We managed to catch an interview with Callum Godfrey, producer of Transformers The Game with Activision.
What type of game is being developed?
Transformers The Game is a free roaming action adventure which draws upon racing, flying, combat, shooter and exploration elements. It’s a game we can’t really fit into any one category, as when you think about all the amazing things Transformers can do, it naturally leads you down paths that mean pushing the gameplay little bit further.
Has a title for the game been confirmed?
The title of the game is Transformers The Game.
Do we play as the Transformers, as humans or do we get a choice?
The game focuses on the robot story, based on the same plot as this upcoming live action film. Players will get to choose between playing as Autobots or Decepticons and will be able to influence the storyline and the outcome of the game.
What Transformers and characters can we expect to see in the game?
Characters in game will largely echo those from the film, which gives us Optimus Prime, Jazz, Ironhide and Bumblebee with Ratchet in support for the Autobots. The Decepticons can choose from Megatron, Starscream, Skorponok amongst others, with key movie characters such as Sam and Mikaela helping to drive forward key events. There are also a number of Transformers you will encounter that we have created by working closely with the Hasbro design team.
What titles have the development team previously worked on?
The team at Traveller’s Tales has worked on LEGO Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia, and most recently BIONICLE Heroes. The have also worked on games reaching as far back as 8bit console systems! They have a lot of experience that is tempered with loads of enthusiasm and talent.
Which platforms will the game be coming out on and will each version be the same?
The game will come out on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, PC and PSP. There will also be two distinct versions on the Nintendo DS – Transformers Autobots and Transformers Decepticons. The content for each game will be tuned to best suit each platform’s unique strengths.
When is the game due for release in North America, Europe/Australia, Japan?
The game is scheduled to be available this summer.
What sort of single player experience can we expect?
Players are given the choice to play as Autobots or Decepticons.and can play through both sides of the campaign. Within the framework of the movie “beat points” they have a huge scope for experimentation and adaptation. A simple melee fight is really enhanced when the enemy is using the items in the world as a weapon, such as picking up a tree as a mele weapon and shooting the gas station in an attempt to throw enemies sideways in an explosion. All of this happens within large scale worlds that feature destructible environments.
Mix this up with flying and driving modes where the player can seamlessly drop into robot mode at anytime and you’ll understand why the game is shaping to offer something different and interesting.
How has the development team being working with Paramount and Hasbro?
We have very close relationships with Hasbro and Paramount. We’ve been given access to reference images, scripts, set visits and photographs and have been in touch with the likes of Michael Bay and Aaron Archer. Throughout the development cycle we have worked hand-in-hand to ensure that the game will remain true to the Transformers roots, as well as have consistency with the film.
Has any of the team played the Atari Transformers (2004) game?
Oh yes! We’ve played the Atari game and a HUGE number of other games to use as benchmarks.
Are any of the developers Transformers fans?
I’m working on an Optimus Prime costume for this year’s BotCon!
