Last Monday, Hasbro issued a press release stating that they will be partnering with developer Kabam to develop a new Transformers related mobile game. Variety caught up with them to have a chat.
The company states that the new game is under development for nearly a year and will be ready by the 2nd Quarter of 2017. Therefore, the fans should expect the game to hit app stores between April and June next year.
“The Kabam-developed Transformer game won’t be Hasbro’s first for the franchise, but it will be “substantially different” from predecessors, Blecher said. Prior titles include combat city-builder game “Transformers: Earth Wars” from Backflip Studios, majority owned by Hasbro, which launched in June.”
The game will be entirely separated from known continuities such as Michael Bay Transformers Live Action Movies. Kabam commented that they will be looking into tie-in the Movies as well as Transformers: Robots In Disguise and Transformers: Rescue Bots into this game as well.
“Like Kabam’s other releases, the Transformers game will be free with in-app purchases and no advertising. The game developer is fronting the up-front budget for the Transformers game, and Hasbro and Kabam will share revenue generated from the app.”
The company also states that they will not make this Transformers game a Pokémon GO clone. Instead, the Augmented Reality aspect will be reserved for franchises such as Monopoly which we believe may turn out to be a Foursquare/Swarm type of Social Media App.
“While Hasbro and Kabam say the new Transformers game doesn’t lend itself to AR, both are exploring augmented-reality opportunities; Blecher said Hasbro games like “Monopoly” could lend themselves to location-based gameplay.”
Judging by the info given, it seems as though the new Transformers Game will take ideas from Kabam’s own Marvel Contest Of Champions and Star Wars: Uprising.
Check out the full article at Variety.
Novaburnhilde
Same here.
primalxconvoy
You are the minority when it comes to asphalt. I played it and felt the paywall hit. It's structures to leech in-game money by "special" races, which require cars not that powerful, or that can only be used for one or a few races (not usually in the same racing stage/level). This means that players need to grind in order to save up money for an expensive, one-use car, win the race, and then grind again for another car. Usually in real games, grinding might occur, but the subsequently purchased car can then be used in many new races. Not really the case in Asphalt.
As for the other games, I've got both G1 awakening (although it doesn't really display on my current Note 2 that well) and Monument Valley. Both are examples of premium harness and mobile games done well.
SilverOptimus
Not true for me.
I'm having so much fun with Asphalt without paying any money.
I've collected almost all the characters without paying money on Mortal Kombat X Mobile. I did purchase the main game for PS4 and paid $20 for one character on mobile to show my support to the game. I collected rest of the characters just by playing only and I didn't grind. Played the game approx 1 hour total each day while traveling to work and back.
Never ran into any problems with those two games. Maybe I'm extremely lucky.
I did purchase several games which only had installation fees. Most notable one is Monument Valley. Highly recommended. But short.
I'm still waiting for a mobile game similar to Transformers G1: The Awakening by Glu mobile. I played both Java (Nokia) and Android versions (prefer the Java version). The game is one-time purchase and I still play it because of its high replay value.
unicronic
I don't mind in-app purchases as long where there is some real substance to the game. For example cosmetics items.
Hasbro has yet to produce a mobile game with any substance.
The best TF games WFC/FOC were eventually canned and to be fair even they weren't great games just good TF games.
Just looking at Kabam's track record they are heavily into producing games that require users to run in the hamster wheel and pay to keep the wheel moving.
Let us not forget that TF card game where it was very much pay to win, almost pay to progress.
primalxconvoy
I doubt Earth Wars would be supplanted by another company's IP. These types of "CRapps" are more akin to "mobile adverts" with some gambling mechanics linked to a monetisation model thrown in. From an IP owner's perspective they will only replace them with their own IP in a new "game". Other IPs are separate.
Here's a good video relating to how an IP holder (the infamous Game's Workshop, from the UK) does a similar thing with its IP:
– The Warhammer 40k License – A Total Change of Strategy – Extra Credits – YouTube
l0te
I'm not familiar with Marvel Contest Of Champions or Star Wars: Uprising… what are people thinking this game will look like?
Hope it doesn't mean they're looking to move beyond Earth Wars already.
Turakonin Prime
Lol so true. I love them too. Makes me want to play with my toys
Turakonin Prime
Lame
primalxconvoy
I don't agree.
Here's a recently released game. It's around ten dollars, has no in app purchases and even supports hardware controllers:
– Riptide GP®: Renegade — Vector Unit
Every game Hasblow has licenced out has been a copy of an existing mobile game, with the same, tired "pay to win" shenanigans involved. Said games are then quickly replaced with another game, with the former either languishing or killed-off.
Currently, Hasblow's mobile strategy has been to create digital shelf warmers, to have a (weak) online mobile presence. A box-tick for the marketing and digital
departments and nothing more.
As for your examples Asphalt 8, by Gameloft is NOTORIOUS for pay to win iaps. The whole system is rigged to force players to grind or pay up to make any progress:
– Asphalt 8: Airborne Review – IGN
Mortal Kombat X is also infamous for not only being a full priced game on console, but also for adding pay to win IAPs to that price tag:
– The Monetization of Mortal Kombat X is Gross and Depressing | Hardcore Gamer
The mobile version is just as bad, as in "300 Dollars" bad:
– It would cost over $300 to get every character in Mortal Kombat X | Mortal Kombat X news | iPad | Pocket Gamer
Although there are "good" IAPs (unlocking a full game, activating double xp/in game currency for "normal mode", cosmetic changes, extra episodes/levels, etc), for the point of argument, I am only referring to the P2W model. Unfortunately, no matter how much weight your argument may or may not have, the two example games you gave simply strengthened my point, rather than yours.
–
AOEGalvatronRox
Just sitting here waiting for another Transformers console game.
Aernaroth
That's what I was going to post, does this mean earth wars is getting the can in a year, as the last two mobile games have? There isn't a lot of incentive for quality gameplay and development on a game that is going to be replaced by something newer and shinier a year or two from now.
Hot Shot.
That doesn't make it right.
They don't depend on it. They do it because they make more money when they add timers and severely limit in-game resources. It lets them bait kids into spending their parents' money on overpriced, pay-to-win disposables that are used up instantly.
That's not what "free" means.
If they actually made a good game then people would buy it. These are usually designed from the start as reskins or copies of other freemium trash. Pretty much no one would outright buy these because they're the mobile equivalent of Wii shovelware.
If it's not something strictly cosmetic, then it won't. They generally shut these down bi-yearly anyway, so even buying a cosmetic is a waste of money.
Chronix
Oh hey, a new Transformers game. This should be pretty coo-
"they will be looking into tie-in the Movies as well as Transformers: Robots In Disguise and Transformers: Rescue Bots into this game"
"in-app purchases"
nvm
Dark Skull
If it were anyone but Kabam, I'd be interested. But after playing one of their other games and getting burned by their horrid customer service and tech support, they can go F themselves and stick all their games up where the sun don't shine.
SilverOptimus
In-App purchases is the norm now. Almost every game developer depends on it. It's either that or a complete free game with an Installation charge. However, it is noted that charging for installation is off-putting. It doesn't generate much revenue and players decline such games. First you get the crowd in with free installation and gameplay, then charge for in-app purchases.
It's the in-app purchase model that needs revising on most games. Games such as Mortal Kombat X and Asphalt are good examples of great in-app purchase models. Running into paywalls is non-existence on those games. Both free and paid customers can enjoy massively.
Hopefully, Kabam's new Transformers game will have a good in-app purchase model.
primalxconvoy
…Aaand we're done here.
SilverOptimus
News Post: More Info On Kabam's Upcoming Transformers Mobile Game