Transformers: Prime 2.22 Hard Knocks Promo, TV Spot

Tomorrow a new episode of Transformers Prime is on The Hub at 7PM EST. "Hard Knocks" is described as "When their desperate efforts to acquire the coveted Omega Keys take an unexpected and frantic turn, Knock Out is able to take advantage of the power of sound while Starscream uses his efforts to focus on the power of hyper-speed." Below is a clip and promo for the ep. Additional screenshots here. Also don't forget that Transformers: Prime Season Two 4-disc set will be released on November 20th.

Upcoming episodes:
10/12 Inside Job (2.23) - When Smokescreen is captured, he learns the location of the Omega Key and attempts to retrieve all the other stolen keys.
10/19 Patch (2.24) - In an effort to secure a peaceful truce that would be beneficial to all parties involved, Starscream offers Megatron a ceasefire but Dreadwing has other ideas and does whatever he can to keep the diplomatic agreement from taking place.
10/26 Regeneration (2.25) - The quest for the Omega Lock takes the Autobots and the Decepticons to Cyberton for a battle.
11/02 Darkest Hour (2.26) - Season 2 finale

Transformers: Prime 2.21 Alpha, Omega Promo, TV Spot

Tonight is a new episode of Transformers Prime on The Hub at 7PM EST. "Alpha, Omega" is described as "The Omega Keys and the influential secrets they contain catch the interest of the Autobots; the powerful capabilities of the Primes are noticed by Megatron, who takes it upon himself to do whatever it takes to extract them for his own use." Below is clip and promo for the ep. Additional screenshots here. The two previous episodes, The Human Factor (2.19) and Legacy (2.20) can be viewed at HubWorld. Also don't forget that Transformers: Prime Season Two 4-disc set will be released on November 20th.

Upcoming episodes:
10/05 Hard Knocks (2.22) - When their desperate efforts to acquire the coveted Omega Keys take an unexpected and frantic turn, Knock Out is able to take advantage of the power of sound while Starscream uses his efforts to focus on the power of hyper-speed.
10/12 Inside Job (2.23) - When Smokescreen is captured, he learns the location of the Omega Key and attempts to retrieve all the other stolen keys.
10/19 Patch (2.24) - Starscream proposes a truce with Megatron but Dreadwing threatens to stand in the way.
10/26 Regeneration (2.25) - The quest for the Omega Lock takes the Autobots and the Decepticons to Cyberton for a battle.

IDW December 2012 Transformers Comics

IDW Publishing has released their publishing plans for December 2012. It is a bigger month then normal with five comics and 4 traders being released that month. The comics continue the post war Cybertron adventures, Scorponok returns in the G1 Marvel book, a look at Optimus Prime's pre-war past, and more. If you are interested in the books, just let your local comic book store know. For the full details of IDW's other books including GI Joe, Star Trek, Locke & Key, and more click here.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise Ongoing #12
John Barber (w) • Andrew Griffith (a) • Andrew Griffith, Casey Coller (c)
THE RETURN! He’s back… and CYBERTRON will never be the same. Everything BUMBLEBEE and his AUTOBOTS have built teeters at the edge of collapse—and STARSCREAM has to make the choice his whole life has been leading to.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers RID Annual, MTMTE #9 Previews

Tomorrow is new comic Wednesday and this week brings two Transformers related issues to stands. Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #9 brings us a story from Cybertron's past while Robots in Disguise Annual provides a little more on the origin of the Transformers race when Metrotitan (like Metroplex but not) lands on Cybertron. A preview of MTMTE #9 is here and RID Annual here.

Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #9
(W) James Roberts (A) Alex Milne (CA) Alex Milne, Nick Roche
SHADOWPLAY begins here! One AUTOBOT connects the crew of the Lost Light with pre-war CYBERTRON and the rise of the DECEPTICONs. His name? OPTIMUS PRIME. The past and the present collide as Rewind begins telling his crew mates the most shocking story of all!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Robots in Disguise Annual
(W) John Barber (A) Brendan Cahill, Guido Guidi (CA) Tim Seeley, Andrew Griffith
CRASHING DOWN! The mysterious Metrotitan from last month's More Than Meets the Eye Annual arrives on CYBERTRON-smashing into the ruins of the legendary Crystal City! Starscream and Prowl begin a battle of wills over the fate of this behemoth-and the outcome will shock you!
FC • 48 pages • $7.99

New Fall of Cybertron Massive Fury DLC Out Today

Today High Moon Studios will release their Massive Fury DLC pack for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron that includes the Retro Pack from the game's initial release. The pack adds five new playable characters (and their component parts) for multiplayer mode & character creations along with three new single player campaign items. For multiple player you have G1 Retro Optimus Prime, Hound, and the three Insecticons Kickback, Sharpshot (aka Shrapnel) and Hardshell (aka Bombshell). I guess Hasbro lost the copyright on those names. For single player you have the Generation 2 skin for Bruticus (in time for upcoming Amazon exclusive release), G1 Shockwave Blast Cannon weapon (retro pack) and G1 Megatron Pistol Gun weapon (retro pack). I am unclear if those that don't have the Retro Pack at game launch are able to play as Prime in single player mode or not. Below is a game play video from Kotaku

Glenn Morshower Back for Transformers 4 and 5

While at the Con X in Kansas City, Missouri, Glenn Morshower said he might be back in the role of General Morshower for Transformers 4 and 5.

"After I did the opening ceremonies for the ride, Steven Spielberg walked up to me and chatted and said 'You know we've got you set to do the fourth one and probably the fifth one on the heels of that," said on how he was approached about the new sequels. "So, I guess in December we are on our way to making 4 and 5."

This could have just been premature talk from executive producer Steven Spielberg but it would probably be very easy to have the character in the next movie (or two) considering Michael Bay said Transformers 4 is set after Dark of the Moon and the goal is a new direction that sets up the franchise for the future (aka TF5) without Bay at the helm. Any new direction is likely to have a military aspect to it and who better to act as liason then General Morshower. As for filming starting in December, that strikes me as unlikely considering Bay is still finishing editing Pain and Gain and nothing has been heard about script drafts.

Bay: Transformers 4 Set After Dark of the Moon

In an interview with the Huffington Post to promote his Doritos contest, Michael Bay discussed his upcoming movie Pain & Gain and provided a few more details about Transformers 4 including why he returned to the franchise and when it is set. The full interview is here.

Highlights:
- Movie set after Transformers: Dark of the Moon
- Peter Cullen will be back as the voice of Optimus Prime
- No indication on what other character may return (be really surprised if Bumblebee didn't)

Bay: "New Direction" for Transformers 4

Michael Bay posted a brief update and poster for his next movie Pain & Gain that he is currently editing. As part of that he provided a kind of mini-update on Transformers 4.

"The editing process is a bit slower on this one because I'm in the middle of launching my three TV shows and prepping Transformers 4–which is going in a total new direction and in a way to really broaden the franchise to give it lasting legs."

That aligns with Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner's desire to reinvent the brand to help boost toy sales.

Transformers: Prime 2.20 Legacy Promo, TV Spot

A new episode of Transformers Prime is airing on The Hub at 7PM EST. The ep is called "Legacy" and described as "Megatron does his best to distract Optimus from the reality of a weapon of legend belonging to the Primes, which if discovered, could change the entire outcome of the war; Jack and his new Autobot companion set out on a mission." Below is the promo and clip for the episode. The two previous episodes, New Recruit (2.18) and The Human Factor (2.19) can be viewed at HubWorld. Also don't forget that Transformers: Prime Season Two 4-disc set will be released on November 20th. On a related note, Rescue Bots voice actor D.C. Douglas has blogged that it is getting a season two. It was kind of assumed but this is the first mention from anyone associated with the show.

Upcoming episodes:
09/28 Alpha; Omega (2.21) - The Omega Keys and the influential secrets they contain catch the interest of the Autobots; the powerful capabilities of the Primes are noticed by Megatron, who takes it upon himself to do whatever it takes to extract them for his own use.
10/05 Hard Knocks (2.22) - As the race grows more desperate, Knock Out harnesses the power of sound while Starscream the power of hyper speed.
10/12 Inside Job (2.23) - When Smokescreen is captured, he learns the location of the Omega Key and attempts to retrieve all the other stolen keys.

Work with Michael Bay Transformers 4 Contest

USA Today has revealed that Doritos and Michael Bay are working together on a new contest for the 2013 Super Bowl and Transformers 4. The contest focuses on consumer-generated commercials. The winner whose commercial is chosen will win $1 million dollars, have commercial air during the Super Bowl and work with Michael Bay on Transformers 4 (how much time and on what isn't specified). Submissions open on October 8th, a little bit more info can be found at the Doritos facebook page.

The next Transformers movie could have an unlikely film credit: yours.

Doritos, the Frito-Lay brand that has embraced the Super Bowl as the salty snack's sweet spot for consumer-generated commercials, on Wednesday will announce plans to seriously boost the booty in its seventh annual Crash the Super Bowl contest.

Linkfest - TF Legends

This linkfest brings you a little bit of info on two new video games (one mobile, one for Wii U), Digital Domain bankruptcy, TFs on your street, transforming furniture, real life transforming car, new take on Unicron, a mobile card game and an amusing repaint. For videos we have an amusing new Kre-O commercial, a not Devastator stop motion video, reviews of MP Thundercracker, Bruticus, Dreadwing and more.

Transformers Prime The Video Game for Wii U Dated
Nintendo has officially announced the release date of the Wii U for North America as November 18, 2012 with a price of $350 (there is a $299 model but no point in getting that one). One of the official launch games will be Transformers Prime The Video Game (also be Wii, DS, and 3DS versions). Oddly the listed release date is November 13, 2012 with retail price of $49.99. The game lets you play as various TF Prime characters in 3rd person action in a new single player storyline or multiplayer action.

Digital Domain Files for Bankruptcy
The company that James Cameron (Avatar) created and Michael Bay once owned a stake in (but sold off more than three years ago) has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company created visual special effects for the three Transformers films, Apollo 13, Titanic, The Fifth Element, Star Trek: Nemesis, Tron: Legacy, Avatar, X-Men: First Class and host of others. Upcoming films they are set to work on (for now anyway) are Ender's Game, Jack the Giant Killer and G.I. Joe: Retaliation. The cause for the financial problems does not seem to be known except that the bankruptcy was initiated because it was in default on its loans. A public auction to sell the company is set for September 21st with Searchlight Capitol indicating it will bid $15 for it. The speed to deal with the bankruptcy is due to studios threatening to pull their films to give other studio effects companies’ time to complete any visual effects.

Transformers Prime - Beast Hunters?

According to a document leaked to a TFW2005's Neo-Bombshell from Hasbro's South American operations, it looks like the Fall 2013 will bring us Transformers Prime Beast Hunters. As Seibertron found, Hasbro has filed for the trademark to "Beast Hunters" calling it "an on-oing animated television series for children" and IDing it for "toy action figures, toy vehicles and toy robots convertible into other visual toy forms." Back in 1999 the name Beast Hunters was the initial name for what became the Beast Machines cartoon series that followed after Beast Wars.

The presentation image along with trademark information indicates that this will be used for Season 3 of TF: Prime and likely part of how the Dinobots will be added to the series cast. Also makes you wonder if and what aspects of Beast Wars/Machines might be incorporated into the Hasbro canon. Other relevant information is Transformers: Generations will continue through to 2014 as a kind of mark of the 30th Anniversary of the series. Also Hasbro hopes to continue Transformers Prime and Rescue Bots going through at least 2015. Feel free to speculate in the comments what TF Prime combined with Beast Hunters mean.

Transformers: Prime 2.19 The Human Factor Promo, TV Spot

Friday on The Hub at 7PM EST is a new episode of Transformers Prime. Called "The Human Factor" the episode is described as "Silas is given a new lease on life and approaches Megatron with a plan to join the Decepticon ranks". In a previous episode Silas' mind was transferred into a human built Transformer that uses Starscream's transformation cog. Below is promo and clip for the episodes. More screenshots are here. The two previous episodes, New Recruit (2.18) and Out of the Past (2.17) can be viewed at HubWorld. Also don't forget that Transformers: Prime Season Two 4-disc set will be released on November 20th.

Upcoming episodes:
09/21 Legacy (2.20) - Megatron does his best to distract Optimus from the reality of a weapon of legend belonging to the Primes, which if discovered, could change the entire outcome of the war; Jack and his new Autobot companion set out on a mission.
09/28 Alpha; Omega (2.21) - The Omega Keys and the influential secrets they contain catch the interest of the Autobots; the powerful capabilities of the Primes are noticed by Megatron, who takes it upon himself to do whatever it takes to extract them for his own use.
10/05 Hard Knocks (2.22) - As the race grows more desperate, Knock Out harnesses the power of sound while Starscream the power of hyper speed.

Transformers 4 Direction Motivated by TF3 Toy Sales

Hasbro's CEO Brian Goldner was at the UBS Best of Americas 2012 Conference (not a clue what that is) where the company provided a little bit of information about Transformers 4 including their placeholder logo until something official is developed with Paramount for the current summer 2014 release date. TFW2005 was able to provide the Transformers specific highlights.

Highlights:
- Called Botshots and Kre-O part of the gamification of Hasbro brands.
- Transformers 3 toy sales lower than expected blamed having the same characters in all the movies.
- Drop in sales motivated desire to use new characters in a new story specific to them.
- Desire to expand Transformers 3 to young kids lead to creation of Rescue Bots.
- Goldner hinted that Transformers 4 may lead to a re-imaging or reinvention of the brand.

It is easy to read too much into this but nothing surprising here. Hasbro take. Sales of TF3 toys were down, not surprising considering how many of them were just modifications of previous lines releases. A key way to refresh the line is new characters with new story arcs that could still tie into the larger TF Bay-verse if choose to or go into a new direction. Until we see of what Michael Bay has in store for TF4, it will be difficult to judge exactly what a reimaging or reinvention may actually mean. Thanks to Sahara A. for the link.

Dinobot Destructor Pack Released

Today High Moon Studios has released its next DLC pack for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron called "Dinobot Destructor Pack" for 360, PS3, and PC. The game gives you four Dinobots to play in multiplayer mode or use their component parts in creating your own custom Transformer. Below is a look at the pack from G4 and trailer for all the DLCs.

Transformers: MTMTE Annual Preview, Rage of the Dinobots Interview

Transformers is getting its first annuals in a long time (or ever, not sure) starting with Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye Annual #1. The issue will provide more background on The Knights of Cybertron that kicked of Rodimus and gang's mostly disasterous adventure in space. An eight page preview can be found here.

In addition, IDW Senior Editor John Barber was interviewed about the Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots miniseries that launches in November. The in canon series will take the origin of the Dinobots from Fall of Cybertron and bring it into the Transformers Prime storyline suggesting (but not confirmed) that one or more of the characters could pop in season 3. It starts where Fall of Cybertron ends, with the Ark leaving Cybertron with the Dinobots and others left behind. The full interview can be found at Ain't It Cool News.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Annual 2012
James Roberts (w) • Jimbo Salgado, Guido Guidi (a) • Tim Seeley, Alex Milne (c)
THE ORIGIN OF THE KNIGHTS OF CYBERTRON! Rodimus and the crew of the Lost Light finally reach Crystal City, home to the mysterious Circle of Light. But what they find waiting for them is going to change everything—and not necessarily for the better!
FC • 48 pages • $7.99

Transformers: Prime 2.18 New Recruit Promo, TV Spot

Tonight brings new Transformers: Prime 2.18 episode New Recruit to the Hub at 7pm EST. The episode is described as "Starscream goes on a quest for Red Energon; a new Autobot joins Team prime. The Autobots and Decepticons come across some clues that could have the potential to change the war and perhaps restore Cybertron." Below is the promo and clip for the episode. If missed the previous episode, Out of the Past, it is now up on Hub World. Season 2 DVD/Blu-ray set will be out on November 20th.

Upcoming episodes:
09/14 The Human Factor (2.19) - Silas is given a new lease on life and approaches Megatron with a plan to join the Decepticon ranks.
09/21 Legacy (2.20) - Jack is paired off with a new partner; Megatron tries to keep Optimus from discovering the existence of a legendary weapon.
09/28 Alpha; Omega (2.21) - Omega Keys and the secret they hold; Megatron takes extreme measures to harness the power of the Primes.
10/05 Hard Knocks (2.22) - As the race grows more desperate, Knock Out harnesses the power of sound while Starscream the power of hyper speed.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Dinobot Destruction Pack DLC

High Moon Studios has officially announced their upcoming release of their new DLC for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron called "Dinobot Destruction Pack". It will be released on September 11th (probably for $10) for the PC, 360 and PS3. The pack will make Grimlock, Slug, Snarl, and Swoop available for multiplayer with their component parts for use in creating your custom Transformer. Press release below, images here.

Transformers: Regeneration #83, Robots in Disguise #9 Previews

Tomorrow Transformers: Regeneration #83 and Transformers: Robots in Disguise #9 will hit comic and online stores. Regeneration continues the Marvel take on the TF universe from the late eighties only jumping ahead 20 years to "our" present. Which isn't doing so hot since Megatron conquered and essentially destroyed the planet while the Autobots where enjoying their 20 years of peace. The Wreckers have crashed landed on the planets trying to avoid Megatron's zombie Decepticons and figure out what to do next to save what remains of the human race. Meanwhile in RID Ironhide and the Dinobots continue to explore the dangers of a reformatted Cybertron. To view an eight page preview of Regeneration click here and for Robots in Disguise click here.

Transformers: Regeneration #83
(W) Simon Furman (A) Andrew Wildman (CA) Andrew Wildman, Guido Guidi
The Wreckers are on Earth-and their fates rest in the hands of… a human? A very particular human-Spike Witwicky, the Circuit Smasher! The AUTOBOTs learn what MEGATRON's been doing the past 20 years… and OPTIMUS PRIME struggles to come to a decision about the future!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #9
(W) John Barber (A) Andrew Griffith (CA) Casey Coller, Andrew Griffith
DINOBOT HUNT! Ironhide and the DINOBOTS journey deep into the Cybertronian wilderness… and what they find is not what they expected! Meanwhile, the DECEPTICONS enact a dangerous plan with bizarre consequences!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

JLA/Transformers Pitch Crossover Artwork

For the last few days long time Marvel writer Brian Michael Bendis has been tweeting comic related artwork from his tumblr blog but it was a piece from last night that got the most attention from the comic blogosphere. He tweeted "Transformers/JLA by Phil Jimenez yes, i said Transformers/JLA by Phil Jimenez" with gorgeous artwork (left). It turns out this piece wasn't just some fan commissioned artwork but a pitch from IDW's Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall for a JLA/Transformers crossover that looks to have been truly DC Universe wide and epic in scope. The idea was probably killed by DC as it came when they were getting ready to relaunch the DC Universe that would adjust the look and history of DCU. On bright side it doesn't mean they might revisit this in a few years and just update the story to reflect the new DCU.

Phil Jimenez followed up via twitter with an additional piece of art (right) and comments to fans. I strung them together below.

"Somehow, that rascally @brianbendis got a hold of my JLA/Transformers pitch art! Oh, what an epic that would have been! It would have been EPIC. You missed out on Wonder Woman's invisible jet becoming a very cool Transformer. Another piece of unused art from my JLA/Transformers pitch, with colors by the unbelievable @rfajardojr

"Giving credit where credit is due: the idea for Optimus Prime as a GL was none other than @chris_ryall's. Smart guy. A pitch for a cross-over! Got sideline after the DC relaunch, I think. Would have been fun, though! I'm a sucker for those Seacons. ...this was just pitch art, my friend. Just to give a taste. The transforming invisible jet... which was "female," I think. She would have been sooo cool. This would have been epically fun. No other reason to attempt such a thing, really, except for fun!"

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron iOS App, Upcoming DLC

High Moon Studios has released their official app for iPad and iPhone to go with Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. It is not a game but more of a companion piece that provides story background, artwork, news and videos around the game. The free app can be found at the App Store. Thanks to Spark500 for the link.

High Moon also has two new DLC packs set for release. The Dinobot Destructor Pack is set for release on 11/9/12 and will be simiuliar to the already released Havoc Pack where the character skins are available for multiplayer as are their component parts for creating a custom Transformer. The Massive Fury Pack will be out on 9/25/12 and comes with the G1 Optimus Prime for the single player missions and Insecticons for the multiplayer game. I assume both those packs will also be $10 each.

Transformers: Prime 2.17 Out of the Past Promo, TV Spot

A new episode of Transformers: Prime airs Friday on The Hub at 7pm est. Called "Out of the Past, the episode is described as "When Arcee is unexpectedly brought back into the company of an old friend, they discover together that Decepticon has been scheming behind their backs an elaborate plan with the intentions of destroying the Autobots and claiming his victory." The episode has Cliffjumper and the Prime debut of Shockwave. Below is a the TV spot and clip for the episode. Few more images are here.

Upcoming episodes:
09/07 New Recruit (2.18) - Starscream goes on a quest for Red Energon; a new Autobot joins Team prime. The Autobots and Decepticons come across some clues that could have the potential to change the war and perhaps restore Cybertron.
09/14 The Human Factor (2.19) - Silas is given a new lease on life and approaches Megatron with a plan to join the Decepticon ranks.
09/21 Legacy - Jack is paired off with a new partner; Megatron tries to keep Optimus from discovering the existence of a legendary weapon.

Linkfest - Upcoming

The theme of this linkfest edition seems to be “upcoming” as there are a slew of new official and unofficial (but expensive) toys that are coming out in the next few months. All of them drool worthy, especially for G1 fans. The links includes galleries to Takara next wave of Masterpiece toys, Kreon Wallpaper, new TFC Toys, iGears and Mastermind Creations toys along with a review for a Hercules add-on.

Upcoming Takara MP Releases - MP-12 Lambor/Sideswipe | Red Alert, Soundwave | Video
Hit the link to look at the next new Masterpiece molds from Takara. Sideswipe and Red Alert is the smallest MP toy they have made yet as designed to be to scale to MP Prime and fit inside his trailer. The toys have been officially licensed by Lamborghini to give it that extra authentic look. The figures will be out by end of the year for around $90 each. Shockwave is getting the MP upgrade, retaining his classic boom box look with Laserbeak cassette but with a whole lot more detail and articulation. I would be very surprised if Hasbro didn't bring one or all of these molds stateside sometime next year. You can also hit the video link for a look at the figure but no subtitles to understand what the engineer is saying.

Kreon Wallpaper
Hasbro has released wallpaper for many of their upcoming Kreon figures. CGI images include Ironhide, Megatron, Prime, Wheeljack and more.

Transformers: Prime Season 2 Returns Tonight (Updated)

Just a friendly reminder that Transformers: Prime returns tonight on The Hub with new episodes starting with ep 2.16 "Hurt" that is described as "Still reeling from the near-fatal experience Bulkhead faced at the hands of Hardshell during the last relic hunt, Wheeljack and Miko decide to take matters into their own hands and leave to hunt down Hardshell to exact revenge for their friend." Prime will now air on Friday at 7:00pm EST, a move from its previous Saturday 8:00pm slot. Promo video for Hurt is below. The new eps kick off with a mini-marathon starting at 5pm EST that is likely Tunnel Vision, Triangulation, Triage, and Toxicity to help get you caught back up.

Update: Added clip from Hurt ep below.

Upcoming episodes:
08/31 Out of the Past (2.17) - When Arcee is unexpectedly brought back into the company of an old friend, they discover together that Decepticon has been scheming behind their backs an elaborate plan with the intentions of destroying the Autobots and claiming his victory.
09/07 New Recruit (2.18) - Starscream goes on a quest for Red Energon; a new Autobot joins Team prime. The Autobots and Decepticons come across some clues that could have the potential to change the war and perhaps restore Cybertron.
09/14 The Human Factor (2.19) - Silas is given a new lease on life and approaches Megatron with a plan to join the Decepticon ranks.
09/21 Legacy - no episode description

Transformers: Prime Season 2 Blu-Ray, DVD Sets Coming

The last half of season 2 of Transformers: Prime starts tomorrow. It looks like it will be 11 straight weeks of new episodes as Hasbro and Shout Factory have announced that Transformers: Prime Season 2 set will be released on November 20th for DVD and November 27th for Blu-ray just in time for Christmas. The four disc sets will include all 26 episodes, Optimus Prime: Up Close and Personal Panel with Peter Cullen being interviewed by Larry King and interviews with the production team. Doesn't look like there will be any commentaries and the like. Currently Amazon has pre-orders up for the set with DVD set priced at $20.95 and shoutfactory.com - Blu-ray set at $41.93. Full press release below.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron DLC and Reviews

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron has only been out a day but already a new DLC has been released, the end credits sequence posted and various reviews of the game. The FoC DLC gives access to Ultra Magnus, Perceptor, Wheeljack and Blast Off with Cybertronian vehicle modes and parts available in customization menu so can create your own version of these characters if choose too. The characters are only playable in multiplayer mode. The DLC is now available on PSN and XBox Live for $10. More screenshots from the DLC can be found here.

While it is early, there are already several reviews posted for the game. Some sites loved the games, others where underwhelmed but so far the game has around a 80% on Metacritic. Below are select quotes from various reviews to give a range of what is being written. Also below, for giggles, is the spoiler free end credits to the game scored to Stan Bush's The Touch: Sam Theme. This version of the classic TF: The Movie song was remade to fit Bay's sound athestics for the first Transformers theme. If don't mind spoiler the game, there are already plenty of boss fight and walkthrough videos posted on YouTube.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Out Now

Just a reminder that today is the launch date for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron for the PS3, XBox 360 and PC. Most stores are pricing the game at $59.99 but there are a few exceptions. Probably the best deal comes from Toys R Us with their buy 1 get 1 video game off for 40%. If can't find that second game then Amazon is your other bet with a $49.99 price point. You can find the launch trailers here and here.

Amazon - PS3/360: $49.99; PC: $59.99
Best Buy - PS3/360: $59.99; 15% off game guide with game purchase
Gamestop - PS3/360: $59.99
Target - PS3/360: $59.99
Toys R Us - PS3/360: $59.99; Buy 1 Get 1 40% Off
WalMart - PS3/360: $59.99

IDW November 2012 Transformers Comics

IDW Publishing has released their publishing plans for November 2012. A total of four comics and zero trades are being released that month. Transformers: Prime joins the line-up with a the mini-series Rage of the Dinobots that uses their Fall of Cybertron Dinobots origin to tell a new in continuity story. If you are interested in the books, just let your local comic book store know. For the full details of IDW's other books including GI Joe, Star Trek, Locke & Key, and more click here.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye Ongoing #11
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a) • Milne, Nick Roche (c)
SHADOWLAND CONCLUDES! And it’s the end of an era when, on pre-war CYBERTRON, enemies close in on all sides and Orion Pax—the future OPTIMUS PRIME—selects a team of AUTOBOTS to help him pull off the ultimate heist—with the fate of the planet hanging in the balance!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #8 Preview

Dinobot essentially ends with the release of Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #8 this Wednesday. The annuals are still to come but they don't focus on the Dinos. This issue focuses on Grimlock and I assume tells a little bit of what happened to him since he was last written about. I think that was the Maximum Dinobots miniseries in 2008 to 2009 but not entirely sure. Any case a preview of MTMTE #8 can be found here.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye Ongoing #8
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a) • Milne, Nick Roche (c)
DINOBOT MONTH! Three years ago, Grimlock disappeared from his prison cell on Garrus 9. Where did he go? What happened to him? One thing’s for certain: the leader of the Dinobots is back—and he's itching to settle some scores!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Launch Trailer 2

High Moon Studios has released another new launch trailer via IGN (previous here) for Transformers: Fall of the Cybertron. Whoever does the trailers for High Moon deserves a raise as they have a true cinematic feel to them compared to other video game trailers. The game comes out this Tuesday, August 21st on PS3, 360 and PC.

Transformers: Prime 2.16 Hurt Promo, Marathon

Transformers: Prime returns starting August 24th with new episode called "Hurt" that pits the Insecticon Hardshell against Wheeljack. To kick things off starting this Friday at 5pm EST The Hub will have a marathon of TF Prime eps. Not sure how many episodes but I assume it will go from 5-8 so six. Below is the promo for the marathon. Speaking of TF Prime, click here for screenshots of the the video game for the Wii and DS systems that is out in October.

Upcoming episodes:
08/24 Hurt - Still reeling from the near-fatal experience Bulkhead faced at the hands of Hardshell during the last relic hunt, Wheeljack and Miko decide to take matters into their own hands and leave to hunt down Hardshell to exact revenge for their friend.
08/31 Out of the Past - Arcee and a friend uncover a feat of Decepticon engineering intending to destroy the Autobots.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Launch Ads

While Transformers: Fall of Cybertron isn't officially released until August 21st, High Moon Studios went ahead and revealed what their launch ads will be for the game. I assume variations of it will start appearing all over the place starting next Tuesday. It not anything we have not seen before but still cool to see. Except for Prime. Don't know why but when Prime is running towards Megatron, it just makes me think of a fat man with huge beer belly trying to run fast. The game will be released for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. Thanks to Spark500 for the link.

Linkfest - TFCon

At the end of July TFCon was held in Canada. While Hasbro bowed out of the convention due to the con refusing to ban third party Transformers, those same companies used it as an opportunity to sell and show off some of their upcoming projects. Almost all of them engage in homages to Generation One toys but usually with a level of detail and articulation that Hasbro toys don't have and with characters and alt modes that Hasbro will never bother to attempt due to lack of mass market appeal and cost. With all that in mind, below are galleries to various 3rd party toys shown off at TFCon, galleries to official Hasbro products, article about G1 mail away TFs and a whole bunch of video reviews.

Mastermind Collectibles Gallery
Hit the link for MC's upcoming toys. Hextron is their take on G1's Sixshot with six transformer modes but with greater detail and articulation then the 80s version (which is getting a re-release from Takara). The final version will be about Masterpiece Grimlock in size so probably will not be cheap when it is released sometime in 2013. Their other toys include a repaint of Knight Morpher Cyclops based on the gray scale paint scheme of Radioshack version of G1 Shockwave and Knight Morpher Seekers that are repaints of not Starscream.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Giant Bomb Video

If you have 35 minutes, below is a long look at Transformers: War for Cybertron as High Moon Studios Matt Tieger teaches Giant Bomb's crew how to play the game by showing off multiple levels from the game. It starts with the Optimus Prime level (the G1 retro version), moves to Jazz, Cliffjumper, Vortex, Bruticus, and ends with Grimlock. Demo is out now on the PSN and XBox Live. Game comes out on August 21st. A summary of a Kotaku Q&A with Tieger about the game can be found here.

Transformers: MTMTE #8 Preview

Dinobot month continues in IDW's Transformers title. Today brings Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #8 to stores as the rest of the Dinobots show up on Cybertron. A sneak peak of the issue can be found here.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye Ongoing #8
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a) • Milne, Nick Roche (c)
DINOBOT MONTH! Three years ago, Grimlock disappeared from his prison cell on Garrus 9. Where did he go? What happened to him? One thing’s for certain: the leader of the Dinobots is back—and he's itching to settle some scores!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Demo Video,

Yesterday Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Demo went live on XBox and PS3. ClevverGames has posted five videos that show off the various features that players can expect. Thanks to Spark500 for the links.

Demo Review

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Demo Available Now

The Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Demo is now available on XBox Live and Playstation Network. The demo is not available on the PC but Steam does have the first game, War for Cybertron, at 75% off so $7.50 if interested in playing that. Steam also has its pre-order for Fall of Cybertron up (for $59.99 so no download discount) and will come with the G1 Retro Pack. Considering the cost, it seems better to just get the PS3/XBox version of the game as the PC version is a port of the console version so not really going to get anything extra that might take advantage of your PC's extra graphical power. Any case get the demo and post what you though of it in the comments.

Transformers: Regeneration Preview #82

Dinobot Month begins tomorrow for Transformers comics as Transformers: Regeneration One #82 hits comic stores. The action picks up after Kup and the Wreckers crash lands on Earth that has been destroyed by Megatron. A preview of the issue can be found here.

Transformers: Regeneration One #82
Simon Furman (w) • Andrew Wildman (a) • Wildman, Guido Guidi (c)
DINOBOT MONTH! And ex-Dinobot commander GRIMLOCK wishes it wasn’t! His quest for a means to restore his ability to change modes takes him to Nebulos—a world off-limits to TRANSFORMERS, where a welcome that’s more incendiary than warm awaits him. Plus, KUP and THE WRECKERS find themselves stranded, hunted and in a whole world of pain. Quite literally!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Demo, Customization

A little bit more news for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. The studio announced Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Demo to be released on July 31st for the XBox 360 and PS3. There will not be a demo download for PC version of the game. The other day High Moon released a trailer highlighting the multiplayer aspect of the game and now below we have a new video that focuses on character customizations for those multiplayer wars. In addition, they have a trailer for the G1 Retro Pack that is a GameStop exclusive. Speaking of exclusives, Wal-Mart has their own by offering a free copy of War for Cybertron with each pre-order of FoC. Amazon's pre-order is the G2 skin for Bruticus to go with their G2 version that they are releasing in November (trailer for the toy below). So to sum it up - Demo on the 31st, customization video, G1 retro pack video and G2 Bruticus video below.

Transformers: Prime Returns August 25th

The Hub has updated their website to announce new episodes of Transformers: Prime starts Saturday, August 25th. The show has aired 15 out of 26 from season two. Between this and the release of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron on August 21st, it should be a good week for TF fans.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron - Multiplayer Trailer

GameSpot has premiered a new trailer for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron that highlights the multiplayer aspect of the game. The game release date is August 21st.

Linkfest - Prime Masterpieces

This week’s linkfest is about little odds and ends to play catch up on after last week’s SDCC. To start, we have a cool fan creation that mixes Optimus with Warhammer, news that Hasbro’s mini-war with 3rd party toys continues, another 3rd party toy gallery, a new G1 reissue, new TF Prime themes, Masterpiece Prime US vs Takara comparison, and video reviews of Wave 1 Fall of Cybertron toys, SDCC Exclusive toys, and more. If interested in the SDCC panels, click here for links to videos of more then 100 panels that where held that week.

Orktimus Prime
Hit the link with a gallery of images for Orkitums Prime and interview with its creator madscuzzy. This version of Prime is based on Ork Truckk used for Warhammer game products only with that Transformers touch. It took two months to create using 3rd party Gundum parts and 1.5 ork trukk kits. The paint job proved to be especially difficult but as the images show, the final result was pretty darn cool.

Hasbro Bails on TFCon
Hasbro has announced that they have cancelled their New Product Preview and Q&A panels at TFcon this coming weekend because of the allowed sale of 3rd party TF toys at the Con. The Canada's Annual Transformers Convention is being held from July 27th to 29th in Mississauga, Ontario. They will still have a product display. The 3rd party market is not violating any law or copyright which is why Hasbro is applying pressure in ways like this (they also tried to get online stores to ban the products). If legal is an issue I am sure Lego would love to have words about the Kre-O line. Hasbro has chosen to ignore the collector's market as not having enough mass market appeal to reach the profit margins they desire (see Breakdown below as example). Takara has attempted to meet the need with their Masterpiece line (and BinalTech in the past). The 3rd party market (and Hasbro's SDCC exclusives) has clearly demonstrated that collectors are willing to pay a premium for new and unique products. Transformers' Collectors Club of repaints does not count as a meaningful effort to fill that niche. Nothing wrong with Hasbro's choice, from a business perspective I get it. I just can't agree with Hasbro's attempt to punish fans and conventions when others decide to fill a market area they chose to ignore using the same tactics Hasbro uses to their own benefit (see Kre-O). I applaud any convention (like TFCon) that refuses to bend to their unreasonable demands. Note: Botcon, being officially attached to Hasbro, as no choice but to comply.

Transformers: MTMTE #7 Preview

Tranformers: More Than Meets the Eye #7 hits stores shelves Wednesday. The action shifts from the Hot Ride and rest of the lost Autobots to a Decepticon hunting squad. Click here to view the first six pages of the issue.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye Ongoing #7
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a) • Milne, Nick Roche (c)
DECEPTICON MONTH! The war’s over — but no-one told the DECEPTICON Justice Division! Meet the five deadliest DECEPTICONS in the galaxy. Their sole purpose: to hunt down and kill anyone who has ever disobeyed MEGATRON. Who’s their next target?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

SDCC 2012: Peter Cullen Roundtable Interview

Below is the roundtable interview that Peter Cullen (voice of Optimus Prime) has with the press as part of his "Optimus Prime: Up Close and Personal" panel (highlights | video) from last weekend at the 2012 San Diego Comic Con. In the thirty minute press Q&A, Cullen discussed getting the role, the inspiration for the Optimus voice, what it takes to be a leader, and more.

"When I realized the effect [Transformers] had on children, it became a responsibility. ...I am not going to let them down. I am not going to let any fan down. If they love Optimus Prime for what he is i'll be damned if I am going to change anything. If he's been a good influence I am going to keep making him a good influence and make him a better influence if I can for children all over the world."

IDW October 2012 Transformers Comics

IDW Publishing has released their publishing plans for October. A total of three comics and two trades are being released that month. If you are interested in the books, just let your local comic book store know. For the full details of IDW's other books including GI Joe, Star Trek, TMNT, Locke & Key, and more click here.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #10
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a) • Milne, Nick Roche (c)
SHADOWPLAY continues! On pre-war CYBERTRON, Prowl and Chromedome realize they’ve got a serial killer on their hands, and Orion Pax receives a summons from an old friend that will change his life forever!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

SDCC 2012 Day 2: FoC, IDW Panels, Cullen Video

Day 2 of the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con has drawn to a close. With it is the last Transformers related panels which was one with the Fall of Cybertron voice cast and the other was a look at upcoming IDW digital comics that included a new Transformers series. In addition the full video of Friday's "Optimus Prime: Up Close and Personal" panel where Larry King interviewed Peter Cullen. Day 0 | Day 1 | Day 2

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
- Game about the death of Cybertron, see the fall through different characters.
- Stages designed for specific characters, will not have option to choose which character plays what level.
- Worked with Hasbro so game fits with canon (so by default the game is canon)
- Made large sections of the game not requiring contant fighting so could explore environment.

SDCC 2012 Day 2: Peter Cullen, Official Images

Day 2 of the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con has drawn to a close. The main panel for the day was "Optimus Prime: Up Close and Personal" where Larry King interviewed Peter Cullen. The interview acted as a kind of retrospective on Cullen's career as the voice of Prime. In addition, Hasbro released official images (links below) of all the toys they announced and had on display at SDCC. The last major Transformers related panel is the Activision Panel with FoC Voice Talent. Schedule | Day 0 | Day 1

Optimus Prime: Up Close and Personal highlights
- Radio job in Montreal doing commercials and characters led to TV jobs.
- First big break was "Sonny and Cher" show.
- Inspiration for Optimus' voice was his brother Larry due to his "honest, truthful" personality.
- Believes Prime has matured over the years and Peter fights any attempts to push Prime in direction that doesn't fit the character.
- Favorite Optimus quote: "Hold onto your dreams, the future is built on dreams."
- Did agree that Dark of the Moon line, "We will kill them all" was out of character but was overruled.
- Said working with The Hub has been best experience so far in regards to voicing Prime.
- Mel Blanc was his hero, watching matinees when young. Blanc is the greatest voice actor of all time, if don't know his name, hit link to learn.

Official Hasbro Images
Fall of Cybertron | Import Generations | TF Prime Dark Energon | TF Prime Voyagers | TF Prime Cyberverse | Exclusives | Kre-O Microchangers | Bot Shots | Rescue Bots | Display Cases

SDCC 2012 Day 1: Hasbro Brand, IDW Panels, FoC Preview

The official Day 1 of the 2012 San Diego Comic Con has drawn to a close (Day 0 | TF Schedule). This is probably the busiest day for Transformers fans as Hasbro and IDW held their panels to talk about their latest products while High Moon Studios was busy showing off multi-player mode for War for Cybertron. As a result, this post is very long. For me the main highlights was the FoC Grimlock toy and learning that Masterpiece Thundercracker is based on the new (better) Starscream mold. Pretty much a link = gallery of images about that particular subject. Let us know what you think of all the new stuff revealed.

Hasbro: Transformers Brand Panel
Fall of Cybertron
- Relaunching Generations in 2013 with at least 40 news toys
- Ruination: Repaint of Bruticus with Impactor, Twin Twist, Top Spin, Roadbuster
- Legends Cassettes: Eject, Rewind, Ramhorn, Laserbeak
- Voyager: Grimlock, Blaster with Steeljaw (Soundwave repaint)

SDCC 2012 Preview Night

Wednesday is technically the first day of the San Diego Comic-Con where Hollywood comes out to promote their latest wares to geeks and the press. It is more commonly referred to has Preview Night since since people are still arriving with booths and tables still getting prepped. Still it gives people a chance to tour what has been setup, including what Hasbro and High Moon Studios have for their booths. There will be several Transformers related panels, with Hasbro announcing how they are participating at SDCC.

Their exclusives proved to be especially popular probably due to Fall of Cybertron Bruticus. That one might be hard to come by but at least the Amazon exclusive repaint is currently up for pre-order for $59.99, just be aware its release date isn't until late November. All this means lots of images of current and upcoming Transformer products that will be coming out over the next six or so months. High Moon Studios' booth that is covered with concept art for Fall of Cybertron.

Hasbro's SDCC Press Release

Today is a preview kick of the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con that goes on through Sunday. The 'con is used by television, movies, comics, toy companies and more to show of current and future products for the next six months or so with wall to wall panels. Hasbro will be on hand with SDCC exclusives and a few panels of their own throughout the week. They also will be giving out TF: The Ride souvenir posters (below) if stop by their booth. The Transformers related panel schedule can be found here. Below is Transformers portion of Hasbro's press release with full release here.

Transformers: Regeneration One #81 Preview

Wednesday is the kick off of a new Transformers series from IDW. Transformers: Regeneration was teased with a Free Comic Book day release back in May to catch people up on the events of the Marvel series when it ended over 20 years age with a reformatted Cybertron and end of the war. Transformers: Regeneration #81 starts the Marvel U version of Transformers once again with a 21 year leap forward as it explorers the problems Transformers still face in a time of peace. This is almost an alternate universe take on G1 characters as the cartoons and movies were used as guide posts but not as established continuity when telling those stories back in the 80s.

This might seem familiar as IDW's TF: Robots in Disguise also explores this theme but there are at least a few surface differences. In most cases, The main one is this is the more pure G1 take on the characters with 81 issues of back story to cull from. Also where RID explores the beginning of a new government on a planet that has to be essentially rebuilt from scratch, this one has it starting up after most of those birthing pains are done. Not yet sure if worth adding but since decades long Transformers writer Simon Furman is at the helm, the result should be an entertaining read. A preview of the first 8 pages of the issue can be found here.

Transformers: Regeneration One #81
Simon Furman (w) • Andrew Wildman & Stephen askerville (a) • Wildman, Guido Guidi (c)
The TRANSFORMERS comic that began it all—is back. With a vengeance! 21 years have passed since CYBERTRON was restored to its former glory, and finally there is peace. But, after millions of years of bitter civil war, can all ever truly be one? In a conflict this primal, this epic and far-reaching… There are always “Loose Ends”!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Fall of Cybertron Cover, Character Art (Updated)

High Moon Studios tweeted the Playstation 3 and XBox 360 cover art for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. As you can see below, it features Metroplex, Jazz, Optimus and Grimlock. Also just in case you missed it with today's trailer, the release date of the game was moved up from August 28th to August 21st.

Update: The official website has added additional character art that shows the front, back, and alt mode of some of the playable characters. Can also click here to view Perceptor (tank alt mode), Grimlock, Vortex, and Swindle.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron: Through the Matrix Trailer

From High Moon Studios is a new trailer for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. The game will be out on August 21st, 2012 for PS3, 360, and PC.

Linkfest - Fall of Cybertron

It turns out this week’s unintended theme for the link fest is Fall of Cybertron as collected multiple links on the subject including video reviews of Jazz & Shockwave, Achievements, Bruticus release month, and Metroplex screenshots. In addition, another look at the next three Masterpiece toys from Takara-Tomy, Scott Barga gets Academy invite, violin remix of Transformers I Arrival to Earth score and video reviews of upcoming TF Prime toys.

Next Three Masterpiece Transformers Images -
All Three | Hi-Re Gallery
A few weeks ago we got a look at the non-colored prototype of Masterpiece Sideswipe (MP-12) that Takara is releasing in a few months. Now we can get a leak at him in his fully painted glory along with a look at the Soundwave with Laserbeak (MP-13) and Red Alert (MP-14) prototypes that will clearly stick as close as possible to look of the Generation One characters. Of note is it seems Takara isn't going to try to come up with a modern alt mode for Soundwave, choosing to stick with the classic cassette boom box.

Transformers' Scott Benza Joins the Academy
Transformers trilogy animation supervisor Scott Benza was recently invited to join the Academy of Arts and Sciences. Members of the organization are those that vote for the Oscar winners each year and considered a huge honor in Hollywood. 176 members total were given invites this year, most of them either past winners or nominees including Benza who received multiple nominations for the effects work on the Transformers’ films. Congrats to him for the honor.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #7 Preview

Despite being July the 4th, it seems that new comics are coming out Wednesday as normal which brings Transformers: Robots in Disguise #7 to stores. The fun continues as relations on Cybertron between the three factions (Autobots, Decepticons, Nails) continue to deteriorate. A preview of the issue (along with other IDW comics) can be found here. On a related note, click here to read the creator's commentary on the first five pages of last week's Transformers: MTMTE #6

Transformers: Robots in Disguise Ongoing #7
John Barber (w) • Brendan Cahill (a) • Andrew Griffith, Casey Coller (c)
DECEPTICON MONTH! Fan-favorite character TURMOIL returns from the dead—but what does he want on CYBERTRON? The AUTOBOTS don’t want another DECEPTICON on their planet and the DECEPTICONS don’t want things to get any worse… but what Wheeljack discovers about the DECEPTICON warlord will change everything!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers at SDCC 2012

Next Wednesday, the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con starts where Hollywood comes out for the geeks to promote their upcoming movies and television shows. The schedule is finally up for this year and the highlights include a 10th Anniversary panel for Firefly (oddly without any of the ladies attending), Iron Man 3 and The Hobbit. TV Shows, both new and current are also represented including Warehouse 13, Psych, Merlin and so forth. Comics, cartoons and toys are also represented but can get lost of the all the noise for the more famous events.

Transformers will be well represented with panels from Hasbro, IDW, and High Moon studios to promote the toys, comics and Fall of Cybertron. Hasbro will have SDCC exclusive toys available with teh most expensive being the Bruticus gift set at $99.99. The highlight for Transformers fans will be Saturday nights "Optimus Prime: Up Close and Personal" panel when Peter Cullen is interview by legendary broadcaster Larry King about his decades long role as the voice of Optimus. Below is the Transformers related panels and descriptions. The full schedule is here or at day links below.