90% chance that the Transformer games will be back

[DROSIS 🟌]

On July 28, 2023 at San Diego Comic Con, the Transformer fan website, Transformers World 2005 (a.k.a. TFW2005) conducted an interview (via HazzadorGamin) with Hasbro, the company that created the Transformers franchise. Amongst the various topics discussed like the live-action movies and new upcoming Transformers toys, a major highlight was that Hasbro wishes to re-release several Transformers video games published by Activision to modern Xbox consoles via Xbox backward compatibility on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.

However, Hasbro mentioned that the prospect of that realistically happening would be difficult due to the games themselves being misplaced amongst Activision's archives. Here is the full quote of what Hasbro had to say about re-releasing Transformers games on Xbox.


"Sadly, apparently Activision’s not sure what hard drives they’re on in their building. When a company eats a company that eats a company things get lost, and that’s very frustrating. Hope is that now that the deal is moving forward with Microsoft and Xbox that they’ll go through all of the archives and every hard drive to find it all, because it’s an easy Game Pass add. We want those games back up for people to have a chance to play."

Hands up

[M4rhun]

I would really like to buy this game, so fingers crossed!

[Ego]

It's ridiculous that games made as recently as Devastation and War For/Fall of Cybertron may have already been lost to time. To think that Activision may have lost these games or at the very least, didn't have some kind of system that tells them which hard-drive's the games are stored on just seems insane to me.

Hopefully they find them and they get a re-release. I'd like Devastation to be available again on the current gen consoles.

[wasabi]

This is a really, really good sign especially considering how eager Hasbro are to have the games brought back and how hungry Microsoft are for more content for game pass.

Since the game was already delisted on Steam and considering how Steam still keeps the files in it's database for users who had purchased the game prior to the delisting wouldn't it be pretty easy to just have it relisted here again?

It may be challenging if they lost the source code and they want it to release it to new consoles which never had it before but Steam should be almost as easy as flicking a switch if I am not mistaken?

Here's the source for anyone that's interested: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/activision-has-misplaced-its-transformer-games-says-hasbro

[Thundercracker]

Originally posted by DROSIS:

"Sadly, apparently Activision’s not sure what hard drives they’re on in their building. When a company eats a company that eats a company things get lost, and that’s very frustrating. Hope is that now that the deal is moving forward with Microsoft and Xbox that they’ll go through all of the archives and every hard drive to find it all, because it’s an easy Game Pass add. We want those games back up for people to have a chance to play."

this sounds like BS, to be honest. especially if the plans are to release them through backwards compatibility. you dont need the source for that, you just need a retail disk.

i also wouldent hold my breath on them returning to steam. as it was microsoft who purchased activision-blizzard, if they do this, they will do it only to benefit their own storefront/ console.

very telling that they want it on a paid subscription service, as well. they dont want to sell the game, they want more subscriptions.

[Mobile Suit God Damn]

You would think that the studios that actually made the games would also keep backups. My guess is that nobody at Activision gives a rats arse about these games since there's very little money in it.

[billyhatcher643]

sadly the morons of activision somehow lost the files for the games not sure how the hell they can do that but they did

[DROSIS 🟌]

Don't Worry, Activision Totally Has the Source Code for Those Awesome PS3 Transformers Games

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/08/dont-worry-activision-totally-has-the-source-code-for-those-awesome-ps3-transformers-games

[wasabi]

Originally posted by DROSIS:

Don't Worry, Activision Totally Has the Source Code for Those Awesome PS3 Transformers Games

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/08/dont-worry-activision-totally-has-the-source-code-for-those-awesome-ps3-transformers-games

Sure hope so, all I can about is War for Cybertron and especially Devastation.

Devastation wasn't even out for a year before Activision pulled the plug on it and delisted it without any notice or warning. Being able to finally have the opportunity to play that game here does put a smile on my face but I won't get too optimistic until I actually see it happen.

[billyhatcher643]

Originally posted by DROSIS:

Don't Worry, Activision Totally Has the Source Code for Those Awesome PS3 Transformers Games

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/08/dont-worry-activision-totally-has-the-source-code-for-those-awesome-ps3-transformers-games

i hope this ♥♥♥♥ is true cause if they do thisll be good but i doubt it

[billyhatcher643]

Originally posted by wasabi:

Originally posted by DROSIS:

Don't Worry, Activision Totally Has the Source Code for Those Awesome PS3 Transformers Games

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/08/dont-worry-activision-totally-has-the-source-code-for-those-awesome-ps3-transformers-games

Sure hope so, all I can about is War for Cybertron and especially Devastation.

Devastation wasn't even out for a year before Activision pulled the plug on it and delisted it without any notice or warning. Being able to finally have the opportunity to play that game here does put a smile on my face but I won't get too optimistic until I actually see it happen.

yea same here im optimistic about this as well because activision killed devasation before it even took off it barely lasted a year on all stores and it got deleted right after a year

[Mobile Suit God Damn]

Look, the bottom line is what it would cost Activision to re-license the games from Hasbro. Would that actually be profitable? I doubt it very much.

[wasabi]

Originally posted by Mobile Suit ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥:

Look, the bottom line is what it would cost Activision to re-license the games from Hasbro. Would that actually be profitable? I doubt it very much.

The acquisition is complete, Microsoft now owns Activison. You're asking if it would be worth it for MS to pay Hasbro the small fee (who are already gagging at the thought of having their games come back) to re-license the already completed Transformers games in order for them to be marketed on Steam, Xbox and especially Gamepass.

Yes, yes it very well would be.

Edit: Also just a side note, but it's funny all these opinions come from those that already own the game. Just because you got lucky and either bought it prior to it's delisting or paid way too much for it after, doesn't mean others should be robbed of the experience of playing it.

It wasn't even out for a year before it was removed.

Btw I am a removed games collector and I would never once feel that any of the games I have should be locked away and not available for sale again for others to enjoy.

[Thundercracker]

Originally posted by wasabi:

It wasn't even out for a year before it was removed.

Btw I am a removed games collector and I would never once feel that any of the games I have should be locked away and not available for sale again for others to enjoy.

it's not about this, so much as it's about a realistic speculation of licensing and corporate spending.

i've only seen the games pass mentioned, so if microsoft is indeed going to pay for the re-licensing, there is a strong possibility that it will be games pass exclusive, at least for some time.

[wasabi]

Originally posted by Thundercracker:

Originally posted by wasabi:

It wasn't even out for a year before it was removed.

Btw I am a removed games collector and I would never once feel that any of the games I have should be locked away and not available for sale again for others to enjoy.

it's not about this, so much as it's about a realistic speculation of licensing and corporate spending.

i've only seen the games pass mentioned, so if microsoft is indeed going to pay for the re-licensing, there is a strong possibility that it will be games pass exclusive, at least for some time.

How is it highly likely that it will be a game pass exclusive game?

What is the precedence for this with Microsoft? How many games have they made game pass exclusive? (not including any games that are in the EA Pass because that should be for obvious reasons).

What upcoming games have been announced to be exclusive to game pass only and not available on other storefronts like Steam?

Could you even provide one example of where a game had been on Steam and is now exclusive only to Gamepass? Shouldn't be hard considering Microsoft own a significant amount of studios now.

[Mobile Suit God Damn]

Originally posted by wasabi:

The acquisition is complete, Microsoft now owns Activison.

This is not true. There's still some consumer rights group in The UK that opposes it and until they budge it's still not a done deal.
But yeah, if the deal goes through and MS makes a deal with Hasbro then they are also gonna sell the game and not just host it on gamepass. That would be a silly thing to do.