45 replies to this topic

[W13]

UPDATE: First round of closed beta invitations were sent out December 12, 2012.



Jagex seems to have this curse where nothing goes right for them since RuneScape. MechScape turned into StellarDawn and then that failed before it could even launch. 8Realms also failed and so did several other ventures that Jagex undertook.

Now, Jagex is trying it again with Hasbro's blessing. After the failures and also thanks to lessons learned from RuneScape recently, do you think Jagex is finally going to get it right with Transformers Universe?

Read on for newly released info:


News post from Zybez.net :

Edge Magazine has published an article that contains a bunch of new information about Transformers Universe. Here's what I found (compiled into a nice list for you):

• Transformers Universe (TFU) will be a battle-arena style (MOBA) game, more like League of Legends instead of like an MMORPG such as RuneScape.
  
• TFU will feature a story line but focus mainly around completing battles and moving from arena to arena.
  
• Players will be able to select five transformers and take them into battle, controlling one at a time
  
• Maps will be small featuring two opposing teams: one on the Autobots side and the other the Decepticons.
  
• The team that mines 1000 energon first wins. Individual players can choose to keep the energon for themselves or contribute it to the team.
  
• Terracons, the common enemy mob, will attack both Autubots and Decepticons that try to mine the energon.
  
• Energon will be used to purchase new transformer bots and upgrade existing ones. Energon is also used up when you die and need to spawn one of your transformers onto the map.
  
• Transformers bots will feature multiple slots for weapons, such as a hammer for melee, machine gun, and rockets. There will be abilities such as Smoke Screen to avoid being locked on by snipers and rockets. Weapons seen in the trailer: Chainsaw, Plasma gun (lasers/ray guns/beam lasers etc), Missiles, Mini gun, Hammer, Axe, Dual blades, Large Blade/sword, hand to hand combat, RPGs, Rifles.
  
• Transformers are also equipped with powers, such as an invisibility orb, which allows allies to see you but shields you from the sight of enemies, or a chaff mist, that protects you from incoming fire.
  
• Apparently Hasbro approached Jagex and asked to buy Jagex's failed-on-the-launchpad sci-fi game, MechScape (aka. StellarDawn), after which Jagex responded and said they prefer a partnership instead. So, TFU is the spiritual successor to MechScape and StellarDawn.
  
• There is various talent working on TFU since early 2011 when development started, including the personthat created the Grand Theft Auto logo and the guy that made the story line for Need for Speed: The Run.

Stuff that we already knew about Transformers Universe:

• Browser-based, free-to-play MMO game.
  
• Release date unknown but guesstimated to be first half of 2013 with a beta before that. (beta sign-ups open on the official site)
  
• Set in the Transformers Prime universe but has its own open-ended story line.
  
• TFU will be constantly updated much like RuneScape is.
  
• Possibly HTML5 based graphics engine. (see screenshots below)
  
• Will launch with cars, motorbikes, and tanks. Eventually have dinobots, animals/beasts, and more.
  
• No actual gameplay video yet, but there is a trailer that uses footage from actual gameplay.

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(Credits: Pliigi from SDC for finding some of these screenshots)

Official Site: http://www.transformersuniverse.com

[JessyU]

its hard to tell right now, the concept looks fun I guess but thats what we all said during mechscape.

[Xtrm]

I like the idea of a Transformers game, but the fact that it will be a LoL type game isn't my style. I'm not a fan of fighting games or strategy games. I'll try to get into the beta and see how I like it. But other than that I cannot say either way.

[¥Mars]

The answer is already in your first sentence :P Jagex seems to have this curse where nothing goes right for them. Voted no but will probably try it out.

[Sun Inc]

Xtrm, on 10 December 2012 - 07:04 PM, said:

I like the idea of a Transformers game, but the fact that it will be a LoL type game isn't my style. I'm not a fan of fighting games or strategy games. I'll try to get into the beta and see how I like it. But other than that I cannot say either way.

It will be similar to LoL? As in lanes, units, earning money and slaying creeps?

[Joao*]

Barelyawake, on 10 December 2012 - 07:11 PM, said:

Xtrm, on 10 December 2012 - 07:04 PM, said:

I like the idea of a Transformers game, but the fact that it will be a LoL type game isn't my style. I'm not a fan of fighting games or strategy games. I'll try to get into the beta and see how I like it. But other than that I cannot say either way.

It will be similar to LoL? As in lanes, units, earning money and slaying creeps?

Dota made this btw <:

Edited by JP_, 10 December 2012 - 07:28 PM.

[Milktea4me]

I'm very skeptical. In the past, I was pretty psyched for Mechscape back when it was announced, but I've forgotten about it completely. I don't feel like Jagex is getting their priorities straight right now.

[Christmas]

From what I understand, LoL is a kid's version of Dota. This looks like a 5 year old's version of LoL.

Quote

There is various talent working on TFU since early 2011 when development started, including the personthat created the Grand Theft Auto logo and the guy that made the story line for Need for Speed: The Run.

WOO BOY. Big talent.

[Sun Inc]

Now that I know it's going to be a MOBA, I know it will be terrible.

This world doesn't need another game trying to emulate DOTA, League of Legends already failed at doing so.

[Dog Fort]

Voted 'Yes'.

I feel that they have to much riding on this to fail, with the fall in players on Runescape and Stellar Dawn losing them over £10m they need this to work for them and they know that. Also they have Hasbro breathing down their neck on this and their fanbase, not only Jagex's.

I want this to be fun, I want this to work and I want to play this game and not be lied to by Jagex saying its coming month after month, year after year and then after 4 years of waiting, saying they're cancelling the project.

[qazbob12]

The way it sounded like, it sounded like the resource race battle ground from WoW. (Arathi Basin) Where in which you need to hold these resource areas, long enough to reach 1600 points. (the resource areas are like mini king of the hills though) Is it kind of like that? or is it this resource that just spawns and you gotta like harvest it your self?
Just my question on the gameplay.

[Manga]

No I think it's going to tank.

• First it's a licensed game, so the people who do not like Transformers are not going to play, limiting the market of people interested.
  
• It's a MOBA, yes LoL is popular and so is HoN and DOTA 1&2, but Smite is also coming out soon with some fresh ideas.
  
• People who play LoL have brand loyalty, most are happy with LoL and are not going to jump ship over a title from a currently unpopular company with again a licensed game.

All it is is going to attract the hardcore Transformers fans and people who are still looking for a good MOBA to play, and there is not enough to justify the game.

[Swellington]

W13, on 10 December 2012 - 06:45 PM, said:

• TFU will be constantly updated much like RuneScape is.

is this good or bad

[Koutla60]

Jagex should go back to there old  Combat on RuneScape and stop updating
Graphics so much and feeding people with Squeal of Fortunes instead and add  decent update and tell those investors to go elsewhere.
They pretty much messed themselves up not the community of RS which lead them to make other games.
Funorb was good and Rs together back in the day.

But I hope there "Curse" is broken.

Just my opinion on this.

[Manga]

Swellington, on 10 December 2012 - 08:33 PM, said:

W13, on 10 December 2012 - 06:45 PM, said:

• TFU will be constantly updated much like RuneScape is.

is this good or bad

Proably more good then bad, There is probably a team set up that will only deal with TFU and not people running between the games. That being said I wonder if they hired anyone for working on that I imagine you can look that up somewhere.

[Fasty]

Given Jagex's other big projects, I'd be surprised if this game was released at all. If they do manage to release it, I doubt it'll be successful since people would much rather play games like League & won't bother switching to a game about Transformers that Jagex is a part of.

Edited by Fasty, 10 December 2012 - 10:17 PM.

[True Hero]

it will most likely suck

[Kaur]

Quote

Apparently Hasbro approached Jagex and asked to buy Jagex's failed-on-the-launchpad sci-fi game, MechScape (aka. StellarDawn), after which Jagex responded and said they prefer a partnership instead. So, TFU is the spiritual successor to MechScape and StellarDawn.  

WAT

Hasbro never wanted to buy MS/SD. They wanted Jagex to make a transformers mmo but Jagex turned them down because they were busy working on MS/SD.


I suggest you read this again:

Quote

It’s this that lies at the centre of why Jagex wouldn’t return Hasbro’s calls for so long. Hasbro first asked Jagex, which was then focused on building sci-fi MMORPG MechScape (now called Stellar Dawn), whether it would license the game five years ago. “At the time, we were a pretty uncommercial company – well, exclusively inwardly focused on our firstparty titles,” says CEO Mark Gerhard. But Hasbro persisted: “We had a pretty frank conversation: ‘Why don’t you want to talk to us? Why won’t you license it?’” Gerhard’s response was that he wanted a partnership, and that Jagex had to be known for innovation. “We were worried that every time it came to a green light it’d be, ‘No, no, no’. They basically gave us everything we asked for and more.”  

[Duke Narked]

Look, the fan base for transformers is huge. I mean the movies proved that and even before that the comics and the TV shows (in all forms) was big. The game it self should be effected by the direct fan based. However the game itself will be a different story. I don't think that the marketing will be really behind it. Compare to other big name games, since Jagex has hype the crap out of this, that get released at E3 or other such events, I just don't see it.

Personally I haven't seen anything relating to the game, expect what I see on zybez front page, so I really have nothing to go on, which proves my point further that no one really knows what the go is.

I'm interested to see how it goes and I really wish them luck on it. If it works well than yes, say goodbye to Runescape. But since the name Jagex is tainted with the crap that they did with Runescape, it might be the games downfall.

[Boot]

Trying to compete with League is unbelievably stupid of them. League is the biggest game in the world right now, and they plan on releasing a MOBA? It sounds less like a curse and more of pure stupidity, their investors must be crapting bricks right now.