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Transformers: Generations is a 2010 toy line by Hasbro. Much like the preceding Universe toy line, Generations covers different eras of Transformers; here, the toys are based upon characters from Generation 1 and the video game Transformers: War for Cybertron , as well as the Transformers comics by IDW Publishing. The figures consist of new molds as well as redecos of ones originally used in the Classics and Universe lines. These Deluxe Class figures stand at about 5.5 to 6 inches tall and feature intermediate to moderate transformation levels.
Hasbro, Inc. is an American worldwide toy and board game company. It is the largest toy maker in the world in terms of stock market value, and third largest with revenues of approximately $5.12 billion. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of Kenner, Parker Brothers, and Milton Bradley, among others.
Transformers: War for Cybertron is a third-person shooter video game developed by High Moon Studios and published by Activision. It was released in North America on June 22, 2010 and in PAL regions on June 25, 2010 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Two portable versions were released for the Nintendo DS, one featuring an Autobot campaign, the other a Decepticon campaign. A game for the Wii called Transformers: Cybertron Adventures was developed by Next Level Games and utilizes the same characters and setting as War for Cybertron. A sequel, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron was released on August 21, 2012 in North America and on August 24 in Europe.
IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly recognized as the fifth-largest comic book publisher in the United States, behind Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image Comics, ahead of other major comic book publishers such as Archie, Boom!, Dynamite and Oni Press. The company is perhaps best known for its licensed comic book adaptations of movies, television shows, video games, and cartoons.
The first wave of figures was released in July 2010. At the 2010 Cybertron Con in Shanghai, China, photos of upcoming figures set for release in Spring 2011 were unveiled. [1]
Shanghai is one of the four municipalities of the People's Republic of China. It is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze, and the Huangpu River flows through it. With a population of 24.2 million as of 2018, it is the most populous urban area in China and the second most populous city proper in the world. Shanghai is a global center for finance, innovation, and transportation, and the Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
The Generations line will continue from 2012 to 2013, which will include figures based on characters from the Transformers: Fall of Cybertron game. In addition, newer figures are released exclusively for the Asian market. These specific figures are known to collectors as "GDO" (Global Development Organization). [2]
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is a third-person shooter video game developed by High Moon Studios and published by Activision. It is the sequel to the 2010 video game Transformers: War for Cybertron, and directly follows the events of that game as the Autobots struggle to defeat their Decepticon foes in a war for their home planet of Cybertron. The game was released on August 21, 2012, in North America and on August 24, 2012, in Europe for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. In 2016, it was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on August 8, in Australia and on August 9, in North America. Mercenary Technology developed the game's Windows version, while Fun Labs developed the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions.
The initial line running from 2010 to 2011.
A sports car is designed to emphasise handling, performance or thrill of driving. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by many manufacturers around the world.
A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels at the front for steering and continuous tracks at the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cross-country capabilities of a tank and the handling of a wheeled vehicle.
Dirge is the name of several different fictional characters from the Transformers series. He was first introduced in 1985 as a villain in the Transformers series, appearing in the comic book by Marvel Comics and voiced by Bud Davis in the animated television series. Since then the name Dirge was also used by several other Transformers characters. In 2007 a limited edition Dirge toy was sold at the Transformers convention Botcon.
Megatron is a character from the Transformers franchise created by American toy company Hasbro in 1984, based on a design by Japanese toy company Takara. The original Megatron was the leader and warlord of the Decepticons, a fictional faction of sentient self-configuring modular extraterrestrial robotic lifeforms from the planet Cybertron. He serves as nemesis of the Autobot leader Optimus Prime.
Optimus Prime, known in Japan as Convoy, is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. He is a Cybertronian, an extraterrestrial species of sentient self-configuring modular robotic lifeforms, a synergistic blend of biological evolution and technological engineering. In almost every version of the mythos, Optimus is the leader of the Autobots, a faction of Transformers who are rivals of the Decepticons, another faction. He is defined by his strong moral character and is almost always portrayed as the primary hero of the story, opposing the evil Decepticon leader Megatron.
A semi-trailer truck is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer attaches to the tractor with a fifth-wheel coupling (hitch), with much of its weight borne by the tractor. The result is that both the tractor and semi-trailer will have a design distinctly different from that of a rigid truck and trailer.
The second line running from 2012 to 2013.
The third line running from 2013 to 2014.
The fourth line running from 2015 to 2016
Transformers: Titans Return is a part of the Generations toy line that involves transforming action figures that are either Headmasters or Titanmasters (Headmasters that form the heads of titans) or just regular Metrotitans. The Headmasters are usually about 4-6 inches tall, while the Titanmasters are about 20-22 inches tall, same with the regular Titans. Voyager Class figures have spring loaded "horns" to make the head seem bigger, while Leader Class figures have helmets for the Titan Master to sit in. All Leader Class figures (apart from Six Shot) are Triple-Changers. Some Legends Class figures feature compartments to allow Titan Masters to sit in them when in their alternate modes, while other are Triple-Changing "Spy Tablets" that fit inside the chest compartments of Leader Class Blaster and Leader Class Soundwave.
An amalgamation of the previous two entries in the Prime Wars trilogy, the Power of the Primes toyline features Deluxe and Voyager class figures which can combine together, while the Legend class figures could allow the Prime Master figures to sit in their cockpit/seats. The Leader class featured characters which came with a relatively Deluxe-sized figure which could combine with another portion to create a larger figure, as well as an accompanying Matrix accessory.
Transformers: Reveal the Shield is a 2010-2011 expansion of the Generations line that also includes figures from or inspired by the live-action film series. The sub-line gets its name from the heat-activated silver sticker on each figure that reveals an Autobot or Decepticon insignia when rubbed. Over half of the Scout Class figures were canceled before production.
Transformers: United is the Japanese release of the Generations and Reveal the Shield figures by Takara Tomy. [21] All figures in this line are metallic redecos of the Hasbro versions. [22] The line originally ended in March 2011 with G2 Optimus Prime and eHobby exclusive three-packs, [23] however, Takara Tomy continues to release figures in this line throughout 2012.
Galvatron is a name adopted by several fictional characters in the Transformers robot superhero franchise. He is usually the recreated form of Megatron, the Decepticon leader; however, it has been used for separate and unrelated characters, most notably the main villain of the anime series Beast Wars II, and the character from the more recent IDW Publishing G1 series.
Arcee is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers franchise. They are female Autobots, usually pink or blue in color. Being the most famous of the Female Autobots, she has made more appearances and has had several more incarnations than any other female Transformer. Originally she turned into a car, however, later incarnations have turned into motorcycles. The character has gained much notability upon appearing in Transformers: Prime, even though that incarnation is significantly altered than the others. Arcee's design, alternate mode, and personality vary depending on continuity. Usually colored pink and white, she has also been depicted as a blue-colored character, and Botcon storyline saw her reformatted into a Maximal spider.
Soundwave is a fictional character appearing in the various Transformers continuities in the Transformers robot superhero franchise. His most well-known transformation is that of a microcassette recorder. Throughout most of his incarnations, he is an undyingly loyal lieutenant of the Decepticon leader Megatron. He is Megatron's eyes and ears and, in some interpretations, only speaks when mocking the Autobots.
Jazz is a fictional robot superhero character from the Transformers robot superhero franchise. He is usually portrayed as a music-loving robot and speaks in slang. He is also Optimus Prime's good friend and right-hand man.
Jetfire is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers franchise. He is almost always depicted as an Autobot with jet or space shuttle alternate mode.
Wheeljack is a fictional robot superhero character in the Transformers robot superhero franchise. Wheeljack is usually depicted as a very smart mad scientist who has invented numerous creations, including the Dinobots in Generation 1. His most useful invention is an almost impenetrable mask with bulbs on each side that light up when he talks. He is one of Optimus Prime's closest friends. In many incarnations, Wheeljack is an Autobot, but he is sometimes portrayed as a Decepticon.
Hound is a fictional alien robot character from the Transformers robot superhero franchise. He is sometimes referred to as Autobot Hound for trademark purposes.
BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention", was an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994. BotCon is a syllabic abbreviation for "Robot Convention" but also refers to "Autobot" and "Decepticon", the protagonist and antagonist robot factions in the many continuities in the Transformers franchise.
Sideswipe is a fictional robot superhero character in the Transformers franchise. Because of trademark restrictions, toys of the character are sometimes marketed as SideSwipe.
Ramjet is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers toy-based robot superhero media franchise. All have been Decepticon-aligned characters who turn into jets, usually white in color.
Cliffjumper is the name of several fictional robot superhero characters from the Transformers robot superhero franchise. His name is usually associated with an Autobot whose toys are often red repaints or remold of Bumblebee toys.
Transformers Classics is a line of Transformers toys based on and resembling the first generation (G1) characters introduced in the 1980s. The toy line was created to fill the gap in Transformers product releases between the end of the Transformers: Cybertron series and the start of 2007 live-action movie; as well as tie-in to the release of the Transformers: The Movie 20th Anniversary Special Edition DVD edition, and later Transformers Animated, then in Transformers Universe Classics / Henkei.
Roadbuster is the name of three fictional characters from the various Transformers series in the Transformers robot superhero franchise.
Rodimus Prime is a fictional robot superhero character from the Transformers franchise. He was formerly known as Hot Rod and in The Transformers: The Movie, he was reformatted into Rodimus Prime when he received the Autobot Matrix of Leadership and assumed the role of the movie's protagonist. Hasbro has used the names Autobot Hot Rod, and Rodimus as replacements for later characters, due to trademark issues with the name Hot Rod. His alternate mode varies between depictions, but usually possesses a red, yellow, and silver paint job.
Smokescreen is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers robot superhero franchise.
Windblade is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers continuities in the Transformers robot superhero franchise. She is always depicted as a female Autobot that can turn into a VTOL jet.
Transformers Go! is a Transformers anime series and toyline exclusive to Japan. It features several Autobots teaming up to battle the evil Predacons seeking to conquer Earth. It is the first animated series in the franchise to be produced in Japan, following a hiatus of 8 years since Transformers: Cybertron.
Knock Out is a fictional character from the computer-animated series, Transformers: Prime. The character was initially introduced as a medic of the Decepticons and responsible for taking care of Megatron while he was in a coma. After Megatron regained consciousness, he continued serving him. Despite his status as a medic, Knock Out would often participate in field missions with his partner Breakdown. Following Breakdown's death during the second season, Knock Out would often be partnered for the rest of the series with Starscream and Shockwave, to help them with their scientific experiments against the Autobots. In the series finale, after the Decepticons are defeated, Knock Out attempts to join the Autobots; a goal that he achieves in the TV film, Predacons Rising.