Activision grabs Transformers movie license
by Alan Rose 
{ Jan 16th 2006 at 8:45PM }
MCV is reporting that Activision has
acquired the licensing rights to next year's live action Transformers flick. A representative from the publisher would
not comment, but an anonymous source close to the project claims that a "top US studio" will be developing
the game. Although Atari published the most recent Transformers title for PS2, Activision has also been successful with games based on animated works (having shipped 10 million units of Shrek 2, Madagascar, and Shark Tale). However, it will be interesting to see what direction they take with the live action approach to the classic franchise - and the extent to which director Michael Bay and producer Steven Spielberg will be involved.
So what's your favorite Transformer animated movie, and who's your favorite Transformer?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Calthaer @ Jan 16th 2006 8:54PM
Hopefully the game will be somewhat similar to the game that Atari made - although I don't think it can be the same developers making it (weren't the developers of TF PS2 in Australia?). TF for PS2 was a solid and entertaining platformer that did a fairly good job with the license. It could be improved, of course, by actually putting the vehicles on roads and streets instead of jungles and tundra...
Jason @ Jan 16th 2006 9:09PM
Was there more than one Transformers movie?
I personally like the Alternators line of figures. It's pretty cool to see these figures integrated into actual 1:24-scale detailed vehicles.
vadermaggot @ Jan 16th 2006 9:22PM
yeah the first transformers movie had crappy 80's music and was like "totally awesome dude" Hopefully the new one is much better than the first movie which was a longer version of the original show. oh, liked the transformer game even though I didnt finish it.
Dave Vazquez-Abrams @ Jan 16th 2006 9:27PM
SOUNDWAVE!
p-diddy @ Jan 16th 2006 9:37PM
>> yeah the first transformers movie had crappy 80's
>> music and was like "totally awesome dude"
Vadermaggot, if I could jump through the Intarweb and strangle you I would. TF the movie, the original, kicked ass. Period.
There is nothing wrong with it. It is 84 minutes of pure bliss. To say otherwise is complete ignorance.
-p-
Spike @ Jan 16th 2006 9:39PM
I loved Transformers The Movie and The Generation one cartoon series, also Optimus Prime is the man!
ShuManFu @ Jan 16th 2006 9:40PM
Actually the first PS2 game from Atari was horrible! Hopefully the new game will have more intuitive controls and better gameplay.
Nathan @ Jan 16th 2006 9:44PM
The 80's Transformers movie was great!
"You got the touch! You got the pow - - er!"
The PS2 Transformers game was pretty good, although a little on the difficult side, mostly due to many areas being too dark that you can't see the decipticlones until you're under fire.
My only real dissapointment though was that it was based on Transformers Armada, not G1 (face it, the original was the best. The new characters, and the redesigns of the old ones, just aren't as memorable)
shoop008 @ Jan 16th 2006 9:48PM
The Movie was way, way better than the everday cartoon. Frickin Spike cussed man. HE CUSSED! Optimus Prime and about 20 other Autobots and Decepticons die in the first 20 minutes. They weren't injured. They died man, THEY DIED!!
The movie was animated much better than the show and had an all-star cast for a cartoon movie in those days. Transformers: The Movie was probably the high point of Nelson Judd's career. Unicron was Orsen Welles best and final role.
Matt @ Jan 16th 2006 9:54PM
Ok, first off, the Generation One was the best! My childhood was enhanced so much by them, and although it was slightly traumatizing to see optimus die, the ORIGINAL transformers movie was the best.... due in large part to the freshness of the series at the time and the awesome music!
Oh, and so far as the best... I agree, Soundwave really was the most utilitarian bot of them all, but he was a stinking Decepticon, but you can't beat the Dinobots!!!
Mecha INSULIN 2 @ Jan 16th 2006 9:54PM
Did you noticed that Ubisoft is playing in Activision's field? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Open Season, Surf Up...
Embassy @ Jan 16th 2006 9:55PM
optimus prime - is the G.O.A.T...plus hes jewish how gangsta is that...
Megatron - every parents worst nightmare..." here johnny! play with this nice metal robot that turns into a MAGNUM, just dont shoot your sister.."
and those old 80s toys were made out of pure STEEL...perfect for blugeoning someone to death...
jah75157 @ Jan 16th 2006 10:08PM
umm soundwave has got to be my favorite, bumblebee a close second. If i remember right i got soundwave confiscated by a teacher at an assembly in 5th grade. Man i just got mad about that all over again. BAH!
slybri @ Jan 16th 2006 10:13PM
Megatron turned into a Walther P38, James Bond's favorite gun. I doubt that Megatron will be a gun in the new movie..no way to sell toy guns these days. Unless they just don't release a megatron toy at all, they'll probably make him a tank.
If you have a lot of old transformers stashed away, hang on to them until the new movie is out. They'll be worth a heck of a lot more on E-bay.
I have Optimus standing right next to my monitor, surrounded by Alternators, ready to kick ass.
Zero @ Jan 16th 2006 10:20PM
The person who insulted the 80's movie needs to be beaten to death with their shoes. TO DEATH. And Rodimus Prime kicked ass.
Rodney L. @ Jan 16th 2006 10:35PM
Wait, there is something i'm missing...
Was there another movie outside of the 80's one? I only
remember that one.
Best scene ever...
(after landing on earth)
Optimus Prime: "We must stop the Decepticons, No matter the cost"
Transforms, mows down 2 or 3 Decepts while being shot at.
(Explosion) Jumps up, tranforms in mid air into a flip
WHILE GUNNiNG DOWN 2 MORE DECEPTS.
Lands and GUNS DOWN 2 or 3 more Decepticons.
BEST SCENE EVER!!!(next to Prime/Megatron fight)
Where is my copy?
Ramien @ Jan 16th 2006 10:52PM
The original news item says 'next year's live action' Transformers movie, so now it's time fo find out more info on the upcoming movie itself (and the inevitable new toy line that will come with it).
Tamo @ Jan 16th 2006 10:53PM
I'm surprised no one caught on yet to who actually sung the, "You got the touch" song. To get the complete story lets go to a different movie entirly, the movie "Boogie Nights." Boogie Nights was based off of the true story of a drug addicted porn star known as Stan Bush. At one point the porn star needed cash so he sang a song for a movie. This song is the "You got the Touch" song that everyone seems to love.
So Stan Bush is a porn star that sang a song for a kids movie in the 80s. Not to spoil anyones childhood dreams, for me I find it quite awsome, but just thought everyone should know that their favorite song to the movie was sung by a porn star.
Tzvi @ Jan 17th 2006 12:10AM
Um... Boogie Nights had nothing to do with Stan Bush besides the song being in it. Stan Bush never did any porn that I am aware of. (Even though he does have a name that sounds like a porn star.)
Nathan @ Jan 17th 2006 12:13AM
Incorrect Tamo.
Yes, Dirk Diggler records a version of "The Touch" in Boogie Nights. However, his character was not based on Stan Bush (nor was Stan Bush ever in porn).
Boogie Nights was inspired by the porn star John Holmes
ck @ Jan 17th 2006 12:29AM
The Transformers movie hasn't actually been greenlit yet, so let's hold out on a new game for right now. This is an article from Ain't It Cool News:
"So where are they? Michael tells me that they've been drawing and storyboarding for 6months, and that they're hammering away at the third act on the script. When he was very first being tied to this, he felt he kinda didn't want to do it, but after all this work he feels that he's found a really cool film that kids and Transformers fans are going to really get behind. As for when we'll get a peek - the films got to be greenlit first, and it isn't quite there yet, so keep your fingers crossed and we'll get our TRANSFORMERS movie!"
link:
http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=22178
Tamo @ Jan 17th 2006 1:07AM
Post #17, I concede to you. After checking google for a little while, I can make no claim to John Holmes singing "The Touch". When I said Stan Bush I assumed it was him that was a porno star since it showed up in the song credit on lyrics sites.
So to make amends for my error in judgement of not checking my sources first, here is a website where you can download "The Touch" music video. Hilarity shall ensue.
http://www.seibertron.com/media/video/thetouch/index.php
vadermaggot @ Jan 17th 2006 1:32AM
you all misunderstood me, I like the transformers and grew up on them, and loved the original movie just not the lame-ass cheesy nelson twins soundtrack.
Jay @ Jan 17th 2006 1:59AM
Regarding Activision getting the game license, I remember back in the day that Activision published a Transformers game on the Commodore 64. The actual mechanics of the game were pretty good for its time and did some fun things, though it had little replay value because of the game's strict pattern of events. I remember playing the heck out of that game. Of course, I was 10, but still...
Viridian @ Jan 17th 2006 3:09AM
dudes dudes.. OMEGA SUPREME !!!
Repsode @ Jan 17th 2006 6:34AM
19
It's not greenlit? Even after the San diego Comic con? Seems like dreamworks' committed to me. It even has an offical website at www.transformerslive.com. It even has a video of Speilberg addressing the fans ending in a release date of July 4 2007. Even if it wasn't, such a lucrative franchise + big name talent = big cash to studio. Don't worry. It's happening. Activisio wouldn't sign a deal for a game if it wasn't.
I hope you don't get all your film news from there. They sometimes get things right but the hit to mis ratio is a little dodgy. not the best film journalists in the world really.
TiaMaster @ Jan 17th 2006 9:52AM
Definetely Omega Supreme.
Ryan @ Jan 17th 2006 10:39AM
For the record, there was only one animated Transformers movie. I have no idea where they got the whole "What's your favorite Transformer animated movie" thing.
The movie as a whole was greater than the sum of its parts. The writing was pretty darn good but the animation was sub-par at best throughout most of the movie (exceptions being a few of the battle sequences and that awesome scene with Hot Rod running, grabbing Daniel, and transforming around him).
#21, the Nelson Twins appear nowhere in the soundtrack. The soundtrack itself pretty much rocked for its day and age. I mean, friggin' White Lion performing the theme song? Awesome. :)
#9, Judd Nelson, not Nelson Judd, was the voice of Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime. And believe me, it was not the height of his career. Orson Welles? By the time he was voicing Unicron he was the size of a planet, so that was rather appropriate.
And #15, you are on the money with that scene. One thing, though: it's "Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost." It still gives me goosebumps thinking about it.
As a kid I thought this movie was the best movie ever made. Granted, later in life I learned it was an hour-and-a-half commercial thrown together on a shoestring budget, but that movie still seems to bring me back to childhood every time I see it (and yes, I have it on DVD).
One more thing: "Corination Starscream? This is bad comedy." -Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron before he gives Starscream what's coming to him. That's the best line in the movie.
Oh, and GI Joe: The Movie is much better.
calthaer @ Jan 17th 2006 12:59PM
G.I.Joe the movie was not of the same caliber as TF: The Movie, I'm sorry. The animation quality was good, but it just didn't approach the awesomeness of TF (remember the opening scene where Unicron's side sweeps by as he floats through space?). The quality of the voice actors were on-par with TF, but the plot...?
It just took the whole G.I.Joe world and took it waaay off into left field. TF: The Movie at least made a sort of logical sense within the framework. The whole Cobra-La thing was just freakishly odd and bizarre.
The G.I.Joe comic was just way, way better - and they eschewed Cobra-La altogether. BTW, if nobody has checked out the Devil's Due Press G.I.Joe vs. the Transformers yet, you should. You will be very pleasantly surprised - it's the ultimate fan story of everyone who was a boy in the '80s. Restarts the whole story. I will say that Cobra Commander finds the Ark and "wakes up" the Transformers in the first panel...and that's all I'll say.
On another note...the Atari game had bad controls? What game are you talking about? The controls were standard platformer fare, and functioned fine. The only thing that was slightly difficult was the driving part with Optimus Prime - and that's because he was a slow truck (as he's meant to be). BTW, the difficulty level is greatly reduced with the correct Mini-Con layout.
Ryk @ Jan 17th 2006 1:13PM
I bought the movie a few months a go after not having seen it since it was first released when I was 8/9 years old. I sat down and watched it and I was like... this was way more awesome when I was nine, it looked heaps better and cool. But now it looked like a poorly animated 80's cartoon. So I'm hoping the movie will bring back that same fascination and wonder I had for transformers way back whe I was a little tike. Me and my classmates used to draw and write our own transformers comics, its where I first experimented with creativity and now I am a computer graphics designer, writer, musician, song writer.
Yeah transformers man, its like a callsign for a generation of disillusioned geeks, so spielberg better do a damn good job - this movie could make or break him.
Ryan @ Jan 17th 2006 3:57PM
#27, you're right. GI Joe: The Movie is not the same caliber as TF The Movie. It's a higher caliber. The animation is leaps and bounds better (try the opening sequence of Joe and Cobra fighting around the Statue of Liberty on for size) and the story helps flesh out Cobra's existence.
I will concede that the comic is much better, but I have always thought that more work went into the GI Joe cartoons than the Transformer cartoons, and that includes their respective movies.
One thing that did put a damper on the original storyline was the release of Transfomers The Movie, by the way. Parents were shocked when they took their kids to see a cartoon where the characters cussed and *gasp* died. Certain things were removed from the GI Joe feature, such as Duke's demise, that would've made for more impact.
Mike @ Jan 17th 2006 8:07PM
Well, for the autobots....i would definately go for Optimus like everyone else seems to. For the Deceptacons i would have to say that Soundwave with Starscream for a close second.
As far as movies go, The Original Transformers movie fo sho.
Also. If you want to see Soundwave and Rumble breakdancin...check out this video.
http://students.washington.edu/colin2/breakformers/Video_player_06.html
Kra(I)d @ Jan 17th 2006 9:55PM
good to know theres so many transfans in the gaming world, cant wait for the movie, optimus or ironhide for the autobots, and starcream and soundwave from the decepticons, (i have a starscream tattoo on my left side, it rules), and the movies? well let me put it this way: "wait!, i still function!", "NOT ANYMORE!", "STAAAAAAAAAAAAAARSCREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!".
nuff said, starscream ruled!