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Ubisoft moves 1 million Imagine unitz
Ubisoft is adding on to its enormous acquisition war chest, and the Imagine series is bringing the duckets: The company just hit the 1 million mark on its casual series for 2008 in the UK. Speaking with CasualGaming.biz, Ubisoft group brand manager Sgt. Mark Slaughter said, "The Imagine series and the broader Games For Everyone portfolio now represent a significant part of Ubisoft's business." That makes a lot of sense, considering the company sold nearly 300k "unitz" of Imagine titles in just the four weeks leading up to Christmas (with Imagine Teacher and Imagine Dream Weddings heading up the sales spike, obviously). Who knows what'll happen when blockbuster Imagine "gamez" like Imagine Fashion Designer New York make it to Europe? Ubisoft uber alles!UPDATE: We contacted Ubisoft, but the company couldn't confirm Mr. Slaughter's 1 million units number, instead telling us the series has sold over 8 million 11 million units worldwide. Michael French, Editor-in-Chief of CasualGaming.biz did, however, confirm Mr. Slaughter's number, saying, "This is a UK only figure." [image]
GC 2008: Ubisoft's Jake Power to target young boys
Gosh, now we've made him sound like a kidnapper. Jake Power -- who we imagine to be Jack Bauer for kids and hard-of-hearing adults -- is a new brand of games for the Nintendo DS. Fitting neatly into Ubisoft's "Games for Everyone" range, the titles have been created for "boys ages five to eight years" and promise to indulge the men-in-progress with three "dream jobs," namely "Policeman," "Fire-Fighter" and "Handyman."Wait a minute ... Handyman? Seriously, Ubisoft, this is 2008. We all know every young boy dreams of being a totally awesome, professional blogger one day! Who wouldn't want to sit around in their underwear, caressing nothing but a keyboard and a small tuft of distinguishing chin hair? Who wouldn't want to churn out snarky video game commentary, even if it comes at the expense of any tangible human connections? So what if there's no money or meaningful reward in it? It's not like you're throwing your life into a bottomless pit of aggressive anti-socialism and repetitive self-deprecating humor ... Just leave us alone, okay?!Also, the Jake (and Sam and Tim) Power Fire-Fighter and Policeman games are due in North America in November 2008, with Handyman (freakin' Handyman!) following in early 2009.%Gallery-30090%
Ubisoft to develop games for iPhone, iPod Touch
Touchy-feely casual game news now, with Ubisoft revealing plans to bring its Games for Everyone range to everyone who has an iPhone or an iPod Touch. In an interview with CasualGaming.biz, Games For Everyone executive producer, Pauline Jacquey, explained that Ubisoft wanted to target a wider range of platforms, including those used for listening to music or yapping with friends. "We don't want to keep it too narrow," said Jacquey. "We'll be making games not only on PC, PS3 and 360, but on iPhone and iPod touch as well. When it comes to the mobile industry, Ubisoft sister company Gameloft looks after that and I'm not in charge of it. They will be borrowing more from the Games For Everyone range."She neglects to mention which games or brands we can expect to be iPhoned in, but an informed gamer will tell you that they'll probably have titles ending in "z." You know, Dogz, Hamsterz, Beyond Good & Evilz ... those types of thingz.
Wii holographic projector spotted in illusory Ubisoft trailer
OMGZ TEH FINAL SECRET!!1 Ubisoft seems to be having some fun in this closing segment of its "Games For Everyone" trailer -- perhaps at the expense of the ardent fanboy -- by featuring a Pinocchio-esque hologram manipulated by Wiimotes (or controllers that certainly imply "Wii Remote"). Despite 'the final secret' being shot down just before Wii's launch, hope remains and memories linger, if merely in the form of a spoofing advertisement that plays on Miyamoto's cryptic vision: "I've always thought that games would eventually break free of the confines of a TV screen to fill an entire room. But I would rather not say anything more about that."The full Games For Everyone trailer (embedded below) reveals a series of whimsical scenes, which are, quite obviously, not to be taken literally. Jam Sessions won't actually make you a rock god with creation powers; just like My Life Coach won't spawn a breathing stick figure. And, no, Horsez won't come bundled with a four-legged subway companion. But what of this final scene that isn't directly tied to a specific product? Is it a symbolic representation of the Games For Everyone brand -- or a glimpse at the future? Either way, it may help to get the buzz going; at least, enough to give Ubisoft the boost it needs to ensure that this relatively late venture into the cluttered casual games market is not in vain.
