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Griffin, the admin of OzFormers has posted some infromation from the Australian Toy Fair which includes word that MP Tracks will not be MP-25 and that 6 more Masterpiece figures will be released in Japan this year, after Star Saber with those toys being:
- Gold Bumblebee (Goldbug) - July
- Convoy re-issue - Assumed August
- Tracks - Assumed August
- Secret - MP25 expected to be announced shortly - September
- New Sports Car - Oct
- New Sports Car - Nov
Below you will find a quote of the full new report which contains further information on the Australian releases.
Photos later tonight, and the full report.... but some teaser info to get you interested and to send the global fansites into meltdown.
Generations Devastator on display with my Gen1 Devastator - BigW already signed up for June/July.
More JP Masterpiece coming this year - Gold bumblebee July, Convoy reissue, Tracks (not MP25), MP25 in Sept (I can't reveal name before TakaraTomy), and two new "sports cars" for OCT & NOV.
Platinum edition - Myer will have Seeker pack and YOTG pair... while ToysRUs will have Insecticon pack, Perceptor/Blaster, Trypticon, aaaaand.... Dinobots. YES, Gen1 Dinobots multipack which I hope is all five.
JP Stinger still for this month, only at TRU though.
GEN Slingshot & Wildrider don't exist (yet) for Hasbro Generations, but might next year as Combiners are going to be at least two years.
Leader Starscream for wave 4.
Hasbro MP Starscream is the second (MP11) version because fans wanted it.
Hasbro MP Bluestreak will be in July.
Toyworld's cheaper prices were indeed just introductory prices from Hasbro.
Loyal Subjects w3 should be out in the next month.
That's most of it. More later, probably after midnight though.
Go nuts...
Go nuts indeed!
Eagle-eyed OzFormers admin Griffin, noticed that on an advert for Hasbro celebrating it's 90th year there is a picture of what appears to be a brand new Optimus Prime with the text Transformers Generations below it. The image, which can be viewed below, shows Roller transformed into the gun of the Autobot leader!! Could this be the start of a new line of Transformers Generations figures once Fall of Cybertron is done? The answers may well come out of the US Toy Fair in a month, as they are unlikely to come from the British Toy Fair.
Ozformers, the Australian fansite, is reporting that Masterpiece Optimus Prime will be released "down-under" in October this year at a retail price of $150 (that's Australian Dollars). This would work out as a $100 at US retail and, if Toys R Us US pick him up, probably an inflated UK price of between £80 and £100.
Ozformers has a nice round up, with a few pictures, from a Transformers Animated promotional event which took place in Australia over the weekend.
Here's a basic summary but check out Ozformers for the full article / details.
Some of the interesting things discussed during the day:
- Eric is in Australia until February, on a 'working holiday', but
would love to come back. He said that the temporary relocation is part
of an initiative at Hasbro now to have the more important people
exposed to other branches of their (global empire) company, and have
the branches benefit from it in the process (or something like that -
it sounds like something they could be doing a lot in future).
- He's been working his normal job, but just more efficiant (no distractions like at their US offices).
- He's been around a fair bit of Australia while here (as a tourist),
and hopes to visit New Zealand before he heads back to America.
- He pointed out to us that he has been responsible for designing all
of Animated, not just Oilslick (which I thought was his only Animated
figure, because it was on the tfwiki). He mentioned that there is a
complete list of his works on tfw2005 site somewhere (I couldn't find
it).
- On the topic of Oil Slick, he said that it was originally intended to
have slime in the second barrel (the one with the lid, not the chain
weapon), and slime in the bucket over his head. When that didn't work
(potential for leaking during transport from China was the issue), they
looked at having water in the bucket over his head, but found out that
it is 'not a good idea to have anything from China with water in it',
in case it gets consumed by a child (seems that the water from China
isn't the healthiest in the world). In the end, the toy was left
without anything, but like Animated Swoop's weapon or Universe
Galvatron, the original features are still there.
- Aside from the Toasted TV interview, he has also been interviewd on TTN (kid's news show) and FHM (men's magazine).
- Is working on 2 of the size classes for the TF2 Movie line, one of
which is the Voyager size (I think he said Scout was the other). As
expected, he couldn't say anything else about the movie, other than how
great he thinks the toys are coming.
- Mentioned that the Animated Sideswipe in the UK comic was something
they drew up without telling Hasbro, and told them to change it because
it was a character they would probably do eventually.
- His thoughts on some of the good quality custom TFs, is one as a fan,
who want's to get a 'City Commander' (Classics Magnus trailer) for
himself.
- Told us why we haven't seen any Animated Constructicon toys yet, but I can't say why here at this time.
- Described the Animated Arcee toy a little, being a whole new Deluxe sized mould, and isn't all pink.
- Said that the neutering of Animated Swoop's weapon (was designed to
extend the flame spikes when pulling on the chain), but didn't pass
safety tests (if swallowed, it could get lodged in a kid's throat, and
pulling the chain to remove the toy would hook it in even more).
- A fan of Translucent plastic on TFs, but not of Mighty Muggs (don't blame him - they're an abomination...).
- He prefers the creative freedom of doing new characters over homage
characters. And says that he's just about done about all the major Gen1
character homage toys for Animated, as more of the focus will be on new
characters now (after next year).
He also discussed a fair bit about the design process - what he does,
what some of the restriction on him are, and how most turn out close
enough to how he wanted them to.
And a few things from the Marketting Managers:
- The Animated cartoon will return to Australian free-to-air (Toasted TV on Channel 10) by the end of November, on weekdays.
- Delay with the release of 25th Optimus here (probably won't be in stores until early January now)
- And I think there was a similar delay with Special Edition classics as well.
Ozformers member
Paulbot has reported the first sightings of Transformers Animated figures in Australian stores over on the Ozformers message board. The figures he saw were Deluxe Prime, Prowl, Bumblebee and Lockdown for $27.95, Voyager Bulkhead, Starscream and Megatron at $44.95
Credit to
Seibertron.com for the spot.
Ozformers member Griffin has posted the first images of the full contents Botcon 2008 box set including all the techspec cards over on the Ozformers message board.
Click the link to jump directly to the post with the images