GameStop and Amazon have revealed their pre-order bonuses for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. GameStop will be offering a G1 Retro Pack featuring G1 Optimus Prime for single and multiplayer mode, along with G1 Megatron Pistol Gun and Shockwave Blast Cannon for use in single player. Amazon will be offering access to G2 Bruticus in single player. See details below:

There are a couple of additional screen shots of GameStop's G1 Retro Optimus Prime courtesy of EGMNow.com,

Amazon

Pre-order Bonus Offer
Pre-order Transformers: Fall of Cybertron and get access to Bruticus (G2) to use in Single Player mode. A code to access the content will be emailed to you within two days of your order shipment. This offer will be extended to all pre-orders. Offer valid when shipped and sold by Amazon.com, while supplies last. Amazon reserves the right to change or terminate this promotion at any time. Please read the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live terms of use.

GameStop

Bonus Item
Transformers G1 Retro Pack
Pre-order Transformers: Fall of Cybertron and receive the Transformers G1 Retro Pack!

Transformers G1 Retro Pack:
G1 Retro Optimus Prime: Play as the leader of the Autobots in his classic original robot and vehicle forms. Available in both Single and Multiplayer Modes.
G1 Retro Megatron Gun: Single Player Mode
G1 Retro Shockwave Cannon: Single Player Mode

Online Customers: Code will be emailed within 2 business days after your order ships.
Store / In-Store Pickup Customers: Code will be printed on your receipt at time of pickup.

TakaraTomy have updated their official website, we now have new images of Arms Micron 'AM-14' Decepticon Vehicon with Micron partner Noji.

The toy is based on the US Vehicon figure, coming with the Arms Micron signature stickers rather than paint applications.

Snakas has an article on the Boxset of 10 Gum Transformers Prime Arm Microns.  The toys have a release date of the 20th of Augsut, and are prices at 2,940 per box (so 300 yen per figure) which is around 2 GBP.

The figures look the same as the Micron Arms Gacha versions

With less than 70 days to go until Auto Assembly 2012, we are now looking for more people who want to help out as volunteers at the convention this year to help the weekend run as smoothly as possible and hopefully be the best Transformers convention that Europe has ever seen! We have been working hard over the last couple of months to revamp our volunteer system to be able to offer all of our volunteers a great rewards package for helping out this year including exclusive t-shirts, early access to the convention and – for those of you who put enough time in over the weekend – half price or even FREE admission to Auto Assembly 2013!

We are looking for people to apply to become volunteers NOW and you can find out full details on what you will be asked to do over the weekend and all of the rewards we can offer in our Volunteer Information Pack. The Pack also contains the application form and we will need these returned to us by no later than 30th June 2012. We will go through all of the applications and contact all of the successful applicants and then start to assign everyone to their duty shifts over the weekend and send out your duty rotas prior to the convention.

Depending on the response, we may not be able to accept every application but the more volunteers who come forward, the better we will be able to cover the convention and ensure that no volunteers are overloaded with work over the weekend. You can download the Pack in Word and PDF format now.

Thanks,

The Auto Assembly 2012 Team

Full Metal Hero Administrator Shockscream has come into possession of the newly release Transformers Prime Ironhide and Transformers Prime Dreadwing and has posted some images of both figures.

The Auto Assembly website has been updated with the following important news story.

Here at Auto Assembly, we have been asked for some time about whether or not we would be able to offer Press Passes to the convention for representatives from various magazines and websites. We have been looking at this for some time, and we are now able to offer a very limited number of complimentary passes to members of the press for this year’s convention. These will be available to members of the “traditional” print-based press, online media and other press but because of the size of the convention, we only have a small number of passes available.

To get yours, download our Press Pass Request Form and email it back to us as soon as possible. We will look at your request and get back to you as quickly as we can. Please note that places are limited and will be offered on merit and on a first come, first served basis. Passes are restricted to a maximum of two per publication / organisation and we hope to be able to work closely with everyone who receives a complimentary pass so please get in touch as soon as possible if you are interested.

Regards,

The Auto Assembly Team

High Moon have released an image of Transformers Fall of Cybertron Kickback,  to go with Hardshell (Bombshell) shown earlier.

Kapow Toys have posted up two nice galleries of Transforners Prime Robots in Disguise Airachnid and Dead End.

Dead End is a recoloured version of Wheeljack, with a new head sculpt.

Part One Limited have updated the e-Hobby Shop with a listing of the BotCon 2012 Invasion boxset, the first move in the new partnership with Fun Publications.

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They have 150 sets available

C.O.N.S. 4 has a fourth special guest.
He is one of the few German comic artists, who is working on Transformers comics for IDW. Klaus Schwerwinski wants to spend the day at the German Transformers Convention together with us. At the moment he is working on the cover for the G.I. Joe - Transformers Crossover Anthology for IDW. He is known for his cover-art for All Hail Megatron, Infiltration, Escalation and several spotlights (Ultra Magnus, Wheelie, Best of Grimlock, Best of Starscream). He will bring comics, original pages and also postcards with Transformers motives to the C.O.N.S.. We can ask him questions about his work in an interview.
Here is a short video in which Klaus Scherwinski introduces himself.

Klaus Scherwinskis: Comic Con 2008:

Source: NTF-CONS.DE

Whilst we were sitting in on the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles talk and presentation, Jagex held a presenatation to discuss the Transformers Universe MMO game (for which they are still looking for staff).

• A free web-based MMO based on Transformers Prime.
• Aimed to last for at least 10 years.
• Will have various known Transformers Characters
• At launch the game will be based on Earth but eventually other “areas” will be accessible such as Cybertron + other planets. Hence, the name “Universe”. They have stated that new transformers will be introduced as we travel from one world to another.
• Energon is aimed to be used as a currency.
• Real money will be integrated in the game but in what way exactly has not been yet finalized. Most likely a way to increase the pace of things for people who would like quick results. It will not be used to purchase a more powerful weapon as that would not be fair.

Regarding Customization:

• Initially only vehicles but animal forms/beast modes to follow.
• You can choose a male or a female character.
• There will be classes: ie brawler, snipper, technician (not yet defined)
• Alternate modes are not just a mount

Several months ago we were informed (unofficially) that Part One Ltd, the company behind e-Hobby were going to start working with Fun Publication (The Transformers Collectors Club / Botcon) on some collaborative products for the US.  Well now the official announcement has been made over on the e-Hobby news website we can le you know what we heard.  At the time the talk was regarding possible exclusives for Botcon 2013.  Whether this was helping them with toy design, packaging, prints could not be said, but I suspect it may be officially licensing the e-Hobby exclusives to the group and collaborating with Japanese sales.

We'd expect more news on this announcement over the coming months so stay tuned to the e-Hobby blog for more information

In an move that we all saw coming, it has been announced that MP-12 Lambor (Sideswipe) will indeed be recoloured as MP-12A Red Alert.  The figure should sport the sirens which he will need making him a partial remould.  The question, however, is what colour head will they give him?

Universal Studios have announced, via their Twitter feed, that Steven Spielberg will be attending the grand opening of Transformers: The Ride at Universal Studios - California tomorrow.

"Tomorrow [9amPST] we're rolling out the red carpet for the grand opening of #TFride! #LIVEupdates! PS. #StevenSpielberg will be there!" Tweeted the studio

Toys R Us' have updated their US website with an exclusive two minute preview of this weeks Transformers Prime episode Toxicity. The episode focuses on Bulkhead and will fill in the gaps of the ongoing story. The internet being what it is the clip has been ripped and uploaded onto YouTube which means that you can view it below.