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Assassin's Creed art sans watermark
We ran a post about some spiffy new artworks from Assassin's Creed yesterday. We also made an offhanded remark about the IGN watermark dirtying up our pretty, pretty picture. It looks like reader, Alexis Ayala, took that remark to heart. Alexis has since scrubbed the watermark out of two of the images. The reason: "I was bored." You can grab the first one by clicking the image above. The second can be found here. We totally <3 you, Alexis.
Ubisoft "accidentally" leaks tons of assets
Over two gigs worth of screenshots, videos, and concept art was apparently accidentally posted by Ubisoft on their public ftp server. Whoops. While some of these games have already been announced, some haven't, although there aren't any real surprises here: Assassins Creed, Farcry 2, Farcry PSP, Farcry Wii, Lost, Naruto, Open Season, Prince of Persia, Rainbow Six: Vegas, Rocky PSP, Splinter Cell Double Agent, Splinter Cell Conviction, Surf's Up, Star Wars PSP, Shaun White, TMNT, and TMNT GBA. Ubisoft isn't too pleased about the leak either, stating,"The publication of this type of information can only be harmful to the game development process and we will take all steps necessary to prevent this from happening in the future."While we can understand why Ubisoft wouldn't want employees or summer interns posting confidential information on the internet, how does it harm the game development process? We can understand if the raw code for Splinter Cell: Conviction got out, or if a disgruntled programmer posted a disk image of Far Cry 2, but screenshots and videos? And while TGS is unfolding? Color us suspicious.
Far Cry fan's lonely cry
Will anyone at Ubisoft hear reader Luigi's lonely cry: Many sites including Ubisoft's official Far Cry site reported on a patch that was supposed to answer the prayers of the few Far Cry fans that are left. They first announced the patch on their site on Friday August 18th saying that it would be online early the following week. One week later they posted an update saying that "One small last minute issue was found which needed to be fixed." It is now two weeks later and despite a number of complaints by fans on the official Far Cry and Xbox Forums Ubisoft is yet to give us any more news. As our tipster freely admits, Far Cry devotees are few and far between, but this situation is indicative of an industry-wide problem. More and more devs are releasing slop knowing they can patch it later if enough people complain.
Splinter Cell infiltrates Wii launch lineup
Not content with preparing seven titles for the Wii's upcoming and still nebulously dated launch, Le Ubisoft has announced that Splinter Cell: Double Agent will also join the arm flailing fray. IGN reports that the Wii version is based on the PS2 and Gamecube builds and that it will fully utilize the system's unique control capabilities. The exact control specifics have yet to be divulged. One of the examples cited is using the Wiimote to pick locks, though there's arguably more appeal to be found in the the thought of slashing a hapless guard's throat with one swift and decisive motion. Curiously, the game will be missing "some" of the missions present in the Xbox 360 version (and less curiously, an online component). The Wii launch will likely fall after Double Agent's October debut, so the cause doesn't appear to be an unreasonable restriction in development time. A few missions for a different control scheme -- is that a fair trade? While it's certainly possible that Ubisoft will include extra missions more closely designed with the Wii controller in mind, that seems unlikely given the platform differences in past Splinter Cell titles. After all, there are seven other motion-sensitive games that need to be bitten off and chewed before the Wii's launch later this year. [Thanks AssemblyLineHuman and Jeremy.]
Far Cry Instincts Predator marks territory on XBLM
We never could figure out if the lukewarm reception of Ubisoft's Far Cry Instincts Predator on the Xbox 360 was because it was a quick and dirty port of an Xbox title with some graphical flourishes, or the rambling assembly of words they call a title. Far. Cry. Instincts. Predator. ?. Either way, we have a chance to reconsider our initial revulsion by downloading the 345MB demo the Xbox Live keepers have thrown in our cage. Like a wild animal -- with the default inventory of wild animal skills -- we'll lunge at the demo and pin it to the ground in one fluid cat-like motion, before plunging our incisors into its single map and rending all five included gametypes from its mutiplayer skeleton. It goes without saying that we do this instinctually. Predatorily. While crying.
Splinter Cell: Double Agent delayed till October
It's only one month on top of the original September release date, but the news of Sam Fisher's latest adventure in dark duplicity being delayed until the spookiest month of the year is not entirely welcome. Splinter Cell: Double Agent promises to take the series into new territory, allowing players to infiltrate the ranks of the enemy and experience the other side of global terror and insidious espionage. This dramatic addition to gameplay is characterized by the following exciting features (taken from the fake press release): Intricate pendulum level design: As a guard, you'll be expected to patrol a set area, walking back and forth between point A and point B (at higher difficulty levels, a more challenging point C may be added). This path will be made very clear to the player, with potential exits blocked off by debris, locked doors, raging fires or piles of dead guards. Dynamic AI conversations: In an effort to create the illusion of intelligence in your fellow evil minions, non-player characters have been designed to frequently respond to your actions and engage in banter entirely unrelated to work. An extensive dialogue tree enables you to choose a response for any situation, be it relaxed ("Good morning."), congratulatory ("Good work.") or alarming ("Good lord, someone's shooting at us.") Positional sound muffling: In order to be truly successful as a guard, distractions cannot be tolerated. Thanks to an advanced positional audio algorithm, the game aids the player in correctly categorizing the sounds of gunfire, explosions, bloodcurdling screams, shattering windows and crashing helicopters as the unremarkable, nocturnal machinations of rats. Oblivious (TM) lighting engine: The next generation of HDR lighting better simulates the vision of an actual guard. All fluorescent lights appear to be flickering, darkness is entirely impenetrable and brightly lit christmas trees that strangle you from behind are entirely invisible. Note: This feature is only available in the Xbox 360, PC, PS2, Gamecube, PS3 and Xbox versions of Double Agent. [Thanks Stephen!]
Raving Rabbids, rabid World Cup fans [update 1]
"Allez les bleus!" cried the French fans after their team defeated Portugal -- and before that Brazil -- in the 2006 World Cup. The battle cry translates to "go blue," referencing France's blue uniform.France's win over Brazil sent fans into elation, and French developer Ubisoft was more than happy to show its support. Inspired by the wacky Rayman Raving Rabbids videos, we present to you "Allez Les B(le)unnies."France will face off against another blue-clad team, Italy, in the World Cup finals this Saturday Sunday.See Also:Raving Rabbids all about "love and power!"
Rumor: Assassin's "confirmed" for 360 and PC [update 1]
A handful of European gaming sites (1, 2, 3), likely originating with French site Xbox-Gamer.net, have "confirmed" that the mystery of Assassin's Creed's exclusivity has been solved: it will be making it's way to both the Xbox 360 and PC, as well as the previously announced PS3 ...... at least, according to an off the record comment (where's the reps name?) made to Xbox-Gamer.net at the recent IDEF 2006 expo held in Cannes. There was no information regarding any timed exclusivity for Sony's console. We all have our suspicions (hence the mystery) regarding Assassin's Creed's multi-platform prospects, but an unsourced comment made by a random Ubisoft representative is hardly confirmation (we've contacted Ubisoft for official confirmation). Until it shows up here (which it hasn't) we're enormously skeptical. And we dance ...[Thanks to everyone that sent this in!][Update 1: PS3Land points us to the Ubi forums, where UK Community Manager UbiRazz writes, "Ubisoft have confirmed no such thing. Assassin's Creed will come on PlayStation 3 and at this time, no other platform has been confirmed." Funny enough, PS3Land headlined their post, "Ubisoft: Assassin's Creed Still PS3 Exclusive." Not yet fellas, not yet.]
Assassin slinks its way to 360 [update: 1]
Your backstabbing dreams have come true. Two sources -- Xboxygen and Club Skill if you must know -- have reported that Ubisoft has officially confirmed Assassin's Creed for both 360 and the PC. While most of us have suspected this anyway, especially given Ubisoft's penchant for cross-platform releases, it's nice to get some official word. It's not all sunshine and lollipops though: Ubisoft still hasn't mentioned whether or not Assassin's Creed will be a timed exclusive for the PS3. Any thoughts? Update 1: Many sites are now noting the denial from Ubisoft on this matter. Under the guise of UbiRazz, a community manager (mod) from Ubisoft has stated that Ubisoft has made no such confirmation. At least three French sites have reported that Ubisoft made this confirmation at the Interactive DIGITAL Entertainment Festival (l'IDEF). So, this may still be a rumor, but it's a damned juicy one.
Red Steel developer's blog goes live
While a little late in its development cycle, the team behind Red Steel opened a blog yesterday to discuss the game's progress as it reaches its final stages. The first topic: the much-discussed control scheme. Producer Marie-Sol Beaudry wants players to have fun and not "force people to become actual professional swordsmen" (it's good thing, too -- professional swordsmen make very little money these days). The matter of synchronization between the Wiimote and sword animation apparently proved tricky. Beaudry promises that the final sword-fighting will be more diverse and feature a couple of undisclosed special moves. One of the early comments suggested an option for players to have the option of switching between scripted moves and freestyle animation. It is a great idea, but we get the impression Ubisoft is not prepared to go in that direction for this title. Maybe another game, from a galaxy far, far away, can quench our thirst. O, to dream ...
The mystery of Assassin's Creed's exclusivity
Ever since it was announced, there's been some confusion as to which platforms Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed would be coming to: a leaked release schedule listed "Assassin" as a PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PSP title; a Gamespot list of Ubi's E3 titles also listed Assassin's Creed as being available on both 360 and PS3. Luke Smith at 1UP writes, "Assassin's Creed is coming to the Xbox 360. It's one of those secrets no one is supposed to know about (like Halo: Forerunners) yet everyone does. Sources close to Ubisoft have informed us that the game will definitely see release on Microsoft's platform -- even though the company still refuses to admit the game's inevitable multiplatform fate."So why the secrecy? Considering their comments ("Assassin's Creed is coming to the PS3. No other announcements have been made.") and their history as a multiplatform publisher, Smith whittles it down to one of two things: Timed exclusivity: With the loss of timed exclusivity of the money-printing GTA series, Sony might be angling to fill their stable with some more exclusive content, if only for a little while (6 months?). Exclusive rights: That means Sony put up the cash to keep Assassin's Creed out of Microsoft's grubby, GTA-fondling mitts (and off Peter Moore's other other bicep). One could consider Grand Theft Auto and Assassin's Creed the first of many multiplatform dances that will invariably become routine in this latest round of console wars. As both manufacturers angle for more reasons to get people to plunk down their multiples of $100, they'll both be busting out their checkbooks to keep attractive properties exclusive. With increased next-gen development costs, nabbing a game as purty as Assassin's Creed ain't coming cheap for Sony (insert joke about how they can afford it since the PS3 is so expensive ... laugh maniacally). [Thanks, cringer8]
Lost game coming courtesy Ubisoft Montreal
The relationship between ABC's mega-hit Lost and video games has long been considered, from its similarities to ARGs, how it would make a great MMO, to more recent rumors of an actual Lost console game. Now, according to a report from ABC News, Ubisoft's illustrious Montréal studio (responsible for the Prince of Persia series and, more tellingly, Myst IV: Revelations) is working on an adaptation of the series for consoles, handhelds, and PC. Just how the game will work on the various platforms (adventure?, platformer?, rhythm game?) has yet to be revealed, but the series' particular elements lend themselves well to a video game. Unfortunately, the same could be said of countless other adapted properties that have failed to live up to fans' understandably high reactions.Considering that Lost is frequently mentioned in the same sentence as "episodic" and "content," could Ubisoft be planning an episodic adaptation?[Thanks, jonathan]
First impressions: Splinter Cell: Double Agent
The Splinter Cell series always set a graphics and gameplay standard on the original Xbox and the franchise's first attempt on the 360 continues to impress. This is one intense demo. It's starts with a literally mind-blowing execution sequence followed by the most harrowing parachute jump I've ever seen in a game. Ubisoft has gone for shocking violence with this entry. You can tell the guy in the pic above won't be dancing a jig any time soon, and his death convulsions before he finished the job with a grenade are a pleasantly disturbing touch. The initial gameplay will be familiar to Sam Fisher vets, although the controls probably need to be tweaked a bit. The level I played seemed to lean a bit more towards blowing people away than stealth, but I may have just been trigger happy. I appreciated how Ubisoft squeezed something to do into sequences that formerly would have been straight CGI. Overall, Double Agent oozes next-gen production values and looks to offer a gritty tale to frame the well-rendered blood and guts. It may be my favorite demo so far.
Make a Far Cry map, win swag
Planet Far Cry and TeamXbox are giving you the opportunity to unleash the map creating beast within and win some cool swag for your efforts. If you own a copy of Far Cry Instincts Predator for Xbox 360, and have mastered its map editing feature, you'll want to check out the submission rules for the Far Cry Map-Making Madness contest. The Grand Prize includes a Yamaha home theater system, a year of Xbox Live Gold, and other 360 goodies from the Marketplace and Ubisoft. Go ahead and show Jack Carver what you've got!
Splinter Cell maps causing problems on 360s
Despite a five-month delay on new Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory maps, all is not well. Some Xbox 360 users are reporting problems with the update, some going so far as to say the new maps make Splinter Cell unplayable. Fortunately, there's a workaround, but it involves deleting all your saved games in the process. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory wasn't included in the original backwards compatibility list, but has since made it in--perhaps this is related to the problems some 360 owners are having with the new content. Either way, with months of testing, it's surprising to see this sort of bugginess.
Far Cry Instincts Predator headed to the 360
The rumors were right! Ubisoft has officially unveiled two new upcoming Far Cry Instincts titles: Far Cry Instincts "Next Chapter" for the Xbox and Far Cry Instincts Predator for the Xbox 360. Next Chapter is being billed as a sequel to last year's Far Cry Instincts while Predator will "feature both Far Cry Instincts Next Chapter and an enhanced version of the original Far Cry Instincts game" in one package! Is this confusing yet? The press release teases, "Offering the kind of lush and deep natural environment true to the Far Cry® brand, Far Cry Instincts on Xbox 360 will captivate gamers with its enhanced graphical reality and gameplay. Giving gamers the opportunity to discover the Far Cry universe in an optimized, high-definition environment, the game takes advantage of Xbox 360's multi-core next-generation engine for improved performance." They're saying Spring 2006, while Gamestop already said March 14th. Either way, it's soon.
Far Cry Instincts for Xbox360?
A new GS Xbox 360 list shows Far Cry Instincts as an upcoming game for the newest next-gen console. It could be a listing error, but a new Far Cry or Instincts remix could be in the works. A reader also mentioned that maybe this is why the game is not backwards compatible on the Xbox 360. The original game was released in September of this year for the Xbox. [Thanks, alvin]
Far Cry Instincts on 360 says Gamestop
GamersReports has another release date list with some interesting developments. Apparently Far Cry Instincts has made the list slated for March 14th. The Xbox installment of this title hasn't been announced for the 360, so this comes as a bit of a surprise. However they are quick to update about how this may be why Far Cry Instincts on Xbox isn't backwards compatible on the 360. Keep in mind there is a possibility that this is an error of Gamestop's, but we'll be hearing about it if that's the case. [Via Digg]
Splinter Cell 4 to be called "Double Agent"
According to the first official fan site, the next Splinter Cell game will be named: Double Agent. Ubisoft pulled a stealth-move, securing the SplinterCellDoubleAgent.com domain back in October, and then snuck a "Splinter Cell Double Agent" trademark registration form to the US Patent and Trademark office last month. We're still awaiting the official announcement from Ubi, but this is pretty convincing evidence. [Thanks, Adriaan]
Far Cry Instincts: as good as it gets--for now?
Last night I got to spend some time with the new Xbox version of Far Cry, known as Far Cry Instincts. First off, let me point out that I've never played the original PC game nor seen it in action. So, for me, Far Cry Instincts is a brand new experience-but I'm sure veterans of last year's PC version will have a much different opinion (please share your thoughts in the comments section). As beautiful as Instincts is, it really calls to attention the Xbox's aging hardware. Maybe we've been spoiled with next-gen screens and pre-renders, but my first reaction was, man, what would this game have looked like on the Xbox 360... But then reality set in, and I began playing Instincts for what it is, an Xbox game.
