SDCC 2012 - Activision Transformers Fall of Cybertron Panel LIVEBLOG

We are LIVE at Activision's Transformers Fall of Cybertron panel where Legendary Transformers voice talent and game experts at developer High Moon Studios come together in one epic panel to discuss their roles in the upcoming Activision video game Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. Panelists include Peter Cullen (voice of Optimus Prime), Gregg Berger (voice of Grimlock), Nolan North (voice of Cliffjumper), and Matt Tieger (High Moon Studios game director).

They'll give everyone an inside look into bringing your favorite characters to life in the making of the video game, as well as answer the questions you've been dying to ask.

NOTE: Below is a LIVEBLOG that captured the events of the panel as it happened.

PANELISTS

» Matt Teiger
» Carlos from Activision
» Peter Cullen
» Dave Cravens
» Gregg Berger (voice of Grimlock)
» Nolan North (voice of Cliffjumper, Bruticus, and Brawl)

VIDEO

PANEL

Matt Teiger says that they built on everything they did with WFC. Fall is about the death of Cybertron and how they are dealing with whats happen to their world.

The single player characters are designed to be who the character is. When you play Grimlock, it's a Grimlock game, Prime is a prime game, etc.

Dave says that the history is important to the game and borrowed lots of ideas from G1. New ideas made to fit into Hasbro canon and the story is key to this game. More emotion that any game High Moon Studios has done before.

Think about the most loved characters of the 80s: you remember what they sounded like, and fans remember Transformers from a lot of sounds. They have put 50% of their work into the sounds of the Fall of Cybertron.

STORY, STORY, STORY

If you are big fan or new comer, High Moon wanted fans to take a second look at Transformers. The darker tone is to address the early history and they want these robots to evoke a huge sense of loss over the planet dying.

The made a decision to dedicated parts of the game to the story. They want us to enjoy the world of Cybertron.

Peter Cullen say he was poised to do some great things for this game. He was privy to working up some of the line in the game. And they didn't have to do any editing changes. He was really surprised by the final product. The level of art and action and movement and voice is like nothing I have seen. All I need to be was Optimus,

Cullen thinks people love Optimus Prime because he is reliable and has not changed since 1984. He applied inspirational motivations to bring him to life. They have never changed the honor, integright, humiliy and strnethg has not changed over the years. He's proud to be part of Optimus Prime because of this.

Greg Berger says the best thing about playing Grimlock is the adventure of playing the charcter through all the many generations he had spanned. The fans add so much excitement, they just respond to what the fans like. Grimlock is fun because he has no limits. He has the capacity to do ready, aim, and fire. A single minded warrior. If he wants to hear cocktail war stories, that's what he wants. "Me no nice dino, me King!"

Berger continues that playing that kind of character is a lot of fun. It makes him a fearsome ally in the cause for the Autobots.

Nolan North got to voice Cliffjumper and Bruticus and the neat thing about Cliffjumper is has a youthful attitude. It's a nice change from the kind of game play we are used to, unlike the other robots that are dark and forceful.

Gregg Berger voiced Skyfire, who had a moral dilemma between Autobots and Decepticons. It was a lot of fun to play. He liked playing Long Haul becuase he was also an odd character.

GRIMLOCK DIFFERENCES

Generation 1 and FOC Grimlock are different characters and this has been a collaborative effort to introduce Grimlock into the game in a consistent way.

He had to find a way to translate the old bad grammar G1 dino to the guy in the game who can speak a little better now. Diving in and making it honest and real was the fun part.

The character is filled with incredible urgency. That's what makes it alive and intense to play the character. The game lets the fans be a particpant instead of just a spectator.

Teiger says that Transformers are great to play in vide games because they are a component of people that we want to be. Prime is a father figure type. In the game people take on these characters and it feels like they know who they are.

Dave: It's the timelessness of the Transformers that brings people back. His son sees them now and he can see the same kind of appeal is there today as when he was a kid.

Cullen: Remember you are talking to the worst game player in the world. But kids today have an opportunity to play this game and they are like wizards. This game is going to cause a lot of home work to be missed...

Berger: I can't play games either. If the world depended on me, you'd be in bad shape.

Norris: With the toy tie-in, kids make their own world in the backyard, Then they can see the show and then go back to yard. He doesn't think imagination is gone from games. There is more. With great narritive and metal behind these stories.

Berger: They good stories are based on how much the designers care about the production. The fandom wants to be participants as much as spectators. The buzz online is amazing.

CHARACTER APPROACH

Norris: He approached the two characters by really geting into his roll by doing a lot of yoga. Despites best efforts he could not transform. Got stuck in lotus position for 2 days...

Jazz is played by Troy Baker. Norris and he are friends and did a great thing to have them do the voice overs in the booth at the same since they play together in the game.

Tieger adds that the dynamic between these guys is noticeable in real life and the producers wanted to bring that into the game.

Cullen: Can you imagine trying to get work done with this guy? (Point at Norris)

Norris: Bruticus is just raw anger. "What are you gonna do about it!>" He's big but he's an underling. He has to take orders too. That obstacle makes working the charater fun to do.

FAVORITE LINES

Cullen: Favorite Optimus Prime line of all time "Hold on to your dreams, the future is built on dreams."

Bergger: Fave line; Me Grimlock need new stratagy.

Norris: Fave line: "Hey Jazz is that a Pacer. (Joke)

Q&A

Q: Will Arcee be in the game?
A: Arcee is not in the game because the character customization for multiplayer. They needed to standarize the system and Arcee would not work in this kind of individual classes.

Q: Why was Prime's charcter model changed when others were not?
A: They wanted to reflect what Prime was going through. He was forced to be more combat focused, So they beefed him up.

Q: What are the combiner personallity? Is bruticus 5 voices or one?
A: They went with what fans would be able to use, and it made more sense to use one voice.