Hasbro questions, movie database update

1. This isn't really news, I suppose, but according to press releases, ROTF's first 5 days are aimed to bring in around $160 million. Hell of a number, but I think it can make it. I have never been this excited for a movie. Buying my IMAX tickets today, win!

2. More answers from Hasbro, questions formulated by the TFormers crew:
TFormers.com: Will newly-introduced Transformers Animated characters from Season 3 such as Rodimus Prime or Strika be produced for the toyline?
Hasbro: While we can't comment on which specific characters will be available in the toy line, there are definitely a few that debuted in Season 3 of the Animated Series. [From BotCon 2009, we have since learned that Rodimus will indeed get a character -ed]

Do you ever check out fan forums like TFormers.com, for customization ideas?
Considering the amazing stuff that fans create with mostly minor modifications & paint on existing molds it would seem like an excellent source of leads to expand the product lines while heavily reusing existing components. As a team we often review many of the fan forums to keep our finger on the pulse of our collectors, but we do not and cannot use ideas from our fan base. We know that our fans come up with some great ideas especially when they coincide with where we are taking the brand!

Can we expect to see a "Premium" figure series in the upcoming movie line similar to the line from the 2007 film?
At the moment, there are no plans to offer a premium series line. Rather than offering more new decos of existing molds, you can expect to see more new molds in the realistic movie styling than you did in Spring of 2008 following the first film.

3. The movie database site has been updated with a sort of 'stat card' for both Wheelie and Skids, so check it out!
http://tformers.com/transformers_database/movie/393/Skids_Autobots_2009.html
http://tformers.com/transformers_database/movie/382/Wheelie_Autobots_2009.html

That's all for now! 20 days left!

ROTF poster, iPhone IDW app, EJ Su, Round 2 questions, Shia's hand

1. As I mentioned earlier, IDW is concentrating on making their comics available online, and they've just now sealed a deal with Apple--an IDW app available for iPhones. All you iPhone users can now download all four issues of both Alliance and Defiance for only $0.99 an issue, and my guess is IDW will not stop there when it comes to digitally-available comics.

2. The final movie poster for ROTF is now online, thanks to Empire Online (click it for a bigger version):

3. E.J Su, a longtime Transformers artist (Infiltration and Devastation are some of his most well-known) who worked more recently on the series Transformers Animated, has posted several pictures from working on the set. Here's a link to the update on his DeviantArt page:

http://ej-su.deviantart.com/art/Animated-at-CN-Studios-124657692

4. Here is "Round 2" of questions from Hasbro at Botcon:
* How long is the ROTF line scheduled to run? While there may not yet be a concrete end date yet, is there product slated through Christmas '09 or even Spring of '10? When it ends, will we see a return to Animated and Universe, or something new?
The movie line is planned through Spring of 2010 and will include both new versions of core characters pulled directly from the movie and several new molds of characters inspired by the the real world styling seen in the film.

*Is there a difference between obscure characters and brand new characters to the Hasbro design team? Do Hasbro's toy designers prefer to have complete freedom in designing a toy (or repainting an existing one) to make a brand new character or the challenge of modernizing the appearance of an old character (either through a new mold or repaints) while still keeping it recognizable as being the same character?
This varies from designer to designer. The challenge of creating a new character or one from the past is the same because it is putting out the best toy possible. Either way, it is a rewarding part of our job to be able to do this stuff day in and day out. Whether it is designing a new toy or re-imagining a classic, each has its own unique challenges.

*Transformers fans have noticed that a number of the recent secondary and tertiary retail store exclusives have been prior figures in new packaging. For an example, there are the Cybertron Scouts in Universe packaging. Why is this done? Is it excess/leftover stock simply put into new packaging, or new stock manufactured solely for the re-release?
While we do not want to get into too many specifics, we felt that for the items in question, they were still relevant and delivered the core aspects of Transformers: conversion and the story of good vs evil. Needless to say, these items were produced and put into the current Universe packaging in order to meet a specific need at the time.

5. For those of you who have read The Veiled Threat or have other knowledge of what became of Lennox and Epps after the first movie, you are aware of the organization N.E.S.T. LG phones have teamed up with ROTF to put out a website about our favorite non-biological extraterrestrial organization.
http://www.lgnest.com/

6. Shia Labeouf's hand injury was worked into ROTF. In an article published in Wizard's Transformers special issue, Shia states that a small injury to Sam's hand was in the script before his injury. He then added that Sam's hand is injured en route to the Space Bridge.

.... The Space Bridge.

Shia's other injury (the one to his eye) is reputed to have happened at the Space Bridge set.

That's all for now! Thanks for the comments, guys, they're much appreciated! I usually answer comments with a comment of my own, so if you left me a note, be sure to check back!

This is the Hasbro Q&A from Botcon. (Also, speaking of Botcon, I just received an email that said one of my friends bought me a present! Unexpected and lovely. If it's a figure, I'll have a review up soon.)

---

TARGET EXCLUSIVES

6" TITANIUMS

Optimus Prime
Thrust
Hot Zone

ROTF VOYAGER

Fallen

TRU EXCLUSIVES

Commemorative Insecticons
Commemorative Perceptor

ROTF BATTLE PACK

Blue G1 deco Soundwave with Movie 1 Voyager Megatron

WALMART EXCLUSIVE

Masterpiece Skywarp, more faithful paint scheme to G1 toy

TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED

Hasbro stated these products WILL find a way to retail!
Electrostatic Soundwave w/ Ratbat
Arcee
Rodimus Minor
Cybertronian Ratchet
Cybertronian mode Ironhide (different mold)
Fugitive Waspinator (Bumblebee in Wasp's colors not a remold)
Goldfire Grimlock
Hydrodive Bumblebee - (Bumblebee will be more in scale with other Autobots without Scuba gear)
Voyager Blackout (has Earth helicopter mode)
Wingblade Optimus Prime (Deluxe scale Optimus with trailer that becomes wings and such from last episode of TFA)
Thundercracker (Starscream repaint but no one will complain about that)

2010 SNEAK PEEK

ROTF LEGENDS

Wheelie
Soundwave

ROTF SCOUTS

Brakedown (homage to G1 Brakedown)
Skystalker (new futuristic drone jet mold)
Scattorshot (military truck w/ plow - offscreen character with pistols)

ROTF DELUXE

Lockdown (TFA character as a ROTF styled figure - looks awesome)
Ratchet (comes w/ MP Blaster)D
irge (complete with conehead, actually looks really cool, huge missiles under wings)

ROTF VOYAGER CLASS

Jungle Attack Ironhide (redeco w/ new bumper that transforms into crossbow and huge guns, gattling gun, knives, sniper rifle)
Bludgeon (G1 style - holy shit is this awesome, tank, complete w/ samarai swords which come out of gun turrett, skull face, has samarai garb)

ROTF HUMAN ALLIANCE

Barricade w/ Frenzy (stores in front of vehicle or chest has some guns as well - very cool!)

UNIVERSE IN 2010

New version of series will continue in fall 2010

HASBRO PANEL Q&A

Will Universe 2.0 continue?
Through spring 2010 we’re focusing on ROTF figures which you’ll see are universe inspired and in the fall you will see what you know as Classics Universe begin again.

Will we be getting the IDW Publishing character Drift? Drift? You may want to come back to tomorrows panel for that answer.

What is your stance on the decision to end Transformers Animated?
As many of you know, Hasbro signed into a joint venture with Discovery Communications and give that its so new we really can’t get into the details, but with the new network we will be bringing some new things which will feature G1 references and content.

In the first break between the Transformers movie and TF Animated we saw a bunch of repaints that fell into the movie line, will we see that again where its just pure repaints?
We try to go back and look at figures that fans liked and we don’t do repaints just for the sake of doing repaints, you may see some figures released like that again but not just pure repaints.

Going back to the Transformers Animated panel, are there any other characters from the series that may see a release like Omega Supreme?
There were a lot of characters we wanted to see released like Omega Supreme and the Constructicons. We thought they were great characters we would have loved to have released but the timing just wasn’t right to release them.

For the ROTF Combiner Devastator Supreme Class, why weren’t they given individual robot modes?
We put them in individual Deluxe class vehicles and to get the best Devastator robot, and to avoid redundancy of repeating the Deluxe figures, we left them with no robot modes.

Is there any reason we have not seen a Deluxe class Cliffjumper in the TF Animated line?
We thought that he was such a minor character in the overall story that the Activators line fit best for him.

Are you guys looking into moving away from using so many twist ties?
We are looking to move away from them and moving towards smaller packaging which is more biodegradable. In the future you’ll see smaller packages with Tam, which is easier to cut and biodegradable.

Will we ever see the Japan Legends Devastator set in the US?
There are plans for it to get a US release as an exclusive, probably in the spring of 2010.

Will we ever see a Leader Class Blackout?
We have plans for a new leader figure for the fall of 2010 that we think you’ll be excited about, but we can’t tell you what.

Is there any chance we’ll see Alternity in the US?
That’s an exclusive that we don’t think will see a release here in the US.

How much influence has Hasbro had on the retail store chains with the way the economy is?
Unfortunately we were hit with cost increases with the jump in prices for oil and production and we try to keep the figures at a low price but when it comes to a price increase or reduction in quality of the product, we have to go with the price increase as not to put out a bad product.

With the Takara legends class Devastator there are 7 figures but the Supreme Class Devastator has only 6 constructions. Why?
Without giving away too much, there can be a lot of constructicons that form Devastator, lets just say 15 start out to create him but only 7 make it to the end of the film. It’s a different concept than what you’re used to for the gestalt team.

Is there any chance of seeing a Transformers Animated Cyclonus?
We really wanted to but since we released him in the Universe line, it didn’t make sense to release him since they would be so similar in design.

This was asked at the Collectors Club panel but they passed the buck to you, did you guys choose the name Nexus Maximus?
Uh, yes.

ADDITIONAL NOTES FROM Q&A:
Find out about Drift tomorrow as well as the Wingblade Optimus Prime
New TF series on new Hasbro/Discovery channel
TFA has set the new standard for new projects
No Paradron Medic planned
No plans for TFA Omega Supreme or Constructicons at this time
ROTF Constructicons - made decision not to combine deluxes/voyagers so that it would look the best and same with Ultimate Devastator)
Future TFA characters might show up in future version of Classics/Universe line
Expect smaller and more environmentally friendly packaging next year
Hasbro plans to release Legends Devastator set (possibly as an exclusive)
Plans for ROTF Leader Starscream
---

Sounds like a hell of a lot going on! I would really love to see a Drift figure go out-- there is a kit for him, but I don't have the time or the money to buy and build. I'll keep you updated on the progress of the figure, if there is to be one. Also, Wingblade Optimus looks like quite a good figure. I really liked that design of him for the last episode of Animated.

Also: New Transformers series?? With more G1?! Win!