STELLAR LINE UP UNVEILED AHEAD OF

RESORTS WORLD ™ SENTOSA TRANSFORMERS CYBERTRON CON 2012

Fans to look forward to expert panel sessions, Con exclusives, 50 customised model kits and more.

Singapore, 4 March 2012 – With less than a week remaining to the biggest TRANSFORMERS event to hit Southeast Asia, branded play company, Hasbro (Singapore), the organisers for the upcoming RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA SINGAPORE TRANSFORMERS CYBERTRON CON 2012 (‘Cybertron Con’), has announced a series of special opportunities for TRANSFORMERS fans to look forward to.

Led by displays of TRANSFORMERS toys, collectibles, video games,  and more, the Cybertron Con, held at the Resorts World Convention Centre, Compass Ballroom, from 11 to 14 March 2012, will also offer fans an inside look into the breadth of upcoming releases and products via a four-day spectacle of panel sessions with TRANSFORMERS brand stewards, designers and more. Fans can expect to learn the latest developments from the brand including details on the upcoming fall release of the ‘Fall of Cybertron’ video game, upcoming products from the TRANSFORMERS: Prime line.

Panel Sessions

Giving fans a peek behind the curtain and an inside look into what’s coming in the future of TRANSFORMERS, the Cybertron Con line-up of panel sessions are as follows:

- President of Hasbro Studios, Stephen Davis;

- TRANSFORMERS Global Brand Director, Jerry Jiovin;

- TRASNFORMERS Global Brand Design & Development Vice President, Aaron Archer;

- Vice President of Production, Hasbro Studios, Kathy Page (producer, The Spectacular Spiderman, Scooby Doo, Tom and Jerry);

- Jeff Kline (producer, TRANSFORMERS: Prime, G.I. Joe: Renegades, Men In Black: The Series);

- President/CEO of Polygon Pictures Inc., Shuzo Shiota (producer, TRANSFORMERS: Prime); and

- Jose Lopez (designer, Godzilla, Green Lantern: First Flight, Men In Black: The Series).

For a complete list and bios of the special guests at Cybertron Con, please visit www.cybertroncon.com.

Con Exclusives

As a treat to all convention attendees, Hasbro has also announced a myriad of ‘Con Exclusives’ which can be purchased at the Merchandising Zone. As an added bonus, Takara Tomy lead designer, Hideaki Yoke, will also be on hand to autograph the first 100 sets of Transformers Optimus Prime with Trailer Cybertron Con 2012 Special Edition Set sold. Enthusiasts and collectors are advised to arrive early on opening day (11 March 2012) for a chance to own one of the first 100 sets with Hideaki Yoke’s autograph. Amongst the other exclusive offerings available during the Con include TRANSFORMERS themed luggage, apparel, battle masks, iPhone covers and more. For more information and updates, please join the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/transformerssingapore.com.

Closed Door Design and Animation Sessions

In addition, Cybertron Con will also present rare opportunities for aspiring designers to receive first-hand tips and lessons from TRANSFORMERS design and animation experts such as renowned lead TRANSFORMERS designer Hideaki Yoke; Jose Lopez, Art Director for Hasbro Studios best known for his work on characters and props on the animation series, TRANSFORMERS: Prime; as well as producer Mr. Jeff Kline, responsible for recent animation productions such as TRANSFORMERS: Prime, G.I. Joe: Renegades, Men in Black: The Series, et cetera.

Interested convention attendees are advised to register quickly during the Con due to the limited vacancies.

TRANSFORMERS Re-Imagined

Unique to this year’s Cybertron Con is a display of 50 specially customised Optimus Prime and Bumblebee model kits designed by 50 renowned local designers and hobbyists who have put their own spin and design into creating models unlike any the industry has even seen. Amongst the big names included in the display are film director Eric Khoo, fashion designer Daniel Boey, popular local musicians Jack & Rai, as well as acclaimed local illusionist and magician J C Sum. The display has been touted to being one of the ‘must-visit’ sections of the convention.

KRE-O Augmented Reality Interactive Zone

The latest Augmented Reality (AR) technology will bring the KRE-O TRANSFORMERS to life – and meet the public. Attendees need only to stand in front of a big screen and they will see themselves captured ‘live’ by a video camera – just like on the big screen at a stadium, et cetera. Stepping into the interactive zone, the KRE-O toy, Bumblebee, would appear, standing beside them. Taking it one step further, Bumblebee will then interact with them – as if they are actually in a ‘parallel world.’ Apart from ‘dancing’ with the audience, up on the screen, Bumblebee will even give participants a ‘high five’ before transforming into a sports car and driving away.

Retrospective Display

To showcase the history of the brand, Hasbro will present an extensive collection of historical TRANSFORMERS items from throughout the brand’s 28 year history via a visually stunning exhibit. The exhibit will take fans through the chronological progression of the TRANSFORMERS brand, beginning with the classic ‘Generation One’ era. As fans proceed through, they will be able to view extensive artwork and information about characters and stories from different eras of the brand from ‘Beast Wars’ to the most recent entertainment blockbuster movie and the current ‘TRANSFORMERS: Prime’ series.

Other special events and exhibits will include:

• A 22-foot tall Optimus Prime character statue, one of the largest TRANSFORMERS statues ever;
• Three-dimensional action figure dioramas capturing scenes from popular TRANSFORMERS entertainment including the blockbuster movies;
• National ‘Fastest Fingers First’ Competition 2012, testing convention goers’ skills at transforming toy figures from “robot” to “vehicle” mode and back to ‘robot’ mode or viz-a-viz .

Tickets for the convention are priced at $12 for day ticket and $68 for VIP 4-day package. To complete the TRANSFORMERS experience, a special 3D2N package – comprising hotel accommodation, a pair of tickets to 2012 Cybertron Con, Universal Studios Singapore, and the Maritime Experiential Museum and Aquarium (MEMA) – has also been rolled out. Day packages consisting tickets to these three attractions are also available at $77 (Adult), $62 (Child) and $48 (Senior Citizen).

Fans who wish to attend 2012 Cybertron Con are encouraged to reserve their packages and tickets fast through the Resorts World Sentosa website at www.rwsentosa.com, ticketing booths located at Universal Studios Singapore, RWS Ticketing and Membership Hub and MEMA, via reservation hotline +65 6577 8888, or through authorised travel agents now.

More information will be released closer to date. In the meantime, for more information and updates on 2012 Cybertron Con, please visit www.cybertroncon.com or join the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/transformerssingapore.

From end of this month onwards, the Transformers Dark of the Moon (DOTM) movie toys in the local retail stores have been gradually replaced by the latest Transformers Prime toys, that are based on the animated series of the same name.  Here are some of them that have already been spotted at mass retail:

Transformers Prime Deluxe figures - wave 1

Available at Singapore Toys ‘R’ Us (TRU) & leading local dept stores at SGD 27.90 each.

Transformers Prime Deluxe figures - wave 2

Available at Singapore Toys ‘R’ Us (TRU) & leading local dept stores at SGD 27.90 each.

Transformers Prime Voyager figures - wave 1

Available at Singapore Toys ‘R’ Us (TRU) & leading local dept stores at SGD 54.90 each.

Transformers Prime Cyberverse Commander figures - wave 1

Available at Singapore Toys ‘R’ Us (TRU) & leading local dept stores at SGD 19.90 each.

Transformers Prime Cyberverse Legion figures - wave 1

Available at Singapore Toys ‘R’ Us (TRU) & leading local dept stores at SGD 11.90 each.

If you collect this toyline, happy waiting or the Great Singapore sale from end-May to mid-July to get them!

G4 My Little Pony Princess Celestia

In Singapore, she is found at Changi Airport T2 Transit Area for SGD 37.30 (no GST).

Or at Singapore Toys ‘R’ Us (TRU) and other leading local dept stores for SGD 39.90.

G4 My Little Pony Princess Celestia toy video review

I dislike the talking voice and sentences used by the toy.  They sound nothing like her at all if you watch the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic (FiM) show.  And unfortunately, this toy is pink in color, when the actual character from the FiM show has a white body!!

But if you prefer show accurate toys and you are willing to wait some more months, a white version of this toy will be released some time in Q3 this year.  This white Princess Celestia has been unveiled at the recent New York Toy Fair held earlier this month.  So happy waiting for white Celestia to arrive!

G4 My Little Pony - G4 My Little Pony Princess Celestia & Princess Luna (SGD 19.90)

Available at Singapore Toys ‘R’ Us (TRU) and other leading local dept stores (minus the Canterlot sticker label), while stocks last!

G4 My Little Pony Princess Celestia & Princess Luna toys video review.

During the week, I received the following press release email from Transformers Cybertron Convention (TFCC) 2012:

“Dear Friends of the Media,

With close to 22 days remaining to the first ever Southeast Asia RWS Singapore Transformers Cybertron Con 2012, Autobot heroes, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, have arrived in Singapore to prepare for the region’s inaugural Cybertron Con. The two wasted no time in getting to know the locals and soaking up the local flavour in a special tour of our Lion City.

Please find attached and below, a peek at their pre-Con tour of Singapore.

Thanks,
CybertronCon”

————

“IT IS OFFICIAL: TRANSFORMERS MANIA HAS BEGUN!
Optimus Prime and Bumblebee Take Singapore Ahead of Cybertron Con 2012

Singapore, 17 February 2012 - Singaporeans were greeted by a surprising yet familiar sight earlier today as two iconic characters from popular entertainment franchise, TRANSFORMERS, took to the streets in their pre-Cybertron Convention 2012 tour of Singapore. Autobot leader Optimus Prime and his trusted brother-in-arms, Bumblebee, arrived early into Singapore and wasted no time in getting to know the Lion City, their home for the next three weeks.

Here for the Resorts World Sentosa Singapore Transformers Cybertron Con 2012 (’Cybertron Con‘) due to take place from 11 to 14 March, the two began their tour of Singapore ahead of the event’s Southeast Asian debut with a visit to locations such as the Old Airport Road Food Centre, the market at Kallang Centre, Chinatown and even Raffles Place, stopping to rub shoulders with the locals who have made such locations a common feature in their daily lives.

Indeed, there was more than meets the eye at Old Airport Road Food Centre this morning for breakfast regulars as Optimus Prime and Bumblebee sat down to a hearty traditional local breakfast complete with Kaya Toast, Kopi, and fried dough, known to many a Singaporean as ‘You Tiao’.

A tradition breakfast: Kaya Toast, Kopi and ‘You Tiao’.

Captivating onlookers with their sudden and unexpected appearance, the two posed for pictures with eager TRANSFORMERS fans who recognised the two almost instantly.

Said Daniel Tan, 30, designer, who was ecstatic about the Autobots’ visit, “Who are they? Optimus Prime and Bumblebee of course! The TRANSFORMERS was a programme that I grew up watching. I had their toys and almost never missed an episode”.

Referring to the upcoming Cybertron Con, Tan added, “It will be amazing to see what the upcoming Cybertron Con will bring. It’s something that will be hard to miss”.

Here’s a quick look at Optimus Prime and Bumblebee’s journey through the streets of Singapore.

Lunch at Maxwell Food Centre.

Optimus and Bumblebee thrilled by the selection of food.

Even long queues fail to deter our two heroes!

Patience finally pays off with a bagful of yummy goodness!

Next Stop, Chinatown.

A Quick Ice-Cream Sandwich Stop.

Followed by a Mid-Afternoon Trishaw Ride.

And Finally Raffles Place MRT Station to meet their adoring fans!

————

Fans who wish to attend 2012 TRANSFORMERS Cybertron Con are encouraged to reserve their packages and tickets fast through the Resorts World Sentosa website at http://www.rwsentosa.com, ticketing booths located at Universal Studios Singapore, RWS Ticketing and Membership Hub and MEM, via reservation hotline +65 6577 8888, or through authorised travel agents now. Tickets for the Cybertron Con are priced at $12 for day ticket and $68 for VIP 4-day package.

For regular updates on Cybertron Con, please join the Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/transformerssingapore or visit http://www.cybertroncon.com.”

————

That is all for now, happy waiting for TFCC 2012 everyone!

ASMzine.com just did a coverage of Toy Fair 2012 (being held in the US this week) and have posted the photos online.  The Hasbro photos section is now available for viewing and some of the popular Hasbro Toylines featured there are:

G.I.Joe

Littlest Pet Shop

Marvel

My Little Pony

Star Wars

Kre-o

Transformers

Enjoy viewing all the photos at http://toyfair12.asmzine.com/gallery/hasbro/ & some more at http://toyfair12.asmzine.com/gallery/hasbro/press-kit-images/index.html

(Note: Just refresh the ASM links if the pages do not load).

P.S. I haven’t viewed all the toy photos yet though.  There are so many of them to cover!

Set of 6 MOC G4 My Little Pony with pets - wave 1 (SGD 70.00)

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity & Rainbow Dash.

I have an extra Mint-on-Card (MOC) set of the above 6 G4 My Little Pony toys (1 of each in the set) for sale.  I’m selling these 6 ponies as a set only.

For local buyers, it’s free delivery to a mutually location in mainland Singapore.  Payment method is Cash on Delivery (COD).

For overseas buyers, please email me for air shipping quotation.  I accept only Paypal for overseas buyers.

Thanks for looking!

Transformers Cybertron Convention 2012 Mystery Exclusive Toys.  © Hasbro

Following my earlier blog post on the same event, this is a photo print out that I received with my Media Kit from the organisers of the upcoming Transformers Cybertron Convention (TFCC) 2012.

I have no idea if the silhouettes of the above mystery TFCC 2012 exclusive toys have been updated for 2012, or are reused from the promotional materials for the TFCC 2010 held in Shanghai.  But one thing’s for sure is that there will indeed be exclusive TFCC 2012 toys available for purchase.  Here are their official FAQ replies:

“Will there be TRANSFORMERS merchandise for sale at the event? What are the merchandise available and prices? Are there any exclusive items?”

“Yes, there will TRANSFORMERS merchandise available for sales in a wide range of prices. There will also be exclusive Cybertron Con items. These items will only be revealed at the event itself.”

“Can I pre-order any of the exclusive Cybertron Con items?”

“Unfortunately, pre-ordering requests for Con Exclusive(s) before the event will not be available. However, fans can purchase them at the event.”

These are all I have from the info source I’ve got.  Were the organizers of the past Botcons in the US so secretive about their exclusive toys as well?  I remember that most exclusive toys of many other toy conventions were revealed (or leaked perhaps?) way before the events themselves.  Maybe the above mystery exclusive toys of TFCC 2012 will be unveiled soon before the event starts.  I really hope so!  Happy waiting everyone!

I received this package at my home today and at first I wondered what it was for I did not recall buying anything online recently.  Then when I looked at the package, I realised what’s it about!

Transformers Cybertron Convention (TFCC) 2012 Media Kit!

Transformers Cybertron Con 2012 Collectible Gift - KRE-ON Optimus Prime’s so cute!

Transformers Cybertron Con 2012 Poster.  © Hasbro

Transformers Cybertron Con 2010 Displays at Shanghai - We can expect to see such similar displays of the latest Transformers toys at TFCC 2012.  © Hasbro

Transformers movie Bumblebee - I hope to see this car on display at TFCC 2012!!  © Hasbro

Main Information:

Event: Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) Singapore Transformers Cybertron Convention (TFCC) 2012

Dates: 11-14 March 2012 (Sun - Wed)

Opening Times:

11 March (11am – 9pm)
12 – 13 March (10am – 9pm)
14 March (10am – 6pm)

Venue: Compass Ballroom at RWS Convention Centre

Where to buy tickets (available from 3 Feb 2012):

1) Online at www.rwsentosa.com;

2) At Universal Studios Singapore ticketing booths;

3) At RWS Ticket and Membership Hub;

4) Via hotline 6577 8888

Tickets Prices:

1) SGD 12.00 for a 1-Day Pass

2) SGD 68.00 for a VIP 4-Day Pass - c/w Unlimited event access (11-14 Mar 2012); Photo opportunity w/22-ft Optimus Prime; 1 x VIP Lanyard; 1 x Transformers KRE-ON figure (should be similar to the one I received with my Media Kit)

There are some promotional packages tied with Universal Studios Singapore as well.  You can check out the official RWS website to find out more.

Official Write Up: The TRANSFORMERS Cybertron Con is a visually stunning exhibit celebrating the TRANSFORMERS brand. Fans can enjoy the full TRANSFORMERS experience via engaging activities and design workshops; extensive displays from the TRANSFORMERS toys; comics; entertainment franchise; as well as thrills from TRANSFORMERS: The Ride. This is the first ever TRANSFORMERS Cybertron Con to be held in Southeast Asia.

Organised by branded play company, Hasbro, the TRANSFORMERS Cybertron Con is a visually stunning exhibit celebrating the TRANSFORMERS brand which has taken the world by storm over the course of four decades, garnering a wide international fan following.

The bi-annual event aims to provide a platform for TRANSFORMERS fans from all over the world to unite and come together to collectively celebrate the love for the TRANSFORMERS brand with other lifelong fans and new fans alike. In addition to a colourful and interactive exhibition of stories, characters, art, action figures, and entertainment surrounding the TRANSFORMERS franchise, fans will also enjoy the ultimate TRANSFORMERS experience as they interact with, and meet the makers of the TRANSFORMERS franchise, as well as receive the latest news regarding the brand.

This is the second edition of the TRANSFORMERS Cybertron Convention with the inaugural convention held previously in Shanghai in 2010.

More on the TFCC 2012 info can be found at their official website, or you can also find them on their official Facebook page.

———–

LEon of Open The Toy also blogged about this event and our blog post formats are so similar (purely coincidental!).  He referred the organisers to me.  Thanks LEon!

Other local toy bloggers who have posted about this event are Katsuden, LittlePlasticMan, Shaun & desmond.  See you all there too!

I look forward to attending this exciting toy event next month.  Hope to see lots of local and overseas Transformers fans and collectors there too!  Happy waiting for TFCC 2012!