AUS Toy Fair 2009 Transformers wrap-up.
Finally got all the photos from both cameras processed and uploaded to the server. Sorry for the delay. Some of these photos have already
been posted in other topics.
(could other sites interested in something in this posting like a photo or two, please mirror those selected images, and not just give the link to this topic - that'll help make sure this topic doesn't go down due to bandwidth limits - thanks)
Big thanks to Ben from Hasbro for giving up heaps of his time and info for this report.
The 2009 Australian Toy, Hobby and Nursery Fair was held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre over four days from March 20 to March 23.
This was the second year I was able to go down to Melbourne to cover the Transformers products on display by Hasbro, and the relevant
License holders. I spent about 6 hours there on the Friday, with a couple other board members (Demonac and Linthart). Additional cursory
coverage was done of a small number of other major toylines, which was mostly for me to get a feel for how possible it would be to do a
more extensive coverage in future years of the entire event. I ended up working out that a decent coverage of the trade fair for our toy
news website would take at least a day, day and a half, of taking photos and details, with an extra day or so to do up the reports.
Fortunately, that will be something I have a year to think about wanting, or needing, to do.
For now, here is the primary focus of my time there this year - Transformers.
2009 will see the launch of the Second Movie Toyline, for 'Revenge of the Fallen'. The current two lines, Animated and Universe will continue
this year as well, with the Universe line taking a break from release from May while the Movie product is being released. It is expected to
return later in the year (maybe even early next year after the second 'peak' of the DVD release in November), but no official word on when.
Release of the Movie line from May will also see a lot of licensed merchandise this year, to hit stores at about the same time.
First up, the Hasbro exhibit.
Inside the Hasbro Exhibit, the main Transformers Display, covering the Movie line, Animated and Universe.
(image removed at request of Hasbro)
2009 Movie.
The main part of the Movie products can be seen in the photo above, with one side display, and a single figure in the Playskool section of
their exhibit.
In the main 'core product' exhibit above, there was a very small sample of most size/gimmick classes. Often just one or two example figures
of each class.
Preview figures - Soundwave and Bumblebee. To be available from 15th May, which is only a couple weeks before the first wave this time (the
2007 preview wave was at least a month prior to the first full wave).
Just a bit of interesting info - According to the Hasbro Manager, the size classes to be packaged in robot mode are Legends and Scouts (to
fill out the packaging more, making them look like better value), and Leaders (to make the larger toys look more impressive in their
packaging). The preview figures seem to be an exception to that rule.
Legends Class - Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Jetfire, Autobot Springer.
Scout Class - Rollbar, Dead End.
Deluxe Class - Sideswipe, Sideways, Rampage.
Voyager Class - Demolishor, Optimus Prime.
Leader Class - Jetfire, Optimus.
(image removed at request of Hasbro)
(image removed at request of Hasbro)
(image removed at request of Hasbro)
(image removed at request of Hasbro)
Supreme Class - Devastator.
Hasbro is hoping retailers will price it somewhere around AU$150-155.
The figure on display was an unpainted, unstable prototype, tied up with fishing wire, and with several parts piled up behind it. The second
photo shows the gimmick - push down the chest to open up the mouth to eat Autobots with.
Ultimate Class - Battle Charged Bumblebee.
It looks like I didn't end up getting a separate photo of this figure, so just refer to the 'Main Transformers Display' photo above. Both this
figure and the Devastator are not likely to be release here until November, with the DVD release. Probably a good idea, as Hasbro have just
been flooding our shelves with the 2007 Ultimate Bumblebee in the last few weeks, and it is not likely to be sold off before the release of
the 2009 Movie line.
Fast Action Battlers - Electro Whip Jolt.
Power Bots - Bumblebee, Devastator (unpainted prototype), Optimus Prime (representing the combined form with Jetfire).
(image removed at request of Hasbro)
(image removed at request of Hasbro)
(The Optimus figure has flip out wings when you press the gold plate on his crotch. It also has a huge handle at the back for kids to
hold and make a flying/swooping motion with the toy as if he is flying. Hasbro referred to it as the 'Buzz Lightyear feature')
Robot Heroes - Sideswipe Vs Sideways.
Packaging shows other 2-packs - Autobot Springer Vs Starscream, Optimus Prime Vs Blackout, Bumblebee Vs Long Haul.
Gravity Bots - Bumblebee, Starscream, Optimus Prime.
These are the big new gimmick item that the Hasbro Reps were really pushing. They are proper converting toys, that convert automatically by
dropping/placing them on their backs or standing them up. Using Bumblebee as an example, standing it up on its rear end from vehicle mode,
the arms are weighted to fold out and down (by gravity), causing the chest panel to rotate 180 degrees (internal gearing), revealing the head
and chest. Then when it is placed (or even dropped from a small height) onto its back, a lever sticking out underneath pushes all the
internal mechanisms back to their resting positions (arms slide back up to the front and chest panel rotates back).
Roleplay - Bumblebee Voice Mixer Helmet, Bumblebee Blaster Cannon.
The Helmet was a fully working item, with music and sound clips, but the voice changer gimmick was either still being tweaked, or it is just
not going to be a significant 'change in sound' as the Optimus Helmet.
The Blaster Cannon is not for the large-handed people, as it requires your hand to slide into a much smaller space than the 2007 Movie roleplay
guns. The sound and light effect is very close to the 2007 Movie sound, and the outer barrel even 'recoils' as you fire it, revealing the
inner barrel which has the red lights (the 'energy blast' discharge).
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