The Dude wrote:TF: Prime premieres Feb. 11, just a few months away from the debut of the DOTM toyline. We're already seeing pictures of some of those, and the last two movie-based toylines lasted a good year. Do you think they can keep the series going until May 2012, the earliest date that any Prime toys could be released?
It won't be that long.
TF: Prime is the future of this franchise. Expect Hasbro to leverage the DOTM exposure to build interest in Prime. By Christmas of this year, the DOTM hype machine will probably be on life support. Allowing interest in the franchise to wane while the same ol' stuff warms store shelves is bad business.
I expect TF: Prime toys to show up by Christmas, if not a bit sooner. Having (at least a few of) these toys share shelf space with DOTM toys should be an important part of TF: Prime's brand exposure. Without another movie in the pipeline, building that brand is critical.