Join me for my impressions of botcon and coverage of the Botcon 2011 Hasbro Panel!

AFI’s full Botcon Galleries will be up soon, but here’s my coverage and thoughts on the con!

Botcon 2011 opened to the public on Saturday June 4th.   It was noticeably less crowded than the last
Pasadena Botcon in 2009.  There was no line for at the door tickets, and while well attended it was not
the wall to wall cattle pen that 2009 was.   I suspect there was less mass media coverage, and the lack
of stars from the upcoming movie in attendance might have cut down on casual fans.   The Souvenir Sets
finally sold out by the end of the con even though numbers were increased to 1500-1800
of each set. 

Hasbro Transformers Brand Panel:

Pictures were not allowed, but here’s a rundown of the important news and announcements from the
panel as well as images of the items that were placed in the showroom display after the panel:

• The Panel was led by Greg Lombardo, Hasbro Marketing who is in his last year with the Hasbro
  Brand.  In attendance were various design and marketing team members.
• Reveal the Shield/Generations:   Hasbro will make an effort to get more of the "Lost Waves" to
  market.
•  Generations WILL continue through 2011, though no new product was show.

Dark of the Moon:

• The line was greeted by an audible "BOO" from the audience.
• The MechTech gimmick was explained as a way to externalize the gimmicks and keep the figure
  solely a poseable transforming toy, unlike past "Mech Alive" or other integral gimmicks.
• An new DOTM DX Air Raid figure was show, a green and white jetplane with a round Mech Tech
  shield/sensor array accessory.  This is a totally different figure than the Japanese DOTM Air Raid
  which is a ROTF Breakaway repaint.
•  A new DOTM DX Armored Topspin in silver was shown.  
• Dark Iron, a DOTM DX Sideswipe repaint w/ a new head was shown.   The head and color is an
  homage to Beast Wars Quickstrike.
• DOTM Deluxe Wave 6 will have 2 figures to be revealed after the film premiere.
• A repainted DOTM Voyager Cannon Force Ironhide in RED was announced.  This marks the
  first "real" Red version of Movie Ironhide as up to now the red recolors were all Legends,
  Activators or Speed Stars toys.
• DOTM Human Alliance will have 1 figure revealed after the film premiere.
• Cyberverse Wave 3 will include Shockwave w/ Fusion Tank and Ratchet in white w/ Lunar
  Crawler.
  

  

  

   

2011 Dark of the Moon Exclusives:

• Cyberverse Battle Pack – an homage to the on set accident with the Bumblebee stunt car
  in Washington DC, this set includes Ironhide, Battle Damaged Bumblebee and white police
  repaints of Barricade and Crankcase.  The figures from this set are in the picture below along
  with additional recolors and figures from other sets.

  

• Target will receive Human Alliance Leadfoot complete with a robot dog what was originally
  intended to be a Powermaster-like engine but had to be made separate to give it more size.

  

• Target will also receive a DX 2 pack of the Wreckers including Topspin and Leadfoot.  Both
  Exclusive Leadfoot figures will sport the Target Logo as he’s based on the Target NASCAR Car.
• Target will also receive a series of translucent repaints of older movie  molds, the highlight of
  which is Space Case, a Terradive Repaint.

  

• K-Mart has 2 Human Alliance Multi Packs.  Each includes a full size and Scout Class HA figure
  as well as pilot figures.  The Bumblebee set is available now, the Sideswipe set is forthcoming. 
  Both of the larger figures feature a silver, black and neon green paint scheme.

  

Amazon Exclusive:

• One of the more impressive exclusives is Amazon’s 1986 Transformers: The Movie  Unicron.

  

Transformers Prime:

• There was a good size segment of the presentation dedicated to Transformers: Prime, which got
  a much better response from the audience than DOTM

  

• Prime Toys launch 12/1/11

  

  

• Deluxe Wave 2 will include Cliffjumper and Deluxe Wave  3 will include a Vehicon and
  Terrorcon Zombie Cliffjumper
• The Voyager offerings will include Optimus Prime and Bulkhead
• A DVD Entertainment Pack will include DX Optimus, Megatron and the 3 kids as non-poseable
  PVC figures.

  

• A number of work in progress shots and concept art for upcoming 2012 Prime toys were
  shown including:
  
  • DX Ratchet
  • Cyberverse Legion Wheeljack
  • Legion Bumblebee w/ various accessories and armaments
  • Legion Arcee
  • Cyberverse Commander Ironhide which featured a robot mode reminiscent of G1 but
    a vehicle mode and guns inspired by the movies
  • DX Soundwave as a predator drone type aircraft w/ removable Laserbeak that clips
    to his chest and converts into a weapon
  • DX Wheeljack
  • Voyager Starscream with a Light Up Mech Tech accessory and translucent parts indicating
    that Mech Tech will carry over to the Prime toys
• The reveal of work in progress images and information is a new thing Hasbro is trying at
  conventions and if fans cooperate by not taking pictures it’s something they will continue.

Q & A

• There will be no further War for Cybertron themed items unless a second game is developed.
• The future of Transformers: Animated is "up in the air" and the most likely avenue for future
  product is as exclusives.
• Mighty Muggs will carry on as exclusives when possible.
• Headmasters DVD is something Hasbro wants to do but there are not firm plans.

I leave you with a few more cosplay photos!

 ’Til all are one!

 Spy

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