Toy Fair 2017

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Not pictured: snow. Because there wasn't any. A warm February in NYC?!
Date	February 17–19, 2017
City	New York, NY
Venue	The Times Center

Toy Fair 2017, hosted in New York City from February 17–19, boasts "over 25,000 attendees, 345,500 square feet of exhibit space, 100,000 products with over 7,000 never before seen in the world, 1200+ exhibitors, [and] 1000 global media representatives."

Transformers Wiki was invited to Hasbro's Entertainment Brand Press Preview At Toy Fair at The Times Center on Saturday, February 18, and wiki contributor Matt Karpowich attended. Following a presentation starting at 1:30pm, fan representatives were allowed into Hasbro's product showroom. After the main event ended at 5pm, attendees who RSVPed could attend a preview party for the Transformers: Forged to Fight mobile game at the nearby Knickerbocker Hotel.

Venue

During the wait into the Times Center, P.R. representatives passed out Hasbro-labelled donuts from Doughnuttery of New York City! Turns out they can't survive a plane trip very well. Oops.

Slideshow presentation

• The Transformers presentation was the first of the day! It was hosted by Ben Montano, head of the global Transformers brand team, who cycled through various partners over the course of the presentation.
• First up was Mike McCartney, Executive Producer of Transformers: Forged to Fight (coming spring 2017). Mike explained that they created an environment that allowed them to bring together disparate characters from across various Transformers franchises and previewed a trailer for the game.
• Next up was designer John Warden and Ashley Creedon of marketing & development.

Generations

• John and Ashley began by noting that the Machinima Combiner Wars series garnered 120 million views globally, and that development on Titans Return and Power of the Primes series are forging ahead. Power of the Primes won't debut until 2018, so there wasn't much they could reveal about it... except that Optimus Primal won the global fan-vote, meaning he'll be in the line! They will be doing sneak previews at various points in Primal's design process, though how this would happen was not elaborated upon.
  • They also confirmed that "Unknown Evil" was Deathsaurus, and that he was the second-most vote-getter; that Ultra Magnus was third; and that Star Saber was last. (Deathsaurus was also stated to be from "the Death Dimension," but that was presumably in jest.)
  • Given the fictional timeline of the Prime Wars Trilogy, it was said that Optimus Primal would be a younger, pre-Beast Wars/pre-Maximal version of the character. They mentioned looking into clearing up some "continuity hiccups" with, among other things, the Vok Nebula (!!!).
• New in Generations is Titan Master Ramhorn (where we'll "finally get to see what his robot face is like"), Legends Roadburn (née Chase), Legends Cosmos (they were under the impression his 2013 toy was hard to get and the new release shouldn't have any changes), and the all-new Legends Seaspray!
• New in Generations Deluxe is Twin Twist with Flameout and Windblade with Scorchfire; new in Voyager is Octone with Murk and Blitzwing with Hazard; new in Leader is Overlord with Dreadnaut, whose chest opens to store Titan Masters! Overlord was specifically cited as being co-developed by Shogo Hasui at TakaraTomy. Between Sky Shadow, Sixshot and Overlord, fans can now complete their IDW "Phase Sixer" collection.
• The new Collection Packs - Siege on Cybertron and Chaos on Velocitron - grew out of the team's desire to expand storytelling horizons. Chaos on Velocitron celebrates the "Speed" statistic with a mission on the "Speed Planet" of Velocitron, and Siege on Cybertron celebrates the "Strength" statistic. Each set also includes a Titan Master with die-cast elements.
• Trypticon couldn't keep himself off social media the week before Toy Fair, hence the photos of him that popped up.
• After a video highlighting Trypticon, Warden went into the toy's development; he explained how he hand-made a rough foam model to get Trypticon's dimensional volumes down; how Shogo Hasui tore apart a Fortress Maximus and rebuilt it into a Tyrannosaurus shape to get a rough parts count; and how they then built a rough "block model" to figure out the transformation. The finalized toy is 20 inches tall, making him the biggest Decepticon ever!
• Trypticon presented a unique challenge because they had to design his esophagus! The toy features a "Titan-Master-eating" gimmick where a TM goes down his throat and into his stomach. Because of this gimmick, the toy features no lights or sounds, because the electronic parts would've otherwise gone into his head.
• Ditching electronics also meant they could do Full-Tilt, who is as large as a Deluxe in his own right. Full-Tilt incorporates the Titan Master gimmick, and his partner "Necro" is based on Wipe-Out from the original comics!

Robots in Disguise

• The third season of Robots in Disguise will premiere in the spring of 2017. The new intro was shown.
• Because Ultra Bee needs somebody to fight, Menasor and Galvatronus were brought in. Menasor features a mix of old and new Stunticons, while Galvatronus features almost all-new characters. Part of the idea behind them was to recreate the joy of receiving an all-in-one combiner box set from the 1980s.

Rescue Bots

• The "Optimus Prime Racetrack Trailer" was shown! The trailer converts into a head-to-head racetrack that's over three feet long.

The Last Knight

• Ben and John handled the movie portion of the presentation. Warden said that he had to fly directly from California to NYC for Toy Fair last year because he had been doing work at Paramount.
  • They kicked off "Premier Edition" by introducing Steelbane, "the first knight" (in contrast to the film's title), who was mysterious and couldn't otherwise be talked about much.
  • The Dinobots were next, back from Age of Extinction with "metallized" deco... except for Scorn, who gets an entirely new Voyager figure!
  • Bumblebee is an all-new tooling based on a concept Camaro. Drift and Crosshairs are new, too!
  • Because Sqweeks is such a small Deluxe, they had room in the budget to give him a converting maintenance bay that he can cart along in scooter mode.
  • Voyager Megatron is now a jet, and Hound is a Mercedes Unimog (and features a removable helmet).
  • The Leader version of Megatron has a gun-reveal gimmick and flames that can be attached in vehicle mode.
  • The presentation rounded out with a focus on Allspark Tech figures and Dragonstorm.
  • The official launch date for The Last Knight product is April 24, 2017. In the week leading up to the release, there will be a "Reveal the Shield" campaign across Hasbro's social media outlets spotlighting product.

Showroom

Generations

Titans Return main line

Titan Masters, Legends

• Titan Masters (MRSP: $4.99) are tiny robots who turn into heads, piloting shape-changing vehicles and robo-beasties. Ramhorn is new!
• Legends (MRSP: $9.99) toys are vehicle-form bots with Master-compatible passenger compartments. Seaspray is new!

Deluxe Class

• Each Deluxe (MRSP: $16.99) Titans Return figure has a removable head-bot, and transforms into an alt-mode with a compartment for said head-bot to ride in. Twin Twist and Windblade are new!

Voyager Class, Leader Class

• Octane Octone and Blitzwing! MRSP: $24.99.
• Overlord! MRSP: $44.99. His purple and other colors will be changed from the display model to be closer to the original toy.
• When asked about the possibility of doing Thunderwing from Sky Shadow, a presenter indicated that there would've been better odds for that if Thunderwing had placed higher in (or won) the Power of the Primes vote.

Titan Class

• Trypticon! MSRP: $149.99. Available: Fall 2017.
• When Trypticon's chest is opened, Titan Masters can be positioned inside his chest to mimic a piece of old Studio OX art where Decepticons stand inside him.
• Brunt is unfortunately not included, although it was mysteriously noted that Titans Return Rumble did not look dissimilar to Brunt's tank mode.
• Trypticon features a gimmick where inserting a Titan Master into part of his head activates a weapon.
• It's possible that Trypticon can link up in base mode to other figures to make an even larger base, but the details on this were vague.

Collection Packs

Fastlane and Pounce are a kind of size "in-between" Legends and Deluxe and are not planned for release outside of the Collection Packs.

Siege on Cybertron

• Magnus Prime, Tidal Wave, Metalhawk, Pounce, Thunderwing. BBTS exclusive.
• Magnus Prime will feature different plastic colors from Ginrai, being closer to the traditional colors of Optimus Prime in the West. Tidal Wave's purple will also change.

Chaos on Velocitron

• Quickswitch, "Laser" Optimus Prime, Nautica, Fastlane, Rodimus Prime. Toys"R"Us exclusive.

Robots in Disguise (2015)

On display were the new Legion class Blurr & Cyclonus (MRSP: $5.99), Warrior class Thermidor & "battlemask" Windblade (MRSP: $14.99), and Crash Combiners Lunarforce Optimus Prime & Strongarm (MRSP: $14.99). A Legion version of the Team Combiners character Heatseeker was included in the press photos, which was not otherwise mentioned.

Team Combiners

• Team Combiner sets net you a five-member Combiner team in one purchase! MRSP: $29.99. Available: Fall 2017.
• Menasor's core is Motormaster. Team members Dragstrip & Wildbreak form the arms, and Heatseeker & Slashmark form the legs.
• Galvatronus's core is Cyclonus. Team members Cyberwarp & Skyjack form the arms, and Riotgear & Treadshock form the legs.

Rescue Bots

• Rescue Bots shared floorspace with the rest of the Playskool Heroes product. Unusually, there was no product demonstrator, requiring a nearby public relations person to bring over a Playskool executive named Jeff to explain the new items. Thanks, Jeff!
• Rather than producing more original episodes of Rescue Bots, the series will become a sort of "choose-your-own-adventure" clip show on YouTube called My Transformers: Rescue Bots Adventure. Kids will watch part of a clip and be given a choice of actions, which will then lead to other clips.
• The lead Rescue Bots designer was named as Eric Listenberger. Hooray, knowledge!
• When asked about the larger High Tide and Salvage announced last year as Amazon exclusives (that have so far not come out), Jeff didn't know what happened to them, but wants to make sure people have an opportunity to buy them.

Flip Racers

Flip Racers are a new Rescue Bots segment that convert automatically in a way not like Gravity Bots did. The range includes singles (MRSP: $5.99), launch playsets (MSRP: $12.99), multipacks (MSRP: $15.99), the Optimus Prime^[1] Chomp and Chase Raceway (MSRP: $29.99), and the Optimus Prime Trailer (MSRP: $59.99). Jeff noted the Optimus Prime Trailer figure as being the largest transforming Optimus Prime toy ever in Rescue Bots (it stands 15 inches tall and the trailer can store over 16 Flip Racers).

Rescan Assortment

The "default" size class sees the return of old favorites, plus new team members!

Knight Watch Bumblebee

Inspired by Transformers: The Last Knight, Knight Watch Bumblebee converts into a dragon and comes with two Mini-Con dragons that combine to form a lance! Jeff did not recall the red dragon's name, but the blue dragon is FREEZERBURN! Marvelous! Available: Spring 2017. MSRP: $24.99.

The Last Knight

An actual Sqweeks prop from Transformers: The Last Knight was on-loan for the Toy Fair display! It was adorable.

Premier Edition

Deluxe, Voyager, Leader

• Deluxe class (MRSP: $19.99) features Berserker, Bumblebee, Crosshairs, Drift, Slash, Slug, Sqweeks, Steelbane, and Strafe.
• Voyager class (MRSP: $29.99) features Grimlock, Hound, Megatron, Optimus Prime, and Scorn.
• Leader class (MRSP: $49.99) features Megatron and Optimus Prime.
• The presenters wouldn't comment on the Megatron-to-Galvatron-to-Megatron situation, only saying to catch the movie.

Turbo Changers

Tiny Turbo Changers

• Tiny Turbo Changers are a new blindbag assortment featuring characters from across the Transformers film franchise. Unlike Tiny Titans, the figures really convert!
• John Warden was proud of the fact the line features the handiwork of Koujin Ohno, one of the fathers of the Transformers brand itself!
• Another presenter indicated that they are no longer allowed to include ID codes on blind bags (like early Kre-O had) because they apparently violate state gambling laws. Awkward! The Tiny Turbo Changers baggies will include a small "cheat window" on the back, however.
• MRSP: $2.99.

1-Step Turbo Changers, Knight Armor Turbo Changers, Mega 1-Step Turbo Changer

• 1-Step Turbo Changers (MRSP: $9.99) function similarly to previous 1-Step figures; the range includes Barricade, Bumblebee, Grimlock, Megatron, and Optimus Prime.
• Knight Armor Turbo Changers (MRSP: $19.99) are larger, with flip-over helmets; the range includes Grimlock, Hound, and Megatron.
• Dragonstorm, the Mega 1-Step Turbo Changer (MRSP: $79.99), features "more than 20 sounds and phrases" and includes the CYBERFIRE gimmick - a black light that shines from within the toy reveals hidden symbols printed on all 1-Step Turbo Changers.

Miscellaneous

Legion class

After a noticeable absence from Age of Extinction, Legion class returns for The Last Knight! The range includes a mix of new and reused molds (such as Barricade and Grimlock being Prowl and Rippersnapper from Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters). MRSP: $6.99.

Etc.

• Titan Changers are Titan Hero figures that can actually change modes. MRSP: $14.99.
• Allspark Tech is a "toys-to-life" concept where an Allspark Tech cube can activate individualized lights and 20+ sound and voice effects within the Allspark Tech figures. Figures (MRSP: $14.99) include Barricade, Bumblebee, Drift, and Hound. Starter Packs (MRSP: $29.99) include an Allspark Tech cube and feature Sqweeks, Optimus Prime, and Shadowspark Optimus Prime.
• Voice Changer Masks. MRSP: $34.99.
• RC Autobot Sqweeks. MRSP: $79.99.
• Masterpiece Movie Series. MRSP: $79.99 – $99.99.

Q&A with John Warden & Ben Montano

Matt missed most of this event

• Warden relayed a story about how, when digging up part of his yard, he found some old Hotwheels cars and a Twin Twist locked in vehicle mode buried in the dirt. After cleaning Twin Twist in the sink with a toothbrush, he tried the mechanism - and the old Twin Twist could still jump-start! That Twin Twist now resides in John's office.
• Hasbro is aware of the fandom's desires for a Headmaster/Titan Master-compatible version of Arcee, and is always considering potential avenues for her and other fan-demanded characters.
• "Cloudraker and Wingspan?" "Well, you can't just put out one clone..."
• The Generations giftsets were called "Series Packs" in the Q&A versus "Collection Packs" in the presentation. MSRP was said to be around $100.

Forged to Fight Preview Event

The Forged to Fight event was hosted by Kabam's Creative Director Cuz Perry and Executive Producer Mike McCartney, who demonstrated the game to attendees amid hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

Notes

• Attendees were given small bottles of water to drink while there. These bottles were labeled with My Little Pony characters or Robots in Disguise Bumblebee.
• We are legally required to tell you that we received a canvas bag with a random Robots in Disguise Warrior class figure, a random Star Wars Black Series figure, a random Marvel Legends figure, and a My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Queen Chrysalis & Changelings statuette.

References