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Ubisoft is donating $564,000 to help rebuild Notre-Dame
Following the fire that devastated Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris this week, Ubisoft has pledged €500,000 ($564,000) to help restore the iconic church. The studio, which faithfully recreated Notre-Dame in Assassin's Creed Unity, is also offering that game for free until April 25th on PC to honor the landmark. "We want to give everyone the chance to experience the majesty and beauty of Notre-Dame the best way we know how," Ubisoft, which is headquartered in France and has studios in Paris, said.
Assassin's Creed, The Last of Us, Alien get Writers Guild nods
The Writers Guild of America has nominated Alien: Isolation, The Last of Us: Left Behind, Assassin's Creed: Unity and Assassin's Creed: Freedom Cry for the 2015 award recognizing outstanding achievement in video game writing. Winners will be announced during simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York City on Saturday, February 14. Note that to be nominated for an award from the Writers Guild of America, "credited videogame writers must have been or must have applied to become members of the WGA Videogame Writers Caucus at the time scripts were submitted," meaning the pool of eligible writers is limited. (Yes, the Guild spells "video game" as one word). For reference, we had the following to say about the stories in Alien, Left Behind and Unity:
Assassin's Creed: Unity frees Dead Kings DLC next week
Dead Kings, the first bit of DLC for Assassin's Creed: Unity, launches on January 13 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC in North America (In Europe, the Middle East and Asia, the PS4 version hits on January 14). The DLC follows Arno after the events of Unity as he explores the mysterious city of Saint Denis, Guillotine gun in hand. Dead Kings is free to everyone who owns Unity, as penance for the full game's buggy launch. Ubisoft Montreal and Toronto CEO Yannis Mallat announced the price cut in November. "Unfortunately, at launch, the overall quality of the game was diminished by bugs and unexpected technical issues," Mallat said. "I want to sincerely apologize on behalf of Ubisoft and the entire Assassin's Creed team. These problems took away from your enjoyment of the game, and kept many of you from experiencing the game at its fullest potential." Those who purchased a Unity Season Pass before November 25 would have received the DLC at no extra cost anyway, so Ubisoft is offering those folks a free game, from a list including Far Cry 4, The Crew and Watch Dogs. Eligible players can redeem the free game right here through March 15. Make sure to read the fine print first, though – accepting the free game waives your right to sue Ubisoft regarding the state of Unity, either solo or in a class-action lawsuit. Microsoft, Sony, Valve and other gaming companies have included similar clauses in their Terms of Service agreements. [Image: Ubisoft]
Assassin's Creed movie now set for December 2016
The 2016 holiday season won't just see hams and turkeys getting cut up, as Fox plans to release the Assassin's Creed flick starring Michael Fassbender during the festive time. The Hollywood Reporter has the latest Fox release forecast, which lists the Assassin Creed movie as slated for a December 21, 2016 release, a week after the first Star Wars spin-off movie. This is just the latest delay in the Assassin's Creed film saga, which goes way back to 2011 AD. Inspired by historical events and characters, this work of fiction was originally designed, developed and produced by a multicultural team of various religious faiths and beliefs to be in cinemas this year.
Read the fine print: Ubisoft free game offer waives lawsuits
Ubisoft's offer of a free game to make up for the widespread technological problems of Assassin's Creed: Unity seems generous, but those hoping to take advantage should be aware of a notable caveat tucked inside the offer's fine print. You'll find the entirety of the relevant legalese beyond the break, but in short it states that by downloading the free game, players are waiving the right to sue Ubisoft or any of its development studios over the state of Assassin's Creed: Unity. This precludes players from suing Ubisoft directly, as well as joining any class-action lawsuits against the publisher.
Joystiq Weekly: Telltale takes on Minecraft, Xeodrifter review, broken games and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Telltale Games looked at Minecraft's build-what-you-want universe and decided to build an episodic, narrative-driven game instead of a crummy castle like the rest of us. At this point, we wouldn't even be surprised if Telltale Games' next project is a narrative-driven series starring Samuel the rock ... it would probably be well-written, too. There's a bit more to this week's recap beyond Telltale's latest reveal though, including ports of the last two Devil May Cry games, free games for those that own Assassin's Creed Unity's season pass, a review of Xeodrifter and an assessment of recent high-profile, broken-at-launch games. All that and more is waiting for you after the break in this edition of the Joystiq Weekly!
Joystiq Discussion: Do you pre-order games?
Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Assassin's Creed: Unity. Driveclub. What do these games share? All of them hit consoles this fall in semi-functional states. Halo's matchmaking is still busted, Assassin's Creed is still working to iron out kinks, and Driveclub's many social features, the very things that distinguish it from other driving games, took weeks to properly work at all. As Joystiq's Richard Mitchell put it in his recent editorial, we're paying for broken games. One reason that the big budget gaming industry is able to sell incomplete products as part of its business model is the pre-order ecosystem. The "insidious psychology" of wanting the latest thing first, as Richard puts it, is taken advantage of by the publishers producing the most expensive games in the world and people end up buying broken goods as a result. A solution to the problem: Stop pre-ordering. Problem is, sometimes pre-ordering games is the only way to reliably get your hands on them. Limited run items like the retail PS4 version of Retro City Rampage sold out before the game was released. Obviously an international release like Assassin's Creed: Unity isn't going to suffer from the same shortage issues, but some physical releases by larger publishers are rare all the same, particularly limited editions. The question: Do you pre-order games? Do you do it regularly or only in special circumstances? Take the poll and discuss in the comments. Do you pre-order games? [Images: Ubisoft]
Assassin's Creed Unity free game offer now active for Season Pass buyers
Ubisoft is giving away free games to Assassin's Creed Unity players who purchased a Season Pass before November 25, fulfilling an offer made in response to widespread bug reports following Unity's November launch. Eligible players can head to this site to submit a claim. Ubisoft is offering affected players their choice of one of several featured free games, including Far Cry 4, The Crew, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Watch Dogs, Rayman Legends, and Just Dance 2015. All Assassin's Creed Unity players will receive the upcoming Dead Kings DLC expansion free of charge once it launches next year. Season Pass buyers have until March 15, 2015, to redeem their free game codes. [Image: Ubisoft)
Assassin's Creed: Unity patch is 40 GB on Xbox One for some
The fourth patch for Assassin's Creed: Unity arrived yesterday as a sizable 6.7 GB download. At least, that's the case for non-Xbox One players; some players using the Microsoft console are facing 40 GB downloads for the patch, effectively the size of the full game on the system's hard drive. Ubisoft explained the situation in an update on its support site, noting the "issue with the patch downloading process is replacing the entire game instead of just the parts affected by the patch." The publisher is "working with Microsoft on a solution to reduce the total download to the intended size so that you can get back into the game faster," though it does not have an estimated timeline for the patch's fix just yet. Ubisoft did provide an alternative workaround for disc-based Assassin's Creed: Unity owners: By uninstalling and then re-installing the game, the patch will revert to the correct 6.7 GB download size. The publisher briefly delayed the launch of the patch earlier this week to "refurbish" the game's Paris map. The update is expected to fix ""most of the remaining issues [Ubisoft's] players have been reporting." [Image: Ubisoft]
Assassin's Creed: Unity patch 4 is nearly 7GB, out today
The fourth patch for Assassin's Creed: Unity will roll out today on Xbox One and PS4, and it's due to hit PC later in the week. Ubisoft has said that the fourth patch for Assassin's Creed: Unity will fix "most of the remaining issues" in the game – which may explain its robust size of 6.7GB. "Part of the team's effort to enhance frame rate for players involves replacing and updating portions of the Paris city map where we are seeing issues," Ubisoft writes in a blog post. "This explains the large size of this title update (6.7 GB). However, since a large portion of the patch replaces existing files the net increase to the game's overall size will be less than 6.7 GB." Patch 4 addresses performance and stability (framerate drops, lost progress and game crashes), gameplay (navigation and lock-picking chests), and online issues (connectivity, matchmaking and the companion app). The patch was supposed to launch yesterday, but Ubisoft delayed it to refurbish the Paris map. [Image: Ubisoft]
Countdown to 2015 Xbox sale starts: Dark Souls 2, Resident Evil, more
Microsoft kicked off its "Countdown to 2015" sale today on the Xbox Store, discounting a myriad of games with bigger price cuts for Xbox Live Gold members. This week's deals are good until December 22 and feature Lords of the Fallen at 40 percent off, Thief at 67 percent off, Wolfenstein: The New Order for half-price and The Evil Within at half-off as well for Xbox One, among a slew of other games. Microsoft also discounted The Crew/Assassin's Creed: Unity as well as The Crew/Far Cry 4 bundles by 25 percent for the week. Two Xbox One games are also on sale for today only: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its season pass are each 33 percent off and Lego: The Hobbit is 50 percent off. Among the many Xbox 360 games on sale this week, Dark Souls 2 is half-off, Tomb Raider is 67 percent off, Halo: Spartan Assault and Dance Central 3 are each 67 percent off and BioShock Infinite's price is slashed by 85 percent. A handful of games in the Resident Evil series are discounted this week as well, such as Resident Evil 5, Revelations and Code Veronica X by 67 percent each, Raccoon City by 75 percent and Resident Evil 6 by 50 percent. Lego: The Hobbit is also discounted by 67 percent on Xbox 360 for today only, and Lego Lord of the Rings is 75 percent off. The full list of this week's deals can be found after the break.
Assassin's Creed: Unity patch on hold to 'refurbish' Paris
Ubisoft delayed the fourth Assassin's Creed: Unity patch today, citing additional issues that need to be corrected in the game before the update can be made available. The publisher anticipated that it could offer the patch today across all platforms. Unity's update was expected to fix "most of the remaining issues our players have been reporting," according to Ubisoft last week. "We are committed to delivering major performance improvements, which requires that we refurbish the Paris map and that will take a few more days to hit the high level of quality our players deserve," the publisher said in a brief community update. The update's delay strikes at an unfortunate time, as Assassin's Creed: Unity is half-off ($30) on Amazon today, and Ubisoft recently added a note to the game's description on the retailer's site that promises "performance has been improved on all platforms." [Image: Ubisoft]
We're paying for broken games, and it's unacceptable
There was a time when you bought a game, pulled it out of the box, popped it into your device of choice, and that was it. In today's video game industry, however, a single game isn't even the end product. Now we have downloadable content and expansion packs – and don't forget to buy the season pass so you get it all for a nominal discount. Never mind just pre-ordering your games either, now we can pre-load them, guaranteeing access the very second a game becomes available. And the pre-order bonuses, bestowing us with trivial costumes or weapons, or maybe even some extra levels that will inevitably be sold after launch, despite being billed as pre-order "exclusives." Even without these premium additions, the game you bring home isn't the static creative work it once was. Developers and publishers are free to update their games now, patching out unforeseen problems or even adding fan-requested improvements. It's good that issues can be resolved, but the darker side of this is the now infamous "Day 1 Patch." These crucial updates are applied on launch day, providing fixes so last-minute that they couldn't make it onto the discs before they were pressed (or even onto the downloadable code, for that matter). The implication of the Day 1 Patch, of course, is that the game in the box, or sitting in your Steam download queue, isn't actually finished. The troubling part, as 2014 has proven, is that even after you've applied that patch, you can still wind up with a broken game. Not only that, but if the marketing has done its job, you have a broken game for which you have already purchased additional content. Maybe you paid a little extra for a special edition. You're a savvy shopper, so you saved five bucks on future DLC with a season pass. In today's climate, it's easy to plunk down $100 on a game before you've played a single minute of it. If said game doesn't work, all you've got is a fancy SteelBook case, a useless download token for DLC and maybe a plastic tchotchke for your desk. And that's assuming you didn't pre-order digitally, in which case all you have is a broken game and no hope of a refund.
Assassin's Creed: Unity trimmed to $30 on Amazon today
Ubisoft's latest rooftop-jumping stealth game Assassin's Creed: Unity is half-off on Amazon today. For just $30, players can take a leap of faith on the publisher's word that its more critical errors are a thing of the past, as the game's history of fatal flaws, such as game-crashing bugs and faceless characters, have seemingly been rectified. Ubisoft issued an apology for the issues and free DLC to players in late November. The sale arrives in time for Unity's fourth patch, which reached all platforms today. Ubisoft noted last week that the update should fix "most of the remaining issues our players have been reporting." The publisher even added a product update on Amazon that noted the game's "performance has been improved on all platforms. When you start the game, you will be given the option to automatically download and install all the latest improvements." The sale is good for all three of Unity's platforms: PS4, Xbox One and PC. [Thanks, Jason!] [Image: Ubisoft]
Assassin's Creed Unity's fourth patch arrives Monday
The fourth major bug-killing patch for Assassin's Creed Unity will launch across all platforms on Monday, Ubisoft announced today. Detailed earlier this week, the forthcoming patch aims to address lingering framerate issues, crashes, and companion app bugs. Unity has been updated several times following its troubled launch in November, which resulted in a company apology and a promise of free DLC. [Image: Ubisoft]
Ubisoft: Patch 4 will fix 'most' remaining Assassin's Creed: Unity bugs
Assassin's Creed: Unity has been criticized for technical issues since its November 11 launch, but publisher Ubisoft believes the majority of the game's issues are nearly behind it. In a recent entry posted to Unity's website, the Live Update team details an upcoming fourth patch for the game that it believes will fix "most of the remaining issues our players have been reporting." Full details on the update are unavailable, but the Live Update team claims it focuses on improving the game's framerate, reducing the frequency of crashes and enhancing the functionality of the Assassin's Creed: Unity companion app. Though confident that the worst is behind them, the Live Update team asks players to continue to send error reports, before thanking fans for their continued support. Lacking from this update is any word on when Assassin's Creed: Unity players can expect the game's fourth patch to arrive. [Image: Ubisoft]
Ubisoft confirms next Assassin's Creed for Victorian London
The next major entry in the Assassin's Creed series will reportedly be set in London. According to sources close to Kotaku, the game will take place in the Victorian era, which makes some sense of the reported codename for the next rooftop-leaping game, "Victory." Expected to launch in fall 2015, Victory will seemingly be the first game in the series developed by Ubisoft Quebec, the studio named as the lead of the game by the publisher in July. The report also notes that Victory will be the only Assassin's Creed game to launch next year, and is not planned for previous-generation systems (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). We've reached out to Ubisoft for comment, and will update as we learn more. Update: Ubisoft has confirmed the leak, offering the following comment: "It is always unfortunate when internal assets, not intended for public consumption, are leaked. And, while we certainly welcome anticipation for all of our upcoming titles, we're disappointed for our fans, and our development team, that this conceptual asset is now public. The team in our Quebec studio has been hard at work on the particular game in question for the past few years, and we're excited to officially unveil what the studio has been working on at a later date. In the meantime, our number one priority is enhancing the experience of Assassin's Creed Unity for players." [Image: Ubisoft]
Joystiq Weekly: Free stuff for AC: Unity, Telltale's Borderlands review, a Zelda story and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Oh wow, look at that scenic view from every retail store in the United States! Hopefully everyone survived Black Friday, an annual, nationwide recreation of that Lion King stampede scene where customers are unwavering bringers of death and retail employees are terrified reincarnations of Simba. We understand the thought process though – cheap video games and consoles are awesome! While you're mending your wounds, whether they were sustained physically or through your wallet, you can catch up on the past week's worth of prominent news with the Joystiq Weekly. News of free vouchers for Vita owners, free games for Assassin's Creed: Unity season pass owners, reviews of Assassin's Creed Rogue and Tales from the Borderlands, a spoken tale of a staff member's first journey to obtain The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and more is all waiting for you after the break!
Assassin's Creed: Unity CEO apologizes for bugs, offers free DLC
Everyone who owns Assassin's Creed: Unity will receive the Dead Kings DLC for free once that launches, Ubisoft Montreal and Toronto CEO Yannis Mallat says in a blog post. The freebie is an apology for the technical issues that have plagued Unity since launch. "Unfortunately, at launch, the overall quality of the game was diminished by bugs and unexpected technical issues," Mallat says. "I want to sincerely apologize on behalf of Ubisoft and the entire Assassin's Creed team. These problems took away from your enjoyment of the game, and kept many of you from experiencing the game at its fullest potential." In our review of Unity, we noted that the game was "in dire need of a technical re-tweaking." Today, Ubisoft launched the game's third patch, bringing in more than 300 fixes. Players who purchased the Season Pass for Unity would have already received the Dead Kings DLC, and they are now entitled to one free Ubisoft game from the following lineup: The Crew, Far Cry 4, Watch Dogs, Assassin's Creed Black Flag, Rayman Legends and Just Dance 2015. Ubisoft is discontinuing sale of the Season Pass, the FAQ reads. [Image: Ubisoft/King_Anesti]
'Haystack issues' - AC: Unity's third patch rolls out 300+ fixes
November's revolving door of patchwork continues unabated, with Assassin's Creed Unity's third band-aid promising "over three hundred fixes." The not-so-stealthy-sounding patch is due to hit PS4 and Xbox One today, while PC players have to wait until later this week. You can see the full or abridged patch notes on Ubisoft's site, including the wonderfully succinct note of "fixed various haystack issues." While some of the game's technical woes have been as hilarious as they were disturbing, other performance concerns have included framerate drops and frequent crashes. According to Ubisoft, this week's patch addresses both of those issues, but the publisher added there's still more work to be done.
