This page contains affiliate links. We may earn commissions when readers interact with or purchase items through these links. For more information, see our affiliate disclosures here.

Transformers Company News on Seibertron.com

Got Transformers News? Let us know here!
Category:
Year:
Keyword(s):

Exclude news from our sponsors

Goto Page: 1, 2, 3 ... 161, 162, 163  >>
1,627 total news articles in this section, 10 per page.

Hasbro Says Transformers is one of the Brightest Spots for Growth / Sales in their Entire Toy Portfolio

Transformers News: Hasbro Says Transformers is one of the Brightest Spots for Growth / Sales in their Entire Toy Portfolio
Date: Wednesday, February 14th 2024 1:00pm CST
Categories: Toy News, Company News
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 61,999

According to Hasbro's 4th quarter earning call, of all the brands and toys being sold by Hasbro, Transformers has the most enviable growth. Of course, this is due to more toys out during a movie year (with Rise of the Beasts getting its own line) but what's important is the toys sold. We had seen and heard from Hasbro in the past that franchises like Star Wars may not sell well (or be profitable for a toy maker) during a movie year. But it isn't the case for Transformers, which had a 35% growth and shows that it can still be a brand that sells toys.

Below are the quotes from Hasbro regarding the specific brand from their 2023 Q4 Earnings call:

In the back half of 2023, we started to see the first evidence of our new team and products working. Take FURBY, for example. This was a product we took our time testing and iterating based on consumer insights. It paid off as FURBY was one of the top new toy introductions in 2023. We continued the FURBY craze in December with the launch of Furblets, another hit introduction, and we’re excited to continue building this franchise in 2024. 2023 was also a strong year for our TRANSFORMERS franchise. On the back of the hit movie, Transformers Rise of the Beasts from our partners in Paramount, driving point of sale growth of 35%. We have some exciting activations planned as we celebrate the brand’s 40th anniversary in 2024, as well as the star-studded animated movie, Transformers One, coming this summer along with fresh merchandise.


As far as our financial participation goes for revenue and profit, it’s like having the equivalent of $1 billion movie supporting Monopoly, except every year, with the impact growing sequentially as the game works through our minimum guarantees and marketing allowances. Baldur’s Gate III from our partners of Larian continues to win awards around the world and is one of the highest rated video games of all time. We expect a long tail into 2024 and beyond for this mega hit. Last but not least, we have a compelling new lineup of adventures, core rulebooks, and new digital first offerings for D&D as we celebrate this iconic brand’s 50th anniversary. We’ll launch the biggest update to fifth edition since its introduction in 2014, reinventing everything from the artwork of our iconic monsters, to new classes, to new mechanics, to bold new ways to bring to life the world of D &D digitally.

All of this will add up to more and more impressive product as the year goes on, leading into an even brighter 2025. We look forward to sharing more about 2025. All new brands, entertainment collaborations, and a chance to really show what this team is capable of later this year. Wrapping up, 2023 was a challenging year, but not without significant wins. Wins we believe augur the Hasbro to come. A company rededicated to play, innovation, and fun for fans of all ages. Last year, we launched a top toy with FURBY. We won a Game of the Year award with Twister Air. And we wowed tens of millions with Monopoly Go! Transformers Rise of the Beast, Baldur’s Gate III, and Magic Lord of the Rings, all while cleaning up the business, selling eOne, paying down debt, and clearing excess inventory, which makes for a healthier, stronger Hasbro to start 2024.


Adjusting for the exit of brands and markets, revenue would have declined by 15%. And despite the tougher category backdrop, we delivered some bright spots within our toy portfolio, including Transformers, Twister Air, Furby, and GI Joe. On a reported basis, the Entertainment segment revenue declined by 31% as the writers’ and actors’ strikes impacted content deliveries. Family Brands revenue grew 6% from streaming deals of animated content in support of Hasbro’s brands. Total Hasbro Inc. 2023 adjusted operating profit was $477 million, down 48% versus last year, primarily driven by the nonrecurring expenses, as well as lower revenues. 2023 adjusted net earnings of $349 million, or $2.51 per diluted share, was down 44% versus last year. Besides the charges for inventory, earnings were negatively impacted by content impairments and higher royalty expense, partially offset by our cost savings program and a one-time tax benefit.


Transformers News: Hasbro Says Transformers is one of the Brightest Spots for Growth/Sales in their Entire Portfolio

Saudi Arabia Partners with Hasbro to Become Global Hub for Transformers Themed Attractions

Transformers News: Saudi Arabia Partners with Hasbro to Become Global Hub for Transformers Themed Attractions
Date: Thursday, May 11th 2023 3:11pm CDT
Category: Company News
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 32,477

Transformers are a HUGE brand. While the Transformers name proper originated from the US, we saw that the brand resonates with people from across the world, as is made evident with global box office for past films, the new Ark Café in China and now a major project underway in Saudi Arabia.

The project is a partnership between Hasbro and Saudi Entertainment Ventures (called Seven for short) who will make Transformers-themed indoor entertainment centres. These will be 10,000-square-metre facilities dedicated to that will feature state-of-the-art rides, immersive environments, as well as branded retail and exclusive merchandise, and themed food and beverages.

We have concept art for the rides which all use the evergreen designs. SEVEN already partnered with Hasbro to make Play D'Oh themed attractions in Saudi Arabia.

Here is what Abdullah Al-Dawood, chairman of Seven, said about this announcement:

“We continue to cement our position as the national champion of the kingdom’s entertainment sector, strengthening the entertainment ecosystem with our strategic partnerships to bring a wide range of attractions for the people of Saudi Arabia to enjoy.”

And here is what Matt Proulx, Hasbro’s VP of location-based entertainment (LBE), said:

“By partnering with Seven in the kingdom, we can bring even more truly unique experiences to fans of Transformers and Play-Doh. We’re sure that these new immersive attractions will entertain and delight generations of fans and families for many years to come.”

Transformers News: Saudi Arabia Partners with Hasbro to Become Global Hub for Transformers Themed Attractions

Transformers News: Saudi Arabia Partners with Hasbro to Become Global Hub for Transformers Themed Attractions

Transformers News: Saudi Arabia Partners with Hasbro to Become Global Hub for Transformers Themed Attractions

Hasbro to Invest More into the Transformers Brand

Transformers News: Hasbro to Invest More into the Transformers Brand
Date: Thursday, November 17th 2022 3:03pm CST
Category: Company News
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 32,340

We have a Deadline article detailing Hasbro potentially selling off some of it's EOne assets. The part that is transformers related though is that the sale will provide funds to further invest in brands and the Transformers brand is distinctively pointed out. You can read the exerpt of the article below. One important thing, when it comes to brand, the idea here is IP. So this is not about putting more money in toys, it's about financing more projects with the Transformers IP and growing that brand. It can mean basically anything. But the point is, Transformers is seen as a strong brand that Hasbro only wants to expand upon and make stronger.

The announcement today said Hasbro plans to significantly increase strategic investment in key brands with a focus on gaming, direct to consumer, franchise brands and licensing.

Priority brands for investment include Peppa Pig, Transformers, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, My Little Pony, Power Rangers, Play-Doh and board games including Monopoly and Clue.

Hasbro Answers Some Burning Questions from Fans: AOE Dinobots, DJD, Packaging Changes, and More

Transformers News: Hasbro Answers Some Burning Questions from Fans: AOE Dinobots, DJD, Packaging Changes, and More
Date: Thursday, October 20th 2022 7:32pm CDT
Categories: Toy News, Company News, Interviews
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 88,301

The Seibertron site assisted a round table discussion today with Evan Brooks (designer), Marc Maher (designer), Delaney Norris (marketting) and Ben MacCrae (marketting) from Hasbro, answering questions related to the recent Legacy reveals. There would be no answers to any questions related to the Rise of the Beasts line (so I would not expect reveals of that any time soon).

Q: When will Shadowstrip and Crasher be formally announced?
A: It’s up to Walmart. Hasbro thought they would be revealed and made available by Walmart at the same time as Galaxy Shuttle but it doesn’t seem to be the case. They are waiting to hear back from Walmart.

Q (my question): Legacy/Studio Series toys are made with which primary audience/market in mind? And which demographic buys the majority of toys from those lines?
A: While the targets are “fans”, that is an internal name for the 8-12 year old market. These would be kids who are fans of Transformers toys since they grew up with the simpler ones in other lines and are ready for a more challenging conversion. While there are characters older fans are more likely to recognize, they are all still designed more with children in mind and the freedom with Legacy lets them bring other characters. Also, that demographic (8-12 year olds) is who these toys are bought for most.
Vehicle form factor is key, and kids gravitate towards the idea of a robot to vehicle conversion so there is no need to have a character that young kids know. The goal is giving 8 year olds the STEM feature of play with legacy and Studio Series. Nothing has changed since John Warden said that toys are designed with kids in mind. They are trying to make toys for kids that older fans also like. They are currently undergoing market research to see the percentage of sales from different demographics.

Q: Will there be more new characters like Scraphook?
A: Scraphook as a new character was easy since he is part of the Junkions who already have a theme/play pattern in the lore. Hasbro is constantly looking for ways to integrate new characters. Junkions are an easy place to mine for new characters and there will be more to come in the new year. Every time we have a chance to do something new, we try it though with Studio Series, that line is linked to pre-existing characters.

Q: Has the plastic type changed?
A: The main plastic types used for toys have not changed since the 80s, and the plastic used now is the same used in the previous Transformers lines (like WFC trilogy, ect). They are aware of the yellowing issue and if you have a product with that issue (or any issue) please contact the customer support team.

Q: Tarn is great, what took so long and how do we get the rest of the team?
A: Tarn is an amazing character, from a fantastic storyline. The Hasbro team are big fans of that. They had to bring him to life after seeing Tarn show up in so many other places. It was obviously the time for Tarn, but the rest of the DJD are a design challenge (not Nickel though, could be a core release). They are looking into it, and finishing off “mini collections” is still something Hasbro wishes to do. They try to have more synergy between comics and toys, hence why Knockout in the comics looks like the Legacy toy. His design (and others) were given to IDW from Hasbro. Legacy finally gave an outlet for freedom of having characters from anywhere, that’s why characters from IDW specifically are being integrated into the line. Just don’t expect the same alt modes.
***Seibertron user William-James88 suggested a Robotic scorpion which can be fan made into an electric chair for Kaon.***
Alex Milne and James Roberts will get a copy of the Tarn toy.

Q: Can you acknowledge the existence of the Legacy Minerva toy?
A: Yes, they can personally acknowledge that it exists. They have not heard from Walgreens as to their plan for releasing it yet. The official date of release would have been October 1st. Hasbro will do their best to continue releasing the Japanese characters, like Galaxy Shuttle and Victory Sabr. Mark apologises for Minerva not being a headmaster, but he wanted to release it in the line. Also, Minerva was chosen as a Walgreens exclusive due to the medical theme.

Q: Core class combining Dinobots, what challenges were there?
A: Lots of Challenges, Sludge is taking the biggest hit with the thunderous thighs needed for combiner mode. Not sure if they could do it at first, but it felt like it could be possible, so they didn’t wish to say “no”. They made it happen at Core class. They added a sixth Dinobot for the proportions to work without it having a deluxe torso.
Bringing them to core class was so that you could have the whole team on the shelf at the same year, harkening back to the G1 era. These toys are perfect for kids. Core class is meant to be well known characters that sell, at a lower price points.
***The Dinobots were not the first intent from the designer (ie. Monstructor/Dinokinginstead), but they were used for an easy sell to marketing.***

Q: Can you give more info on Override being a new mold in a line of redecos?
A: When Takara gets to design a character they have a lot of love for, you can sit back and see the wonder. (Lots of mold mathematics discussion which personally stumped your dear news editor.) Stuff like the Cyberkey hole for Override are design easter eggs made for fans who remember the older toy even though it is still made to sell to kids.

Q: Are there more female characters coming to Legacy and Studio Series?
A: Of course! So many awesome female bots, we will never say no. The female audience for transformers is immense, far bigger than most fans may think.

Q: Can we ever expect proper Pretenders?
A: Classic style pretenders shells are very hard to do (and sell to corporate) since the shells themselves become a mold of their own. Core class Bombusrt can fit into his G1 pretender shell but that is a happy coincidence.
*** Evan then proceeded to more heavily hint to the alternate use of those core class Dinobot molds (ie. Monstructor/Dinoking though nothing officially is said and we do not know how or when they will ever be made and available).***

Q: What criteria goes into choosing a Gobots character in a Transformers line?
A: The goal is to sell to kids so alt mode and colour come into play with the choice. It’s a group conversation to decide if it’s the right move or not. Gobots is still a tricky licence since another company owns what was originally GoBots. So it’s a very muddy situation. Always thinking 3 years ahead, it can take that long to get a toy associated to a toy from another “mini collection”.

Q: Any answers about the woes with Cosmos’ distribution?
A: No news on if we’ll see more cosmos at retail, everything is up to Walmart in terms of case allocation, nothing can be forced from Hasbro. The team was unaware of the solid cases in the UK since the marketing team was trying to get a solid box for the designers to have their own but was told that wasn’t a thing.

Q: Do all molds have second heads just sitting there for the future?
A: Been going on for a long time. It’s weird when there isn’t an alt head in a mold.
***The alt head for Titans Return Seaspray was a merman head from the G1 episode. Ben is a HUGE fan of Seaspray and would want another release before he retires.***

Q: Transformers boxes, can they go full closed box like other Hasbro lines?
A: Unlike Marvel and Star Wars, the Transformers brand skews younger, so seeing the robot inside does bring in more sales than a closed box with the image of the character. Transformers is not as character focused line like Marvel, it isn’t the character itself that sells the toys, it’s how the bot looks. There have been studies done and open windows are best for their target audience of 8 year olds seeing the robots on shelves. The leader class toys are higher priced and thus not likely an impulse purchase by parents, so they can look more like a toy aimed at collectors. Looking into all different boxing options, but right now open box for lower priced toys is the best for Transformers brand.

Q: Will there be more Japanese Beast Wars Characters aside from Leo Prime?
A: Leo Prime was an easy sell to corporate since he is a leader called Prime and a lion, both attributes familiar and appealing to kids. They keep testing the market and audience. The term Convoy is a trademarked name in Japan, so that name cannot be used on packaging by Hasbro.

Q: Is that Lockdown looking car in the poster a hint that we are getting Lockdown?
A: There is no comment on it being Lockdown or not but Hasbro is aware of the thirst for the Transformers animated universe (note from Editor: the toy on the poster is not Lockdown, it’s a deluxe Junkion toy like Scraphook)


And now, dear readers, here is an example of how to ask the same type of “are we getting this” type of question, but to get a better answer. One question was “is Slipstream coming any time soon”, and the answer from Hasbro was “Anything is possible”, obviously. BUT I found another way around that:
Q: Have there been any obstacles to getting the rest of the Age of Extinction Dinobots, since we got none after Grimlock.
A: There may have been at the time if the same characters were available in the Platinum line (not a certainty, memory is foggy on that), but as of right now there is no obstacle, no reason for them not to eventually show up, nothing stopping Hasbro from making them. However, G1 Grimlock appearing in the SS line did put the possible release of Bayverse Dinobots on hold.

The next reveals will be happening on the Premium member exclusive stream happening October 27th. Also, Hasbro is hyped for Eathspark and they hope you feel that too.

Hasbro Share Hits 5 year Low After Revealing that their Sales are Down Because of Price Increases

Transformers News: Hasbro Share Hits 5 year Low After Revealing that their Sales are Down Because of Price Increases
Date: Tuesday, October 18th 2022 2:56pm CDT
Category: Company News
Posted by: william-james88 | Credit(s): CNBC

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 63,241

Hasbro is in quite a bit of trouble right now, in terms of their stock price. It is now around the $65 mark and has not been this low in over 5 year's time. Just to give you an idea of how big a deal this may be for investors, the company was worth 12.37 Billion in May of this year and has now dropped to being worth 9.07 Billion, losing 3 Billion dollars in 5 month's time. For those not in the know, while the falling stock price does not change a company's internal workings overnight, it does affect how much it can borrow and how much it can grow, hence why aim for a constantly higher stock price.

All that finance mumbo jumbo aside, this decrease has hit the news because it was directly impacted by what was said at the latest shareholder meeting for the 3rd quarter, which just closed. Hasbro reported that sales were down due to "increasing price sensitivity for the average consumer". Basically it means that due to higher prices than last year, people bought less than they did last year.

Also, with people buying less, both Hasbro and retailers are beginning to have quite the inventory surplus issue. As a result, Hasbro says we should expect sales in the future.

Interestingly enough, Hasbro mentioned Transformers Earthspark as one of their main hopes to bouncing back. It will be a new show premiering in the 4th quarter, with a bunch of new toys on shelves, also coinciding with the holiday season.

Here are the full quotes below taken from the following CNBC article: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/18/hasbro- ... nings.html

And the graph below which no company wished they had was taken from Yahoo Finance today.

Hasbro reported third-quarter earnings Tuesday morning that fell short of analysts’ expectations as inflation weighed on consumers and the company contended with high levels of inventory.
...

“As expected, the third quarter is our most difficult comparison and was further impacted by increasing price sensitivity for the average consumer,” CEO Chris Cocks said in an earnings release.

He expanded on this point in a conference call Tuesday morning, saying that promotions “have become increasingly important” in driving product sales. The company reported high inventory, which is currently afflicting retailers across the board. Hasbro said in an investor presentation that its inventory should help it meet holiday demand.

Shares were down more than 2% Tuesday morning, hitting a new 52-week low.
...

Revenue for the period fell 15% compared to last year, dragged down by a 35% decrease in entertainment revenue. Its Wizards of the Coast unit, which includes “Dungeons & Dragons” and “Magic: The Gathering,” saw revenues decline 16%.

As prices for goods and supplies surge, the toy and game giant has increased prices for products like Nerf Blasters and My Little Pony figures.

...

The company also pointed to several upcoming releases, including Marvel’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and the company’s own “Transformers: EarthSpark,” which the company will produce merchandise for during the fourth quarter and beyond.

With the holidays approaching, the toymaker said it plans to “sell through inventory” in the fourth quarter as it seeks to stick to its plan of focusing on fewer, bigger brands and more licensing.


One Year Graph

Transformers News: Hasbro Share Hits 5 year Low After Revealing that their Sales are Down Because of Price Increases

Five Year Graph

Transformers News: Hasbro Share Hits 5 year Low After Revealing that their Sales are Down Because of Price Increases

Hasbro Memo From 1986 Asks to Replace Shockwave in the Cartoon and Add More Predaking

Transformers News: Hasbro Memo From 1986 Asks to Replace Shockwave in the Cartoon and Add More Predaking
Date: Thursday, March 31st 2022 11:19pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Company News
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 79,222

The theme today is definitely about a behind the scenes look at all things Transformers. While we had a rare look at early stages of recent toy development earlier today, we now share with you a memo from Hasbro that really shows how prominent the idea of selling toys was in the 80s and how single minded they were with the G1 show just being a commercial. And in this case, to the detriment of good story telling and lore.

It's just one memo about Five Faces of Darkness part III but it speaks volumes. As fans may recall, there is a scene where Blitzwing does not accept the deal proposed by the Quintessons because he seems to know not to trust them. This never really comes back and feels rather random, especially for a character that was not prominent within the Deception ranks. Well, it turns out Flint Dille initially intended it to be Shockwave who was weary since he was older and more aware of the Quintessons than his fellow Decepticons. It definitely ties into the greater lore of Shockwave being ancient which has been revisited in Transformers fiction. As you can see from the memo, it was asked that Shockwave be replaced since his toy was no longer on the market. So Flint Dile chose Blitzwing as a replacement.

The memo is pretty epic for other reasons. Check out that note in response to Hasbro stating that the events of the 86 movie will be recounted in a vague way with no images so as not to spoil the movie. Plus, there is a really big push for Predaking so if you ever felt he seemed shoehorned in, well now you know why. And if he doesn't feel shoehorned, then that's just a testament to Flint Dile being and agile writer.

Below is the original outline with Shockwave there followed by the memo along with links to all resources pertaining to the Five Faces of Darkness.

We thank fellow Seibertronian Sabrblade for bringing this to our attention and to Greebtron for providing links on the matter.

Transformers News: Hasbro Memo From 1986 Asks to Replace Shockwave in the Cartoon and Add More Predaking

Transformers News: Hasbro Memo From 1986 Asks to Replace Shockwave in the Cartoon and Add More Predaking


Hasbro Reports Strong Revenue, Operating Profit and Earnings Growth for the Full-Year 2021

Transformers News: Hasbro Reports Strong Revenue, Operating Profit and Earnings Growth for the Full-Year 2021
Date: Tuesday, February 8th 2022 8:28pm CST
Categories: Press Releases, Company News
Posted by: D-Maximal_Primal | Credit(s): Hasbro

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 66,177

PAWTUCKET, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 7, 2022-- Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS), a global play and entertainment company, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2021.

"The Hasbro team finished the year strong and delivered an exceptional full-year 2021, including another record revenue year for Wizards of the Coast; strong revenue growth for consumer products; and a robust, progressively more Hasbro brand-led, content slate to return to 2019 levels of deliveries for entertainment," said Rich Stoddart, Hasbro interim chief executive officer. "Fans and consumers are increasingly interacting with brands in more ways than ever—our unique set of strategic assets across toys and games, entertainment, digital gaming and licensing provide the foundation for maximizing the value of both our existing franchises and new IP.

"It has been an honor to lead this talented team over the past several months and I am confident that Chris Cocks will bring tremendous vision and passion while accelerating our performance-driven culture as he takes over as CEO on February 25th," continued Stoddart.

"Throughout 2021, and finishing with focused execution in the fourth quarter, the Hasbro team did an excellent job in unprecedented circumstances," said Deborah Thomas, Hasbro chief financial officer. "We delivered strong results, including 17% revenue growth for the year, higher operating profit margins and $818 million in operating cash flow, while successfully navigating supply chain challenges, including higher fourth quarter input and freight costs across our business. This enabled us to continue investing in growth initiatives, pay off $1.08 billion in long-term debt in 2021 and continue supporting our dividend which the Board increased 3% today.

"Long-term investments in our brands and capabilities have built a differentiated business with diversified capabilities to drive long-term profitable growth and enhance shareholder value," continued Thomas.

Full-Year 2021
  • Net revenues increased 17% to $6.42 billion
      Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming segment revenues up 42%
    • Entertainment segment revenues up 27%
    • Consumer Products segment revenues up 9%
  • Operating profit of $763.3 million, or 11.9% of revenue, up from 9.2% of revenue in 2020
  • Adjusted operating profit up 20% to $995.2 million, or 15.5% of revenue, an expansion of 40 basis points year-over-year
  • Net earnings increased 93% to $428.7 million, or $3.10 per diluted share
  • Adjusted net earnings increased 41% to $723.4 million, or $5.23 per diluted share
  • EBITDA up 32% to $1.04 billion
  • Adjusted EBITDA up 23% to $1.31 billion
  • Year-end cash of $1.02 billion; Generated $817.9 million in operating cash flow for the full-year 2021 and paid down $1.08 billion in long-term debt
      Paid $374.5 million in dividends to shareholders during the year
Fourth Quarter 2021
  • Net revenues increased 17% to $2.01 billion
      Entertainment segment revenues up 54%
    • Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming segment revenues up 18%
    • Consumer Products segment revenues up 9%
  • Operating profit for the fourth quarter of $171.5 million, or 8.5% of revenues
  • Adjusted operating profit of $219.9 million, or 10.9% of revenues
  • Net earnings for the fourth quarter of $82.2 million, or $0.59 per diluted share
  • Adjusted net earnings of $168.4 million, or $1.21 per diluted share
  • EBITDA of $203.9 million
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $306.5 million

An Update on John Warden's Latest Mecha Endeavours at Hasbro

Transformers News: An Update on John Warden's Latest Mecha Endeavours at Hasbro
Date: Friday, December 31st 2021 8:41pm CST
Categories: People News, Company News, Editorials
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 148,910

2021 was a big year for Hasbro's mecha toylines. The ever growing Transformers toylines gave us a lot of product (Kingdom, Studio Series, Cyberverse, MP, MPM, Shaterred Glass, Netflix, Buzzworthy Bumblebee, Rescue Bots, Generations Selects, Crossover) and Hasbro finally released the first Power Rangers zords developed under John Warden, the man who got the Transformers brand where it is now. For those curious as to how Hasbro's other transforming/combining robot themed toyline went, we have an update.

For a quick recap of the Power Ranges toyline, when it first got to North American shores, the toys were based on the same toys previously sold in Japan and as time went on, there were more and more differences between the Japanese version of toys (done by Bandai) and the American version (done by Bandai of America). It wasn't like with Transformers where the Takara version would have a slightly different deco, it was far more extensive. For the past 10 years at least, the toys in Japan for the same mecha were bigger and had electronics. To sell at a lower price point, Bandai of America would literally make a new mold, usually smaller and with less parts. There was even one time in Power Rangers Samurai, where the Japanese version of the 5 animal combiner had 3 modes (limb mode, animal mode, and geometric shape mode) and the American version scrapped the shape mode for 4/5 animals, which made it look ridiculous (Japanese on the left, American on the right).

Transformers News: An Update on John Warden's Latest Mecha Endeavours at Hasbro

Transformers News: An Update on John Warden's Latest Mecha Endeavours at Hasbro

Now when Hasbro bought the brand, they would do the same, remake new molds for their Power Ranger toyline and hired John Warden as the head of the design team to make these new molds. The first toyline fully developed under John Warden was Dino Fury and fans finally got to experience the zords in the later half of 2021.

And it turns out that for the first time in the history of the brand, the American versions are on par with the Japanese version, or even preferred by fans. While still a toyline for kids, Hasbro went for a more collector oriented mindset in what they favoured. It did not have electronics, and the zords are slightly smaller, but they have more articulation than their Japanese counterparts and the main zord has better proportions, a more detailed sculpt and greater show accuracy. Yes, the American version of the toy is more show accurate. It is also more dynamic and works well as a mecha action figure rather than being a brick (which all Power Ranger/Super Sentai mecha were in the past). So congrats to John Warden and his team on that, it is no small feat (Hasbro on the left, Bandai on the right).

Transformers News: An Update on John Warden's Latest Mecha Endeavours at Hasbro

Of course, it does help that Hasbro's mecha came out well after the original series aired in Japan, so they could replicate any show detail the original Japanese toys didn't have. Also, Hasbro's combining system for the zords is not as kid friendly as the Japanese version since it requires more force to connect and disconnect. The original Japanese toys had ports similar to lego bricks with similar ease of building but that also means connections on the Hasbro versions are tighter and less likely to undo while posing the figure (something the Japanese toys never had to worry about). So far, 5 zords have been released with more on the way in 2022, and all can combine together in various ways. Below is an example of combining 4 of them together along with using an extra head that comes with the villain action figure.

Transformers News: An Update on John Warden's Latest Mecha Endeavours at Hasbro

What does have to do with both is Hasbro upcoming collector oriented Megazord line. This is the stuff of dreams. It's basically Hasbro creating a Masterpiece Megazord line (something similar to Soul of Chogokin) in the west. The price is along those MP level prices of course, being $165 USD for the original Dino Megazord.

Transformers News: An Update on John Warden's Latest Mecha Endeavours at Hasbro

This has a lot of fans excited, not just for this release but for what they will do next. Although the fan enthusiasm for the black repaint was not great, since that purchase was behind an NFT wall.

And now you are all caught up.

HasLab Transformers Victory Saber production update.

Transformers News: HasLab Transformers Victory Saber production update.
Date: Wednesday, November 24th 2021 4:51pm CST
Categories: Toy News, Press Releases, Company News
Posted by: -Kanrabat- | Credit(s): Hasbro Pulse

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 80,410

Greetings Seibertronians!

If you backed the Victory Saber HASLAB project and are subscribed to the newsletter, you may already have received this email update on the production process. For those who haven't received it, I'm here to relay the info below.
You can also see the Hasbro Pulse page directly HERE.

Hasbro Pulse wrote:
Transformers Victory Saber HasLab Backer Update:

Onward to Victory!


Let’s say go, Victory Saber HasLab backers! Check out some behind-the-scenes-photos of the Victory Saber HasLab! The Transformers Hasbro and Takara Tomy designers use these mold plans to know exactly the color and type of plastic each piece will be made with.

Transformers News: HasLab Transformers Victory Saber production update.

Transformers News: HasLab Transformers Victory Saber production update.

In the photos you can see the V-Shield, V-Lock Cannon, and the Translucent Autobot display stand. Can you spot the pieces of the Brain of Courage Brainmaster figure? Here’s a hint there are 5 pieces. Try to find them in molds, 3, 4, 13, and 18. Can you find them all?

Transformers News: HasLab Transformers Victory Saber production update.

Transformers News: HasLab Transformers Victory Saber production update.

Stay tuned for more HasLab backer updates as we take you through the development process on this awesome item.

Until next time, Let’s Say Go!



Parents, are your kids exited? Leave a comment below! :lol:

Marvel G1 Bumblebee Standee at Toysrus Canada

Transformers News: Marvel G1 Bumblebee Standee at Toysrus Canada
Date: Thursday, November 18th 2021 5:17pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Company News
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 108,813

It was Black Friday today at Toysrus and while it looked great on paper, none of you missed anything. Yes, the Cyberverse one steps and warriors had good sales, but it was the same 5 figures/characters and while the promoted sales on deluxes from the Studio Series line, there were almost none in stock, and none of the more pricey products (like Kingdom Rodimus or any of the Crossovers) were on sale.

BUT they did spice it up with some pretty cool decor. All across the stores were large standees promoting their action figure area. While the designs for He-Man and Batman were pulled from more recent sources, the one for Transformers was a surprise. It was Bumblebee as portrayed in the G1 Marvel Comics. You can see it below.

Transformers News: Marvel G1 Bumblebee Standee at Toysrus Canada

Transformers News: Marvel G1 Bumblebee Standee at Toysrus Canada

Goto Page: 1, 2, 3 ... 161, 162, 163  >>
1,627 total news articles in this section, 10 per page.

Most Popular Transformers News

Most Recent Transformers News

Transformers and More @ The Seibertron Store

Visit our store on eBay
These are affiliate links. We may earn commissions when you purchase items or services through these links.
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "THE TRANSFORMERS #54 Marvel Comics 1989 (W) Budiansky (A/CA) Delbo 210422A"
THE TRANSFORMERS # ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "Transformers WARS END #3 Cvr B IDW Comics 2022 FEB220443 War's 3B (CA) Margevich"
Transformers WARS ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "Transformers PRIME DIRECTIVE #1 Vol 1 Decepticons Dreamwave Comics 2002 (CA) Lee"
Transformers PRIME ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "Transformers ROBOTS IN DISGUISE #33 RE IDW Comics 2014 Giant Robot 210322A"
Transformers ROBOT ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "THE TRANSFORMERS #5 1st ptg Marvel Comics 1985 (CA) Bright (W) Budiansky 230915Q"
THE TRANSFORMERS # ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "TRANSFORMERS #3 Cvr A Image Comics 2023 1023IM385 3A (CA) Johnson"
TRANSFORMERS #3 Cv ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "TRANSFORMERS GALAXIES #2 Cover A IDW Comics 2019 2A AUG190762 (CA) Ramondelli"
TRANSFORMERS GALAX ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "THE TRANSFORMERS #16 Marvel Comics 1986 (CA) Trimpe (W) Kaminski 231010K"
THE TRANSFORMERS # ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "THE TRANSFORMERS #46 Marvel Comics 1988 (W/CA) Budiansky (A) Delbo 210422B"
THE TRANSFORMERS # ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "Transformers Energon Volume 1 COMIC / PRODUCT CATALOG 2004 Optimus Prime Hasbro"
Transformers Energ ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "TRANSFORMERS #39 RI 1:10 IDW Comics 2022 NOV210457 39RI (CA) Shepherd"
TRANSFORMERS #39 R ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "VOID RIVALS #2 Cvr E 1:50 Image Comics 2023 APR238112 2E (CA) Lotay (W) Kirkman"
VOID RIVALS #2 Cvr ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "STRONGARM Transformers Energon Class + instructions + comic Hasbro 2004 230427B"
STRONGARM Transfor ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "THE TRANSFORMERS #25 Marvel Comics 1987 (CA) Trimpe (W) Budiansky 230926A"
THE TRANSFORMERS # ...
* Price and quantities subject to change. Shipping costs, taxes and other fees not included in cost shown. Refer to listing for current price and availability.
Find the items above and thousands more at the Seibertron Store on eBay
Transformers Podcast: Twincast / Podcast #345 - The Roast
Twincast / Podcast #345:
"The Roast"
MP3 · iTunes · RSS · View · Discuss · Ask
Posted: Saturday, March 9th, 2024

Featured Products on Amazon.com

These are affiliate links. We may earn commissions when you purchase items or services through these links.
Buy "Transformers MPM04 Optimus Prime" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Titans Return Arcee Action Figure Set" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Authentics Bumblebee" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers MPM-03 Movie 10th Anniversary Figure Bumblebee" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Titans Return Grotusque and Scorponok Deluxe Action Figure Exclusive Set" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Power of The Primes Deluxe Class Autobot Moonracer" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers: Generations Power of The Primes Voyager Class Grimlock" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Studio Series 09 Voyager Class Movie 2 Thundercracker" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Deluxe Class Alpha Bravo Figure" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Titans Return Autobot Infinitus and Sentinel Prime" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Titans Return Decepticon Quake and Chasm" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers: The Last Knight Optimus Prime Voice Changer Helmet" on AMAZON