Good news, Activision Blizzard might not have a hard time rolling out its slate of since-delisted Transformers games.
Let’s face it, we live in a world where every byte of digital information is presumably preciously archived, and the notion of “lost” source codes sounds more like an arcane legend than modern-day reality. Yet, just last week, a Hasbro representative shocked Transformers fans by saying Activision Blizzard, the publisher of its most popular video game adaptations, wasn’t quite sure about the location of the hard drives of their digitally delisted titles. The explosive claim and the phrasing, “When a company eats a company that eats a company, things get lost,” became fodder for online discussions surrounding the inefficiency of big corporations.
However, the narrative has since taken an unexpected turn. Lulu Cheng Meservey, the ever-unabashed Activision Blizzard executive, fired back, stating, “These headlines are wrong. We have the code, it’s not lost and never was.” This prompted an apology from Hasbro, as per Video Games Chronicle.
These headlines are wrong.
We have the code, it’s not lost and never was. pic.twitter.com/9Rr24FUlhb— Lulu Cheng Meservey (@lulumeservey) August 1, 2023
These Transformers games, including classics like “Transformers: War for Cybertron” and “Transformers: Fall of Cybertron”, resonated with fans due to their devotion to the beloved Transformers lore. They weren’t just mere adaptations of Michael Bay films, but were meticulously crafted narratives around Cybertron and other revered segments of Transformers history.
These games disappeared from digital shelves around 2017, a result of Activision’s licensing expiration. While second-hand physical copies saw their values soar in the market, there remained a void in the digital space. And with the statement from Hasbro, it seemed like the games had plunged into the abyss of lost digital treasures.
The gaming community’s hope was further fueled by Hasbro’s subsequent suggestion about Microsoft stepping in. Given Microsoft’s impending acquisition of Activision, there was newfound optimism that they might dive deep into the archives and bring these classics back on the Xbox Game Pass.
Thankfully, the once-muddied waters are now clear, and gamers can rest easy knowing that the games weren’t, in fact, lost.
Given Hasbro’s apology, Microsoft’s vested interest in bringing as many games as possible to the Game Pass, is all but a sure-fire guarantee that Activision Blizzard will have to pull the source codes out of storage, whether digital or physical, one of these days.
What’s clear from this digital whirlwind is the passionate commitment of fans and the gaming community. The fervor helps ensure iconic titles from the past remain available for newer generations to enjoy.
In the high-octane world of gaming acquisitions and mergers, these voices ensure the legacy of classic titles.
Whether the Transformers games find their way back onto the Xbox Game Pass remains to be seen. But one thing’s certain – in this digital age, even if games momentarily fade from the spotlight, they’re never forgotten.
Fingers crossed, Marvel can reach out and do the same. A bunch of older Spider-Man games by the now-Call-of-Duty-support studio, Beenox, are floundering somewhere out there after Activision Blizzard’s publishing rights expired. Although if you think about it, this will probably have to involve Sony even though it technically shouldn’t, making it a long shot. But, hey, who knows, right? With Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse doing so well at the global box office and with critics and Beyond the Spider-Verse delayed indefinitely, a chance to play Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and its sequel, Edge of Time, on modern platforms, wouldn’t be the worst idea.
