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Assassin's Creed pounces onto PC this March, adds missions
In case you weren't one of the 2.5 million people to pick it up in its first month of sales, Ubisoft is bringing history lesson-cum-assassin simulator Assassin's Creed to the PC platform in March. The only difference: when you drop "a few coins" on this version, you'll be rewarded with "four brand-new exclusive types of investigations" which should go a small way towards silencing complaints that the game (one of our favorites in '07, by the by) was repetitive. And, at $50, it enjoys the obligatory PC game discount.Please sir, spare a few coins ...
DS releases for the week of February 4th
Hey, guys! Check it out ... it's My Horse and Me! We know you've been waiting for this one for a long time, and at last, this week, your dreams can be fulfilled. The only thing that could possibly make it better is if it was instead My Horsez and Me. Everyone knows the 'z' is a mark of quality. What's that? You're actually interested in finding out more about Azzazzin'z Assassin's Creed DS? Well, okay, if you insist. We're really leaning toward the horse(z) here, though. Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles My Horse & Me Paws & Claws: Pet Resort Puppy Palace Real Soccer 2008 The Spiderwick Chronicles Zoo Tycoon 2
2008's Biggest Blips: Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles
Developer: GameloftPublisher: UbisoftRelease: February 5When Assassin's Creed was first confirmed for the DS, we spent a lot of time speculating about just what it could be. It didn't seem possible that the epic game could be squeezed down into a handheld-sized title, so we assumed the worst, and we weren't alone. But now that we've finally learned a little about the prequel, we thought it might be a good time to reminisce about those dark days of speculation and recap all the things Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles isn't.It's not quite the console/PC version: It's not Apollo Creed: Or, now that you mention it, Apollo Justice: Definitely not Assassins of Creed: Not, as Penny Arcade speculated, Assassin's Crossing: Also, not as we once theorized, a rollicking pirate adventure. At least, we think. Pirates are insidious. We really hope it's not like this: Because that causes this, and lots of this: And no one likes that. %Gallery-13855% placeholder text Civilization Revolution Back placeholder text
New games this week: Devil May Cry 4 edition
It seems like the release train is back at full speed now, after taking a month-long stop at Sleepytime Station post holidays. This week we've, of course, got the demonic emo action of Devil May Cry 4 and the actual release of Turok for the action fan. On portables, there's the new DS version of Assassin's Creed. PS2 owners are even getting a nice release with Twisted Metal: Head-On: Extra Twisted Edition. Welcome home, video games. ... Welcome home.
Assassin's Creed still doesn't look completely horrible
Okay, what's the deal here, Ubisoft? First you reveal absolutely nothing on the DS version of Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles until a month before the game launches, and even then it's only the damn subtitle. Then, with our expectations suitably lowered, you spring the first screenshots on us, and they're ... not bad, actually. Quite good. They make the game look potentially fun.This latest batch has the same effect -- Altair's Chronicles is actually showing real promise. Sure, they're a little brown, but brown isn't always bad, and these are quite pretty. There's even a couple of sensible-looking side-on shots, which gives us hope that Ubisoft hasn't completely borked the camera. We're yet to see these attractive 3D environments in motion, but for now, you can color us impressed and interested.Sneak past the post break for four more screens.
Europe will wait to assassinate
Europe has to wait for games so often that we should just assume all announced games will be delayed (low blow, sorry), but we digress. The latest game to avoid European release is the DS version of Assassin's Creed, which is now scheduled to come to continent on March 28th. On the bright side, we haven't heard many Europeans (or anyone in general) champing at the bit for this game, so those of you who live across the pond might not even mind this delay too much.The North American date for Altair's Chronicles is still marked as February 5th, giving Europe enough time to find out whether the game is any good before committing to buy it.
Assassin's Creed finally comes out of hiding
Hey, look! Actual direct-feed screenshots of the DS Assassin's Creed game! It's a freakin' miracle! We can finally see what Altair's Chronicles is going to look like, even if we don't exactly know how the game works.As for what it looks like: it's in full 3D, with slightly more success than you'd expect on the DS. The game keeps a mostly top-down perspective, like another early 3D stealth game we know, but seems to close in on combat scenes. The whole thing actually looks fairly sophisticated and nice, for a game we continue to be very suspicious about.We imagine that it plays similarly to a more acrobatic Metal Gear Solid, as well, with the bottom screen acting as radar. You can also choose from the dozen or so available weapons via the touchscreen.
Assassin's for $38, Hawk for $39 & secret deals too
Post-holidays can be a real downer for video game deal finders. It's almost as if major retailers don't even try to lure us into their stores with flashy deals or "wow!" offers after the holidays pass. So, this week, we've got a few deals to share with you, but nothing that'll make you scream with joy. Sorry.This week Target is only offering one video game related deal and it's our good friend Assassin's Creed for a pretty fine $38. Heading over to Best Buy, you'll find Tony Hawk's Proving Ground for $39 and Spider-Man: Friend or Foe for $29. Our final stop on our whirlwind tour of Sunday deal searching is Circuit City. And they don't have anything other than possibly MX vs ATV Untamed for $49. Though, that deal is a yawn fest. But we didn't give up on old Circuit City as we had a hunch that they were hiding something. We were right.Circuit City is holding a 3-Day Mega Sale, which are online only deals good through Tuesday that are much better than their Sunday ad. Deals like Soldier of Fortune for $39, Stuntman: Ignition for $29, Beowolf for $19, the HD DVD player for $159 and (our favorite deal) the Chatpad included Messenger Kit for $19. Sneaky Circuit City, always keeping their cards held close. Happy shopping!
EGM editor Dan Hsu talks about 'blackball' editorial
Earlier this week we saw an editorial from Electronic Gaming Monthly Editor-in-chief Dan "Shoe" Hsu calling out Sony's sport division, the Mortal Kombat team and Ubisoft for purportedly blackballing the magazine. GameDaily's Media Coverage feature, written by Joystiq's Kyle Orland, talks with Hsu about the editorial to extract more insight into his decision to publish the editorial.Hsu clarifies that these incidents are not common, despite the perception one might get from all the media around it. In talking about Ubisoft specifically, Hsu points out two previews for Assassin's Creed, which discussed worrisome design flaws. He also notes that Capcom had at one point in the magazine's history pulled support and have since become a prominent advertiser again.Our favorite line comes at the end of the piece. Said Hsu, "I'd drag EGM down with me or quit before we compromise our integrity." You hear that, EGM writers who value paychecks over integrity? Get out while you still can!
Assassin's Creed DS box art, details at last
It's been a long wait, but at least we're seeing something at last from the DS version Assassin's Creed -- the box art. Even though it looks like it has potential, is it a good sign that this is the first bit of media we've seen on the title? The silence may be due in part to the mixed reviews that met that other Assassin's Creed, but we'll admit, it has us a little concerned. But here's the good: now that we've seen a little of the title, due to the box art having been scanned by a quick-thinking gamer who went in to preorder at GameStop, we'll say that it does look good. It sounds good. The DS version is a prequel that focuses on the origins of assassin Altaïr, and the game takes on a similar, though scaled-down, approach. Concerned that it might be more like the mobile version? Fear not, as Altaïr's Chronicles is not using the sprites and 2D design available on cell phones. If nothing else, it seems apparent that some care went into re-imagining the story for a stylus-based approach.How does it look outside of a few tiny, scanned and grainy screens? We don't know yet. How will it look in motion? We're not sure. How will it play? Beyond stylus-based controls, we don't know that, either, but unless the release date changes, we'll soon find out. The game is currently slated for early February. We are, we must admit, surprised that it's not a) a card game, b) mini-games, c) a rollicking pirate adventure, or d) a music simulator.
Assassin's Creed DS is 'Altair's Chronicles,' a prequel
We haven't heard much about the DS version of Ubisoft mega smash Assassin's Creed since we learned of its existence back in October, but we've finally had a little light shed on it by a GoNintendo reader who seems to have nabbed the game's box art. Click here for an embiggened version.We're kind of intrigued by the "Explore a fully-rendered 3D world" part, and a bit perplexed by using the stylus to pickpocket items from unwitting targets. We're also a bit troubled by the name, Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles. We've learned through the years that "Good Game Title: Character Name's Story/Tales/Chronicles/Adventures" is almost always a recipe for sadness. Here's hoping this one proves us wrong.
FIFA, Brain Training best selling UK games in 2007
EA Sports football (or "soccer" for the US audience) title FIFA 08 was the best-selling video game in the United Kingdom last year according to Chart-Track (via GamesIndustry.biz). The game reportedly sold 25% percent more than its closest rival, Dr Kawashima's Brain Training. Perhaps surprisingly, Microsoft's flagship Halo 3 came in sixth place with only half of FIFA 08's sales. Both FIFA 08 and Halo 3 were released in late September within days of each other. It should be noted that FIFA 08 was a multiplatform title available on six different consoles and the PC. Top ten list after the break.
Publishers allegedly blackball EGM for negative coverage
UPDATE: The full text of the editorial is now available on Hsu's blog.In his latest editorial, Electronic Gaming Monthly Editor-in-chief Dan "Shoe" Hsu publicly calls out three companies that are allegedly refusing to work with the magazine due to negative reviews of their games. According to Hsu, the members of Midway's Mortal Kombat team, Sony's sports division and Ubisoft as a whole are refusing to give EGM access to early preview or review builds of their games (in the case of Ubisoft, Hsu specifically says "it seems our coverage of Assassin's Creed was the last straw").As a result, Hsu says EGM readers will get "little, late, or no coverage" of these companies' games. "We won't treat these products or companies any differently, and we'll just cover them to the best of our own abilities, with or without their support," Hsu writes. "Because, after all, we're writing for you, the reader -- not them."These types of allegations aren't anything new around the game industry water cooler, and stories of publisher reprisals in the form of pulled advertising or blackballed journalists occasionally bubble up in the game press. But editors are usually reluctant to publicly name names in these situations, for fear of pissing off publishers further. Are we seeing the beginning of a new age in game journalism, where journalists aren't afraid of standing up to publishers that try to push them around?We'll be following up with Hsu and the companies involved and let you know what we hear.
Assassin's Creed on the DS gets a ... subtitle
Altair himself would probably admire the stealthiness of the build-up to Assassin's Creed on the DS. Since the title was confirmed, not a word has passed through Ubisoft's lips about the project, despite the fact that it launches under a month from now. But finally, after a lengthy period of time, we have a full title, courtesy of IGN: Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles. MEGATON!Of course, that leaves us absolutely no clearer on what this accursed game actually is. The sensible money would be on a 2D platform-based adventure title, but that's pure guesswork. It could be a card game. It could be a kart racer. For all we know, it could be a damn dating sim. But we know this much: the lack of information on the game is now beginning to take its toll on us, to the point where we have developed a kind of perverse curiosity about just what form Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles will take. And we're not proud of that.
Accessories' Creed
Does anyone else find it suspicious that Assassin's Creed is due out on the DS in one month and we still haven't heard even the most basic of information? We haven't seen one screen -- we don't even know what kind of game it is. We could interpret this seeming blackout in one of two ways: first, and most likely, that the game isn't actually going to come out next month; and second, that Ubisoft knows they have dead weight on their hands and hopes to slip it quietly out to stores, where people will buy it for the front cover. All we really know about the game (from the Gamestop product page) is that Gameloft is developing it. We sincerely hope that doesn't mean we're getting a cell phone port.What isn't shrouded in mystery is Mad Catz's interest in cashing in on Assassin's Creed. On February 15th, they will release an Assassin's Creed-themed DS accessory pack, containing a DS system case, six card cases (which appear to snap together), two styli, a cleaning cloth, a car charger, and a lanyard. All of this is labeled with the Assassin's Creed logo, making every component of your DS experience potentially embarrassing if the game turns out terrible.
The 'high fidelity' nature of MMOs
Inspired by a few days of dedicated holiday gaming, veteran MMO designer Raph Koster offered up an opinion on the state of modern game development. Playing titles like Call of Duty 4, Halo 3, and BioShock, he notes the 'intense' nature of most of the best-selling titles this year. He then ties this in to a recent Rolling Stone article about the modern face of music. That article discusses the pervasive role of music in America today, and the resulting requirement to 'amp up' the volume to be heard in public places.He directly relates this to the loss of nuanced sound this results in, making a sly dig at the quality of these single-player experiences. IE: by being 'bold and brassy', these titles pale in the realm of quality compared to quieter, more thoughtful titles (like, say, Portal). Steve Danuser, better known as Moorgard, concurs with his assessment. He notes that Massive games in particular are arguments for broader, more varied experiences. While I'm obviously a fan of Massive titles - and very much agree that the breadth of content you can cram into them is one of their strengths - I can't help but think they're missing the point here a bit. I'm willing to agree, generally, with Raph's argument that truly single-player games will eventually be extinct. There's absolutely no reason that BioShock or Mass Effect couldn't have some sort of shared-world or co-op component (CoD4 and Halo 3 already do).That said, I bristle a bit at the notion that the big releases of 2007 have no nuance. Several of these titles, as with MMOs, have enough breadth to allow for more than just one activity. While 'shoot things' is the marquee entertainment in Mass Effect and 'stab people' is the main draw for Assassin's Creed, both have other activities in them; certainly Raph isn't going to sit there with a straight face and say the storytelling in Mass Effect is completely without nuance? Even BioShock, which is fundamentally a shooter, offers moments of quieter contemplation. I found the storytelling-via-voice-logs extremely effective, and made it a point to search out and listen to as many as I could. Where do you fall here? Are console-oriented single-player titles too much flash for you, or do you see possibilities in Rapture's destroyed beauty?
Best of the Rest: James' Picks of 2007
Pac-Man Championship Edition (XBLA) If not worthy of a Top 10 spot, then certainly Pac-Man deserves Joystiq's 'Comeback Player of the Year' award. I covered Pac-Man CE's overblown launch in early June, but it wasn't until I became a devoted player at home that I realized the sheer genius of the first true Pac-Man sequel since 'the Ms.' hit the maze in '82. Designer Toru Iwatani managed to scrape off a quarter-century of rust and fashion a remarkably relevant game that held me down during an otherwise punishing summer drought. Geometry Wars might be the most celebrated, but Pac-Man CE is Xbox Live Arcade's true star.
Joystiq's Top 10 of 2007: Assassin's Creed
Ubisoft's hugely anticipated bump-off sim created quite the controversy, though oddly not for the stylish and quite visceral violence it so gleefully inflicted upon authority figures. Instead, Assassin's Creed (or Assassin's Crud, depending on who you ask) divided critics, with some being utterly engaged by the game's unique setting and others thinking the same environment to be remarkably empty. Count us among the former, as we've yet to see a bigger, more lavishly detailed and immersive world than the one dashed through, clambered up and vaulted over in Assassin's Creed. The game's greatest design flaw may be that it's a bit too open-ended for its own good, refusing to overtly reward or punish players for behaving in a specific way. If you wish, you can spend a lovely afternoon playing Maniacal Guard Killer's Creed instead, carrying out your missions with all the stealthy maneuvering of a grand piano rolling down an escalator. Would it have been wiser for Ubisoft to beat you over the head every time you set off a medieval alarm and otherwise played the game "wrong?" Perhaps... but isn't the point of open-ended gameplay to let you choose your own path? In many ways, Assassin's Creed is more of a role-playing game than most of the titles officially labeling themselves as such. When you play as Altair -- really play as him, as an assassin -- and measure failure according to your own actions and not what a Fission Mailed screen tells you, the game's intricate world becomes inescapably engaging. Learn about your target, plan your attack and revel in the absolutely thrilling chase that follows your murderous deed. Though the game's overall structure may seem repetitive in the face of such a believable world, the true magic in Assassin's Creed lies not in what you do, but how you do it. %Gallery-12473% Chief among our choices ->
Pickup Assassin's Creed or CoD4 for $38
Need a super-duper last minute gift for a family member, friend or yourself? If so, swing by your local Best Buy store and for $38 you can grab a copy of Assassin's Creed or Call of Duty 4. And we think we can all agree that $38 for one of these two superb games is a pretty fine deal. Also, if by chance Best Buy slaps a "sold out" sign on either of these titles, don't get worked up into a tizzy. We're sure Circuit City or any other kind-hearted retailer would be willing to do a price match. Hurry, this deal and your holiday shopping time is going fast ... HURRY![Thanks, Goda7h3r]Read - Assassin's Creed for the cheapRead - Call of Duty 4 for the cheap
Assassin's Creed to save Ubisoft from EA?
Considering all the industry shakeups this year, it's refreshing to see a company potentially fend off acquisition by a bigger fish. Enter the often mentioned plot of Electronic Arts gobbling up Ubisoft. Apparently, that task has been made much more difficult, and it's all thanks to Assassin's Creed. You may recall that Ubisoft recently announced that the game managed to sell 2.5 million copies worldwide. It seems that this sales push has upped Ubisoft's market value to 4.3 billion dollars. The upshot of all this is that Ubisoft may now be too expensive for EA. With two ton gorillas seemingly forming all around them, EA is sure to be feeling the pressure of no longer being on top. The industry is watching with bated breath to see what happens next.Read - Ubisoft's assassin and the creed of creative defence (registration required)[Via Joystiq]
