Other Toys & Games

The Transformers is a line of toys produced by the toy companies Takara and Hasbro. more...

Home
Action Figures
Beanies
Construction Toys & Kits
Diecast & Vehicles
Toys & Games
Creative Toys/ Activities
Educational Toys
Electronic Pets
Fast Food/ Cereal/ Sweets...
Games
Jigsaws & Puzzles
Other Toys & Games
Outdoor Toys & Activities
Pre-School/ Young Children
Radio-Controlled Toys
Scalextric & Slot Car
Soft Toys/ Stuffed Animals
Steam
Toy Soldiers
Toys Model Kits
TV & Film Character Toys
Vintage/ Classic Toys
Wargames & Role-Playing

Initially reusing previously-released toys from the Japanese toylines Diaclone (ダイアクロン) and Microman (ミクロマン), Hasbro issued the toys under the name Transformers in the United States in 1984. 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.

The Transformers toyline is typically divided into two main factions: the heroic Autobots and their opponents, the evil Decepticons (known in Japan as the Cybertrons and Destrons, respectively). Transformers toys are sold at a number of price points, and various Transformers series utilize unique play features.

There have also been a number of spin-offs based on the toys including a Marvel comic book series, an animated television series program presented by Claster Television, a television production company that Hasbro organized for this and similar purposes, that began transmissions in 1984 (Transformers series) and a feature-length movie, The Transformers: The Movie. The original series program was followed by a number of spin-offs with varying levels of popularity. A live-action remake, directed by Michael Bay under the sponsorship of Steven Spielberg, premiered on June 12, 2007 and opened in the United States on July 2, 2007.

Creation

The Transformers toyline was developed by Hasbro after they met up with Takara representatives at the 1983 Toy Fair trade show in New York and proposed to combine and re-brand Takara's Diaclone and Micro Change toylines into the Transformers for release in the United States. Thus began a long and successful collaboration between Takara and Hasbro on toy development for the Transformers line, a collaboration which has grown increasingly close. Currently, Hasbro does the vast majority of the concept work and character creation, while Takara continues to control the actual manufacture of the toys. Hasbro markets and sells the toys internationally, while Takara sells them in the Japanese market. The design director for the Transformers brand, as of the first week of July of 2007, was Aaron Archer.

The basic back-story of the toyline and subsequent comic books and cartoons was developed by the Marvel Comics writers Jim Shooter and Dennis O'Neil; it was O'Neil who actually changed Convoy's name to Optimus Prime. Most of the subsequent character names and profiles throughout the original run were done by the primary Transformers US comic book writer, Bob Budiansky.

Read more at Wikipedia.org