We have even more gaming-related news for you today.
Hasbro attended a fireside chat at this year’s Goldman Sachs Communacopia & Technology Conference to speak about their general plan for the next 36 months. TFW2005 staff attended… so you don’t have to*.
The chat started with a discussion on the recent sale of eOne assets to Lionsgate. Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks mentioned that the toy giant is looking to ‘right-size’ their entertainment effort.
With toys, the company is focusing on ‘driving out costs, driving up share, and then driving growth’.
Hasbro is also looking to ‘fuel the very high-profit flame’ for digital games.
The company stated the following:
“And then just generally speaking [about] digital [gaming], there’s a massive opportunity both in licensing, and our owned and operated games inside of that area. You know, as particularly when you look at categories like mobile, there’s more and more of a premium that gaming companies are putting on brands that people have a strong affinity to; and breakthrough the clutter of these thousands of games that release literally every month. Whether it’s Monopoly on the casual-side, D&D or Magic: The Gathering on the more hardcore-side, or Transformers or G.I. Joe on the midcore-side, Hasbro has this amazing vault of IP that I think gives us a lot of ‘X Factor’ in terms of the value of the company and future potential of our brands.”
This statement comes just days after opening a new division (?) at Hasbro titled Hasbro Retro Arcade to focus more on the retro aspect of video games fueled by beat-’em-up styled arcade games such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Streets of Rage 4, and Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons.
As the first initiative of Hasbro Retro Arcade, the company will debut G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra. It is likely that a Transformers game will follow soon.
Are you looking forward to more video games based on Hasbro properties? Let us know of your thoughts on the thread attached to this news post.
Rodimus Prime
Next game will be a reskin of Diablo Immortal.
SilverOptimus
It came out on Java based Nokia phones first. That's the best version in my opinion. On iPhone and Android versions, the characters look a bit deformed.
Java version doesn't require any additional files to be downloaded and if you have purchased a copy, you can run it on any Java mobile emulator now.
Android and iOS versions no longer work since the additional file which downloads to your device is no longer available.
ambarmettatron
But ya know, "Big K" ain't so great no mores.
I miss Konami not being lazy.
Aernaroth
I remember when they announced it and put out the demo, and it's really, really sad it didn't get more attention (and adoption, presumably). Wasn't there something like it was only available in some regions/only on the Apple store, or am I misremembering?
It's a shame, I don't think it's available anymore? because it really did look like it turned out well.
Electro Rush
I halfway expect them to crap out a Raid: Shadow Legends clone and call it a day.
Shizuka
There's supposed to be a beta for 2023 says the official website, so we'll see. I just want gameplay.
Carnage73
Transformers: Earth Wars debuted over 7 years ago after Transformers: Battle Tactics was shut down.
Sledgehammer
Individual with no clue talks marketing bollocks in the vague hope that a half-decent game will magically appear with bugger-all investment.
linkinparkirony
I saw they got the Shredder's Revenge people to do a G.I.Joe game.. I'd kill for a TF game in that style
NextToNoMoney
View attachment 30086612
It's sort of like Fire Emblem?
SilverOptimus
Have you played Transformers: G1 Awakening? It's a strategy game with so much replay value.
NextToNoMoney
The battle pass stuff kind of sucks. However, that soundtrack is perfect, even bringing back Vince DiCola AND Kenny Meriedeth from the G1 Movie?! It's awesome
Novaxmaximal
Controversial take: Angry Birds Transformers is the best mobile Transformers game.
octobotimus
Step one is actually offering the IP to a larger studio, which they aren’t doing. Especially with their CEO only bringing up mobile garbage.
NextToNoMoney
I don't need think Transformers needs Pachinko machines from a company which does nothing with its own IPs, and that somehow mistreats its employees more than Activision-Blizzard…
Soundlips
There's two things I have, faith and experience.
I have faith in good games but enough experience to know when things are going to go tits up
ZapRowsdower
My thoughts?
WTF was that Chris Cocks quote trying to say? Best toilets in London?
The G.I.Joe beat em up lacks polish. Period. And that's a shame – sidescrollers (today) should be brimming with detail and razzle dazzle effects. The "retro" label gets used as an excuse to cut corners and lower dev costs. That's bull. You wouldn't want to make an epic space movie and skimp on the CG effects, would you?
Hence, I'm going to call the results now: cheap effort for cheap gains, Hasbro's new gaming initiative comes out twirling and then falls hard on its face. If you want true magic in your IPs, Hasbro, consider licensing to an expert. Like Konami.
View attachment 30086479 View attachment 30086478
(If you're old enough to remember the game above, by Konami, then you can remember a good G.I. Joe game!)
T-Hybrid
It's not about a passionate studio, it's about a studio that'd invest the time and money in to a AAA title.
Which, c'mon. There's so many great games that don't have giant budgets. Shredder's Revenge is a great example. That's not AAA.
It's not their call. They'd need to find a willing studio, and if they could have they would have by now.
Aernaroth
It could be, or that the process of supporting it was considered too much of a hassle.
I had understood it was at least a modest success, however, certainly more than many of games that followed it.
I mean, on the other hand there's the fall of Cybertron series which Hasbro seems to appreciate enough they're STILL selling toys based on it, so it's not like they seem to be completely against the concept of triple-a games either. Maybe they just don't want to make any NEW ones, compared to getting paid by game companies to put a Mr potato Head skin over their arkanoid clone to push a few more downloads in the Apple store than the other million arkanoid clones.
The utter radio silence surrounding TF:Resurgence isn't a particularly good sign about Hasbro's dedication to high-profile software, either.