AUS Toy Fair 2009 Transformers wrap-up.

[griffin]

RPMs - Robot Powered Machines.

These will not be found in the Action Figure section of the toystore or department. These will be found in the toy car section, because Hasbro
are using the Transformers Movie franchise to break into the toy car market. Probably to take on Hotwheels/Mattel, who dominate that part of
the Toy industry.
The RPMs toyline will be broken up into 3 different gimmicks - die-cast cars, remote controlled cars, and 'bumper' cars.
The die-cast cars will be available in 3 ways, single packs, 2-packs, and in playsets.

Each car is a non-convertable vehicle, with the robot moulded into the underneath, so that the vehicle can stand up on its rear bumper
as if it has transformed, without affecting the functionality of the slot car itself.
On display were:
- Single pack Optimus Prime, Autobot Ratchet, Megatron, Bumblebee.
- 2-packs Optimus Vs Bonecrusher, Bumblebee Vs Barricade, Autobot Jazz Vs Decepticon Brawl.
(each 2-pack had a number out of 8, but surely there would be more planned, as those 3 packs are 2007 Movie characters)
- Performance Track Set - Constructicon Devastator Showdown with Autobot Skids.
(doesn't look like you can customise the track setup, so like other fixed die-cast-car track-sets out there, this could be an expensive set that
gets boring real quick once the 'single' novelty feature is done a few times)
And that single novelty feature is launching a car up the track from the starting block (bottom middle), which goes around the track, setting
off the Devastator head to look like it is trying to eat the car, and dislogding a boulder that follows the car back down to the exit of the
track. A singular track with only one way for the car to go, and doesn't look like it can be built in any other way to customise it (which
would add to the play value).
The cars look really good, and hopefully cheaply priced (if they intend to take on Hotwheels), but this first track set looks a little
disappointing.






(sorry, I don't seem to have a close up of the individual packs )

The next RPMs item was a Remote Controlled car, which they had a Bumblebee one on display, and it was a fully working sample.
The third RPMs sub-line are 'Battle Chargers', with Sideswipe and Bumblebee on display. These are pull-back-and-release type toy cars,
that reveal the robot hidden inside the 'cabin' when the front bumper hits something. They didn't have any out loose, so we could only
push in the bumper by hand, which released the top of the car 'cabin', allowing a robot torso to pop up. Like the Gravity Bots, this is
an auto-converting gimmick line, and should be in the toy car section (but stores may well put all Transformers branded toys in the action
figure section for convenience).


And the final Movie toy, which was hidden over in the Playskool section of the Hasbro Exhibit.
Mr Potato Head - Bumble Spud.
Optimash was Gen1 themed, while this one is Movie themed.






The product and promotion schedule for Australia.
Reveals a Red Rooster meal toy promotion for the Movie.


And for an idea of how profitable the 2007 Movie has been for Hasbro Australia, this graph shows the sales here for the last 2 years, compared
to the 2 years before that.



The Animated portion of the display, covering:
- 2-pack with Jetfire and Jetstorm (currently being advertised on TV)
- Activators Dirge, Grimlock, Bandit Lockdown, Cliffjumper.
- Deluxe Waspinator, Samarai Prowl, Blurr.
- Bumper Battlers Jazz, Soundwave, Stingracer Bumblebee.
(nothing new)
New product is scheduled to be released every month from April to November.
We aren't likely to see any new Voyager sized Animated figures here until after the Movie season, as retailers just aren't interested in
them. It has always been a difficult size class to push to retailers in Australia.




Universe.
Even less on display, because Hasbro will suspend selling the product from May. All that was on display was:
- Deluxe Cyclonus, Starscream, Smokescreen.
- Superion.
- 25th Anniversary Optimus


Mighty Muggs - were included in with the Universe display (and even had a shelf tag saying they were part of Universe).
On display were Optimus, Megatron, Bumblebee, Soundwave.
Recently it was suggested that the Mighty Muggs TFs were being axed because online stores were removing wave 3 listings. It looks like the
reason could be because Hasbro will be releasing Movie Mighty Muggs, so that 3rd wave is probably just being pushed back (it was originally
scheduled to be a June release - which is the Movie season). No word yet on how many or exactly when these Movie Mighty Muggs are being released.


Star Wars Transformers Crossovers.
Again, nothing that hasn't been released globally yet.
Pictured are the Replublic Gunship, Snowspeeder, TIE Bomber, Grievous Starfighter, AT AT (remould), Imperial Shuttle (black redeco).


Marvel Transformers Crossovers.
Only Wave 2 and 3 items (which have been released globally already), and the 2-pack, which is already known and should be released soon
anyway. So again, nothing 'new'.
A product release chart suggested that we will only be recieving new stock of these in July and November, but hopefully that means AFTER we
catch up with America first (we still only have the first wave in chain stores here).
On display:
Basic - Captain America, Thor, Human Torch, Ironman (black redeco), Carnage.
Deluxe - Spiderman and Ironman 2-pack.


Hasbro merchandise.
These are items actually being released by Hasbro, and not a licensee.
Jigsaw puzzles. The ones on display were old ones, so I didn't take a photo.
- Puzzle with Robot Heroes Optimus Figurine (released last year here)
- 100-piece Movie Puzzles.
There will probably be others, as the 2007 Movie saw a greater range of puzzles.

That wraps up the Transformers part of the Hasbro exhibit.
Up next is the licensed Transformers merchandise at other exhibits.