Hasbro Needs Transformers Video games Again, However Activision Misplaced Them

Bear in mind these Xbox 360/PS3-era Transformers video games? Wouldn’t or not it’s cool should you might simply purchase and play these in 2023 on fashionable platforms? I feel so. And so does Hasbro. However based on the toy firm behind the favored remodeling robotic franchise, Activision has apparently misplaced the video games and doesn’t know the place they’re saved.

Launched in June 2010, Transformers: Battle for Cybertron was a well-received third-person shooter that obtained an equally nice sequel in 2012, Fall of Cybertron. (After which in 2014 we obtained Rise of Darkish Spark, which wasn’t excellent and was tied into the live-action movies.) What made the primary two video games so memorable and beloved was that they advised their very own tales in regards to the origins of fashionable characters like Megatron and Optimus Prime whereas that includes kick-ass fight that included the power to remodel into completely different autos. Sadly, in 2018, all of those Activision-published Transformers video games (and a number of other it commissioned from different builders) have been yanked from digital shops, making them exhausting to accumulate and play in 2023. Plainly Hasbro now desires that to vary, suggesting the video games might make an ideal match for Xbox Sport Cross, as soon as Activision, uh…finds them.

In an interview with Transformers World 2005 posted on July 28, Hasbro talked about its new line of video game-inspired Transformers motion figures. A few of these new toys are primarily based on designs first seen within the Activision Cybertron video games. So naturally, the location requested Hasbro about the potential of re-releasing these fashionable video games alongside the brand new toys. Sadly, that gained’t be occurring.

“Sadly, apparently Activision’s undecided what exhausting drives they’re on of their constructing,” Hasbro advised TFW2005. “When an organization eats an organization that eats an organization issues get misplaced, and that’s very irritating.”

Kotaku has inquired with Activision in regards to the Transformers video games’ present standing.

Hasbro desires so as to add the Cybertron sequence to Sport Cross

Hasbro additional added that the corporate hopes the merger between Xbox and Activision will result in folks digging by way of “the entire archives and each exhausting drive” to search out the outdated video games and convey them again. Hasbro even added that it thinks these video games would make “straightforward” decisions for Xbox’s Sport Cross.

“We wish these video games again up for folks to have an opportunity to play,” mentioned the Hasbro rep.

Curiously, Activision’s lack of group appears to have brought about some complications for Hasbro’s toy designers who’re engaged on the Gamer Version figures. The toy firm defined that it needed to load up the video games on their unique platforms and play by way of them to search out particular particulars they wished to recreate for the toys.

“For World of Cybertron we needed to rip it ourselves, as a result of [Activision] couldn’t discover it—they stored sending idea artwork as a substitute, which we didn’t need,” defined Hasbro. “So we booted up an outdated pc and ripped all of them out from there. Which was a studying expertise and an extended weekend, as a result of we simply wished to get it proper, in order that’s why we did it like that.”

Replace 08/01/2023 5:15 p.m. ET: Some 24 hours after the unique publication of this story, Activision’s CCO and EVP of company affairs Lulu Cheng Meservey tweeted that the publisher has always had “the code” for the Transformers video games, and that it was by no means misplaced.

On August 1, Axios’ Stephen Totilo got a response from Activision pointing him towards a remark from Hasbro:

To make clear, feedback that counsel Transformers video games have been misplaced have been made in error. We apologize to Activision and remorse any confusion [as] they’ve been nice companions and we sit up for future alternatives to work collectively.

Whereas this appears to make clear issues, there are nonetheless some questions. Activision has but to verify if it really is aware of the place the supply code for the video games is particularly situated. I additionally would like to know why Activision waited so lengthy to remark (the preliminary interview was posted on July 28) and why Hasbro claimed to not have entry to key belongings when creating its toys primarily based on the video games.

It’s additionally unusual that Hasbro, which says it desires to place these video games on Sport Cross, hasn’t executed so for years now. If the video games aren’t misplaced, give ‘em to Hasbro, then?

Hmm.