Licensed exhibitors first.
Nikko Remote Control cars, who produced the four Movie cars in the middle of last year (two convertible, two non-convertible), will be released
again this year, and the distributor here said that they will be at BigW, DavidJones, TRU and Toyworld this year. The Helicopter (Drift) is still not
coming here this year, as it was apparently cancelled (stopped production) soon after it was started, and only ended up being released in a couple of countries.
Nikko were planning to do some new ones for RID, but didn't get enough retailer interest, so cancelled them and that's why the Movie ones are
being re-released this year.
Loyal Subjects Wave 3 figurines should be out in the next month, as they have a March release date in Australia.
Hasbro.
GENERATIONS.
They only had the first two waves of the regular release figures, and only one of each of wave two Deluxes, so didn't want to open up the Deluxe
Stunticons to make a Menasor to fight off Superion.
The Titan Generations Devastator was on display, with my Gen1 Devastator I posted to Hasbro last week for them to show off the
difference of 30 years of evolution in Transformers looks like. (they didn't have the individual Constructicons though, which NY Toyfair had on display)
The Retailers have loved the new Devastator, with BigW already signed up for a June/July release (the mid-year toy sales).
I asked about DLX Slingshot & Wildrider after it was noted on another fansite, and was told that they aren't part of this year's range for Hasbro,
but since the Combiners line is already aimed to be at least two years, anything is possible after this year.
So if you want these characters, get the TakaraTomy versions (if their Menasor has a proper Wildrider).
The ToysRUs listing of Leader Class Starscream's bio is because it will be for wave 4, after Ultra Magnus in wave 3. With the smaller size classes
being four waves, that should mean five Leader Class GEN toys for this year.
Generations will see TV commercials here, which will be a first for us, due to a lack of Generations toys released here in the last few years.
The cheaper than normal Toyworld prices that we saw for the Generations toys, were indeed just introductory prices from Hasbro... so expect their
prices to go back up when they restock.
Speaking of price rises... I asked, and yes, the recent 25% drop in the exchange rate of AU$ to US$ will see some noticeable price rises later in the year.
(Hasbro America actually makes 25% more money from the weaker AU$ because they get their commission paid in US$ from Hasbro Australia...
which is a bonus for Hasbro America who only demand a certain amount of US$ from the Branch offices each year, instead of letting them send the
same amount of US$ so that they can keep the local prices static and not lose sales from unnecessary price rises)
No Generations Boxsets are planned at this time. (I asked, because TakaraTomy are doing it)
The giant Bumblebee - makes the classic transformation sound when you transform it. You can never get too tired hearing that sound in a
Transformers toy.
Transforming Titans... yes, just like Actionmasters decades ago, those crappy wacky non-transforming Titans will have some
transforming versions, that are just as simple as those Elite Actionmaster were.
Minicons. They only had two of the single packs on display, but this looks to be a first appearance of what the packaging will look like... and the
confirmed name of the Dragon Minicon.
Over to one side was this display of some licensed merchandise and potential merchandise here... plus a time-trial competition for the Retailers.
It was only a simple toy, the Mega 3-step Optimus, because the Retailers don't have time to be mucking around with a complex toy (and Hasbro
wouldn't want them frustrated with a product which might have them refuse to stock it).
Hero Mashers.
Only wave one RID shown, plus the re-release of the larger size classes. Hero Mashers will be huge this year, with about four Brands being released
as Hero Mashers.
The new "Mini Scene Packs" that were at NY Toyfair, which will have a couple of figurines packed with a vehicle from the Cartoon.
Plus, a new convertible Bumblebee in a new style of packaging, which I don't recall seeing at the NY Toyfair.
And Hight Tide playset. I wanted to have a play with this but ran out of time.
That's all the photos this year, which was more than the last couple of years.
Now for the info of things not on display...
Masterpiece.
Australia will continue to be following Hong Kong's lead and having both Hasbro and TakaraTomy Masterpiece toys at ToysRUs stores here.
The Japanese Masterpiece toys that SHOULD be coming this year (details and dates can change, and often do)...
- Gold bumblebee in around July,
- The Convoy reissue middle of the year,
- Tracks is NOT noted as MP-25 on the Hasbro Australia list, but maybe they have 25 and 26 mixed up, as Tracks was labelled as MP-25 in a recent Japanese Hobby magazine. If they are mixed up on this Australian list, then I know what MP-26 is.
- MP-25 (or 26 if the numbers were mixed up on the list) will be here in about Sept (I know what it is, but I can't reveal the name before TakaraTomy announces it)
- two "sports cars" for OCT and NOV (the names haven't be revealed to Hasbro Australia yet, as it is so far in the future, so I have no idea if they
are new moulds... but with three new moulds already this year, I'd imagine that at least one is a redeco).
(please don't bother asking me, or expect, any more information on the future Masterpiece toys, as I am not expecting updates before
TakaraTomy reveals the next few... and everything I am allowed to talk about is listed here already)
Hasbro Masterpiece.
The Starscream Masterpiece will be the second version of the mould, which was MP-11, because that was the version fans wanted (apparently).
Masterpiece Bluestreak will be out here in about July.
Platinum Edition.
It really is the year of the Gen1 reissues.
Myer exclusives - Seeker 3-pack, YOTG Optimus, YOTG Soundwave.
ToysRUs will have the Insecticon 3-pack, the Perceptor/Blaster 2-pack, Trypticon, aaaaand.... Dinobots. YES, Gen1 Dinobots multipack which I
hope is all five, and all in Gen1 colouring.
I guess all the popularity with Dinobots last year, it was finally worth rebuilding or reverse-engineering the original Dinobot moulds. Plus Trypticon
as another Dinosaur to sell off the hype of the Movie Dinosaurs.
(no sign of the Astrotrain/Blitzwing 2-pack here as it was not on the future store exclusive listing)
Miscellaneous items...
The Japanese Movie Stinger is still on for this month, but only at TRU though.... keep an eye on this site for a potential coupon code to get an
exclusive Ozformers discount (if Hasbro and TRU can work out the details before it hits the stores).
Some SDCC exclusives will be released in Australia this year. They weren't allowed to say what items (as SDCC and Hasbro America have to make the
official announcements by Press Release in a few months time)... but one will be a Transformers SDCC exclusive. These will be released through the
Sydney toy convention that has been on for the last two years, AND will have a second convention in Brisbane, that they are hoping to have on
display a small history of Transformers (using toys from my collection).
Details will be released later when finalised.
Hasbro Australia have decided to abandon Kreo in this country... so none of the RID build sets and the Convertible Kreo sets seen at NY Toyfair are
NOT coming here. (last November we were originally slated to have the first wave of Convertible Kreo in March, but it looks like that's now cancelled).
(a lot more items I need to import... )
That's pretty much all I can talk about from the 2.5 hours we were there, and if you have any questions about what Devastator was like to hold and
play with, Demonac will hopefully respond, as he got to do all the playing with the toys while I was busy taking photos and talking to people.
Lastly, a thankyou to Patrick from Hasbro Rhode Island, who was in Australia for the Toyfair I think, who took a few minutes to talk about what
he does at Head Office in America (works on the colour layouts of toys and games at Hasbro).
.
I was talking about how people thought Exhaust shouldn't be part of the main number sysytem. Him being officially MP23 seemed to set a some people off.
)
