US Toyfair 2011 roundup

[griffin]

Since it's a movie year, it's no surprise that pretty much everything on display or featured on the global forums is Movie related... so be aware of spoilers if you click on any links labelled as DOTM.

Hasbro presentation details from Seibertron website:

Transformers Dark Of The Moon Live Action Movie
- TF3 has a much deeper Transformers / robot story
- Much more serious tone, slapstick humor gone/reduced
- Filmed in 3d, tailor made for 3D


Transformers Dark of the Moon Movie Toys launch May 16th
Mechtech (regular line) - Cyberverse (expanded world Scouts / Legends) - Robo Power
Mechtech weapons are interchangeable across all core figures, combination play for more power
- Cyberverse - Collect the World!
- Cyberverse Legion wave 1 - Topsin, Sideswipe, Bumblebee, Crankcase
Commander wave (similar to scouts) - Ironhide and Optimus Prime, Megatron, Sentinel Prime (over 30 figures to collect in the Cyberverse world)
Starscream with triple changing vehicle

- Deluxe - Ratchet, Starscream, Roadbuster (Nascar car), Crankcase (SUV), wave 2 Autobot Topspin (nascar)

- Voyager Megatron mack truck, new Ironhide, new Voyager Optimus Prime, wave 2 Shockwave

- Leader class Sentinel Prime (firetruck), Leader Bumblebee w/ lights and sounds, Leader Class Ironhide

- Ultimate Optimus Prime stands over 22" tall, Peter Cullen voice

- Human Alliance Stealth Bumblebee (black) with Sam
Skids with Elita-1 and Sgt Epps
HA Basic Spike Witwicky & Backfire, Ice Pick (snowmobile) with Sgt. Chaos

- Bumblebee with triple changing vehicle

- Autobot Ark with Roller - Ark converts into Battle Station playset (fall launch)


Kre-o Transformers (Lego styled building blocks)
* product innovation
* quality bricks
* Hasbro's best brands
* what better brand to launch with than Transformers?
* 2 IN 1 PLAY robot and vehicle, action figure innovation to mini-figure design (looks like an Optimus Prime and Megatron mini-figures), 28 "Kreons" to collect
‎* Bumblebee 300 pieces comes with Bumblebee, Red Alert and Spike Witwicky
* Starscream 300 pieces
* Optimus Prime - Optimus Prime, Bluestreak, Skywarp and 2 additional Kreons.


Transformers Rescue Bots (part of Playskool Heroes)
- Blades (helicopter), Chase (police car), Heatwave (firetruck), Boulder (constructicon vehicle), Bumblebee, and Optimus Prime
Helps kids


Transformers DOTM - Activision Video Game
- High Moon Studios is developing DOTM game
Showed us a sneak peak, looks pretty good


Robo Power segment
- Activators and Go-Bots
- Robo Fighters - Starscream, Ironhide with flip up armor
- Revving Robots Optimus Prime


Transformers Role Play products
- Energon shock sword
- Optimus Prime Cyber Blaster
- Real D 3D Bumblebee and Optimus Prime masks


Speed Stars and Stealth Force
- Stealth Mini Chargers
- Stealth Force Bumblebee


Transformers Prime toys
- Prime deluxe wave 1 - Bumblebee, Arcee, Starscream
- Entertainment Pack with deluxe Prime and Megatron with 3 kids from show - includes DVD w/ episode


Important Dates
- May 16th Movie Toys launch worldwide
- June 2 - 5th BotCon
- July 1st TF: DOTM
- July 21 - 24th San Diego Comic-Con
- Prime First Edition toys launch late fall

AND the same presentation from the TFW2005 website:

New Line - Rescue Bots (Robot Heroes Like, larger, articulation).

Vault Book - Tells TF story from beginning, will show protos, unseen TF, development material.

New line - KRE-O (legos)
KRE-O can not be photographed, in special room.
Product Innovation, Quality Bricks, Hasbros best brands, compatible with competing bricks. Launching with TF. Will have TF MINI FIGS, aka TF lego dudes.
Showing mock ups of G1 Prime, Megs. Mini figs are Kreons. 23 figs.
First fig is Bumblebee. Goes fig to Robot. Also showing Starscream, g1 colors. Those are 300 pieces with kreons of themselves and pilots.
Prime, 5 kreons, prime, bluestreak, skywarp, 2 humans, motorcycles, trailer, transforms.

Rescue Bots. New casts of characters. Blades, Chase, Heatwave, Boulder. Copter, Car, FT, Construction. Bots are helping humans in their heroic jobs.
DO TRANSFORM. VERY SIMPLE. Auto triger transformations. Pull, twist, etc, transforms. Pre-School focus.

Activision - High Moon - Doing DOTM.
Prequel. Showing video sneak peak.

Showed some speed stars transformations, also SHOCKWAVE.

Movie toys launch May 16th.

3 packaging segments. Mech Tech, Cyberverse, Robot Power. MT = Regular deluxe, voyager. CV = Scout and small. Robot Power = role play and young.

Mecth Tech. Weapons with interlock, and pressing buttons move multiple parts on multiple connected pieces.
Showing Ratchet and Starscream. Roadbuster = AMP wrecker. Crankcase = SUV dreads.
Blue Lowes wrecker is TOP SPIN.
Showing Megatron, Ironhide, Voyager Prime. All of these pics are stock images, we've seen, or will see stock photos of later today.
Shockwave = Wave 2, Voyager.
Leader Sentinel Prime. wave 1, back of truck will close up and look finished.
Leader BB. Seen it. Ultimate Op. Seen it
Human Alliance Mech Tech. Black BB, Yellow Stripes. Skids with Elita 1 and Epps.
Ice Pick with Sgt Chaos.= Snow Mobile.
Spike on black 3 wheeler.

Cyberverse - Legends with Battlestations. Legion (Legends) wave 1, SS, Topspin,Crankcase, BB.
Commander wave = Scouts, Optimus, Megs, Sentinel
Action Sets, SS with Gunner station. Triple Change sets. BB with Truck, to station, to jetpad.
Autobot Ark, with AUTOBOT ROLLER Does Transform to robot! Lights sounds, decepticon jail, gun ports.

RoboPower. Activators, Go Bots, Robot Fighters (no transforming), Revving Robots, lights sounds, moving hand saw.
Role Play - Prime Cyber Blaster with nerf darts. Electro shock sword with extending blade.

Bumblebee and Optimus 3d Glasses masks. Opening day is gonna be ridiculous.

Speed Stars and Stealth Force - Mini Chargers, SF BB (looks like game promo we saw)

Prime toys launch late fall.
Showing Prime toys. BB, Arcee, Starscream. Entertainment Pack comes with Prime, Megs, and 3 kids, and DVD.

GENERATIONS will continue through 2011!

Doing Prime QnA with creators now, Kline et al, showing upcoming ep clip.
Bulkhead and Miko in dark tunnel, Bulkhead screaming like little girl cuz its dark and he's scared. BB and raf in another par of tunnel. being chased by little insection like bots, that actually looks like round sharkticon faces.
Swarmed up the tunnel into autobot base and kicked Ratchets butt. All three back up in base, all getting eaten by the bugs, no happy ending.

Talking about how awesome Cullen and Welker are. (They) Do record in real time, with all actors in room, rather than in spurts.
Most CG series have 2 year pre cycle. This only had a year. Most premiere 1 ep, then come back later, they did 5. So, it has been a challenge.

Hesitation to do what they did with Cliffjumper? Wanted to set a tone right off the bat for the show. Have it be accessible to kids and adults through story. Cliffjumper may be revisited in flashback episodes, and connection between him and Arcee.
Zombie TFs, or hidden transformers on earth, will we see more? Yes more bots and cons. But, being CG, it will be more limited than other forms of animation. More cons than bots. Female Decepticons. Sleepers on this planet, and some from outer space.
Dig Arcee and Ratchet. More Dark Energon, used in new ways. Are there other forms of Energon???
Hints - Planned for 3 year arc. End of season 1 is HUGE. From Past, about as "BIG AS YOU CAN GET" mumble.... planet.... mumble...

PICS!!!!!
(let me know if there are any problems accessing these if you aren't a member of tfw2005, and I'll look for alternative sources)

Transformers: Prime toys and Video
Including Starscream, Megatron, Arcee, Optimus, Bumblebee and kids.

DOTM Mainline toys including Ultimate Optimus.

DOTM Cyber-verse toys
For all the smaller size classes

DOTM Robo-Power toys
A sub-line name for all the gimmick-based toys like Powerbots and Roleplay

DOTM Speed Stars and Stealth Force

Assorted DOTM toys including LEADER CLASS Ironhide.

Actual Optimus Prime Truck at the Toyfair (pics and vid).