Over at Pure Xbox they’ve secured what they say are leaked screenshots for a soon-to-be-announced Transformers brawler from Activision. Maybe, maybe not—all I know for certain is the shots depict a game I’d love to play. Update: A Best Buy Canada listing for the game for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One has surfaced, listing Platinum Games as developer and an October 6 release date. According to Pure Xbox’s source, the game is Transformers: Devastation, and it’s coming to the Xbox 360 and likely the Xbox One, which seems an odd order to announce things in this day and age. Since Pure Xbox is purely an Xbox site and Activision is the rumored publisher, one can assume Xboxes wouldn’t be the only target for such a game, and they’re just going with what they know. The screens depict a group of Autobots and Decepticons duking it out in a city setting. We’ve got Devastator—he’s the big green guy that’s actually six smaller green guys—Optimus Prime, Sideswipe, Magatron and Bumblebee, all cel-shaded to look like their first generation cartoon selves.
When last I spoke to Activision about the possibility of a G1 (generation one) Transformers game back in 2009, I was told there wasn’t enough interest. Of course it’s been six years since then, and G1 Transformers are enjoying a revival of sorts via Hasbro’s Combiner Wars line of toys. Plus this looks like a downloadable game, not something that would require a retail release. Several people I’ve talked to have compared the look of the screens to Activision’s The Legend of Korra downloadable brawler, developed by Platinum Games. Pure Xbox goes as far as speculating that Platinum is developing this title as well, but that doesn’t seem very likely. And so we have a handful of screens, along with what looks like an incredibly rough title card. I mean, look at that thing. If this is a real game, that had better be somebody’s idea of a placeholder graphic. Plus that name is already taken. Transformers: Devastation is an IDW Comics miniseries from back in 2007, and while using the name again is surely Hasbro’s prerogative, fans of the IDW continuity have a hard enough time keeping up with continuity without a game making things worse.
It could be a new game. It could be an old game that got cancelled. It could even be a fan project of some sort. Whichever the case, I’d play it. With Activision yet to respond (and unlikely to this close to E3) and Hasbro PR only telling me they do not respond to leaks and to “stay tuned,” I’m giving Transformers: Devastation a 50-50 chance of being a real robot boy that changes into a robot car. In other words, it’s pretty much up in the air. What I can tell is that even though I am not seeing a single alternate mode in any of these screens—just bots beating on each other—I would gladly pay $15 or so for the opportunity to step into the blue booties of the original Optimus Prime and work out some of my frustration. Anyway, give us a few days and I’m sure we’ll clear all of this right up, til all are one with an official announce or denounce-ment. In the meantime, if any of you have concrete info on where these screens come from, share it with the class.
Update: A Best Buy Canada listing for the misspelled Transformers Devesatation lists an August release date for the game on PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The description lists Platinum Games as the developer, and says that many actors from the original show will be handling voice duties. The listing also features fresh screenshots not seen in the original Pure Xbox article. OverviewFace off against Megatron and battle it out with the Decepticons in Transformers Devestation. Equipped with fast action capabilities, this game allows for instant robot to vehicle attacks, slam downs, counterattacks, and infinite combos for a unique master combat system. Five difficulty levels also deliver hours of intense gameplay. Get Coupon Codes and Online Deals delivered straight to your inboxCan't read the text above?Try another text or an audio CAPTCHAText in the box:What's this?Best Black Friday Game Console Sales: Xbox One S and PS4 Slim Retailers are adding games and controllers to the most popular console bundles
Many shoppers will find new, slimmed-down versions of the Xbox and PlayStation consoles at the top of their loved ones' wish lists this year. And Black Friday is shaping up to be a great time to buy a console, with deep discounts available from a number of retailers. Both the Xbox One S and the PS4 Slim hover around $300, normally when bundled with a game, but during Black Friday most retailers are cutting those prices by $50. Retailers we've checked are also offering additional controllers for both systems at $20 below their retail price and are cutting prices on selected games. And the best deals come in the form of souped-up packages that combine a console-and-game bundle with extra controllers, extra games, and gift cards. The third big console maker, Nintendo, doesn't have as much to offer. The Nintendo 3DS Super Mario bundle, in white or black, will be almost universally discounted to $99. But the Wii console is being phased out, while the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch won't be on the market until 2017.
Most of the deals listed below don't start until Black Friday itself; the exceptions are noted. To learn more about these gaming consoles, check out our video game buying guide. Go to Consumer Reports' 2016 Holiday Gift Guide for updates on deals, expert product reviews, insider tips on shopping, and much more. Be sure to check our Daily Gift Guide, and sign up to get an e-newsletter with top picks, trusted product reviews, and the latest news from Consumer Reports. Dell is selling Microsoft's Xbox One S 500GB Battlefield 1 bundle with the addition of Gears of War and an extra controller for $250 on Nov. 24, starting at 9 p.m. EST as part of the company's hourly sales program. Normal, non-holiday, pricing for all those elements together would be as much as $420. For $250, Target shoppers can buy the Xbox One S 500GB Battlefield 1 or Minecraft Bundle and receive a bonus $40 gift card. The Microsoft Store has $50 off any new Xbox One or Xbox One S bundle, which allows buyers to essentially build their own bundles with games like FIFA 17 and Halo Collection.