Transformers (toy line)

The Transformers (トランスフォーマー, Toransufomā) is a line of toys produced by the Japanese company Takara (now known as Takara Tomy) and American toy company Hasbro. The Transformers toyline was created from toy molds mostly produced by Japanese company Takara in the toylines Diaclone and Microman. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well. In 1984, Hasbro bought the distribution rights to the molds and rebranded them as the Transformers for distribution in North America. Hasbro would go on to buy the entire toy line from Takara, giving them sole ownership of the Transformers toy-line, branding rights, and copyrights, while in exchange, Takara was given the rights to produce the toys and the rights to distribute them in the Japanese market. The premise behind the Transformers toyline is that an individual toy's parts can be shifted about to change it from a vehicle, a device, or an animal, to a robot action figure and back again. The taglines "More Than Meets The Eye" and "Robots In Disguise" reflect this ability.

Transformers

Transformers (Japanese: トランスフォーマー, Hepburn: Toransufōmā) is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. Initially a line of transforming toys rebranded from Takara's Diaclone and Microman toylines, the franchise began in 1984 with the Transformers toy line, and centers on factions of transforming alien robots (often the Autobots and the Decepticons) in an endless struggle for dominance or eventual peace. In its decades-long history, the franchise has expanded to encompass comic books, animation, video games and films.

The term "Generation 1" covers both the animated television series The Transformers and the comic book series of the same name, which are further divided into Japanese and British spin-offs, respectively. Sequels followed, such as the Generation 2 comic book and Beast Wars TV series, which became its own mini-universe. Generation 1 characters underwent two reboots with Dreamwave in 2001 and IDW Publishing in 2005, also as a remastered series. There have been other incarnations of the story based on different toy lines during and after the 20th-Century. The first was the Robots in Disguise series, followed by three shows (Armada, Energon, and Cybertron) that constitute a single universe called the "Unicron Trilogy". A live-action film was also released in 2007, with a sequel in 2009, a second sequel in 2011, and a third in 2014. again distinct from previous incarnations, while the Transformers: Animated series merged concepts from the G1 story-arc, the 2007 live-action film and the "Unicron Trilogy". Transformers: Prime previously aired on The Hub.

Transformers (2003 video game)

Transformers (トランスフォーマー, Toransufōmā), or The Transformers: Call of the Future, is an action role-playing game released by Takara in October 2003 for PlayStation 2 exclusively in Japan. It is based on the popular Transformers animated series. During early stages of development it was led to believe by the media that the game was called Transformers: Tataki (トランスフォーマー: タタキ, Toransufōmā: Tataki), or Transformers: Assault, a title that many fans use to help disambiguate.

Overview

The game allows players to select a side (either Autobot or Decepticon). The Autobot side stars Optimus Prime, Jazz and Wheeljack, who are later joined by Rodimus Prime, Arcee and Kup. The Decepticon faction begins with Megatron (referred to here by his Japanese title Emperor of Destruction), Starscream and Soundwave with Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge joining them later on. Other Transformers are unlocked as the game progresses and join their respective factions. These Transformers include such Generation 1 stalwarts as Ratchet, Bumblebee, Hound, Astrotrain, Blitzwing and Shockwave. Later additions from the Transformers movie, such as Springer and Ultra Magnus, also appear. A number of characters from the Japanese exclusive series The Headmasters make appearances as well, notably the Trainbots and Sixshot (who is portrayed as a powerful ninja warrior as he was in the Headmasters anime), also included were Dark Hot Rod (Black Rodimus) and Optimus Clone (Black Convoy).

Transformers (film)

Transformers is a 2007 American science fiction action film based on the Transformers toy line. The film, which combines computer animation with live-action, is directed by Michael Bay, with Steven Spielberg serving as executive producer. It is the first installment of the live-action Transformers film series. It stars Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, a teenager who gets caught up in a war between the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, two factions of alien robots who can disguise themselves by transforming into everyday machinery, primarily vehicles. The Autobots intend to use the AllSpark, the object that created their robotic race, in an attempt to rebuild Cybertron and end the war while the Decepticons desire control of the AllSpark with the intention of using it to build an army by giving life to the machines of Earth. Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson, Megan Fox, Rachael Taylor, John Turturro, and Jon Voight also star while voice actors Peter Cullen and Hugo Weaving voice Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively.