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Assassin's Creed 4 PS3, 360 release date goes global, October 29 for all
Second star to the left and straight on 'til morning: Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag docks on PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles worldwide on October 29. The game was due in the UK and Europe on November 1, but Ubisoft got its Oprah on and decided everyone gets to plunder and pillage starting two weeks from now. Well, not quite everyone. European Wii U and PC owners still have to wait until November 22 to nab AC4, as do prospective PS4 and Xbox One owners. As for North America, the Wii U version is due October 29, the PC version November 19, and the PS4 and Xbox One versions on the consoles' respective launch dates.
Assassin's Creed 4 DLC not coming to Wii U version
Ubisoft is not bringing DLC to the Wii U version of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. After the Wii U was left out of the game's season pass plans, the publisher told GamesBeat none of the game's DLC would be coming to the platform. When approached, a company representative simply confirmed to Joystiq "there will be no DLC for the Wii U version." We'd asked for an explanation, and to confirm the DLC would definitely not arrive on the platform at a later point, but he offered no other comment. It's a curious turnaround by Ubisoft, having released DLC for the Wii U version of Assassin's Creed 3, albeit typically a while after it had arrived on other platforms. Assassin's Creed 4 itself safely docks on Wii U, as well as PS3 and Xbox 360, on October 29. It then sets sail for PC on November 19, and the Xbox One and PS4 at their launches.
Ubisoft invests $362M in Quebec over 7 years, plans to add 500 jobs
Ubisoft is concentrating its American operations for online games in Montreal, Quebec, expecting to add 500 new jobs to the region by 2020. This investment over the next seven years focuses on online infrastructures and the expansion of Ubisoft's motion capture technologies, and it will bring Ubisoft's employee total in Quebec to 3,500. The 500 new jobs include standard video game production roles, along with "community and network management specialists, business intelligence analysts, mathematicians, telemetry experts, systems operators, and monetization and interactive marketing specialists," Ubisoft explains. It's a $373 million CAD ($362 million USD) investment overall. Tax breaks in Quebec make it sensible for Ubisoft to operate its American services from Canada. "We firmly believe in the importance of creative industries for our economy and are pleased to have been supporting Ubisoft since their arrival in Quebec, in 1997," Quebec Premier Pauline Marois said. "Their growth and concrete economic benefits for the Quebec nation are true sources of pride. The project announced today, bringing about important job creation, allows us to foresee success in the future."
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag Video Preview
With Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Ubisoft Montreal steers its historical action-adventure franchise into the calming blue seas of an 18th century Caribbean. The tranquility lasts until new protagonist Edward Kenway spies a ship in his telescopic glass – prompting a new piratical opportunity to shoot it, sink it or swing onto its deck and run those fretting sailors through. We discuss the successes of sailing in our video recap above, along with Kenway's on-foot encounters with assassination and shrub-based stealth. There's also a strong implication of which aquatic animals are best suited to crafting holsters. Okay, it's the sharks. We just don't like the sharks.
Splinter Cell Blacklist 'Homeland' DLC emerges from the shadows
Sam Fisher and Fourth Echelon get some new gadgets and missions in Splinter Cell Blacklist today. The Homeland DLC pack, available for $6.99 on PC, Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii U, adds a pair of co-op mission maps, two new sneaking suits for Sam, a crossbow with sleeping darts and some skins for Blacklist's Spies vs. Mercs multiplayer mode. Previously, this DLC content was exclusive to pre-orders and the collector's edition. Splinter Cell Blacklist launched last month, marking the first entry in Ubisoft's iconic series since the divisive Splinter Cell: Conviction back in 2010. In our review of Blacklist, we lauded the campaign's situational freedom and proclaimed it the best entry in the series yet.
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag trailer shows tech under the deck
The Caribbean setting of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag benefits from a lot of tech wizardry going on that, when everything is working right, makes this "the most immersive Assassin's Creed yet." This trailer gives a peek at the weather, foliage and water tech that makes AC4 g'arrrgeous.
Watch Dogs' free mobile companion app detailed
A post to Ubisoft's Ubiblog yesterday shared details on how Watch Dogs' "ctOS Mobile" companion app for iOS and Android will play into a competitive multiplayer mode focused on "fast-paced challenges." As a refresher, ctOS is the software responsible for the surveillance of citizens in the game's virtual take on Chicago. Players will use the app to foil the general plans of an opponent playing the console version of the game. Communications Associate Anne Lewis shared her experience with the app, describing a match focused on stopping her opponent from reaching four checkpoints within the allotted time. Lewis' efforts included hacking traffic lights and raising traffic poles to inspire crashes, as well as maneuvering a helicopter to reveal parts of the city that can be affected through the app. Killing the opponent doesn't end the match, but it does send them back to the start without returning any of the time lost in their previous attempt. Attracting attention to the player will also get the cops involved, so the more chaos the player using the app creates, the better their chance for victory is. A statement in the same post from Technical Lead Frédéric Blais clarified that app users "don't need to own the console game" to play. Of course, app users will still need to find a console-based opponent to douse with unfortunate events and ultimately ruin the day of.
Shadow Assassin's Creed 4's Captain Kenway for 10 minutes
This narrated demonstration for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag really packs in a ton of the gameplay elements from the coming swashbuckling adventure. Observe as Captain Kenway picks a fight, synchs the map, dives for treasure, gets bitten by an eel, infiltrates a pirate den and more.
Watch Dogs gives a 14-minute look at open gameplay
Ubisoft has released an extended walkthrough of upcoming open-world hack-a-thon Assassin's Creed 2142. Sorry, Watch Dogs. Meant to call it Watch Dogs. The first half of the demo finds protagonist Aiden Pearce attempting to infiltrate a protected server node to gain valuable. real-time information about the surrounding area. The scenario gives a solid sense of the game's stealth, combat and chase mechanics. The demo concludes with the seamless multiplayer integration in the game, where the hacker becomes the hackee... hacked? An outside player has infiltrated the game and, after scaring them off, it's time to return the favor.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist launch trailer lit up (by explosions)
Ubisoft has a new action-packed trailer for Splinter Cell: Blacklist ahead of the game's August 23 release. If you prefer a little more text with your videos, we recommend checking out our review of the game.
Splinter Cell Blacklist review: Fisher is King
It was while stuck behind enemy lines, carefully studying the movements of armored guards that I realized just how deeply I'd fallen for Splinter Cell Blacklist. Completing most of the game as an unseen and non-lethal ghost, I left the franchise's protagonist motionless for minutes as I examined the patterns of three aggressive adversaries. This is the Splinter Cell of days past, a game with as much focus thrown at patient stealth progression as at Hollywood bombast. Back from the cold, Splinter Cell hero and seemingly ageless covert agent Sam Fisher returns to help thwart American enemies. For Sam's latest jaunt through coordinated terror strikes, Ubisoft Toronto recalls the stealth gameplay that made the series famous, while offering more action-focused players tools to survive an onslaught. Whether it's a player's desire to pass through each sequence completely unseen or leave nary a pulse beating in their wake, Splinter Cell Blacklist allows them to craft their perfect gameplay style.%Gallery-195982%
Assassin's Creed 2 free for Xbox Live Gold members starting tomorrow
Assassin's Creed 2 will be free to Xbox Live Gold members beginning tomorrow, July 16, until it requiescat en paces at the end of the month. Ezio's debut adventure is the second title in the "Games with Gold" program announced at E3, with the first, Defense Grid: The Awakening, still available for free until later today. Beyond the free stab-o Italiano, there's also some premium Assassin's Creed content on sale until the end of July. If you end up enjoying Assassin's Creed 2, the other two installments in the Ezio trilogy, Brotherhood (great!) and Revelations (oy, with the tower defense), are $15 apiece. There's also discounts on the downloadable content packs and the season pass for Assassin's Creed 3. Find pricing details on Major Nelson's site or through the Xbox Marketplace starting tomorrow.
Assassin's Creed 4 sails, digs, fights and crafts in gameplay trailer
If you're getting a distinct Sid Meier's Pirates! gameplay mechanics vibe after watching this Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag trailer... good! Pirates! is an amazing game. But since Meier is busy with other things, we're more than happy to have Ubisoft set a course for adventure.
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon patched with garrison reset
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon now grants players the option to hit the reset button on the garrisons found across the island. Ubisoft announced today that a patch for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC will add the "Garrison Reset" option to FC3: Blood Dragon, similar to the "Outpost Reset" option already found in the regular game, FC3: Rich Kids of Instagram. The option allows players to wash away their violent sins and experience a baptism of blood in every camp again without having to restart the entire game. If you've yet to try out the hit standalone expansion, which has sold more than a half-million copies, allow our neon-glowing review to highlight it as a summer treat.%Gallery-187174%
Leaked Watch Dogs multiplayer video is full of hacks [Update]
All Games Beta has published a video purported to be a leaked first look at multiplayer in Watch Dogs, the upcoming current- and next-gen title from Ubisoft Montreal. In the video, near-future devices are invaded for information by hackers that attempt to blend into the crowds of a bustling alternative-reality Chicago. Downloading the information appears to take some time, forcing hackers to evade victims before being discovered and summarily killed. A recent peek behind the game's development curtain revealed multiplayer would feature an element of invasion; however, the supposed leaked video features no identifying language that reveals it to be a multiplayer mode (Gamertags/PSN IDs, for example). Joystiq has contacted Ubisoft to confirm if this is indeed our first look at Watch Dogs multiplayer in action. Update: Ubisoft has confirmed the video is indeed Watch Dogs multiplayer in action.
Ubisoft admits Wii U sales drove Rayman Legends delay
In the midst of the E3 madness, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot acknowledged Rayman Legends' delay was over concern of low sales on and of Nintendo's Wii U. "What happened was that we saw the Wii U was not going to sell enough of those games. The game is going to be fantastic, and we didn't want those creators to wind up in a position where even after making a fantastic game, they didn't sell well enough," Guillemot told VentureBeat. "We decided that we had to come out on enough machines that players can try it out on any one that they have, and give more time to both improve the game on the Wii U and create versions for the other consoles." Low sales of Nintendo's latest console has certainly had an impact on third-party support. EA acknowledged it needs to see stronger sales to get back involved, and although Activision has Skylanders for the platform, we're still waiting for confirmation that Call of Duty: Ghosts will make it on the platform. Although, it should be noted that historically Activision's announcements of CoD on Nintendo platforms arrive later. Nintendo is aware of its current predicament and hopes its first-party games between now and 2014 make the Wii U more attractive again.
Watch Dogs transmits E3 trailer
Enjoy watching some sushi get eaten off a naked lady, some dude getting shot in the kneecap (ouch!) and a city block get hacked in this Watch Dogs trailer. Sure to be more at Ubisoft's press conference later today.
See Watch Dogs mocap actors jump down some dubsteps
This latest development diary for Ubisoft's current/next-gen hacking/big-brother simulator Watch Dogs focuses on the complex motion capture work that is being done on the game's main character, as well as the various people he brutally assaults while reading their private Facebook messages.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist co-op developer diary works together
This developer diary video for Splinter Cell: Blacklist explores the characters that players can use in the game's co-op missions. The game is coming to Wii U, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC on August 20.
Slay from afar with The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot's archer class
Ubisoft Montreal teases a new character class in its latest trailer for the free-to-play PC loot-'em-up The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot. Mighty Quest features asynchronous multiplayer gameplay built around unique dungeon-building mechanics. It also includes hamster-powered spike traps, if that's the sort of thing you look for in your dungeon crawlers. Would-be looters can check out a free alpha version at the Mighty Quest website.%Gallery-189223%
