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Transformers Universe now a 'MOTA,' set for summer release
The last we heard about Jagex's development of Transformers Universe was in July of 2013 when it was announced that 13 employees had been laid off from the game's development team. Today, however, Jagex CEO and CTO Mark Gerhard announced some big news regarding the would-be Transformers MMO. Specifically, he announced that... it's not exactly an MMO anymore. Transformers Universe is now being called a "massively online, tactical action game, or MOTA," and Gerhard states that it offers "fast-paced, battle centric, tactical action with a selection of game modes for core gamers, casual gamers, and Transformers enthusiasts alike." All the nitty-gritty gameplay details can be found in the official post, but Gerhard specifically addresses the studio's long radio silence, stating that "from today onwards [fans] can expect regular updates, and soon all start participating first-hand" in the game's ongoing development. He mentions that the studio is "100% set to launch Transformers Universe this summer" and that they will be progressively inviting registered players into the game's beta testing. To get all the full details on this new "MOTA" or to sign up for beta, head over to the Transformers Universe official site.
Jagex shares more details about Transformers Universe
Amidst all of the toy previews and Hall of Fame inductions at this year's BotCon, there's another element for fans -- an early look at Transformers Universe, the upcoming MMO developed by Jagex. And while the game is certainly not in a playable state just yet, the fine team at Tformers.com has put together a video interview with executive producer Kris Jones, showing off the early stages of character creation and discussing the game's future for development. Transformers Universe is confirmed to take place within the current "Prime" continuity, but as Jones explains, the staff has been working closely with Hasbro to try to include as many signature characters as possible from the franchise's 27-year history. There's talk about hundreds of different parts for characters to choose between for customization as well as the possibility of fans uploading parts and decals to help personalize individual Transformers. Prospective fans should take a look at the full interview -- it's an early look but the sort of thing that should be of significant interest to longtime franchise enthusiasts.
Jagex reveals Transformers Universe, gears up for BotCon
The upcoming Transformers MMO from Jagex officially has a name. Transformers Universe also sports a new official website, and we encourage you to head over and sign up for the game's newsletter if Autobots and Decepticons are your thing. Transformers Universe will be a browser-based free-to-play MMO, and the scuttlebutt surrounding the project seems to indicate a planned launch sometime in 2012. Jagex, maker of the long-running RuneScape browser game, has just pushed out a press release featuring the name reveal as well as some info relating to BotCon (the official Transformers fan convention). Jagex will be of course be pimping its new ride at the con (which runs from June 3rd to June 5th in Pasadena, California) and promises that visitors "will be the first to see the graphical style and direction for the game."
The MMO Report: Guilds, crafting, and craft beer edition
It's St. Patrick's day, and what better time to discuss craft beers on The MMO Report than today? Mind you, for those of you who don't imbibe frosty adult beverages, there's also a huge serving of corned MMO news, and the lilting smell of cabbage you're picking up... is probably coming from the mailbag. Shall we move on to the tasty news of the week? Let's! First up, Casey jumps straight on to the Guild Wars 2 news that many have been buzzing about this week: professions! Next up, it's Star Wars: The Old Republic's trailer made of completely delicious in-game footage, as well as the ongoing rush to get guilds set up before launch. Casey zooms straight into Jagex's partnership with Hasbro to create the upcoming Transformers MMO for the West, and he notes that Free Realms on PS3 will probably be just as popular as it is on PC. Casey also takes a moment to note the Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV server downtime and asks anyone who can to please donate to help those in Japan. Moving on from there, it's a look into the ever-enlightening mailbag, where this week Casey is both praised and derided for his choice in beers and we are treated to another dose of photoshop magic. Finally, it is revealed that G4TV landed an exclusive fly-over of Perfect World International's new area, Dragon Mountain. As always, you can catch this week's episode behind the break, or every Thursday on G4TV.
Transformers MMO to become a reality
The time has come for Autobots and Decepticons to roll out into the MMO world! As of this morning, we've heard news that Hasbro has entered into a contract agreement with Jagex (most commonly known for its popular free-to-play title, RuneScape) to develop a brand-new game based on the incredibly popular Transformers IP. While details on just what players can expect from the Transformers MMO are still scarce at this point, the release states that the developers are aiming to launch the game sometime in 2012. Will this also be a free-to-play title, considering Jagex's experience? Will this be geared more toward children than adults? Will we be able to build our own super-awesome Transformers or just play as iconic characters? At this point it's all up in the air, but rest assured we'll keep our ears open for more news.
This week on The MMO Report
Casey Schreiner and The MMO Report are settling back into their normal routine after the craziness of Comic-Con, and last night's MMO Report covered this week's round of MMO news. Casey kicked things off in his usual entertaining style, first mentioning the upcoming Transformers MMO that most of us will not be able to play, and finishing the story with an exhortation to rise up and demand a Transformers MMO in the US... or not. Next up was a look at Star Trek Online's Season 2 and what the team has planned for the future of the game. Casey discussed the legal issues between Richard Garriott and NCsoft, chatted about the new moon in SWTOR, and went through some reader emails as well. Check out The MMO Report after the jump, and every Thursday on G4TV.
Net Dragon announces development of Transformers MMO
It's certainly not a new idea -- the concept of a Transformers MMO is one that's attractive to a lot of fans. It looks like those fans will be getting their wish -- Chinese game developer Net Dragon has entered a licensing agreement with Hasbro to produce that very thing. The news is very recent, of course, but we have a few important details. The game is scheduled to launch in 2011, and will be available in "China and Asia, including Russia, the CIS member states, the Middle East and North Africa region." There's no word on release in other areas, but we'll keep our eyes open for more news. For the time being, you can check out the press release on the Net Dragon site (English translation). [via Kotaku]
