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Ubisoft sales up in Q3, year-end forecast raised
Ubisoft estimates sales reached €650 million ($831M), up 8% from the same period last year, during its third fiscal quarter spanning the holiday months. At the same time, Ubi revised its estimate for the full fiscal year, ending in March, to between €1.05 and €1.08 billion ($1.34-$1.38B), elevating its lower estimate from €1.04 billion. "In continuation of the robust trends recorded for the first half of the fiscal year, Ubisoft reported record-high sales for the Christmas period, exceeding expectations. Against an extremely competitive backdrop," said CEO Yves Guillemot. "Assassin's Creed Revelations posted a solid performance, in line with our forecasts, and Just Dance generated outstanding sales." Since Ubisoft is a French company, which often separate their sales data from profit/loss details, the company will publish its "definitive sales figure for the third quarter" on February 15. By that point, the Just Dance franchise will have sold another several million copies.
Assassin's Creed: Revelations 'Mediterranean Traveler' pack downloadable Jan. 24
Assassin's Creed: Revelations will add the "Mediterranean Traveler Map Pack" on January 24, 2012. Revealed in early December by GameStop, Ubisoft made the news official today, reiterating the $9.99 price for the States, £7.99 for the UK. Ubisoft's announcement reinforces the previous intel, which mentioned the addition of six new maps, revealed as Jerusalem, Dyers, San Donato, Siena, Florence and the Imperial District of Constantinople. Stab hard and stab often, Templar agents. %Gallery-144007%
Best of the Rest: Arthur's picks of 2011
Battlefield 3 I love Battlefield 3. I love it almost as much as it seems to hate its players. At least, that's the way it feels sometimes, trying to get into a game, trying to get correctly squaded up, trying to find a server with room, having to use a server browser on consoles in 2011, downloading 2 GIGABYTE patches ... y u no luv me, BF3? But when it does love me, it loves me so well ... and there I go, into that cycle of abuse again.
Old Republic debuts in 10th, FIFA runs up UK charts before Christmas
Chart-Track's UK sales list for the week leading up to Christmas Eve had FIFA 12 rallying, with sales up 34 percent, to score a first place finish. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 moved up one spot replacing Just Dance 3, which despite having a seven percent increase in sales, simply couldn't maintain its position and oscar mike'd into third. The big premiere of the week was EA's Star Wars: The Old Republic, which debuted in tenth place, having launched on Tuesday the 20th. This is irregular for the UK, since most games launch on Friday. Despite the extra time, the high-profile MMO's launch week didn't beat out Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The saving grace of The Old Republic's lower ranking premiere is Chart-Track doesn't count digitally distributed copies. According to EA, things are going well with its new MMO. Check out the UK's top ten games for the pre-Christmas week after the break.
Shogun Bros. Chameleon X-1 mouse dons assassin style, sneaks into CES
Digging your stealthy Chameleon X-1 gamepad / mouse combo clicker? Look out, it's about to get a bit stealthier -- Shogun Bros. tells us that the dual analog rodent is sporting some fresh digs to ape the style of Assassin's Creed Revelations, complete with antique decorated leather mouse buttons. Cowhide aside, this is the same 1600dpi, 16 button wireless doodad the firm updated earlier this year. The branded mouse will debut at CES 2012 in "Altair white" and "Ezio grey," and promises to help you eliminate your targets in style. The outfit hinted to us that they'll be bringing a few other killer products to the show as well -- we'll be sure to sneak a peek while we're there.
Best of the Rest: Dave's picks of 2011
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP This masterpiece is 98 percent of the reason I bought an iPad. Okay, maybe not quite -- it's more like 99 percent -- but Sword & Sworcery is a puzzle so perfect in its assembly, I haven't fully recovered. I'm sad I won't ever again experience the drive for discovery I felt the first time I was thrust into its picturesque locales. At the same time, I'm grateful I could spin that vinyl so long ago and step into another world.
Today's Steam holiday sale discounts Dead Space 2, Tomb Raider, more
You've probably heard of a few of the games discounted in today's installment of the Steam holiday sale. You know, Machinarium? Dungeon Defenders? Assassin's Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood and Revelations? A bunch of Tomb Raiders? Dead Spaces? You ... you have heard of those, right?
Amazon discounts the entire Assassin's Creed franchise for one day only
We warned you yesterday, so if you picked up a copy of Assassin's Creed: Revelations yesterday afternoon and it wasn't severely discounted, that's kinda on you, dawg. Anyway, Amazon is holding a one-day-only sale on everything Assassin's Creed, from the first game all the way through to Ezio's closing act. That means Revelations for $36 (40 percent off), Brotherhood for $20 (that's half off), and AC1 and 2 for $15 a pop (pop, pop). The PC versions offer similar discounts, though the DS and PSP games aren't discounted at all. Then again, let's not kid ourselves, you're really just looking for the major releases, aren't you? That's okay, we are too.
Assassin's Creed: Revelations 'Mediterranean Traveler' DLC spotted
Assassin's Creed: Revelations will launch a "Mediterranean Traveler Map Pack" on January 24, 2012, according to GameStop. The store's page has no further description of the DLC, except for a (potential placeholder) price of $9.99. Ubisoft has yet to confirm any details. According to the AC wiki, the Mediterranean pack will include new multiplayer maps set in Siena, Jerusalem, Dyers, San Donato, Firenze and the Imperial District of Constantinople. We'll likely find out more after AC:R's "Ancestors Character Pack" launches on December 13 for $3.99 (320 MSP). That pack will add four new characters to the multiplayer stabfest. %Gallery-139568%
CoD: Modern Warfare 3 not moving, Mario Kart 7 debuts strong on UK chart
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, with a slight sales gain of 2 percent, remains king of the hill for a fourth week in a row on Chart-Track's UK sales chart. Stalwart chart champion FIFA 12 pushed past Assassin's Creed: Revelations into second, but remained 55,000 units behind Modern Warfare 3. The big mover and shaker last week was Just Dance 3, up 54 percent, electric-sliding from eighth into fourth. Skyrim and Saints Row: The Third couldn't help but shout and inspire mayhem regarding this situation while sitting in fifth and sixth place, respectively. Mario Kart 7 was the only top 40 debut on the charts last week, driving up to an eighth place finish. Mamma mia! Here we go again. There were two titles that entered the top 40 in their second week. ABBA: You Can Dance (part of the Just Dance franchise) saw a 252 percent jump in sales into 30th place. Zumba Fitness 2, the sister succubi of a formerly unstoppable chart demon, is up 97 percent and creeps into the 34th spot. Check out the UK top ten after the break.
Assassin's Creed: Revelations for PC sneaks out early
Assassin's Creed: Revelations for PC has broken free from its sequestered state and is available now for your stabby pleasure. Before the sudden US release, the official word from Ubisoft indicated the game was being held in an undisclosed location until sometime in December, following the console launch all the way back on November 15. It should be available through Steam on Dec. 1 if you're outside the US. For PC users concerned about Ubisoft's DRM: Revelations does not feature the company's "always-on" piracy protection. And for those keeping track, this latest PC launch stagger lasted 14 days.
Ezio's costume coming to Final Fantasy XIII-2 as DLC
Not content to sequester himself to his own game and Soulcalibur V's stage of history, Ezio Auditore is making an appearance in Final Fantasy XIII-2 ... or at least his outfit is. Ezio's Assassin's Creed Revelations get-up will be offered as a DLC outfit for Noel -- Noel Kreiss. "Release details for this downloadable content will be announced at a later date," the press release notes. If you're concerned about Ezio's Italian finery looking too incongruous in the world of FFXIII-2 ... you haven't looked at the other characters in FFXIII-2 in a while. Congruity is a limited resource in Final Fantasy.
Modern Warfare 3 maintains top of UK charts for third week
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 isn't going anywhere on the UK charts, as the biggest entertainment launch in history holds its position at the top, despite a 41 percent drop in sales. MW3 had an 87 percent drop in sales last week, so the über-blockbuster clearly has a sales cushion to play around. Assassin's Creed: Revelations maintained second, with Saints Row: The Third and Skyrim swapping spots at third and fourth, respectively. FIFA 12 also held strong in fifth as WWE '12 muscled in with a debut at sixth. Some good news for Nintendo, as Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call premiered in seventh and Super Mario 3D Land slipped one little spot to tenth. The bad news? The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, the first major Zelda console release in five years, dropped from its debut in seventh to 19. The UK top ten can be found after the break.
Modern Warfare 3 fights off Assassin's Creed: Revelations atop UK charts
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 had the biggest entertainment launch in history, so even with an 87 percent drop in unit sales last week, it's little surprise the shooter maintained its alpha position on the UK sales chart for its second week on retail shelves. Assassin's Creed: Revelations debuted in second, with the strongest opening yet for the franchise. Unit sales and revenue were up four and eight percent, respectively, from last year's Brotherhood launch. Not only was the latest Assassin adventure the strongest opening stab by the franchise to date, it was also the strongest premiere of any Ubisoft title. Skyrim slips from second to third, with Saints Row: The Third entering in fourth. The latest Saints Row crime spree is another strong sequel, with sales up 43 percent from Saints Row 2's launch three years ago. Last week also saw a slew of prominent premieres from Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Super Mario 3D Land. Check out the UK top ten after the break.
See the DLC 'Ancestors' of Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Perhaps the selection of well-dressed assassins available in Assassin's Creed: Revelations isn't enough for you. You're so needy! Anyway, Ubisoft is happy to feed that need with these brand new "Ancestors" for multiplaye.%Gallery-139568%
Assassin's Creed: Revelations 'Ancestors' DLC coming December 13
Assassin's Creed Revelations has been out for a good few hours ... time to announce some DLC! On December 13, you'll be able to buy some new multiplayer characters to replace the stock ones you will have gotten tired of. The $3.99/320 Microsoft Point "Ancestors Character Pack" will bring four new characters into your murder spree: the Privateer, the Corsair, the Brigand, and the Gladiator, all with "unique taunts, weapons, and stylized assassination moves." Ubisoft mentioned a second downloadable content pack "available for pre-order today," but didn't offer any information about that pack.
Get a free OnLive console with Assassin's Creed Revelations pre-order
We're always confused by pre-order offers for downloadable games -- even more confused by pre-order offers for OnLive games, for which the game code technically never leaves OnLive's servers. But we're able to overlook logistical questions, because OnLive is extending the generous offer of a free Microconsole with pre-order of Assassin's Creed Revelations, for those who purchase the $49.99 game by November 19. It's the same deal the service offers with every major release, and it wows us every time. "Free console with purchase of game" is a pretty good hook, an evaluation shared by Ezio's new equipment.
Assassin's Creed's story (so far) in two minutes
Here's a many-stabs-abridged edition of the Assassin's Creed story to date. For fans who'd like a mini-recap, but have been avoiding anything about Revelations, be sure to stop around 1:45. Also, our Revelations review is up now.
Assassin's Creed: Revelations review: Hanging on, letting go
Assassin's Creed: Revelations, a third sequel in as many years, is asking a lot. Ubisoft has been remarkably clear that another game is coming next year, and that it will advance the story of Desmond, the series' main character. This leaves Revelations in an awkward position, serving as a coda of sorts to the stories of Ezio Auditore de Firenze and his Crusades-era forbear Altair Ibn-La-Ahad, stories that seemed competently told already. It doesn't seem like Assassin's Creed: Revelations needs to exist -- but then, neither did Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, which nonetheless turned out to be great. Surprise or no, Ubisoft has managed it again. By introducing an interesting new cast of characters, making additional refinements to the free-running and combat systems, and providing closure to characters we've gotten to know for their entire lives, by defying all logic, Assassin's Creed: Revelations is another great Assassin's Creed game -- mostly.%Gallery-136270%
Assassin's Creed: Embers launch trailer shows Ezio's spark renewed
Taking place many years after the events of Assassin's Creed: Revelations, this short film produced by Ubi Workshop shows Ezio as a much older dude with a family, retired from the assassination game. But when a young assassin suddenly asks for his help, Ezio must put down the cane and crossword puzzle, and once again pick up the blade. Which is great because he was totally stuck on 13 down anyway.
