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Ubisoft fires Assassin's Creed creative director amid misconduct allegations
Ashraf Ismail stepped down from his role on 'AC Valhalla' in June.
'Hyper Scape' brings fresh ideas to a crowded battle royale arena
You'll need to watch Twitch streams for a shot at closed beta access.
You'll have to wait an extra month to play 'Far Cry 5'
One of next year's biggest games needs some more time in the deep-fat fryer. Far Cry 5 is scheduled to hit PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on March 27th, one month after the initial release date Ubisoft announced in May. The extra development time will enable Ubisoft Montreal to "make some additional improvements that will bring the best, most ambitious Far Cry experience in line with the team's original vision," according to the Ubiblog. In short, the game simply isn't ready for a February launch.
This is why 'Prince of Persia' has the legacy it does
Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time defined how the company looks at its properties. But before the publisher began pumping out annual sequels with a startling cadence at rapidly diminishing returns, there was just the Prince and his snazzy ability to rewind time while jumping, wall-running and shimmying from stone column to stone column. And it's the latest episode of DoubleFine Productions' "Devs Play" series that focuses on that seminal game and finds its director, Patrice Desilets, explaining what went into development.
Watch Dogs arrives on May 27th
When Ubisoft showed off Watch Dogs for the first time in 2012, there was no such thing as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Well, okay, they existed in some sense of the word, but both consoles were far from publicly ready, making Watch Dogs an unbelievably pretty game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Unbelievable to the point that many journalists were incredulous about it not being touted as intended for next-gen, but Ubisoft couldn't say it was headed to unannounced consoles. In so many words, Watch Dogs was essentially the first "next-gen" game shown off ... even before the consoles were unveiled. It's somewhat hilarious then that we're here to tell you today that Watch Dogs now has a release date -- May 27th -- after being delayed past the actual launch of the new consoles. It's unclear if that means all versions (Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC and Wii U) will arrive on the same day, though the Wii U version was already given a release date sometime after the other versions. Sorry Wii U, owners!
Dissecting the Splinter Cell: Conviction demo
Now that the Xbox 360-exclusive demo for Splinter Cell: Conviction is available, we thought it appropriate to walk readers through the experience in a lengthy video packed with essential Sam Fisher intel. If you're wondering how Conviction ties to other games in the series or have an interest in hearing the changes made to portions of the demo from our previous hands-on experiences, this is the video to watch. Also, if you're stuck at work and can't play the demo for yourself, watching this video walkthrough might help fill that void and pass the time until you can go on your own gunslingin' adventures with America's most wanted secret agent. Shortcut: Queue-up the Splinter Cell Conviction Demo (Xbox 360)
Far Cry 2 confirmed for PC, Xbox 360, PS3 this Fall
Ubisoft informs EuroGamer that Far Cry 2 will release in "autumn" this year. The game is currently in development at Ubisoft Montreal and this latest information narrows down the previous year-long release window of April to March of next year. Ubisoft also states a demo is likely for the game and that the title should release simultaneously for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.Given the impressive footage we've seen so far of the game, Far Cry 2 can take its time in development and keep upping the pretty. And you know, our summer is already looking pretty full.%Gallery-6687%
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.
Second Lost: Via Domus trailer is riddled with subliminal messages
After being reunited with our dear friends from Oceanic Flight 815 this past Thursday, we're suffering from a pretty severe reoccurance of Lost fever -- luckily, this new trailer came along just in time to satiate our hunger for tropical island adventures. The game looks gorgeous, and seems to be very faithful to the show, apart from a few characters who are not voiced by the actors who played them in the show -- the most jarring of these being John Locke, who sounds like a slightly bewildered Steven Seagal throughout this trailer.Of course, every good Lost fan knows to look out for branded sharks and hidden messages -- which this one-and-a-half minute trailer has plenty of. We'll leave it to you to find these single-frame clues. What do you think -- is there some significance to these blips, or is this just another four-toed statue?
Joystiq interviews FarCry 2's Clint Hocking
Ubisoft's Clint Hocking made a special trip to PAX this year to show off his latest project: FarCry 2. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill FPS sequel, as our liveblog of the demo details, but an ambitious open-world shooter set in the exotic locale of the African Savannah. We were lucky to grab a couple minutes of Clint's time following the demo for an interview where we asked about the FarCry brand, the possibility of console ports, and how long they think this open-ended game will take to finish. Why use the FarCry brand to make this game? Well, I think that's kind of a business question for Ubisoft but my answer to that is, Ubisoft started with FarCry, published it and obviously started making the console games. The same time they were doing that – keep in mind I started conception before FarCry Instincts even shipped. They were in production when I started conception. And Ubisoft knew at that time that they wanted a top tier PC sequel. At the same time they knew about FarCry; at that time Boiling Point was announced; we didn't know about Just Cause; they knew they were going to make at least two sequels on the console; LOST was on TV. Literally they said, "We're worried that we're going to dry up this brand."%Gallery-6687%
Splinter Cell Conviction delayed til 2008
Firing Squad reports that Splinter Cell Conviction is no longer planned as a 2007 release. The revelation comes courtesy of an Ubisoft financial report which lists the game as a 1st quarter 2008 release. Last month, an Ubisoft release list had Conviction set as a November 2007 title. While no specific reason is given for the delay, we would imagine it has something to do with the absolutely packed holiday lineup. This lineup even contains several of Ubisoft's own titles, including newcomers Assassin's Creed and Haze. Both of these titles are also slated for a November release. Putting a proven franchise like Splinter Cell in the same month as two original IPs probably wasn't the best idea in the first place, so the delay makes sense. Sure, we'll miss Splinter Cell, but frankly, our wallets sigh with relief.[Via Joystiq. Thanks, Captain]
PS3 Fanboy review: Rainbow Six: Vegas
After much delay, PS3 owners are finally able to taste the dish Ubisoft first baked for Xbox 360 owners back in mid-November. Has the extra six months in the Ubi incubator, provided PS3 gamers with a far superior version? Does the PS3 version blow its Xbox cousin out of the water? Does the PS3 rendition give you superhuman powers?Rainbow Six: Vegas weaves an interesting-enough plotline, centering around southern boy Logan Keller, a recent rising star amongst the ranks of the Rainbow team and whose face you'll become intimately familiar with as you duck him behind crates or crane his neck around doorways to spot and eliminate bad guys. One of our hero's first missions starts the Rainbow team off in Mexico, where you're being sent to eliminate a terrorist threat led by international terrorist Irena Morales. The game's plot is riddled with conspiracy-a-plenty, taking twists and turns while leading the Rainbow team to locales like Mexico, Vegas (of course) and later, an expansive hydroelectric dam.
New Assassin's Creed info, demo next month?
Speaking to Eurogamer, Ubisoft's Jade Raymond revealed some tasty new bits of info regarding Assassin's Creed, one of the Xbox 360's most anticipated titles. First and foremost, a demo is evidently planned for next month, though the article makes it unclear whether this will be an Xbox Live Marketplace demo or a public demonstration. Of course, we'd be excited about either, but just a twinge more excited about a playable demo. Raymond also refuses to comment on theories around the game's plot elements, though Veronica Mars fans already know the full story.Raymond does reveal that helping certain people in the game will net players several new strategic options. Previously, we heard about helping monks in order to gain their help in later missions. Apparently this extends to other groups. Apparently, each group will inhabit different areas of a city, allowing players to utilize them during escapes. For example, save village women from military abuse, and their husbands will block guards that chase you. All you have to do is remember where these men live when you're making your escape.Finally, remember the leap of faith that ended the recent trailer? That is a move taken directly from the game, though conceivably a player would know where he was going to land. In context, a player might climb a tall building to evade capture and then leap off the top into a bale of hay. When guards finally make it to the top of the building, the player will seem to have disappeared.All in all, it sounds like great stuff. Here's hoping we do see a demo next month.
Get Lost! Lost game coming to Xbox 360
It seems like making games based off of TV shows is the "it" thing to do these days. The most recent show to capitalize on the trend is ABC's Lost, a show about several people on an island that are ... um ... lost. It was revealed in a recent episode of official Lost podcast that the Ubisoft developed game will be available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and the PC. Many readers will be quick to notice that the PS2 is missing from that list, which hopefully means we'll be seeing a quality new gen experience and not just a PS2 port. Finally, one of the television series' producers, Carlton Cuse, noted that the game looks "very impressive." We have to agree with our compatriots at Joystiq that a TV producer may not be the best judge of what makes a quality game, but we have our fingers crossed that Ubisoft will deliver.Since we're on the topic of TV based games, may we suggest a game based on the new FOX series, Drive? Cross-country racing with murder, mystery, and intrigue? Yes, please.[Via Joystiq]Update: Corrected Mr. Cuse's name.
LOST video game confirmed for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC
In their most recent official podcast, ABC's LOST producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse confirmed that the upcoming game adaptation will be arriving on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Typically, adaptations cater to as many consoles as possible so as to guarantee they hit the same market as those who watch the TV show. Is this an indication that the PlayStation 2's time is coming to an end, or is developer Ubisoft Montreal focusing more time and effort on delivering a title whose graphics are on par with our expectations for the newest generation of console?Said Cuse approximately 25 minutes into the podcast, "[Developer Ubisoft Montreal] came down here the other day and did a demo on some of the stuff," while Lindelof remarked, "very impressive," in response to what they were shown. We don't want to imply that television producers know what makes great games, but as fans of the show, we are comforted that progress is being made on the title. No release date has been mentioned.A mobile game based on LOST is currently available, which you can demo here.[Via Lost Spoilers; Update: fixed typo in name.]
DS Daily: Now you're playing with Turtle Power
At the height of their popularity, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise could do no wrong. With a hit television series, two movie blockbusters, and an extremely profitable line of toys, it's no surprise that their success continued with their video games. Who can ever forget fighting over the pizza in the arcade game's second stage? As the novelty of crime-fighting reptiles faded with the early 90s, however, so did the quality of their licensed games.After spending over a decade on the fringes of relevance, the green crusaders are poised to finally make a comeback with a new film premiering today and video game releases for nearly every platform. And while the Nintendo DS tie-in hasn't won many hearts with its 3D rhythm-game-on-rails concept, the GBA title is picking up a fair amount of buzz as an old-school, 2D brawler. Some are calling it the last great game for the GBA, while many others are comparing it to River City Ransom's classic gameplay.So is it time to break out the old action figures and the Technodrome set again? Do you have any plans to check out the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles GBA game or see the new, computer-animated film? Are you cool, but rude; or are you a party dude? Please, do let us know ...
X06: Assassin's Creed gameplay video
Taken directly from the X06 press briefing yesterday, here's a video of Ubisoft's Jade Raymond demonstrating Assassin's Creed gameplay. That's right. For really reals y'all. It's actual gameplay of Assassin's Creed. No CGI filler here, just the real deal. Unfortunately, this video ends before the mysterious death screen, which has something of an anachronistic feel to it compared to the overall game. We're not sure if the demonstrator was supposed to die or not, but the demo snapped off very quickly when she did. Check out the video after the break.
Raving Rabbids, rabid World Cup fans [update 1]
"Allez les bleus!" cried the French fans after their team defeated Portugal -- and before that Brazil -- in the 2006 World Cup. The battle cry translates to "go blue," referencing France's blue uniform.France's win over Brazil sent fans into elation, and French developer Ubisoft was more than happy to show its support. Inspired by the wacky Rayman Raving Rabbids videos, we present to you "Allez Les B(le)unnies."France will face off against another blue-clad team, Italy, in the World Cup finals this Saturday Sunday.See Also:Raving Rabbids all about "love and power!"
Rumor: Assassin's "confirmed" for 360 and PC [update 1]
A handful of European gaming sites (1, 2, 3), likely originating with French site Xbox-Gamer.net, have "confirmed" that the mystery of Assassin's Creed's exclusivity has been solved: it will be making it's way to both the Xbox 360 and PC, as well as the previously announced PS3 ...... at least, according to an off the record comment (where's the reps name?) made to Xbox-Gamer.net at the recent IDEF 2006 expo held in Cannes. There was no information regarding any timed exclusivity for Sony's console. We all have our suspicions (hence the mystery) regarding Assassin's Creed's multi-platform prospects, but an unsourced comment made by a random Ubisoft representative is hardly confirmation (we've contacted Ubisoft for official confirmation). Until it shows up here (which it hasn't) we're enormously skeptical. And we dance ...[Thanks to everyone that sent this in!][Update 1: PS3Land points us to the Ubi forums, where UK Community Manager UbiRazz writes, "Ubisoft have confirmed no such thing. Assassin's Creed will come on PlayStation 3 and at this time, no other platform has been confirmed." Funny enough, PS3Land headlined their post, "Ubisoft: Assassin's Creed Still PS3 Exclusive." Not yet fellas, not yet.]
The mystery of Assassin's Creed's exclusivity
Ever since it was announced, there's been some confusion as to which platforms Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed would be coming to: a leaked release schedule listed "Assassin" as a PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PSP title; a Gamespot list of Ubi's E3 titles also listed Assassin's Creed as being available on both 360 and PS3. Luke Smith at 1UP writes, "Assassin's Creed is coming to the Xbox 360. It's one of those secrets no one is supposed to know about (like Halo: Forerunners) yet everyone does. Sources close to Ubisoft have informed us that the game will definitely see release on Microsoft's platform -- even though the company still refuses to admit the game's inevitable multiplatform fate."So why the secrecy? Considering their comments ("Assassin's Creed is coming to the PS3. No other announcements have been made.") and their history as a multiplatform publisher, Smith whittles it down to one of two things: Timed exclusivity: With the loss of timed exclusivity of the money-printing GTA series, Sony might be angling to fill their stable with some more exclusive content, if only for a little while (6 months?). Exclusive rights: That means Sony put up the cash to keep Assassin's Creed out of Microsoft's grubby, GTA-fondling mitts (and off Peter Moore's other other bicep). One could consider Grand Theft Auto and Assassin's Creed the first of many multiplatform dances that will invariably become routine in this latest round of console wars. As both manufacturers angle for more reasons to get people to plunk down their multiples of $100, they'll both be busting out their checkbooks to keep attractive properties exclusive. With increased next-gen development costs, nabbing a game as purty as Assassin's Creed ain't coming cheap for Sony (insert joke about how they can afford it since the PS3 is so expensive ... laugh maniacally). [Thanks, cringer8]
