Activision nabs video game rights to Transformers!

[Impactor returns 2.0]

Transformers No Longer in Disguise
Activision nabs videogame rights to the famous robot franchise and confirms the movie tie-in game.
by David Adams



February 13, 2006 - While Activision had confirmed in a recent investor conference call that it would develop games based on the upcoming Transformers movie, today the company officially announced an agreement with Hasbro covering the entire Transformers franchise.

Activision now holds the rights to create videogames based on Hasbro's Transformers brand, which has produced robots in disguise since 1984. The movie-based game will be the first project under the agreement, and is expected to arrive alongside the film in July 2007.

The publisher has yet to announce an official title or specific platforms for the game, though Activision's agreement with Hasbro covers console, handheld, and PC games.

"We are thrilled to work with Activision to bring the widely popular Transformers brand to the world of digital entertainment and introduce millions of consumers to our best-known Transformer and biggest hero of all time -- Optimus Prime," said Hasbro's Jane Ritson-Parsons.

"Transformers has all of the elements necessary to translate incredibly well into video games," said Activision Publishing president and CEO Mike Griffith. "We look forward to bringing the Transformers robots to life with the latest interactive technology and graphics."

The Transformers aren't strangers to videogames: in 2004 Autobots and Decepticons clashed in Atari's Transformers for the PlayStation 2. Hasbro reacquired gaming rights to the series from Atari parent company Infogrames in June 2005.

The upcoming live-action Transformers film is directed by Michael Bay (The Rock, Armageddon). Steven Spielberg is serving as executive producer alongside Hasbro's Brian Goldner.

Source: www.ign.com

[Predabot]

Well, it shows some progress I suppose. Means that the movie is perhaps more on the move than we thought.

How do you all wager it'll be? I've heard nothing but good about the Atari-game, and would have loved to try it, had it been to any of the plattforms I own... (ie PC and Nintendo)

Do you all recon we might see this game on more plattforms? Would be lovely. Also, Activision, that's sort of an umbrella-company, right? I think they've got lads like Gray Matter and ID Sorftware in their stable.

Who'd you recon to be working on Transformers?

Work should begin pretty darn soon, shouldn't it? If they're gonna have it complete when the movie is currently projected to come out.

[Impactor returns 2.0]

I think this also has alot to do with the finacial trouble that Atari recently released they were in, perhaps they are selling off thier lesser IP to cover debts?

[Best First]

The last TF game was class so i'm a bit dissapointed that they lost he licence.

oh well.

as before i think a TF game has so much potnetila, lets hope they don't just churn something out.

i guess by then we are probably looking and 360 & PS3?

biggest hero of all time -- Optimus Prime

love it!

[Impactor returns 2.0]

Activision have some decent technolagy behind them, and yes id assume 360 and PS3 by the time its released to coincide with the movie.

Graphically im expecting somthing very special indeed, and if its based on the movie, we could be looking at more 'realistic' old skool designs i presume, where the robots were based upon earthern concepts as apposed to Armada's design ethos.

Could be really special.

And my head in the cloud idea for the momment, an MMO based on cybertron where u play the part of a headmaster? , essentially u control a mech/transformers *ahem* good excuse tho

[Legion]

And my head in the cloud idea for the momment, an MMO based on cybertron where u play the part of a headmaster? , essentially u control a mech/transformers *ahem* good excuse tho

KOTOR but with Transformers... now that would rock!

[BB Shockwave]

Yeah, I'd prefer some strategy or RPG game, but with today's kids and their likings, it'll surely be a shoot-em-up game.

Oh, and I hope they'll think on PC owners too. I'm not buying a PS or Xbox for one game...

[Jack Cade]

A TF game - with members of the original cast - could be utterly mindblowing. But if it's a movie tie-in, it could also be a pile of cack. Like the movie may well also be, seeing as it's being directed by someone who has not, to my knowledge, managed to make a single good film.

I like to be optimistic, but I feel like some kind of miracle is needed.

[Legion]

I like to be optimistic, but I feel like some kind of miracle is needed.

Aye, film to game conversions are more often that not misses rather than hits... (although they tend to be better than game to film conversions )

[Dead Head]

I like to be optimistic, but I feel like some kind of miracle is needed.

Seconded. The new movie will stink (and will feature crap music and annoying lead humans), but will make teh money.So, cue a string of even worse sequels.

But if it's a movie tie-in, it could also be a pile of cack. Like the movie may well also be, seeing as it's being directed by someone who has not, to my knowledge, managed to make a single good film.

Yep. Bay had succeeded wonderfully in making cruddy movies.

A TF game - with members of the original cast - could be utterly mindblowing.

Do you mean G1 as a whole? That's the cast I'd want - the characters from 1984-1994ish, with obviously only a few on either side having any prominence.

A G1 Transformers game could work well as:

*** a real-time RPG
*** a one-on-one versus fighting game
*** an action mixture (i.e. an Afterburner II-like flying level with Jetfire/Starscream, a Rampage-like destruction level with the Dinobots/Terrorcons, a Time Crisis-like shooting level with Triggerhappy/Pointblank et cetera, an so on)
*** a 16K text adventure. You are outside the citystate of Kalis. The exits are West, South, and North. >

[Hound]

There was nothing wrong with the Atari game on the PS2 in terms of design. I hope Activision produce something similar but with obvious enhancements:

Multiplayer (pref online)
More playable characters
Those are actually the only improvements I would like to see...The ps2 game was really really good.

[Josh]

am i the only one in wishing they'll do a new beast wars game down the line?

thatd be so awesome. expand on the atari game, but make it sorta like the old BW game. choose maximal or predacon, go out on missions. have these HUGE levels and stuff for you to explore and all that

man, i think a HUGE map that spans the distance from the waterfalls near the Axalon to the arctic outpost Tigatron stays at, to the mountains where the ark is, to the ocean/beach where depth charge came from, to the death valley-geyser place to the volcanic are of the Darkside would be insanely cool! and there'd be different outposts in different zones, and going by foot would take you a little bit to get from zone to zone or something. you could have multiplayer missions or solo stuff [or solo missions with CPU controlled chars]. Flyers would be available. man. thatd just be so cool [now that i think of it, some kind of map/mission select layout similar to gundam: fed vs zeon would be neat if done right]



MAN

gettin myself all excited :P

[Best First]

yep, that would be awesome.