rainbowsixvegas
Latest
Ubi's yearly sales up 36% on Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Assassin's Creed
Money continues to pour into the House that Rayman built as Ubisoft announced fourth quarter sales growth of 10% to €217 million ($339 million). In addition, the company saw its wallet grow by an impressive 36.4% over the entire fiscal year ended March 31, 2008 by some €928 million ($1.45 billion) driven by "stronger than expected" sales of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (nearly two million units sold), Assassin's Creed (more than six million units sold), and titles from its casual "Games For Everyone" brands.Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot called 2007-08 a "remarkable year" thanks to "excellent sales" of established brands and a "steady output of new releases...that have performed exceptionally well." Ubisoft also continues to work towards a sales target of €1 billion, or $1.42 billion, for 2008-09, while the exec set the bar high for his company going forward with an expected growth of "at least 15 percent" in the coming year.Lastly, Guillemot boasted of a "particularly strong" line-up of titles in the year ahead, including seven existing franchises, five new releases, and a continued focus on bringing more casual games on the Wii and DS, one of which we think should be based solely around counting money.
PS3 Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 plagued with online snafus
According to their website, much of Ubisoft's technical support staff has taken this weekend off in observation of Good Friday and Easter. That's all well and good -- but perhaps, when they aren't draining Cadbury eggs or enjoying fine roasted hams, just one of them could take the time to Google their latest release, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, and discover that a good portion of the console gaming world is ready to swear off all things Clancy.Our tip box has exploded with complaints from owners of the PS3 version of the game -- apparently, a majority of those who try to play online either can't connect or have to suffer staggering amounts of lag. We'd expect a bandwidth epidemic such as this to be patched post-haste -- we guess Ubisoft didn't anticipate we'd actually want to play their game on the first weekend of Eastertide. What, did they think those terrorists would hunt themselves?
Metareview -- Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
It seems Tom Clancy's latest visit to Las Vegas has yielded strikingly similar results to his 2006 outing: Lots of jumping out of helicopters and being shot at by ambidextrous bandits. Some people like that sort of thing, however, and reviews of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 suggest that Ubisoft's second trip down the strip is just for them. This is your last chance too -- the next Vegas game is that one starring Kevin Pereira. Eurogamer (70/100): "Overall, Vegas 2 feels like an incremental expansion, despite the success of the character-creation feature. The annoying thing is that with a bit more investment these quickfire sequels would feel like true follow-ups, which would go a long way with those of us who've been following the series for the past ten years. As it is, we'll still go to Vegas, but we'll be grumpy on the way home." IGN (84/100): "The gameplay in Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is awesome; it just isn't as awesome as it was 18 months ago. The main complaint that most gamers are sure to have with RSV2 is that it's simply too similar to the game that we played late in 2006." Videogamer.com (80/100): "While Rainbow Six Vegas 2 feels more like an add-on than a proper sequel, that shouldn't stop you picking Ubisoft's latest up. The gun-play is excellent, the production values are top notch and the multiplayer game modes will keep you coming back months down the line."
Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 trailer shows off new weapons
One of our favorite things about Rainbow Six: Vegas was the multitude of weapons a player could choose from while outfitting their digital soldier. With varying levels of kickback, damage, ammo capacity, and accuracy, each weapon felt like a unique character, and diehard followings sprung up behind many of the game's realistic firearms.The above trailer shows a few new "characters" we'll be introduced to in Rainbow Six: Vegas 2; like Mr. Shoots Through Walls, SMG Jr., and a sniper rifle that's bigger than the Juno I satellite launcher. We'll get to meet the whole gang (as will a number of unlucky terrorists) when the game lands in our anticipatory hands come mid-March.
Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 gameplay video looks familiar
For some reason, watching this gameplay footage for Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 gives us a pretty powerful sense of déjà vu. Either our surreptitious digital overlords just changed something in the Matrix, or we've seen this game before. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you -- we loved the original Vegas, and we're definitely not asking them to reinvent the wheel. But in the first batch of gameplay videos for a sequel, we want to see new, fresh features -- like that revamped Persistent Elite Creation system, or that unlikely (but potentially awesome) boss fight against Mantecore, the white tiger that was responsible for Roy Horn's near-shuffle off this mortal coil.
Caption contest: PS3 Rainbow Six Vegas diorama
This one's really bringing us back to eighth grade. Except, you know, replace dinosaurs with terrorists, and replace a real-live-working volcano with a PS3. Other than that it's exactly the same. Chris: "PlayStation Park, Las Vegas' latest theme hotel, has left much of the Strip uninhabitable thanks to the 800 degree Fahrenheit stream of air continually emitted from the side of the building." Josh: "Finally, something more gaudy and depressing than the actual Las Vegas." Nilay: "Note: Beds do not vibrate." or "We never noticed how much the Wynn looked like a Foreman grill." Paul: "I'll be in the garage if you need me, honey. Working on the, uh... car." Richard: "Ok, who left the Allspark next to the PS3?" Ittousai: "Vegas-based terrorist group with micropulse bomb is demanding backwards compatibility; more at 11." Steve: "Kutaragi: 'This hotel is probably too cheap'"Ross: "Voted loosest memory card slots on the Strip!" or "I'm putting all my Cell chips on Blu!" or "Yeah, it may have nine processing cores but are they synchronized to dancing fountains?"[Via technabob]
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 cashes in March 21
Eurogamer reports that Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will be shooting up casinos and terrorists before you know it, as Ubisoft has confirmed a March 21st release date for the game.Vegas 2 will feature numerous improvements over the first Nevada-centric Rainbow Six game, including an improved reward system, online co-op, sprinting, and destructible cover. We're assuming March 21 is a worldwide release for the game, although we will confirm with Ubisoft whether that date pertains to North America as well as Europe.[Via X3F]
Hit the Strip with a new Rainbow Six Vegas 2 Trailer
Ever since the first lackluster trailer was revealed at the 2007 Spike TV VGA's, we've been curious about the direction which Ubisoft is taking our favorite terrorist-hunting franchise, Rainbow Six: Vegas. Sure, we've been promised that that Vegas 2 will improve on the mechanics of the Vegas the first, but we haven't heard much about the storyline for this "part prequel, part sequel". The newest trailer for the game still doesn't tell us about the subject of Six's Sin City romp, but it does drop a few vague clues. For instance, most of the trailer takes place in a large concert hall. Can we expect to rescue a helpless Celine Dion from a pack of disgruntled Cirque du Soleil performers? We can only hope, as this would provide the greatest video game soundtrack since Revolution X -- but it's a fairly unlikely scenario. Ah, well. Our hearts will go on.
Reminder: R6V Player's Pack Red Edition now Free
Just a reminder to all those Rainbow Six: Vegas fans who may have not gotten the memo, the Player's Pack Red Edition has been available to download for free since Friday, the 6th, like the Black Edition when it returned to Marketplace. The pack, if you didn't already know, includes Assassination and Total Conquest game modes, as well as 5 maps, 2 of which are relit. Roof, Doscala Restaurant, and Marshalling Yard are the new maps with Killhouse and Border Town getting the face lift. As they say, the best things in life are free, so go grab the Red Edition if you haven't yet.
$20 discounts on R6 Vegas, GRAW 2 and more
Looking for some great video game deals? Well, look no further than Circuit City and the Sunday newspaper ads. This week, Circuit City is slashing $20 off select games including titles like TMNT ($29.99), GRAW 2 ($39.99), Spider-Man 3 ($39.99) and Call of Duty 3 ($39.99). Also, since both the Red and Black Edition Player Packs will be free downloads, why not pick up Rainbow Six Vegas for the low, low price of $39.99 too? You can't pass that up. Maybe new releases are more up your alley, then we advise picking up a free $10 gift card with a Transformers: The Game purchase. And if you're in the market for Shadowrun, purchase it for $37.99 on Windows Vista and Circuit City will throw in a wireless receiver for free!All deals are available online or in-store, so save a few bucks and pick up some new games to add to your video game library this week.
Rainbow Six Vegas Red and Black edition now free
Yes, you read the headline correctly, because both Rainbow Six Vegas Players Packs are going to be free for download. Major Nelson just informed us that the Black Edition was pulled from the Marketplace earlier this week, because Ubisoft didn't want the content to cost 800 Microsoft points ... they wanted it to be free! The Black Edition is now available on the Marketplace and is free for download, so go get it! But wait, did you pay for the content before the Black Edition was pulled? Not to worry, because Microsoft will be reimbursing those who paid for the Black Edition within' the next ten weeks. Sweet, isn't it?But that's not all the good news. As a thank you to the Rainbow Six community, Ubisoft decided to make the Red Edition Player Pack a free download starting next Friday, July 6th. That's a 800 Microsoft point value! But sorry for those who already purchased the Red Edition, because no reimbursements will be made for the content. Ubisoft rocks ... they rock hard!
Shock and awe as RS Vegas Black Pack was meant to be free
In one of the more joyful miscommunications of our gaming times, turns out that the Rainbow Six Vegas Black Pack, which spontaneously went missing after being on the marketplace for 800 MS points, was supposed to be free. Yup, you read that right. It "was originally intended to be free content for the fans of Rainbow Six Vegas" according to Major Nelson. All players who purchased will be reimbursed automatically in 8 to 10 weeks. That's a bit long, but we keep hearing that word free and all anger just melts away. The Black Pack will be back on June 30, with the Red Pack being offered for free as "appreciation" on July 6. Now that's what we're talkin' about! For those who purchased the pack, please make sure your account info is up to date so Microsoft can reimburse you properly.Well, that's a pleasant surprise ... and we were just joking when we said we'd "like to think that Ubisoft was so racked with guilt over charging $10 for five maps (when that amount previously got you five maps and two new modes) that they pulled it." Turns out, they were. So much so that they offered the same content that is already available in the PS3 version of the game for free. That word just doesn't get old. Don't forget to download your free Wii browser while you still can. Free, free, freediddy, free.[Thanks Felixlighter and Stan]
Rainbow Six Vegas Black Edition goes AWOL
So, the Rainbow Six Vegas Black Edition DLC really did appear on Xbox Live. It was brief, but it was there. But now, as you have already found if you've attempted a download over the past day or so, it is most certainly not there. The good Major offers little help on his blog, saying only: "This has been pulled. I'll let you know when it makes a return." Wow, cryptic.There are, of course, plenty of delightful theories as to why the pack pulled a Judy on Family Matters. Some think that it got on to Marketplace too early, some think a critical bug was discovered. We like to think that Ubisoft was so racked with guilt over charging $10 for five maps (when that amount previously got you five maps and two new modes) that they pulled it. We admit that's not really likely. We'll be sure to update this post when it triumphantly returns.
R6 Vegas Black Edition pulled from Marketplace
For unknown reasons, the Rainbow Six Vegas Player's Pack Black Edition downloadable content that released yesterday has been pulled from the XBLM. Major Nelson updated his post stating that new content was pulled, but didn't give a reason for it not being available. Some people who have downloaded the content are stating that the new maps seem to load slower than others, but other than that they didn't find a problem with the Black Edition pack. Stay tuned as we'll be sure to let you know when the content gets placed back onto the Marketplace or when we learn more about what went wrong.
Black Edition DLC flanks from behind cover on XBLM
A new Player's Pack is ready for download for Rainbow Six Vegas that came out of center field. For 800 MS points, the Player's Pack Black Edition brings you get 5 new maps, including classic from the original Rainbow Six 3, Presidio. Other new maps include a remixed Streets, as well newcomers Wartown and Red Lotus. All in all the whole pack comes to 705.5 MB. Did you get the previous Red Edition, which also included new gametypes with its release, and would you pick up the latest, as its only maps this time around?
Worldwide PlayStation 3 releases for the week of June 25th
Another Sunday, another release list. Let's see what's out in the next seven days.US Games The Darkness Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix The Bigs Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent Transformers the Game EU Games Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Asian Games Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Quite a well populated list. There's no real way anyone can complain about this week's releases. Unless you're a European The Darkness fan. Don't forget, though. If there's a game that's only available in another region, then feel free to import it. Your PlayStation 3 won't care. Release dates are subject to constant change, so give your local game shop a ring before walking down there.Which of this week's releases will you be picking up? We've already got our copies of The Darkness ordered.
Metareview: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
Publisher Ubisoft was hush-hush about this quietly released PSP version of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas. We showed our readers early footage from the game, and it appeared that opinions were quite mixed on the game. The critics, on the other hand, are quite unanimous in their opinion: Game Almighty (55/100) - "All in all, Rainbow Six: Vegas for the PSP falls short of the lofty standards set by this franchise. It doesn't perform the way you'd expect from a Tom Clancy game." GameSpot (68/100) thinks the game could've been more: "The short campaign and limited multiplayer detract from what is otherwise a solid PSP shooter." Gamer 2.0 (78/100) agrees with GameSpot: the game just needed to offer more: "Vegas doesn't quite have enough entertainment value to be worth it for anyone but the most hardcore of Rainbow Six fans." The game currently has a Metascore of 59 from the critics. Do you agree? Do you disagree?
Virtually playing Rainbow Six Vegas
Although Rainbow Six Vegas is now available to purchase, it appears that no one has received any review copies: our site certainly didn't, and the major outlets (IGN, Gamespot) also appear to be in the dark. Can a publisher be really confident in their product if they won't send out review copies?While we haven't had a chance to play, there are eager PSP gamers out there that have. PSP GadgetZ has taken the time to record some footage of the game, load times and all. Watching this is the closest thing we have to playing the game. How does it look to you? Do any of our readers own a copy? Let us know.Video is embedded, after the cut.
SGD '07: Rainbow Six: Vegas screenshots are gorgeous
Straight from this week's Sony's Gamer's Day comes three beautiful looking shots of the PlayStation 3 version of Rainbow Six: Vegas. We've been waiting for this title for a while, can't wait for it personally. I just hope that they're able to keep the online play as good as the 360's play is. As usual, the screenshots look excellent. Look for this game on shelves on the 12th of June. %Gallery-3242%
PA shows the less-than-sexy side of Live
So, earlier today we gave you a guide on how to be an A-hole, which is all good and weel. While, on the other hand, the guys over at Penny Arcade told their account of running into someone who was just downright creepy. To their credit, they did show a good idea on a feature that should be added to a future dash update when filing a complaint just doesn't cut. So, make the jump, have a laugh, and maybe shed a tear for those who run into people like this daily. That all being said, if this really weirded you out, don't worry, we got something lined up for you that'll brighten your day.
