Transformers

[DoctorPadawan]

WM Ultra Magnus? 

All the stuff that I've been reading leads me to believe that, if anything, this is going to be a US rerelease of the Takara MP Ultra Magnus.  Given how "well" the 20th anniversary Prime did, though, I can't imagine WM would be handling yet another version of the same toy at a slightly higher price.

I'm willing to hold out hope that Hasbro will eventually do a Classics update of Ultra Magnus in his total G1 form (not just as a Prime repaint).  The Titanium version looks nice, but I'd rather have something in scale with the other Classics. 

Not having followed the TF line I'm not that familiar with what vehicles are represented in the toy line already but I wonder if Bay and the producers looked and then used vehicles in the film that they could easily adapt toys for as well as include as robots in a sequel?

Bay's been pretty outspoken that the toy aspect of the characters didn't appeal to him as much as the characters themselves; I could be mistaken, but outside of Hasbro helping out on the actual robot designs that were in the film, the toys had nothing to do with the film's content (most visible lately with this whole "Brawl vs. Devastator" thing in the subtitles, which I still can't figure out).  The stuff they're doing for the Target exclusive Scout class are repaints of existing toys, so I think it's more a case of Hasbro seeing vehicles in the movie (such as motorcycles, buggys, etc) and thinking it's fertile ground to get some more lower-priced toys back onto the market to tie in with the film itself.

[iFett]

WM Ultra Magnus? 

All the stuff that I've been reading leads me to believe that, if anything, this is going to be a US rerelease of the Takara MP Ultra Magnus.  Given how "well" the 20th anniversary Prime did, though, I can't imagine WM would be handling yet another version of the same toy at a slightly higher price.

WTF

I thought this thing was way overpriced at $40-$45 when TRU had it a few years back, but $90??.  Masterpiece Screamer is only supposed to be $60.  With that said...I'm hoping that my custom repaint of 20th Prime is doing well.

[Ben]

Maybe WM.com has a few third-party items on there, and this is one of them. Maybe WM is like a lot of online sites, in that they really only use the store's name. Remember eToys and KBtoys.com? That's kind of what I was thinking.
I would have thought that for the size, weight, and price, it would have been a case of UM reissues, but I guess it's only one piece. 

It'd have been great if they unearthed some Powermaster Prime reissues, since that's the only domestic reissue I lack.

[Ben]

US Masterpiece Starscream boxed images.

I can see that box getting beat to hell at Wal-Mart.

[Ben]

Speaking of beat-to-hell boxes, I got my Pepsi Prime from HTS today. The back of the box was pretty well dented in, and the cardboard in general is pretty flimsy. I suppose the thing was intended as a mere promotional piece, but it's still kind of annoying for the one TF I was going to keep boxed to have a pretty rough box.

[iFett]

Speaking of beat-to-hell boxes, I got my Pepsi Prime from HTS today. The back of the box was pretty well dented in, and the cardboard in general is pretty flimsy. I suppose the thing was intended as a mere promotional piece, but it's still kind of annoying for the one TF I was going to keep boxed to have a pretty rough box.

That really sucks Ben 

I'm hoping that mine arrives in better shape as I never intend on opening him, but still $25 for Pepsi Prime w/butchered stacks ain't all that bad. 

[DarkKnight2k4]

Man sorry to hear that Ben...

[Madcow]

Wow, those are shipping already?! So much for the 7/24 date...

[Ben]

I got my order in before they went out of stock, and the date for those to start shipping was one business day. It still took about nine days to arrive. 

Believe me, Hasbro isn't going to send anything out early. 

[Neal]

I officially entered the world of movie toy collecting today.  A local Wal-Mart had the Concept Camaro Bumblebee and Dreadwing.  I left Dreadwing on the pegs and picked up Bumblebee.  I haven't had a chance to open it yet, but the car looks pretty nice in the package.
Just curious ... because of his description on the back of his card, shouldn't Dreadwing be Skywarp?

[iFett]

I found Dreadwing over the weekend, but no new BB.  I haven't played the game yet, but judging by the head that both he and Swindle shares leaves me to believe that they're both drones in the game as they're not in the movie obviously.  I'm almost positive that a voyager repaint of Skywarp is coming as Hasbro still has plenty of time left to milk from this line.

Dreadwing's bio basically says that he's a moron and that he obviously stole the warping technology - but it doesn't say from who or what though.

[Neal]

Dreadwing's bio basically says that he's a moron and that he obviously stole the warping technology - but it doesn't say from who or what though.

True.  Maybe he stole it from Skywarp.
 

[Brian]

From what I've seen at our stores around here, the Transformers movie stuff seems to really be flying off the shelves - particularly since the movie opened.  Its nice to see the line (and movie) do well.  I'm debating picking up any more right now.  I know I shouldn't, but I will admit that it is tempting.  I got the first version of Bumblebee, and will definitely get the '08 version if I find it.  I also picked up the Target Robo Vision Prime, because I always wanted to get an Optimus Prime, and had some b-day gift cards to use.  The one that is tempting me the most at this point is Ironhide.  That would be the next one I'd get most likely, unless that 08 Bumblebee is hitting more heavily.

[spiderpumpkin]

Alpha Trion/Weirdwolf Convention set available at transformersclub.com.
Looks like they have over 50 or so.

https://www.transformersclub.com/shop/index.cfm?ProductID=1301&do=detail

[DoctorPadawan]

Still no sign of 08 Bumblebee/Arcee/Dreadwing in my neck of the woods, but I'm expecting them any day as the pickings are pretty slim.  One local WM has 12 Swindles, 6 Bonecrushers, and 2 Brawls, with the other having 18 Swindles, 2 Bonecrushers, and 1 Scorponok.  TRU has no deluxes other than Protoform Primes and SS'es, and Target only loses that race by their 4 Wreckages, 2 Jazzes, and 1 Scorponok.  Plenty of Ratchets to go around, although Blackout, Ironhide, and (particularly) Starscream are getting scarce.  Primes outnumber Megatrons by about 10:1 at this point, which I'm kind of surprised by.

Apparently my wish for a Movie (Game) Shockwave has been dashed, as someone on another board said Hasbro ruled it out at BotCon.  Oh well, he would have needed to be bigger than Leader Class Prime and a Triple Changer (Helicopter/Gun Emplacement/Robot), so I'm really not shocked Hasbro isn't doing one.  As for the inevitable Skywarp repaint, I think it's only a matter of time, since Thundercracker has already been announced and surely Hasbro wouldn't **** the fans over by doing 2 of 3 again so soon after the Classics Thundercracker being so hard to get.

Oh, and if anyone cares, I've also seen the new waves of the Fast Action Battlers at TRU twice this weekend.  Bumblebee disappears within minutes, followed by Megatron, but there were still several Frenzys and Blackouts after a few days.