AUS Toyfair report part 1 of 3 (Universe)

Sorry people about the sneak peek posting going to a link that non-Oz-members couldn't see. We were only able to upload them as attachments while I was away from my own computer. But now that I am back home (about 20,000kms away from the Toyfair), I have started posting pics and info.

Here's the link of the source:
http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=862

But here is what was posted in this first of three parts:

The annual Australian Toy, Hobby and Nursery Trade Fair is on this weekend 4th to 8th April, and the OTCA (Ozformers) was there with full access to Hasbro's display. Paulbot, Demonac and I spent about 4 hours at the event, with most of that time inside the Hasbro section.
I triple checked with the Senior Product Manager Kristin Hamilton (American fans at BotCon last year might recognise her name, as she used to be at Hasbro America, and has come to Australia for a year), and we were allowed to look and photograph anything we wanted, and publicise it (we were registered as media after all).

We asked heaps of questions, took photos of everything, and recorded details and info, which should keep fans excited for the next three weeks when Hasbro are expected to reveal all of this at BotCon.

They had two main Transformers displays, covering Animated and Classics/Universe. In their Marvel display, they had some Marvel Transformers displayed, and in their Star Wars display, there was a mock-up of their new packaging for Star Wars Transformers.

Classics/Universe (September Launch in Australia)
On display (we were allowed to play with anything listed as loose)
-Ultra Onslaught (loose)
-Ultra Powerglide (loose)
-Ultra Silverbolt (box with cardboard standin for toy inside)
-Voyager Autobot Blaster with Blackrock Minicon (box with cardboard standin for toy inside)
-Deluxe Sunstreaker (loose)
-Deluxe Prowl (loose and on card)
-Deluxe Tankor (on card)
-Legends Red Alert (loose and on card)
-Legends Starscream (loose and on card)
-Legends Onslaught (loose and on card)
Pictured on packaging of others:
-Voyager Heavy Load.

Robot Heroes
-Arcee Vs Decepticon Rumble (on card)
-Rattrap Vs Megatron (on card)
-Rhinox Vs Waspinator (on card)
-Cheetor (loose)
-Blackarachnia (loose)
-Tarantulas (loose)
-Autobot Jazz (loose)
-Optimus Primal (loose)
-Thundercracker (loose)

Also included in this display case were assorted Movie items, like scene battles, Legends, and Autobot Ratchet Allspark Blaster.

Pics:

Total display shelf.


Universe Silverbolt (Ultra). Not actual toy in package, only a cardboard mockup.


Universe Deluxe and Voyager, plus Movie Thundercracker (don't know why).


Universe Ultra Onslaught, Silverbolt box, Powerglide.


Back of Blaster's box.


Close-up of back of box.


Close-up of front of box (not actual toy inside, just a cardboard reproduction).


Universe Deluxe Sunstreaker, Prowl and Tankor (unfortunately, Demonac left Sunstreaker in it's 'Sideswipe' mode when I took this photo).


Universe Robot Heroes.


Universe Legends.


Autobot Ratchet Allspark Blaster.


Movie packs that have already been released.


Next segment will cover the Crossover lines and other items, since the Animated segment will take a bit longer to do, and most of it is already known anyway.

(These images can be mirrored into the tfw2005 gallery if the mods want, to prevent any crashing of my 'small' server).

thanks for the pics.

the box art for universe is quite cool, not very 'animated' but an improvement over cybertron art. blaster looks more impressive from his art than the actual toy, its still a bugbear with me that hasbro chose the cybertron repaint route for some of these toys.

g/oz:
That's cool in a geeky way. You didn't happen to take down the name of Heavy Load's minicon, did you? Still called Stripmine?

Almost a pity, though, that the Laserbeak recolor wasn't named Scrounge instead, which would also be cool in an even more geeky way...and the altmode is a lumpy, roller-shaped thing, which is at least partway along the evolutionary path to the wheel.

Interesting that Tankor is packed in plane mode. I'd have thought the truck was his "primary" altmode.

Thanks mate. Wow, Hasbro used Blackrock as a product name!

the packaging is pretty awesome....i wonder why they didn't give blaster a blue visor on the toy?

Griffin were there any gijoe toys on display?

Classics Silverbolt - Awesome, it does seem odd that they are making combiner leaders that don't combine though (I assume silverbolt will be the same as onslaught?)

The pic of sunstreaker is quite handy to see what sideswipe will look like.

i really like how Silverbolt looks in his artwork.

Silverbolt looks amazing from what little we can see.

I'm not completely buying into silverbolt and onslaught not being combiners yet. They could surprise us later on. they don't have to connect using pegs and stuff like we've seen before. as transformer fans have shown in the past, ANYTHING can combine if you're creative enough.

Looks like they're really liking the idea of doing combiner leaders separated.

Hung-Grr anyone?