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Ubisoft's Reflections studio nominated for Innovation Award, now hiring
Ubisoft's Reflections studio, the developers of Driver: San Francisco, Just Dance 3, and currently working on Far Cry 3, has been nominated for an Innovation Award by the UK's Royal Television Society of the North East, spotlighting "exceptional contributions to technological and production innovations." In other words, they produce games real good, ya hear?The awards will be handed out on Saturday in a ceremony at Newcastle upon Tyne in Northeast England. Reflections also tells Joystiq that the company is growing and hiring at the moment, so if you want to make games and live in the UK (or are willing to move there), there might be an opening for you.
PC version of Driver: San Francisco needs permanent internet connection
No matter how quickly and adeptly you control your vehicle in the PC version of Driver: San Francisco, there's one thing you won't be able to get away from: the internet. In a brief missive on the Driver Twitter account, an Ubisoft rep confirmed that the "PC version requires permanent internet connection." Ubisoft previously used this DRM scheme for high-profile games, but has since loosened the restriction for many releases. Not this one! The console versions have a different online scheme: they'll be the first Ubisoft releases to use the "Uplay Passport," a one-time-use code included with new copies that unlocks multiplayer access.
Driver comic series debuting at Comic-Con
With all of the comic book news lately, you'd think Comic-Con was right around the ... oh. Well, Ubisoft has another comic book based on one of its properties ready to roll out at this week's event, this one based on the upcoming Driver: San Francisco. Unlike its Assassin's Creed book, which will just be shown and discussed at a panel, issue 0 of Driver will be given away at the booths of Ubisoft and DC Comics (under whose WildStorm imprint it's being published). The series -- no word yet about its planned duration -- is being written by Stray Bullets scribe David Lapham and Illustrated by Greg Scott (Gotham Central). Its covers artist is Mark "Jock" Simpson, who's probably best known as co-creator of The Losers, a comic which was adapted into a motion picture released back in April. Jock will be signing copies of issue 0 tomorrow through Saturday. We've got the whens and wheres for you -- along with super-sized cover images, in case you can't make it -- just after the break.
Braking: Ubisoft's new Driver teased in video
Ubisoft has released a teaser video and a countdown site for its relaunch of the Driver series (the last title of which was released back in the heady days of aught-seven). We knew that there would be a new Driver to see at E3, and the site's countdown lines up with 5 p.m. PDT next Monday, June 14, which happens to be the exact same time that Ubisoft is holding its pre-expo press conference. What are the odds? The trailer seems to hint at most of the mainstays of the series, including our old friend Tanner (who's been transplanted to California, apparently, and has become a 49ers fan), rip-roaring muscle cars and the old "garage stunts checklist" that players had to pull off back when the series started. The site also links to a Facebook page, where you can "discover the driver's identity" (wait, didn't they just show it in the video?) by clicking the "Like" button. So if Ubisoft's goal was to get Driver fans intrigued, it's probably working. We'll light the fires and kick the tires on the game in about a week.
Atari says Driv3r was half baked
Finally, a video game exec who isn't afraid to say the truth for once. Games Radar is quoting Atari's sales and marketing vice president, Nique Fajors, as saying at a company press event that the Driv3r franchise was nothing more than "a half-baked product that was pushed out the door for revenue reasons." That's what we like to hear. Give us the truth. We all know half of the games that are released every year are nothing more than a quick money grab -- yeah, we're looking at you movie licensed games -- so it's nice to hear someone in the biz actually admit to it. Fajors seems to reflect a new attitude at Atari, which is hoping to turn around its financial woes as of late. He says the company "will be putting a stronger emphasis on quality control and so will be hiring teams who feel 'disgust with losing and disgust with being mediocre.'"
Ubisoft acquires the Driver franchise
Ubisoft announced yesterday that it will acquire the Driver franchise from Atari. The deal includes rights to the Driver franchise as well as most of the assets and all personnel from Reflections Interactive Limited, developer of the series. The acquisition will cost Ubisoft 19 million Euro ($24 million) and is expected to close in Ubisoft's second quarter this year. Yves Guillemot, Ceo of Ubisoft, said of the deal:"We are thrilled with this acquisition which will allow us to add a prestigious title to our catalog and to enter into the driving games segment, one of the most important segments in the gaming industry. With more than 14 million units sold throughout the world, Driver is one of the most successful brands in the history of video games. We look forward to leveraging the unique knowledge of the Ubisoft studios to ensure that Driver will be one of the leading brands of the next generation of consoles."Ubisoft getting their hands on Driver is big news. Hopefully the house of great titles like Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, and the upcoming Assassin's Creed can breathe some new life into the ailing franchise. Exciting, non?
Driv3r heading to GBA
Driver 3, or Driv3r as the hip young cats are calling it, was a bit of a debacle. The scandal over reviews being biased so exclusives could be claimed. The mediocre quality of the game. In short, it was a bit of a dogs breakfast. Not content to leave a rotting lemon where it lay, Infograme... Sorry, Atari, are now seeing fit to release Driv3r for the dear old Gameboy Advance. Needless to say, hardcore 3D graphics are not on the menu. The game could work well, though. Hope the put the multiplayer modes in. Could be fun. You can check the official site, if you're really bored, though a cursory glance reveals no GBA content.
DRIV3R head jumps ship
After the critical failure and review scandal surrounding Reflections Interactive's blockbuster-bust DRIV3R, Martin Edmondson, the company's founder and creative director, is calling it quits. What this means for the future of Reflections Interactive is unclear. But with a series of duds, next-gen prospects are doubtful.
Atari gets a tongue-lashing
Worthplaying has posted an editorial that blasts Atari for some questionable business practices. Apparently, word has gotten out that DRIV3R is about as fun as a papercut; and Atari has been working overtime to keep the word on the street from reaching consumers' ears. The opinion piece claims that Atari has placed a review embargo on the game, hoping they can fool a few more people into buying their bug-ridden product. It seems to us that they could have done a better job gagging the press, since there's already been a flood of bad reviews. The whole thing sounds like a real mess. Atari promised that DRIV3R would be a milestone game. They may be right, after all. But instead of being a great example of good unsavory fun, it will stand for the corrupt practices of the videogame cartel.
DRIV3R hits like a wet paper towel
That sure didn't take long. The game came out yesterday to high hopes and higher ad buys. Today DRIV3R is torn a new one. Gamepsot gives the title a mediocre (at best) score and proceeds to dissect the experience until it's just bloody pieces on the floor. The review attacks the AI, the bugs and the overall polish of the game. It must be so uncomfortable for a news/marketing venue like Gamespot to tout a game for a year, and then deliver a verdict like this. It must be even worse to work on a game for two years, and have it get a verdict like this. Well, the game looks good, for what it's worth.
DRIV3R is here. Hide your car.
Since Driv3r has been released to the masses you get one last chance to revel in the previews. The game certainly has the kind of voice talent that would make a great film, but how much that can add to the game's fun is questionable. You can have all the high-quality cutscenes and B-list actors you want, but if the joystick doesn't provide joy, then what's the point? The preview whets the appetite for well-rendered landscapes like Nice and Istanbul, which were studied by the design team in detail (90,000 pics shot during their research). Also of interest are the 70 vehicles available for your destruction. The last game in the series was a little too difficult for casual gamers (who were expecting a British Grand Theft Auto). It looks like the code word that those same gamers should look out for in this preview is "realistic." Who the hell wants realistic in a game? Reality is too hard. Soon everyone and their six year old cousin will have an opinion on the title. Relish in the joy of thinking that this could well be the best game ever made. Before the reviews go and ruin everything.
DRIV3R goes for a third spin around the block
If you liked Grand Theft Auto 3 and GTA: Vice City then you might want to give this one a look. The last Driver game was a bit on the tough side and apparently Atari isn't going to let up in the sequel. With realistic physics and a bunch of mini-games thrown in, DRIV3R might be just the game to tide you over until GTA: San Andreas Fault arrives this holiday season.