Tag: ubisoft

‘Assassin’s Creed’ Action Figures Coming From McFarlane Toys!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Assassin’s Creed fans, it’s time to clear some space on your toy shelf… You do have a toy shelf, right?

 

Ubisoft and Mcfarlane Toys announced today an agreement to create action figures based on the Assassins Creed series. The figures will launch later this year, and prototypes of each will be shown off at this year’s International Toy Fair (booth #4921 if you’re going) .

 

Series one will consist of seven figures, including Connor and Haytham Kenway; each will stand ~6-inches tall and feature over 25 points of articulation. Price-wise, you’re looking at $15-16 per unit, which will be well worth it for the typical quality of Mcfarlane figures.

 

A cool bonus for gamers, straight from Macfarlane himself:
 

“We’re always looking to raise the bar with our figures, and Ubisoft has been a great partner to help make that happen. These will be the first McFarlane Toys to include integration with the game itself. Our Assassin’s Creed figures will include codes that unlock unique content in game – things like new weapons, clothing colors, or other customization options. Features like this reward the hardcore fans who buy the figures, and give collectors some added value.”

 
Sign me up! Are you into these? Which characters would you like to see in the next series?
 
AC_McFarlane_Connor_02

New Regency And Ubisoft Hire Write For ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Adaptation

by Shawn Madden

New Regency and Ubisoft have tapped up-and-coming writer Michael Lesslie to write the screenplay for the film adaptation of Assassin’s Creed. The film, which will star and be produced by Michael Fassbender, is expected to hit theaters sometime next year.

 

Lesslie is an acclaimed English playwright and wrote Prince Of Denmark, which was performed at the National Theatre in 2012, as well as penning a number of short film. New Regency and Ubisoft are now seeking a director and additional producers for the film.

 

The film definitely has quite a bit of hype surrounding it, especially due to the popularity of the game franchise. The series centers on a bartender who is captured by a secret corporation and sent back in time to relive the memories of his ancestors, who all just happen to be assassins, and retrieve ancient artifacts. No current release date has been set, but with an expected 2014 release date we may see an announcement over the coming months.

 

Source: THR

Geekscape Games Review: ‘The Art Of Assassin’s Creed III’

by Shane O'Hare

The Assassin’s Creed series has always shown incredible artistic direction; from the dark atmosphere of the crusades to the vibrant and alive renaissance to the dystopian modern age we get to visit as Desmond, the wonderful team over at Ubisoft have yet to disappoint fans. The great guys and gals over at Titan Books  have recently put out an amazing collection of concept art and notes from the design team that crafted Assassin’s Creed III. Lets jump right in and take a look at The Art of Assassin’s Creed III

When I got my hands on the book I was ecstatic. I normally don’t go for art books and I’m simply not very interested in concept art. When I cracked the spine on this hardback however, I was blown away. The outstanding painted collections of concept images are presented in an extremely intelligent and cohesive manner.

The book is laid out over seven chapters that is prefaced with a great foreword by the Creative Director for AC3, Alex Hutchinson, which explains the thought process of the artists. The collected works start from a few sketches in a meeting way back in 2010 and cover the entire two years of development.

Present Day

Now, when I started looking at this collection I hadn’t yet played the game. I’ve only just got my hands on a copy and haven’t even broken the surface of the narrative. It’s really amazing to see where the artists changed their initial concepts and where they kept things the way they were envisioned from the start. Talking over the book with my friend Dylan, who had already cranked through a good portion of the game was an extremely interesting conversation.

The artist Chinh Ngo states that he wanted to to showcase the artificial lights of the modern era, making the sequences as Desmond a stark contrast to the natural lighting from the revolution. Exaggerated and dynamic lights were featured to help bring the cold electric feel across the atmosphere; from the overhead view of an MMA fight, to a dark, damp vehicle sequence. The notes on the Abstergo offices were interesting; the design team wanted to make the angles of the building very sharp and sterile.

Characters

The creative thought process behind these characters is amazing. The evolution of Connor is something any fan of the game has to see; his first design is very Native American inspired, with feathers being very prominent. The change from concept to concept is very interesting to see, his first iteration is very foreign compared to Ezio or Altair. Conceptually looking into the historically relevant people you’ll meet in the game is absolutely breath taking. These large scale paintings of some of the historical figures deserve to placed in a museum, I’m saying they’re actually museum quality.

Forest & Frontier

The one element of AC3 that shines the most is the expansive environment players can explore. The entire game is 1.5 times larger than Rome from Brotherhood, and you can see in this section of the book that the art team really put a lot of their heart and soul into crafting this world. The really fascinating portion is the recreation of famous battles and locations from history. The artist notes in this chapter are very intriguing and are definitely worth a read.

Boston

Way back at SDCC 2012 I attended the Ubsoft AC3 panel (my fellow ‘scapist Jake108 was also there). They demoed a section of the game in Boston, and frankly I was a little underwhelmed. The portion I saw seemed to be step backwards from the Italian renaissance, and the parts I’ve seen in game of the city still haven’t overly impressed me, but DAMN, this section of the book is critical. Seeing these huge set pieces really wowed me. From alleyways to docks, I cannot believe how cool this place looks. Maybe I need to progress further in the game, but where did all these great ideas go!? If you pick up this book, you NEED to see page 83; That HUGE shot of the entire city is absolutely incredible. It deserves to be on canvas in some rich white dude’s study, right over the fireplace.

New York

New York, New York baby. Historically this place was the setting of many pivotal battles for the revolution. The notes here focussing on the emphasis of shadows are very interesting. It’s more of the same you’ll have seen in the Boston section, and it is also the shortest section of the book.

Homestead

A returning mechanic from AC2 is the home territory. In this case players get to interact and upgrade a large tract of land that Connor and his mentor call home. I’ve seen a great deal of the process of upgrading and exploring the homestead while watching my friend play through a bunch of the quests. I find it extremely interesting how the game intertwines different characters into your own town. Doing small sidequests for each new person who comes into the homestead and how the area changes from what they bring is one of the coolest parts of the game. The concept art for the homestead area is very intriguing. The character and housing developmental changes is definitely something to take notice of.

Battle At Sea

Back at that SDCC panel, Ubisoft expanded on the Naval portion of the game. Seeing stills from it made me want this game so much more. I’ve always loved the sea from this period in time; if you see the miniseries Hornblower from A&E you will know why. AC3 really blew this part out of the water, pun intended. The paintings from this chapter are really some amazing pieces. If Titan Books are reading this, you can get me the images from page 135 on canvas for Christmas (please!).

Final Thoughts

Like I said at the beginning, I’ve never been a HUGE art fan. The little books you get in some collectors editions of games really never interested me. This huge collected works from AC3, on the other hand, is something to behold. The notes that accompany the pictures is worth the price of the book alone. The crew over at Titan Books really put together a great collection and I think everyone needs to check it out.

You can get your hands on the version I have right HERE.

BUT! If you are the ultimate Assassin’s Creed fan then you’lll want to get the Limited Edition copy. It features a radical slip case and two signed prints from two of the artists, Chinh Ngo and Gilles Beloeil. It is limited to 1000 copies, so if you want it, you better get it quick!

Eric Singer To Pen ‘Splinter Cell’ Adaptation With Tom Hardy On Board To Star

by Shawn Madden

Not long ago it was revealed that Ubisoft was planning a big screen adaptation of Splinter Cell. Now it has been revealed that Eric Singer has been hired by Ubisoft to write the screenplay for the film. Singer is best known for penning the film The International.

It has also been revealed that Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception) has signed on to star as Fisher in the film. Jean-Julien Baronnet, CEO of Ubisoft Motion Pictures, released the following statement:

“Tom Hardy is currently one of the biggest talents in the film industry, and he has a phenomenal ability to take on complex and varied roles with his broad range of acting skills. His involvement in the ‘Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell’ movie is exciting news for movie and video game fans alike. Meanwhile, Eric Singer is one of the most talented writers of the moment, and … we’re confident he’ll bring a fresh approach and create a thrilling story … while still respecting all the codes and traditions of the franchise that are so important to fans.”

Wow, with talent like Hardy for Splinter Cell and Michael Fassbender for Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft is definitely not playing around with their film adaptations of their franchises. Could  we finally see some good adaptations of video game franchises coming? Let the games begin!

Source: Variety

Production On ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Film Adaptation May Begin Next Year

by Shawn Madden

In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft’s chief sales and marketing officer Geoffroy Sardin released some interesting details of about the upcoming big screen adaptation of Assassin’s Creed starring Michael Fassbender.

“Another thing that is very important for the lifecycle is the transmedia offer. All the figurines, the books, the publishing, and we have a movie in the next coming year. So it’s not only about games, we are talking about a global brand, and this is the life cycle management we want to set up now.”

It looks like we will see the film go into production sometime next year, most likely after Fassbender finishes up with X-Men: Days of Future Past, most likely either late Summer or early Fall. This also means that we will most likely see a 2014 release for the film.

Check Out 14 Minutes Of Gameplay From ‘Far Cry 3’

by Shane O'Hare

We’ve seen clips and pics from Far Cry 3. We’ve seen the crazy “Definition Of Insanity” trailer from E3. Now, we get a peak at the giant over world.

Lead Designer Jamie Keen and Level Designer Mark Thompson lead us through fourteen minutes of gameplay that shows you how the overworld reacts. Let me just tell you this, it looks VASTLY improved from Far Cry 2.

December 4th is a Far Cry 3 day.

Full Roster Revealed For ‘Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Just a couple weeks until launch means that it’s the perfect time for more Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth news! The brawler is set to launch on October 30th for Xbox 360, while Wii U players will have to wait for launch day (November 18 in North America).

Ubisoft today revealed the full roster of playable characters for the title, as well as a cool piece of key art to show them off. Here is who you’ll be able to suit-up as:

1.      Black Widow
2.      Captain America
3.      Doctor Doom
4.      Dr. Strange
5.      Hawkeye
6.      Human Torch
7.      Iceman
8.      Iron Man
9.      Loki
10.     Magneto
11.     Phoenix
12.     Queen Veranke
13.     Scarlet Witch
14.     Spider Man
15.     Storm
16.     Super Skrull
17.     The Hulk
18.     Thor
19.     Venom
20.     Wolverine

Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth is a motion-based title (for Xbox 360 users, the Kinect Sensor is required), so it will be interesting to see how it plays. The game certainly looks cool, but of course, gameplay is everything! Check out the gameplay trailer below, and let us know if you’re planning on picking this one up!

Be Afraid With This New ‘ZombiU’ Trailer

by Shane O'Hare

Fucking Nintendo, how does it work? Remarkably well. It looks like they really are listening to the hardcore and will deliver a solid new console. Check out the newest trailer for the survival horror launch title ZombiU. It looks, pretty damn fun!

You can get your hands on a WiiU as well as ZombiU November 18th!

PS3 Gets An Assasin’s Creed Ezio Trilogy This November!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Sony has been doing some pretty cool stuff with their game consoles as of late. From Cross-Buy (Buy a game on a PS3 or Vita, get a free/discounted copy for the other), bringing the amazing Playstation Plus service to the Vita, and now their PS3 collections.

The Playstation Collections have all been first party games. Titles like God of War (collecting all 5 games in a $39.99 package), Ratchet & Clank, and Infamous have been collected and sold for a great price.

It seems as though Ubisoft wants in on that action, as this November, exclusively to the PS3 they’ll be releasing the Ezio trilogy of Assassin’s Creed games. On November 14, for just $39.99, you’ll be able to get your hands on the compilation, featuring Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed Revalations, and Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. The collection also includes any DLC released for those titles.

This is a perfect entry into a great series if you haven’t yet had an opportunity to enjoy it!

 

Explore Ancient Mayan Temples In ‘Assassin’s Creed III’

by Shane O'Hare

Ubisoft have just released this trailer showing off some nice preorder perks for getting AC3 from GameStop. Look with me!

If you aren’t a fan of preorder bonuses then you may not like this trailer. What we get looks like a great temple designed for testing your climbing skills. Plus that crazy ass sword looks like it will tear up some soft supple British fairly well.

For more info on the preorder bonus and to actually preorder it check out the GameStop site HERE

AC3 ships October 30th on Xbox360 and PS3. For PC on November 20th.

Welcome To The Rook Islands: A ‘FarCry 3’ Introduction

by Shane O'Hare

The first in a series of Island Survival videos, “Welcome to The Rook Islands” gives us a brief introduction on who we will be running into and where we will run into them in FarCry 3. Take a peak with me at this little snippet below.

FarCry 3 ships in North America on December 4th on Xbox, PS3 and PC.

Assassinate With Friends In Assassin’s Creed III Using ‘Animus’

by Shane O'Hare

With Gamescom just around the corner, Ubisoft is starting to dish out some pre-tradeshow hype. They just released a new trailer for the multiplayer portion of Assassin’s Creed III. Along the lines as “The Corporation” from Aliens, we get a product demo for the Animus from a lovely Abstergo employee. Take a gander below.

I never personally played any of the Assassin’s Creed multiplayer modes. It all seemed WAY to stressful to be hunted by real people. This iteration looks like it will be even more in depth with more game modes. PLUS! You can be a big breasted woman! I’M SOLD!

Delicious Eye Candy in This Assassin’s Creed III Engine Demo

by Shane O'Hare

We at Geekscape are excited for Assassin’s Creed III. No wait, we are EXTREMELY EXCITED for Assassin’s Creed III. I can safely say, lest there is some game ending bug, this will be a runner for Game of the year for most reviewers. Well today the folks over at Ubisoft have given us another little morsel to tide us over until Gamescom. Check out this overview video of the new engine that ACIII is built around. AnvilNext.

We finally get a peak at what Ubisoft has been talking about. The expansive environments that the lead dev at comic con said “Are as big as they are in real life” look amazing. The number of AI was just an arbitrary number until this video. To actually see all of those people on screen at once is such a good feeling.

So what is your favorite part of this video? What are you most looking forward to in Assassin’s Creed III?

Geekscape Games Geek Peek Review: ‘The Expendables 2: The Video Game’

by MoreLikeAndy

Why oh why do we have to endure games such as these? Yes, movie tie-in games are down right TERRIBLE for the most part. Still, marketing departments think any publicity is good publicity. That said, Expendables 2: The Video Game is another “must avoid” game.

Let’s start off with how bad the voice acting is. I’m sure they pulled some people from the front desk to read the lines of horrible dialogue. I’m sure that I could do a better impression of Sly Stallone than whoever they cherry picked to do it. For my fellow Asian’s out there, I am deeply sorry for the horrendous Jet Li impression that is in The Expendables 2: The Video Game. I cringe ever time I heard it, which thankfully wasn’t a whole lot.

Having The Expendables 2: The Video Game play like a isometric, old school arcade shooter only solidifies my need for breaking out my old NES and just play Ikari Warriors and the tons of other Commando clones. At least I could tell with those games that I was hitting what I was aiming at. Just hitting an enemy is an accomplishment in The Expendables 2: The Video Game. No feedback, bullet sponge enemies and horrible controls in general frustrated me to the point of expending all my patience.

Multiplayer works but there is almost no reason to play with others. Even with a full lobby of 4 players local or over the network, the fun that should accompany the fact that four manly men decimated their surroundings while explosion went off around them was never present. It ended up being more of waiting game with trying to get other players to follow you to continue the level instead of sitting behind cover killing what seemed to be endless waves of baddies.

 

The Expendables 2: The Video Game is another shining example of how not to do a movie tie-in game. Better to save your money on this and just use it to see the movie. At least on the big screen, you will have more enjoyment sitting through the whole movie than 10 minutes of the game.

Ubisoft DRM ‘UPlay’ Could Let Hackers Take Over Your Machine!

by Shane O'Hare

For a few years now Ubisoft has pushed their hideous DRM system, UPlay, on gamers. It is intrusive on systems. Forces gamers to have an always on connection with Ubisoft servers, that if broken halts gameplay until it is reestablished, and really is just a huge dick to deal with. Now it has been discovered that it will allow a hacker to possibly gain control of your system. And no, that isn’t some scare tactic report from CNN trying to sell copies of Norton.

A report from Ycombinator shows that when UPlay is installed on ones machine, it installs a browser plugin that will allow for remote code execution. Let’s let that sink in for a minute… a Digital Rights Management system that is designed to prevent pirating of games, allows a third party run code WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT  and possibly take over your entire machine.

So if you have any of these Ubisoft games, check the report to see how to check whether or not if your browser has the extension.

Assassin’s Creed II
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
Assassin’s Creed: Project Legacy
Assassin’s Creed Revelations
Assassin’s Creed III
Beowulf: The Game
Brothers in Arms: Furious 4
Call of Juarez: The Cartel
Driver: San Francisco
Heroes of Might and Magic VI
Just Dance 3
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
Pure Football
R.U.S.E.
Shaun White Skateboarding
Silent Hunter 5: Battle of the Atlantic
The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved

To protect yourself from this blunder you can go to your browsers “Plugins” section and disable anything from Ubisoft.

There is currently no word from Ubisoft as to why this exists. We will keep you updated the moment any more information comes out.

SDCC 2012 Video Game Round-Up: Assassin’s Creed III

by jake108

Assassin’s Creed III

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, Assassin’s Creed III is using the American Revolution as backdrop for our newest adventure. Desmond will be making a return, and Ubisoft promises to make Desmond actually fun to play as. While it is a considerable leap from Ezio’s time period, Ubisoft did rule out the possibility of going back in time rather than the trend of going forward, meaning that another AC game could take place in between Ezio’s time period and the American Revolution.

I admit to being skeptical of this next installment of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Being a fan of the franchise, I feared of a changing gameplay formula due to the drastic change in scenery. Not only that, but I was also skeptical of the game’s story. I was afraid of Conner, our new Assassin we’ll be taking control of, was only helping the Americans just because. I am pleased to report that Conner actually has a reason for helping the colonists. Still, it’s what you’d expect: Top British officials are Templars, and Conner will help the colonists earn their freedom from the Templars themselves.

Below, you’ll find a walkthrough of Boston, MA.

Assassin’s Creed III gameplay is not unlike its predecessors. Any veteran to the franchise should be able to pick up the game and get the hang of it fairly quickly. As someone who doesn’t delve too much into the multiplayer part of the franchise, it’s easy to forget the controls and tricks to avoiding death by assassination. Still, a quick refreshing match should allow to make a decision to keep playing or not.

The gametype I played was a form of conquest/domination while looking for enemy assassins. It’s amazingly fun for those who are good at it and can get quite frustrating for first time users. New game modes, new environments, and new weapons should keep the multiplayer fresh for veterans.

Assassins Creed III is shaping up to be another great addition and is set for an October 30th release.

SDCC 2012 Video Game Round-Up: Avengers: Battle For Earth

by Matt Blackwood

I got a chance to play Avengers: Battle For Earth, the upcoming Marvel Universe fighting game for XBox Kinect, and…

Well, it’s not fully assembled.

The camera had some trouble distinguishing between different gestures, necessitating a precision of movement that doesn’t feel intuitive. And sometimes movements would be lost completely, which is especially frustrating considering the calories you burn jumping and gesticulating like a madman.

But keep in mind that the game won’t release until November, so they have plenty of time to work out these bugs. And once they do, the gameplay should really excite fans.

Designers clearly put a lot of thought into how different characters move. Far from the button mashing of MvC, you really feel the variation in what powers you’re unleashing.

Whether extending the arms and fingers like jazz hands to expand Venom’s tendrils, rapidly pushing forward to activate Iron Man’s repulsor blasts, or making a hugging motion with the Hulk to rip up a chunk of earth, you can really feel that you’re affecting the game’s colorful world.

And when you swing your imaginary hammer and see the thunder really called down on your opponent, it can be Mighty fun.

UPDATE: Michael Fassbender To Star As Desmond Miles In ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Movie

by Shane O'Hare

That’s right folks! It was announced today that Michael Fassbender will not only be Co-Producing the Assassin’s Creed film adaptation, but he will be STARRING in it too!

“Michael Fassbender was our first choice” to play the franchise’s iconic hooded hero, said Jean-Julien Baronnet, CEO of Paris-based Ubisoft Motion Pictures. “Michael (Fassbender) is an extremely smart, talented, versatile and committed actor.”

Talks with Sony have since halted and the French videogame developer has created it’s own studio, Ubisoft Motion Pictures, and plans on releasing not only the Assassin’s Creed movies on their own but Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon ones as well!

Though the release doesn’t say WHO Fassbender will be playing, we can all assume he is going to be the series protagonist Desmond Miles.

For more info check out the full story HERE.

UPDATE: LA Times has now confirmed that the actor will be playing the role of Desmond Miles.

Fassbender, who will play Miles, has a unique cachet. He’s a highly skilled actor who’s also hugely popular, something that can’t be said of many of the actors who’ve tried this before.

 

Terry Crews Ties You To A Chair, Makes You Watch ‘The Expendables 2: The Video Game’ Trailer

by MoreLikeAndy

Some of us at Geekscape have already written off The Expendables 2: The Video Game when it was first announced. From the screenshots alone, we passed judgement on Ubisoft for even thinking of publishing this game. With the gameplay trailer released today, the naysayers might just have to eat some crow.

 

The Expendables 2: The Video Game will launch July 31st for $14.99 (or $11.99 if you’re a PS+ member) on PSN since it’s part of the Playstation Play promotion that Sony is running from July 24th to August 27th. XBLA and PC versions will launch August 17th when The Expendables 2 premieres in theaters.

Murder Brits With This Assassin’s Creed Steel Tomahawk

by Shane O'Hare

You to can relive moments from the great American Revolution with your own Assassins Tomahawk! FEEL THE BLOOD OF YOUR ENEMIES ON YOUR COLD STEEL! The folks over at The Deals Only Webstore have put up, what I believe to be the COOLEST toy since the Halo Plasma Weapons offered from HotTopic. Take a gander at some of the pics below!

The DELICIOUS excerpt from the site makes me want this even more than I did before.

A warrior is defined by his weapon. An extension of his arm, his character is reflected in his instrument of war.

These axes are 17.5″ inches of pure grace. The blades is finely crafted of pure steel, firmly gripping the beautifully decorated wood handle. The lower grip is padded with realistic faux leather, and the upper neck is adorned with additional decorations including a feather charm.

This piece will feel great in your hand, and is weighted well to facilitate strong swings. This tomahawk is a fantastic piece for any collector, and is great for costumes and cosplay.

Be prepared for the revolution.

Features:

  • Finely crafted steel blade
  • Beautiful wooden handle
  • Quality faux leather grip and decorations
  • Great for costumes and collections

Did you read that last bit? “Be prepared for the revolution”. My Alaskan, red meat eating, Ron Paul Loving, .44 Magnum bear killing heart got a tad bit aroused after reading that. For only $40 plus shipping I am SO READY FOR THE REVOLUTION!

Celebrate Independence Day With The New Assassin’s Creed III Trailer ‘Rise’

by Shane O'Hare

Today, July 4th. American Independence Day. And on one of the most historically auspicious days for our country we are reminded of our fight for independence by a French video game developer. Check out the newest trailer for AC3 sent to us by Ubisoft!

Damn. That was REALLY good. Ubisoft definitely took a note from the Halo adverts with this one. The hype for this game just will not stop, and I am SO excited for its release. Hopefully what Ubisoft shows us at San Diego Comic Con will keep this hype train rolling.

And I hope that you laugh at the fact that this is the UK marketing trailer as well.

FarCry 3 PC Delayed Until 2013

by Shane O'Hare

The folks over at Ubisoft have dropped a few bombs. After hearing that the upcoming FarCry 3 was going to be pushed back from September 6th to November 26th, we find out that the PC version will not be released until 2013!!!

On a Romanian blog Ubisoft Employee “Alex” says the PC version of both Assassin’s Creed III and FarCry 3 will be delayed due to a contract signed with Microsoft and Sony. AC3 ships on November 23rd but inexplicably FC3 gets pushed back to 2013!

The ongoing rumor is because of Ubisoft trying to get their DRM and Anti-Piracy locked down but “Alex” assures readers that it is because of a delayed launch contract that was signed recently by the two console companies. Does this kind of show M$ and Sony’s attitude towards the PC market? Are the two console giants starting to be afraid of the home PC market again? Only time will tell.

Source: Tech Source

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Babel Rising’

by jake108

Babel Rising casts you as an angry god set on destroying everyone and everything that is contributing to building a tower set to reach the heavens. Anyone familiar with the Tower of Babel story can already get the gist of this Xbox Live Arcade title. Still, is Babel Rising worthy of your attention?

Babel Rising is all about gameplay. If you’re looking for a dense story, you can stop reading now. The concept is simple: hurl stones, fireballs, ice, and gusts of wind at figures who are building a tower. The campaign consists of missions with objectives and is better served as a tutorial for leaning the four different set of powers you have. Each power set has a total of two types of attacks, basic and heavy. As you use your powers, a meter will fill up based on what power you use. Once one of the meters fills up, you will be able to use a special attack meant to deal a great amount of damage.

Your tools of destruction are Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. None are similar and depending on what game mode you’re playing, you will have the option to choose what two sets you want with preference being an underlining reason for choosing.

Babel Rising has Kinect functionality which allows players to control the elements with their hands rather than a controller. While some might enjoy this Kinect functionality, I found that using a controller was overall more responsive to what I wanted to do and who I wanted to attack. The resulting conclusion will have you sitting on the couch while trying to drive up your high score.

Babel Rising offers up both multiplayer and cooperative modes. These multiplayer modes are not Xbox Live enabled. Babel Rising is a case of what you see is what you get. While it’s good to pass the time, there’s really nothing serious or “hardcore” about Babel Rising.

Babel Rising is available today on the PSN and XBLA for $9.99 and 800 Micorsoft Points respectively. Babel Rising will also be available on iOS devices, Android, and Windows PC.

‘Splinter Cell’ Coming Soon To A Theater Near You?

by Scott Alminiana

Deadline is reporting that Ubisoft is engaged in discussions with studios to bring Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell to the big screen. First it was Warner Bros. that was in talks with Ubisoft, but now it would seem that Paramount is the front runner for the project.

Paramount seems like a natural fit for the Tom Clancy endorsed game due to the studio having previously adapted his books (The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and Sum of All Fears) into films. The studio is currently in the process of rebooting the Jack Ryan franchise with Chris Pine and Thor director Kenneth Branagh attached to direct.

I’d like to see a movie version of Splinter Cell work but movies based on video games have a bad track record in Hollywood. Has there ever truely been a decent video game movie made? I thought Mortal Kombat was the best thing ever when I was a kid, but I was 11 and had terrible taste.

So what do you think, would you see a Splinter Cell movie? Who do you think would make a good Sam Fisher?

Assassin’s Creed 3 Stalks Some Prey In A New Frontier Walkthrough Video

by Shane O'Hare

Today the chaps over at Ubisoft released a seven minute walkthrough of one of the missions in Assassin’s Creed 3. This particular one shows off the new combat system, tree navigation and player weapons. Check it out below.

Ubisoft Following the Footsteps of Naughty Dog With Use of Motion Capture, Voice Acting

by MoreLikeAndy

Naughty Dog nailed it on the head with their Uncharted series with how well the reactions to what the characters are doing on screen matched up. When making video games, the voice acting is done separate from the motion capture. This can create that disconnect from what the character on screen is doing and how the voice actor reacts to it. Having someone do the voice acting and motion capture at the same time is a huge undertaking and why most studios don’t do it.

With Far Cry 3, Ubisoft seems to get the definition of insanity and is doing things differently by using the same actors for both voice and motion capture. The folks over at CVG did an interview with the actor who plays Vaas, who seems to be the main villain in Far Cry 3. I was hoping for someone that was crazed out of their mind but Michael Mando seems like a genuinely sweet guy. I like that Ubisoft wanted Mando to go even further and over the top with the character Vaas. Everyone loves an on the edge psychotic bad guy. Can’t wait to get my hands on Far Cry 3 on September 4th, 2012.

E3 2012 – Geekscape Games Plays Rayman Legends!

by Josh Jackson

Rayman Origins took platforming fans like myself by surprise last year. Finally reclaiming the spotlight and stepping out of the shadow of the party loving Rabbids, Rayman returned to true form by providing possibly the greatest 2D platform experience ever. Not wanting to settle for just being the best, it looks like Ubisoft is taking steps to make sure that Rayman Legends lives up to its name by raising the bar on the classic genre once again.

The WiiU demo on the show floor featured Rayman being controlled by the Classic Controller and his friend Murfy on the Game Pad, people who played Origins will feel right at home. Many of Rayman’s abilities like wall running, swinging and floating have returned with new levels to challenge your platforming grit. The biggest change comes from the graphics, so while many of the animations are the same, the characters are now rendered in 3D, which helps when launching the characters or attacks into the background. Taking out dragons from far away is a sight to behold!

But it’s Murfy that truly brings the new feeling to the game. Unlike Tingle in Wind Waker or playing as the almighty cursor in Mario Galaxy, Game Pad users will guide their character through obstacles in the level. Is there a rope that needs to be cut, bridge that needs lowering or maze that needs tilting? Leave it to Murfy! The tilt control had just the right amount of responsiveness when it came to delicately guiding Rayman out of harm’s way, and really made the Game Pad user feel like an important part of the experience.

I’m looking forward to a whole new set of worlds to tackle with such solid game play. With the trademark humor coming back as well, (musical platforming featuring rocking grannies?) I can’t wait to get a proper 5 player game going. Rayman Legends is shaping up to be even more worthy of your money than Legends was, so when the WiiU finally launches, I know what will be on my must buy list.

Rayman Origins 3DS Demo and Release Date Announced

by Shane O'Hare

The demo for the 3DS version of Rayman Origins hits the Nintendo eShop TODAY!

The newly released demo includes three unique fantasy levels including Swinging Caves, Playing in the Shade and Shooting Me Softly. Players can launch the demo with no time limits, challenging their previous score and time attack records by collecting more electoons and exploring new adventures each time around.

This game also features STREET PASS, so you can all your gangstas can street pass like homies all day.

The demo is released today while the full game comes out June 5th.

Check out the trailer below.

Ubisoft Announces Avengers Game

by Shane O'Hare

Today Ubisoft announced that they have made a deal with Marvel to create an Avengers game titled “Battle for Earth”. Insert Will Smith-Independence day quote here.

At first I was elated, thinking it was that unfinished FPS we all saw last year finally coming to fruition, but no information other than it’ll be out this fall and will be on the Kinect and Wii U systems was given.

Let’s hope that it’s not just another video game movie churned out due to a films popularity and it actually has some playability  like the last few avengers games.

We will be sure to let you know more info as it comes out, but in the mean time take a gander at the leaked footage from the Avengers FPS and wish that this game and that game are the same.