Working Transformers Cell Phone

A new 3G cell phone is coming to Japan and apparently its designers are fans of Transformers. The Softbank 815T PB actually transformers from working cellphone to robot. Apparently the phone was made for a Japanese TV show named Ketai Sousakan 7. It’s supposed to come out sometime in April but no plans on whether it will make a stateside visit.

Brian Goldner New Hasbro CEO

Brian Goldner has been promoted to Hasbro's new Chief Executive Officer after the previous CEO Alfred J. Verrecchia stepped down. Its seems like this is a reward to Goldner for returning Hasbro to high profits thanks to his decisions in emphasizing existing core product lines and expanding into movies. Goldner is the executive responsible for the Transformers movie deal and the growth of the toy line overall. He also helped worked out the GI Joe deal that will hopefully do the same to that line that the movie did to Transformers - help it go mainstream beyond the hardcore fans and kids. Congrats to Brian Goldner. (source)

Toyfair '08 Transformer Galleries

Toyfair 2008 was held over the weekend in New York where Hasbro revealed some details of the various Transformers lines for the rest of the year. TFormers.com has the details and the galleries but here is that info more or less summarized.

Transformers: Animated
- Will have Laserbeak, whose alt mode is a guitar
- The release date of the line is June 22, 2008 with second wave in the Fall.
- Galleries: Bumper Battlers, Activators (swing loaded transformations), Battle Pack ($20), Supreme Class ($40), Voyager Class ($20), Deluxe Class ($10), toy display

Transformers movie- Releasing more Transformers movie toys (most cases simply a new color scheme for existing toys).
- The Hasbro design team has been working with Paramount on Transformers 2 for weeks.

Masterpiece- No plans at this time

Alternators/Binal-Tech
- Hasbro expressed interest in the line but no plans yet

Transformers Crossovers
- New name for Transformers Star Wars
- Expanded to include Transformers Marvel

Transformers Universe
- Catch all line for release of previously toys, mostly Cybertron line
- Includes Classics 2.0 coming toward end of year
- Galleries: Legends, Classics Galvatron, Robot Heroes, Misc, Marvel Transformers, Classics 2.0, classics toy display

Transformers Changing Toy Biz

Brandweek.com has posted an article about how the success of Transformers is changing how the toy companies do their business. The story, poorly, is stating that instead of toys being based on movies, the toy companies are trying to get movies based on their toys (which helps sell more toys).

With planned movies such as Voltron, GI Joe and few others, not exactly surprising but I hope the companies are very careful in what properties they try to convert and those that don't. Transformers was largely successful not only because of its built in base with the decades of Transfans, cartoons and so forth but also because the basic concept of giant transforming robots fighting in realistic CGI will wet the appetite of even the most jaded movie goer.

If GI Joe succeeds, it will because it will be treated the same way. Being derived from a toyline has to be irrelevant to the execution of the concept. As Marvel has learned and Warner Bros is just starting to get (incredibly slowly to point of incompetence), if you treat the property as "real" and not a joke, the audiences will come. The minute you snicker at your own property, then chances are the quality in the execution will take a dramatic nosedive. After all if you can't take your movie seriously, why should your audience.

Sadly, it appears that this is a lesson I think the toy companies will learn the hard way as they have already have "Magic 8 Ball: The Movie" in the works. Nope, sadly that is apparently not a joke.

One thing the article did was remind me that the US Toy Fair starts February 17th where get peaks at Transformers Animated, Classics 2.0, and other Transformers related plans. (source)

Animated Movie Optimus Prime vs Megatron Fight in CGI

Hasbro has posted a new CGI sequence that re-creates the Optimus Prime vs Megatron fight from the 1986 animated movie. I hope it just one of many. It is called "They Where Always Real To Me."

Sneak Peak at Transformers Classic 2.0

Hasbro has a provided a sneak peak at the next line of Transformers coming August 2008. They are calling it Transformers Universe Classic but I call it Classic 2.0 since it continues the line from last year which updated Generation 1 Transformers. It was one of the best lines in years (except for Alternators/Binal-Tech) and it looks like this wave is going to be a must have for me.

The full release info and pics can be found here.

Wal-Mart Masterpiece Starscream

Based on a few Internet reports, it appears that the Wal-Mart exclusive Masterpiece Starscream is starting to hit stores with a retail price of $48.87. This is similar to Masterpiece Optimus Prime that was out last year (only all plastic) that is a faithful re-creation of Starscream. Its also a very complicated transformation, more difficult then the Alternator line, so patience is recorded. If you love Generation 1 Starscream though, this is a must have toy for the collection. The pic is from "Redline" over at the TFW2005.com boards.

Transformers Screen Battles Line Pics

TFormers.com has posted up a gallery of the new screen battle line from Hasbro. The line, which I think will be priced $19.99 covers four moments from the movie: Capture of Bumblebee, Final Stand with BB and the tow truck, Desert Attack with Scorponok and First Encounter with Barricade. I am not 100% if the toys transformer or not but the plastic figures included reminded me of old style army figures.

Click here for the full gallery.

Transformers Animated Toyline

ToysREvil.com has posted up a bunch of pics that show the various toys planned for the upcoming Transformers Animated toyline and cartoon. The toys look identical to the cartoon series design and overall seem to borrow in design from the various lines that came before. Overall not bad.

Click here for the full gallery.

Transformers Bearbricks

From the Tokyo Wonder Festival comes Transformers movie Bearbricks for Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Megatron and Barricade. The little plastic bears are Japan only for about 1,890 yen but if really got to have them can probably find an importer that will sell them.

Click here for full gallery.

Custom Optimus Prime Protoform

"Pairadocs" over at the TFW2005 forums posted some pics of a custom Optimus Prime Protoform that uses a fantastic paint job to improve the bland and crappy original.

Click here to read about what was used and see more pics.

Movie Transformers Busts

eBay has an auction for to Transformers busts that look like an early prototype of Optimus Prime and Megatron from the movie. Pretty strange looking really. The seller wants $750 for them, which seems a bit high to me.

The description reads: Unmade toy prototype for the new Transformers movie. never made it to shelves yet! stands about 8 inches tall. very nice! unpainted. painted is extra. buyer pays shipping. Documents to prove authenticity.

Info via TFW2005 from Maximus (thanks).

San Diego Comic-Con News

TFormers.com has posted a concise list of the information released about the upcoming toy, cartoon, and comic future for the next year. Click here to read it.

The summarize it even further:

Upcoming Comics
- Devastion storyarc, Spotlight books on Optimus Prime, Galvatron, and Ramjet.
- Beast Wars gets a new mini with The Ascending and Sourcebook.
- Live action movie comics that take place after the end of the movie.
- Tranformers Animated planned
- Target exclusive comic will be included with the DVD

Toys
- "Allspark Power", part of the movie line that consists of what seems to be 50% new designs and 50% repaints (sadly common from Hasbro nowadays). A gallery can be seen here of some of the line.
- Robot Heroes (basically action figures) expanded to include G1 and Beast Wars
- Classics line starts again in fall 2008 with 8 deluxe figures and 3-4 ultras.
- Transformers Animated toys planned that matches cartoon look

Transformers Animated
- New TF cartoon for Cartoon Network. Can see a clip here. Personally not interested as just continuation of the anime "Teen Titans" look with storytelling style for 10 year olds. In other words great for their target audience just not me.

3 Million Transformers Sold

Hasbro reported that higher profits and sales in a large part due to the success of Transformers and its related product line. "'Transformers' has been a unique box office success. Our U.S. retail sales of [the new] Transformers toys have exceeded our expectations with 3 million units sold since the launch," Hasbro CEO Alfred Verrecchia said during a conference call with analysts to discuss the company's results. He also said that a second movie is possible but then we already knew that.

An additional comment of note, due to Hasbro not making money off the movie itself was, "A number of our brands have a [movie] potential and we are working on several opportunities. Right now we have not financed 'Transformers,' but that could change in the future," Verrecchia said. He declined to elaborate. This is an important comment as one of the largest barriers to movie making is financing. Studios like it when they can share the risk with others.

The rest of the report was about Hasbro's other properties, Barbie, games and so forth. The main takeaway for Transfans is the line has a bright future and probably many converts. The only thing that Hasbro's participation in financing a Transformers sequel would mean a larger budget, but realistically if I where Dreamworks I would decline as the Transformers franchise is now proven to be a probably success so sharing the risk (and therefore the profits) is not a necessity.
(Source)

Transformers Death Star

The Death Star. Transforms into Darth Vader. Not a darn thing to do with the movie. Just thought it was cool. Pics from TFW2005.