Thanks to Planet Iacon there are more images of the upcoming Transformers Generations Thundertron figure.

The toy, based on the character from the IDW Comics, looks pretty cool, and is a similar looking animal form to Liger Jack from Transformers Galaxy Force.  We've not read any of the comics he is in, in which he was the leader of a third faction of Transformers ... so I can't tell you much about the character - sorry.

The Facebook group Planet Iacon have posted more images of Transformers Prime Arms Micron Gaia Unicron

Takara Tomy have made an annoucement regarding a couple of future released.  Most notible are that There will be a Yellow Encore Devastator (based on the G2 colours).

Othere listings are for Transformers Prime Rumble and Frenzy as well as Transformers Prime Stunticon Wildrider (probably a recolour of Dead End).

They have also confirmed the Fall of Cybertron Combaticons will be released in Japan in game accurate colours

The e-HOBBY + TFCC Collaboration Shattered Glass Soundwave VS Blaster set is up for pre-order from the Transformers Collectors Club now.

e-HOBBY has also posted a packaging sample image of the toys.

On a related note, the Transformers Collectors Club has clarified a few things via their Twitter account regarding the release of this set: The EHobby is not build to order BUT we can order as many as we want. Confused? To clarify, our order has to be in BEFORE the Pre-order period is up on our end. So we could technically run out as we are not going to go heavy on these. We will do a guesstimate based on the first couple weeks of sales. We won't go overboard and cut it way short as we know many will wait till that last week. But we dont want to be way heavy either. So when you are able to, please get your order in.

Two new trademark applications have been made by Hasbro, one for a cartoon series and another for a toyline. The name of this new thing is Beast Hunters!

Those with long memories will recognise this as the same name that was originally proposed for the series and line that became Beast Machines.

The toy trademark is the most interesting one, as it lists the category as a Class 28 (toy action figures, toy vehicles and toy robots convertible into other visual toy forms.)

TFW2005.com have coverage of the UBS Best Of Americas 2012 Conference.  The main thing to come out of this was the quote This is why Transformers 4 will have a new cast of [robot] characters and it will be a story revolving around these new characters

Brian Goldner; President and Chief Executive Officer and Deborah Thomas represented Hasbro at the UBS Best Of Americas 2012 Conference.

Mr. Goldner started off with a video showcasing Hasbro brands including The Hub. Explains Hasbro brands and moved on straight to Transformers.

He stated that they planned to reinvent Transformers after year 2000. Around that time they created a brand blueprint around Transformers; Movies, TV, Games and Licensing.

Brian went onto Financial Stuff. But the Transformers 4 talk was yet to come.

Botshots and Kre-O, both were mentioned under Gamification of Hasbro brands; wanted to take Hasbro games away from being just Board Games.

Merchandising related to Transformers: Prime and Rescue Bots will grow.

Transformers 4 is set to release in 2014. Also, Stretch Armstrong will have a movie series as well as a TV series in 2014. Brian said people are asking about Transformers 4 and Hasbro plans for 2013.

Q&A session started with Brian and Deborah Thomas answering.

Ooh, someone asked why US sales are down? Brian said International sales are good but is trying their best to market Hasbro products in US and Canada.

About Hub? Hasbro owns the rights but Hasbro Studios is creating the content and sending to Hub and other TV Stations to other countries. Other stations pay licensing fees.

Transformers 3 didn’t meet expectations. What about Transformers 4?

Brian says TF3 did well in boxoffice. Regarding toy sales... it’s because of same characters in all three movies. This is why Transformers 4 will have a new cast of [robot] characters and it will be a story revolving around these new characters. Brian said Transformers will branch out to more categories. For example; during Transformers 3, they had an idea to expand the Transformers brand on Little Kids segment. This was the origin of Rescuebots said Mr. Goldner. Soon the idea took a separate life and evolved to a separate toyline. He said it’s normal for any brand to experience the situation (what happened to Transformers 3 toyline) and stated that brands need re-imagining, reinvent and hinted that the same is to happen with Transformers 4.

TFSource have posted news of a Holiday season 2012 exclusive from FansProject. At TFcon 2012 we got a look at a Deluxe Insecticon themed set of recolors for their Insecticons - we can now confirm that this will be an exclusive limited edition set similar to the previous extremely popular Shadow Scyther set, and like the Shadow Scyther these too will be carried by TFSource. The Deluxe Insecticon recolors will be collectively known as the "Armored Battalion" and will be sold as a set of three with exclusive giftset packaging for $159.99. This is going to be a single-run only item - but good news, there is a limit of 2 per customer at TFSource meaning that this set can find its way to the maximum number of fans.

Click here to check out the listing complete with some official pictures from FansProject - FP-DX Armored Battalion - Set of 3 - Limited Edition Holiday Exclusive

The toys look really really nice, they are just missing Venom.

Robot Kingdom, has updated their Facebook page with in package images of Transformers Prime Voyager Wave 4. Wave 4 will consist of two new figures; Thundertron and Ultra Magnus. Thundertron is the leader of the pirate faction of Transformers from the Exiles novel while Ultra Magnus makes his second toy appearance in the Prime line. His first being the Cyberverse commander figure.

Thanks to TFW2005 for the spot

Various online stores including Woolworths are now registering having the previously Wal*Mart exclusive Transformers Dark of the Moon Battle in the Moonlight Cyberverse set as in stock. Priced at £25, the set features redecos of the Optimus Prime playlet, Legion Ratchet and Legion Crankcase.

Auto Assembly 2012 Marlboor Kitbash Workshop Video Released

All of us here at Auto Assembly are still recovering from Auto Assembly 2012 which was our most successful convention ever attracting just under 800 fans from all over the world to Birmingham reinforcing our position as Europe's largest Transformers convention.

A few months ago, when we announced our partnership with Calloway Customs to bring all of our attendees (and those who ordered our Non-Attendee Pack) our Marlboor upgrade kit for Generations Wheeljack to convert the toy into an updated version of Diaclone Marlboor we were shocked and pleased with the response to it and promised that we would release the footage from the accompanying workshop for those who couldn't make it.

Well now everyone can see exactly what you need to do with the kit in this specially recorded workshop hosted by Sid Beckett and Nick Calloway that was filmed exclusively for our Youtube Channel during the convention weekend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kxOWlQu6jw

We can also exclusively reveal that we are looking into plans for a follow-up custom kit and workshop for Auto Assembly 2013 with Calloway Customs! It's still in the early planning stages right now but to be a part of this workshop book your tickets for next year's convention early to avoid disappointment. Tickets are selling at a phenomenal rate and it looks already as if Auto Assembly 2013 will be our first ever sell-out event! We will be doing another Non-Attendee Pack for those of you who can't make it, but this won't be unveiled until some time next year.

For those of you thinking about attending Auto Assembly 2013, our guests of honour next year are Steve Blum (Starscream in Transformers: Prime), Dan Gilvezan (Bumblebee in G1) and Neil Kaplan (Optimus Prime in Robots In Disguise). Further guests including details of our comic guest line-up, will be announced shortly.

Auto Assembly 2013 is Europe's largest EVER Transformers convention and is taking place over the weekend of 9th - 11th August 2013 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel. To book your tickets or find out more including details of all the dealers attending, all of our guests and a full schedule for the weekend, visit the website at http://www.autoassembly.org.uk

If you can't make it to the convention, we'll be offering a Non-Attendee Package early in the new year and running other online activities that you'll be able to get involved with!

Hope to see you all next year!

The Auto Assembly Team

Web: http://www.autoassembly.org.uk / http://www.transformersvideogames.co.uk / http://www.ct-alpha.com
Auto Assembly Europe: http://www.autoassemblyeurope.eu
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/autoassembly
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/auto_assembly
Forum: http://www.autoassembly.org.uk/forum
Email: contact@autoassembly.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7860 948296

Auto Assembly is sponsored by

Calloway Custom Designs - http://www.shapeways.com/shops/callowaycustomdesigns
Big Ds Toy Chest - http://www.bigdstoychest.co.uk
Toyz And Gamez - http://www.toyzandgamez.co.uk
Kapow Toys - http://www.kapowtoys.co.uk
TF Source - http://www.tfsource.com
Robot Kingdom - http://www.robotkingdom.com
Transformers @ The Moon - http://www.transformertoys.co.uk
TransformersAnimated.com - http://www.transformersanimated.com
Titan Books - http://www.titanbooks.com
Big Bad Toy Store - http://www.bbts.com

With just 2 days left to sign up for the TFCC subscription service, Tformers shot some questions toward the club and Pete Sinclair took the time to fire back some answers. You can also see a new shot of Ultra Mammoth chillin with Optimus Primal. Here are the main points from the interview which can be read here.

• The Transformers subscription service came about due to the great reception from the G.I. Joe subscription service using the same frame work with a few tweaks.
• With 6 figures planned for the first year the idea was to touch on different mythos and to do a little gap filling.
• The subscription service replaces the members exclusives but convention exclusives remain unchanged.
• In the fiction there will be some interaction between at least five of the six characters even though they are from different timelines.

If you want a sneak peak of the comic action, check out the 2 page comic preview.

The main thing to take from this is that the Transformers Collectors Cliub Free Figure will no longer exist.

TF Wiki have a listing for Transformers Prime Arms Micron Smokescreen under the number AM-26 with a release date of November 2012.

Smokescreen is a repaint and retooling of Knock Out, originally seen at the Tokyo Toy Fair in prototype form. He will come with an unknown Micron Arm

Transformers Prime
Smokescreen (Deluxe, 11-24-2012)
ID number: AM-26
Accessories: Arms Micron
A redeco (and potential retooling) of Knock Out, Smokescreen is (currently) exclusive to the TakaraTomy Prime toyline. He transforms into a low-riding sports car. As part of the Arms Micron gimmick, he has extra 5mm post-holes in both modes, allowing him to use the weapon-bots. He comes with a (currently unknown and unnamed) Arms Micron partner.

Online retailer Archonia also have a placeholder for the toy

ACToys.net have posted some new images of the Asia Exclusive Movie Dark Energon Megatron figure which we have mirrored after the jump.  The toy is black and purple recolour of the Dark of the Moon Megatron toy.

The official Transformers facebook page has been updated with a 5 page preview of IDW's Transformers Regeneration One issue #83 wich includes the Transformers Hall of Fame writer, Simon Furman, giving a running commentary into the pages.  Check it out be clicking the link above.

The TFCC have updated their official website with a two page preview of their exclusive comic book which features appearances from the Subscription Service figures.  The pages, which have been mirrored below, form an epilogue to the current story line taking place within the fan comic as well as setting the stage for next year's story.