Transformers: Energon & Beyond

[Tycho]

I'm leaving for Comic Con in a few minutes here. We really should have done a Q&A Transformers column like we're doing for Star Wars.

Transformers has a special panel with the Hasbro team today at Comic Con at 4 o'clock. I'm sure I'll know to ask a lot of the right Alternator questions and those regarding Master Piece figures (Starscream, Prime's trailer - US releases, etc.) I'll be inquiring about Megatron for sure (Tank, Hummer, what? Which lines?) And I'll try to make sense of the rest of the stuff I'm less familiar with.

My report from the panel will be on ActionFigs.com and I'll link to it in this thread. Star Wars Transformers will probably be covered that way too, though I might copy that part into the SW Transformers forum here.

I'll update you all tonight around 8-10pm PST as long as I don't have something better to do (but I'll update you soon). I have a camera with me, btw - but I'm not the photographer like Steve or his other help. But pun intended, I'll give the work some of my best shots.

[Adam]

The HTS debacle with Nemesis Prime gave me a headache for the rest of the day. Many people who were at the site to order it at the time it was supposed to be available (like myself) missed out because we couldn't wait around forever.

I have already canceled my preorder for MP-03. I won't call it starscream, because its not. Apparently to get the real Starscream you have to live in Japan, buy MP-03 and MP-04 and join their "club" then you can purchase MP-03 in starscream's colors. Takaratomy, what were you thinking?

[Tycho]

Hasbro's Transformers Team made a Comic Con presentation jointly with Sony BMG reviewing the plans for the Transformers' immediate future.

The conference room was completely filled up, including every standing place against the wall, as people packed in tightly to see the presentation for its full hour.

Representing Hasbro was their main spokesman, Greg Lombardi, along with team members Mike Ballog, Eric Siebenaler, and Aaron Archer.

Current and upcoming product was showcased via a video presentation.

Cybertron selections include the giants Primus, Metroplex, and Menacor.

With most Transformer brand lines going on temporary hold to allow the company to concentrate on upcoming movie products from the Michael Bay live action film, the Transformers Team wanted to take the Cybertron series out with a bang. They always wanted to do a character with two drills for arms, hence the look for Cybertron Menacor. Primus himself is a favorite piece of the teams, as they'd only done a transforming planet once before (Unicron), and they'd never built the planet Cybertron.

Another focus of Hasbro's is to update the Classic characters. There will be a Classic Deluxe sub-line and a Voyager series. They want the characters to look like their historical, animated selves. Hence, for the first time in years, Megatron goes back to being a gun. The team commented that it is no coincidence that Megatron looks like a Hasbro-owned Nerf toy gun. They laughed while they highly recommend adult collectors invest in some model paint. But in all seriousness, this was the only way they could release Megatron as a gun and they could either stick with the traditional approach to Megatron or abandon their plans to make him. There was much discussion about what they were going to do with Megatron and the decision to "add him to the Nerf line" was not made lightly.

The Titanium Series is marketed towards the adult collectors. Fans were shown a picture of Predaking in Titanium. Yes he looks as if he'd separate into the various beasts but no supposition as to whether he really will or not is available at the time of this report. The Hasbro Team said they really wanted to do less well-known characters in the Titanium Series, like Predaking, because the adult fans would know who they are.

The Alternators have wrapped up their new additions for this year with Mirage and Optimus Prime. Nemesis Prime is a black version of the Dodge truck mold Hasbro used for Optimus, and is a Comic Con exclusive. He is presumably available on HasbroToyShop.com and may very well likely make his way around the Summer convention circuit. Two more new Alternators will make their debut in the Spring of 2007 before the line goes on hiatus while the main focus for Transformers will be movie-tie-in products.

Hot Topic will carry 5 exclusive Transformers items. They will be re-releases of the Heroes of Cybertron action figures. The assortment will include Rodimus Prime, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Soundwave, and Ultra Magnus.

Star Wars Transformers will be continuing, however the Star Wars team will reveal those details.

A question and answer period with the fans and the Hasbro Team followed. The responses are summarized.

It is hoped that with the Live-Action film, German car companies (actually the term "European" car companies was used) will learn what Transformers are all about and they may be more forthcoming with offers for licensing rights after the release of the movie.

The reason JetFire changes styles and classes of planes so often, (futuristic fighter jet, to cargo hauler, etc.) is so that collectors will "have to" buy him in every new incarnation. Hasbro believes it is smart marketing to use the name of a well-liked character to sell their new designs.

Masterpiece Starscream has not been picked up by a retailer for US release, thus no timetable is set at this moment. Bringing him out on the US market is being seriously looked at.

The folks designing Transformers start with sketchbook drawings, then a hand-made toy is prototyped. They rarely design them using auto-CAD engineering programs, or that sort of thing.

The mass-market toys tied in to the live-action movie promotion will preceede the theatrical release by 3-7 weeks. No locked-in date has been set at present. However, starting in the springtime, Transformers will focus squarely on the movie. The movie toys will represent various scales and price points.

Hasbro feels their Generation 1 classic re-releases did fairly well. However, Astrotrain will be the last for the immediate, foreseeable future. More later might be possible.

Military aircraft companies have been approached to work with Hasbro for their Alternators line. They are not the problem. Size is because all Alternators are supposed to run at a 1:24 scale. The Team suggests that MP Starscream is going to be his most compatible "Alternator," and again, they repeat that they really want to bring him out in the US market. It was suggested that he'd also be repainted as Thundercracker and Skywarp. There are no further plans to make military vehicle Alternators at present.

Back to Star Wars Transformers, the team said it was possible that signature weapons like lightsabers, and even a combiner that formed the Death Star could be possible.

Activision is going to be making the Transformers video game tie-in for the Michael Bay movie.

Since Star Wars and Transformers have crossed over, Hasbro says they'll look at crossovers with GI Joe one day.

The Alternator Optimus Prime is a pickup truck because Takara who partners with Hasbro from Japan said that Japanese don't own pickup trucks and wouldn't be interested in the character unless he was of some high-interest. In person, this is actually a very impressive figure.

The Hasbro Team has seen Takara's plastic trailer for MP Optimus Prime's truck mode, and they are looking for the appropriate way to release it in the US market - possibly separately, so one does not have to purchase another Optimus Prime.

Michael Bay has witnessed extensive and very polite and praiseworthy fan conduct supporting voice actor Peter Cullins reprising his role from the 80's cartoons as the one and only Optimus Prime. Mr. Cullins is currently scheduled to screen test for the role in the live action movie. So yes, a giant, powerful Transformer brought to "real-life" on the silverscreen, may in fact actually speak with the voice of your favorite cartoon character! The word is that Director Michael Bay was very impressed with the fans' dedication to Cullins.

Hasbro wrapped up their Q&A session, and then stayed on to watch representatives from Sony BMG premier the 20th Anniversary Edition DVD set for Transformers: The Movie (the 80's feature-length cartoon movie). The box set will include two DVDs. The film has been remastered and adapted to play widescreen style, as well as traditional pan and scan. In "the Matrix of Knowledge" mode, fun factoid blurbs appear on-screen, such as Daniel's hoverboard design was also used in Back To The Future II and Hot Rod was shown with two different transformation styles (before he was ever Rodimus).

The audience of true fans roared with delight as scenes from the film were shown once again on a big screen with digital sound. "The Touch" blared out of speakers as half-a-dozen Decepticons were smashed under Optimus Prime's wheels and his truck cab launches itself into the air on trails of fire as he transforms himself and guns down half-a-dozen more Decepticons before declaring to Megatron himself, "One shall stand and one shall fall!" Then Sony's short demo film abuptly cut to Unicron blowing up from the inside out as Rodimus Prime lauches himself through the tyrant's eye. A few more of the great scenes from that movie were played teasing the audience. Children in the crowd were fascinated by it all - many of them the sons and daughters of the fathers present whom had grown up with this film.

What was amazing and surprising as well was the art designed to promote the DVD's update and re-release. Illustrator Don Figueroa was on hand to show off the new movie cover art. Optimus Prime in all his glory has rightly replaced Ultra Magnus on the cover. He is joined by BumbleBee amongst others.

Even more incredible was Don Figeuroa's "transforming art." Two more posters were designed for the promotion, one with each "sub-generation" of the G1 Transformers. Hologram printing technology was used to combine the two posters so that the elements in the pictures appear to transform as light is reflected off it from different angles: Optimus becomes Rodimus, Megatron becomes Galvatron, and BumbleBee becomes Daniel in his transforming space suit. To fully appreciate this, one needs to see it in person. There are no plans for Sony to mass produce this artwork and sell it to the greater fandom. The company representatives may have been very much surprised by the fans' enthusiasm to purchase this work. Artist Don Figeuroa does not even own a finished Transforming poster, because technicians combined his two art pieces to give it the special effects. This is truly an amazing piece!

This concludes the Transformers update from the San Diego Comic Con for July 20, 2006.

[figrin bran]

Tycho, did Sony mention anything about re-releasing the G1 cartoon dvd's?

[CooLJoE]

I'm very glad to here cullen is doing sound test work at Optimus for the movie. Although I'm upset to hear that Alternators will be put on hold after Rumble and Ravage (the 2 coming springs of 2007). The last for this year are Optimus, Mirage, and Camshaft (and of course Nemesis Prime). And then of course the 20th Anniv Prime repackaged as a 20th Anniv DVD edition with a base that plays sound bites from the original movie. Although oddly, bigbot.com lists a Megatron that is still set to be released as an Alternator (tan M1A2 Abrams tank).

I'm hoping the movie toys are done with quality and class, much like the Alternators line. Its going to be disappointing if they turn out like the rest of the TF lines (small, cheap looking with very basic transforming methods). And hopefully a specific date is set, much like they did for StarWars for the toy release.

[Tycho]

Tycho, did Sony mention anything about re-releasing the G1 cartoon dvd's?

No. And no one asked this great question. With all that was going on, I don't think anyone thought of it.

The last for this year are Optimus, Mirage, and Camshaft (and of course Nemesis Prime). And then of course the 20th Anniv Prime repackaged as a 20th Anniv DVD edition with a base that plays sound bites from the original movie. Although oddly, bigbot.com lists a Megatron that is still set to be released as an Alternator (tan M1A2 Abrams tank).

I do not doubt this. In fact I have a picture from another website of Rumble. However, Hasbro did not reveal or confirm any of this - except that I may doubt the information about the Abrams tank. They specifically answered that there are no plans for Megatron or Soundwave for the Alternators at this time. Again, the discussion about 20the Anniv Prime centered around a US release for his trailer. One with a display base that talks with Peter Cullins' voice and also possibly plays "The Touch," would be awesome, in my opinion!

Who knows? Cullins is hanging out with a lot of Autobots lately

[JediTricks]

MP Prime trailer and painted MP Starscream: http://www.tformers.com/article.php?sid=6259&mode=flat

Prime trailer open: http://www.tformers.com/article.php?sid=6250&mode=flat

I think Starscream looks like hot buttered crap in those colors, pick a real colorscheme, don't try to straddle the line between realistic and G1.


Good job on the SDCC TF news Tycho...

Alternators to go on hiatus after 2 more entries, I'm thinking "Mirage" and "Rumble" are what they meant, and the hiatus I bet will turn permanent.

That's it for Classics?!? That makes no sense, they're gonna have a big gap between Classics and the new TF movie.

I knew the scale was the issue with non-car Alternators, I could feel it.

BTW, it's "Menasor" and "Cullen", not "Menacor" and "Cullins", I fixed that over on your AF story.

[Adam]

That Abram's Megatron we've seen the color sheet for could be for anything. Calling it an Alternator was pure speculation by bigbot.

Kinda dissapointed with the lack of new product shown from the Transformers lines. The new Titanium stuff is nice, but I was expecting to see some more new items, like if BWX Primal and Megs will be repainted for their release in the Cybertron line. There is a card out for a Costco Prime/Wing Saber 2 pack to be released at Costco, but no toy to go with it, thus no indication whether its from Energon or Cybertron. At 35 bucks, I'm willing to bet its the Energon versions. Maybe that Santa Prime will see the light of day after all.


OH, and although I don't remember seeing it in Tycho's report, Hasbro did say they were going to show Classics wave 2 at Botcon.

[Tycho]

I think Adam is right. I'm new to all this reporting on Transformers and I'm glad you guys think I got some things right. Thanks for the spell check, JT.

As to MP Prime w. Trailer and Starscream: they're obviously real, just that Hasbro has no US release plans for them as of yet.

[plasticfetish]

Spotted a few Titanium 3" figures at Kmart of all places today. BW Megatron, Starscream, Jazz, The Ark and a few others.

Also... I'm sure this is old news around here, (I haven't read back to see), but we saw the Transformers movie trailer when we were out tonight... looks good. Not much to see, but it was exciting anyway.