IDW January 2016 Transformers Comics

IDW Publishing has released their publishing plans for January 2016. Three floppies are coming that month. It turns out that December's Transformers: Robots in Disguise (the one that is based on the cartoon) is done. Otherwise the month is designed to finish up currently story lines as both of the main series shift to the All Hail Optimus story line that starts next month. For the full details of IDW's other books including GI Joe, Star Trek, and more click here.

Peter Cullen Voice Prime for Amusing Toys R Us Commercial

For your amusement, a cute Toys R Us commercial featuring Optimus Prime as voiced by Peter Cullen.

Titan Wars, All Hail Optimus Announced at NYCC '15

At this weekend's New York Comic Con (NYCC), Hasbro and IDW were on hand to reveal their 2016 plans for Transformers. The key portions include what they are calling the "Prime Wars Trilogy" with part one being the Combiner Wars. Part two of the trilogy is the Titan Return that will be told in the comic books, video games, a Machinima web-based cartoon series and new toy line starting Summer 2016. As for that toy line, it will introduce the return of the TargetMasters and HeadMasters (and maybe eventually the Powermasters). This new group will collectively be called "Titan Masters". For those not familiar with G1 terms, think of these "Masters" as Mini-Cons whose alt modes are a robot head, weapon or transformation trigger. More interesting is the Masters will also be sold separately so if don't like Galvatron's headmaster (yep), you can find one you might instead. IDW also revealed the first story for Titans Return with "All Hail Optimus" were Prime "annexes planet Earth to become part of Cybertron's Council of Worlds - he takes control of Earth to protect it from invasion." Below are a few further details and galleries to the wave one toys for Titan Masters and RID season 2.

Transformers: Devastation Out Now, Gameplay Videos

Transformers: Devastation has been officially released. Below is a snippet of the Optimus Prime vs Megatron boss fight in the game. After that is a look at Menasor boss battle. If those are not enough game play videos, check out MXE Videos Youtube channel where he is posting a ton of videos from the game.

Hasbro Already Planning for Transformers 8

In the keynote address for the MIP Junior Conference 2015 (held in France to highlight children programming), Hasbro VP and Chief Content Officer Stephen Davis confirmed that Hasbro is not just planning on Transformers 5 but also up to Transformers 5 due to the Writer's Room producing enough content for them to plan through 2025.

“Well, you’re gonna see a new Transformers movie coming from Hasbro and Paramount and Michael Bay and our other partners. In fact, we just finished, which some of you may have read, just an incredible experience. We decided that we wanted to plot out the next 10 years of the Transformers franchise and so we got together in a room over a three-month period of time. Nine of some of the most creative writers I have ever worked with, shepherded by Akiva Goldsman, who many of you may know won an Academy Award for A Beautiful Mind and written a bunch of really great movies, and they plotted out the next 10 years of Transformers. Similarly, we’re doing the same in television and in digital. So stay tuned, Transformers 5 is on its way, and 6 and 7 and 8.”

So what does this mean overall? Nothing. As long as the films continue to make money, Hasbro and Paramount already were going to do a TF 6, 7, 10, 15 etc. All it really proves is Paramount and Hasbro are taking the Star Wars/Marvel approach to their franchise by having a long term goal but taking each film as it comes. The key difference is Star Wars and Marvel are prepared to absorb and continue on if one of their franchise films fail while Paramount would become extremely gun shy about further Transformers films if any one of them fails at the box office. So really it changes nothing of what little we already know...Paramount and Hasbro remain in the TF movie business, they continue to wait for Michael Bay to commit to TF5 and they continue to plan the franchise both with and without Michael Bay in the director's chair. If interested in watching the keynote, click here. The TF movie comments start at the 13:30 mark.

Transformers: Devastation Grimlock Bio and Gameplay Video

Here is the bio and gameplay trailer for Grimlock from Transformers: Devastation. A new tidbit of info is the game will have five levels of difficulty going from "Scout" to "Prime". The original voice of Grimlock, Gregg Berger, returns to the character but not sure if its time or the sound mixing but it doesn't sound the same. The game is available for pre-order for release on October 6th.