Cullen, Welker sign on for Transformers game

Original voices of Optimus Prime, Megatron reprise roles for Activision game based on battling bots movie; audio clip, new screens inside.

Back in the 1980s, children were riveted to their television sets to watch the ongoing battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons. The "robots in disguise" became a sensation, and one of that generation's most popular catchphrases was the animated series' famous battlecry, "Autobots, roll out!"

The man behind that line is Peter Cullen, who voiced the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime. Also lending vocal talent to the show was Frank Welker, who provided the raspy voice of Decepticon leader Megatron.

Today, Activision announced that both Cullen and Welker (pictured above) have signed on to reprise their roles in the publisher's upcoming Transformers: The Game, based on the DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures film Transformers, due out in early July.

"As Transformers fans, we knew the importance of having the well-known voices of Optimus Prime and Megatron in the game,” said Activision head of production Laird Malamed.

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Welker talks about becoming Megatron.

In addition to sending shivers down the spines of kids as Megatron, Soundwave, Buzzsaw, and other Transformers, Welker has done voice work for The Simpsons, Kingdom Hearts II, and New Super Mario Bros. and Mario Party 5 as Bowser. Cullen also provided the voices for fellow Transformers Ironhide and Slugslinger and the sheepish Eeyore of Winnie the Pooh fame.

For more on their inspirations for the voices and involvement in the Transformers film and game, read GameSpot's Q&As with Peter Cullen and Frank Welker.

Transformers: The Game will be released on multiple platforms this summer. Traveller's Tales is developing the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2, and PC versions, Savage Entertainment is developing the PlayStation Portable edition, and Vicarious Visions is working on the two DS versions.

For more information, read GameSpot's previous coverage or check out the official Web site.

215 Comments

  • Testament

    Posted Jun 15, 2007 10:14 am PT

    yessssssssssssss the original megatron voice is back!!!!!!!!!!!

  • gwds

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 12:30 am PT

    Brad's response mirrors my own. Man, that was a trip...

  • rheinman

    Posted Apr 24, 2007 3:51 am PT

    when I was child it's pretty amazing looking a robot can transforms..great !!

  • TicTacSuicide

    Posted Apr 18, 2007 7:24 am PT

    I have never been a fan of the Transformers, but this game looks like it might be interesting, since it also has the original voices.

  • dracula0103

    Posted Apr 17, 2007 7:01 pm PT

    The movie, the game, what is the difference any and all old school Transformer fans will like or love them both

  • sponny1

    Posted Apr 17, 2007 4:45 am PT

    lol they will wikipedia has said that cartoon network will be making a transformers mini-series
    like star wars clone wars man!
    heck they also trhe same producer of the clone wars mini-series man
    but they are going to put in more effort on the detail of the autobots and the decepticon man!
    this is so they dont look slunted and crappy!

  • number1bullit

    Posted Apr 17, 2007 1:48 am PT

    I can't wait for Transformers to come out...wish they had it on cartoon network.

  • thekey

    Posted Apr 16, 2007 3:54 pm PT

    swimmi_34 "i wont watch it cuz hotshot isnt in there, but i will watch it for optimus prime"

    Hotshot,* sarcasm who the hell is that? No TRUE Transformer fan would be looking for hotshot.*

    Just playing but seriously were you around back in 84?

  • Darth_kriza

    Posted Apr 16, 2007 1:25 pm PT

    TRANSFORMERS OWN

    OPTIMUS PRIME RULZ

  • swimmi_34

    Posted Apr 15, 2007 2:04 pm PT

    i wont watch it cuz hotshot isnt in there, but i will watch it for optimus prime

  • classicfan

    Posted Apr 14, 2007 1:12 pm PT

    Cool and prefect for a game and the movie of course! Because without these Actors voices there probably would've never been the cartoon or even 22 years later the movie in C G I I hope the game and movie are worth it!!. They need to bring back GI-JOE from the 80's! and find the original voices from the 80's that did the voices from the GIJOE! series 1982-1986 HawkEyes,SnakeEyes,Strom Shadow,RoadBlock,Jade FireFly,The Cobra Commander I know Welker did his voice lol! etc-I miss those 80's cartoons!That needs to be brought back to the screen this time maybe in 2008?. But in CGI like in the movie Toy Soldiers 1997?..

  • i_got_you60

    Posted Apr 14, 2007 10:39 am PT

    the game better b good cause tranformers own

  • tonis125

    Posted Apr 13, 2007 5:29 am PT

    the game better be good cause if not i know some people who will get very UPSET!

  • Big_ChuckNorris

    Posted Apr 12, 2007 1:45 pm PT

    Did Welker provide the voice in the first movie?

    I had that on VHS until a couple of weeks ago, and he sounds exactly the same.

    Which is keeeeeewl.

  • DrCLos

    Posted Apr 12, 2007 11:43 am PT

    Great news. Definitely looking forward to the movie and I will have to keep an eye on the game. They better be good!

  • Docthebutcher

    Posted Apr 12, 2007 6:33 am PT

    Who, what, when, where are we talking about? 80s cart00n? oh I was building and racing cars in the 80s and 90s have I missed out on something in my life?

    Doc

  • TwinTiger

    Posted Apr 11, 2007 10:45 pm PT

    Nice audio clip of Welker..... Megatron is in the house!

  • CloudXentar

    Posted Apr 11, 2007 2:44 pm PT

    Curufenwe, the guy who voiced Starscream in generation 1 was Chris Latta but he passed away. It's a shame though. His voice would fit perfectly in movie.

  • Curufenwe

    Posted Apr 11, 2007 12:34 pm PT

    Hope the guy that did the voice of starscream (dont realy remember the name, but he was the red jetfighter) gets to do the voiceacting as well.

  • sinner910

    Posted Apr 11, 2007 11:46 am PT

    does anyone know what the game is going to be like all i can find out is 'bout voices is it going to be like ps2? i hope not

  • CloudXentar

    Posted Apr 11, 2007 9:54 am PT

    I'm glad Wlker is doing the voice of Megatron. He is a superb guy and he deserves it , and a lot more too. Hugo is a nice actor but he isn't interested in Transformers and when he is done with it he will say '' on to the next job''. This is problem with voice acting. All the well known actors almost never lend a voice in the games ( except few of them like James Woods) so he shouldn't do it in the film eather and expecially not Megatron.
    Heh, when I watch the movie I will feel like megatron is saying something like this :
    '' Mr. Prime, welcome back. We missed you...'' lol

  • iloveflash

    Posted Apr 11, 2007 9:13 am PT

    I didn't know those two guys did that many voices! Come to think of it, Eeyore does sorta sound like Optimus... CRAZY!

  • skuld_xx

    Posted Apr 11, 2007 12:33 am PT

    I agree with you Gta4lif3

    When i heard the movie announcement for the first time, got me excited, but when i saw the robot model, gawd it look ugly, but that just me since I'm so used to original look. Can't they just stick to original model and not making some mumbo jumbo out of em? my 2cent

  • archiekins07

    Posted Apr 10, 2007 7:11 pm PT

    Pretty cool!!! Sucks though that Welker isn't doing the voice on the movie. All we need now is a live action Thundercats movie....that would be great....He-man sucked with Dolph Lundgren, haha, anyone remember that movie?

  • BOSSMAN_2004

    Posted Apr 10, 2007 4:52 pm PT

    lol computer games

  • Vulpis

    Posted Apr 10, 2007 2:35 pm PT

    Now this is definitely a WTF moment--Welker gets kicked to the curb with regards to doing Megatron's voice for the movie itself, but gets called in to do the voice for the game based *on* the movie? (No doubt the drooling Bay fanbois are screaming bloody murder on some forum demanding that Hugo Weaving be used for the game, too...)

  • Pheimos

    Posted Apr 10, 2007 8:47 am PT

    Awesome!
    I'm more for Gundam and Macross but..
    Awesome!

  • Sanguis_Malus

    Posted Apr 10, 2007 6:06 am PT

    Spiffing Moustache old chap !!!

  • Romayo83

    Posted Apr 10, 2007 4:36 am PT

    It better be good, all previous Transformers games were not!

  • rodimus_prime85

    Posted Apr 10, 2007 2:50 am PT

    Is this news?? I thought it was already confimed...

  • denaz

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 8:50 pm PT

    I hope this game is good...

  • cobrax80

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 7:27 pm PT

    cool

  • gamemofo515

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 6:04 pm PT

    I wish that they just made like a cartoony 3D transformers game. You know, bring it back to the old school when it was a good show.

  • buffer34

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 4:22 pm PT

    sweet

  • LexLas

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 3:36 pm PT

    This game all ready looks much better then the last one, I wonder though if Frank Welker is also doing the moive voice of Megatron ?

  • Jshaw71

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 3:32 pm PT

    i guess that wellen and welker are joining the game, is a good thing, but this won't make it a better game, I am waiting for the movies realse so it can die a slow painful death and i can move on with waiting for the next bad movie based on a great 80's idea can come along, what next gi joe?

  • Gigatron

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 2:32 pm PT

    not to brag... but I do a good Starscream. Game and movie looks AWESOME.

  • Phazevariance

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 11:16 am PT

    I just hope the movie is good...

  • BigDaveyDogz

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 7:09 am PT

    I prob won't buy this but I will rent it if it doesn't suck

  • BounceDK

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 6:59 am PT

    The last Transformers game totally sucked.
    I hope this one will get better ...

  • optimus_kezzer

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 6:35 am PT

    Well this sure adds to the game, fans will get to hear the first meagtron and optimus prime at least one more time. I don't have anything against Hugo as megatron, but i still smile when i hear Frank doing that raspy voice. I wonder what other fan boy treats we will get from this game...

  • YoUnG1991

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 5:41 am PT

    i dont know if this game looks very good but i mite buy it anyway

  • digitalmel

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 4:19 am PT

    It sucks that Frank Welker isnt doing the voice of megatron in the movie but Hugo Weaving is...
    Still it is Hugo Weaving so you can expect something equally impressive 'Mr Anderson welcome back...'

  • TarkanC123

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 2:38 am PT

    Frank Welker also did the voice of Nibbler in Futurama I just hope they use the same/similar game engine from Transformers on the PS2, I have it and think it was a great game. It had some minor setbacks, but on a whole was thoroughly enjoyable. If they improve on that, I'm sure it'll be great!

  • dell900

    Posted Apr 8, 2007 11:33 pm PT

    hmmm

  • YourLastDay86

    Posted Apr 8, 2007 9:41 pm PT

    Transformers: The Movie (1986) = the amazing...just had to throw that out...

    Their voices make the franchise. Glad they are on board...

  • brannigancarter

    Posted Apr 8, 2007 8:52 pm PT

    screw the game, i wanna see the movie NOW

  • 13wanderer

    Posted Apr 8, 2007 5:34 pm PT

    This is good news. you can't have transformers without Cullen and Welker in their signature roles. hooray!

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