Toy makers weren’t messing around this holiday season.

Last week we had Mattel (NAS: MAT) deliver better-than-expected quarterly earnings. Hasbro (NAS: HAS) followed suit earlier this week.

Sure, Hasbro’s profit of $1.06 a share barely squeezed past Wall Street’s target of $1.05 a share, but let’s cut the Transformers and Monopoly maker some slack. Hasbro had actually missed analyst estimates in each of the three quarters before that. Baby steps are good if they’re taken in the right direction.

Mattel and Hasbro are no slouches. They both even made investors happy by bumping their dividend rates higher last week.

However, investors looking for a little more growth out of their toy makers will want to pay attention to LeapFrog (NYS: LF) .

Anyone who’s had a kid since the 1990s is probably somewhat familiar with the company. LeapFrog turned heads early with its electronic cartridge-based learning toys. take a duster up to the attic. you may come down with a Leapster.

However, the company has had a rocky past few years. LeapFrog’s been trading in the single digits since 2008. Executives have been shuffled about. Flops including the Didj gaming system and fly “pentop” computer have held the maker of toddler gadgetry down.

LeapFrog caught a break last year when it introduced the LeapPad learning tablet. Purists will argue that it’s not fair to call the learning toy a “tablet,” but parents of young children couldn’t get enough of the $100 device.

Consolidated net sales rose 11% to $210 million during the holiday quarter, fueled largely by a 32% surge in international orders. Earnings rose nearly 30% to $0.49 a share.

Once again, LeapFrog — on the strength of the buzz-worthy LeapPad and the reliable performance of its older Leapster Explorer — smoked Wall Street’s bottom-line targets.

  Q1 2011 ($0.38) ($0.34) 11% Q2 2011 ($0.24) ($0.21) 13% Q3 2011 $0.27 $0.35 30% Q4 2011 $0.42 $0.49 17%

Source: Yahoo! Finance.

Whether it’s posting narrower deficits than analysts are targeting during the first half of the year or blowing the pros away during the seasonally potent second half of the year, LeapFrog has landed ahead of the prognosticators by double-digit percentage margins over the past year.

LeapFrog’s looking to build on its strong 2011 showing, eyeing a profit of $0.40 to $0.45 a share on a 6% to 8% pop on the top line. Analysts were perched on the lower end of that range before last night’s report. Those same market watchers see Hasbro and Mattel growing substantially slower.

LeapFrog’s shares have already tacked on healthy gains since LeapPad began to take off late last year, but it’s still cheap at 14 to 16 times this year’s bottom-line outlook.

Play on I put in a bullish call on LeapFrog in Motley Fool CAPS back in October, and it has soared 80% in that time. In the spirit of our CAPScall push for accountability, I’m going to stick to that position. If you want to get in early on the next mobile investing craze — beyond LeapFrog’s pseudo tablet — warm up to a special free report on the next trillion-dollar revolution.

At the time this article was published Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Mattel and Hasbro. try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. the Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz calls them as he sees them. He does not own shares in any of the stocks in this story. Rick is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow’s ultimate growth stocks a day early.

This $100 Tablet Is a Winner is a post from: Transformer-Toys.com

Transformers: Cybertron is the localized version of the Japanese television series Transformers: Galaxy Force and the accompanying toy line. This specific series in the Transformers universe was Hasbro and Takara’s 2005-2006 Transformers series.

In the Transformers: Cybertron television animated series, the story takes place on Earth when the home world of Transformers, the planet called Cybertron, faces a threat and the Transformers are forced to evacuate and seek refuge elsewhere. In the story, Optimus Prime and the Autobots meet three children named Cody, Lori, and Bud and become their friends. The main plot revolves around the Autobots’ search for special Cyber Planet Keys and the Omega Lock which they can use to save their home planet so they can return home peacefully. The children assist them in their search.

The characters in the series continue their existence from the previous series, Transformers: Energon. In Transformers: Cybertron, the characters gain new abilities called Cyber Key Powers which enable new skills. Various locations are explored in the series, including fictional planets Velocitron and Jungle Planet, the Transformers’ home world Cybertron, and the planet Earth where humans reside.

In all, there were 52 total episodes of the Transformers: Cybertron. This is the typical number of episodes for two seasons of an animated series in Japan. each season is broken into halves of 13 episodes which each cover a specific story arc, making a total of 4 story arcs in all.

Transformers: Cybertron is the third series in a trilogy of Transformers series known as the Transformers Unicorn Trilogy. The three series were produced by Hasbro and Takara jointly and all had an accompanying toy line. The series were supposed to be released in America and Japan around the same time and promote the toys. This trilogy of Transformers series started in 2002 with Transformers: Armada, continues with Transformers: Energon in late 2004, and conluded with Transformers: Cybertron that started in 2005. The triolgy spans the fictional years of 2010 to 2030. it completely revamped the Transformers universe and canon, not taking place in the same continuity as the previous Transformers series. The overall plot of all three series involves an incarnation of an evil transformer named Unicorn.

After Transformers: Cybertron finished, the following series named Transformers Animated which debuted on Cartoon Network in 2007 once again rebooted the Transformers image and canon, making Transformers: Cybertron not only the last series in the Unicorn trilogy saga but also the last in its own continuity universe.

Transformers – Cybertron is a post from: Transformer-Toys.com

This post has been corrected. See note below for details.

With the departure of "Stretch Armstrong," Universal Pictures has no plans for any more movies based on Hasbro toys beyond this summer's release of "Battleship"–marking an inauspicious end to a much-hyped deal signed four years ago.

In February 2008, Universal struck an agreement with Hasbro to produce at least four films derived from seven games and toys: "Battleship," "Candy Land," "Clue," "Magic: the Gathering," "Monopoly" "Ouija," and "Stretch Armstrong."  the arrangement was touted as a significant one for Universal, which had fewer well-known franchises than rival studios.

At the time, the deal was widely mocked by some in the entertainment press as a sign of Hollywood's desperation to make movies based on games and toys with no story rather than betting on original ideas.

"Hasbro's portfolio of products…offer an exciting opportunity for us to develop tentpole movies with built-in global brand awareness," Universal then-Chairman Marc Shmuger said at the time.

Many of Universal's planned but since scrapped movie projects looked to be high-profile at the time. Ridley Scott was attached to direct "Monopoly," while McG was to helm "Ouija" and "Twilight" star Taylor Lautner was to play the title role in "Stretch Armstrong," with Brian Grazer producing.

But since former marketing and production presidents Adam Fogelson and Donna Langley were named chairman and co-chairman, respectively, of the studio in late 2009 (replacing Shmuger and partner David Linde), the Hasbro projects have slowly fallen by the wayside.

"Battleship" was the notable exception. the approximately $200-million production, which mixes naval warfare with an alien invasion, was directed by Pete Berg ("Hancock" and "Friday Night Lights") and opens in May.

Under the agreement, Hasbro paid all costs to develop the projects. but Universal had to pay the toy company a penalty of $5 million for the properties it did not turn into movies.

All of the remaining six projects are now being developed by Hasbro, which maintains an office on the Universal lot but essentially acts as an independent producer with the ability to set up movies at any studio.

"Our deal with Universal has evolved over time, but there's still a lot of interest in our projects out there," said Wayne Charness, senior vice president of corporate communications for Hasbro.

The toy company announced Monday that it has set up "Stretch Armstrong" with independent studio Relativity Media, which intends to release the movie in April of 2014. Lautner is no longer attached to star.

Hasbro already has two properties at Paramount Pictures that were set up before the Universal pact: "Transformers," which has become one of Hollywood's biggest movie franchises, and "G.I. Joe," for which a sequel will be released this June after the original did decent business in 2009.

[For the Record, 6:40 p.m, Jan. 30: an earlier version of this post incorectly said Universal paid Hasbro a separate penalty for each movie it did not make, including $5 million for "Ouija."]

RELATED:

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Ron Burkle buys Relativity Media stake from Elliott Management

Photo: A scene from "Battleship." Credit: Universal Pictures

Universal-Hasbro deal fizzles with departure of ‘Stretch Armstrong’ is a post from: Transformer-Toys.com

NEW YORK – Hasbro on Monday reported nearly unchanged fourth-quarter earnings amid a challenging holiday season in the U.S. and Canada.

The toy giant posted a quarterly profit of $139.1 million, compared with $140.0 million in the year-ago period.  Earnings per share rose though amid continued stock buybacks.

Revenue rose 4 percent to $1.33  billion. Foreign exchange factors had a $13.3 million negative impact on revenues in the quarter.

Hasbro previously had warned that its full-year results would fall short of Wall Street expectations. It cited Transformers toys as a key driver of its full-year figures.

President and CEO Brian Goldner cited strong international growth in 2011. "However, we did not meet our expectations for growth in the U.S. and Canada segment, as we experienced weaker demand than we had anticipated, especially post-Thanksgiving," especially in the games and puzzles fields, he said. "we have taken significant steps by putting new leadership and new plans in place to re-accelerate growth and innovation in both of these important areas."

Twitter: @georgszalai

Hasbro Posts Unchanged Fourth-Quarter Profit Amid Weaker-Than-Hoped Holiday Season Demand is a post from: Transformer-Toys.com

Hasbro has just officially announced toys that are associated to Transformers – Fall of Cybertron by High Moon Studios. the figures have been inspired by the video game and will in turn inspire or thrill toy collectors. These collectors will be excited to know that five of those figures can be put together to become Bruticus, which is one humongous figure.

Old-time robot fans should know that Bruticus is really the combined figure that results when five Combaticons come together. Combaticons side with the Decepticons. Director of Transformers Brand Jerry Jovoin and director of design for Transformers Brand Joshua Lamb talk about the figures. Jivoin says that they at Hasbro have decided to create toys for the video game sequel because there was a lot of excitement over the original game and its accompanying toys. They prepared limited editions of four figures the first time they made toys for War for Cybertron. During conventions, they always get asked if they are ever planning to create more toys. So they have become aware of just how much demand there is for the toys.

The Combaticons are part of the Decepticons from the eighties storyline. They are made of five characters that combine to create Bruticus. this time around, High Moon Studios and Activision have decided to incorporate these characters into the world of the video game. of course, not all Transformers combine to become one giant character. there was a time when teams can do this.

The new toys are part of the Generations line. each of the figures is of a Deluxe size already. When they come together, they become one very huge thing. So how do you relate the characters of the video game with those who are more popular, such as Optimus Prime and the rest? well, Prime is on Earth while the game’s story happens on Cybertron.

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Transformers – Fall of Cybertron: Hasbro Announces New Set of Transformer Toys is a post from: Transformer-Toys.com

Zynga strikes a partnership with Hasbro, paving the way for toys and games based on titles such as ‘Empires & Allies’ and ‘FarmVille.’

Zynga will allow the toymaker Hasbro to create games and toys based on its online properties, the two companies said.

while no products have yet been confirmed, the deal will produce real world products based on online games like “FarmVille.”

Zynga is no stranger to partnerships, having produced branded versions of its games on a number of occasions. last spring, it paired with Lady Gaga for the launch of GagaVille, a FarmVille environment inspired by Gaga’s stylings.

For the time being, it looks like the relationship will be limited to Hasbro producing Zynga inspired games, but it could be a sign of things to come. if the initial collaborations this fall are successful, it’s not hard to think that Zynga could find itself with the rights to produce its brand of gaming based on storied Hasbro franchises out there. Brands like Transformers, NERF, G.I. Joe, Playskool, Magic: The Gathering, Monopoly and, of course, my Little Pony, could all potentially be in the mix.

Who knows whether or not Zynga-produced Hasbro games will ever come to pass. Having found success with complicated fare such as Empires & Allies, though, it’d be fun to see what Zynga could do with a game based on Transformers or G.I. Joe.

Zynga coming to a board game near you, courtesy of Hasbro is a post from: Transformer-Toys.com

GD Star Ratingloading…

By John Chovan Guest Contributor

The Basics:

• For ages 3 and up
• No choking hazards for 3 and up (Transformers Robots)
• Possible choking hazards for Human Helpers and Playsets

Geek Skills:

• Active Listening & Communication
• Hand/Eye Coordination & Dexterity
• Cooperative & Team Play
• Imagination

Learning Curve

• Child – Easy
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• Children and adults can save the world together using basic Transformers

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek not applicable
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

For those of you who revel in your 1980′s Transformers geekdom, but have had to sulkily shuffle away from the toy section of your favorite store because you have toddlers, prepare to rejoice! Playskool Heroes now has a line of Transformer toys which will enable you to once again lead the Autobots into action, this time with your little geeks in tow!

The Rescue Bots series sort of incorporates a Sesame Street’esque feel in that you can also purchase human helpers for each of the bots. The human helpers have two modes (of course) and allow for the human to attach to the specified Transformer or for stand-alone play if you don’t have the Transformer Rescue Bots.

Walker Cleveland and Rescue Saw

The Transformer Rescue Bot series includes Optimus Prime (semi), Bumblebee (sports car), Heatwave (fire engine), Chase (police car), Boulder (construction bulldozer), and Blades (helicopter). These toys are designed for ages 3+ (the plus means you get to play, too!).

Bumblebee (top) and Optimus Prime (bottom) in robot and vehicle mode

Finally, there is a fire Station and Rescue Garage that look like Optimus Prime (Fire Station) and Bumblebee (Garage). The Garage comes with a Bumblebee and his human helper, whereas the fire station comes with Heatwave and his human helper.

Transformers Heroes Optimus Prime fire Station Playset

For those of you who want to expand your Heroes collection into different realms, keep an eye out for Marvel Super Hero Adventures and Star Wars Jedi Force toys in the same vein as the Transformers.

Prediction

Little ones will enjoy these toys for several reasons. First, moving parts always intrigue children. With the vehicle mode, geeklings will be able to roll and crash their way to discovery. second, with the robot mode, they will enjoy playacting and storytelling. If you relish your own memories of the Transformers, these toys are a simple way to pass on your Cybertronian love.

Final Word

I often try to make up stories about the Transformer characters for my sons  (I have quite a few of the discontinued PVC Robot Heroes as well), which has led to many funny stories being told by my 3-year-old about how Optimus and Bumblebee became friends, are angry with each other, and other various friendship ordeals. With a little bit of background knowledge, my sons have become true Transformers geeks.

Having purchased a few of these for myself…..um, I mean “for my sons”, I am happy to report that they pass muster. The robots are very simple to transform and engage little geeklets’ hand/eye coordination.

In terms of playing with the toys, my little geeks enjoy the transforming aspect the best. So far, both Optimus and Bumblebee have been transformed dozens of times and they are holding up well. even though the toys are made of plastic, they have managed to survive the beatings often inflicted by a 3 and 2-year-old quite well.

For the bots, the transformation is basically a three-step process to change from robot to vehicle. Since the average Transformer now requires a doctorate in engineering to change from one mode to another, it is nice to see a simple push/pull system in place with these toys.

Another Geek Generation is introduced and falls in love with the awesomeness that is Transformers…

On a somewhat negative note, Optimus Prime’s head does make for a headache in my experience. When changing him into vehicle mode, his head needs to be pushed down, but the latch which holds down his head is pretty puny. When my little geeks transform him, it often pops back up. this means you will most likely have your little geeks asking you to please put Optimus’ head down many, many, many times. you would think that Playskool would have consulted Vector Sigma before implementing such an annoying design flaw.

Overall, these toys do an excellent job of blending simplicity with Transformer technology and won’t cost you too much Energon or tax your wallet. Recommended for geeks, both young and old!

Playskool Heroes Transformers Rescue Bots Toy Review, 3.5 out of 5 based on 2 ratings

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» Playskool Heroes Transformers Rescue Bots Toy Review is a post from: Transformer-Toys.com

Jan. 30, 2012 — SF State alums Ethan Van der Ryn (B.a., ’85) and Steve Zaillian (B.a., 75) were nominated for Academy Awards on Jan. 24, marking the 13th consecutive year SF State alums have earned Oscar nods.

Van der Ryn received a nomination for best Sound Editing for "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" and shares the nomination with Erik Aadahl. Zaillian was nominated for best Adapted Screenplay for "Moneyball," which he co-wrote with Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin.

The nomination is the fourth for Van der Ryn, who won the Oscar for best Sound Editing in 2003, for "the Lord of the Rings: the two Towers," and in 2006, for "King Kong." Van der Ryn was also nominated for best Sound Editing in 2008 for "Transformers." Other films he has worked on include "Kung Fu Panda 2," "X-Men” and “Titanic." "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" is the third in the blockbuster film series based on the Transformers toys and comics.

Steve Zaillian has also received four nominations, winning an Oscar for best Adapted Screenplay in 1994 for "Schindler’s List." he also received best Adapted Screenplay nods in 1991 for "Awakenings" and in 2003 for "Gangs of new York." Zaillian’s other work includes "American Gangster," "Mission: Impossible" and "the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." "Moneyball,” adapted from the popular book by Michael Lewis, is the story of how Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane built a winning team in 2002 despite having one of the smallest budgets in Major League Baseball.

The red carpet at the Oscars is familiar territory for SF State alumni. Past Academy Award-winners include: Christopher Boyes (B.a., ’85), a four-time winner for best Achievement in Sound Mixing in 2006 for "King Kong" and best Sound Editing Awards in 2004 ("Pirates of the Carribean: the Curse of the Black Pearl"), 2002 ("Pearl Harbor") and 1998 ("Titanic"); Gloria Borders (B.a. ’78), best Sound Effects Editing for “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” 1991; and Shawn Murphy (B.a. ’68), best Sound for “Jurassic Park” in 1993. SF State nominees include Annette Bening (B.a., ’85), whose most recent of four Oscar nods came in 2011 for “The Kids are All right,” and David Gropman (B.a., ’74), nominated in 2000 for best Art Direction-Set Decoration for “The Cider House Rules.”

ABC will air the 84th Academy Awards at 4 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, Feb. 26. for more information and a full list of nominees, visit oscar.go.com. to find more SF State alumni excelling in film and television, visit sfsu.edu/~hotshots/film.html. Share this story:

SF State alums nominated for Academy Awards is a post from: Transformer-Toys.com

Transformers toys have been around for years, and the popularity of them never seems to fade with young kids. Since the success of the recent big screen hits, Transformers and Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, and the anticipation of a third movie coming out soon, it’s easy to understand why these toys are so attractive to all. this year is certainly no different, with everything from action figures to Lego sets jumping onto the Transformers bandwagon. here are some of the best Transformers toys for kids:

Without a doubt, any Optimus Prime Transformer toy will be a firm favourite with fans of any age. For the younger fans, costumes of their favorite character and rechargeable cars in the shapes of popular Autobots and Decepticons are some best sellers. For the older children, anywhere from age 5 to 12 and up, the bestselling items include action figures and video games. the action figures, which are available for Megatron, Bumblebee, various Autobots and Optimus Prime, are some of the best transformer toys available. each figure costs around 12 and comes in its own collectible box. the figurines feature easily re-attachable pieces, so no worries if something comes off unexpectedly.

Video games also make great gifts – the best sellers include Transformers: War for Cybertron and Classic Transformers. War for Cybertron is available for PC, XBOX 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS. War for Cybertron has been named one of the greatest Transformers games of all time. this exciting multiplayer game features a full history of the Transformers mythology, plus a ton of action that takes place completely on the home plant of the Transformers, Cybertron.

No matter which transformers toys you choose to purchase for the fan in your family, rest assured that it will all be a big hit

Best Transformers Toys for Kids is a post from: Transformer-Toys.com

As it turns out, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are components of an evangelistic gospel of “outright Hinduism, occultism and humanism” that teaches children “ideals that are contrary to Christian beliefs” with subversive merchandise like “pepperoni sticks.” At least, that’s according to a group of curiously coiffed Canadian men in an early 1990s propaganda film decrying the original TMNT animated series, Vanilla Ice, Bart Simpson and other alleged evils of the ancient world. “It’s witchcraft, pure and simple,” says one man in the film, which also objects to children’s candy in the shape of instruments used to create “rock music.” the clip was compiled by Four Four from an unearthed “VHS tape” of a propaganda film called Not just Fun and Games which warned primitive man of the infernal dangers of children’s cartoons and assorted merchandise. it is a fascinating glimpse into an unremembered time in our distant past when humanity was first confronted with new and seemingly terrifying concepts like martial arts, anthropomorphized reptiles, and rap music.They seem like cavemen to us but understand that these were good Canadian people, just frightened and unlearned, and they reacted without the benefit of the educational instruments we take for granted — things like YouTube, Wikipedia, and televisions with channels beyond the number 8.When the dead man wearing a mullet and moustache said, “You heard it here first, folks, a Rat named Splinter is the hero of this cartoon,” he very likely believed that he was literally the first person to transmit that information to anyone in the world.it is a wonder to sit here in the year 2012 secure in the basic knowledge of so many things that our ancestors contemplated with such desperation in the 1990s. the following are just some of the facts that we know now to be unassailably true, information these poor fellows would never know.Splinter

“Their hero or their guru is a rat named Splinter. You heard it here first, folks, a Rat named Splinter is the hero of this cartoon.”

Splinter is not the turtles’ guru. he is their sensei. Magic

[Holding a Bepop toy] “This is one of the villains of the [Teenage] Mutant Ninja Turtles. When we say ‘villains’… the hero is using white magic or eastern mystic or ‘good powers,’ such as ‘Star Wars’ taught us — the good side of the Force, and the bad guys are using the bad powers, the black side of the Force. but it’s the same powers, exactly, when you look at it from a biblical viewpoint.”

the turtles do not employ magic of any kind — only the art of Ninjutsu. A copious search of over 100 versions of the Bible at BibleGateway.com yields not a single reference to “white magic” nor “the Black Side of the Force.” Ninjas

“Ninjas were assassins. They were not good people. They were not heroes.”

just some of the heroic ninja throughout history, as researched and categorized by Wikipedia: Batgirl Cassandra Cain, Conan the Barbarian, Hawkeye, the Transformer Hot Shot, G.I. Joe’s Snake Eyes and the entire Ninja Force, the Ninja Storm Power Rangers, Ninjak, Nth Man the Ultimate Ninja, Psylocke, Raiden from Metal Gear, the entire Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, Princess Zelda and Zen the Intergalactic Ninja. Vanilla Ice

“Here we have Vanilla Ice, one of the most… at least one of the wealthiest. I was going to say one of the most talented… talented at making money anyway. What’s the problem with this guy?”

Religious Anti-Ninja Turtle Propaganda from the Ancient World [Video] – ComicsAlliance is a post from: Transformer-Toys.com