Let's Have a Peek At TRANSFORMERS and GI JOE!

Over the last few days, Renegade Game Studios has revealed more information about its upcoming line of tabletop RPGs, including Power Rangers, Transformers, and GI Joe! The three hardcover core rulebooks have been revealed ($55 each), powered by their new Essence20 system, along with dice, dice bags, GM screens, and deluxe editions of each book.

Essence20: The New RPG System Which Powers Hasbro Licensed Games

Renegade Game Studios announced last year that it would be making official tabletop RPGs of various Hasbro properties, including Power Rangers, GI Joe, and Transformers. This week, they revealed the d20-based Essence20 game system which will power those games...

www.enworld.org

Fighting for freedom wherever there is trouble, G.I. Joe is there!

In the G.I. JOE Roleplaying game, create your own Joe by choosing your military training origin, personal traits, and role within the G.I. Joe organization to become a Real American Hero and save the day!

This book contains everything you need to create your own G.I. JOE character and play the game - just add dice, some friends, and your imagination.

Features:

• Create your own unique G.I. JOE character
• Full rulebook for running your own G.I. JOE Roleplaying Game
• One Gamemaster leads the story with a group of players
• Contains introductory adventure for new team
• Full color hardcover book with 304 pages with ribbon bookmark

It’s Morphin’ Time!

Become a Power Ranger and protect Angel Grove and the Earth against the evil forces of Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, Master Vile, and more in the epic world of Power Rangers! Whether you interrupt Rita’s monster attacks in her attempt of world domination or defeat the forces of the Machine Empire from invading Earth, there is no limit to the heroic stories you will tell.

In the Power Rangers Roleplaying Game, create your ultimate Power Ranger persona by combining personal traits, childhood influences, and your chosen Ranger color to make a hero worthy of the Power!

This book contains everything you need to create your own Power Rangers character and play the game - just add dice, some friends, and your imagination:

• Complete rules for players and Game Masters focused on fun storytelling and epic combat
• Character creation tools, weapons, equipment, Zords, and more from the Zordon era
• Combat and exploration information, detailed locations in Angel Grove, and tools to get your campaign started
• An introductory adventure for 1st-level characters that is ready to play with your new character
  
  
  

More than meets the eye...

In the Transformers Roleplaying game, create your own Autobot character and wage your battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons! Whether defending Earth against Megatron’s plans of attack, searching for elusive stores of Energon, or protecting innocent humans and Cybertronians alike, your game is only limited by the stories you create!

This book contains everything you need to create your own Transformers character and play the game - just add dice, some friends, and your imagination:

• Complete rules for players and Game Masters focused on fun storytelling and epic combat
• Character creation tools, weapons, equipment, vehicles, and villain dossiers
• Combat and exploration information, details of secret bases and special equipment, and tools to get your campaign started
• An introductory adventure for 1st-level characters that is ready to play with your new character

Autobots, Roll Out!

 

[pumasleeve]

I remember all of these properties from my youth, but are they still popular with the kids? Are are they marketed to middle-aged guys like me looking for a nostalgic game, or is this something today’s younger audience will be interested in? I figured Transformers was still around after the movies a few years back, and GI Joe was a thing before I was born, so I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s still on the shelves, but I thought for sure Power Rangers was gone by now…
(Not hating on anything, just genuinely curious.)

Kids these days are into Fortnite. Good luck getting them to bash action figures together. The stated demographic for Netflix Masters of the Universe was guys over 40, if that tells you anything. Of course they tried to gain a new kind of audience with that show... oops

 

[pumasleeve]

Not really feeling these franchises as an rpg, both of them could are overdue for a good videogame however, something on par with SW battlefront would be awesome

 

[Parmandur]

Kids these days are into Fortnite. Good luck getting them to bash action figures together. The stated demographic for Netflix Masters of the Universe was guys over 40, if that tells you anything. Of course they tried to gain a new kind of audience with that show... oops

This is...not factually correct regarding child behavior.

 

[aramis erak]

Renegade Game Studios has published several titles about Power Rangers. This mean they can the brand to work. Transformers isn't only for the toy fandom but the total mecha fandom.

Transformers won't get all the mecha fans... especially since some think the whole transformers concept silliness, and Robotech too out-there to play as a setting (in any of the 3 licensed mechanical sets: Palladium, Strange Machine Games, and Battlefield Press (for Savage Worlds)).
I've known a number of Battletech fans who won't play if the LAMs (the transforming mecha in BT) are in use.
Several other Mecha games, both RPG and Boardgame, do not use transforming mechs.

It is a wide genre, and while a Transformers RPG, if it works well, might grab a few non-fans of Transformers, it probably won't get a whole lot of crossover.

Likewise, the toy lines aren't just TF... Macross still sells a lot. The Robotech line showed a lot of sales, too (at least outside Japan), but note that it was a blend of three successful Japanese anime, each with their own toy lines... Macross, Genesis Climber Mospeada, and Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross.
There have been multiple mecha games without transformers, and a number of other games have incorporated mecha despite not being mecha-focused... including Warhammer 40K (Dreadnoughts), Warhammer 40K Epic Scale (dreadnoughts and titans), Traveller (MegaTraveller, specifically the Dynchia walker in 101 Vehicles).

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

But Transformers is the most famous mecha franchise, specially among the no-fandom. And Robotech is a saga with a relativelly closed end. Battletech is one of the best example of sci-fi getting old badly.

Does anybody remember Mazinger Z, an mecha anime from 70'-80'?

And lots of players don't want to learn new system when they are too used with one or two. It is easier to use Essence20 for other IPs.

 

[Sacrosanct]

If it’s anything like the cartoons, I can only assume in order to actually hit anything, you need to roll a natural 21 on a d20…

 

[Leatherhead]

Transformers is a "Mecha" IP in the same way that Macross is an "Idol" IP.

 

[Undrave]

I think one of the biggest obstacles is gonna be convincing your RPG friends who aren't fan of the franchises to try these games...

I remember all of these properties from my youth, but are they still popular with the kids? Are are they marketed to middle-aged guys like me looking for a nostalgic game, or is this something today’s younger audience will be interested in? I figured Transformers was still around after the movies a few years back, and GI Joe was a thing before I was born, so I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s still on the shelves, but I thought for sure Power Rangers was gone by now…
(Not hating on anything, just genuinely curious.)

Power Rangers has had new episodes on the air every year except for that one time in 2010 where Disney gave up on the franchise and just re-aired MMPR episodes with needless over-editing on top. Then Haim Saban bought the franchise back from Disney and moved it to Nickleodeon where it still airs today. The History of Power Rangers is quite the journey, its lineage stretching back over 45 years, involving Shotaro Ishinomori, Stan Lee, Spider-man, Shuki Levy, Fox Kids, Disney and now Hasbro... Also comic books, including Power Rangers/Justice League and Power Rangers/Ninja Turtles.

Here's what they're up to this year.

And here's all the openings you missed out on. (including their first brush with RPGs with Power Rangers Hyperforce)

One of the most amusing and bemusing things about having kids is learning what cultural things have stood up and lasted through time. These three properties are well up there, as is Pokemon.

Pokémon isn't just 'lasting through time', it's THE highest-grossing media franchise in the world. It's almost worth twice as much as Star-Wars and more than 3 MCU.

Transformers is in 11th place, BTW, and is the biggest of this lot by far.

Not really feeling these franchises as an rpg, both of them could are overdue for a good videogame however, something on par with SW battlefront would be awesome

You mean like Transformers Devastation? Or the first two War for Cybertron games?

Transformers is a "Mecha" IP in the same way that Macross is an "Idol" IP.

Yeah, Transformers aren't mechas, they're mechanical lifeforms, it's not the same thing at all.

 

[Undrave]

Hmm...

I wonder if you could combine the rules for Rangers with the Transformers rules to created a Godmaster character?!?

 

[Tonguez]

I remember all of these properties from my youth, but are they still popular with the kids? Are are they marketed to middle-aged guys like me looking for a nostalgic game, or is this something today’s younger audience will be interested in? I figured Transformers was still around after the movies a few years back, and GI Joe was a thing before I was born, so I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s still on the shelves, but I thought for sure Power Rangers was gone by now…
(Not hating on anything, just genuinely curious.)

Besides the movies Transformers has had series almost every year this century, there are currently a few on Netflix and I beleive Transformers Rescue Bots (aimed at young children) is still on air too.

I like do like the sound of the Essence20 system with its four stats and the Origins-Role-Influence approach to character building, I’d actually consider doing a game based on Rescue Bots to see how cute it can get

the big attraction though is can I re-enact battles from Transformers v GI Joe?