Japanese fans will have an opportunity to prove how much they know about Transformers. Japanese Website Kentei Uketsuke, known in Japan for offering tests and certificates for an enormous amount of categories (from how much do you know about rice to otaku knowledge), has opened a new Official Transformers Kentei (Proficiency Test).

The proficiency test will be taken this upcoming February 16th in Tokyo and Osaka. There’s a practice section on the site for fans to train for the test. There are several multiple-choice questions from several Transformers series (G1, Beast Wars and even Cyberverse) and movies. While the practice questions seem to be easy, these Kentei tests are known for having really tricky and hard questions.

A very interesting challenge for fans in Japan. Click on the bar to share your impressions on the 2005 Boards!

Another bit of interesting news is coming. The official Takara Tomy Twitter has announced that they are partnering with popular Japanese Magazine TV-Kun in a Transformers 35th Anniversary Commander Convoy Box Crowdfunding Project.

This should be a promising crowdfunding project, but we still have not much details about it. The official site is up with just a teaser image featuring a gold chromed G1 Convoy / Optimus Prime figure and the name of the crowdfunding. What do you think it’s coming? Time will tell. Stay tuned with TFW2005 for more information once it’s available.

It’s speculation time then! Click on the bar to see the mirrored promotional teaser image on this news post and then sound off your impressions on the 2005 Boards!

The official social media channels for Toys R Us Australia are alive with new content for the first time since the prior version closed after entering voluntary administration in 2018, with TFW2005 member Fasttrack alerting us to what we hope will be exciting news for collectors: Hobby Warehouse scored the license to bring the Toys R Us brand back to Australia – and debut it in New Zealand – starting online next week.

While Hasbro is one of the worldwide toy companies with whom this version of Toys R Us will be working, Transformers is not among the specific brands listed. For the support of our fellow collectors finding product, we sincerely hope that Transformers will eventually be available online and in stores through this new entity.

[Commercial advisor Kevin] Moore said: “Previously, the Toys“R”Us® and Babies“R”Us® business model in Australia was focused primarily on large physical retail stores which had high fixed costs and extended periods of relatively low sales due to seasonal factors. Going forward, the business model for Australia and New Zealand will be online focused, with smaller and fewer physical ‘experience centres’ that allow children and their families and friends to see and touch our products.”

Tru Kids Executive Vice President of Global Licensing & General Counsel, James Young, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Hobby Warehouse to bring Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us back to Australia and to launch in New Zealand. Louis Mittoni and his team have a strong digital vision and understand both the heritage of our iconic brands and how to evolve the shopping experience for the modern consumer. This is an exciting milestone for our company as we continue to grow Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us around the world.”

Could this all be a preview of the Tru Kids Brands strategy within the U.S. and other markets? Scan the FAQ and press release details here, then sound off on the 2005 boards!

Thanks to 2005 Boards Rookbartley who shared in our boars a curious sighting at his local Walmart.

Among several other licensed socks, there was a Transformers Casual Crew Socks 5-Pack made by Bioworld. The socks have 5 different designs featuring G1 Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Autobot and Decepticon insignias. They were found at Walmart in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

The Yokohama Doll Museum in Japan had announced a special Transformers 35th Anniversary Exhibition this year, and thanks to Autobase Aichi on Facebook we can share for you a nice gallery of this impressive event.

The exhibition features a nice selection of toys and displays, as well as art and merchandising for all visitors and fans. We can see toys from G1, Beast Wars, the movies and the new Cyberverse cartoon. Some displays recreate the transformation sequence of the characters using the same toy in different positions. One of the show off the upcoming Siege Commander Class Jetfire in all his glory.

There’s a special room with an impressive Transformers Masterpiece display, including the new MP-44 Convoy / Optimus Prime.  All the rooms are beautifully decorated with posters, art, information banners, statues, dioramas and even a giant G1 Optimus Prime head with light-up eyes. We are sure your optics will be really pleased with all the images.

Check out the complete gallery here and some key shots after the jump. Let us know your impressions on the 2005 Boards!

Fifty years from now, when you’re looking back at your life, don’t you want to be able to say you had the guts to be the next Associate Global Brand Manager for Transformers? Then roll out:

We’re seeking a digital-first-thinking, innovative consumer marketer, and brand developer to help manage and drive our high-profile Transformers franchise. In this critical role, you will support the creation and execution of a cohesive and actionable franchise marketing plan. Partnering with internal and external resources, you will ensure that brand expressions are consistent across the globe and across all platforms, and execute integrated initiatives that touch franchise entertainment, digital gaming, promotional campaigns, and public relations activities. 

Scan the job description after the read more jump, apply here and then join in the discussion on the 2005 boards!

[Read more…]

We here at TFW2005.COM pride ourselves on our great community of members who are here contributing to discussions and content daily. It’s a sad day for us when we lose one of our own. Earlier this morning, board member TCracker passed away. He had been battling cancer for some time, and now his fight is over.

Simon loved Transformers, this hobby, and sharing it with us. He was a very talented photographer, which is what most know of him for (you can view his work on his Facebook photography page). He also loved to customize Transformers figures, and his creative work inspired many (His Alternators Drift is a favorite of mine). He was also a regular contributor to many of our threads, notably the Masterpiece Appreciation thread. Simon was a witty guy, and this shown through his photography as well as many of his regular posts here. Also known for his fierce passion for the hobby, Simon constantly looked for new ways to share this hobby with others. He loved contributing here in many ways, and his presence will certainly be missed.

TFW2005.COM Staff here wish to extend our condolences to his family and friends as they grieve the loss. Feel free to share your thoughts and feelings after the jump in our ongoing discussion paying respect to the memory of our fallen friend.

Isn’t it cool when you see a car or other vehicle with a Transformers symbol? Well, we can share for you something that really takes it to a completely different level.

The official U.S Air Forces Central Command Website has uploaded a pair of pictures showing off a real US Air Force F-15C Eagle Featuring a Decepticon Symbol. Starscream has never looked so real, not even in the Masterpiece line.

The images show Airmen preparing to do post-flight maintenance of the F-15C Eagle in Southwest Asia, and the images are dated May 8, 2019. The Decepticon symbol can be seen clearly in the right side near the cockpit. A very curious but sure cool view!

Update: Thanks to the eagle-eye of 2005 Boards member XIII who noticed that it also says “STARSCREAM” under the canopy. There’s really more than meets the eye here!

Click on the bar to see the mirrored images on this news post and then chime in your impressions on the 2005 Boards!