NY TOY FAIR: Hasbro Reinvents TransformersNY TOY FAIR: Hasbro Reinvents Transformers

Hasbro unveiled a re-imagined line of Transformers toys at New York Toy Fair this week and announced a raft of licensees that will join the franchise for the upcoming film Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Inspired by the upcoming movie, in U.S. theaters June 27 from Paramount Pictures, the new Transformers: Age of Extinction line lets kids can convert robots to vehicles or, in the case of the new Dinobot characters, robots to dinos. Hasbro will also expand two of its other Transformer toy lines– Transformers Kre-O and Transformers Construct-Bots–to include the new characters.

More than 200 licensees have already signed on for the upcoming film, including Activision Publishing, which announced a new video game that will accompany the film, “Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark.” Set to release this June, the game will serve as follow-up to the move and, for the first time, will unite the universe of the films with the Cybertron world.

"‘Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark’ is an arc between the Cybertron- and Earth-based worlds of this popular franchise," says Mark Blecher, senior vice president, digital gaming and corporate development, Hasbro. "This year marks 30 incredible years of Transformers. This game tells another chapter in the Transformers story that all fans will love."

Among the other licensees for the film are Fab (backpacks), IDW Publishing (comics and graphic novels), Innovation First (the first-ever Transformers Hexbug Warriors and Hexbug Nano) and Tech4Kids (active and outdoor toys).

“The new Transformer: Age of Extinction line is all about capturing the magic of the Transformers characters for kids,” says Eric Nyman, senior vice president, global marketing, Hasbro. “The new one-step changers, Power Battlers and Flip & Change figures, along with spotlight toys like Mega One-Stop Bumblebee and Stomp ‘N Chomp Grimlock, make converting the characters from robot to vehicle as simple and as magical as it looks onscreen.”

Hasbro is also showcasing new offerings for its My Little Pony, Littlest Pet Shop, Play-Doh, Monopoly, Baby Alive, Furreal Friends and Nerf brands this week, as well as licensed offerings for Disney Princess, Sesame Street’s Elmo and Marvel Super Heroes. For more on Hasbro’s 2014 toy offerings check out our NY Toy Fair feature story, “Look At All The Toys.”