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Samsung adds a little Ghost Recon to your 830 series SSD purchase
Need a bit more incentive to pick up one of those shiny new 830 series solid state drives from Samsung? Great news, storage enthusiast: Sammy's tossing a little Tom Clancy your way. The company will be including a download code for a full copy of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier in the boxes of 128-, 256- and 512GB models of the 830 series. The deal is good in the US and Canada -- for a limited time, naturally. The promotion begins today.
Ubisoft opens up new studio in Kiev
Ubisoft has expanded its reach once more, this time establishing another Eastern European studio in Kiev, Ukraine. According to a GameDaily report, the studio is currently working with Ubisoft Bucharest on the PC version of the previously announced Tom Clancy's HAWX. Wasting little time, Ubisoft has staffed up the studio with a "core team of 12 developers," led by Blazing Angels: Secret Missions of WWII dev Vitalii Blazheiev. The studio is expected to eventually employ 50 people over the next 12 months, with more than 800 working for the company's numerous Eastern European studios by 2009. Clearly Ubisoft has found something special in the region that it can't ignore. Germknödel perhaps?
Ubisoft reveals Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.
Hilariously Arbitrary Waggle X-ercise! No, Ubisoft already did that one. Umm, how about Hillbilly Awareness Warrants Xenophobia? Harrowing Antagonistic Waffle Xtreme? Hygienically Attached Wailing Xylophone? Hobos Are Watching Xena? Please, somebody just tell us what Tom Clancy has to do with the Heinous Acronym We X-amined. Why, thank you, IGN! It seems the first thing Ubisoft is doing with the wholly-purchased Tom Clancy is to put the man inside a high-tech jet and send him into High-Altitude Warfare ... X! Developed by the company's Bucharest studio, Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. places couch pilots in over 50 different planes equipped with an "Enhanced Reality System (ERS)," an optional means of alerting you to incoming missiles, tactical position and the activities of your AI squadron.If you're wary of having robots for wingmen, you'll be pleased to note the game offers a 4-player co-op campaign and a 16-player Versus mode. Ubisoft hawks its airborne wares on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC this Fall.[Thanks, netgem21]
Ubisoft shares boosted by 'Tom Clancy' purchase
Ubisoft's shares in Paris rose 12 percent this week, to 54.98 euros, after news that the publishing giant had bought the rights to Tom Clancy's brand name. According to Bloomberg, shares had previously fallen 29 percent this year.The article also notes that Tom Clancy-based titles were responsible for 30 percent of Ubisoft's profit in the fiscal year ending March 2007. As part of the deal, Ubisoft has the rights to use Clancy's name and intellectual property for video games and related merchandising. After the reported Clancy MMO, here's hoping for a Tom Clancy party game where Jack Ryan takes on the Raving Rabbids.
Ubisoft buys up Tom Clancy rights, announces Clancy MMO
Publisher Ubisoft sealed a mega-deal today for the rights to the Tom Clancy brand name to "use in video games and ancillary products including related books, movies and merchandising products." No price tag was affixed publicly to the deal, but Newsweek spoke with Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter who guesses it was somewhere around $100 million.GameDaily reports that in a follow up conference call to the announcement, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot stated the company is looking to make a Tom Clancy MMO. Guillemot also guessed the MMO would cost around $50 million to make. Yes, but will it have the prerequisite elves and dwarves in there to become a phenomenon?Read -- Ubisoft Locks Up All Tom Clancy Rights, Plans for MMORead -- Newsweek talks to Pachter
Rainbow Six dev: 'We will never go back to Vegas'
Don't expect a Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 3 anytime soon. Speaking to Eurogamer, designer Philippe Therien said, "We will never go back to Vegas - at least, not in the foreseeable future." So much for the "rescue four hooker witnesses from a back alley full of out-of-town drunkards" mission we've been dying to play.Therien also noted that, although the single location worked well for the story of the previous two games, he's not sure if they'll return to that format for the next Rainbow Six installment. (Make no mistake, no one expects this to be the last Rainbow Six title.) The glamorous, time-paradoxical Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 is due out March 21.
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 cashes in March 21
Eurogamer reports that Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will be shooting up casinos and terrorists before you know it, as Ubisoft has confirmed a March 21st release date for the game.Vegas 2 will feature numerous improvements over the first Nevada-centric Rainbow Six game, including an improved reward system, online co-op, sprinting, and destructible cover. We're assuming March 21 is a worldwide release for the game, although we will confirm with Ubisoft whether that date pertains to North America as well as Europe.[Via X3F]
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 to feature 'more Vegas'
"Talk to the hand!" has been the sentiment of the two Rainbow Six Vegas 2 teaser trailers released thus far, and while Ubisoft still isn't ready to show us the game, the publisher is ready to talk. A smattering of gameplay details was disclosed today, confirming what the game title already reveals: we're in for more Rainbow Six Vegas. More weapons, more armor, mo' better AI, more multiplayer and, of course, "more Vegas."As the Tom Clancy franchises continue along the 'EA Sports trajectory,' Vegas 2 will see its most ambitious seasonal tweaks in the form of improved "vastly improved" co-op play (a jump-in/jump-out campaign) and single-player expansion of the first game's multiplayer progression system (offline experience points). Anyone else convinced that the Ubisoft Montreal devs could code this game in their sleep?Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is being developed for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Games for Windows, and is currently scheduled for a March 2008 release.
New Rainbow Six Vegas 2 teaser now glam-free, time paradoxical
Perhaps to replace its last embarrassing trailer, Ubisoft has unveiled a new teaser for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2. This teaser offers even less of the game than Duke Nukem Forever's recent sighting, opting instead to show a few seconds of operatives hopping out of a helicopter.There is one pesky problem, and that is with time itself: if you notice the first shot of the helicopter it displays 6:52:12 and the chopper isn't close to the building. When the camera cuts back to the helicopter next to the building, time is again 6:52:12. There are two (and only two) logical conclusions: either we are to assume two helicopters, with shots from two separate buildings, or Vegas 2 has a time travel component. Hopefully Ubisoft will come clean on its temporal experiments sometime in the near-distant past-future.[Via Megatonik]
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 teaser has glam, forgets gameplay footage
If you're wondering what Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will look like in-game, close your eyes and wish really hard for a new trailer. However, if you want to see what operatives do when not scaling walls or killing people (hint: it involves bountiful, big-breasted, brunette bimbos bumped briskly by brazen bodies), boy do we have a teaser for you.The original video was posted and later pulled by GameTrailers, only to be re-uploaded to the site via a user -- if the video is pulled again, you can also find a copy at DailyMotion (via Megatonik). Other facts: it's still in Las Vegas and that's the logo above. Did you want to know anything else? Don't be so greedy!
Haze delayed until 2008, brings Rainbow Six Vegas 2 with it
After last week's report of Haze being on track for a December release, we're now prompted to point out the rather abrupt appearance of a detour in-between the metaphorical train and its final stop at the PlayStation 3. It seems the designers at Free Radical didn't receive nearly enough coal to reach the lead platform in time for Christmas, and now hope that you'll conduct your purchase of their first-person shooter in the first quarter of 2008.Thankfully devoid of increasingly insufferable train puns, a Gamasutra article details the delay mentioned within Ubisoft's favorable first-half financial results. Sales for le publisher rose by 52% to $372.86 million, with profits jumping up 12% to $44.8 million. You might consider the money already spent on Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2, expected to arrive in the same quarter as Haze. Not much is known about the sequel, save that it'll (probably) feature soldier-types shooting up evil, one-armed bandits. Fellow Tom Clancy property, Splinter Cell: Conviction continues to be wishy-washy about a potential release date, as it's also been pushed back to Ubisoft's fiscal year 2008-2009.
Air Combat: new Tom Clancy franchise takes to the skies
With Ubisoft's EndWar still months from release, the company has once again pulled at Tom Clancy's supple teat, announcing Tom Clancy's Air Combat, the latest game to be counted among the longstanding military action brand's ranks. Promising to take it all skyward, Air Combat is being handled by Ubisoft's Bucharest studio, the folks behind Blazing Angels as well as, of all things, Chessmaster XI. The aerial combat is expected to ship in 2008 for unspecified consoles and PC.We don't know much about the game at this point, though Ubisoft's managing director hints at the game's online focus, stating that the company is confident that Air Combat will be "an instant online multiplayer hit." Like other Tom Clancy games, Air Combat will be set in the near future, as players will fly a variety of jet fighters, complete with hi-tech piloting assistance to help players shoot down bad guys. In addition, as players get better at the game, Ubisoft notes that they'll be able to shed the assistance, no doubt offering more challenge for seasoned flyboys. I feel the need, the need for speed!
GRAW developer: PS3 not harder to code for than 360
Despite the steady hiss of internet pundits that suggests otherwise, Ubisoft's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter development team doesn't believe that it's harder to code games for the PlayStation 3 compared to the Xbox 360. Yann Le Tensorer, who co-created the graphics engine powering GRAW and the upcoming Beowulf, re-ckons that any uphill development battles are to blame on the learning curve associated with newer hardware. "It's wrong to say it's harder to code on the PlayStation 3, it's just something that needs to be learnt," he told GamesIndustry.Biz. He goes on to stun the less observant by pointing out that "it's just a different console." Le Tensorer isn't the first to comment on the hardware's perceived difficulty. In June, Team Ninja's Yosuke Hayashi engaged in less subtle commentary by simply telling complaining PS3 developers to "get out of the ring." The GRAW developer goes on to state, "Developers might says [sic] it's harder because it just takes time to understand the technology, we're still early in the lifecycle." In other words, it is tougher to program for the system, but only while you're still learning the technological ropes. It seems a fair explanation for the publisher's poorly received Splinter Cell: Double Agent port and EA's lack of frames in Madden NFL 08 -- at least from a developer's point of view. Consumers may feel otherwise as they await the PS3 arrival of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2.
Rainbow Six Vegas Red and Black edition now free
Yes, you read the headline correctly, because both Rainbow Six Vegas Players Packs are going to be free for download. Major Nelson just informed us that the Black Edition was pulled from the Marketplace earlier this week, because Ubisoft didn't want the content to cost 800 Microsoft points ... they wanted it to be free! The Black Edition is now available on the Marketplace and is free for download, so go get it! But wait, did you pay for the content before the Black Edition was pulled? Not to worry, because Microsoft will be reimbursing those who paid for the Black Edition within' the next ten weeks. Sweet, isn't it?But that's not all the good news. As a thank you to the Rainbow Six community, Ubisoft decided to make the Red Edition Player Pack a free download starting next Friday, July 6th. That's a 800 Microsoft point value! But sorry for those who already purchased the Red Edition, because no reimbursements will be made for the content. Ubisoft rocks ... they rock hard!
R6 Vegas Black Edition pulled from Marketplace
For unknown reasons, the Rainbow Six Vegas Player's Pack Black Edition downloadable content that released yesterday has been pulled from the XBLM. Major Nelson updated his post stating that new content was pulled, but didn't give a reason for it not being available. Some people who have downloaded the content are stating that the new maps seem to load slower than others, but other than that they didn't find a problem with the Black Edition pack. Stay tuned as we'll be sure to let you know when the content gets placed back onto the Marketplace or when we learn more about what went wrong.
Black Edition DLC flanks from behind cover on XBLM
A new Player's Pack is ready for download for Rainbow Six Vegas that came out of center field. For 800 MS points, the Player's Pack Black Edition brings you get 5 new maps, including classic from the original Rainbow Six 3, Presidio. Other new maps include a remixed Streets, as well newcomers Wartown and Red Lotus. All in all the whole pack comes to 705.5 MB. Did you get the previous Red Edition, which also included new gametypes with its release, and would you pick up the latest, as its only maps this time around?
Worldwide PlayStation 3 releases for the week of June 25th
Another Sunday, another release list. Let's see what's out in the next seven days.US Games The Darkness Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix The Bigs Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent Transformers the Game EU Games Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Asian Games Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Quite a well populated list. There's no real way anyone can complain about this week's releases. Unless you're a European The Darkness fan. Don't forget, though. If there's a game that's only available in another region, then feel free to import it. Your PlayStation 3 won't care. Release dates are subject to constant change, so give your local game shop a ring before walking down there.Which of this week's releases will you be picking up? We've already got our copies of The Darkness ordered.
Bill Gates on the future of computer interaction
In a very rare joint interview with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on stage at last week's D 2007, Microsoft founder Bill Gates told hosts Walter Mossberg and Kara Swisher, both of the Wallstreet Journal, of his vision for the future of interaction with technology, and therefore gaming, and inadvertently used the Nintendo Wii as a stepping stone."Imagine a game machine where you can just pick up a bat and swing it or the tennis racket," said Gates, to which Mossberg noted that one exists, referencing Wii Sports."No, no, that's not it," said Gates, "you can't pick up your tennis racket and swing it, ['Oh, I see what you mean,' said Mossberg] you can't sit there with your friends and do those natural things. That's a 3D positional device, this is video recognition, this is a camera seeing what's going on ... the camera will be ubiquitous."
EndWar to feature persistent online campaign
As part of the Tom Clancy's EndWar press kit, creative director Michael de Plater confirms that the game will feature a persistent online campaign. In EndWar's Q&A section, Plater states that "one of our most ambitious features is a massively-multiplayer persistent online world campaign" and that "every time you log in you will see the shifting front lines of an entire world at war, where everyone is participating in a unified global version of World War III".A living, breathing online war changing every second of every day is a rather interesting concept. Though, it sounds as if this persistent campaign will be nothing more than some sort of stat tracking feature that updates the "online war" rather than actually interacting with other players. But we guess any sort of persistent online experience is better than none. So, what do you think? Are you moderately interested in such a feature?
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.
