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Console CryEngine 2 will be shown at GDC; console Crysis still not confirmed
According to CVG, Crytek will unveil a cross-platform version of its CryEngine 2 at next month's Game Developers Conference. The CryEngine 2 is best known for making PCs across the planet chug in pain attempting to run Crysis at high settings; this new cross-platform engine will be unveiled running on the Xbox 360 and PS3, but no word on what game will be shown. Crytek will also show off "how well the fully optimized" engine runs on a PC costing around $600.Although the implication of this news is that Crysis is making its way to consoles after a less-than-stellar PC performance, the latest rumors talk about a Crysis 1.5 for PS3. This would be very similar to what Crytek already did when its first game Far Cry was altered for consoles.
Travel channel's Bourdain hits EA Vancouver studio, lands role in Boll's Far Cry
Anthony Bourdain is probably the flyest guy you've never heard of -- he's a life long student of the culinary arts, star of the popular show "No Reservations" on the unpopular Travel Channel, and is smarter and better-traveled than a handful of Ernest Hemingways. On top of a stack of best selling books and a successful culinary career, Bourdain now has a few more feats to tack on to his resume following his show's recent trip to Vancouver -- he's a special guest in EA Sports' FIFA Street 3, and and extra in Uwe Boll's next box office train wreck, "Far Cry".Yes, during his trip to the Great White North, Bourdain not only had the opportunity to have a (hideous) character modeled after him at EA Vancouver's swanky headquarters, he also got to drop by the Far Cry set (check it out after the jump), where it seems he received a fairly cold reception from Boll. That's okay, though -- before taking the stage as "Dr. Gets Shot in the Chest", Bourdain added his own commentary about Boll's burgeoning career -- "Perhaps you know his work from such films as 'House of the Dead' and 'Bloodrayne'.""And then," he says with a smug grin, "maybe not."
FarCry, Prince of Persia, Rabbids, Ghost Recon for free on PC
ShackNews leads us to free ad-supported PC games for this lazy holiday in the US. You'll be able to play full versions of FarCry, Raving Rabbids, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and Ghost Recon, though you'll need a US Ubi.com account to install the games. We aren't aware if the ads are just in loading screens, or if you'll find empty McDonald's fry boxes washed up on FarCry's pristine shores. Here are the links: Far Cry full game Rayman Raving Rabbids Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Ghost Recon Non-Ubisoft bonus: Command & Conquer Gold Just remember to take it easy on this ironically named holiday. The only thing that should be working today are your thumbs and trigger fingers for console gamers, and general hand stuff for PC gamers.
PAX 07: The Far Cry 2 public demo
They inform us that there will be no visual or audio recording during the FarCry 2 demo. Developer Clint Hocking is on the stage, having flown to Seattle from Leipzig for this one, single demo. They've reserved the first two rows for press, eager to ensure their forfeiture of sleep doesn't go unrewarded. The screen is showing a Windows desktop with a big, shiny FarCry 2 logo. Carolyn Carnes opens up, reminding us there is no recording equipment (OR ELSE!), asking us to turn our cellphones off, reminding us this is a pre-alpha (read: if something goes wrong, it's early!) and of course, they won't be able to answer everything during the Q&A session. They gave a limited demonstration of the game at Leipzig, but this will be the definitive unveiling of the game. She intros Clint, notes he was the lead developer of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (someone yells out, "Oh yeahhhh!") and creative director of the FarCry 2 project. He's been on the project for over 2 years now, starting with a small team of eight guys working to determine how to make a sequel worthy of the original. They went into production three months ago and "aren't even alpha." They're targeting first quarter 2008. The demo, due to a technological circumstance, will be run in an unfortunately low 800x600 whereas the game has been running for them at 1600x1050, 30fps. The good news: the frame rate should be great.
More freedom with EA, says Crysis developer
If you envision "freedom" as clear skies and sparkling oceans, you're probably not a game developer. If you were, you'd think of it as an enormous pile of money meant to fund your DirectX 10 rendering of said clear skies, sparkling oceans and a freak in a cybersuit prancing by. CEO of Crytek, currently hard at work on tropical first-person shooter Crysis, told GamesIndustry.Biz that having the game published by EA has presented several advantages compared to Ubisoft, which handled that other tropical first-person shooter, Far Cry. "Everything's just bigger. From a business point of view, we have more support from EA and superior distribution and marketing power behind us, more freedom," said Cevat Yerli. "We can dictate more, and at the same time we can ask for more support. [EA delivers] more, because we both want this to be the best game." Yerli admits that even though Far Cry development got a bit weepy ("There were too many emotions involved back then, it was very passionate..."), he's still grateful for Ubisoft's involvement in getting the developer noticed. "But despite the fact it was rough at the end, I would like to say big thanks to Ubisoft and Yves Guillemot for taking the risk with us. If they hadn't done it, we would never have survived."Who knows? Perhaps Yerli will run into his old pals again if EA keeps on nibbling at Ubisoft.
Ubisoft announces Far Cry 2
Ubisoft has officially announced a sequel to 2004's tropical and somewhat topical first-person shooter, Far Cry. Praised for its luscious visuals, large environments and merciless pig slaughter, the PC game eventually made its way to consoles in confusingly titled spin-offs such as Far Cry Instincts Predator and Far Cry Instincts Evolution. We think there may be some colons in there too.Simply entitled Far Cry 2, the new addition to the franchise is being developed for PC by Ubisoft's Montreal studio (original developer Crytek is currently pouring tears into Crysis) and is scheduled for a Spring 2008 release on PC. Aside from the above logo, apparently dragged behind Ubisoft's car before it was uploaded, no further images relating to the sequel have surfaced. Expect loads of jungles, obnoxious henchman and distant weeping.
Ubisoft on Ubiports: 'We made mistakes'
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, speaking to Spiegel magazine, candidly (yet indirectly) revealed that he believed that some of his company's Wii releases were less than perfect. No, not Red Steel. Guillemot was referring to the spate of ports that Ubisoft released to fill out their lineup.Regarding the hasty ports (games such as Prince of Persia: Rival Swords, Far Cry: Vengeance, and Monster 4x4 World Circuit), Guillemot said that "We made mistakes." Ubisoft admitting to overporting? Between this and weird releases like My Word Coach, Ubi seems like a whole new company!
Prince of Persia's Wii Waggle-Tech Demonstrated
Ubisoft, intent on continuing their new tradition of shoehorning just about every intellectual property they can muster onto the Wii, has created a video demonstrating Prince of Persia: Rival Swords' use of the Wii controls. In an interview with Ubisoft concerning the project ("intuitive" word count: 2), producer Ben Mattes gushed with excitement, saying "I've spent a lot of time playing [Prince of Persia] games over the last few years, and Rival Swords for the Wii is by far my favorite."The demonstration itself is a montage of in-game clips, accompanied by haunted Wii controllers jiggling about the footage. I suppose we'll just have to wait until the games release in March to get a sense of just how well it plays as waggling the controller in place of the Two Thrones control scheme (the game in which this is based on) doesn't exactly instill us with confidence. Ben seems fairly stoked about it, but Splinter Cell and Far Cry has us a bit more cautious towards Ubisoft's non-original offerings for the Wii.
Rumorang: Crysis game for Xbox 360, not PC port
Xboxic reports that an unnamed developer, speaking to 1UP, has revealed details about a Crysis game headed to Xbox 360. Allegedly, the console version will not be a direct port of the PC title that's currently in development. Like Far Cry before it, Crysis will be stripped down for its console debut.The Xbox 360 version will supposedly incorporate similar story elements to its PC brethren, but will feature different gameplay aspects (physics, environments, etc.) that better utilize 360's DirectX 9 technology (the PC version is being built using DirectX 10). Expect full details if and when Crytek finally (and officially) announces this much-anticipated console installment of its high-profile franchise.See also: Crytek says 360 and PS3 can't handle Crysis Crytek revises claim: Crysis could be ported
Far Cry trailer reveals new enemy
In the latest promotional trailer for Far Cry Vengeance, a new inhabitant of the island, and enemy to Jack Carver, is revealed. Frankly, we're absolutely frightened of this new enemy and anxiously await your input.
WRUP: looking for those Elebits edition
With a couple of notable releases this week, our pick of the litter obviously goes to Elebits. That's what we're planning on playing, but what about you guys? More interested in Far Cry or perhaps Metal Slug Anthology? Or are you still hung up in Zelda or another game? Or do you, in fact, plan on doing as we are and hunting down all of those little creatures, trashing houses in the process of doing so? Past posts: What were you playing?
First impressions of Far Cry Vengeance
IGN has gotten their grubby little mitts on a final build of Far Cry Vengeance, which is due to release on December 5th, at Ubisoft's San Franciscan offices and they seem to have thoroughly enjoyed what they played. The game, more or less, is an expansion to the expansion that was Far Cry Instincts: Predator, including a new adventure, 3 new maps and weapons, plus characters. What IGN was most suspicious about, and in the end most impressed with, is the control setup. They wondered if the game would play well, having taken part in some forgettable gameplay segments in the console's other FPS offerings of Call of Duty 3 and Red Steel. They also tell of how pressing the A button will steady the screen, allowing the player to aim within the confines of the immediate screen and not worry about turning the Jack's head, which they admit is a small change, however it impacts the gameplay in a big way.[Thanks elbono!]
Merc-Y needs your help
So you've decided to adopt. Society applauds you for selflessly taking on the responsibility of caring for a child, dog, cat, fish or any other member of the kingdom Animalia. If you're like us and responsibility is not your cup of tea, Ubisoft is your man. Adopting something that involves guns, astrological signs, lederhosen and costs nothing sounds like the porridge for us. Through the program Merc-Y, you can help bring love and care to a mercenary in need. These mercenaries are no ordinary mercs. They are those that must face destruction when crossing in Far Cry: Vengeance protagonist Jack Carver's path. Armed with Wiimote and nunchuk, Jack spares no one and these mercs tremble in fear. How you can help is simple. A nice letter and packaged goods sent from the heart will do. Forget hand grenades and ammunition! What they need from you is a box complete with a stuffed animal, sunscreen, romance novels (for those lonely moments), fancy drinking water and fake-nose glasses. Now that's what we call war equipment. Our adopted mercenary is a simple, 26-year-old man with love for his mother, hang gliding and bubblegum. His turn-ons are gunfights, yellow cake and good listeners. We know what you are thinking and don't worry -- when it comes to boxers or briefs, he goes commando. It makes us wonder if Ubisoft is trying to reach out to the softer, more nurturing side of gamers by making us feel bad for someone who chooses to put their life in danger. Or, they could be trying to coax the stereotypical female gamer into joining the "boys" in a few rounds of simulated violence, and, hopefully, commerce. Or, we could be reading too far into a joke. [Thanks Jinx!]
Crytek revises claim: Crysis could be ported
During Leipzig, Crytek senior game designer Bernd Diemer claimed Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were too weak to handle Crysis. Now, slightly down the totem pole, Crytek lead artist Michael Khaimzon is saying he's confident that Crysis could be ported. "I don't think there would be any problem to convert anything we work on to the next-gen consoles," Khaimzon told GamesIndustry.biz, adding, "[but] I don't know of any official plans to do so" (besides these).Forget Khaimzon's wishy-washy "don't know of any official plans" garble; EA, the publisher, doesn't want this to be a PC-only franchise. Crysis will wind up on 360 and PS3 (and probably Wii too), in one form or another, within a year. Just look at what's happened to Far Cry. Ubisoft has pimped the franchise like a mo'fo. Think EA's gonna miss out on an equally ripe opportunity -- and fall to second place? Nah, ain't gonna happen.
Far Cry Vengeance designer speaks
We've suspected that Jack Carver would make a showing on the Wii for some time now and it was no surprise when Ubisoft finally gave up and admitted it was happening. Turns out IGN managed to interview the Wii version's designer, Fabrice Cuny, and extrapolate several details on the game as well as a slew of screens. This isn't just Far Cry Evolutions Predator with a new coat of paint, however, as Cuny is quick to explain that Vengeance will feature a new storyline, maps, and weapons.Of the new maps, 3 were mentioned as Tourist Resort, which is a hotel setting, an abandoned WWII base, and a fuel refinery. The new weapons that players will be able to wield in these environments are a machete, a Bull44 revolver, G18 automatic rifle, and more that Cuny would not reveal. Also, it is confirmed that Far Cry Vengeance will able to run in 16:9 and progressive scan.Head on over to IGN and check out the new screens.
Ubisoft takes a leak, reveals new titles
The NeoGAF forums exploded when an archive of assets from Ubisoft was stolen and leaked. The game of most significance for PSP owners has to be FarCry, a first person shooter that's been seen on the PC, Xbox and Xbox 360 (with a Wii version coming).Other games featured in the leak included a new Splinter Cell (before Double Agent even makes it into stores!) and Ubisoft's upcoming Naruto game.[Thanks, steve!]
Crysis direct-feed GDC trailer: it's hot
Folks expecting a prettier version of Far Cry with CryTek's new Cry Engine 2 can now gape in awe at what's possible with Crysis, the company's next-gen shooter for EA. No more off-screen video recordings for us!If nothing's changed about the FPS gameplay presented, we can look forward to some of the most realistically rendered in-game foliage ever, as well as a buggy boss who will most likely make another appearance at E3. Who wouldn't want to get Lost in that kind of tropical environment?[Thanks, Phil and alvin; smaller HD versions in WMV and QT over here]See also: Crysis for EA: good for Crytek? Behold: CryTek's Crysis Windows Vista delayed until 2007... taking Halo 2 with it? Rumor: game based on TV's Lost this fall for consoles
Far Cry 1.5 headed to Xbox
Following up on last week's revelation that Far Cry Instincts might be headed for the Xbox 360 comes a similar revelation: day and date with the 360 release, the original Xbox will receive an updated version dubbed Far Cry 1.5 or, as a reader of GamersReports suggests, the Ubisoft Montreal produced Far Cry X. This comes via a Gamestop product list, a notoriously unreliable source of accurate information. Are these two games the same with some wrong tagging on Gamestop's site or two separate games extending the Far Cry franchise? If the latter, will it at least be backwards compatible?[Thanks, alvin]
