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Razer trots out Transformers 3 Edition DeathAdder, Vespula and laptop case
After what we're guessing was a fruitful tie-up with Tron, the fine folks at Razer are back at a similar well; this time, the company's dishing out a limited run of gear that's been splashed with color and branding from the upcoming Michael Bay train wreck blockbuster, Transformers 3. Outside of being doused with red, yellow, silver and purple paint, the special edition DeathAdder mice ($69.99 a pop) are identical to the version already on the market. If that's just not enough, there's also a dual-sided Vespula mouse mat ($44.99) to commemorate the film, not to mention a foursome of colored laptop sleeves ($49.99 each) that'll make public your infatuation. Curiously absent? A handwritten letter of congratulations from Shia LaBeouf.
Mimobot Transformers thumb drives are exactly what meets the eye
Oh, look, Mimoco is back with a couple of new USB flash drives. These particular Mimobots come in the likeness of everyone's second favorite morphing robot rivals -- Optimus Prime and Megatron. (Obviously Cy-Kill and Leader-1 take the top slot in our hearts.) Sadly, these Transformer thumb drives don't actually transform, but they do come preloaded with screensavers, wallpapers, and digital comics... if you're into that sort of thing. The Autobot and Decepticon leaders are available now, starting at $23 for 2GB of storage and reaching $60 for the 16GB model. PR is after the break.
Transformers Universe rolls out concept art, teaser [Updated]
"Finally... choose your side," a tantalizing Transformers Universe teaser says as a shadowed figure completes the change from vehicle into robot. During BotCon, Jagex gave die-hard Transformers fans the first look at the MMO's development, including concept art and the aforementioned trailer. BotCon's turned out to be a gold mine of Transformers Universe info so far. Energon Pub brought back the official info from the event for our eager ears. The game, which is slated for a 2012 release, will be an action MMO that allows players to craft their own Transformers to suit their playstyles. Both Autobot and Decepticon sides will be open for play, and we'll be seeing many iconic figures from the Prime Universe, including the Prime cartoon, the book Exodus, and the War for Cybertron game. You can check out the concept art below -- and don't miss the teaser video after the jump! [Update: You can also sign up for the beta on the fledgling Transformers Universe website.] %Gallery-126338%
Adorable CanBot chills in your fridge, quietly biding its time (video)
What's the point of a robot disguised as a tank or, uh, a clothes dryer? If you really want to infiltrate human society, you need robots that can hide in plain sight. Thankfully for would-be robotic conquerors, Ron Tajima brings us the aptly named CanBot, which hides batteries, an embedded control board, and three RC-servo legs beneath its beer-can exterior. Tajimi controls it with a Wiimote, and in the video above you can see it walking and rolling. His son seems less than impressed, but he probably sees this stuff all the time. We're mightily excited, and look forward to picking up a six pack. Of robots. [Thanks, Robotbling]
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."
Michael Bay and James Cameron chat about shooting movies in 3D (video)
Two of the biggest action movie directors going right now, James Cameron and Michael Bay, took some time out to talk about shooting movies in 3D ahead of the release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon this summer. You can check out the entire conversation, put on by Paramount and The Hollywood Reporter, in the video above, where Bay talks about some of the challenges faced in shooting the movie and how the technology pioneered by James Cameron for Avatar has continued to progress. Making Transformers in 3D caused the movie to cost about $30 million extra, but it didn't cause any shooting delays. We'll find out if it was worth it, or if audiences have started to turn against wearing the glasses when the movie comes out June 29th.
Jagex preparing to conquer the world with 8Realms
"What's next?" is the question on everyone's lips when it comes to successful MMO studio Jagex. The RuneScape developer has many projects in the works, including Stellar Dawn and Transformers Online. However, the company is hoping that you'll also take notice of 8Realms, its social empire builder that lets you cultivate a civilization from scratch and conquer the world with your cunning. As 8Realms entered closed beta this past week, Lead Developer Claire Blackshaw spoke with CVG about the game's focus. "Our approach is always a strategy first and social second," she said. "Though I do think the most appealing aspect of games such as Diplomacy is the social element." She thinks that the game can challenge genre favorite titles like Civilization and Total War while remaining accessible to the lunch break strategist: "8Realms can fit into your day, firing it up at lunch to launch a few attacks or make sure your research is going as planned. Also because of the social element you have wars break out which get you very worked up." The team is also proud of how far it has advanced the capability of browser-based games alone. "We made current browser tech jump through hoops, and using our own server-side technology pushed what's possible in terms of scaling," Blackshaw said.
Docks, transformers, computing cores and taking it all with you
Back in the mists of history -- probably the late '90s or early '00s -- I remember reading a blog post. I'm afraid I have been unable to find it again, so you'll have to take my reminiscing on faith (but please leave a comment if you know what I'm talking about). This post dissected and analyzed a collection of freshly granted IBM patents which, taken together, painted a picture of the future of personal computing that has stayed with me ever since. In essence, they called for each person to be carrying around a personal "computing core" -- a device we'd recognize today as a modern smartphone, although it was close to science fiction back then -- that could be docked into a variety of shells to become other devices, such as a laptop or a desktop. While Apple's PowerBook Duo subnotebooks were designed to transform into desktop computers when docked with their base units, they didn't quite meet the pocketable part of the 'computing core' definition. I was reminded of this recently when reading Anandtech's review of the clumsily-named Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101. If you're unfamiliar with it, the Eee Pad looks, at first glance, like Yet Another Identikit Android Tablet, as it has very similar specs to the rest of them -- Android Honeycomb software, dual core NVidia Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip processor, 1 GB RAM and so forth. The Asus, however, has two key things in its favor. Firstly, for the baseline Wi-Fi/16 GB configuration, it's $100 cheaper than the iPad. Secondly, it works with a $150 laptop dock accessory that turns it into a netbook.
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.
Transformers MMO taking form at RuneScape dev
UK-based Jagex is hopeful that it has the touch to make a successful Transformers MMO outside of Japan. The developer of browser-based fantasy MMO RuneScape has worked out a deal with Hasbro which will see its game released in North America, Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand sometime in 2012. There's little to go on beyond Jagex CEO Mark Gerard's promise that the title will be "dynamic and action-packed" -- and no word if it'll be based on the classic G1 Transformers or any of its subsequent iterations (or even the Bayformers). Asia is getting its own, separate Transformers MMO from China's NetDragon. It's slated to roll out there this year.
Chinese designer makes Megatron tank a steel-toothed reality
It doesn't move and it certainly doesn't transform, but we're still not sure we'd stand anywhere near this jagged metal contraption ripped right out of the silver screen. The giant Megatron tank replica from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen not only looks like it'd grind us up like so much beef beneath its spiky treads, it reportedly weighs five tons and stands eight feet tall. It's allegedly constructed entirely out of scrap metal by a designer known as "Steel Legend" -- a honorific that we imagine few will dare question now. If only it could take on junkyard Optimus Prime in a Beijing Battle Royale. More pics of the tank at our source links below! [Thanks, leungxd]
Hasbro hops on the 3D bandwagon with Transformers Cine-Mask 3D glasses
Have any kids that want to see Transformers: Dark of the Moon this summer? Then you'll likely want plan on adding $10 to the cost of each ticket, as Hasbro has come up with the ingenious idea to produce these Transformers Cine-Mask 3D glasses and sell 'em in stores before the movie's release. Available in Optimus Prime and Bumblebee versions, the masks each envelop a standard set of RealD 3D glasses, which makes them suitable the majority of theaters out there and, of course, other 3D movies as well. And, no, there's no adult sizes available -- you'll have to stick with your Oakley, Gucci, or Calvin Klein glasses.
ASUS Eee Pad Slider and Transformer arrive for those that can't imagine using a tablet without a physical keyboard
Here they are: ASUS's duo of Tegra 2-powered, 10.1-inch tablets with unique physical keyboards. Starting with the craziest of them, is the Eee Pad Slider (pictured on the left), which reminds us a lot of HTC's old school Shift with its slide out QWERTY keyboard. The device is planned to run Google's Honeycomb, sports a IPS, 1280 x 800-resolution display, and houses mini-HDMI and miniUSB ports as well as a microSD card slot. The 2.2-pound / .5-inch thick slab also has dual cameras -- a 1.2 megapixel front-facing one and a 5 megapixel one with an LED flash on the back. We have to say we love the idea of always having that keyboard around, but if you don't want to drag along a physical keyboard all the time, ASUS has something for you too. It's the Transformer, and like the Eee Pad we saw at Computex, it's a 10.1-inch tablet that will come with a laptop like dock with a full size keyboard and touchpad. The tablet part -- like the Slider -- will run Android 3.0 and packs a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, two cameras, and a 1280 x 800-resolution IPS display, however, the dock has an integrated battery that will keep the tablet running for 16 hours on a charge -- the tablet on its own should last eight. We're obviously aching in our seats here waiting to get these two in our hands so stay tuned for some crazy videos of the two in action -- until then we leave you with the specs after the break. Update: How much will it cost you to keyboard-ify your slate and how long will you have to wait? ASUS says the Transformer will run between $400 and $700 and the Slider from $500 to $800. Expect them in April and May respectively. %Gallery-112500% %Gallery-112544%
Roll out! Transformers Online going worldwide
Ever since hearing the news that NetDragon was working on an MMO adaptation of the robotastic Transformers franchise, fans have wondered what it would entail and where it would be launched. While we don't have any more info on the former, Hasbro recently announced that the game would be hitting multiple countries across the world, including China and Korea. During the Hasbro Investor Day, the company announced the future for the franchise, which includes the upcoming movie, a new theme park ride, and, yes, the MMO. TFW2005 reports that Hasbro confirmed a worldwide rollout for the title: "The upcoming Transformers Massively Multiplaying Online Game WILL get ported to other countries as well. YAY!!!" NetDragon is based in China and handles a number of MMO properties, including Heroes of Might and Magic Online, Dungeon Keeper Online and a new version of Ultima Online. [Thanks Max!]
New Transformers, Spider-Man and more next year, Activision doing 'large-scale' Call of Duty
Activision's recent conference call wasn't all facts and figures, you know. The company also outlined the future of some of its biggest franchises over the course of the next calendar year. According to CEO Eric Hirshberg, the publisher will launch titles from "proven franchises including the Hero brand, Spider-Man, X-Men and Transformers, which will be supported by what is expected to be another major blockbuster movie from Michael Bay." Sounds like they're kinda putting the cart in front of the giant, shapeshifting robot-car with that one. Hirshberg also made the unsurprising announcement that 2011 would also see the release of a new Call of Duty, explaining "in the back half of 2011, we are launching a new, large-scale Call of Duty FPS title." Considering the last installment in the franchise had like, ten different scenes where nukes went off, we don't know how much "larger" the proceedings could become. Unless, of course, Hirshberg was referring to Activision's oft-rumored plans to monetize the series' multiplayer component. Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter, who previously predicted Activision would subscriptionalize the franchise this year, released a statement shortly after the conference call, stating, "We expect Activision to announce plans to monetize multiplayer online some time in 2011, and expect greater visibility into the release schedule throughout the year."
Ask Massively: Future psychics edition
In honor of this week's big news at the time of this writing, we here at Ask Massively have decided to reveal to our readers that we are not just repositories of information both useful and esoteric -- we are also future psychics. As proof of our powers, we have decided to explain to the world exactly what will happen when Cataclysm launches, starting with the fact that it will sell approximately fourteen hojillion copies within five minutes, thus breaking sales records previously set by the exact same game. Two days out from release, an uberguild will have cleared every ounce of available content and will be asking why Blizzard is dragging its heels on the next raid. Three days out will mark the Running of the Wolves, as the Alliance areas are swarmed with worgen of every conceivable hue. Four days out, we'll be in full-on meme status for at least one boss. But for today, we have questions about Warhammer 40,000 and Transformers, but we can always use more. Mail your questions along to ask@massively.com or just leave them in the comments!
Transformers MMO primed for 2011 release in Asia
The Transformers license, much like the car-shaped robots contained within, is adapting into a new form: an MMO game. NetDragon, a Chinese online game developer also responsible for the "new" Ultima Online, has worked out a deal with Hasbro to develop an MMO based on the Robots in Disguise, due next year. Unfortunately, pretty much the only detail announced about this game is that it's "expected to officially roll-out in 2011 in China as well as other select markets in Asia, MENA and Russia/CIS." If you're an American and were already dreaming about building a custom carbot avatar and giving your friends metal high fives, sorry! Why make a Transformers game for Asian markets? "As a brand and a cultural icon," NetDragon Chairman and Executive Director Liu Dejian said, "Transformers is already a household name in China, and we are extremely honored to be able to join hands with Hasbro to bring the excitement and fanaticism of Transformers into the online gaming sector." A household name in China! Who knew ... besides, apparently, every household in China. [Image: Nakatomi Inc.]
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]
Transformers: War for Cybertron DLC rolls out next week
If you lamented the limited availability of the retailer-exclusive Transformers: War for Cybertron characters, or if you simply want more War for Cybertron, you'll soon be able to solve both problems, using only the power of a small amount of money. Next week's Map and Character Pack will include former pre-order bonus characters Shockwave, Demolishor, and Jazz, as well as new characters Scattershot and Onslaught, playable in Escalation mode, and with playable chassis in multiplayer. The pack will also come with four new maps: District and Forsaken for Escalation mode, and Havok and Fortress for multiplayer.%Gallery-98009%
