Transformers Universe

If you're in the camp who thought a Transformers MMO was the worst idea in the long history of bad ideas, well, we've got good news. Jagex agrees with you, sort of, but the firm has also decided that the license is more fitting for a MOBA than an MMORPG and has adjusted the development trajectory accordingly.

"Transformers are about war; they're about action," Jagex chief creative director Alex Horton recently told Edge. "They don't carry gold, bake bread, catch fish, cut down trees. But for all they take away, they throw open so many more opportunities. Maybe there's more in a selection of characters and abilities, and the strategy in that, than there is [in] leveling a character endlessly and going through f--- loads of boss battles."

Transformers Universe will be a browser-based title. Jagex has not yet announced a release date.

If you've always wanted to turn into your favorite evil or heroic robot and destroy or save the universe, your time is now! Transformers Universe has just begun accepting sign-ups for beta testing. To register, head on over to the official website and choose your allegiance.

Transformers Universe is a free-to-play title by Jagex that's aiming for a browser client release. Players will duke it out as Autobots and Decepticons. While Earth is going to be the original battleground, the game will eventually expand to the stars and beyond.

[Thanks to savvy reader Jeremy for the tip!]

[Thanks to groovy webizen Guy for the tip!]

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We're getting some solid information about Jagex's upcoming Transformers Universe from the recent London MCM Expo. The team took to the stage to talk about the title, revealing quite a few new details -- including the revelation that the game won't be confined to just Earth.

The team is making Transformers Universe with the intention to keep the game going for at least 10 years; it has latched onto the "Universe" moniker to indicate it will eventually expand the game from our terrestrial ball to the stars (including Cybertron).

Transformers Universe will use Energon as the game's currency, and while the team will use microtransactions to fund this free-to-play title, the exact model has not been finalized. Players will be able to pick between male and female characters and will use their alternate (non-robotic) modes for more than just transportation. At the game launch, players will be able to transform only into vehicles, but Jagex says that there are plans in the works for other forms such as animals.

[Thanks to Austin for the tip!]

Jagex is heading to the MCM Expo for the first time, with RuneScape and Transformers Universe in tow. The studio has special plans for its fans at the largest pop culture event in the UK, not the least of which will be the opportunity to meet members of the dev team.

At the convention, RuneScapers will get a deeper look into how the game is developed, watch the creation of concept art, and have the opportunity to pick up one of several player packs for the game. The packs will come in two varieties: a starter pack and a premium pack that includes cosmetic items, membership, and an exclusive t-shirt.

Transformers Universe fans also will get to meet the dev team and reserve their names for the game when it releases later this year.

Brian Cooney, the managing director of the expo, is thrilled to have the studio on board: "Each year people ask me if they are coming and finally I can say 'Yes!' The Jagex stand promises to be a 'must see' for show visitors."

The London Expo takes place from May 25th through the 27th at the Excel.

Jagex doesn't take kindly to being called an American company these days, it appears. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, CEO Mark Gerhard set the record straight about the recently reported deal that put the British game studio under the purview of an American investment firm.

Because the deal was made earlier last year, Gerhard sees this as old news and stressed that the company was trucking on much the same as it ever was. "The insinuation that this is a company that somehow now is run by bankers in the US again couldn't be further from the truth," he said. "Sure we therefore have some American shareholders, but the management and the culture and the ethos and everything else is the same people, in the same hands, and staunchly British."

He also clarified why the studio's profits were reported to be down: "If you look at our company's house filings, revenues are up but profits are down, and those aren't because we're doing a crap job, that's because we're consciously taking those profits and ploughing them back into the business."

Gerhard said that the company was "very, very selective" when it came to investors, and that it feels completely comfortable with the current board of directors. He said that the new investors were not interfering with the day-to-day development and operations of Jagex's ever-expanding library of titles: "I'm very excited for the year ahead and everyone in the studio is very focused on, not just making RuneScape and 8Realms a financial success, but our work on Stellar Dawn and even Transformers coming together to make truly great games for this year."

Jagex is trading up the Union Jack for the Stars and Stripes, as controlling interest in the studio has changed hands to a US firm.

Insight Venture Partners, a venture capital firm from the US, completed a deal last year to increase its ownership to 55% of the UK-based company. Previously, the firm had 35% interest in Jagex. Now that the scales have tipped to the new ownership, this technically makes Jagex a US-controlled company and has US investors leading its board of directors.

While revenues were up 2% for Jagex in 2011, both operating and net profits were significantly down from the previous financial year. Jagex is a major player in the MMO free-to-play market, with RuneScape, Transformers Universe, and 8Realms as part of its project portfilio.

Develop reports that the controlling interest was made possible by Jagex co-founder Andrew Gower selling off his ownership claims to the firm for $115.65 million. As part of the deal, Jagex paid $3.85 million in expenses. The studio will remain in Cambridge while its controlling firm is in NYC.

In coming up with a follow-up list to my previous Upcoming MMO Contenders list, I found myself almost paralyzed by more choices than I could shake a wireless mouse at. Pointing at the sure bets is one thing, but narrowing down a field of dozens and dozens of interesting -- yet more far-flung -- prospects is far more difficult. It's one thing to have a good idea; it's another to say whether or not this game will actually make it to launch, and if it does, that it'll pull the idea off well.

That said, I've lost some hair and two pounds sweating out this list, and I feel sleeker for it. Today's Perfect Ten is all about the long-shots, the titles that may not have the huge budget, big name studios, or anything solid to show for it, but could still become contenders in their own right if everything is played just right.

Deep breath -- let's give it a go!

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As Transformers Universe continues to be pieced together, one sentient component at a time, Jagex is looking to players to help with the development process. Specifically, to help the studio choose names for two of the classes in the upcoming game.

Two polls will help the company make its decision. The first is over at Transformers Universe's Facebook page while the second is on MMORPG.com. Both polls will continue until 6:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday.

The choices for the Autobot class are Scholar, Engineer, and Counsel, while the Decepticon class has the possibility to be called a Technician, Specialist, or Informer. Players also have the option to write in a name as well. Of course, there are a few disclaimers involved, including this common-sense move: "Hasbro and Jagex reserve the right to not use any suggested name, even if it's a name with the most votes, if it does not fit the brand or is disparaging, derogatory, or offensive."

Gamescom, roll out! At this week's convention, Jagex set up a Transformers Universe booth to demonstrate some of the customization that will be in next year's game and give players a taste of the choices they'll be making when the game goes live.

The team also used this opportunity to talk about the first revealed class, the Brawler, and show concept art of these hulking piles of scrap metal and stubborn perseverance.

Senior Producer Kris Jones says that the Brawler will be the front line of defense in a fight: "Players who like to engage as the tank in co-op team play will be drawn to this Brawler Class. The strength and resilience of this class makes it the perfect choice for those who like to get up close in a battle environment, for those who like a good brawl."

You can check out the Brawler in the gallery below. Transformers Universe is slated for a 2012 release, and interested players are encouraged to sign up to receive more info about the upcoming beta.

There's a reason that the Transformers franchise has been running more or less continually for the past 27 years, and that's in no small part due to sheer flexibility. The fiction allows for stories anywhere between world-spanning science fiction to light-hearted antics, and the years of comics, shows, and movies have touched on many areas. But the newest trailer for Transformers Universe, the upcoming MMO based in the current continuity, shows off a feature that's far more basic.

While the details are still light on the actual gameplay of the upcoming game, what we do know is that it promises to be an action-oriented MMO aiming at a browser client, allowing players to play a representative of either side in the fiction's factional warfare. While it will be running concurrently with Transformers: Prime when it launches in 2012, there's no word on whether the show continuity will affect the game in any way. But you don't need to worry about any of that to enjoy the video just past the cut -- all you need to do is admire what's sure to be a central part of the game no matter how it plays.

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