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The Crew delayed to mid-2014, at least [Update]
Ubisoft has delayed The Crew to launch in Q2 of fiscal year 2015, which runs from July 2014 to September 2014, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in an investor call today. It was originally scheduled to launch in early 2014. The Crew is Ubisoft's open-world racing game for next-gen systems. "Our long term goal is to win the next generation," Guillemot said in a press release. "The tough decisions we are taking today to fully realize the major potential of our new creations have an impact on our short-term performance. We are convinced that, longer term, they will prove to be the right decisions both in terms of satisfaction for our fans and in terms of value creation for our shareholders. We are building franchises that will become perennial pillars of Ubisoft's financial performance." Ubisoft also announced the delay of Watch Dogs today.
The Crew's creative director on RPG aspects and the open world
From the better-late-than-never department, VG247 has released a Gamescom-era video about UbiSoft's upcoming open world racer known as The Crew. There's plenty of gameplay footage on display, as well as commentary from creative director Julian Garrity that highlights the title's RPG aspects. "Of course we've got tons and tons of cars," Garrity explains, "but we really want people to be playing with one car and taking it everywhere." He mentions all sorts of tuning kits, individual parts, and even the ability to tear down and rebuild a vehicle in order to access and maximize specific components. The video also touches on the size, complexity, and detail of the gameworld. Driving across the U.S., Garrity says, will take between one and two hours of real time. The game's version of New York City is about the same size as Liberty City from the Grand Theft Auto series. There's much more info if you're interested, all of which is contained in the video after the cut.
PAX Prime 2013: Hands-on with The Crew
I originally learned about The Crew from friends rather than from gaming hype. "Ask them if we can walk around on foot!" they hounded me. They're all anticipating The Crew, and when I showed up to Ubisoft's PAX Prime booth earlier today, I realized they aren't alone: Hordes of people were lined up to play Ubisoft's MMO racer. Naturally, I decided to try my luck. But sorry, guys -- you can't walk around on foot.
The Crew encourages playing well with others
The Crew's emphasis on co-op will be worth more than just the feel-good vibes of teamwork. Extra XP, cash and car parts will be earned by those who team up. Players can help friends by dropping into challenges via the overworld map. The Crew will burn rubber on the PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
Coming soon to a console near you: MMOs
Remember E3 2013? That huge video games conference thing from earlier in the summer? Weeks have passed since Microsoft and Sony squared off in the Los Angeles convention center (while Nintendo posted up at Best Buy and Ouya sulked in the parking lot), but the news made there continues to reverberate through the games industry. One curious trend seems to have been missed amid the clashing of proverbial titans: There sure are a lot of MMOs and online-focused games due on consoles this generation. And since MMOs are the business of Massively, we thought it might be fun to compile a quick list of all the ones we can find that are either already available on our current consoles or set for launch on the next batch. The list, as it turns out, is pretty extensive.
The Crew aims for Q1 2014 release
Buckle up, racing fans: You might be sitting in the driver's seat of The Crew early next year. In an investor's call, Ubisoft said that it's aiming for a Q1 2014 release for the persistent online racing world. Production Director Pete Young said in a recent blog post that the studio is striving to connect players through this racing title: "We're making it extremely easy to see the players that are around you, quickly group up with those guys, make new friends and take on missions cooperatively." The Crew will be available for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. If it's got you itching for more info, check out Ubisoft's guided gameplay video from last month after the break.
The Crew hits the road Q1 2014
Ubisoft Reflections and Ivory Tower's next-gen open-world driving game The Crew has just had its release window narrowed slightly. "The team's vision has been validated by very positive feedback from the press and the community," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said today during a financial conference call. "The production planning is on track for release in the first quarter of calendar 2014." We had known previously that the game would be out sometime in early 2014, but this clarification places its release somewhere within the first three months of the year. The Crew is currently planned for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, though Guillemot made no mention of how concurrent the PC release will be with its console brethren.
The Daily Grind: Do sports MMOs matter to you?
For the longest time, whenever you'd hear the word "MMO," you'd have to mentally add "RPG" at the end. The two were inseparable, making up most of the games that we here at Massively cover. But now we're facing an evolving genre that includes MMOFPS and MMORTS titles as well as many others. There's always been one MMO genre that hasn't gotten a lot of coverage or general enthusiasm from the wider MMO playerbase, and that's the sports MMO. I know its out there. I've heard whispers and rumors of its legend. There's even solid evidence of its existence, as we just heard of the development of a new racing MMO called The Crew. I'm guessing that in addition to racing games, there are baseball, soccer, and even golf MMOs. They're just not within my sphere of interest. But what about you? Do sports MMOs matter to you? Do you follow or play any of them? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
E3 2013: Open-world racing with The Crew
Don't worry, you're not on the wrong website. This is still Massively and this is a hands on and interview about a racing game. Specifically, according to lead designer Serkan Hassan, this is a racing MMO. The Crew used the word "persistent world" so yours truly had to hunt down a very helpful Ubisoft representative for a last-minute look at the game. I will admit that while I had my doubts, the feature list does make it legit, and despite the fact that I'm awful at realistic racing games, I did have some fun.
The Crew's Pete Young on mixing co-op and competitive racing
Traditionally, racing games are mainly a competitive affair, but The Crew will feature a co-op element where players can team up to tackle missions while racing across America. At E3, Ubisoft Reflections production director explains to Joystiq the appeal of teaming up with others and undertaking missions in a racing game. The Crew will launch in early 2014 on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
E3 2013: The Crew racing game boasts 'persistent online world,' boss fights [Updated]
Here's another one for the is-it-or-isn't-it-an-MMO file courtesy of E3 2013. The Crew, a racing title from publisher Ubisoft, boasts a "persistent online world" that spans the entirety of the United States. The Escapist reports that other drivers encountered by the player may be AI, but they may also be other player characters. Ubisoft's press conference revealed that the game has no lobby system, so players can chat, group, join crews, and play through group content in the game world proper. Vehicle customization is apparently a big deal as well, as is the ability to "infiltrate and take over a criminal organization one city at a time." [Update: Joystiq reports that the title will be coming to PC and next-gen consoles. Click past the cut for a demo video. Thanks to Paul for the official website link!]
The Crew announced by Ubisoft, coming early 2014 [update: trailers]
The Crew was present and correct at Ubisoft's E3 conference today. As expected, it's an open-world racer from Ubisoft Reflections and Ivory Tower, and it's coming early next year to the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Ubisoft says it's using next-gen hardware with The Crew to "change the status quo" of driving games. The Crew will feature an online persistent representation of the US, in which players infiltrate criminal organizations in individual cities. Ubisoft says the online persistent world "blurs the lines" between the game's single-player, multiplayer, and co-op. Ubisoft showed off a demo featuring four players playing in four different US cities. One player was taking part in an illegal street race, while another was fighting through a 20-second trial, and the third was racing against a ghost. The final player called upon the first three to join him in a co-op mission in Miami, demonstrating how The Crew doesn't need a lobby for online multiplayer. The game will also have a companion 'second screen' app on iOS and Android. Update: We've added the announcement trailer (above) and gameplay demo (below the break). A press release notes the game is also coming to PC, and we've updated the post as such. %Gallery-190970%
Rumor: Ubisoft Reflections working on racer 'The Crew'
Driver series developer Ubisoft Reflections is working on a new racing game called The Crew, The Examiner reports. Citing an unnamed source, Examiner says the game is an all new racing franchise that is intended to be a "realistic title, possibly being positioned against Forza and Gran Turismo." Reflections has been out of the racing game circuit for the past couple years after the release of Driver: San Francisco. The studio has spent its time since playing second fiddle on Just Dance, Far Cry and Watch Dogs for Ubisoft's Montreal and Paris studios. Ubisoft Reflections is expected to announce its new game at E3.
