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Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora's adventurous spirit might just win you over
After a two-hour demo, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is showing a lot of promise. Ubisoft's upcoming game seems like a solid expansion of James Cameron's films
Ubisoft delays 'Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora' to 2023 or 2024
Ubisoft has delayed the release of its 'Avatar' game to at least 2023.
Ubisoft's Avatar game will arrive in 2022
Ubisoft has revealed that 'Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora' will release in 2022, and it won't be available for last-gen consoles.
Ubisoft is making an open-world Star Wars game
Ubisoft is creating an open-world Star Wars game — the first franchise game in several years that doesn't come from EA.
'The Division 2' players can soon fight their way up a 100-floor building
This might be as close as we ever get to a video game version of 'The Raid.'
The first 'Division 2’ eight-person raid is delayed until May
Developer Massive Entertainment and publisher Ubisoft had planned to release a major update for The Division 2 next week, bringing with it the game's first eight-person raid, called Operation Dark Hours. However, Massive wants a little more time to fine-tune the game and make sure the experience is as enjoyable as possible. As such, it's delaying the update until sometime in May.
The Division shoots for realistic weapons from Tom Clancy studio
Rainbow Six studio Red Storm is helping Ubisoft's Swedish house Massive Entertainment and UK studio Ubisoft Reflections with development of The Division, the open-world Tom Clancy game due out in 2014. Mainly, Red Storm's help comes in the form of realistic weaponry. "I, personally, have been doing it for about six years now," Red Storm Lead Weapons Designer JD Cragg says in an Ubisoft blog post. "One of the guys on my team has been doing it for almost nine. This is pretty much all I do – authentic military weapons, vehicles and that sort of thing." Red Storm is focusing on the weapons artwork, and it has an in-house authenticity department and connections with the local military. The studio has "tens of thousands of photos" of broken-down firearms. "We've had manufacturers come in and literally disassemble the entire weapon all the way down to the nuts and bolts, and our guys are taking hi-res photos of those things," Red Storm Producer Tony Sturtzel says. "We probably have unparalleled access to these types of things because of our authenticity department and their focus on relationships. We're not ever gonna let the cat out of the bag on some of the relationships we have." The Division is due out in 2014 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One, though that release window is reported to be "laughable," according to a Massive Entertainment team member. [Image: Ubisoft]
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Tom Clancy's The Division 'never goes offline' during development
Ubisoft is currently promoting the visual and practical strengths of its "Snowdrop" engine, an always-on real-time development toolset built for Tom Clancy's The Division. Given the primary audience attending the Game Developers Conference, Ubisoft is focusing more on the engine than the post-apocalyptic nitty gritty of the game itself, which is being made for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. With The Division's progress and 2014 release being questioned in recent rumors, though, I asked Ubi-owned developer Massive Entertainment for some clarity on how it's being built. According to Rodrigo Cortes, Massive's Brand Art Director, "game and technology is the same," and it "never goes offline."
Ubisoft Reflections involved with The Division development
The Division, the third-person, open-world shooter set in a Tom Clancy universe, is in co-development by Massive Entertainment and Driver: San Francisco developer Ubisoft Reflections. Develop reported the partnership from an interview with Reflections' Managing Director, Pauline Jacquey. Jacquey estimated that "about 40 percent" of Reflections is currently working on The Division, adding that the team is involved with "all of the game's systems: main characters, enemies, RPG pillars, building Manhattan, online components and so on." Jacquey added that Reflections started working on The Division a few months ago. The partnership reveal follows last month's rumor that development "has barely started" on The Division, with the same source describing a 2014 release date as "laughable." [Image: Ubisoft]
The Division also exploring snowy urban landscapes on PC
Tom Clancy's The Division was originally revealed for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One during this year's E3, but Ubisoft has announced that it will also bring its dystopian floating user interfaces to PC. Ubisoft's disclosure of the PC port makes no mention of how its release relates timewise to the console versions, which are slated for late 2014. Meanwhile, the game's latest trailer shows off its asymmetrical multiplayer, wherein helpful tablet user "Chloe" assists her console-using friend by tapping on baddies and shooting missiles from helicopters.
The Division announced, is an online, open-world Tom Clancy RPG [update: 2014, trailers]
Massive Entertainment is bringing The Division, an online open-world RPG set in the Tom Clancy universe, to the Xbox One and PS4. Ubisoft unveiled the game at its E3 conference. The setting is New York, in a world three weeks deep into a global pandemic which began on Black Friday. Players take on the role of 'The Division,' a group of "self-supported tactical agents." A gameplay video showed a player in third-person view co-operating with other agents to infiltrate and secure a police station, and then loot its armory, before suddenly entering into a standoff with other players. Update: A press release reveals The Division is due next year. Also, we've got both the announcement trailer (above) and gameplay demo (below the break).
Far Cry 3 free PS3-exclusive 'High Tides' DLC lands January 15
Free 'High Tides' co-op content for Far Cry 3 is washing up on PlayStation Network shores on Tuesday, January 15. The PS3-exclusive DLC includes two chapters, Jailbreak and Redemption, that tell the epilogue of the game's co-op campaign.Multiplayer-focused developer Massive Entertainment says High Tides features the "final moments" of the co-op campaign's quartet and their adventure on the island. Going by the description of "tougher fights," "bigger competitions," and "explosive moments unlike anything you've seen before," we suspect it won't chronicle a long day of struggling to nap on a rock-solid airport couch, which is how our island adventures usually end.
Ubisoft's Massive subsidiary working on AAA MMO
Ubisoft is working on a AAA MMO according to the internet sleuths at PlayStation Lifestyle. The site unearthed a mention of the top secret project in the LinkedIn profile of Massive Entertainment's Marc Cartwright as well as a call out for a lead level designer on Massive's own website. No platform details have been forthcoming, nor has any mention of an IP, setting, or general subject matter. Fan speculation has centered on Ubisoft's uber-successful Assassin's Creed franchise as well as new critical darling (and Massive project) Far Cry 3.
Free Far Cry 3 'High Tides' co-op DLC reaches PS3's shores in January
Two additional Far Cry 3 co-op chapters will be available for download on PS3 starting in January and you won't even have to break out the metal detector. Titled Jailbreak and Redemption, these free DLC chapters will be exclusive to Sony's platform and document events following the conclusion of the co-op campaign.Over on the PlayStation Blog, Meghan Watt from multiplayer side developer Massive Entertainment describes these additional chapters as "the final moments" of the four co-op campaign survivors. So a lot of lounging around and sipping on cocktails inside of coconuts? That's how we'd spend our "final moments" on a tropical island.
Massive co-founder worries effects of PS3 piracy could be worse than handhelds' plight
Wondering why there's such a hullabaloo over that PS3 security breach? According to Martin Walfisz, who co-founded Massive Entertainment (but left the company shortly after its purchase by Ubisoft to focus on development of new DRM strategies), it's because it's the end of the world. Well, okay, maybe it's not that bad -- but Walfisz paints a pretty grim picture for Sony, telling GamesIndustry.biz, "If that hack works as reported, I don't believe that Sony can regain any control." Walfisz predicts that Sony could employ a system similar to Microsoft's anti-piracy measures through Xbox Live, blocking hacked PS3s from connecting to the PlayStation Network; though if the hack works as reported, and doesn't require a mod chip to function, Walfisz worries Sony won't be able to detect which users are playing pirated games -- though Sony claims it can and will shut down "jailbroken" consoles. What's worse, Walfisz adds, "I would assume that pirated copies can be stored on the HDD as well, making it so easy to use that PS3 piracy, given time, might even surpass the handhelds." Piracy is pernicious enough on exposed systems, but super convenient piracy? Yikes.
Ubisoft's 'Massive' studio 'teaming up' on an Assassin's Creed project
Back in 2008, Ubisoft picked up Massive Entertainment, along with the rights to the studio's acclaimed World in Conflict series. Shortly afterward, the studio's founder departed and that was the last we heard of the studio ... until today. Ubisoft's official Twitter account revealed that the Swedish studio is "teaming up on a project for Assassin's Creed." A new Assassin's Creed game is due next year, despite the objections of some -- could Massive be working on that? Are they working on the upcoming 3DS game, Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy? Job openings on Ubisoft's employment site suggest an MMORPG is currently in development at Massive, but there really aren't any other details to go on at this time. We've followed up with Ubisoft for comment.
Massive founder's new company making MMO quiz game
Massive Entertainment founder Martin Walfisz, who left the World in Conflict developer following its absorption into the Ubisphere, has given Joystiq details of his new company's first project -- something that is designed to be, yes, massive entertainment. His company, Planeto, announced a new "Massively Multiplayer Online Quiz Game" called Planeto Quiz, which is currently in closed beta. Combining aspects of WoW with basic quiz games, Planeto Quiz allows players to level up an avatar and earn items through successful performance in quizzes. Items will affect probability of certain kinds of questions or affect awards for correct answers, and other status effects. The free-to-play game is planned for the web, mobile platforms and game consoles, and will support not just its own accounts, but Facebook, MySpace, Google, and OpenID logins as well -- the idea seems to be making the game as accessible as possible. "In our game there is no need to run around wielding a sword and killing orcs," Walfisz said. "World of Warcraft and similar games are great fun but mainly cater to a niche audience interested in fantasy role-playing. Planeto Quiz gives our players the same depth, but in a much more accessible and inclusive environment." [Screen via ArcticStartup]
Massive founder leaves four months after Ubisoft purchase [update]
Martin Walfisz, founder of Massive Entertainment, has left the studio, according to Ubisoft. GI.biz reports that the publisher confirmed the information and stated it was "saddened," wishing Walfisz all the best in his future projects. No explanation was given for the departure. Ubisoft picked up the company last November after Activision Blizzard was no longer interested in the studio, known for RTS titles World in Conflict and Ground Control. There's no word yet as to what Walfisz is doing next but, if he's staying in the game space, he's run a successful studio for over ten years with 120 employees -- that's got to look good on paper to someone out there. Update: We received a statement from Martin Walfisz. We've placed it after the break.
Ubisoft cans World in Conflict's console release plans
Ubisoft has informed IGN that it has no plans to release World in Conflict: Soviet Assault to any console platform this month or anytime in the future. The PC version remains unaffected and will see a release later this month.Soviet Assault's Xbox 360 and PS3 cancellation may be surprising for some, but for us, we questioned the project's console plans as of late. After the big Vivendi / Activision merger, Massive Entertainment's recent history and Soviet Assault's early delay, we knew something was up. We call it "game-cancellation-intuition." Not very catchy, we know.
H.A.W.X. to set foundation for eventual Tom Clancy MMO?
Ever since Ubisoft purchased the Tom Clancy property we've known that an MMO was in the works. Now, with news that the Clancy teams all talking amongst one another in order to work towards a cohesive world, we've got a little more information on how it's all going to happen. The whole cohesive deal is apparently starting with the "extreme" sounding H.A.W.X., but would ideally continue into other titles. On top of that Ubisoft acquired Massive Entertainment last November, who are best known for creating World in Conflict.So how does all this fit together? Well, Ubisoft is most definitely interested in enterting the MMO space. They wasted no time in tapping Massive Entertainment for MMO projects, and these guys certainly have experience with Clancy-like worlds thanks to their time spent on developing World in Conflict. The whole affair has us just oozing with intrigue about what's in the works for the near and slightly-less-so future.
