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Extreme exposure: Inside GoPro's burgeoning media empire
A sun-pinked face stares down the barrel of a surfboard-mounted camera. Mountain biker, Sam Pilgrim, is gently floating in crystal-clear water. Behind him, a backdrop of cotton-wool clouds and bright blue sky. This idyllic setting could describe any number of surf videos shot with GoPro's rugged action camera, but this one is different. Pilgrim gazes up from his board, then impulsively, inexplicably bails into the ocean. Almost in the same moment, an outrigger canoe bursts into shot over the camera -- right where Pilgrim would have been had his reactions been a millisecond slower. Pilgrim is a pro athlete, but surfing's not his sport. The moment is genuine, but the circumstances that make it possible are planned. This close shave took place at GoPro's recent Athlete Summit in Hawaii, and it's videos exactly like this that the company is hoping will transform it from camera maker to media outlet, as it files for its IPO.
'And my club!' Rhys Davies signed for PGA Tour 12
EA announced today that it has signed Rhys Davies for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters. How awesome is that? The actor, who we've enjoyed as Gimli in the Lord of the Rings, along with memorable performances in Sliders and Indiana Jones, would likely be doing something like voiceovers for the game. Oh, wait, wrong guy. He'll actually serve as "brand ambassador " He, meaning Rhys Davies the golfer, not John Rhys-Davies the actor. That hyphen makes all the difference. "We're extremely excited to be partnering with Rhys Davies. He had an exceptional rookie year on the European Tour in 2010 and is sure to achieve even greater success in 2011," said Shaun White, senior PR manager at EA Sports. And here we thought Shaun White was over at Ubisoft.
New Shaun White Skateboarding trailer 'challenges' the status quo
The challenges on display in this aptly titled "Challenges" trailer for Ubisoft's soon-to-be-released Shaun White Skateboarding start off pretty, well ... ordinary. Stringing tricks together for high scores isn't exactly new to the genre, but -- what's this? A long-grind balancing challenge where you control the direction of the ever-expanding rail? That's pretty different. And so are the corporate goons chasing you in that helicopter!
Preview: Shaun White Skateboarding
What's happening in the screenshot above is one of the elements that makes Shaun White Skateboarding stand apart from the likes of Tony Hawk and EA's Skate 3. By doing tricks and generally skateboarding really well, you're transforming the game world from one that's monochromatic and lifeless into an eye-popping technicolor wonderland. Yes, it's pretty much like when Dorothy opens her front door after landing in Oz. This part of the game came into play the moment I picked up the controller for my recent (and our first) hands-on with SWS on HD consoles. Something as simple as performing an ollie sends out a shockwave that brings color back to the surrounding world. It's not just about changing the look of the world, though, but its design as well.%Gallery-99161%
Preview: Shaun White Skateboarding (Wii)
I totally dominated Shaun White Skateboarding's downhill slalom multiplayer mode. It's true! And you'd see it too if it weren't for the fact that the person I was dominating was our intrepid video man Chad, shirking his videographer duties to battle me. That's right, folks -- more downhill slalom on skateboards for the Wii. While I stood on a Wii Balance Board with a Wiimote in hand, Chad used a Wiimote/Nunchuk combo; while I jumped and flailed, he flicked and flailed. And though this wasn't exactly the deepest gameplay on offer from Shaun White's forthcoming game (read on for my impressions of the single-player campaign), the battle was, more or less, rather enjoyable. Sure, the precision control of a skateboarding sim like Skate is nowhere to be found, but the arcadey enjoyment found in early Tony Hawk titles seems to be littered throughout Shaun White Skateboarding. An extended single-player campaign demo, played just before the aforementioned multiplayer battle, showed off the game's Tony Hawk-meets-Flower gameplay, first introduced at Ubisoft's E3 presser (seen here). It was just as refreshing as it looked -- though, in fairness, the less than stellar graphics of the Wii version only served to detract from an otherwise interesting visual presentation.
Impressions: Shaun White Skateboarding
With Tony Hawk Ride getting the cold shoulder from critics and Skate 3 carving out its own rut, is there really room in the market for another skating game? Ubisoft believes there is and plans to turn snowboarder Shaun White's burgeoning skateboarding career into a new franchise -- and hopefully add a little innovation to the genre. In a quick developer-led demo at a pre-E3 event, we got to see how Ubisoft aims to accomplish its goal. As Shaun skateboarded around the grayed-out city of New Harmony, he (or the player's custom skater) can spread "influence" around, and turn a place oppressed by the evil skateboard-hating Ministry into a world full of colorful half-pipes and rails, custom-designed by the player in real time. The premise is interesting, but will it work? %Gallery-93671%
Ubisoft wheeling out Shaun White Skateboarding
Like this, but on wheels New board, new surfaces to fall down, same unkempt Olympian. Ubisoft has just announced a new Shaun White game that's all about ... skateboarding? Shaun White Skateboarding is being released on unspecified platforms this holiday season. The Wii seems likely, since the first Shaun White Snowboarding game was such a hit on that platform and the follow-up was a Wii exclusive. Because we're absolutely tuned in to popular culture, especially extreme sports, we were totally familiar with Shaun White's dual careers in both snowboarding and skateboarding. In case you aren't as well-versed in Mr. White's achievements as we definitely were, Ubisoft notes in the press release that he is "the first athlete to win both gold medals in skateboarding and snowboarding at the Summer and Winter X Games." That's right. They give out medals in the X Games.
Shaun White Snowboarding World Stage trailer is all big air, winding grinds
Almost every post on Joystiq about Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage has been met with cries for a new SSX game, but this launch trailer for Ubisoft's upcoming game actually does a good job of mimicking the EA series' over-the-top X-TREME thrills. Sure, there's manufactured virtual pals to laugh at and stereotypical caricatures of foreigners from countries you never bothered to learn about in there, but the warm, nougety center of snowboarding goodness seems warm and inviting enough.Also, what's with that logo? Why is Shaun White's hair the dot on the "i?" If we were him, we'd try to steer as far away from being associated with that other red-headed dude as possible. We'd also be too rich to blog for you people.
Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage trailer travels the globe
Ubisoft just sent us a new trailer for Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage and, as those powder-carving kids would say, it's totally tubular. It reminds us of a time when snowboarding games were, uh, fun (oh, how we miss you, SSX). If this wasn't on your radar before this post, we're sure that's going to change for a few of you after checking out the action above. Enjoy.%Gallery-64279%
Hands-on: Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage
click to enlarge Ah, snowboarding in the middle of summer -- well, on a screen and using a Wii Balance Board at least. Our recent trip to Ubisoft provided a brief opportunity to get our feet snowy with the Wii-only sequel to Shaun White Snowboarding and, well, the experience was familiar.The biggest difference: new events in various parts of the world. One we were able to take a crack at was a half-pipe run in New York City's Times Square. The Balance Board control felt great, apart from the act of jumping, which required us to quickly dig our heels into the board rather than, y'know, lifting them off of it. The game really didn't like it when we tried that.%Gallery-64279%
Shaun White Snowboarding sequel is Wii-exclusive
click to make with the bigness Ubisoft has announced that its sequel to last year's multiplatform Shaun White Snowboarding is coming exclusively to Wii. Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage is being developed by Ubisoft Montreal and is planned for a holiday 2009 release.The move to a single-platform release may seem surprising, but it's made less so when you consider that the Wii version of the first game outsold other versions by nearly a 2:1 margin. We've contacted Ubisoft for comment on the decision and to clarify whether or not this news marks a full-stop for the franchise on other platforms. In the meantime, start waxing those balance boards.%Gallery-64279%
Glamourized SW Snowboarding DLC now available
"The Flying Tomato" himself has released a new set of downloadable content for his self titled Shaun White Snowboarding game, bringing with it new jackets, pants, boards and other wearables. You know, so you can play dress up with your snowboarder. The 400 Microsoft point The Glamour Pack is the first and (seeing how overpriced it is) hopefully the last chuck of game DLC. Now go carve those mountains.
Ubisoft working on Shaun White Snowboarding sequel
It's no secret that Ubisoft has high hopes for Shaun White Snowboarding. The company said it expects the game to sell a million copies and, so far, the game is flying off retail shelves faster than scrumptious hotcakes, unloading 259,000 copies in the U.S. across the various platforms in November alone (generating $13.6 million for Ubisoft). We'd also like to point out that 40% of that figure is Wii sales.Ubisoft has liked the reception, apparently, as a sequel to the game is already underway, Shaun White confirmed. "Now that I have the knowledge and I can speak to programmers better and I understand a lot more about what's possible and what's not possible, this will all help with the next game," he said. So, how many of you picked it up? What kind of additions or changes would you like to see in the next game?%Gallery-29887%
Ubisoft: It's not hopeless for third-party devs on Wii
The biggest competition for a third-party developer on Wii is, obviously, Nintendo. But, that doesn't mean it's hopeless. Ubisoft is just one of the third-party developers that have found success on the console. How? Through strategic and careful planning."We saw that at the end of this year, there were not so many Nintendo products, and we thought there was a window of opportunity," said Ubisoft CFO Alain Martinez at the UBS Global Media Conference this week. "I believe to date, Nintendo is about 30-35 percent market share. So that means if you are aggressive, and if you come up with the right products, you can gain market share there." Because of this, the company expects Shaun White Snowboarding and Raving Rabbids TV Party to sell 1 million and 1.5 million units each, respectively.It's not like Nintendo is making it so that third parties need to wait for the stars and planets to align, however. "Nintendo is surely not making it impossible for people to make good games [on its systems]," Martinez added. "They've been helping us make games. So it's up to us."Of course, this isn't to say that Ubisoft has had nothing but luck with the Wii. They've tried to pile some stinkers on us in the past. But, monkey see, monkey do. The more successful third-party developers are on Wii, the more it attracts others to reach for their own slice of that pie. %Gallery-23883%
Retail and download releases for the week of November 17th
Just as we all found out last week, today marks the release of the fourth episode of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People. Oh, and we're also getting a bunch of other games. This week, seriously, has a lot of games. Head on past the break for the full list. Also, our apologies. There likely won't be a VC Monday Madness video today, but we'll try to get it up as soon as we can. Sorry! %Gallery-27704%
IGN's feet-on Shaun White Snowboarding comparison
The question has been on everybody's lips since Cammie Dunaway shed her shoes and opened Nintendo's E3 press conference with Shaun White Snowboarding: can the Balance Board provide a notable leap forward for the snowboarding genre? IGN has a comparison of the PS3/360 and Wii versions of Ubisoft's snowboarding title, but if you're too lazy to read, the short answer is: no.At least, not in Shaun White Snowboarding. While IGN concedes using the Balance Board is "great fun carving down the slopes and doing spins off jumps," it ultimately "feels like a severely pared back snowboarding experience." In fact, Shaun White on Wii didn't impress IGN much at all, tying only one category (visuals/presentation) and losing the other four. Disappointing, because we know the Balance Board has tons of potential for this kind of thing.%Gallery-29887%
Joystiq hands-on: TARGET EDITION! (of Shaun White Snowboarding)
Breathe a sigh of relief. It's not nearly as bad as it first sounded. In fact, the "Target edition" of Shaun White Snowboarding might actually warrant a trip to Target for game shopping. And, didn't you hear? Target expects plenty of Wiis in stock this season. Why not do all your holiday spending there?The marketing ploy is quite clear, and a good one. Building off its apparel partnership with Shaun White, Target has positioned itself to offer, exclusively through its retail and online outlets (oh, hai Wal-Mart!), a premium edition of Ubisoft's snowboarding game, and in turn, a hook to lure consumers into crossing off all the game requests on the holiday gift lists they're responsible for. (A recent survey found that 90% of tweens and teens are expected to ask for a video game this year.)That's right, we said premium edition. While the Target-branded version will cost an additional $5, it'll include roughly 20 percent more game content (which, we were told, will never be offered as DLC). More specifically, the standard edition, available through all other retailers, will feature four mountains (each divided into peak, park and backcountry sections); the Target edition will include a fifth mountain, the "Target Mountain," which isn't as large as the original mountains, but does boast some interesting extras, like a full loop to attempt in the Xbox 360 version (identical to the PlayStation 3 and PC versions) and a trip inside the Target Chalet, based on the elitist party pad in Aspen. We know what you're thinking: But, what about the ads?%Gallery-23905%
Ubisoft really wants you to buy Shaun White Snowboarding
How do we know? Because they're throwing a lot of money into advertising the game. $10 million, to be exact, all in the hopes that you'll want to hit the virtual slopes with Shaun and the gang.The campaign started last night, where Ubisoft purchased all of the ad space on the season premiere of popular television show South Park. That's not it, either, as it's being reported that Shaun White will make appearances on ESPN shows on November 16th to promote the game. In addition to that, Ubisoft is also purchasing air time on select Viacom channels with the purpose of promoting Shaun White Snowboarding.%Gallery-29887%
Tackle 'Target Mountain' in Shaun White Target edition
Pictured above is the Target Chalet [tar-zhay sha-ley], the swanky home of Winter X Games athletes doing business in Aspen and just one of many couture extras to be found in the special "Target edition" of Shaun White Snowboarding for PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. This cozy lodge really hits the bright red bull's eye after a long day shredding slopes on -- you guessed it -- "Target Mountain."We're not sure how much more blaring product placement can get, but then we haven't seen the new jibs, scenes and characters exclusive to this brand, uh, edition of the game. While we don't expect the ads to hike up the price (indeed, the Target version should be cheaper, no?), the press release neglects to specify. But if you'd like to put five on it, you can now purchase a "pre-sell card" that ensures you a copy on launch day (also not specified).%Gallery-23905%
Target to sell exclusive version of Shaun White Snowboarding
For those of you interested in Ubisoft's upcoming snowboarding game, Shaun White Snowboarding, know that retailer Target will be offering exclusive versions of the games for sale, with added content. What kind of content? Well, for one, the game will have Target Mountain included, which we imagine is a new mountain to snowboard down chock full of Target ads. Other than that, the game will include the Target Chalet, which is "the real-life mountainside home where Shaun and his fellow Target athletes hang out with friends and family at the annual Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado" Uh, cool? Finally, the Target edition of the game will feature "exclusive jibs, additional scenes and more characters."There's no word on if this edition will be more expensive, but if it tickles your fancy, head on down to your local Target and pick up a $5 pre-sell card, which is basically your proof of pre-ordering it. %Gallery-29887%[Via press release]
