Transformers is an entertainment franchise co - produced  between the Japanese Takara Tomy and American  Hasbro toy companies. Initially developed as a brand by Hasbro and made up of  renamed , rebranded transforming toys from Takara's Diaclone and microman toylines , the franchise began in 1984 with the transformers toy line , and centers  on  factions  on transforming alien robots ( often the Autobots and Decepticons ) in an endless struggle for dominance or eventual peace . In its decades -long history , the franchise has expended to encompass comic books , animation ,  video games and films .

The term "Generation 1"covers both the animated television series The Transformers and the comic book series of  the same , which are further divided into Japanese and British spin - offs , respectively . Sequels followed ,  such as the Generation 2 comic book and Beast Wars TV , which became its own mini , universe.  Generation 1 characters underwent two reboots with Dreamwave in 2001 and IDW Publishing in 2005 , also as remastered series . There have been other incarnations of the story based on different toy lines during and after the 20th century . The first was the Robots in Disguise series , followed by three shows (Armada , Energon ,  and Cybertron ) that constitute a single universe called the  ' Unicron Trilogy' . A live action film was also released  in 2007 with a sequel in 2009 and a third sequel coming out in 2014  again distinct from  various incarnations while the Transformers : Animated series merged concepts from the G1 story-arc , the 2007 live action film and the " Unicron Trilogy " . Transformers Prime previously aired on The Hub .

Generation 1

Transformers : Generation 1 was a children's toy line that ran from 1984 to 1991 and was produced by Hasbro .It was a line of toy robots that could change into an alternate form by moving parts into other places . and it was the first line of toys produced for the successful Transformers toy and entertainment franchise . The line was originally called The Transformers with " Generation 1" originating as termed coined by fans of the toys when the Transformers : Generation 2 toy line was released in 1992 . Hasbro eventually adopted the term "Generation 1" to refer to any toy produced in that era .                                        

Generation 2

Transformers : Generation 2 ( also known as Generation Two or G2) was a Transformers television series  which ran from 1992-1994, as well as a corresponding  toy line and  comic book series . the prior Transformers television series , comic books and toys were retroactively termed as "Generation 1", and are officially referred to as  such even though the term was never used during their original runs . Generation 2 ends as the first Beast Wars : Transformers toys were made .

Unicron Trilogy

The "Unicron Trilogy" is so-named for the major role that the dark god Unicron plays in each of the three series that comprise it. Spanning twenty years from 2010 to 2030 , the trilogy is significant for being a co-production between Hasbro and Takara ; the Japanese production team actually wanted to set the series in the Generation 1 continuity , post- "The Rebirth", but this was vetoed by Hasbro's head Transformers design director , Aaron Archer , in favour of completely rebooting the Transformers universe and introducing a brand new continuity for the second time ( the first being Robots in Disguise ). Archer  crafted the basic story outline of each of the three lines, with the anime themselves then being written and animated in Japan, but in practise , the Japanese studios did not always follow Archer's design . While each series ran for eighteen months in Hasbro markets, lasting from mid - 2002 through 2007 , the three were annual affairs in  Japan , running from January to December in 2003 , 2004 and 2005 .

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Transformers is a 2007 American science fiction action film based on the Transformers toy line . The film , which combines computer animation with live-action , is directed by Michael Bay , with Steven Spielberg serving as executive producer . It is the first installment of  the live-action Transformers film series . It stars Shia LaBeouf  as Sam Witwicky , a teenager involved in a war between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons , two factions of alien robots who can disguise themselves by transforming into everyday machinery  . The Decepticons desire to control of the AllSpark, the object that created their robotic race, with the intention of using it to build an army by giving life to the machines of  Earth . Tyrese Gibson , Josh Duhamel , Anthony Anderson , Megan Fox , Rachel Taylor , John Turturro and Jon Voight also star, while voice actors Peter Cullen and Hugo Weaving voice Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively . The film was produced by Don Murphy and Tom DeSanto . They developed the project in 2003, and Desanto wrote a treatment . Steven Spielberg came on board the following year , hiring Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman to write the screenplay . The U.S military and General Motors ( GM)   loaned vehicles and aircraft during filming , which saved money for the production and added realism to the battle scenes. Hasbro organized an enormous promotional campaign for the film , making deals with hundreds of companies . This advertising blitz included a viral marketing campaign , coordinated releases of prequel comic books , toys and books , as well as product placement deals with GM , Burger King , and eBay . 

Despite mixed critical reaction to the radical redesigns of the characters,and reviews criticizing the focus on   the humans at the expense of the robots, Transformers was a box office success . It is the forty-fifth most       successful film released and the fifth most successful   of 2007, grossing approximately US$709 million worldwide . The film won four awards from the Visual Effects Society and was nominated for three Academy Awards , for Best Sound Editing , Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects .      

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen

Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen is an American science fiction action film directed by Michael Bay and executive producer by Steven Spielberg . It is a sequel to 2007's Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series . The plot revolves around Sam Witwicky ( Shia LaBeouf ), who is caught in the war between two factions of alien robots, the Autobots and the Decepticons . Sam is having hallucinatory episodes of Cybertronian symbols , and is being hunted by the Decepticons under the orders of an ancient Decepticon named The Fallen , who seeks to get revenge on Earth by finding and activating a machine that would provide the Decepticons with an energon source, destroying the Sun and all life on Earth in the process . With deadlines jeopardized by possible strikes by the Directors Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild , Bay managed to finish the production on time with the help of previsualization and scriptment by his writers Roberto
Orci , Alex Kurtzman , and series newcomer Ehren Kruger . Shooting took place from May to November 2008 , with locations in Egypt , Jordan , Pennsylvania , New Jersey , and California , as well as air bases in New Mexico and Arizona . Revenge of the Fallen was released on June 24, 2009, and was a huge box office success, setting records upon release . The film grossed a total of $402 million in North America and $836 million worldwide . It was the second most successful film of 2009  , 17th domestically , the 34th highest-grossing film of all time and fourth highest of the year worldwide .

Transformers Dark of The Moon

Transformers : Dark of the Moon is a 2011 American science fiction action film based on the Transformers toy line . First released on June 23, 2011, it is the third installment of the live-action Transformers film series. The movie is also the first in the franchise not to be distributed by Dreamworks , leaving the series to be owned by Paramount Pictures . Like its predecessors, Transformers and Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen , Transformers : Dark of the Moon is directed by Michael Bay and executive produced by Steven Spielberg . The film's story is set three years after the events of the second film , with the Autobots , during their collaboration with the NEST ( Networked Elements : Supporters and Transformers ) military force , discovering a hidden alien technology in possession of humans , which had been found by Apollo 11 on the Moon 42 years earlier . However , the Decepticons unveil a plan to use the technology to enslave humanity in order to bring back Cybertron , the home planet of the Autobots and the Decepticons . In May 2011 , it was announced that Paramount would move Transformers : Dark of the Moon's release date of July 1 to June 29 in order to monitor an early response to footage . Exclusive early premieres in select 3-D and IMAX theaters took place June 28, 2011, one night before worldwide releases in 2-D and 3-D ( including IMAX 3D ) formats - each featuring Dolby Surround 7.1 sound .

Transformers Prime

Transformers Prime is a CGI-based series that aired on The Hub television network from November 29,2010 to July 26, 2013, with Peter Cullen and Frank Welker once again providing the voices of Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively. The first season is focused on the Autobots under Optimus called Team Prime, and on a quest to stop Megatron from using a corrupt form of energy Dark Energon to take control of Earth.