Activision Transformers games to be re-released by Microsoft suggests leak-GameCentral-Entertainment – Metro

Transformers: Devastation – is it about to roll out once again? (Activision)

It seems Microsoft has regained the Transformers licence and is planning to release up to four classic Xbox 360 era games via Activision.

As much as they may be under fire from certain quarters at the moment, one of the biggest successes for Xbox in recent years is how it has pushed backwards compatibility and game preservation as a major issue.

However, there’s nothing they or anyone else can do when a licence runs out, making it impossible to continue publishing a game. This often happens with driving games, with Forza Horizon 4 being the most recent victim, but it’s also affected a significant amount of Activision’s back catalogue, including a number of Marvel and Transformers games, as well as other random licences such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

It’s a shame because Transformers: War For Cybertron and Fall Of Cybertron were very good and while the 2013 Deadpool game was not it would’ve been very topical right now, especially with boxed copies currently selling for over £35,000 on eBay.

There is nothing to stop publishers from reacquiring a licence, such as has happened multiple times with Capcom and its Marvel fighting games, and it seems that that’s exactly what Activision is planning at the moment.

Curiously, there’s no direct evidence of Deadpool being brought back, but then the Marvel licence is, presumably, one of the most expensive around at the moment. There have been rumours of Activision wanting to re-license the 2013 game, as well as Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 and 2 (but not apparently any of their Spider-Man games), but no actual evidence.

With Transformers though there are signs of life, with two listings by the Australian age rating board for unnamed Transformers games from ‘Microsoft Studios’ – which is the old name for the Xbox Game Studios publishing label. Activision itself is not mentioned.

The year of production for both is stated as 2024, with one game described as the ORIGINAL version and featuring scary scenes – which is not something Transformers games are known for.

The other one has warnings of mild violence and its version is indicated as being MODIFIED. Both games are rated PG and are listed as having ‘online interactivity’.

The two Cybertron games did both have competitive multiplayer modes but they were a very minor part of the games and the sort of thing that would usually be left out of a remaster.

Most of Activision’s other Transformers games – a mix of Cybertron spin-offs and tie-ins based on the Michael Bay movies – are far less well regarded, with the exception of PlatinumGames’ 2015 title Transformers: Devastation, which ended up being the last game before Activision lost the licence.

According to Transformers World 2005, a number of Steam CD Keys for various Transformers games have mysteriously reactivated recently, including Devastation, the two Cybertron games, and their weak sauce follow-up Rise Of The Dark Spark.

So, the logical guess is that all four games are going to be brought back and if two of them aren’t currently listed by the Australian ratings board then perhaps Deadpool and others are also on the way.

While it’s obvious why Activision would want to republish Deadpool and the other Marvel games, Transformers is on a low ebb at the moment, in terms of mainstream visibility – and it’s unclear how much the forthcoming animated film Transformers One is going to change that.

It is the 40th anniversary of the franchise this year though, so that’s another good excuse to bring them back.

Whether Activision, or any other Microsoft studio, would ever make a new Transformers game is hard to say, especially given the rising cost of big budget games and the middling success of all the previous titles.

As big fans of the franchise we can only hope it happens anyway, not least because we’ve always felt that transforming vehicles is an underused gameplay gimmick in games in general.

Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron – a great game regardless of the licence (Activision)

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