Transformers MMO entering beta "very soon"

Leading social games specialist Jagex has said that its Transformers Universe MMO will enter the beta testing phase in the very near future.

A 55-strong development team is currently hard at work on the title, with numbers expecting to hit 70 and total development time calculated to be under 23 months.

"It’s very soon," executive producer Kris Jones told Eurogamer. "It’s not going to be far away. We’re launching this in 2012, so it goes without saying that the beta will be soon."

The characters themselves will be customisable, and emphasising Jagex’s long-term vision for the title Jones claimed that post-release content has been planned for several years” that will increase the number of options players have to dabble with.

Big” and long” story arcs are promised as well as what is described as an adult tone”. For instance, the child characters seen in the most recent Prime cartoons series will be absent. The game’s target market, undoubtedly, is those who grew up with the brand.

Jones added that the game is not set specifically on any one of the Transformers timelines but will instead draw reference from across all of them.

"We’ve taken some assets; we’ve been in touch with the studios and we’ve taken from that, but we are our own game – that’s the bit that needs to be made clear,” he added.

We’re not making a game based on any existing continuity.

"We don’t want to pigeon-hole ourselves to just the toys, or just G1, or just Prime, or just the movies. We’ve been very clear that we want to take from all over the universe. That’s why it’s called Universe.”