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Transformers (toy line)

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File:MP04MasterpieceConvoy.jpg
Photo of MP-04 Complete Masterpiece Convoy.

The Transformers is the name of a line of toys designed and produced by toy companies Takara in Japan, and Hasbro in the United States, from 1984 onward. A Transformer is a robot that is able to "transform," or reconstruct itself, into a common and innocuous form, such as a car, an aircraft, a device, or an animal. The taglines "More Than Meets The Eye" and "Robots In Disguise" reflect this ability.

It is widely believed that "The Transformers" are inferior to the Gobots. The Gobots are the model to which robot changing aliens are to be compared to. The Gobot's movie actually made more of a profit then the animated Transformer movie (due to lower production costs). Most importantly, Gobots will live forever in our hearts and minds, while Transformers is just a fad.

There have also been a number of spin-offs based on the toys including a Marvel comic book series, an animated television series program presented by Claster Television, a television production company that Hasbro organized for this and similar purposes, that began transmissions in 1984 (Transformers series) and a feature-length movie, The Transformers: The Movie. The original series program was followed by a number of spin-offs with varying levels of popularity. A live-action movie, directed by Michael Bay under the sponsorship of Steven Spielberg, premiered on June 12 2007 and opened in the United States on July 2 2007.

The Transformers originally featured two main factions battling for control of their home planet, Cybertron. The heroic Autobots, known as Cybertrons in the Japanese version, were led by Optimus Prime, who was known in the Japanese version as Convoy, and their opponents, the Decepticons, called the Destrons in the Japanese version, were led by Megatron, later Galvatron, a pattern which has been repeated in nearly every subsequent series program. The Autobots were mainly cars in warm colors, while the Decepticons were planes in cool colors, with some exceptions.

The Transformers toyline was developed by Hasbro after they met up with Takara representatives at the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show and proposed to combine and re-brand Takara's Diaclone and Micro Change toylines into the Transformers for release in the United States. Thus began a long and successful collaboration between Takara and Hasbro on toy development for the Transformers line, a collaboration which has grown increasingly close. Currently, Hasbro does the vast majority of the concept work and character creation, while Takara continues to control the actual manufacture of the toys. Hasbro markets and sells the toys internationally, while Takara sells them in the Japanese market. The design director for the Transformers brand, as of the first week of July of 2007, was Aaron Archer.

The basic back-story of the toyline and subsequent comic books and cartoons was developed by the Marvel Comics writers Jim Shooter and Dennis O'Neil; it was O'Neil who actually changed Convoy's name to Optimus Prime. Most of the subsequent character names and profiles throughout the original run were done by the primary Transformers US comic book writer, Robert Budiansky.

Floro Dery was primarily responsible for the look and feel of the Transformers cartoon series program, and he was the visual creator of The Transformers: The Movie. He refined some of the initial season one animated character models done in Japan, and subsequently interpreted the toy box art for further characters, creating the models that would become the visual guidelines both for the comic books and the animated cartoon.

Most Transformers come with "technical specifications" which detail the Transformer’s characteristics. Older Transformers come with Robot Points which could be redeemed for special Transformers which were not sold in stores, such as the Omnibots or the Decepticon triplets known as Reflector, a character who featured heavily in the early installments of the television series program, despite not being easily available as toys.

The Incarnations Of The Transformers

The following Transformers toys came out in the United States:

See also: Transformers (fiction), Transformers series and Transformers (comic).

The Transformers: Generation One (1984-1990 USA)(1984-1993 UK/Canada)

See Transformers G1 Toy List

The first Transformers toys were created from the different transforming robot toylines from Takara, notably the Diaclone and Micro Change (Microman) series. Hasbro acquired the rights to sell them in the United States but, instead of selling them under their original names, they were rebranded as "The Transformers." The first two years consisted primarily of reusing the Diaclone/Micro Change molds. Some of the models from the Diaclone line still have the pilot's seat in their design. The tagline to the Transformers is, "More Than Meets The Eye!" The earliest toys had some parts made of die-cast metal, which were eventually phased out.

It is worth noting that the line was released as "The Transformers" in the USA, Canada and the UK in 1984 but Takara was still marketing Diaclone at least during 1984. Hence in Japan "The Transformers" did not debut under that brand till 1985, when the line was also rolled out to the majority of the rest of the world between Takara and Hasbro. Hasbro Europe still will not accept, however, that the range was released in the UK in 1984, not even with evidence such as Argos 1984 catalogues containing the range, the UK comic launching in September 1984 or even the 1984 Transformers product catalogue produced by "Hasbro Industries (UK) Ltd, Wokingham." It is thought that Hasbro Europe as it now stands did not come into existance till 1985, hence no records of Transformers sales in 1984. UK Transformers toys were sold in identical boxes to those of their American counterparts up until around 1998/9 when the range started to have UK exclusives.

The 1984 and 1985 toy lines contained several figures of note. Megatron, the Decepticon leader, originally transformed into a realistic Walther P-38 pistol with stock and barrel estensions and scope. But due to stricter American laws governing toy guns, the Megatron toy was never produced in the United States and was delayed till 1985 for release in the UK. The Constructicons were the first "gestalt" team in the Transformers line, but were different from most subsequent gestalt teams in that they consisted of six members instead of five. The Autobot Jetfire was repainted from a Macross toy, specifically the VF-1 Valkyrie, and the character was renamed Skyfire in the animated television series progran for copyright reasons.

It was in 1986, the third year, when Takara began designing new original models specifically for the Transformers brand. This occurred in tandem with the release of The Transformers: The Movie, which introduced many new characters. The line expanded to include many new sub-groups, including the Aerialbots, the Predacons, and other gestalt teams, while also maintaining old groups like the affordable mini-cars.

The 1986 line featured another significant change in that many, if not the majority, of the toys were conceived as futuristic vehicles and bore little resemblance to present-day machinery. This was due to changes in the movie and television series, which leaped ahead twenty years to the year 2005. Many have speculated that this change might have been what signaled the beginning of the end for the Transformers, as part of the novelty of the first lines was the realistic vehicles that turned into robots.

For the 1987 and 1988 lines, Hasbro introduced even more radical ideas through new sub-groups. The Headmasters and Targetmasters came with partners who transformed into the figure's head or weapon, respectively. Powermasters, including the new version of fan favorite Optimus Prime, came with partners that transformed into engines. Each line would see various permutations over the two-year span, including smaller Headmasters, Double Targetmasters, and a Powermaster with two engines.

The most controversial line of this period was the Pretenders. Pretenders consisted of a Transformer contained inside an action figure shell who could "pretend" to be either a human or a monster. Complaints with this line were numerous, including the lack of articulation of the figures (the shells could only move their arms), the simple transformation of the robots within, and their increasing lack of resemblance to any sort of modern recognizeable vehicle. Still, despite the complaints, the Pretender line continued through all but the final year of Generation One, with variations such as Beast Pretenders, Monster Pretenders, Classic Pretenders, Mega Pretenders and Ultra Pretenders, each with variations on the theme or increasing levels of complexity.

Also during this time, Micromasters were introduced, and would become one of the last sub-groups of Generation One. Micromasters were tiny Transformers created to compete with the Micro Machines, a hugely popular toy line of the time. While many of the figures had simple transformations and little detail due to their small size, the line eventually expanded to feature Micromaster Transports and Bases, in which Micromasters came with larger vehicles or bases that transformed.

In 1989 , the entire line became limited to Pretenders and Micromasters. For the first time, the Transformers received a new design for their title logo. But many also regarded this as a time of a death in creativity and the lowest point in the toyline's history. The year 1990 saw the last American burst with the release of more Micromaster characters and the introduction of the Action Masters, non-transforming action figures who came with Transforming companions. Larger Action Master sets came with transforming vehicles and bases. The Action Master line was criticized for its perceived desperation for a gimmick, although it had a few defenders. The line predictably faded and would be the last Transformers output in the US until 1992.

While Transformers ended poorly for the US market, the same can not be said for the UK, Canada, and Japan markets as they went on to produce their own continuing series between 1991 to 1993, despite the UK market in particular missing a substantial amount of figures prominent in the comics and animated series throughout the line's run. Each country produced their own continuity. The UK and Canada continued with new Action Master figures and introduced the Turbo Masters and Predators. Japan continued with the Micromasters concept.

The 1992 and 1993 European and Canadian releases make up what is often called "Generation 1.5," much to the annoyance of many UK fans. These toys are similar in design to the Generation 2 Transformers, having lightpipe eyes, and pastel colors. The 1993 European figures used the G2 faction symbols which Hasbro UK designed because their licence on the G1 symbols had expired. The 1993 figures were repackaged for European G2 release in 1994, and three subgroup molds got used in the US G2 line.

The term Generation 1 is a retronym; the series was simply known as "Transformers" until the release of the Generation 2 series. However, the term has become semi-official, as both Hasbro and Takara have referred to this era as "Generation 1." New characters are still occasionally added to the line, primarily by E-hobby. (Examples: Sunstorm, Hauler, Detritus, and the like.) Large-scale production of new characters in this line ended with the onset of Generation 2.

The Transformers: Generation Two (1993-1995 USA) (1994-1995 UK/Canada)

In late 1993, Hasbro relaunched the Transformers franchise with the Generation 2 line, with production again largely being done by Takara. The subgroups concept was done away with for the first year, but there were no new molds or characters. Generation 2 re-used the molds for many of the characters from the 1984 and 1985 line, but with mostly different color schemes and finishes, as well as different weapons and accessories. Megatron's figure was released later on. As noted previously, Megatron's original alternate mode, or "transformation identity," was a handgun with attachments, but in Generation Two, this was changed to a tank due to safety and security concerns. Most of the 1994 figures were re-releases or recolors of European G1 releases.

Unfortunately for both Takara and Hasbro, the Generation Two series of Transformers sold poorly, with the stories generally being considered artistically bankrupt as well, and Hasbro abandoned it after two years. There were toys planned that never saw release. Most of these were G1 combiner team recolors or recolors of recent figures. Four unreleased molds were released in the Machine Wars line, and four more resurfaced in the Robots In Disguise series.

The Beast Wars And The Machine Wars (1996-2001)

With the failure of the Generation 2 series, Hasbro and Takara decided the franchise needed an overhaul. They went in a new direction and a new beginning. While there had been Transformers that change into robotic animals, the premise of the new line was that all figures would transform into animals with realistic appearances. The Beast Wars toyline was launched in the fall of 1995, and Mainframe Entertainment produced a computer-generated imagery, or CGI, animated series program to tie in with the new toyline. A fresh idea coupled with a TV series program with strong stories assured this series the success Hasbro and Takara needed, as this series was a giant hit in international markets as well as in Takara's home market, Japan.

Hasbro's original plan for the Beast Wars was to have Optimus Prime, renamed Optimus Primal, and Megatron be reformatted versions of their 1980s selves. This was shown in the toys's Tech Specs, and in the comic packaged with the basic Optimus Primal/Megatron two-pack. Hasbro also wanted the "Mutant Heads" found on all of the deluxe sized first year toys as battle helmets, but Mainframe scrapped the idea as it would have required three animation models for each character instead of two. Another designed feature for the 1995/1996 toys was carried over from Generation 2, transparent 'light pipe" eyes. However, most toys had those parts cast in opaque plastic.

The Beast Wars line was also the first appearance of "flip changer" Basics, where flipping a part of the animal mode (usually the head or tail) would transform the entire toy, and moving the part back would transform the toy back to beast mode. Like other features, this was only used in the 1995/1996 Basics and their repaints.

The Transformers: Beast Wars had to be renamed in some countries, particularly Canada, because of concern over the word "war" in the title. So, in some countries, it was released under the title Beasties. Long-time Transformers fans noticed the prominence of the words "Beast Wars" over "Transformers," the latter appearing in small type under the former. The Transformers's fan base splintered into two groups as a direct result, with the one enjoying Beast Wars for what it was and the other refusing to accept it as official canon in the Transformers mythology.

The success of Beast Wars and the change in storyline resulted in its second phase: Beast Machines. Like Beast Wars, the name Transformers was used only as a secondary title. While still a success, the storyline and direction borne by Beast Machines was questioned and criticized by the most ardent fans who knew the previous history of the Transformers. Also, there was a clamor for a return to the original idea of the Transformers, that of their being protean robots with nearly humanlike artificial intelligences who transformed into vehicles or devices.

The Robots In Disguise (2001-2002)

While Beast Machines was still running in the United States, Japan’s Takara made a bid to return to the familiar vehicle-transforming robots concept. In 2000, Car Robots was released. This line was brought by Hasbro to America as the Robots In Disguise series. This series is usually regarded by most as filler while Hasbro contemplated the next direction for Transformers. Robots In Disguise was a modest success and not particularly memorable. Even so, Robots In Disguise was responsible for introducing some concepts that would be re-used often in the next incarnations of Transformers.

On a side note, The Transformers also inspired the development of this robot, which showed a four-wheeled robot transform itself into a bi-pedal walking robot in humanoid form.

The Transformers: Armada (2002-2003)

In 2003, Transformers: Armada launched a pivotal new era in the toy line. After several lines of toys produced by one company or the other, Hasbro and Takara united to produce what was purported to be a single, identical line of Transformers for release worldwide. In tandem with this new endeavor, Transformers: Armada signaled a new continuity in its accompanying animated series and a new focus in both the show and the toys on Mini-Cons, a new faction of Transformers. The Mini-Cons were much smaller robots (not much larger than humans) who were neutral in the Autobot/Decepticon fight, but due to their incredible power and abilities, were sought by both factions.

The lowest priced toys in the Armada line were three-packs of Mini-Cons. Each larger price point consisted of an Autobot or Decepticon who came with a Mini-Con partner. Mini-Cons could be used to unlock a variety of features on each larger robot, such as firing weapons, electronic lights and sounds, or alternate modes. Some three-pack Mini-Cons combined into other forms or had additional features. According to the storyline, Mini-Cons also enhanced the power of other Transformers, giving incentive to collect as many of them as possible.

Other items of note in the Armada line:

  • As with most Transformers lines, Optimus Prime and Megatron were both reengineered.
  • Megatron's toy was repainted and re-released under the name Galvatron, beginning a tradition of repaints that would follow through Armada's subsequent toy lines.
  • The Armada line featured the first commercially available figure of Unicron, who was a legendary character from Generation 1, and the main villain of The Transformers: The Movie. Unicron was a robot who transformed into an entire planet.
  • The Mini-Cons often mimicked features associated with Generation 1 sub-groups such as the Headmasters and Targetmasters, transforming into weapons and, in one case, a Transformer's head.

The Transformers: Energon (2003-2005)

After the successful Armada toy line, Hasbro/Takara introduced The Transformers: Energon. The accompanying television series progran was a direct continuation of the events of The Transformers: Armada and featured many of the same characters in new forms. This was reflected in the toy line, as characters such as Hot Shot, Jetfire, Optimus Prime and Megatron were all released with entirely new molds.

The Transformers: Energon introduced several new concepts to the toy line. Two new sub-groups, the Omnibots and Terrorcons, joined the fray, representing smaller factions of the Autobots and Decepticons respectively. The smaller toys in these sub-groups came with Energon weapons that could be used by the larger Autobots and Decepticons, along with Energon chips that could be fastened to the larger figures to enhance their power. Energon weapons and chips came in a variety of colors of translucent plastic. Many Autobot figures in the line were able to combine with a partner to form a larger robot through the "Powerlinx" process. The Decepticons were designed instead with alternative "attack modes." While no longer the focus of the line, there were several Mini-Con releases in Energon as well.

Other items of note in the Energon line:

  • Energon contains perhaps the most homages to Generation 1 Transformers in any subsequent line, with toys featuring similarities to classic figures such as Omega Supreme, Skids, Wheeljack, Galvatron and Ravage.
  • Many larger figures in the line came with no weapons, to fit with the concept that Omnibots and Terrorcons provided energy and weaponry for them. Fittingly, then, the smaller robots were often armed to the hilt with weaponry.
  • In a break from tradition, Energon Optimus Prime's large mode resembled a configuration similar to Voltron or to the Power Rangers action figures. This design was unpopular with many fans, who were accustomed to Optimus Prime transforming into a white-striped red cab-over-engine Class 8 tractor with gray trailer.

The Transformers: Cybertron (2005-2007)

The Transformers: Cybertron, named GalaxyForce in Japan, was a follow-up to the successful Armada and Energon lines. The companion anime series program, which "purists" generally consider inferior to the Claster Television cartoon, is only partially a continuation of the Armada/Energon storyline, as several inconsistencies exist. Once again, a new feature was introduced for the line--Cyber Keys, which activated special functions on the figures in a manner similar to the Mini-Cons in Armada. Each figure came with a Cyber Key regardless of size, but there were several Cyber Keys crucial to the plot of the anime series which only came with certain figures. Again, many of the same characters were included but with entirely new figures from new molds.

Also of note in the Cybertron line:

  • Primus, the creator of the Transformers conceived by Simon Furman for the UK Transformers comic, received action figure treatment in the Cybertron line. He transformed into the planet Cybertron itself.
  • For the first time since Rodimus Prime in Generation One, Cybertron featured a Prime other than Optimus--Vector Prime, said to be one of the first Transformers ever created.
  • By this time, Hasbro/Takara was using a higher ratio of repaints consisting of figures from the Armada and Energon lines. In addition, by the end of its run, Cybertron was competing with several other simultaneous lines, including Universe, Alternators and Titanium.

The Transformers: Kiss Players (2006)

(translated from the Japanese Wikipedia article)

The Transformers: Kiss Players was a Japan-only line of Transformers toys, manga, and audio dramas released in 2006. Kiss Players is set in an alternate Transformers universe where the Transformers are powered by the kisses of young girls. The toys themselves come packaged with small, scale figurines of the girls who power them. The toyline was openly admitted to be aimed at a specific part of the market--slightly perverted adults, rather than children. The comic that accompanied the Kiss Players is an unashamed reflection of this, with several images which are, frankly speaking, borderline pornographic.

It is, however, not impossible to see it as a valid vision on The Transformers; especially in Japanese series programs, of which Godmasters and Car Robots are good examples, the metaphysical power potential of human beings empowering Transformers is a recurring theme.

Takara's official Transformers: Kiss Players website

The Transformers Film (2007)

Main article: Transformers (2007 film)

The live-action Transformers movie was slated to premiere in the U.S. on July 3, 2007, and was a joint collaboration among DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, Inc. Paramount Pictures was slated to release the film in the United States, as it had by now made DreamWorks Pictures one of its wholly owned subsidiaries, and was also to be responsible for the international release of the film through United International Pictures, its joint venture with Universal Studios. The feature was directed by Michael Bay from a screenplay written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. It was a new story, set apart from the previous incarnations of the cartoon(s) and comic(s). A new origin and characters were introduced. Steven Spielberg, who with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen had established DreamWorks SKG, was the main executive producer of the film, with Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Tom DeSanto and Don Murphy serving as co-executive producers. In practice, this meant that they were the primary financial sponsors of the film.

Shia LaBeouf acted out the lead human character, named Samuel Witwicky, in the film with Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and Megan Fox in supporting roles. Cameos for the film included Bernie Mac and Dane Cook. However, Dane Cook announced on his MySpace page that his role in the film had fallen through over a disagreement. At the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that Peter Cullen, the original voice actor who had provided the voice of Optimus Prime in the Claster Television cartoons, would voice Optimus Prime once again. Megatron's voice would be provided by Hugo Weaving.

It was expected that the release of a new movie would involve the production and release of associated toys from Takara and Hasbro. Images surfaced, on-line, of some toy prototypes, notably Starscream and a new Decepticon who was to be named Blackout, along with packaged samples of movie preview "Protoform" Optimus Prime and Starscream toys. Similarly, fans found preliminary artwork of multiple characters, although it was not known at the time how close these were to the final designs. The designs were significantly different from those of the Generation 1 characters with the same names. Reactions varied widely: some fans objected strongly to the designs, occasionally going so far as to threaten a boycott if the designs were not changed to be more traditional, while others liked them. The issue became a divisive one, as detractors accused supporters of lacking respect for the franchise's history. Some of the new toys did not transform.

Re-Licenses

Toys that were re-licensed or remolded from an existing toyline or animated series.

Transformers Name Originated from Original Toy Name
Jetfire/Skyfire Macross/Robotech VF-1 Valkyrie
Whirl Dorvack VH-64 MR Oberon Gazzette
Roadbuster Dorvack VV-54 AR Mugen Calibur
Optimus Prime Diaclone Battle Convoy
Ultra Magnus Diaclone Powered Convoy
Blitzwing Diaclone Unknown
Prowl Diaclone Police Car Fairlady Z
Sunstreaker Diaclone Lamborghini Countach LP500S "Red" / "Police"
Wheeljack Diaclone Lancia Stratos "Malboro"
Ironhide Diaclone Onebox Cherry Vanette
Skids Diaclone City Turbo/City-R Exclusive
Swoop Diaclone Pteranodon
Gears Microman Pick-Up
Huffer Microman Truck
Windcharger Microman Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am
Reflector Joustra Diaclone Camerabot

Transformers Trivia

  • Contrary to what people may think, there has never been a break in the production of new Transformer toys; there have been new Transformers toys every year since its debut in 1984 because the UK and Japan produced their own continuing series in the period of 1991 to 1994.
  • Like G.I. Joe's Larry Hama, Robert Budiansky wrote the majority of the tech specs, the personal profile of each Transformer, for the Generation 1 series.
  • The Hasbro toyline Battle Beasts was known as Beastformers in Japan, and was a part of the Japanese Transformers toyline.
  • London electro band Robots In Disguise are named after the famous Transformers tagline.

Transformers Events

The official international Transformers convention is BotCon but other fan events include Auto Assembly and TransForce in the UK and past Transformers only events have included BotCon Japan, BotCon Europe and "OTFCC". Various other events also celebrate Transformers.

Transformers Video games

In 1986 , Ocean Software Ltd. released a video game based on the Transformers. It was available for ZX Spectrum [1] and Commodore 64 [2]. It was rated slightly above average in the reviews. In 1986 Activision also released a Transformers game for the Commodore 64 [3].

Takara released a Famicom game named Transformers: Convoy no Nazo, which controlled mainly the "powered" form of Convoy, known in the United States as Ultra Magnus. The game was poorly received in Japan and was not released overseas.

The most recent video game was released for the Sony PlayStation 2 by Atari; simply titled as Transformers, it was based on The Transformers: Armada. The game's reception was mixed, particularly due to the popularity of a PS2 Transformers game released at the same time for a Japanese-exclusive market. The game not released in America was based on the Generation 1 storylines.

Hasbro sold the digital gaming rights various properties, including My Little Pony, Magic: The Gathering, Tonka, Playskool, and The Transformers,) to Infogrames for 100 million dollars in American money in 2000, buying back the rights for 65 million in American money in June of 2005.[1]

Activision and Traveller's Tales, creators of the Lego Star Wars games, planned to release Transformers: The Game in 2007 to tie in with the live-action feature film for the Sony PlayStation 3, the Microsoft XBox 360, the Nintendo Wii, and the SonyPlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2. The player would be able to play as both the Autobots and the Decepticons, pick up and throw objects, and transform at any time. The steering in vehicle mode was compared to that of the Grand Theft Auto games and was planned to have a free-roaming environment.

References

  1. ^ "HASBRO REACQUIRES DIGITAL GAMING RIGHTS FROM INFOGRAMES FOR $65 MILLION", Hasbro press release, 9 June 2005.


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