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'''''Transformers: Prime''''' is a ''Transformers'' [[franchise]] that launched in the year 2010. It spirals out of the novel ''[[Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron|Transformers: Exodus]]'', based on the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron| War for Cybertron]]'' video game. ''Prime''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s main manifestation will be the upcoming [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Transformers: Prime'' cartoon]] on the new [[The Hub|Hub]] network.


The ''Prime'' franchise featured the following primary components:
'''''Transformers: Prime''''' is a [[franchise]] that launched in 2010. Its fiction is part of the [[Aligned continuity family]], based on the same [[production bible]] as ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]]''. Its design aesthetic is somewhere between the [[live-action film series]] and ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]''. The writers of the [[Transformers (film)|first]] [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|two]] live-action movies, [[Roberto Orci]] and [[Alex Kurtzman]], are executive producers on the ''Prime'' cartoon. Orci described this as a chance to do what he "couldn't do in the movies."<ref>[http://www.movieweb.com/news/roberto-orci-and-jeff-kline-talk-transformers-prime Movieweb.com interview with Roberto Orci & Jeff Kline]</ref>


*[[Transformers: Prime (comic)|Comic books]]
==Franchise elements==
*[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|A cartoon series]]
*[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|A cartoon series]]
*[[Transformers: Prime (comics)|Comic books]]
*[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|A toyline]]
*[[Online games#Prime|Online games]]
*[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)/home video|DVD releases]]
*[[Commercial/Prime|Commercials]]
*[[Transformers: Prime - The Game|Video game]]
*[[Autobot Blast Bar|An Ice Cream Bar]]


''Transformers: Prime'' represents a concerted effort on Hasbro's part to imagine a new "aligned continuity" from the ground up that includes all the facets they feel worked best from past universes.<ref>[http://www.tfviews.com/news/main/hasbro-q-and-a/1024 TF Views June 2010 Q&A]</ref> Given this, it is not surprising to find that it borrows heavily from [[Generation 1 (franchise)|G1]], [[Live-action film series|the live-action movies]] and ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'', among others. Their plans are for the ''Prime'' universe to last several years, unlike the constant reboots of the 2000s.<ref name="Archer and Tieger">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/video-games-17/tfw2005-war-for-cybertron-interview-with-aaron-archer-and-matt-tieger-168910/ 2009 TFW2005 interview with Aaron Archer and Matt Tieger]</ref> To this end, they have created an extensive, 350-page continuity bible for writers in the new continuity to follow.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/botcon-2010-transformers-prime-panel-coverage-170054/ BotCon 2010 coverage at TFW2005]</ref>
==Continuity==
[[File:PrimeTS-Autobots.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|"[[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Big adventure!]]" <br>
"[[Bumblebee (WFC)|Tons of fun!]]" <br>
"[[Arcee (WFC)|A beautiful heart!]]" <br>
"[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Faithful and strong!]]" <br>
"[[Ratchet (WFC)|Sharing kindness, it's an easy feat!]]" <br>
"And [[Dark Energon|magic]] makes it all complete!"]]


Most excitingly, this continuity family began unraveling the mystery of the [[thirteen original Transformers]] in ''Exodus'', as stated in Hasbro's [[Hasbro Q&A/May 2010: Answers|May 2010 Q&A]]. At [[BotCon 2010]], redesigns of five of the 13 were shown.
The cartoon is the principal element of ''Prime'' fiction, and the comic is a prequel miniseries that ties into the show smoothly. But broader continuity is more contentious: While [[Hasbro]] has consistently and officially described all ''Prime'' and ''War for/Fall of Cybertron'' fiction as one single [[continuity]],<ref>[[Hasbro Q&A/September 2010: Answers|TFWiki.net Hasbro Q&A, Sept. 2010]]</ref> the various media have been produced by different creative teams and often contradict.
[[File:Prime-show-background.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|[[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|I didn't authorize you to pose without proper cover.]]]]
For example, the ''Prime'' cartoon features [[Dark Energon]] just like ''War for Cybertron'', but with the previously-unseen quality of being able to [[Terrorcon (Prime)|reanimate corpses]].<ref>[[Darkness Rising, Part 2|''Prime'' episode "Darkness Rising, Part 2"]]</ref> And strangely, Megatron is able to create an army of such creatures by crashing Dark Energon into the dead world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]],<ref>[[Darkness Rising, Part 2|''Prime'' episode "Darkness Rising, Part 5"]]</ref> despite the reason for the planet's demise in ''War for Cybertron'' being its complete infection with the substance. Also, the aesthetics and characterizations in the games are inspired primarily by ''[[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]'', while the cartoon takes many cues from the [[live-action film series]]. So while the [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] of the games looks and talks like [[Bumblebee (G1)|his ''Generation 1'' self]] (well, until [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|the sequel]]), the cartoon version looks like [[Bumblebee (Movie)|his movie incarnation]] and [[R2-D2|speaks in electronic beeps and squawks]]. An [[pseudocanon|apocryphal]] short story by [[Alex Irvine|the author of ''Exodus'']] [[Bumblebee at Tyger Pax|attempts to explain this change]], but the [[retcon]] occurs ''before'' the game events, so the contradiction remains.


==Continuity family==
When asked about the discrepancies, Hasbro VP of Intellectual Property Development [[Aaron Archer]] replied, "reasons for the confusion will be revealed".<ref>[[Hasbro Q&A/January 2011: Answers|TFWiki.net Hasbro Q&A, Jan. 2011]]</ref> The show's staff added Dark Energon's nature differed due to the games and show being set in different eras, and added that while they try to keep the large continuity co-ordinated, ultimately such errors are secondary to the freedom of telling the best story.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/botcon-2011-transformers-prime-panel-172315/ TFW coverage of Hasbro Studios panel at BotCon 2011]</ref>
* Despite the concerted effort to organize the new continuity, ''Exodus'' and ''War for Cybertron'' are very incompatible versions of a similar story, creating two separate universes for the continuity right from the start. Regardless, in a preview of the game it was mentioned the game was to serve as a ''basis'' for the new continuity,<ref name="Archer and Tieger"/> and ''Exodus'' can be considered an [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AdaptationExpansion adaptation expansion].
*It probably doesn't help that poor editing left ''Exodus'' self-contradictory on a good number of backstory points.


==Notes==
{{--}}
*[[Aaron Archer]] stated at [[BotCon 2010]] that he wasn't particularly happy with "Prime" as the name of the new continuity family, but did not yet have a better option to offer. He had considered recommending "Epochs," only to conclude it wasn't really better after all. In the [[Hasbro Q&A/October 2009|October 2009 Hasbro Q&A]] with The Allspark forum, they referred to the 13's story as an "epoch".


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
<references />


[[Category:Continuity families]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prime (franchise)}}
[[Category:Franchises]]
[[Category:Franchises]]
[[Category:Prime| ]]
[[Category:Prime| ]]

Latest revision as of 16:53, 22 November 2018

The name or term "Prime" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Prime (disambiguation).
Aligned continuity family
« Prime »

Transformers: Prime is a franchise that launched in 2010. Its fiction is part of the Aligned continuity family, based on the same production bible as War for Cybertron. Its design aesthetic is somewhere between the live-action film series and Animated. The writers of the first two live-action movies, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, are executive producers on the Prime cartoon. Orci described this as a chance to do what he "couldn't do in the movies."[1]

Franchise elements

[edit]

Continuity

[edit]
"Big adventure!"
"Tons of fun!"
"A beautiful heart!"
"Faithful and strong!"
"Sharing kindness, it's an easy feat!"
"And magic makes it all complete!"

The cartoon is the principal element of Prime fiction, and the comic is a prequel miniseries that ties into the show smoothly. But broader continuity is more contentious: While Hasbro has consistently and officially described all Prime and War for/Fall of Cybertron fiction as one single continuity,[2] the various media have been produced by different creative teams and often contradict.

I didn't authorize you to pose without proper cover.

For example, the Prime cartoon features Dark Energon just like War for Cybertron, but with the previously-unseen quality of being able to reanimate corpses.[3] And strangely, Megatron is able to create an army of such creatures by crashing Dark Energon into the dead world of Cybertron,[4] despite the reason for the planet's demise in War for Cybertron being its complete infection with the substance. Also, the aesthetics and characterizations in the games are inspired primarily by Generation 1, while the cartoon takes many cues from the live-action film series. So while the Bumblebee of the games looks and talks like his Generation 1 self (well, until the sequel), the cartoon version looks like his movie incarnation and speaks in electronic beeps and squawks. An apocryphal short story by the author of Exodus attempts to explain this change, but the retcon occurs before the game events, so the contradiction remains.

When asked about the discrepancies, Hasbro VP of Intellectual Property Development Aaron Archer replied, "reasons for the confusion will be revealed".[5] The show's staff added Dark Energon's nature differed due to the games and show being set in different eras, and added that while they try to keep the large continuity co-ordinated, ultimately such errors are secondary to the freedom of telling the best story.[6]

References

[edit]