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Jagex 'scales back' Transformers Universe team with layoffs
The development history of Transformers Universe has not been a smooth one, with the game going silent for long stretches of time and having changed focus once already. The latest news from the studio is not good, either; Jagex has laid off 13 employees from the game's development team. The reports indicate that there are internal concerns being raised about the title's overall quality, as the studio is under pressure from Hasbro to release before the end of the year. According to the developer, the game is in no danger and is progressing marvelously, but sources within the company claim that its position is "precarious," citing the switch to unfamiliar technology and the need for faster development. Jagex stressed that the changes in staff should not adversely impact the title, which was originally tracked for a release back in 2012. Our best wishes go out to those designers personally affected by these layoffs.
Transformers Universe launch window narrowed to fall 2013
Love MMOs but disappointed your wizard or elf or whatever can't turn into a car or tank? If your answer is, "Yes, I am absolutely tired of my characters not turning into vehicles," Transformers Universe might be the game you've been waiting for. The browser-based title, developed by Jagex with a little help from Hasbro Gaming, is currently slated for release in 2013. And while we still have no official launch date, comments by the Hasbro brand team at this year's Botcon 2013 have narrowed the release window down just a touch, confirming that the game is due this fall. Jagex has kept the game mostly under lock and key, but you can catch a glimpse of it by registering for closed beta and hoping the key-gods show you favor. [Thanks to Max for the tip!]
Jagex boasts best financial year ever
Jagex has announced today that the company has had its most successful year to date, earning £50 million for the first time in the studio's history. In addition, the largest independent game studio in the UK employs a staff of over 550 people with the potential to grow even further. "2013 is set to be an even bigger year for Jagex as we release the biggest update in RuneScape's history, launch Transformers Universe and publish a number of new titles." CEO Mark Gerhard pointed out in a press release this morning. The studio's flagship title, RuneScape, saw "tens of millions of new players enter the game for the first time during 2012," solidifying the classic MMO as a free-to-play powerhouse. [Source: Jagex press release]
Jagex appoints filmmaker as new creative director for Transformers Universe and RuneScape 3
Jagex has announced today the appointment of Alex de Rakoff as Creative Director to the popular MMO studio. Not only has de Rakoff directed award-winning music videos, but he's also well-known for his films, working with actors like Orlando Bloom and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. No, that doesn't mean Jagex is working on a Legolas or a gangsta rap MMO, but it does mean that the upcoming Transformers Universe and RuneScape 3 will both benefit from de Rakoff's experience and creativity. In fact, before being officially hired in-house by Jagex, de Rakoff had already been writing the story for Transformers Universe under contract. You can learn more about Alex on his IMDb profile. [Source: Jagex press release]
Hasbro's Toy Fair 2013 booth tour: Transformers, Furby rockers, Iron Man and more
Oh, the wondrous experience that is Toy Fair. And that particular experience, as you may know, includes anything from NERF hoop games and foam fusillades, to boxing robots and itty-bitty, tinkering novelties. To make things even better, though, Hasbro was kind enough to invite us over to its 2013 showcase in NYC, where the prodigious toy maker was exhibiting some Furby amigos known as Party Rockers, Iron Man's Sonic Blasting figurine and Arc Fx Mission life-sized mask, a Sesame Street play-and-learning system for toddlers, as well as a Transformers Rescue Bots Beam Box which enhances the experience by allowing the toys to mesh into a game that can be played on a TV set. There was also a little Star Wars and Star Trek action, of course -- and the good news is you, too, can see it all, just head past the break to take a look at the vast gallery and a quick video showing off a few of Hasbro's new toys.
Stern Pinball's Transformers Pin home game hands-on (video)
Sure, CES isn't all fun and games, but, well, sometimes it's exactly that. Like when Stern Pinball CEO Gary Stern pays a visit to our CES stage and brings along his company's latest, the Transformers Pin. This isn't just any old pinball machine -- it's a home unit, aimed at the large portion of the pinball-buying audience looking to bring silver ball to their humble abodes, available though outlets like Amazon with a price tag well under those of the company's pro units. It's also noticeably smaller than those machines -- in fact, if you give it a bit of the old body English during play, you can actually scoot the machine a bit. The back glass is also not quite as grand as those on its professional siblings, but it's still got a working display for scrolls and the requisite text crawl. The playfield, meanwhile, is pretty close to the real deal. Stern's clearly expert in making flippers, bumpers and the like, and many of those components went into the making of this machine.
Jagex positioning Transformers Universe as a MOBA
If you're in the camp who thought a Transformers MMO was the worst idea in the long history of bad ideas, well, we've got good news. Jagex agrees with you, sort of, but the firm has also decided that the license is more fitting for a MOBA than an MMORPG and has adjusted the development trajectory accordingly. "Transformers are about war; they're about action," Jagex chief creative director Alex Horton recently told Edge. "They don't carry gold, bake bread, catch fish, cut down trees. But for all they take away, they throw open so many more opportunities. Maybe there's more in a selection of characters and abilities, and the strategy in that, than there is [in] leveling a character endlessly and going through f--- loads of boss battles." Transformers Universe will be a browser-based title. Jagex has not yet announced a release date.
Transformers Universe now accepting beta sign-ups
If you've always wanted to turn into your favorite evil or heroic robot and destroy or save the universe, your time is now! Transformers Universe has just begun accepting sign-ups for beta testing. To register, head on over to the official website and choose your allegiance. Transformers Universe is a free-to-play title by Jagex that's aiming for a browser client release. Players will duke it out as Autobots and Decepticons. While Earth is going to be the original battleground, the game will eventually expand to the stars and beyond. [Thanks to savvy reader Jeremy for the tip!]
NYCC 2012: Transformers Universe trailer, screenshots unveiled
Jagex has been keeping details about the upcoming Transformers Universe MMO on the down low until today, when the Jagex team took advantage of NYCC to release the game's first official trailer. Transformers Universe will be free-to-play with microtransaction support. Jagex has announced plans to keep the game running for at least 10 years, allowing for exploration to take players to the stars -- even to Cybertron itself. Skip below the cut to feast your eyes upon the glory of Transformers Universe! [Thanks to groovy webizen Guy for the tip!]%Gallery-126338%
Pre-order Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, get G1 Optimus Prime
This trailer for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron features sweet guitar solos and a transforming G1 Optimus Prime. Players that pre-order the High Moon Studios-developed game at GameStop receive exclusive weapons and the G1 Optimus Prime character for use in both single-player and multiplayer modes.
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron demo available next week, now for GameStop preorders
If you've been waiting to get your hands on the latest Transformers title, the wait is nearly over. Activision has announced that the Transformers: Fall of Cybertron demo should be arriving on Xbox Live and PSN on July 31. Players who download it will be able to play through two single-player missions (High Moon Studios has been showing off two missions starring Bumblebee and Grimlock at various events recently, so odds are it's those two), as well as dip into multiplayer and the in-depth customization system.And if that's even too long for you, you can preorder the game at GameStop. Customers who preorder the game there are getting access to the demo as soon as, well, now. Imagine this one in your best Peter Cullen voice: Autobots, roll out!
Lenovo IdeaTab S2110 quietly goes on sale as the Gobots of transforming tablets
Lenovo's 10-inch IdeaTab S2 was one of the belles of its CES ball in offering a distinctly Transformer Pad-like experience for those not beholden to ASUS' view of the world. While there wasn't much attention given to the Android 4.0 tablet outside of the FCC filing we saw last month, it's getting its time to shine at last: the device is now sitting on Lenovo's virtual shelves as the S2110. The 10.1-inch slate's selling point remains its (strictly optional) keyboard dock, which supplies a trackpad, an SD slot, USB and 10 extra hours of battery life to keep that movie marathon going. Even if you have no intention of constructing the Gobot to ASUS' Transformer original, though, the S2110 is still a big leap over the so-so S2109 from the spring. A 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon APQ8060A, a rear 5-megapixel camera and a landscape 1,280 x 800 screen are all incentives to pay the premium over the S2110's budget predecessor. Not that there will be much of a premium to pay -- despite setting a $449 official price, Lenovo is already discounting the S2110 to as little as $343. That's low enough to lure the cost-conscious away from the Transformer Pad elephant in the room, even if it reminds us of relatives that always bought us the cheaper robot toys when we were kids. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Transformers Prime also coming to Wii U, Activision site says
When Activision first announced Transformers Prime for Nintendo platforms, a game based on the kids' TV show of the same name, only the Nintendo 3DS, DS, and Wii were mentioned as planned platforms. If a listing for the game on Activision's official site is accurate, it looks like a version of Transformers Prime is also in the works for Nintendo's upcoming Wii U console, even though Activision hasn't officially announced a port.Joystiq has reached out to Activision for confirmation of a Wii U version, and will roll out an update to this post if the company responds.
Autobots roll out (sometimes) in Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
Developer High Moon Studios showed it had a lot of love for the Transformers franchise with War for Cybertron, but sullied its goodwill with fans when a rushed Dark of the Moon movie tie-in hit store shelves. Now the studio's returning to Hasbro's toy line once again, leaving behind the Michael Bay-inspired setting of the films.Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, on the surface, seems like a return to High Moon's true love: telling its own stories about giant, talking transforming robots. Separating itself from the films, Fall of Cybertron leaves High Moon free to geek out about Autobot and Decepticon history, wrapping it all up in Gears of War-style third-person shooter gameplay. And as High Moon said about the first game way back when, the emphasis here is supposed to be on freedom, and the unique ability to play as a robot or vehicle, switching whenever you want.But for all of High Moon's enthusiasm about transforming, the demo on display at E3 was less-than-flattering to the series and its promise of complete freedom.%Gallery-156599%
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron also rolling out on PC
By their very nature, Transformers are adept at changing forms and adapting to new situations. So, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the Autobot's forthcoming adventure on Cybertron should so effortlessly transmogrify itself from a console title to a PC game.Transformers: Fall of Cybertron will launch on PCs on August 28, 2012, concurrent with the game's console release on PS3 and 360. Keep in mind, this is the PC release of a Transformers game, and not the release of a PC Transformer, like we had originally inferred. Alas, the day when we'll be able to go on thrilling adventures with a wise-cracking anthropomorphized laptop is still somewhere over the horizon.
Transformers Universe to leave Earth (someday)
We're getting some solid information about Jagex's upcoming Transformers Universe from the recent London MCM Expo. The team took to the stage to talk about the title, revealing quite a few new details -- including the revelation that the game won't be confined to just Earth. The team is making Transformers Universe with the intention to keep the game going for at least 10 years; it has latched onto the "Universe" moniker to indicate it will eventually expand the game from our terrestrial ball to the stars (including Cybertron). Transformers Universe will use Energon as the game's currency, and while the team will use microtransactions to fund this free-to-play title, the exact model has not been finalized. Players will be able to pick between male and female characters and will use their alternate (non-robotic) modes for more than just transportation. At the game launch, players will be able to transform only into vehicles, but Jagex says that there are plans in the works for other forms such as animals. [Thanks to Austin for the tip!]
Insert Coin: Troller 1D, the transforming robot that won't ruin your garden
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. A crawling robot that, at the touch of a button, curls up into a wheel and rolls away sounds a bit Robots in Disguise, doesn't it? Still, that's what roboticist Toby Baumgartner needs your cold, hard cash to build. Troller 1D is the first prototype of the modular automaton that uses a series of servos to take it anywhere it needs to go -- but it's not ready yet. The project needs $2,600 to get better servos and add some WiFi and Accelerometer features that'll get the 'bot rolling without any assistance. Once perfected, you'll be able to buy a kit with everything you need to build your own and terrify the local wildlife / your children.
RuneScape and Transformers Universe appearing at London MCM Expo for the first time
Jagex is heading to the MCM Expo for the first time, with RuneScape and Transformers Universe in tow. The studio has special plans for its fans at the largest pop culture event in the UK, not the least of which will be the opportunity to meet members of the dev team. At the convention, RuneScapers will get a deeper look into how the game is developed, watch the creation of concept art, and have the opportunity to pick up one of several player packs for the game. The packs will come in two varieties: a starter pack and a premium pack that includes cosmetic items, membership, and an exclusive t-shirt. Transformers Universe fans also will get to meet the dev team and reserve their names for the game when it releases later this year. Brian Cooney, the managing director of the expo, is thrilled to have the studio on board: "Each year people ask me if they are coming and finally I can say 'Yes!' The Jagex stand promises to be a 'must see' for show visitors." The London Expo takes place from May 25th through the 27th at the Excel.
Jagex announces Transformers Universe plans for BotCon 2012, includes sneak-peek and name reservations
Transformers fanatics everywhere are surely gearing up for the official Transformers fan convention, BotCon 2012, which will be taking place in Dallas, Texas, from April 26th until the 29th. Well, Jagex is giving fans of its upcoming MMO Transformers Universe a reason to be even more excited for the con: Attendees will have the opportunity to pledge their allegiances to the Autobots or Decepticons and reserve their in-game character names. On top of that, members of Jagex's Transformers Universe development team will be hanging out at Jagex's con booth, and fans will be able to "meet with members of the development team, attend a behind closed doors Transformers Universe panel discussion, and preview the latest game trailer ahead of its public release." So if you want to get a sneak-peek at Transformers Universe and reserve your favorite character name for the game's release, just set your sights on BotCon 2012 and transform and roll out. [Source: Jagex press release]
Netflix signs multi-year deal with Hasbro -- and knowing is half the battle
Hasbro, the toy-maker behind pervasive long-form ads shows for kids like Transformers, GI Joe and My Little Pony, is bringing its back catalogue to Netflix. While the '80s hits will arrive some time in 2012, both Transformer Prime and the more recent Pony-based adventures are already available to stream now. Get a full list of the Hasbro heritage being readied for streaming in Netflix's proud press release below.
