Programmable Optimus Prime robot from Hasbro actually transforms

Hasbro today announced the upcoming release of a programmable Optimus Prime robot at the Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest, a livestream event where Hasbro features all of its coolest upcoming stuff.

Okay, okay, I know that a programmable Optimus Prime robot isn't a "video game", and even though there is a mobile app involved, it is only tangentially related to video games at best. But this news story was just so awesome that I decided to throw caution to the wind, and redefine "video game journalism" to include topics like "the coolest thing ever made".

The upcoming Optimus Prime robot is the result of 11 years of research and development in a partnership between Hasbro and Robosen Robotics (Shenshen) Co, Ltd. The end result is the first-ever consumer robot that automatically converts from vehicle to robot, bipedal walks in robot form, races around in vehicle form, and can be controlled by either voice or mobile app. 

This is actually just the first product to emerge from this partnership between Hasbro and Robosen, with "new products and collectibles being announced in the months to come." Which means that there could be a Bumblebee headed our way very soon. According to a recent press release, "all of the products and collectibles will be meticulously designed and crafted with state-of-the-art, high-grade metal alloy parts, combining a classic industrial design with the most cutting-edge robotic technology." So yeah, Optimus is made of metal.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Hasbro and look forward to ushering in a new standard of robotics with the most advanced TRANSFORMERS robots for consumers ever created,” said Sean Tang, Director of Robosen USA. “The team is working hard to deliver an amazing user experience for fans of this esteemed franchise and produce TRANSFORMERS that will be a premium addition to their collection with its superior functionality.” 

Fans that are interested in pre-ordering Optimus Prime (for a cool $699) can do so at the Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest site. While you are there, take some time to browse around. Just hold on to your wallet, because there is so much cool stuff on that site that you might end up blowing the mortgage money on X-Men toys.