As we told you all few days back, Hasbro broadcasted the HUB Initiative Webcast just moments ago.
Main events :
*Transformers: Prime Theme Music
*Potential Toyline based on Transformers: Prime and other TV Shows
*HUB TV shows going Global
*Clips from Transformers: Prime and from other shows
*Programme Schedule Finalized
*TV Episodes will depend on Character Development and how the Story Telling will go
*Online Content debuting on 27th September, 2010
*Transformers: Prime Scripts are Fantastic says Margaret Loesch
*Sunbow Transformers TV Series (G1) and Transformers: The Movie will go live.
And Many Many More..
Do you want to know what happened? Read on my friends… Read on… The TRANSFORMERS franchise sees the triumphant return of the AUTOBOTS characters to television in cutting edge computer-generated animation. The series both deepens the epic mythology of AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS, while starting fresh for a new generation of viewers and future TRANSFORMERS fans. With a bold and modern new look, OPTIMUS PRIME, BUMBLEBEE and others are back to roll out against MEGATRON’S latest plots to conquer Earth. The AUTOBOTS may be few against the DECEPTICONS menace, but they find increased strength here on their home away from home via bonds they’ve forged with three human teenagers. Make no mistake, the TRANSFORMERS series will deliver heavy metal action and nail-biting suspense — but also promises to take human drama to levels as of yet unseen in the franchise.
Before the presentations they played Theme Music belonging to the Upcoming HUB Cartoons (Yes, the Full Transformers: Prime Theme Music).
Hasbro’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Brian Goldner told everyone “How HUB came to be”.
David M. Zaslav’s Presentation[/B]
*David M. Zaslav talked on behalf of Discovery. He mentioned that he’s proud to work with Hasbro.
*Says, Hard to tell which show will become the hit among the rest… Might be Transformers, might be G.I. Joe.
Margaret Loesch’s Presentation[/B]
*The Hub’s President and CEO, Margaret Loesch says they are ready to launch.
*Programme Schedule Finalized.
*The name HUB means “Destination”. A Destination For Kids.
*Programmes aim for both adults and children.
*Advertisers are positive.
*168 Hours of Programming per week.
*3PM Transformers: Prime and G. I. Joe.
*Preview Clip of the Shows. Must be the one on their HUB Website.
*Two clips from Haunting Hour.
*HUB Website will get updated and it’ll be the Official Launch on September 27th, with many stuff.
*Her 40th year in television next year. So, basically she’s really happy to work for the HUB.
Hasbro Studios’ President, Stephen Davis’ Presentation[/B]
*Discusses what Hasbro Studios turned up to be.
*The success of Hasbro’s Hub; The Ways To Win.
*Hasbro’s products are the Key Drivers.
*Will focus on Hasbro’s Brands (So… There’s a good chance that you’ll all get a Toy Line for Transformers: Prime).
*Highest Quality Programming.
*G. I. Joe and Transformers are the main focus on production.
*Gives credit to voice talents of Transformers: Prime, G. I. Joe Renegades and Pound Puppies.
*Video Clips from Programmes. We can’t see them.
*Programmes will go International, across the Globe. (Yay!!!)
*Story is just beginning.
Chief Financial Officer, Deborah Thomas[/B]
*Marketing and Financial stuff.
*Hasbro dished-out $300Million for the Joint Venture.
*Benefits from Sales based on Toys from various TV Series (Yep, There’s the Transformers: Prime Toyline confirmation for you).
*What happened in 2009, 2010 and what will happen in 2011 for the Financial Aspect of the HUB.
Q&A Session[/B]
*Someone asked about the HUB’s growth?
*How International Programming will go?
*When/How will it go International and the potential? Answer : Shows will be dubbed.
*About licensing? Answer : Will spend a lot on that. Not commenting on what will or will not be profitable.
*Transformers: Prime – It seems that they’ve showed the SDCC2010 Clip before.
*Brief mention of Transformers 3.
*TV Rights for US? Answer: Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcakes will be on other channels as well.
*About TV Episodes? Answer : It’ll depend on Character Development and how the Story Telling will go.
*Web programmes? Online content. Games by Electronic Arts(EA), Clips from Episodes.
*Educational Content? How advertising defer from other Channels? Answer: Discovery will air 3 Hours a day worth Educational content. Obtained rights of “Carmen Sandiego”. Kids Afternoon and Saturday Morning (9AM to 3:30PM).
*Transformers: Prime Scripts are Fantastic says Margaret Loesch.
*Older Episodes of Transformer? Sunbow TV Series and Transformers: The Movie will go live. Same can be said for G. I. Joe. Monday to Friday.
Mission Accomplished!!! said the Presenters.
Don’t worry if you’ve missed it. Hasbro will replay the Webcast two hours later (12PM ET).
Catch it!
Title Thanks to Joe Moore! Images Thanks to Tony Bacala! A special “Thank You” to all who helped to put this report together.
Ash from Carolina
I agree Hasbro has more than enough stuff going to worry about rush out yet another live action movie after Bay leaves.
Give it some time on the shelf and when they do find the right production team it makes it far easier to start from scratch rather than attempting to salvage the Bay Universe. Sort of like how Batman and Star Trek were put on the shelf for a while and came back with something different than their other films.
Sprocket
Well, Cartoon Network exists worldwide, but despite being a Cartoon Network production, Transformers Animated aired on a Nickelodeon channel in the United Kingdom.
International distribution of TV shows is funny that way.
eagc7
im kinda Confused has Discovery Confirmade that there wont be Hub in Latin AMerica/Brazil Still Hasbro plans to release their shows internationaly
G1_Cindersaur
yeah but just imagine the potential of a transformers movie without bay…
I can wait 2 to 4 or more years just with the thought of seeing something bay has not made….
Alienbot
Perhaps, but it might take many years for another movie to get made without a director. When the Spider-Man movie with Andrew Garfield comes out, it'll have been five years since Sam Raimi's threequel. Prime, alongside Irvine's upcoming Exodus sequel, and a possible WFC sequel, is good long term planning.
Hiro Prime
Until Transformers 4 hit the theaters. You just know there will be another movie even if Bay doesn't want to do it. The movies make too much money for Paramount and Hasbro to not continue them in some fashion.
Sprocket
That's it in a nutshell: it's been that way for foreign distribution for years. Transformers Animated, for example, despite being a Cartoon Network production, aired on a Nickelodeon affiliate in the United Kingdom.
SilverOptimus
Many had asked me about what this "International Release" means. This is what I have understood of it….
First of all, check whether you have "Discovery Kids" on your Local/Cable/Satellite TV. If you have that channel, then you'll have Hasbro's HUB on 10/10/10.
If you don't have Discovery Kids, then you'll have to wait till one or more of your Local Channels to broadcast specific HUB Programs.
Ex: In Sri Lanka, we don't have "Cartoon Network" as a local channel. But a Channel called "ARTTV" is broadcasting specific Cartoon Network cartoons like Ben10, Johnny Bravo, Dexter's Laboratory and Powerpuff Girls etc. under license.
Alienbot
You know what'd be funny? If the Prime Optimus, Bumblebee and Megatron designs were sold under the TF3 toy line as Deluxe or Voyager versions of the film characters, considering they're basically caricatures of ILM's work.
Sprocket
Hasn't stopped them before: Energon, anyone?
Plus there's the whole 'having two 40 dollar transforming Optimus Prime toys of rather similar design on the shelves at the same time' issue.
Omnius
The downside to that would be Hasbro would miss the Christmas rush, and the second season of Prime will start in the autumn so it makes sense to get product out then.
Sprocket
I was honestly expecting January 2012, myself, to give movie 3 at least six months uninterrupted on the toy shelf. We'll see, I guess.
Ash from Carolina
I agree out of the choices it's better to delay the entire line instead of putting out a few figures now and then putting the entire line on hold. I know personally it's been frustrating dealing with the Classics stuff always getting put on hold so at least for me I'd rather have an uninterrupted line of Transformers Prime toys.
eagc7
good move from hasbro seeing how many toylines they are working with. HFTD, PCC, Generations and TF3
Sprocket
The important characters (Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron) aren't different enough from their movie counterparts that it'll be an issue anyway, not when you're too young to care. Can't get a Prime version? Just buy the movie version instead!
Omnius
Out of the options available, I think leaving the toyline until late 2011 is the better move – I'd rather delay Prime's toyline than see Hasbro cram it in between movies. Once TF3's out of the way it's hopefully clear sailing for other lines.
Ash from Carolina
I guess there aren't many options open to Hasbro.
You'd want a new Transformers series out as quickly as you could on the new Hub network to draw in people. Lots of choices in kids entertainment these days so you need something to get the attention of people so you aren't lost in the mix of places that just show old cartoons.
Hasbro has to do a third movie line because retailers are ******ed for movie tie in lines. Doesn't matter that retailers get stuck with loads of toys they can't sell from most movies they still want a flood of movie toys on the off chance it's one of the rare times they can sell them all.
But yea I'm a little worried that the movies stepping on the toes of everything else could net us another Animated toy line. Just seems like kids got used to not having the toys so when they did come out it felt like too little too late.
Sprocket
…and?
I honestly thought it was going to be later, but I suppose being able to switch to the 'gold box' after the movie's had it's run means they can still market movie characters without tying them down to a specific movie. Hell, who knows, maybe Prime's toys'll just be part of the gold box line. I'm just trying to figure out how they'll sell two 40 dollar Optimus Prime toys that are completely different molds but are ridiculously similar to each other in the same year: it took about 12 months from the RotF Prime's release to the current 'Battle Hooks' Leader Prime toy, and that was just a remold.
Fort Max
I'll just wait for the update rather then slog through investor speak.
caitlindevi
Oh…just having a listen to the podcast.
Around 1hr35min in the Q&A theres a a question about why the strategy of having the product hitting the shelf date of October 2011!!!!!
Thats a LONG time people. A year between show starting and product available to customer…They're playing a dangerous game here. Kids like toys and shows together, I just hope they have new episodes at the same time as the product hits otherwise the interest will have subsided.
It should be noted that this wasn't specifically said to be transformers, but it obviously inclues it alongside GIjoe Renegades (teen GiJoes playing Ateam) etc.
With Transformers though its looking like they're launching Prime product AFTER the movie lines. They're running the risk of the crossover issues they had with the movie and Animated. Ture it'll be reduced somewhat due to the likeness of the prime designs and the movies designs but it'll still be there
1hr 52mins – Late night hub – G1 Transformers and GIJoe – aimed at the 30 something fanbase. It wouldn't surprise me if next year the Hub are producing shows covering the TF cons next year to fit this slot too.