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Ubisoft and Nvidia form 'alliance' to give PC gamers a visual edge
Watch Dogs, Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag are going to look best on PC, thanks to an "alliance" formed between developer/publisher Ubisoft and graphics card manufacturer Nvidia, the two companies have announced. Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ubisoft, said that the partnership will allow Ubisoft to deliver "stunning" performance for new and upcoming games. "The PC remains one of the world's most popular gaming platforms, and we're committed to offering PC players the best possible experience with our games," Key said. So what does that mean for PC users? Fancy techno-jargon graphics options! Enjoy TXAA antialiasing, soft shadows, horizon-based ambient occlusion, and advanced DX11 tesselation! Need to upgrade your graphics card to take advantage? You can pick up Blacklist as part of a bundle when you purchase a qualifying GeForce GTX 660, 660 TI, 670, 680, 760, 770 or 780 graphics card. So there you have it: Ubisoft wants to give PC gamers the best versions of their games, and they've partnered with a major player in the hardware market to make it happen. Because they care.
Sony: PS3 to PS4 upgrade pricing set by publishers
During Sony's Gamescom press keynote, president Andrew House revealed a program that would allow consumers to upgrade from select PS3 titles to their PS4 counterparts for a "significantly discounted price." UK managing director Fergal Gara told Digital Spy that the pricing will be dictated by publishers. "What will happen is, the PS4 digital file will be made available on the PlayStation Store - as it would be anyway - at launch, and the PS3 discs will be sold through retail. What the consumer can then do, for a premium to be defined by the publisher, is access the PS4 digital game and then provided they still have the PS3 disc, they will be able to play the PS4 version when they decide to buy the next gen." Call of Duty: Ghosts, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Watch Dogs and Battlefield 4 are the first games eligible for this promotion. GameStop and Amazon both announced they will offer similar upgrade options for Xbox 360 to Xbox One games, though nothing has been announced from either retailer regarding PS3 to PS4 upgrades.
Gamescom trailers and screenshots giga-post
Psst, hey kid. You want some ... trailers? How about some Gamescom trailers? C'mere for a second. Yeah that's right, we got all kinds of trailers. Murasaki Baby, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Resogun, Infamous: Second Son, Watch Dogs, pretty much any kind of trailer you wanna put in your eyeballs, we can hook it up. Hey, and you know what? Since you seem like a nice kid, we're gonna throw in some screenshots too. Oh no, put your wallet away – the first one's free.
Ubisoft partners with Sony, New Regency on Watch Dogs movie
Ubisoft Motion Pictures, the film wing at the Ubisoft estate, has announced a new movie based on upcoming game Watch Dogs. The film, called a thriller in the announcement, is being developed in collaboration with Sony Pictures and New Regency Productions. If this all sounds familiar, it's because Ubisoft has a similar deal with New Regency in place for the upcoming Assassin's Creed film starring Michael Fassbender. No casting choices for the upcoming Watch Dogs film have been announced.
Sony to offer 'discounted' upgrades to PS4 software on select titles for a limited time
During Sony's Gamescom briefing, Andrew House announced that PS3 players who purchase select software will have the ability to upgrade to the PlayStation 4 version for a "significantly discounted price." House confirmed a number of games will be available for the "limited time" offer, including Call of Duty: Ghosts, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Watch Dogs and Battlefield 4. Activision, Ubisoft, EA and Warner Bros. were noted as publishers partnering with Sony on the upgrade initiative. It's unclear if the program will be available worldwide. Unlike similar retailer offers revealed for Xbox One software earlier this week, Sony's plan is to offer the discounted games through its own digital storefront. PlayStation 4 launches in North America on November 15 and in Europe on November 29.
Amazon also offering Xbox 360 to Xbox One game upgrades
GameStop isn't the only establishment offering Xbox One upgrades. Amazon has announced it too will allow users to upgrade from their Xbox 360 game to the same version on Xbox One, for a $10 fee. Each eligible Xbox 360 game traded in to Amazon prior to December 31 will be valued at $25 and, as part of this promotion, Amazon will tack on another $25. That leaves you to make up the $10 in-between. Amazon will support eight games over GameStop's five: Battlefield 4, Need for Speed: Rivals, Madden NFL 25, Call of Duty: Ghosts, FIFA 14, Watch Dogs, NBA 2K13 and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. Just make sure you read the full terms and conditions before you start boxing up your games. okay?
Ubisoft: Next-gen pre-orders of Watch Dogs, Assassin's Creed 4 beating current-gen
Pre-orders for next-gen versions of Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag are higher than current generation versions, Ubisoft's European chief Alain Corre told MCV. "The fans are really excited to get their hands on the new technology," Corre said. "It has been eight years without a home console from Sony or Microsoft so we feel a lot of excitement from our fans for Watch Dogs or Assassin's Creed 4. The pre-orders we are getting are much bigger on our next-gen games." This comes nearly a month after EA's Peter Moore noted that pre-orders on current-generation sports games for the publisher were notably soft. "So we feel that the transition might be quicker," Corre added. "There is a real appetite for change." We'll have a better idea of just how hungry players are for new consoles when the Xbox One and PS4 launch this holiday season.
The Engadget Show 45: Security with Cory Doctorow, John McAfee, Microsoft, the EFF and more!
Welcome to the wild world of security and surveillance. From CCTV to massive government spying initiatives, there's no escaping it. Recent high-profile leaks have served as a sobering reminder of just how present it is in all of our lives, so we figured what better time to take a deep dive? We kick things off with one of the strangest (and raciest) segments in Engadget Show history: a visit to the set of John McAfee's latest web video. The one-time security software guru and fugitive discusses the state of antivirus, bath salts and offers some unsolicited advice to Edward Snowden, one exile to another. Trevor Timm of the Electronic Frontier Foundation sits down for an animated discussion of recent NSA surveillance revelations, including a breakdown of which major tech companies are doing right by their user base. Boing Boing editor, sci-fi author and privacy activist Cory Doctorow climbs a tree in San Diego to discuss Wikileaks, the NSA, the "surveillance state" and more. "Edward Snowden is a hero," he begins, not speaking on behalf of the EFF, mind you -- and things get really good from there. Cryptographer and computer security specialist Bruce Schneier also chimes in on wiretapping, whistleblowing and "security theater." Next up, we pay a visit to The New Yorker's midtown office to talk Strong Box, the magazine's secure deposit box for anonymous whistleblowers. The team behind Ubisoft's Watch Dogs joins us to discuss partnering with computer security company Kaspersky to bring a realistic portrait of the world of hacking to its much anticipated title. And one-time hacker turned head of security community outreach at Microsoft, Katie Moussouris, discusses Redmond's Bluehat bounty program and working with the hacking community to build safer software. All that, plus the usual prognosticating from resident philosopher John Roderick in this month's Engadget Show, just after the break.
Ubisoft unveils $130 Watch Dogs limited edition
Ubisoft announced that it will release a special edition version of its stealth-action game Watch Dogs bundled with a collection of bonus goodies for aspiring planet hackers. The package includes a nine-inch statue of starring character Aiden Pearce, along with a replica of Pearce's vigilante mask. Also included are a soundtrack CD, an 80-page hardcover art book, and a copy of Watch Dogs wrapped in an exclusive SteelBook case. (Large image here.) The Watch Dogs Limited Edition Pack will be priced at $129.99 when it launches on November 19 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC platforms. It'll be available for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on each system's respective debut date. And though Watch Dogs is also scheduled for a Wii U release, Ubisoft did not announce a Limited Edition Pack for Nintendo's console.
Leaked Watch Dogs multiplayer video is full of hacks [Update]
All Games Beta has published a video purported to be a leaked first look at multiplayer in Watch Dogs, the upcoming current- and next-gen title from Ubisoft Montreal. In the video, near-future devices are invaded for information by hackers that attempt to blend into the crowds of a bustling alternative-reality Chicago. Downloading the information appears to take some time, forcing hackers to evade victims before being discovered and summarily killed. A recent peek behind the game's development curtain revealed multiplayer would feature an element of invasion; however, the supposed leaked video features no identifying language that reveals it to be a multiplayer mode (Gamertags/PSN IDs, for example). Joystiq has contacted Ubisoft to confirm if this is indeed our first look at Watch Dogs multiplayer in action. Update: Ubisoft has confirmed the video is indeed Watch Dogs multiplayer in action.
Ubifilms for Ghost Recon, Watch Dogs, Far Cry and Rabbids coming
Ubisoft has been bitten by the acting bug it seems, as the company is preparing film adaptations of Watch Dogs, Ghost Recon, Far Cry and its zany mascots, the Rabbids – of course, this won't be the first movie to bear the Far Cry name. For all these films, Ubisoft will have full creative control, Variety reports. Ubisoft will select screenwriters, directors, actors and other positions necessary to make these movies, and isn't looking to simply repeat the games' existing stories. Last week, Ubisoft announced it was working with Michael Bay to bring Ghost Recon to the big screen at Warner Bros – an announcement we missed during the madness of E3. "These are not adaptations," Ubisoft Motion Picture CEO Jean-Julien Baronnet told Variety. "We will create a brand new story. Always." The Rabbids film – not to be confused with the TV show announced last week – will be a live-action film where the Rabbids star as CG characters, like The Smurfs, Alvin and the Chipmunks or Bill Murray's only regret, Garfield. There is currently no timetable for these films, as Ubisoft still needs to secure scriptwriters. Ubisoft has two other films in the works right now: an Assassin's Creed movie starring Michael Fassbender – which has been pushed a month to June 2015 – and a Splinter Cell flick with Tom Hardy as Sam Fisher.
PS4 media blowout: Driveclub, Knack, Infamous Second Son and more
Sony's lengthy E3 press conference was riddled with lots of game trailers - so many that we have to pile some of them into this little post for your viewing pleasure. While you take a quick break from your freak-out session over the PlayStation 4's $399 price tag, check out this trailer for Infamous: Second Son. Additionally, you'll find the likes of Driveclub, Killzone: Shadow Fall, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Knack, Watch Dogs, Transistor and Batman: Arkham Origins after the break, each in trailer form. Grab some popcorn, you have plenty of footage to soak in.
Watch Dogs gets exclusive outfit, hour of content on PlayStation 4
Ubisoft just showed a quick demo of Watch Dogs at Sony's E3 press conference, featuring some new police-escaping gameplay by hero Aiden Pearce, and a hacking ability that allows him to apparently blackout all of Chicago, if only temporarily. Sony also announced that Watch Dogs would have exclusive content on the PlayStation 4, including a new outfit for Pearce, and a full hour of content exclusive to the platform. You may remember this deal from Ubisoft's other series, Assassin's Creed. Watch Dogs is set to arrive on November 19.
Watch Dogs transmits E3 trailer
Enjoy watching some sushi get eaten off a naked lady, some dude getting shot in the kneecap (ouch!) and a city block get hacked in this Watch Dogs trailer. Sure to be more at Ubisoft's press conference later today.
See Watch Dogs mocap actors jump down some dubsteps
This latest development diary for Ubisoft's current/next-gen hacking/big-brother simulator Watch Dogs focuses on the complex motion capture work that is being done on the game's main character, as well as the various people he brutally assaults while reading their private Facebook messages.
Watch Dogs, Assassin's Creed 4 confirmed for Xbox One
No surprises, but Ubisoft announced it's bringing Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag and Watch Dogs to the Xbox One, hot on the heels of the console's reveal. Ubisoft says the duo are two of "at least six next-gen games" it's bringing to the Xbox One in the system's first year. "The next generation of consoles will reinvigorate our industry and make it possible for us to deliver incredible new entertainment to gamers," said Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot. "Our teams are using the innovations in connectivity, immersion and social gaming included in Xbox One to create original and memorable next-gen gaming experiences."
Watch Dogs GameStop, Amazon pre-order goods have eyes on you
North American retailers GameStop and Amazon are offering up their own pre-order incentives for Watch Dogs, Ubisoft announced today. Those who commit early through GameStop will receive an additional single-player mission, with a perk that unlocks "exclusive investigation opportunities inside of the network" and bonus cash when hacking into bank accounts, plus an exclusive poster designed by Alex Ross. Amazon pre-orders also get an exclusive mission that, upon completion, unlocks a special biometric assault rifle and an outfit. Watch Dogs launches on the Xbox 360, PS3, PC and Wii U on November 19. A port is also planned for next-generation consoles.%Gallery-188863%
Six minutes of Watch Dogs gameplay footage appears
Gameplay videos are a great way to kick off your Sundays, so here is a six-minute video of Watch Dogs, courtesy of GamesHQMedia. We haven't seen this particular video before, a commentary-free look at main character Aiden's use of the near-future Chicago environment, so be sure to check it out before it gets taken down. [Thanks, Szczesny!]
Watch Dogs getting hacking feedback from security firm Kaspersky Lab
Ubisoft Montreal is soliciting feedback on hacking as it is depicted in Watch Dogs, a contemporary action game in which the protagonist exploits interconnected computer networks through his smartphone. Senior Producer Dominic Guay told Joystiq about the developer's work with Kaspersky Lab, the internet security firm that recently claimed to have identified a targeted malware attack on the Android platform. "We're working with Kaspersky Lab, a big security firm," Guay said during a San Francisco press event. "They have really hardcore experts there on hacking. We send them some of our designs and we ask them feedback on it, and it's interesting to see what gets back. Sometimes they say, 'Yeah, that's possible, but change that word,' or, 'That's not the way it works.'" Watch Dogs isn't focused on hacking at a granular level, despite being fictionally fertile ground for the clichéd hacking minigame. Instead, it treats hacking as a shortcut to manipulating doors, cameras, cars, laptops and ATMs in a futuristic "smart city" based on Chicago. The centrally computer-controlled urban environment is a sprawling basis for the game's traversal, shooting, stealth and driving systems. "It's not about the challenges of climbing a wall," Guay says, recalling the simplification of movement in Ubisoft Montreal's flagship series, Assassin's Creed. "It's finding the path I want to follow. "It's not about the minigame that will let me open the door, it's the fact that I'm making a plan. I'm making a plan of how I'm going to chain hacking, shooting, traveling the city and driving to achieve an objective." The input from Kaspersky Lab, and that from Ubisoft's own engineers, is intended to reduce instances of Hollywood hacking: the sexed-up, hyperspeed code wrangling meant to convey skilled computer use and software creation in an exciting/embarrassing way. Watch Dogs is certainly bombastic, but attempts to be more sensible than the likes of "Swordfish." After the break: that scene where Hugh Jackman shows John Travolta where he hid the worm.
Watch Dogs multiplayer mode will have element of invasion
The multiplayer component of Watch Dogs will have an element of player invasion, though its overall extent and direction has yet to be described by Ubisoft. Dominic Guay, Senior Producer at Ubisoft Montreal, insisted that the game can be played "completely offline if you want." (Expect to hear that protection phrase often in the wake of SimCity.) In multiplayer, Watch Dogs will use the near-future version of Chicago just as it is in single-player. "We are not making any compromises in terms of dynamism or interactivity," Guay said at a San Francisco press event earlier this week. Connecting with other players will be seamless in the developer's attempt "to start breaching the wall in action-adventure between single- and multiplayer." As an example of how players will commandeer elements of the city in play, Guay pointed to the E3 2012 demonstration of Watch Dogs: it concluded with another character hacking the protagonist's phone to plant a virus. In February, the game made an appearance at the PlayStation 4 unveiling event, and there the player was watched by someone who had hacked the local security cameras. Is there an apt term for someone who engages in voyeurism ... vicariously? Guay also discussed the "mobile extension" of Watch Dogs, a companion app that's been in development for more than a year alongside the primary game. You'll be able to play some form of Watch Dogs on your smartphone, and interact with console players running around their respective cities. Doing so from the real Chicago, wearing your finest trench coat, will likely generate a cosplay singularity.
