expecting something like a new core feature or an update to the PC editor. I certainly did not think it was a new DLC, and did not ever expect Thomas to make it.

I am happy, if for anything, then for the memes. We haven't really lost anything with this announcement after all.

 

Yeah. I can't believe they use CGI nowadays for the show.

 

What does THAT have to do anything with the announcement?

This announcement sucks, but I don't think it even qualifies as "woke"

 

Hmm? I'm certainly not making any kind of suggestion that this dlc shouldn't exist or that children can't play a train sim.

Just suggesting that, this forum does not accurately represent the playerbase. Children probably do play TSW, perhaps many do, but they aren't going to be frequenting this forum, so people here wouldn't know.

 

Exactly, kids will want this. They will play it with their Mums and Dads. The Mums and Dads might buy other DLC. It's good business for DTG.

 

Just found it on Google, thought it would be appropriate!

 

I legit burst out laughing, like proper crying laughter at this reveal. It was just so unexpected! I must be honest that I got quite pent up over this reveal, hoping steam would make it's long awaited return. I think we all got a bit too serious about this final reveal.

I would never have gotten into railways without that cheeky blue tank engine and I would've LOVED something like this growing up. If it brings more interest into TSW and railways as a whole, it can only be a good thing. No different to model layouts, lots of people have a Thomas on their layout somewhere for a bit of fun. Whereas others take it a bit too seriously.

Just for fun, I also changed my profile picture to Duck last night before this all happened! He was always my favourite back in day. Talk about funny coincidence!

 

But lots of people here are parents or know people with kids. And given that train enthusiasts wants to spread the hobby it makes sense to put it here. This is exactly where it should be posted.

 

I wouldn't say I'm outraged, more confused.

DTG ditched steam altogether not so long ago

 

I wonder if the scenarios will have quotes and references to the show. Shall we make a list?

 

what does LGBT have to do with anything ??

 

I don't disagree and I'm not sure why you think I do!?

 

Frankly I don’t see where the hate is from yes the game is a simulator but why does that mean we can’t simulate what it would be like if Thomas came to a real route ( I would have preferred at least a part of door) and it that doesn’t work for you you can class it a day out with Thomas pack

 

people should just try to see the positivity of this
i like it
they could always say it is based on the USA route
Thomas the Tank Engine in Real Life!

 

I think we got 50% of steam with Thomas coming to the game lol. Quote me if I’m wrong that me thinking Thomas is a hybrid steam engine

Yes me too, I wouldn’t be into trains now if it wasn’t for Thomas so I owe him a lot haha.

I know it’s not the reveal everyone wanted, but at least some people can look past the seriousness of the situation and see the fun side, kudos to all those people and you.

Hey I noticed that too (your profile pic). I think it’s only fair that I do the same. Since my name is James in real life I think it’s only fitting I apply the appropriate profile pic

 

Its from hyping up this big reveal, only for it to cater to a small group of people who play TSW.......

 

Appalled I must say

 

I don't think the actual steam simulation is actually being updated though. It could be using the current, unchanged simulation.

 

It is a big reveal tho it’s a huge worldwide brand working officially with dovetail I can understand that the amount of content is not huge especially with it not coming with a route which I think would be more fitting of the buildup

 

Thomas was honestly a bit after my time, so I couldn't tell ya much about the show. I think it came out a lot earlier in the UK than in the US, so there's a whole additional generation that grew up on him there. By the 90s I was in college, so not much interest in kids shows.

If it helps people cope, think of it as just another interest group, like "German fans" or "freight fans" these are just "Thomas fans." Liking German routes doesn't mean UK routes disappear after all.

Although I can imagine the howls at every release that "they're taking our valuable time to make this kiddie stuff!"
It's hard to argue that Thomas stuff won't sell though. Not with the huge fanbase and sales globally.
Just wait till they reveal the "Disney" themed characters next!
(kidding kidding! Well sorta.... they would totally build a route to Hogwarts or Snow White's castle if they could get the license)

However, long term it is important to get new people into the game. The trick is to (unlike Star Wars and Marvel) not drive off the people already in the fanbase by changing the core. I don't think that's the case here since the game itself isn't changing. You can still just have TSW and play your chosen routes and never SEE any of the other DLC. Unlike the movies where they recast characters, change timelines, etc.
Now you can start to legitimately complain if you start seeing Thomas featured in place of existing rolling stock in established routes.
Other than that, it's really just like getting DLC you don't happen to like.
Just ignore it.

 

I was laughing at this announcement for how ridiculous this was. This is probably the cheesiest DLC in TSW history.

 

I’ve been a massive Thomas & Friends fan since I was a kid (the original model series, not the CGI shite). I’ve been kind of hoping they’d introduce Thomas & Friends to TSW as a sort of sideline DLC package complete with the Island of Sodor and scenarios based on stories in the series.

Whilst it’s nice to see this announcement, what we are getting seems a bit pointless. Just two of the ‘friends’ even though they were never really friends in the series and stuck on WSR. As such, I’m not eager to buy.

 

My wishful thinking is they update the physics for the release

 

I think the G is for Gordon and T is Thomas. Still working on the rest.

 

"On a very niche forum, not representative of the player base."

 

Honestly if this was an actual recreation of the Island of Sodor (even a scaled down version) I'd almost certainly buy it. I really liked the original show with models as a kid.

But I can't justify buying this when it's just an add on for a route I don't play much to begin with. They really should have known better than to string us along like this for 20 days.

While the backlash is inevitable (and DTG should totally have expected some), I do think this forum is underestimating how many children play this game, so it really shouldn't be as big of a surprise that they'd create a DLC specifically for kids.

Man I would have loved Holiday Express 2 though... The first one was a Christmas surprise done right.

 

I believe the intent was to compare it to the way other companies shoe horn new stuff in that older fans don't like and can't avoid (like the Star Wars and Marvel "revisions" which change the core lore. That's not really a thing here because of the way TSW works. It's DLC and single player, so you never see anyone else and everything is separate. You don't "have" to buy any of the DLC, and if you don't buy it, you don't see it... unlike a recast movie character or a "retconned" lore where "well that never happened" so they change the established history of your favorite character.
I get the connection, but it's not valid for TSW.
It's not a movie or comic book.