Armada

After yesterday’s listings for Transformers: Animated Volumes 5 & 6, some more Trade paperbacks are listed on Amazon with rough release dates.

The main surprise is the listings for a reprint of Dreamwave’s More Than meets The Eye series with Volume 1 in September and Volume 2 in December. There is also another Dreamwave production, Transformers Armada Volume 1 in October.

The Transformers movie sequel: Reign of Starscream TPB is out in November.

September
Transformers More Than Meets The Eye Vol 1 TPB (Dreamwave)
Transformers Spotlight Vol 3 TPB

October
Transformers Best of UK: Space Pirates TPB
The Art of IDW’s Transformers TPB
Transformers Armada Vol 1 TPB (Dreamwave)

November
Transformers Movie Sequel: Reign of Starscream TPB

December
Transformers More Than Meets The Eye V2 TPB (Dreamwave)

Not major news but for anyone in the UK wanting to get into the Transformers Armada cartoon, Entertainment Rights have packaged Transformers Armada Volumes 1 and 2 into a Bumper Double DVD Collection.

The collection contains the first 7 episodes of Armada, so if you enjoy these episodes, you’ll definately enjoy the rest of the series. The set costs around £6.

Atari’s TRANSFORMERS Video Game Hits Cross-Promotional Road with ReAlign/Universal New Band, DROPBOXBEVERLY, MA - April 12, 2004 - Highlighting the entertainment industry relationships that have become its hallmark, Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq ATAR) today announced an ongoing cross promotional collaboration with Universal Motown Records Group, which will tie-in ReAlign/Universal’s hot new band, DROPBOX, with Atari’s highly anticipated TRANSFORMERS video game for the PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system, based on Hasbro, Inc.’s popular TRANSFORMERS brand.

This marketing relationship will utilize both traditional and non-traditional marketing vehicles to support both the May 11 launch of the TRANSFORMERS game and the DROPBOX album release on April 13. The campaign will include the utilization of DROPBOX performance footage and the TRANSFORMERS game footage in the band’s forthcoming new video and Atari’s TV advertising spot; radio advertising, in addition to TV; online street teams; and live performances.

“The high level of collaboration between Atari and Universal Motown Records Group enables both companies to significantly extend the effectiveness and reach of their marketing efforts,” said Nancy MacIntyre, vice president of marketing for Atari. “DROPBOX and the TRANSFORMERS game are already generating significant buzz with their respective core audiences, and this partnership should serve to attract new fans to both.”

-more-

Atari / Universal Motown Records /Page 2
Elements expected to be included in this joint campaign include

• DROPBOX’s debut single, “Wishbone,” as well as the band’s recording of its version of the TRANSFORMERS theme song will be available in the game as un-lockable bonus tracks;
• DROPBOX’s new music video for “Wishbone,” shot by award-winning director, Nigel Dick, and produced by Quentin Tarantino’s production company, A Band Apart, will feature TRANSFORMERS game footage;
• A TRANSFORMERS brochure will be included in 1 million Universal Records music CDs;
• Atari’s TRANSFORMERS TV commercial will highlight the “Wishbone” sound track and portions of the band’s music video;
• DROPBOX will be included in Atari’s national print advertising campaign for the TRANSFORMERS game;
• The DROPBOX multi-city promotional radio tour will include mention of its tie-in with Atari’s TRANSFORMERS video game;
• Atari’s in-store TRANSFORMERS videos will feature DROPBOX’s “Wishbone” single and its version of the TRANSFORMERS theme song;
• Universal will develop and produce key account radio commercials which will include a TRANSFORMERS tag;
• A fully integrated on-air and online promotion with the FUSE music video network will include
  o A live appearance by DROPBOX on the live daily show “IMX” that will also feature behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of the music video;
  o An online campaign including the IMX “Daily Download” and a promotional contest;
• Atari will include DROPBOX content on its TRANSFORMERS website located at www.atari.com/transformers and Universal will utilize online street teams and other online vehicles in support of the Transformers game and DROPBOX;

To kick off this relationship, DROPBOX celebrated with video game media at Atari’s TRANSFORMERS preview event in February. In anticipation of the formal agreement, public relations and promotional initiatives for the making of the DROPBOX music video featuring Transformers video game footage are moving forward as well as additional retail and consumer outreach.

“Atari and Universal Motown Records Group are respected industry leaders and it is fitting that such a collaborative effort comes from two such vanguards,” said Kojo Bentel, SVP of Strategic Marketing and Business
Development, Universal Motown Records Group. “Music has become a crucial element of the video game experience and DROPBOX’s raw, rock sound is a perfect fit for Atari’s TRANSFORMERS game.”

Developed by Atari’s Melbourne House studio, the TRANSFORMERS game will be available worldwide on May 11, 2004. More information can be found online at www.atari.com/transformers

-more-

Atari / Universal Motown Records Partnership /Page 3

About Universal Motown Records Group

Universal Motown Records Group is a division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company with wholly-owned record operations or licensees in 71 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry’s largest global music publishing operations.

Universal Music Group consists of record labels Decca Record Company,
Deutsche Grammophon, DreamWorks Records, Interscope Geffen A&M Records,
Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, MCA Nashville, Mercury
Nashville, Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor, Universal Music Latino,
Universal Motown Records Group, and Verve Music Group as well as a
multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company
subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most
extensive catalog of music in the industry, which is marketed through
two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and
Strategic Marketing and Commercial Affairs (outside the U.S.). Universal
Music Group also includes eLabs, a new media and technology division.
Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi Universal, a global media and
communications company.

About Atari
New York-based Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq ATAR) develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company’s 1,000+ titles include hardcore, genre-defining games such as Driver(tm), Enter the Matrix(tm), Neverwinter Nights(tm), Stuntman(tm), Test Drive(r), Unreal(r) Tournament 2003, and Unreal(r) Championship; and mass-market and children’s games such as Backyard Sports(tm), Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues(tm) and Dora the Explorer(tm), Civilization(r), Dragon Ball Z(r) and RollerCoaster Tycoon(r). Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary
of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext 5257), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit
www.atari.com.

# # #

(c) 2004 Atari, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
TRANSFORMERS is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. Used with permission. (c)2004 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Universal Motown Records Group is a unit of Vivendi Universal, a global media and communications company. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

The following is a press release from Panini’s website, Panini (who I believe are owned by Marvel) have recently acquired the rights to do an all-new comic based on the popular Transformers Armada series.

Attention robot-lovers everywhere, the Transformers have landed! A brand new comic, TRANSFORMERS ARMADA, is coming to a galaxy (or newsagent) near you SOON!

Issue 1 is on sale 24th April!

With 14 pages of fully originated UK strip each issue, Transformers Armada also comes pre-loaded with data-files, cyber-puzzles, competitions, a Galactic battle poster and much more! Plus, in Issue 1, we are offering four lucky readers the chance to win every single Transformer toy available in our ULTRA COMPETITION! (Don’t get too excited, I guess they mean every TF Armada toy available in the UK, about 7 toys in total - Sid)

Available four-weekly, each issue of Transformers Armada comic comes with it’s own cover-mounted free gift.

In issue 1, get your free Transformers sticker album and stickers!

Issue 2 comes packaged with a cool Cyber-Sketch Console, and a giant A1-sized Transformers poster!

TRANSFORM AND COMBINE!

Sounds good, but so far Comic shops have not had ordering information for this item, I will try and get the item code posted here on TheTF.net so Transfans can pass it on to there local comic shop.

-Sid

The rerelease of Atari’s Transformers game in the UK is due for 2nd September (this Friday) and includes a ‘Making Of` documentary. It can be picked up for around £20. Here’s the not too interesting cover.

Good news all you Armada fans, Entertainment Rights are planning to release Transformers Armada Volume 3 on 4th April 2005, a week before the second RID Boxset, and depending on the success of this release, they will consider releasing an Armada Boxset. Volume 3 was originally meant to be released last May.

Entertainment Rights also have the distribution rights to Cybertron, but not Energon, which is owned by Paramount.

TvShowsonDVD have received a note from Rhino, stating that the release date for their Transformers Armada Season 1 Part 2 DVD has been moved back to it’s original release date of 26th September.

Rhino have delayed the release date of Transformers Armada Season 1 Part 2 from 26th September to 3rd October. The set is being released in North America (Region 1).

The set can be found on Rhino’s Website.

Nearly 2 years since Rhino released Transformers Armada Season 1 Part 1 (Region 1), they are now bringing Part 2 containing the remaining 26 episodes to fans in North America on 26th September. More news on the set, including the cover, coming soon.

Thanks to TVShowsonDVD.com for the news.