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Imagine: A year without Ubidays
Don't expect a flood of trailers and press releases out of Ubisoft all at once this year, at least not until everyone else puts out a flood of releases: GamesIndustry.biz reports that the publisher has decided not to hold its annual Ubidays event in Paris. The event was initially held as a supplement to the nerfed E3; now that E3 is back to its regular size (a size that supports European press), there's no need. "With regards to Ubidays," an Ubisoft spokesperson said, "with the E3 event in the US, the GamesCom in Europe and Tokyo Games Show in Japan, we think that we'll have great outlets to present our creativity and innovation to a worldwide audience and will therefore reconsider our plans." It's just like the plot of Rabbids Go Home, except "home" is E3 instead of the moon, and Ubisoft is taking business class instead of a pile of garbage.
Imagine: Princez of Persiaz
The Wii might not be Prince of Persia-less, after all. With Ubisoft's track record on the Wii, though, we're not even sure that's a good thing.Recent rumors "reveal" that Ubisoft made mention of a new Prince of Persia game for the Wii at Ubidays. According to LiveWii, it will be a spin-off of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, but other than that, few details are known.As you might imagine, gamers can't help but be jaded by such a rumor. If it's an Ubisoft Wii game, it must either be bad or full of minigames, right? We love it, though, when people put such cynicism into picture form. That's why we've posted a handful of them (made by NeoGaffers) after the break. Even if this turns out to be a rumor, we're glad it existed just so that we could look at such silly and cynical images.Be warned: One of the following pics is adorably NSFW. (That will make sense once you see it.)
Get all the Ubidays 08 content at Big Download
By now you've undoubtedly seen the trailers for Beyond Good & Evil 2, Prince of Persia and Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X., but more than likely you've only witnessed the Ubisoft library in standard def blurriness. Well our little brother site , Big Download has you covered with high-def downloads for all of Ubisoft's upcoming games. Head over to Big Download now, or click on each title below to bring you to its respective download page. Beyond Good & Evil 2 Teaser Prince of Persia Teaser Speed Drawing (Prince) Speed Drawing (Elika, the Prince's new ally) Shaun White Snowboarding Intro Trailer Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. Trailer Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Trailer
Ubisoft holding first third-party media event in PlayStation Home
There are a number of negative traits associated with video game press events and conventions, the most obvious of which being the time and expense required to haul one's widely dispersed blogging crew to the west coast (or in some cases, overseas). However, not many know about a phenomenon known widely in our circle as "Blogger Stench", a condition brought on by packing a convention hall with tired, sweaty, uncomfortably close gaming writers. Luckily, Ubisoft is taking measures to avoid this putrid odor -- simply by bringing one of their events into an odorless space.Okay, they're still holding their Ubidays press event in Paris today -- but for the next five days, the PlayStation Home's Media and Events space will be dedicated to previewing new Ubisoft titles, such as Prince of Persia, Tom Clancy's HAWX, and Soul Calibur IV. Those blessed with a closed beta account can check out these new titles from the comfort of their own homes -- those who attended the brick-and-mortar Ubidays event will likely spend the next five days replacing their overseas wardrobe and attempting to remove their outermost layer of skin with a Brillo pad.
Download the Ubidays 2008 trailers here
If you're interested in owning an HD copy of the Beyond Good & Evil 2 teaser trailer (and really, who isn't?), our file sharing friends at BigDownload (Update: and GameDaily) are offering all the HD trailers from yesterday's Ubidays 2008 event as, erm, big downloads. Check out all the trailers below, including two Prince of Persia speed sketches of the Prince and Elika (here's a game: count the number of times the artist changes brush settings). Beyond Good & Evil 2 teaser (217 MB) Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway trailer (111 MB) Prince of Persia teaser (62 MB) Prince of Persia speed drawing: Prince (9.4 MB) Prince of Persia speed drawing: Elika (13 MB) Raving Rabbids TV Party gameplay trailer (59 MB) Raving Rabbids TV Party teaser (55 MB) Tom Clancy's EndWar trailer (111 MB) Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. trailer (181 MB) Shaun White Snowboarding intro (150 MB) Shaun White Snowboarding trailer (110 MB) Soul Calibur IV Yoda gameplay trailer (25 MB) Soul Calibur IV Darth Vader gameplay trailer (31 MB) Soul Calibur IV cinematical trailer (106 MB) Rabbids, Persian Princes and Beyond Good & Evil 2? Check out all our coverage (and a bountiful amount of screenshots) from Ubisoft's Ubidays 2008 event.
Far Cry 2 tech video is a pyro's dream
More from the Ubidays event, as Ubisoft has released a tech demo video of Far Cry 2 and, more specifically, the Dunia engine on which it runs. The video shows off lots of nifty aspects of the engine, such as dynamic weather, dynamic light and shadow, day and night cycles, and (beautiful) procedural sky. Oh, and did we mention that it's frickin' gorgeous? Well, it totally is. Lest we forget, the video also shows off the engine's fire propagation. In other words, if you set something on fire, it will, in turn, set other things on fire. Sounds like a great way to surprise a hut full of guerillas.
Beyond Good & Evil 2 revealed [Update]
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Beyond_Good_Evil_2_announced'; At the end of the Ubidays 2008 conference today, CEO Yves Guillemot left the audience stunned with a final teaser--Michel Ancel's Beyond Good & Evil 2. We've heard rumblings of BG&E2's development in the past and Ubisoft has finally come clean on the sequel to the critically acclaimed title. We will have the official teaser trailer, showing off the ragged Uncle Pey'j and an older Jade, as soon as its mad available. Update: Check out the teaser trailer starring everyone's favorite hog, Uncle Pey'j and a glimpse at an older Jade after the break. Gallery: Beyond Good & Evil 2 [via Joystiq]
Ubisoft reveals Beyond Good & Evil 2
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Beyond_Good_Evil_2_announced'; Looks like the rumors were true! Now, before you start getting your hopes up, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Once done, then give a click on one of the images below. Those graphics are pretty darn sweet, eh? Well, we're not saying the Wii isn't capable of such graphics, just that the likelihood of this being an Xbox 360 and PS3 reveal is high. We're not going to rule out the game arriving on Wii, though. The first title was multi-platform (this blogger has the GameCube port of the first title), so let's hope Ubisoft puts the second game out on all systems. After checking out the screens, head past the break for a video. Gallery: Beyond Good & Evil 2
Raving Rabbids TV Party, for use with balance board, coming this winter
Click to embiggen ... Daaaah! var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Raving_Rabbids_TV_Party_announced_uses_Wii_balance_board'; Those wascally wabbits are back. Ubisoft has announced Raving Rabbids TV Party, due out this holiday season for the Nintendo Wii and DS. Said the press release, "The Rabbids plan to invade televisions worldwide, providing players with a variety of games and comedic exploits spoofing TV shows, pop culture and even advertisements."As was hinted in a recent video (embedded after the break), TV Party will make use of the Wii balance board. Early screenshots indicate the balance board is not required for every game, but will involve sitting on the board and shaking your butt. Said CEO Yves Guillemot, "The inclusion of the Wii Balance Board into the game was a huge source of inspiration for our development team and I guarantee you will see the Wii Balance Board used in ways that will be surprisingly unexpected!" More details are to come at this year's E3.%Gallery-23881%
Ubisoft sneaks into the Event space and makes itself at Home
It seems like only yesterday when Sony announced the new "Media and Events" space within Home (oh wait, it was), but the area is already being used by a third party publisher to show off its wares. Home beta users have been invited to take part in the "first ever Publisher Event," hosted by Ubisoft. This online event feeds directly in to Ubidays, Ubisoft's software showcase event that takes place today at the Louvre in Paris. Between the hours of 7pm and 8pm BST, Home beta users will be able to check out the Event area and see exactly what Ubisoft has to offer over the coming months. Meanwhile, the rest of the world can check out the keynote which will happen at 6pm BST tonight. Considering the software is still in a very closed beta stage, we're intrigued to see a publisher take such interest in it so soon.
Far Cry 2 gets new trailer, blog for Ubidays
Ubisoft has released a new trailer for Far Cry 2 as part of its Ubidays press event about to get underway in Paris. The trailer is narrated by Reuben Oluwagembi, a freelance reporter in the fictional African city of Port Selao. Oluwagembi wants to tell us about "The Jackal" – a merchant of death, a mercenary (we always think of that West Wing episode where C.J. performs "The Jackal" for the staff too). If you're paying attention, you'll notice a link to Reuben's blog – War Unlimited: My Journey Through a Warzone – where he writes about his experience covering the violence and factions that dominate Port Selao. Far Cry 2 is expected later this year and will have us hunting down "The Jackal" across the African savanna on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Hopefully we'll get a firmer release date from Ubidays today.%Gallery-6687%
Beyond Good and Evil 2 in preproduction, awaiting approval
The first Beyond Good & Evil was hailed by critics but largely ignored by the gaming populace when it was released several years ago. Was it the female lead? Was it the graphical style? Was it the lack of hard-headed space marines wielding impossibly large weapons? Who knows -- but it didn't fare too well on shelves. Not one to be discouraged, Michel Ancel, the man behind the original game, has been working on a sequel for over a year. Aside from the year of preproduction, Ancel says his team is "currently doing market research. But for the moment, it's in the early stages, and Ubisoft still hasn't agreed to it." The gameplay, Ancel describes, will be similar to the original. A large variety of levels and "emotional" gameplay -- characters we truly care about. No platforms or release date are mentioned, but with Ubidays coming right up, perhaps there will be an official announcement regarding the game at that time. [via Gamespot]
Ubidays 2008 coming May 28-29 in Paris
European gaming giant Ubisoft has settled on a fairly classy location for its second annual trade show - the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. Ubidays 2008 will run two days, starting Wednesday, May 28. Invitations have begun to arrive at European press and business partners, according to MCV.Ubisoft has not revealed a lineup or event program for the event. Last year's Ubidays showed off Assassin's Creed, Tom Clancy's EndWar, and Splinter Cell: Conviction, and teased gamers with a Wii holographic projector.
Ubidays: Cosmic Family trailer
It was some time ago when Nintendo-loving Ubisoft made an announcment that a port of the PC game Cosmic Family would be gracing the Wii. Now, courtesy of their Ubidays event, we have a trailer for the game. Although it is on the short side, we find the art direction to be right up our alley. The characters are definitely on the cute side (look at that wiener dog!).You can check out the video past the post break.
Ubidays: Loic Gounon talks about Raving Rabbids 2
GameSpot got the chance to speak with Loic Gounon about the upcoming sequel Rayman Raving Rabbids 2. In grilling him about the differences between the first and second game, we find out the sequel will focus a lot more on simultaneous multiplayer, allowing up to four players to enjoy the game together. The other new feature comes in the form of user customization, allowing players to create a unique "rabbid" all their own. Check out the video past the post break.[Via GameSpot]
Wii holographic projector spotted in illusory Ubisoft trailer
OMGZ TEH FINAL SECRET!!1 Ubisoft seems to be having some fun in this closing segment of its "Games For Everyone" trailer -- perhaps at the expense of the ardent fanboy -- by featuring a Pinocchio-esque hologram manipulated by Wiimotes (or controllers that certainly imply "Wii Remote"). Despite 'the final secret' being shot down just before Wii's launch, hope remains and memories linger, if merely in the form of a spoofing advertisement that plays on Miyamoto's cryptic vision: "I've always thought that games would eventually break free of the confines of a TV screen to fill an entire room. But I would rather not say anything more about that."The full Games For Everyone trailer (embedded below) reveals a series of whimsical scenes, which are, quite obviously, not to be taken literally. Jam Sessions won't actually make you a rock god with creation powers; just like My Life Coach won't spawn a breathing stick figure. And, no, Horsez won't come bundled with a four-legged subway companion. But what of this final scene that isn't directly tied to a specific product? Is it a symbolic representation of the Games For Everyone brand -- or a glimpse at the future? Either way, it may help to get the buzz going; at least, enough to give Ubisoft the boost it needs to ensure that this relatively late venture into the cluttered casual games market is not in vain.
More Rabbid stuff
First came the pictures, now come the words. Rayman: Raving Rabbids 2 has released more information in three days than Nintendo has, ever, on some of their games announced years ago. They could learn a thing or two.First up are some hands-on impressions of the title, courtesy of IGN. The game almost essentially ditches the concept of playing as Rayman (he's in disguise as a rabbid) so that the game can focus on the carrot-loving crazies. More minigames have had competitive modes added (very few had this option in the original), and the game will allow you to customize your rabbid with a whole slew of ridiculous accessories. Awesome.We also thought it would be worth mentioning that this time, Raving Rabbids 2 is completely exclusive to Nintendo platforms, the Wii and the DS. The whole insane minigame thing loses 68.3% of its appeal without the Wiimote anyway, so this makes perfect sense.BAHHHHHHHH!
Uber Ubisoft Ubidays video roundup
Ubisoft's Ubidays event in Paris spawned almost as many video trailers as it did announcements. Thanks to the wonders of embeddable streaming video, we're able to put them all in a single post for your viewing pleasure and/or displeasure, depending on the game. Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (Xbox 360) Loosely based on the 837,212 episodes of popular anime, Naruto, this cel-shaded action game seems to strongly encourage you to leap through trees, punch older men and generally behave like a ninja who's under the constant scrutiny of kids. No sudden decapitations like that other guy.
Today's multiplying videos: Rabbids gameplay
The second Rayman Raving Rabbids is in production, and GameTrailers has posted a series of in-game clips from Ubisoft's gaming event. The Rabbids trailer and these clips seem to downplay Rayman even more than the first game. (Here's hoping the shipping version has little to do with the appendage-free mascot. Let Rayman thrive in the platformers; he doesn't add much to these mini-game buffets.)See gameplay clips of bunnies spitting carrots, playing baseball, rodeo riding, and serving food after the break.
Undercover Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway trailer
Ubisoft's goodies from Ubidays continue to roll on out, this time, we've got a trailer for their World War II First Person Shooter, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway. Unfortunately, the audio is from the presentation floor, but it still gives a good look at what to expect. It even shows off a few glimpses of the game's cover system. Xboxyde has a torrent for a high resolution video available for download. For an embedded quick fix, though, check out the video after the break. It's looking ... ahem ... solid.
