Live blogging for Star Wars Hasbro panel starts now.

• Galactic Battle Game will be in every single carded except Vintage
• Each game card has 6 powers and and five ratings
• Will continue through 2011
• Animate Mace with come Jango helmet
• Flamethrower Trooper will flame accessory that can wrap around battle droid
• Battle with Sergent Bric will have the ability to store all game pieces and cards
• Arc Troopers battle pack with EIII version troopers
• Mandolorian Battle Pack
• Vintage will run for at least two years
• Will include prequels as well
• 37 figs in 2010 (4 waves, one every 6 weeks)
• 27 new or newly tooled figures
• 10 repacks
• EPIII wave will both and Sandtrooper and standard Storm trooper
• 12 foil chase versions (greatest hits of wave 1 and 2)
• Gamorean Guard, Ackbar and new Jedi Luke
• Skif Guard - Woof, R2-D2 with pop up lightsaber and drink tray
• Wicket to come accessories to make a ROTJ and Ewoks version (wrist and ankle articulation)
• Wedge is included, but delayed a couple months
• Bunch of stuff we already now about mail-away Boba and new Snowspeeder and Cloud Car
• BAT-AT has push button retractor to pull Luke up a la ESB
• New removable blade Force FX lightsaber make a short circuit sound if blade is not attached
• 4 new Galactic Heroes 2-packs coming (shirtless Maul!)
• Sounds on new role play Fett will be different depending if the range finder is down or up
• Short demo video of the new RC Millennium Falcon
• EXCLUSIVES!
• TRU: Kul Teska from Republic Heroes video game is huge a la Darktrooper
• Kmart: Joda Kast (belt is backwards)
• TRU: CW Nikto Skiff guards
• Walmart: DVD 2-packs with CW episodes
• TRU: Legacy of the Side 2-packs (Grievous Pre-cyborg and general, Young and OTC Boba, AOTC Anaking and OTC Darth Vader)
• Target: Hostage Crisis Battle Pack
• Target: Senate Commando and Captain 2-pack and Cad and IG-86 2-pack
• Kmart: 4 of the most popular troops (Cold-weather, ARF, pilot and jet-pack)
• Walmart: Kit Fisto star fighter
• Target: 6 new Geonosis Arena 2-packs (Nicanas Tassu, Greedo-style Jedi)
• TRU: Vintage box AT-AT (simulated corrugated cardboard look)
• Target: Vintage box Snowspeeder and Tie Fight (new cockpit with small wings)
• Target: 3 New Mighty Muggs 3-packs (mini version 3")
• Attack on Hoth with new AT-ST and cannon
• Defense of Hoth with New gun turret with beardless Hoth trooper
• New comic packs that we’ve seen
• SDCC and C5 comic packs we’ve seen (4LOM and Zuckuss deco with vintage)

Q&A

• No new protector cases
• No 3 3/4" Twilight
• No confirmation on Ultimate Battle Pack
• No new full size Muggs
• EU wave is done
• No new minatures

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Got into the panel late. Updating now.

• Takes place on Earth. Essentially same G1 story initially
• Look and feel is based G1, but going for a more cienamatic feel
• Stretching the limit with what can be done with
• Arcee to appear, but blue instead of pink
• Cliffjumper 60s style Mustang. Has a pair of steer horns on the hood.
• Ratchet in G1 deco
• Humans: Jack Darby, Miko Tezuka and Rafeal ‘Raf’ Esquivel
• Deceopticon Troopers: like stormtroopers (fuck, just overwrote a video file!)
• Peter Cullen just arrived
• Showing a behind the scenes with Peter Cullen and Frank Welker (audio problems)
• Peter got misty eyed over hearing Frank’s voice in the studio again
• Just showed a 30 second clip (not impressive, very Beast Wars-esque). I will have video of it posted soon.
• Please stopping fucking asking personal questions people!
• Line up for show - Soundwave, Starscream, Bulkhead and brand new characters (start with core and grow)
• Soundwave most likely will not his modulation, some character will have their voices
• Peter Cullen is the consummate professional. Bravo Peter!
• Sue Blue initially handled the voice direction, now another director has stepped in
• Say "Righteously Huge" at the Hub experience and get a free t-shirt today

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Transformers panel is about to begin. Stay tuned for live updates.

War for Cybertron

• Same boring shit from Botcon
• Still more content coming from WFC. DLC pack coming on the 7.27.10
• More characters (5, exclusives and Scattershot and Onslaught)
• 2 maps about coop and 2 about escalation
• No new toys for WFC right now
• Alex Irvine

Hunt for the Decepticons

• HFTD is all about becoming an Autobot Elite Guard
• Finally showing slides. Same boring stuff we have all seen.
• Battle Blade BB is an all new mold and transformation
• Still the same shit Botcon

Power Core Combiners

• Confirmed that Backwind is Back(re)wind, not wind
• Again, same shit from Botcon. Check out our old posts from it

2010 Exclusives

• G1 color Legends Devastator (piss poor paint apps
• Walmart exclusive 2-packs (missed the first one), Brawl vs. Jolt, Sideswipe vs. Barricade (Barricade based on Chinese police car)
• Target exclusive Ice Cream Truck (Skids and Mudflap) vs. Sideswipe (most accurate ice cream truck deco yet)

Q&A

• Somebody brought all three bike sisters with them and request the team show him how to combine them. They declined at the panel but, said to come by the booth and they will show him.
• How do come with your ideas? Vehicle is always the start.

Just realized while Wordpress auto saves my blogging, it doesn’t publish the changes. I have to literally hit save for them to show up. Live and learn I guess.

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Okay the fun is about to begin. No live cast of the panel, but will upoload video immediately afterward. Stay tuned for live updates from this panel and immediately after, Transformers!

G.I. Joe: Renegades

• Scarlet starts with taking troops on a mission to "Corbra" labs
• The Joes are accused of crime they don’t commit and go on the run
• Focused on a core group of Joes and Cobra
• Just showed a video with looks at all the main characters. Will uploaded after
• Design didn’t really thrill, people only got excited about a few
• Cobra Commander looked horrible IMHO
• Trying to stick the old school design, but add a little fantasy
• Pretty much an origins story of the characters
• Bringing back some of the old voice actors
• Just showed one minute of clips from the show (ENI guy got shut down, but I got it all. Stay tuned)
• It is a kid’s show. Appropriate for children, but storytelling will be more adult
• Essentially a G.I. Joe year one
• Breaker will be main character
• BTW, WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE TOYS! ISN’T THIS SUPPOSED TO BE A TOY PANEL?
• "Real life" Baroness just asked why her glasses keep getting replaced with sunglasses. Answer there will lotsa glasses in the show
• Tomax and Xamot will appear in the show. Both meeting them and getting recruited by Cobra
• Here comes the classic Joe/Transformer crossover question… Standard answer, it may happen, nothing right now
• Finally a toy question, will toys accompany the show? No confirmation, but "The show is owned by Hasrbo." Best quote yet
• Roadblock and Heavy Duty to be featured heavily
• Almost every fan favorite character is planned on premiering at some point.
• One thing you have to do is go check out the HUB Experience

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This is a day late and a dollar short. Well, more like a week late and hundreds of dollars short(er). That’s right, I have finally somewhat caught up from yet another amazing Botcon. That’s three years running. Thought for sure I wouldn’t be going next year. But guess what, Botcon 2011 will be back in Pasadena. That means we can drive there. That also means stars from TF3. While we are never really star struck, it does make it a little more interesting. We will most likely be there. Will you?

Unfortunately all the money I spent wasn’t just on toys. Yeah, I lost Mrs. McFavorite’s camera the second day. Luckily I didn’t lose many pictures, but it meant I had to use my cell’s camera (Saber’s too) the whole time. You can check the semi-good quality pics over on Flickr . If you haven’t seen them yet, check 2009’s and 2008’s too. If moving pictures are more your thing, check out all the awesome display cases Hasbro had at this year’s show. Again, you can check out 2009’s and 2008’s videos too. Saber also has some underground vids on Facebook. Friend him and ask nice to see some of the stuff Hasbro didn’t want you to see. If you prefer audio, of course listen to this cast with the one and only Saber from SabertronToys.com , but you can check out 2009’s wrap up as well.

Thanks to Jamie AND Mrs. McFavorite (Saber too, for the wireless), I finally "live" blogged during the Hasbro panels. It actually went pretty well. I didn’t like not being able to pay more attention, but I do it for you! I think I’m going to try and figure out a way to live broadcast the panels from SDCC. I’ve got a couple ideas, just got to test them. Would you watch? Let me know.

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Can’t believe Comic-Con is less than two weeks away…Slick

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2nd row today thanks to the new homie, G. Live blogging starts in five minutes! Special thanks to Saber of http://SabertronToys.com for providing me wireless during the panel. Also thanks to Jaime for pushing me to provide better updates. And. Here. We. Go.

Generations (almost all have rub symbols!)

• New G1 Legends Prime, Starscream, Prowl, and Megatron (can be held by Masterpiece Starscream) G1 Scout Windcharger.
• G1 Deluxe Skrillgrin and Scourge.
• Generations WFC Cliffjumper confirmed.
• G1 Deluxe Tracks with wing flying mode.
• G1 Deluxe Jazz with pop out speakers.
• G1 Deluxe Perceptor with Truck with tank treads on the back. Alternate head for possible Reflector.
• Deluxe Thunderwing.
• G1 Voyager Grapple based on Universe Inferno.
• More realistic Voyager Lugnut with my FAVORITE shark style deco on the front.

Power Core Combiners

• Power Core Combiners originally began with robot modes for all limbs/drones.
• PCC Heavytread with Groundspike. Army camo tank.
• Skyhammer with Airlift. Jet with helmet that pops over regular for combined version.
• Constructicons (Steamhead?) confirmed.
• DINOBOTS (Grimstone)! G1-esque color.

Once upon a time on Cybertron… (new definitive combination of Transformers continuity)

The Original 13

1. Alpha Trion (The Chronicler) very G1.
2. Liege Maximo
3. Vector Prime (gold color, time and space)
4. Prima (Silver with Matrix in sword)
5. Megatronus (legendary dark warrior, head is very similar to G1 Decepticon logo)
6. The Fallen (transformed from Megatronus)

Q&A

• Working on a new Megatron
• Aaron Archer would like to revisit Beast Wars.
• Lots of the same damn questions that they won’t answer.

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I will be attempting to live post during the panel. Here we go.

• All the same stuff we have seen leaked so far.
• Deluxe Ratchet in G1 color scheme.
• Highbrow - twin engine style older plane. Props will spin with action feature. (will be in case later).
• Human Alliance Sideswipe repaint, all black. New Mikela mold with ponytail.
• Classics Dirge officially announced.
• Generations Blur looks awesome. Great color scheme.
• More generations coming tomorrow.
• Robot Heroes are going to put on the shelf indefinitely.
• New combiners are based on 100s of different drones.
• Protectobots look great.
• A lot more reveals tomorrow.
• News about Dinobots coming tomorrow.
• Repaints are schedule fillers for development and release schedules.
• NEST stickers only usable for Recon Ravage mail-away.
• DON’T ASK DUMB QUESTIONS PEOPLE!
• They are really trying to get remaining Animated figures out (including Blackout, Rodimus, etc.)
• Exclusive repaints are directed by retailers. Inspirations come from G1, existing fiction, etc.
• On an unrelated notes. Checking email for the first time 2 days. 193, DAMN!
• End of the line. Stayed tuned for more panel coverage, maybe.

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First off, sorry for the short delay. We were hoping to have this bi-weekly schedule on lock, but shit happens. The cast itself took a couple days (can’t imagine why at over two and a half hours long?). Editing didn’t go quite as planned either, but c’est la vie.

So Botcon, I mean BOTCON! I am excited and like the title says, I just can’t hide it. The toys are about as GREAT as they can be. We didn’t talk about it, but did you see the new rumored Botcon fig? It’s not the best toy, but I love the alt mode. There is thought that it is a Firecons homage. I prefer and hope it’s G2 Grimlock. All the neony goodness has got me feeling like a kid again. I actually never even knew G2 existed prior to being born again. In the early 90’s I was in high school and doing way too much drinking, smoking and partying. This year I’m finally finding out about my G1’s closest brethren and still doing too much drinking, smoking and partying.

Of course, Botcon is definitely not the only thing going on. Even in these driest of dry times we’ve still gotta lot to yap about. Of course there’s C5 news. We get looks at the newest MOTUC figures. There’s lotsa of shady stuff going on, including Toy Fair Lego McQuarrie Boba Fett, Qui-Gon/Eopie mail-away, and fake AFAs? We’ve even got a G.I. Joe and Matty Q and A to boot. Not a lot going on in stores, at least here in the US, but online is still popping off with new pre-orders. We actually have another toy review. This time we look at the controversial Shadow Squadron ARC-170. Lastly…

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Thundercats Hooooo!…Slick

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We’ll I guess after you go for more than a month without doing something that makes you feel so good, then you do it twice in two weeks, it can definitely seem like just yesterday. Man, it feels good. I’ve gotta admit, I’ve been slacking. I’ve been drinking more than usual, eating more than usual, vegging out more than usual and obviously accomplishing less than usual. The bad thing is it’s a vicious cycle. I’m pissed I didn’t get anything done, so I drink. Getting drunk makes me want to eat. Eating too much makes me lazy and wham yet another night of not getting shit done. Trust me, that shit’s about to change.

Enough of the damn whining, let’s get to the good stuff. I registered for Botcon. Did you? What number were you? I didn’t even get close to the first 100, but if feels good to have that done. I’m getting really excited for my mancation. We talk about all the new guests for C5 and guess how I’ll be spending an extra $60 at SDCC. We highlight the best news from the latest Star Wars and Matty Collector Q and A’s. Not much out there, but we still manage to get a ton o’stuff. We also review one of the most articulated 3.75” figure ever, too bad it’s not from one of the four franchises. Finally, tons of Grab Bag for ya.

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We’ll be talking to you again, real soon, ya hear…Slick

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