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Ubisoft plans to show 'Beyond Good & Evil 2' gameplay next year
'BG&E' creator Michel Ancel has quit the company to work at a wildlife sanctuary.
Joystiq Top 10 of 2014: Valiant Hearts: The Great War
ATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris. War is a common theme throughout video games, usually granting you a trigger to pull and later reminding you of the true cost of battle. Ubisoft Montpellier's approach to one of history's deadliest conflicts in Valiant Hearts: The Great War eludes those narrative methods, instead spinning an endearing tale about a period of sustained malice and sorrow. Set during the events of World War 1, Valiant Hearts' four playable humans (and one canine) get swept in the waves of global catastrophe practically by circumstance. The side-scrolling adventure game begins with the German-born Karl stripped from his family in France, then injected into the side of conflict opposite that of his father-in-law, Emile. As the world around them collapses, they meet the Belgian medic, Anna, who is drawn in for the good of others, and the voluntarily enlisted American, Freddie, who has a personal mission at heart.
Rayman creator starts a studio but remains at Ubisoft
Michel Ancel, the creator of Rayman, is starting his own studio called Wild Sheep – though he'll remain at Ubisoft Montpellier, Ubisoft says in a statement to Game Informer. "We are fortunate to have some of the industry's finest talents, including Michel Ancel, working with us at our studio," Ubisoft Annecy, Paris, and Montpellier Managing Director Xavier Poix said. "In addition to spending some of his time on this new venture, Michel is leading the creative development of select projects at Ubisoft Montpellier, including an extremely ambitious new title that is very close to his and the team's heart." Sounds like Ancel has a lot of projects in progress. Managing all of them will be like herding Wild Sheep or something. [Image: Ubisoft]
Valiant Hearts: The Great War invades consoles, PC in June
Ubisoft has announced plans to publish Valiant Hearts: The Great War on June 25, a scheme that will see the World War I-era puzzle-adventure game arrive on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. As we mentioned in our preview last year, Valiant Hearts: The Great War stars people attempting to survive the titular Great War alongside their trusty canine companion. According to developer Ubisoft Montpellier, the game will contrast the emotional toll of World War I with an exaggerated, hand-drawn art style, that lends a cartoonish yet melancholy tone to the game's visuals. On debut, Valiant Hearts: The Great War will be available from the PlayStation Network Store, Xbox Live and via digital download on PC. Ubisoft doesn't specifically mention which PC digital distribution services it will use, but the publisher's own uPlay store seems a likely candidate. [Image: Ubisoft]
Rayman Legends coming to the UK a week early on Xbox One, PS4 [Update: North America, too!]
Ubisoft has bumped up its UK release date for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of Rayman Legends, announcing that the upgraded ports will now hit store shelves on February 21. Ubisoft Montpellier's vividly colorful multiplayer platformer will debut for current-gen consoles with unique features not found in previous ports. The Xbox One boasts a collection of exclusive challenges and time-limited achievements, while the PS4 version features DualShock 4's touchpad support and PS Vita remote play. Both versions also include unique costumes inspired by Ubisoft's Far Cry and Assassin's Creed series. [Update: Ubisoft's blog updated today to announce that the North American release date has also been pushed up. Rayman Legends will now hit the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in North America on February 18.]
Rayman Legends heading to PS4, Xbox One in NA Feb 25, EU Feb 28
Ubisoft Montpellier's manic side-scrolling platformer Rayman Legends is on its way to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 next year. So says ... Snoop Dogg?! Hi, Snoop! Didn't expect to see you there. Originally announced as a Wii U exclusive, Rayman Legends is now more multiplatform than it's ever been, following up on this year's PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PS Vita, PC and Wii U release with upcoming launches for next-gen hardware. The new ports feature upgraded graphics, reduced load times, and a selection of exclusive costumes on each platform. Xbox One players can access new costumes inspired by Ubisoft's Splinter Cell series and Far Cry 3's Vaas, while PS4 owners can look forward to a unique Assassin's Creed-themed outfit for Rayman. The Xbox One version additionally includes 10 new challenges and time-limited achievements, while the PS4 edition features DualShock 4 touchpad support. Both ports will hit retail on February 25 in North America and February 28 in Europe.
Rayman Legends on Vita adds missing Invasion levels Nov. 26
Ubisoft has announced Rayman Legends on PS Vita will receive an update on November 26 that adds the Invasion levels, which are more difficult remixes of established levels that were missing from the launch of the PS Vita port. Leaderboards will also be turned on with this update. In our review, we recommended Rayman Legends to anyone who even remotely enjoys platformers because "the game will make you smile no matter what system you call home." Rayman Legends, the follow-up to Rayman Origins, was developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and launched on September 3 for Wii U, Xbox 360, PS3, PS Vita and PC. Rayman Legends is also coming to Xbox One and PS4 in February.
Rayman Legends jumping to next-gen consoles in February
During today's first half of fiscal 2014 earnings call, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot noted that Rayman Legends will launch on Xbox One and PS4 in February 2014. It was revealed during the call that the game has sold "right around one million units" across all of the platforms it is available on, that being PC, Vita, Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii U. The game's sales contributed to a gross profit of €202.2 million ($271.5 million) for the half-year. The news follows Ubisoft's adjusted forecasts for sales following its decision to delay The Crew to Q2 of fiscal 2015 and Watch Dogs to spring 2014, after which the publisher's shares dropped 25 percent. Rayman Legends and Splinter Cell: Blacklist were listed as two games that underperformed in their initial sales by Ubisoft CFO Alain Martinez following the aforementioned delays, and today's earnings call noted that Splinter Cell: Blacklist has sold "close to two million units."
Valiant Hearts: The Great War tells the story of five WWI survivors and a dog
Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a new game from Ubisoft Montpellier created with the UbiArt Framework engine, which powers Rayman Origins, Rayman Legends and the upcoming Child of Light. The hand-drawn story is set during World War I and follows five individuals attempting to survive the war, each of their fates tied together by one medical service dog. Valiant Hearts relies on a mixture of platforming and environmental puzzle solving, and uses a picture-in-picture comic book presentation style to propel the plot. There are also light stealth elements, as evidenced by a scene in which one of the characters tosses a rock to distract a guard. Presentation is exaggerated in Valiant Hearts: Burly German soldiers drink beer and bite on big pretzels, lending slight levity to what is typically a somber setting. Valiant Hearts: The Great War is in development for the PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC, and will be released on digital stores sometime in 2014.
Rayman Legends delayed on Vita in Europe
Ubisoft announced that its infectiously friendly platformer Rayman Legends will miss its intended August launch date for the PlayStation Vita in Europe. The PS Vita version of Rayman Legends will now launch in the UK on September 13, 2013. Retail releases for the Nintendo Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows are still scheduled to hit Europe on August 30. An Ubisoft representative confirmed with Joystiq that the North American Vita version of Rayman Legends "will be released as planned" on September 3.
Rayman Legends demo brightens up Xbox Live, PSN August 20
Ubisoft has announced a demo for Rayman Legends will be available on Xbox 360 and PS3 starting August 20. The demo will consist of three levels and a sample of Invasion mode - tougher, remixed versions of established maps. The three playable levels include Teensies in Trouble and Toad Story, along with its Invasion mode variant, plus musical level Castle Rock. The demo also grants access to the Gallery of Heroes where you can mess about with character costumes. Rayman Legends, which takes place 100 years after the events of Rayman Origins, launches on September 3 for the Wii U, PS Vita, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. In our video preview last month, we highlighted the new stealth levels reminiscent of the Sly Cooper series and Mark of the Ninja.
Rayman Legends also coming to PC at launch
Rayman Legends will frolic onto PCs at launch, just in case you figured Ubisoft's platformer had no more platforms to give. Originally expected as a Wii U launch game, Legends saw a few delays including one to accommodate additional arrivals on PS3 and Xbox 360. It's since added Vita and PC to its roster, the newly-announced latter courtesy of China-based Ubisoft Chengdu in collaboration with original dev Ubi Montpellier. Legends has various distinct incentives on its different platforms; for PC users pre-ordering the digital version from Ubisoft's online shop, the bonus is a free copy of the excellent Rayman Origins. Ubisoft recently revealed that Legends includes 40 graphically updated levels from predecessor Origins, but freebies aren't to be sniffed at. Legends leaps onto all five platforms on September 3 in North America, and August 30 in Europe. That's not that long to wait, but you'll still want to check out our shiny new video preview in the meantime. %Gallery-194667%
Ubisoft rules out ZombiU sequel, citing unprofitable performance
Ubisoft will not pursue a sequel to the Wii U launch title ZombiU, company CEO Yves Guillemot revealed in a recent Q&A with GamesIndustry. Guillemot cites ZombiU's failure to turn a profit as the primary reason for abandoning the sequel, despite developer Ubisoft Montpelier's recent experiments with a prototype version. Guillemot notes that ZombiU's poor performance and Wii U console sales in general were driving factors in the company's decision to delay Rayman Legends for a multiplatform release later this year. "We must find a way to ensure the creativity of those games could have a big enough audience," Guillemot said. "We hope [the Wii U] will take off. At the moment, we've said 'let's do through Christmas and see where we are from there.'"
Ubisoft Montpellier artist challenges dismissal over caricatures of management
After being dismissed for illustrating caricatures of his Ubisoft Montpellier managers, artist Alain 'Gaston' Rémy has decided to challenge the terms of the December 2012 decision.In a report filed by France 3's news desk, the former Ubisoft employee says that the illustrations were done for humor and notes none of the caricatures were ever made public, according to a translation of the original story. Working with Ubisoft for a total of six years, Gaston's primary focus at the studio was working on the publisher's Rabbids franchise. A French labor court is expected to make its decision on the matter on July 26.Gaston's library of work includes a slew of comics and animation projects, all with an embellished humorous style, as seen above.
Rayman creator Michel Ancel appears in Legends delay protest
Rayman creator Michel Ancel and staff from Ubisoft Montpellier have shown implicit desire to have Rayman Legends released. Staffers including Ancel posted with fan Joffrey Babilotte and a banner he made, reading "Release Rayman, Support Ubisoft Montpellier" (in French). Rayman is on the banner saying "SVP" – "please." Babilotte made the sign and brought it "to the gates of Ubi Montpellier."Rayman Legends was due to be released this month on Wii U, but Ubisoft delayed the presumably finished game, to release it simultaneously with Xbox 360 and PS3 ports in September.
ZombiU co-op shelved early on, over 300,000 survivor deaths logged
We lauded the tense moment to moment survival of ZombiU play in our review, but some have criticized the game's lack of online co-op. Developer Ubisoft Montpellier says the idea was considered but scrapped fairly early into development.Producer Guillaume Brunier said "we thought we could not deliver it on time," citing the crunch to make Wii U launch in an interview with Nintendo World Report. "How to bring a cooperative experience and still keep fear and tension is a question we would love to address though."Other topics include potential DLC or even the notion that ZombiU has more games to come – Brunier didn't reveal much but did say that the Ubisoft Montpellier servers have the death logs of 300,000 survivors to draw from. "Who knows what we could do with them," he teased. Our suggestion? Stop scrapbooking our deaths, you monsters.
Joystiq Top 10 of 2012: ZombiU
ZombiU had a lot stacked against it before it arrived. It's a launch game for a new Nintendo platform, from a company which famously over-promised and under-delivered with another launch game, Red Steel, for the Wii in 2006. It doesn't help that the Ubisoft Montpellier game is called ZombiU, a name that screams "bland, poorly-executed shovelware." But the survival-focused action of ZombiU does a lot to set itself apart from the horde of Wii U launch games: it features the most interesting use of the console's tablet-like controller, can be punishingly difficult, and returns the survival-horror genre to its roots of surviving on scraps and fearing for your life around every corner.The premise of ZombiU is a simple, if not overused, one. An outbreak has turned the city – London this time – into a feeding ground for the undead. As you scour the city for the last remnants of weapons and supplies, you start uncovering the mystery surrounding the outbreak.The real majesty of ZombiU is found within its moment-to-moment progression. There's an internal struggle that continues to boil forward throughout the game, leaving you to question when you should dig in to that valuable inventory. It may seem like a good idea to burn ammo on a small group of brain-munching monsters in one room, but what if the next area poses a greater threat? Could you survive with your trusty, slow-swinging cricket bat for now? Is it worth moving forward an inch now, only to be set back miles later? It's the fear of the unknown, and your potential death, that makes those moments so intense.%Gallery-162496%
No plans for ZombiU DLC, but it's always good to be prepared
Ubisoft Montpellier doesn't plan to add any downloadable content to ZombiU because the team was able to accomplish all of its goals with the game itself, multiplayer director Bogdan Bridinel says. Nintendo Life quotes Bridinel from an interview with Official Nintendo Magazine, where he describes ZombiU's development and editing process."A few things that we tried during production ended up on the cutting room floor, but this was because they didn't work out as well as we had hoped, not because the schedule forced us to," Bridinel says.If ZombiU turns out to be extremely successful, Bridinel does think DLC "could become a possibility." So really, if ZombiU never gets any DLC it's all your fault. Just keep that in mind, zombie killers.
Rayman Legends a European Wii U launch title, dropping Nov. 30 [update]
We knew that Ubisoft's Rayman Legends would be launching on the Wii U sometime this Christmas season, but now we know specifically when, at least in Europe: November 30. The game was announced as a European Wii U launch title during Nintendo's European Wii U event this morning.Naturally, the game's heavy WiiPad functionality was shown off, which allows one player to add lums into the world and otherwise assist the other players, but otherwise the real meat of the announcement was the European release date. We're keeping an eye out for its North American equivalent and will update as we know more.Update: Ubisoft sends us a short video of Rayman creator Michel Ancel explaining why he's bringing Rayman Legends to Wii U, which you can watch above.
Rayman Legends is a Wii U exclusive
When Rayman Legends launches as a Wii U game this fall, that's all it'll be launching as. According to the last three or so seconds of the game's Gamescom trailer above, Rayman Legends will be a Wii U exclusive.Considering the amount of touchscreen/Wiipad stuff going in this trailer, it's clear that Ubisoft has been taking Wii U integration seriously – we just didn't think it was that serious. All Rayman titles up until this point have been multiplatform, and since Ubisoft itself said the game wasn't necessarily an exclusive back in June, we kinda expected that to be the case.We asked Ubisoft for clarification just to make super extra sure, and were told that "yes, Rayman Legends is a Wii U exclusive. It will be releasing in Holiday 2012."Still, we'd be surprised if the game didn't end up other other platforms eventually, though we imagine quite a bit of rejiggering would be required to make Rayman Legends function on an Xbox. The PS3, however, could handle it quite easily provided there was also a Vita involved.
