Activision rolls out deal for Transformers license

Film rights for robots in disguise landed by Spider-Man publisher; multiplatform game to release with summer 2007 flick.

Robots battling other robots is a plain and simple winning formula. The rights to the latest bot-on-bot action property making its way to movie theaters was landed by Activision, and it's not Battlebots. Confirming rumors that first percolated last month, Activision announced that it has reached a deal with the Hasbro Properties Group and will be publishing games based on the upcoming Transformers movie, in production by Dreamworks.

The handheld, console, and PC games are scheduled to be released concurrently with the film, which hits theaters July 4, 2007. No details have been announced about the game's platforms or genre. However, to no one's surprise, it's apparent that the most famous Autobot will be included in the game.

"We are thrilled to work with Activision to bring the widely popular Transformers brand to the world of digital entertainment and introduce millions of consumers to our best-known Transformer and biggest hero of all time--Optimus Prime," said Jane Ritson-Parsons, president of the Hasbro Properties Group.

The Transformers toys were a big hit with kids during the 1980s and spawned an animated television series and movie. Transformers lore saw shape-shifting robots that could transform into cars, guns, robotic dinosaurs, and even metal insects. Two factions, the benevolent Autobots and the maniacal Decepticons, battled each other across the galaxy as their civil war spilled onto Earth.

The Transformers film is under the direction of Michael Bay, the action specialist who helmed The Island and Bad Boys II, and will combine live-action and computer-generated images. Alex Kutzman and Robert Orci (Mission: Impossible III) penned the screenplay, and Steven Spielberg and Hasbro's Brian Goldner are executive producing. Though the plot has not yet been disclosed, it will presumably see the Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of...the Decepticons.

46 Comments

  • roboman34

    Posted Jun 10, 2006 10:10 am PT

    GENERATION ONE More than meets the eye - DAY ONE.......
    Broadcast in 1984 Autobots crash land on earth lay dormant for 4 millon years. A Classic example of one of the BIGGEST CULT ANIMATIONS EVER.
    I am gettting the FULL Story animation DVD...from play.com...very soon.

    There is a movie..1986...remember this all from United states.

    There is a JAPAN VERSON.....4 disc...boxset...Victory...japan...with english credits......LADY'S AND GENTLEMEN BOYS AND GIRLS.....THIS IS GOING TO MAKE TONS AND TONS OF MONEY......enjoy the show......

  • 90420

    Posted Feb 18, 2006 6:12 pm PT

    I'd like to see the game done with a better ending than the first TF Game.. Like, not even a transforming Unicron boss.. HOW LAME.. Good game, **** ending.. And WTF is up with that mikey0something.. It WILL do well because 80's properties and retro **** like that is coming back huge, and making ppl millionaires all over again. And yeah, hate to burst ur bubble pal.. But umm they were pretty damn popular, unless you were living somewhere else? Like under a rock, or in a box. Something to that effect I would imagine.

  • Jshaw71

    Posted Feb 16, 2006 11:16 pm PT

    I hope the gameplay will be open and roaming like spiderman 2 was, and not locked into stages like other movie games are, we'll see, I suppose

  • ParanoiaDragon

    Posted Feb 14, 2006 9:32 pm PT

    This movie is G1 for sure. And frankly, if you didn't notice, Transformers have never been unpopular, except for maybe during G2/Machine Wars. Beast Wars was a HUGE success, & is the main reason, that TF's is big today. Frankly, I used to hate Beast Wars, that is, until I found out that it was a continuation of G1, & actually had episodes .......well, -----------------SPOILER SPACE------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Beast Wars takes place 300 years in the future, but they end up in the past, on earth, before the Autobots & Decepticons wake up in G1. Ravage is in it, as is Starscream in 1 episode. And, they end up inside the Ark were the Autobots & Decepticons are resting until the year 1984. And Megatron of the Predacons destroys the original Prime's head.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------END SPOILER SPACE

    Anyways, near the end of Season 1 of BW, it get's really good, & get's even better from there. And sales haven't been down, they've been up. I think Beast Machines, which, is....ok, but sucks in some ways, didn't do too well sales wise, Robots in Disguise did incredibly well, being one of the best years ever for TF's. I don't know if Armada did good, but Energon did good, & Cybertron is doing great, not to mention it's actually a decent show(with the last good show being BW). Anyways, TF's are almost to the point of Trekkies & Star Wars nuts, believe me, if you look around the net, since BW came out 10 years ago, it's gotten HUGE!

  • latin3030

    Posted Feb 14, 2006 9:16 am PT

    I hope it wont be another "Bloodrayne" dissappointment.
    I still cant wait though

  • RogueShadow0618

    Posted Feb 14, 2006 8:28 am PT

    Viquist, you're thinking Beast Wars, and from what I understood of the story behind it was that it takes place after the original Transformers stories (by that I mean just that, the original; the one that the REAL Optimus Prime) but thanks to time travel actually happens to take place in Earth's pre-history. In later episodes they show the ARK with the originals in it.

  • Reetesh

    Posted Feb 14, 2006 4:42 am PT

    STEVEN SPEILBERG??? oh my god such a big thing. I think it is going to be a good movie

  • Viquist

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 8:37 pm PT

    kool, sounds good... wasn't there a spin-off series of like prehistoric transformers that were on the earth as humans were just evolving and the leader was a Gorilla, don't know, I think it was the same series just before the earth had civilizations at all? Either way, this news is great

  • jakeboudville

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 7:38 pm PT

    awesome

  • Dace67

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 6:02 pm PT

    Can't wait. And it's not directed by Uwe Boll so it has much potential (more than it can probably live up to but I digress). And now for a weird quote from a friend "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a Transformer; it's more than meets the eye"

  • mrimkeit

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 5:38 pm PT

    Transformers ROCK!! Transforemers not popular? Is that what I read somewhere up there? Who is smoking what crack? Transformers RULED the 80's cartoon scene along with GIJoe and He-Man. This had better be Gen 1 Transformers though. All the crap after Gen 1 was just that, CRAP. If the do it right this game could kick some major ass. Transfomers on 360 and PS3 anyone?

  • gamespotter001

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 4:35 pm PT

    "i doubt thatll do well, transformers never got really popular" -m Oh man... from that statement... i guess youre an 80's baby lol

  • thekey

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 4:26 pm PT

    Hey mikey050591
    You have no idea what your talking about. You must have not been born back then when real kids toys came out.(todays kid's toys are trash)

    It better be based on the originals or the movie and the games are going to suck. And Metron4
    a lot of the original cast has died. (Like Scatman Carothers// Jazz. and Cris latta/ /starscream) But your right Frank Welker's better be casted for this movie and game RIGHT NOW!!!! He did like 5 of the transformers voices, and they better get Buster Jones(Who did blaster) And Casey Caseum// cliffjumper.

    They better stay to the originals or I'll boycott the game and the movie also
    jmangafan.

  • emadayag

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 4:18 pm PT

    Unicorn, Fortress Maximus, Devistator, Omega Supreme and the Dinobots need to make a cameo. UNICRON!!!! I have a tattoo of the autobot insignia on my back left shoulder. Decepticons is next. Then unicron in the middle of my back!!! just wanted to throw that in.

  • JediAutobot

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 4:03 pm PT

    Will the Transformers movie be any good? Who knows at this point, most likely not.
    What I can't wait for is the merchandise. I love me some Transformers junk. One of my prized Transformers items is my Wheeljack doorbell. Just picture the upper half of the G1 Wheeljack, that holds a little sign that you can change, like come in or go away. Aaand when you push the little sign, it even gives a little bell noise, like a doorbell.
    I can't wait for the blitz of crappy merchandise, I can only hope I'll get something just as crazy out of it as my Wheeljack doorbell.

  • frankeyser

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 3:05 pm PT

    transformers still make me druel... GOOOOOO!!!!!! OPTIMUS PRIME!!!!!!!!

  • Tranceplant

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 2:59 pm PT

    YES! YES! YES! This is awesome! I love Transformers! Can't wait for the movie... this is great news!! I want a Transformers game NOW!

  • anime8821

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 2:42 pm PT

    GoBots pwned! I had 2 of 'em and the movie...GoBots transformed into rocks I think too; cubical rocks...don't remember them much more than their rock form...but Transformers were still way cooler, used to watch them every Sat morning. I'm still waiting for some extra money so I can get the series on DVD since it was released just a year or 2 ago. I still love watching the movie, especially for Blur, I'd love it if the only thing they did was get John Moschitta Jr to be the voice of Blur again

  • superkoolstud

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 2:36 pm PT

    I have all Seven Seasons of G1 and Japanese continuation(Headmasters-Victory). Transformers rocked hard and still do. I have the origanal Optimus Prime and Soundwave in my cubicle packaged neatly in their box.

  • Belianth

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 2:25 pm PT

    This is an untapped franchise. Transformers have a huge following, they just haven't made anything worthwhile since we were like 10. I am hoping for the best but don't like games bases on movies, they could do SO much with this game if they don't force themselves to follow a 2 hour storyline.

  • Rubin42

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 2:15 pm PT

    I was around back when Transformers were cool...now their are just kinda blah...but I will definitly check out ther movie.

  • birdinflight

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 2:10 pm PT

    The best thing about this movie is that it will be focusing on classic generation 1 characters, as well as classic storylines. The Transformers franchise has been in a perpetual slump with all of the modern recreations of the classic. None of the new shows has ever been able to come close to the original (ratings, toy sales, etc..). I'm just ecstatic that it's not traditionally animated, since the last thing the franchise needs now is another modern anime inspired travesty.

    And whoever said that Transformers were never popular obviously was born after the 80s. There are very few products that hit the type of fandemonium that the Transformers did back then.

  • BigFredrick

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 2:09 pm PT

    I was in Toys R' Us and they re-released some of the original Transformers. I hope it's based on the original stories and characters and not some new BS, like aren't there little special Transformers that are like midi-chlorians or something? I watched the new G.I. Joe cartoon and Snake Eyes was there and that was it... All new guys. Snake eyes is like 55 now.

  • molivers7

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 2:07 pm PT

    Can't get into transformers anymore. Movie and videogame jut don't interest me at all, no matter who has the rights.

  • ebonyflame

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 2:03 pm PT

    I just hope they don't ruin my childhood memories with a weak script. And I really hope they stick with the original cartoon series and just forget all together the mess that has been transformers Beastwars and later.

  • TimSpot GameSpot staff member

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:59 pm PT

    This isn't actually from the movie... nor is it apparently connected to dreamworks, but if it looks anything like this, I'm camping out for the film.

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4643804370998341914&q=transformers

  • SonicHurricane

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:54 pm PT

    " Gobot owners grew up to be serial killers."

    LMAO

    I just hope the games and the movie dont suck.

    I still want a G1 Transformers game.

  • EastsideMafia

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:33 pm PT

    Gobot owners got no respect: NONE! A kid with one starscream was ten times cooler than a kid with 10 Gobots. Didn't they start putting Gobots in cereal as the prize? Gobot owners grew up to be serial killers.

  • nemes1s3000

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:31 pm PT

    99.9% of the movie will be CGI, kinda cool.

  • abdu4

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:30 pm PT

    Wondering how it will look

  • spawn611

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:25 pm PT

    So far the other game they had Beast wars was very lame, lets hope they get it right this time. But im looking forward to see the movie. Spielberg don't drop the ball you hear ?

  • bioniccommando1

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:25 pm PT

    LOL GoBots were funny!! Transformers were the best though. I loved my Transfromers.

  • GTPBigDog

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:25 pm PT

    Gobots were smaller versions of Transformers that never really took off...

  • gunner2200

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:21 pm PT

    What if G4 started showing the old Transformers cartoon. that would be awesome.

  • Donkeljohn Site moderator

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:20 pm PT

    Given the lineup and the deal, neither the game nor the film sound especially compelling. . . But I am still taking a wait-and-see approach

  • DDTY

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:16 pm PT

    LOL, Gobots, xD, anyway, this new is good, transformers will be back, Hooray

  • jmangafan

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:14 pm PT

    Dammit, why can't they just tap Melbourne House for this game? They came close to perfecting the Transformers formula. I'll boycott the game if they aren't making it!

  • Gaara79

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:11 pm PT

    The movie wil be out on July 4th 07? woot!

    There's a crappy game attached to it? I could not care less...

  • bryehngeocef

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:11 pm PT

    Gobots were actually out a few months before the transformers, but the toys weren't very cool. way smaller and made of cheaper material than the transformers.

  • Metron4

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:10 pm PT

    I hope they manage to score a lot of the original voice cast. Frank Welker's phone better be ringing right now!

  • blueflamedazn

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:09 pm PT

    rumors in disguise...

  • paradyme777

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:07 pm PT

    Cool. I hope they make it well.

    What the heck were Gobots, I only had Transformers?

  • Alaris83

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:01 pm PT

    Gobots.....LMAO

  • Digital-Devil

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 1:01 pm PT

    It would be nice if the game's were based on the one's where the were animels an dinosaurs

  • hindug

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 12:58 pm PT

    You must have been one of those poor kids who only had Gobots. Transformers were like whoa, back in the day.

  • mikey050591

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 12:57 pm PT

    i doubt thatll do well, transformers never got really popular

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