SDCC 2015 Coverage: Transformers Combiner Wars Animated Series Via Machinima Coming Soon
Thursday, July 9th, 2015 1:00PM CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Digital Media NewsPosted by: Mindmaster Views: 43,775
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The Transformers are coming to Machinima.
Hasbro, the toy company-now-play brand, has partnered with the online gamer and video platform to produce a new animated series based on its Transformers: Combiner Wars line.
Combiner Wars is a storyline that has been playing out across Hasbro’s toys and IDW comic books for the past year and the upcoming Activision video game Transformers: Devastation.
Insiders say it’s the first time these many synergistic elements have been combined by Hasbro to tell an overall story.
Additionally, Habsro is giving something a segment of its large Transformers audience has been demanding for years, namely an animated series aimed at an older audience.
“Our audiences are huge fans of the toy, comics, movies and video games, and for us to continue the legend with the Combiner War is a unique story-telling opportunity,” said CCA Daniel Tibbets.
Said Hasbro’s senior vp of the Transformers franchise, Tom Warner: “(Machinima is) the perfect partner to help launch a totally new kind of Transformers animation—one that, for the first time ever, is specifically designed for the teen and adult fans who’ve grown up loving the Transformers brand.”
Without going to deep into the complexities of the Transformers universe, Combiner Wars saw groups of Transformers be able to combine into one giant robot, known as a Combiner. Superion and Menasor were among the new robots that held the fate of the Transformers’ homeworld Cybertron in their hands.
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Posted by PrymeStriker on July 9th, 2015 @ 1:05pm CDT
Those of us clamoring for an animated series based on the popular Combiner Wars series, rejoice: it's happening! Via The Hollywood Reporter, we have received word that Combiner Wars will receive an animated series from Machinima, who are well known for creating content within the video gaming community, including works from the popular Halo series.
..................Ugh.
Posted by Sabrblade on July 9th, 2015 @ 1:06pm CDT
Mindmaster wrote:Those of us clamoring for an animated series based on the popular Combiner Wars series, rejoice: it's happening! Via The Hollywood Reporter, we have received word that Combiner Wars will receive an animated series from Machinima, who are well known for creating content within the video gaming community, including works from the popular Halo series. Read about the collaboration below!
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 9th, 2015 @ 1:06pm CDT
Posted by peaces on July 9th, 2015 @ 1:15pm CDT
Posted by Mr O on July 9th, 2015 @ 1:16pm CDT
Posted by SlyTF1 on July 9th, 2015 @ 2:03pm CDT
Posted by TGS1985 on July 9th, 2015 @ 2:06pm CDT
Posted by o.supreme on July 9th, 2015 @ 2:55pm CDT
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 9th, 2015 @ 3:05pm CDT
Posted by Deadput on July 9th, 2015 @ 3:17pm CDT
peaces wrote:the first tf cartoon that won't suck.
Are you serious?
This could easily turn out to be the worst Transformers show.
Also are you saying all the other ones suck?
Does that include G1 as well or what?
Posted by Deadput on July 9th, 2015 @ 3:19pm CDT
SlyTF1 wrote:OOOOOH! This **** is gonna be crazy! I hope it's an actual series and not some You Tube click bait BS, like almost everything else on You Tube.
The hell are you talking about?
I don't think you understand what click bait even means.
Posted by peaces on July 9th, 2015 @ 3:22pm CDT
Posted by o.supreme on July 9th, 2015 @ 3:32pm CDT
Posted by Flashwave on July 9th, 2015 @ 3:46pm CDT
u No, he's completely right. The "Big" channels on Youtube actually earn cents per view. If 35000 people view your page a day, that's $350. And thts on the low end of some channels viewership. Putting a big splash page up with TRANSFORMERS on it is gonna get people to come to Machinima's page. Its either gonna be genuinely good or its gonna be like having a famous actor to sell garbage. I trust Machinima, they have done some good eps. And Combiner Wars deserves a more fledged out meduum than it got in IDW. I hope it dispenses with the Combinatoric mcguffin, but even if it handles the same plot better, it cant be any more rushed than IDW felt.mirageandjazz1197 wrote:SlyTF1 wrote:OOOOOH! This **** is gonna be crazy! I hope it's an actual series and not some You Tube click bait BS, like almost everything else on You Tube.
The hell are you talking about?
I don't think you understand what click bait even means.
Posted by padfoo on July 9th, 2015 @ 4:09pm CDT
Flashwave wrote:u No, he's completely right. The "Big" channels on Youtube actually earn cents per view. If 35000 people view your page a day, that's $350. And thts on the low end of some channels viewership. Putting a big splash page up with TRANSFORMERS on it is gonna get people to come to Machinima's page. Its either gonna be genuinely good or its gonna be like having a famous actor to sell garbage. I trust Machinima, they have done some good eps. And Combiner Wars deserves a more fledged out meduum than it got in IDW. I hope it dispenses with the Combinatoric mcguffin, but even if it handles the same plot better, it cant be any more rushed than IDW felt.mirageandjazz1197 wrote:SlyTF1 wrote:OOOOOH! This **** is gonna be crazy! I hope it's an actual series and not some You Tube click bait BS, like almost everything else on You Tube.
The hell are you talking about?
I don't think you understand what click bait even means.
I'm not familiar with Machinima at all. I have seen the logo from time to time but I am not really sure what they do. The whole thing sounds really interesting, although combiner wars seems like such a large project to undertake. Secondly if its based on the comics, that was a mixed bag that left me personally wanting for more in terms of resolution and overall story.
Posted by o.supreme on July 9th, 2015 @ 4:17pm CDT
padfoo wrote:I'm not familiar with Machinima at all. I have seen the logo from time to time but I am not really sure what they do. The whole thing sounds really interesting, although combiner wars seems like such a large project to undertake. Secondly if its based on the comics, that was a mixed bag that left me personally wanting for more in terms of resolution and overall story.
If you enjoy DC Comics, and the original DCAU from Bruce Timm (Batman:TAS, Superman, Justice League etc...) Then check out JL: Gods & Monsters Chronicles. - 3 shorts (about 5 minuets each) detailing alternate versions of Batman, Superman, & Wonderwoman in an alternate universe,. All are free, and are to promote the upcoming DVD movie in a couple of months. *Caution* however, they are definitely not for kids.
Posted by RodimusRex on July 9th, 2015 @ 8:34pm CDT
Which basically means this will be the first U.S. produced Classics/Generations anime. This is basically the second coming of G1, literally the first new American G1 series in 25 years.
The downside is that it MAY be a reboot to a loosely pre-movie style G1 and I have a fear that it may give us ANOTHER Devastator origin. Or maybe that's an upside for you. I'd rather it take place in a loosely post-Rebirth continuity that just is set present day and ignores that earth isn't that futuristic yet.
You could do something kind cool with Galvatronus though if you started off with Megs shedding his Galvatron programming and weaponizing it as a new kind of combiner. Just handwave a few resurrections and have snarky comments like, "Don't make me kill you again, Starscream." You don't really explain how he came back. You just pretend like things kept going and got more classic post-Rebirth. They'd never do that, I guess, but I know I'd eat that up.
But what we're probably in for here is another G1 reboot.
Posted by Sabrblade on July 9th, 2015 @ 8:37pm CDT
If this is an American production, why would it be an anime?RodimusRex wrote:Which basically means this will be the first U.S. produced Classics/Generations anime.
Posted by RodimusRex on July 9th, 2015 @ 8:53pm CDT
Sabrblade wrote:If this is an American production, why would it be an anime?RodimusRex wrote:Which basically means this will be the first U.S. produced Classics/Generations anime.
Because Americans have been marketing their stuff done in anime or manga styles as anime and manga for 20 years and, unlike champagne only coming from Champagne, France due to agricultural regulations, it's been probably ten years at least since there was still meaningful resistance left to labeling non-Japanese work as anime or manga?
It certainly doesn't stop, for example, Marvel from using the anime term gratuitously.
Also, because the animation may be Japanese produced in an anime studio for all we know but the scripts are probably the part produced stateside.
And by the time you started having meaningful co-productions like Big O -- and because entertainment is pretty much multinational -- I'm not sure national origin quibbling makes sense.
And although it might or might not have qualified at the time, I think the definition has shifted enough for anime that G1 counts NOW even if it didn't THEN. The definitions for words aren't exactly something that can stay fixed. That's part of why new dictionaries come out every year.
And, well, dictionaries now define anime as being based on a Japanese style rather than originating in Japan. The word's changed. Maybe through abuse but abusing language is a valid way to change it.
Posted by Sabrblade on July 9th, 2015 @ 9:10pm CDT
Yet, no official venue has called it an anime, nor has there been any footage or imagery of it released to show us what kind of style it will have, so your referring to it as such is still awkward.RodimusRex wrote:Sabrblade wrote:If this is an American production, why would it be an anime?RodimusRex wrote:Which basically means this will be the first U.S. produced Classics/Generations anime.
Because Americans have been marketing their stuff done in anime or manga styles as anime and manga for 20 years and, unlike champagne only coming from Champagne, France due to agricultural regulations, it's been probably ten years at least since there was still meaningful resistance left to labeling non-Japanese work as anime or manga?
It certainly doesn't stop, for example, Marvel from using the anime term gratuitously.
Also, because the animation may be Japanese produced in an anime studio for all we know but the scripts are probably the part produced stateside.
And by the time you started having meaningful co-productions like Big O -- and because entertainment is pretty much multinational -- I'm not sure national origin quibbling makes sense.
And although it might or might not have qualified at the time, I think the definition has shifted enough for anime that G1 counts NOW even if it didn't THEN. The definitions for words aren't exactly something that can stay fixed. That's part of why new dictionaries come out every year.
And, well, dictionaries now define anime as being based on a Japanese style rather than originating in Japan. The word's changed. Maybe through abuse but abusing language is a valid way to change it.
Posted by Flashwave on July 9th, 2015 @ 11:50pm CDT
o.supreme wrote:padfoo wrote:I'm not familiar with Machinima at all. I have seen the logo from time to time but I am not really sure what they do. The whole thing sounds really interesting, although combiner wars seems like such a large project to undertake. Secondly if its based on the comics, that was a mixed bag that left me personally wanting for more in terms of resolution and overall story.
If you enjoy DC Comics, and the original DCAU from Bruce Timm (Batman:TAS, Superman, Justice League etc...) Then check out JL: Gods & Monsters Chronicles. - 3 shorts (about 5 minuets each) detailing alternate versions of Batman, Superman, & Wonderwoman in an alternate universe,. All are free, and are to promote the upcoming DVD movie in a couple of months. *Caution* however, they are definitely not for kids.
Thanks carytheone
See if that posts right...
Done by the same group. alhtough I suspect a different department. The attention to detail is astounding, and we can only hope for something like this in an animation format for CW
Sabrblade wrote:Yet, no official venue has called it an anime, nor has there been any footage or imagery of it released to show us what kind of style it will have, so your referring to it as such is still awkward.RodimusRex wrote:Sabrblade wrote:If this is an American production, why would it be an anime?RodimusRex wrote:Which basically means this will be the first U.S. produced Classics/Generations anime.
Because Americans have been marketing their stuff done in anime or manga styles as anime and manga for 20 years and, unlike champagne only coming from Champagne, France due to agricultural regulations, it's been probably ten years at least since there was still meaningful resistance left to labeling non-Japanese work as anime or manga?
It certainly doesn't stop, for example, Marvel from using the anime term gratuitously.
Also, because the animation may be Japanese produced in an anime studio for all we know but the scripts are probably the part produced stateside.
And by the time you started having meaningful co-productions like Big O -- and because entertainment is pretty much multinational -- I'm not sure national origin quibbling makes sense.
And although it might or might not have qualified at the time, I think the definition has shifted enough for anime that G1 counts NOW even if it didn't THEN. The definitions for words aren't exactly something that can stay fixed. That's part of why new dictionaries come out every year.
And, well, dictionaries now define anime as being based on a Japanese style rather than originating in Japan. The word's changed. Maybe through abuse but abusing language is a valid way to change it.
Oh ye of so much wisdom...
"Anime" has become to us commmon layman a very genric phrase for animation that's not old-style or childhood cartoon style, shows that are drawn and colored with more of an art than artistry flare and usually with less of an action drive and more of a comedy one. Looney Tunes or *Cringe* Spongebob, (Hate that show, but...). However wrong that definition may be, that's what many see it as.
Posted by no-one on July 9th, 2015 @ 11:58pm CDT
Flashwave wrote:
Fixed it for ya. I've seen this, good stuff.
Posted by SlyTF1 on July 10th, 2015 @ 1:53am CDT
Flashwave wrote:u No, he's completely right. The "Big" channels on Youtube actually earn cents per view. If 35000 people view your page a day, that's $350. And thts on the low end of some channels viewership. Putting a big splash page up with TRANSFORMERS on it is gonna get people to come to Machinima's page. Its either gonna be genuinely good or its gonna be like having a famous actor to sell garbage. I trust Machinima, they have done some good eps. And Combiner Wars deserves a more fledged out meduum than it got in IDW. I hope it dispenses with the Combinatoric mcguffin, but even if it handles the same plot better, it cant be any more rushed than IDW felt.mirageandjazz1197 wrote:SlyTF1 wrote:OOOOOH! This **** is gonna be crazy! I hope it's an actual series and not some You Tube click bait BS, like almost everything else on You Tube.
The hell are you talking about?
I don't think you understand what click bait even means.
Exactly, and it annoys me. Just something with a profitable name slapped on it. Like today, I saw this video that was titled something on the lines of: "Optimus Prime in GTAV" and the only thing "Optimus Prime" about the video was that the one guy mentioned Optimus about halfway through it. Literally just a name drop.
Posted by King Kuuga on July 10th, 2015 @ 3:10am CDT
SlyTF1 wrote:Exactly, and it annoys me. Just something with a profitable name slapped on it. Like today, I saw this video that was titled something on the lines of: "Optimus Prime in GTAV" and the only thing "Optimus Prime" about the video was that the one guy mentioned Optimus about halfway through it. Literally just a name drop.
Machinima is better than that. If it says Transformers: Combiner Wars, it's gonna be Transformers: Combiner Wars. It may only be a few minutes, but it will be Combiner Wars. These guys did Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles recently, and that was excellent. This may not be the greatest thing to ever happen in TF animation, but it's worth cautious optimism.
Posted by GuyIncognito on July 10th, 2015 @ 10:46am CDT
Posted by Va'al on July 10th, 2015 @ 10:49am CDT
GuyIncognito wrote:Let's argue about it before anyone's even seen it!
That is the way of the fandom.
Posted by Sabrblade on July 10th, 2015 @ 12:04pm CDT
And, again, there has been no imagery of this show shown to anyone, so why call it an "anime" when we have no way of knowing what it'll look like right now?Flashwave wrote:Oh ye of so much wisdom...
"Anime" has become to us commmon layman a very genric phrase for animation that's not old-style or childhood cartoon style, shows that are drawn and colored with more of an art than artistry flare and usually with less of an action drive and more of a comedy one. Looney Tunes or *Cringe* Spongebob, (Hate that show, but...). However wrong that definition may be, that's what many see it as.
For all we know, it could wind up looking like Adventure Time or Uncle Grandpa while still having compelling, action-based storytelling.
Posted by no-one on July 10th, 2015 @ 2:20pm CDT
Va'al wrote:GuyIncognito wrote:Let's argue about it before anyone's even seen it!
That is the way of the fandom.
Argument is the right of all sentient fanboys.
Posted by OptimalOptimus2 on July 10th, 2015 @ 9:04pm CDT
Va'al wrote:GuyIncognito wrote:Let's argue about it before anyone's even seen it!
That is the way of the fandom.
What did you expect?
Posted by ClearlySane88 on July 11th, 2015 @ 2:38am CDT
Posted by Flashwave on July 11th, 2015 @ 3:09am CDT
ClearlySane88 wrote:I'm still fairly new to the fandom, but I was thinking, when was the last time a proper Gestalt combiner was in an American TF cartoon? Has it really been since G1? I know Energon had a two Autobots combine together thing and Armada had Optimus combine with his trailer, but I can't recall a proper, Devestator style combiner in any TF cartoon besides G1. Am I overlooking one?
Nergn had a trio of 5man combiners, but the whow treated the combined form as the primary persona and the componeents were nver shown o be more than just limb bots. Thats probblyvbad storyelling though, and not a case of w gmented body forms. Prior to hat, Robots in Disguise 2001 had a character who used Bruticus's toy and several other lesss traditional combiners that veer way off from Scramble City style G1 combination
Posted by Sabrblade on July 11th, 2015 @ 9:51am CDT
In addition to what Flashwave wrote above, it also depends on what you mean by "American TF cartoon" since the only ones that have been American-made (as in "U.S.-made") are G1, Animated, Prime, Rescue Bots, and the current Robots in Disguise cartoon (Beast Wars and Beast Machines were Canadian-made, the 2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon was Japanese-made, and the three Unicron Trilogy cartoons were American/Japanese co-productions with most of their story specifics being Japanese-made, and all others were Japanese-made and not aired in America).ClearlySane88 wrote:I'm still fairly new to the fandom, but I was thinking, when was the last time a proper Gestalt combiner was in an American TF cartoon? Has it really been since G1? I know Energon had a two Autobots combine together thing and Armada had Optimus combine with his trailer, but I can't recall a proper, Devestator style combiner in any TF cartoon besides G1. Am I overlooking one?
Before now, the last main series to really have a combiner in it was the Fall of Cybertron video game (Bruticus), which had its own line of toys in the Generations line, and before that was the Revenge of the Fallen movie (Devastator). Before that was Energon with its three five-bot combiners (Superion Maximus, Bruticus Maximus, and Constructicon Maximus), and before that was the 2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon with its five-bot combiner Ruination (a G1 Bruticus redeco), three-bot combiner Rail Racer, and four-bot combiner Landfill.
Before that, the Japanese-only Beast Wars Second cartoon had three combiners in it: three-bot Magnaboss (redeco of Hasbro's Magnaboss), three-bot Tripledacus (redeco of Hasbro's Tripredacus), and five-bot God Neptune (redeco of G1 Piranacon). Before that, the Japanese-only Victory cartoon had several combiners: four-bot Road Caesar, six-bot Liokaiser, six-bot Landcross, and six-bot Dinoking (redeco of G1 Monstructor). Before that, the Japanese-only Choujin Masterforce cartoon had King Poseidon, who was the Japanese counterpart of Piranacon. And before that, the Japanese-only The Headmasters cartoon had all of the G1 combiners plus new combiner Raiden, a six-bot combiner made out of six trains who combined like Devastator.
Oh, and last year, Japan had the Sanjou Gattai Transformers: Go! cartoon that had the Swordbots, two three-bot teams of Autobots who could combine with each other to form three different combiner configurations each. The Swordbot Samurai Team could combine to form either GoKenzen, GoJinbu, or GoGanoh, and the Swordbot Shinobi Team could combine to form either GoGekisou, GoHishou, or GoSensui. And when each team's leader would combine with both each other and Optimus ExPrime, Optimus and the two leaders could all combine form either DaiKenzan or DaiGekisou.
I think that's everything cartoon-wise.
Posted by ClearlySane88 on July 11th, 2015 @ 12:49pm CDT
Posted by Sabrblade on July 11th, 2015 @ 1:11pm CDT
In that case, between G1 and now, American TV had combiners in the 2001 RiD cartoon and the Energon cartoon.ClearlySane88 wrote:Ah sorry about that, I was referring to shows that aired on American TV. I forgot Energon had the 5 bot Maximus combiners though.
And in the ROTF movie and in the FOC video game.
Posted by o.supreme on August 6th, 2015 @ 2:50pm CDT
Sabrblade wrote: For all we know, it could wind up looking like Adventure Time or Uncle Grandpa while still having compelling, action-based storytelling.
Dear God... I think you plucked my worst nightmare out of my head. But seriously... I'm sure the animation will be very good, no matter what style. I'm hoping more traditional animation than anything flash or stylized. Like I said earlier GI:Joe Resolute was by far the best animated incarnation of that franchise, lets hope a mature TF entry can rise to the same level. Studio 4°C comes to mind, so long as they don't make it look like Transformers: Animated.
Also, akin to all of DC's animated film "adaptations", there may need to be some slight changes/adaptations to make the story more relatable.
Concerning Megatron who is nowhere to be seen in Combiner Wars (Obviously because he is in MTME , but viewers of the film/series would not know this). -Sure Starscream is recognizable enough to probably carry a 60-70 minute film, or a short run of episodes as a main villain, but including Megatron might not be a bad idea.
Prowl/Devastator - I of course know Prowl's inclusion with Devastator is a pretty big deal (no pun intended), but without some back story to explain how they got that way, it could be very confusing. They could have traditional Devastator, and Prowl still be the jerk he is , causing problems, but including him as part of Dev... for the uninitiated I don't know... unless there was a way to set it up early on.
I'm sure there are other alterations/adaptations that could be made. Of course we at this time do not know the full scope of this project. Will it be a movie? How long will it be? Will it be episodes? If so how many? - What I'm fairly certain of however, is that the many speculations/fears I hear about the "short" 2-3 minuets bits, I just cant see it. Even though JL: G&MC did have 3 "short" bits, that was just a set up for the main film. I have no doubt that even if these are initially released as "shorts" they will either be made to be seen as a whole movie (as in the case of GI: Joe Resolute), or will lead up to a larger/longer animated film, or series of episodes.
Posted by Va'al on September 21st, 2015 @ 2:46am CDT
Posted by King Kuuga on September 21st, 2015 @ 2:53am CDT
Posted by o.supreme on September 21st, 2015 @ 9:08am CDT
Posted by RAR on September 21st, 2015 @ 10:59am CDT
That may depend on how quickly and completely Hasbro wants to kill Combiner Wars off and how close to release the cartoon is - also what quality it is - if it's cheap rubbish then I would be saying it's more likely Combiner Wars - if it's better quality then Titan Wars.
Another possibility is a cheap flash style or primitive CGI Combiner Wars series of shorts followed by a proper or at least more Elaborate content for Titan Wars.
The mood music I get from Hasbro though might mean that the next Cartoon will be something else entirely - so I don't see them getting anything out quickly if they had decided to make a proper Titan Wars TV show - which I suspect by the public apathy to RID-15 They won't. hence all the rumours of a Live Action Movie derived cartoon being in development
Posted by o.supreme on September 21st, 2015 @ 11:18am CDT
Posted by DedicatedGhostArt on September 21st, 2015 @ 1:18pm CDT
Posted by MaverickPrime on September 21st, 2015 @ 4:14pm CDT
I'm in, I'm sooooooooo in!
Posted by MaverickPrime on September 21st, 2015 @ 4:14pm CDT
I'm in, I'm sooooooooo in!
Posted by Va'al on October 9th, 2015 @ 8:15am CDT
Some highlights:
- Main speaker is Eric Calderon, producer on Aeon Flux and Afro Samurai among others; he underwent 'Transformers boot camp' to understand the franchise.
- Windblade will be the main character/perspective, as was for the comics
- Not really a children's cartoon, something not really attempted previously
- Trying to appeal to new and old fans alike
- The series will be standalone, using previous fiction as sources rather than basis
- 'Combiners have to fight each other'
- IDW editor John Barber talks briefly about Titan Returns, and the re-emergence of Sentinel Prime from the IDW continuity
- Barber, James Roberts and Mairghread Scott will be on writing duties again, creating one overarching story
- Full updates and news in the IDW panel
Posted by griftimus prime on October 9th, 2015 @ 8:43am CDT
im out
Posted by Autobot N on October 9th, 2015 @ 9:06am CDT
Posted by o.supreme on October 9th, 2015 @ 9:23am CDT
Posted by MagnusLabel on October 9th, 2015 @ 10:23am CDT
Posted by Sabrblade on October 9th, 2015 @ 10:38am CDT
As long as the live action movies exist, she'll never usurp that position from Bumblebee.MagnusLabel wrote:Um...they're really working hard to make Windblade become the star of The Transformers, like hanging 'round with titans, combiners, leaders, beasties, etc. Someday (maybe within a year or 2), she can climb to the top and become the face of the entire franchise.
Posted by o.supreme on October 9th, 2015 @ 10:43am CDT
MagnusLabel wrote:Um...they're really working hard to make Windblade become the star of The Transformers,
No just typical Hasbro. They did it with Drift, now they are doing it with Windblade. -Put *said* character in Every Comic, Animated Series, Movie & Toys possible.*