Tag Archives: Ubisoft

Train2Game News Open Gaming Alliance welcomes Ubisoft

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The Open Gaming Alliance (OGA), a non-profit trade association focused on the games industry business, today announced Ubisoft® as its newest Corporate Member.

Ubisoft joins a growing roster of other forward-thinking industry leaders including  Intel,  Dell/Alienware,  Logitech,  Razer,  Unity, Webroot and the recently announced  Lenovo in supporting the OGA’s efforts to provide leadership and opportunities; and encourage growth and diversity within the games business ecosystem.

At this year’s E3, the  Open Gaming Alliance announced several  new initiatives including new  membership levels; new AR/VR, Software and Cloud Gaming special interest groups; and a significant expansion of its indie developer support. Additionally, the OGA issued its annual  Pinnacle research report analyzing industry revenues and trends

“PC Gamers are important to Ubisoft, and we’re committed to better understanding and addressing their needs and to continually improving our relationship with them,” said Sandrine Caloiaro, Consumer and Marketing Knowledge Director, Ubisoft. “By joining the OGA, we’re able to glean gamer insights from their research, learn from best practices in our industry and contribute to the group’s upcoming initiatives.”   

The Open Gaming Alliance provides an array of resources to its industry members, ranging from research and best-practice guidance; to marketing support and networking with some of the industry’s premier middleware and hardware providers, and publishers. Founded in 2008, the organization has evolved to cover multiple platforms and operating systems; maintaining its primary goals of strengthening and promoting the community around all game platforms while providing a unified voice.

“Whether Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Rainbow 6 Siege or one of the many other big games in its portfolio, Ubisoft brings quality entertainment experiences to gamers. It’s a thought-leader that spans every genre, platform and emerging technology within the industry,” said Wanda Meloni, OGA executive director. “Joining the OGA demonstrates Ubisoft’s determination to reaching even more players and to partnering with our other members to better our industry.”

Train2Game News Far Cry Primal

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Today, Ubisoft® announced the development of Far Cry® Primal, the next exciting chapter in the critically acclaimed Far Cry franchise, set during the savage Stone Age.

Far Cry Primal hits shelves worldwide on February 23, 2016 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and the Xbox One.  The game will also ship on Windows PC in March 2016.

Developed by Ubisoft Montréal, in collaboration with Ubisoft Toronto, Ubisoft Shanghai Studio, and Ubisoft Kiev Studio, Far Cry Primal is a full-fledged single player experience that will take gamers to 10,000 BC in history, to a time when massive beasts like the woolly mammoth and sabretooth tiger ruled the Earth.

The award-winning franchise that stormed the tropics and climbed the Himalayas now brings its innovative open world sandbox gameplay to a time when humans were not at the top of the food chain, but were fighting to climb it, bringing together massive beasts, breathtaking environments, and unpredictable savage encounters.

Gamers play as TAKKAR, a seasoned hunter and the last surviving member of his hunting group. Arriving in the majestic and savage land of Oros, players will pursue one single goal; survive in a world where humans are the prey. They will meet a cast of memorable characters who will help them push back and tame the dangers of the wild. Players will journey as the first human to tame the wilderness and rise above extinction.  Along the way, they will have to hunt for food, master fire, fend off fierce predators, craft weapons and tools partly from the bones of slain beasts, and face off against other tribes to conquer Oros.

“The interesting thing about Far Cry is that it’s flexible, so when a team proposed to explore the idea of a Far Cry taking place during the Stone Age, we just said ‘let’s hear it!’  And the more we heard about it, the more we realised how much of a damn good idea it actually was,” said Dan Hay, Executive Producer, Ubisoft.

“The Stone Age is the perfect setting for a Far Cry game,” said Jean-Christophe Guyot, Creative Director, Ubisoft.  “Far Cry usually puts you at the edge of the known world, in a beautiful, lawless and savage frontier.  The Stone Age is, in a way, the very first frontier for humankind; it’s the time when humans put a stick in the ground and claimed land for their own, the time when we started climbing the food chain.  That came with conflict against other humans, of course, but also against nature itself.”

You can enjoy the trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU0tlaY9ZGI

For more information on Far Cry Primal, please visit farcrygame.com

Train2Game News Ubisoft Soundtracks

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Sumthing Else Music Works, the premier record label dedicated to releasing video game soundtracks, today announced that it has entered into a multiple-title licensing agreement with Ubisoft, to release physical editions of the original soundtracks from blockbuster video game franchises  Assassin’s Creed®,  Far Cry®,  Prince of Persia®,  Rayman®  and  Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell®.

“We’re excited to be working with Ubisoft in bringing their physical product and lineup of artists and titles to the worldwide marketplace,” said Andy Uterano, President of Sumthing Else Music Works.

Under terms of the agreement Sumthing Else will issue Ubisoft’s music catalog on CD and select titles on vinyl, commencing with the original soundtracks from its historical action-adventure series  Assassin’s Creed®  on September 25. Featuring the music of BAFTA award-winning, Billboard and MTV Video Music Awards nominated composer Jesper Kyd and Grammy award-winning, Emmy and BAFTA nominated composer Lorne Balfe, the first physical soundtracks to be released include:

   *Assassin’s Creed Original Game Soundtrack – Music by Jesper Kyd

BAFTA winning composer Jesper Kyd’s immersive soundtrack evokes the medieval Middle-Eastern setting. Set in 1191 AD, when the Third Crusade was tearing the Holy Land apart,  Assassin’s Creed  enables players to become truly immersed into the mindset of Altaïr, the game’s main character, and the rich environments of the game through Jesper Kyd’s thematic original score. The combination of cinematic compositions with Middle-Eastern acoustic instruments and vocal performances, featuring full choir and soloists, delivers a deeply meditative and spiritual aesthetic.

   *Assassin’s Creed II Original Game Soundtrack (2-CD) – Music by Jesper Kyd

Assassin’s Creed II  features a new hero, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a young Italian noble, and a new era, the Renaissance. To reflect the change in character, story and setting for  Assassin’s Creed II, Jesper Kyd took the music in an adventurous and dramatic new direction, crafting a melodic, acoustic and progressive musical palette. The music propels the action, captures the allure and mystery of the story and immerses players in the breathtakingly detailed settings. Kyd’s multi-award winning Renaissance-inspired score features the series’ iconic theme, “Ezio’s Family”.

    *Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Original Game Soundtrack – Music by Jesper Kyd

The third iteration in the critically acclaimed series, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood was inspired by historical events during the occupation of Rome by The Borgias in 1503. “Researching the history of the Borgia Family it became clear early on that Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood would require a very dark score in order to match the Borgias’ aspirations to become the rulers of Italy. The music follows the compelling story of Ezio as a Master Assassin going up against The Borgias.” – Jesper Kyd

    *Assassin’s Creed Revelations The Complete Recordings (3-CD) – Music by Jesper Kyd and Lorne Balfe

In Assassin’s Creed Revelations, Master Assassin Ezio Auditore walks in the footsteps of the legendary mentor Altaïr, on a journey of discovery and revelation. Introducing the “Assassin’s Creed Theme”, cut-scenes and multiplayer music by Grammy winning composer/producer Lorne Balfe, recorded with a full live orchestra, and featuring a rich, evocative hybrid in-game music score by Jesper Kyd drawing on Greek, Renaissance and Middle-Eastern instrumentation, combining his emotional melodic writing and acoustic/electronic styles associated with the series.

    *Assassin’s Creed III Original Soundtrack – Music by Lorne Balfe

Assassin’s Creed III invited players to experience the untold story of the American Revolution through the eyes of a new Assassin, Connor. Designed from the ground up, Assassin’s Creed III takes one of gaming’s most beloved franchises to new heights with Lorne Balfe returning to helm the original score. “I wanted to create an epic feeling that would complement the grandeur of the visuals. This was the beginning of America as we know it today – filled with cultures from across the world. With such diversity available, I was able to bring Celtic and other musical influences into the game to further accentuate the complexities of the game itself.” – Lorne Balfe

The remaining Assassin’s Creed original soundtracks will be released on CD in October and select titles on vinyl in 2016:

    *Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Original Game Soundtrack – Music by Brian Tyler
    *Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Game Soundtrack Sea Shanty Edition – Various Artists
    *Assassin’s Creed Unity Original Game Soundtrack Volumes 1 & 2 – Music by Chris Tilton and Sarah Schachner

The licensing deal announced today also includes physical releases for the Far Cry®, Prince of Persia®, Rayman® and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell® soundtracks – release dates to be announced.

For more information on Sumthing Else Music Works and its complete catalog of video game soundtracks, visit www.sumthing.com

Train2Game News Assassin’s Creed Council

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Today, Ubisoft® announced the launch of Assassin’s Creed® Council, a new platform for fans to discover more about the Assassin’s Creed universe, be rewarded with exclusive content, and to meet and communicate directly with the development team and other members of the community.

The Council is the number one destination for fans of the Assassin’s Creed universe, and provides direct access to the people creating the game for an exclusive ‘behind the scenes’ take on the series.

Members will always be kept up to date via direct live information from the Producers, ensuring they are the first to have all the latest information.

Members will also be able to decide the look and fate of the Council by posting their own content, up/down voting other contributor’s content, as well as electing members to form an exclusive ‘Council Chamber’, who will win a trip to the studio, meet the development team, and participate in special events.

Membership to the Council is free. To take a tour of the Assassin’s Creed Council, visit https://council.assassinscreed.com

Train2Game News Peterborough hosts CityLAN event

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Peterborough is set to be transformed into a mecca for UK gamers this August as 20,000 people descend on the inaugural  CityLAN event in the city, featuring some of the biggest stars in European gaming.

Held at the ABAX Stadium (home to Peterborough Football club) and Future Business Centre the event will feature key players in the European Gaming League (EGL) and UbiSoft Lead Game Designer Tim Browne (currently developing the new Assassin’s Creed Syndicate), who will join via video link from France to deliver a keynote address.

Other attendees include renowned Peterborough e-Gamer Ash Dubh who has close to 500,000 YouTube subscribers and Dr Mata Haggis, Professor of Creative and Entertainment Games at Breda University of Applies Sciences in The Netherlands.

There will also be a strong focus on careers in technology, with an active push to engage with students and younger people. Local organisation Digital People in Peterborough (DPiP) will be using hardware from robotics firm Arduino to teach visitors how to build a robot as part of this section of the event. There will be further talks and Q&As on computing, app design and development and wearable technology.

With a exhibitors, gamers and attendees alike expected to gobble through terabytes of data between August 20th and 23rd, CityLAN is being powered by four dedicated, pure fibre gigabit speed network connections provided by  CityFibre. The connections are part of CityFibre’s recently completed 90km network installation in Peterborough called the Peterborough CORE.

Along with hundreds of gaming demos, live play sessions and high profile exhibits, all reliant on a strong network connection, live gaming sessions, streamed speaker slots and demonstrations will be live-streamed to a big screen in Cathedral Square in Peterborough city centre and around the world.

Both CityLAN and CityFibre have worked in close partnership and consultation to ensure the network is able to support all the demands of running an event that is amongst the most data hungry in the world. An experienced team of engineers will closely monitor the connections throughout the event.

Terry Harris, Director at CityLAN said: “Bringing an event of this size to Peterborough is massively exciting. Some of the names attending are superstars in their own right and there is a huge appetite from the British gaming community to attend.

“Having CityFibre as a partner is something we are most thankful for – as many gamers know exceptional Internet and ultra-low latency is a must and with so many people in attendance a robust connection is one of  the most important ingredient to CityLANs success. We’re confident all our attendees – from gamers to those watching key note addresses from overseas will enjoy a high quality experience throughout.”

CityFibre City Development Manager, Andrew Starnes added: “ We’ve been turning Peterborough into a ‘Gigabit City’ and the response we’ve had from local businesses shows just how digitally focused this region is. We’re very proud to be able to bring these dedicated lines, which will provide some of the fastest speeds in the world, to the CityLAN event to ensure it’s a true Gigabit Games.”

To find out more and book tickets go to http://www.citylan.co.uk/live/

Train2Game News Ubisoft at EGX 2015

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Ubisoft have announced three big games will be playable at the UKs biggest gaming expo in September.

EGX, the UK’s biggest video games event, today announced that Ubisoft titles Tom Clancy’s The Division, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege will all be playable at EGX this September 24-27, including a UK first public hands-on for Tom Clancy’s The Division.

In Tom Clancy’s The Division, a devastating pandemic sweeps through New York City on Black Friday, and one by one, basic services fail. In only days, without food or water, society collapses into chaos. The Division, an autonomous unit of tactical agents, is activated. Leading seemingly ordinary lives among us, these agents are trained to operate independently in order to save society.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate takes the series to a stunning recreation of Nineteenth Century Victorian London at the height of the Industrial Revolution, complete with underground criminal elements and the ongoing struggle between the common poor and rich elite. New Assassins, twins Jacob and Evie Frye, make it their mission to jump in and redress the balance.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege’s take on the tactical shooter has been wowing gamers worldwide since its announcement at E3 2014. This hyper-intense first-person shooter features explosive close quarters combat, high lethality, tactics and team play; all within a highly detailed, fully-destructible environment.

Louise Marchant, Group Marketing Manager at Ubisoft said, “We’re really pleased to be bringing three of our biggest games to EGX in the form of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Rainbow Six Siege and The Division. The show continues to go from strength-to-strength and we’re looking forward to seeing UK gamers get up-close and personal with the first-ever London-based Assassin’s Creed, the long-awaited return of Rainbow Six and the UK premiere of The Division”.

“Ubisoft fans are in for a treat at EGX as three upcoming heavyweight games from the publisher will be playable on the show floor”, said David Lilley, Managing Director of Gamer Events. “Visitors to EGX will have yet more bragging rights as they’ll get their hands on Ubisoft’s The Division before all their mates. Bring on September!”.

For more information about Tom Clancy’s The Division, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and Ubisoft’s full catalogue of games, please visit www.ubisoft.com .

EGX will take place at the NEC, Birmingham from 24-27 September 2015. For more information about all the activity at the event, including eSports, hundreds of playable games and dozens of exclusive developer announcements, please visit www.egx.net/egx .

Train2Game News Sega and Ubisoft join Dare to be Digital

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Major international games companies Reflections, a Ubisoft studio, and SEGA Europe Ltd have joined Dare to be Digital 2015 as mentors to the student teams.

The applicants to this year’s Dare to be Digital will receive support from highly experienced games industry professionals throughout development, with a focus on preparing them for prestigious graduate careers and launching their own businesses.

Reflections and SEGA join Dundee-based Denki, Ninja Kiwi and Tag Games, giving the student teams access to globally respected companies who have achieved creative and commercial success.

Dare to be Digital is the world’s leading game design competition for students, run each summer by Abertay University. This year more students than ever are eligible to compete, with game development taking place from any location in the world. Mentoring will be available online for all teams.

Professor Louis Natanson, Head of the School of Arts, Media and Computer Games at Abertay University, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Denki, Ninja Kiwi, Reflections, SEGA and Tag Games as mentors for Dare to be Digital 2015.

“It’s an invaluable experience for a student game developer to be mentored by professionals, often with decades of experience working at the heights of this global industry.

“Being able to share your work in development, get instant feedback and guidance is an integral part of the Dare to be Digital experience.

“And it always helps accelerate the development of original, creative games that are a lot of fun for the thousands of people, young and old, who visit our Dare ProtoPlay festival in Dundee each August.”

Nicola Sharp, HR Director at Reflections, said: “Reflections is a world leading creative studio working on Ubisoft’s major titles like Tom Clancy’s The Division, MMO racer The Crew and the successful Steam title Grow Home.

“We need very highly talented graduates to join our studio to help us make these games, and to develop into our senior staff and team leaders of the future.

“In recent years we have seen that most of our interns and new junior colleagues have taken part in Dare to be Digital. It’s really important for us to support the teams taking part in Dare and nurture the next generation of talented game developers.”

Previously Dare to be Digital teams had just eight weeks to develop a new prototype game from scratch, excluding any student projects or games originally created at an event like the Global Game Jam.

In response to calls from companies and students, the only limit is now that the game must have been in production for less than a year and not have been previously commercially released.

Students keen to take part – and compete for prizes from BAFTA, Channel 4 and others – will this year develop their game at home or their own university, before travelling to Dundee to showcase their game at the UK’s biggest independent games festival, Dare ProtoPlay.

Applications to Dare to be Digital must be made at http://www.daretobedigital.com/73_Apply.html by 5pm on Monday 4 May.

Games industry experts will then pick 15 teams who have the summer to complete their game before travelling to Dundee for Dare ProtoPlay.

Free accommodation will be provided in Dundee from Saturday 8 to Tuesday 18 August to allow all the teams to set their games up for Dare ProtoPlay, which runs from Thursday 13 to Sunday 16 August in Dundee’s Caird Hall and City Square.

For more information, please visit http://www.daretobedigital.com/

Train2Game News Assassin’s Creed Chronicles

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Ubisoft announced the Assassin’s Creed Chronicles trilogy, which will take players to China, India and Russia and follow the stories of three cult Assassins.

The first chronicle, set in China, will be available April 22 in the UK for download on PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC. Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China will be followed by Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India and Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia, which will release separately.

Developed by Climax Studios in collaboration with Ubisoft Montreal, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles brings the thrill of being a Master Assassin to 2.5D. Players will journey to three distinct civilisations and time periods throughout history including the Ming dynasty at the start of its downfall, the Sikh Empire as it prepares for war in India and the aftermath of the Red October revolution. Each chronicle stands on its own with a unique setting, art style, story and Assassin, but is tied together narratively.

Players will embody legendary Assassins, including Shao Jun from the animated short Assassin’s Creed Embers, and Arbaaz Mir and Nikolaï Orelov from the Assassin’s Creed graphic novels. Assassinate from the shadows, master the art of parkour and take the leap of faith in a collection of stunning, living paintings. Each chronicle has its own artistic signature, from the beautiful brush paintings of China to the vibrant colors of India and the distinctive propaganda art style of Russia.

You can enjoy the trailer below

For more information on Assassin’s Creed Chronicles, please visit assassinscreed.com and facebook.com/assassinscreed.

Train2Game News Game to help Amblyopia

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Ubisoft and Amblyotech Inc. announced their collaboration on the development of Dig Rush, the first video game based on a patented method exclusively used for the treatment of Amblyopia, also known as “lazy eye.”

Using inventions initially patented by Drs. Robert Hess, Benjamin Thompson, Behzad Mansouri, Jeremy Cooperstock, Long To and Jeff Blum at McGill University, and subsequently licensed to Amblyotech, Ubisoft is applying gameplay principles to create an entertaining method that can improve patients’ engagement and experience during Amblyopia therapy. This new video game offers the potential of long-lasting treatment for this condition.

“While current treatments options, such as eye patching, provide limited relief and have poor patient compliance due to discomfort and social stigmas, the Amblyotech-patented electronic therapy has been tested clinically to significantly increase the visual acuity of both children and adults who suffer from this condition without the use of an eye patch. With our agreement with Ubisoft, we are further able to provide physicians with a complete and accurate picture of treatment compliance to help them monitor patient progress throughout therapy”, stated Joseph Koziak, CEO of Amblyotech.

“The development of Dig Rush was a great opportunity for us to contribute our knowledge and skills in video game development to help materialise a breakthrough novel medical treatment.” said Mathieu Ferland, Senior Producer, Ubisoft. “The team from Ubisoft Montreal has been able to create a more engaging and enjoyable experience for patients being treated for Amblyopia, and we’re proud to be involved in such a positive illustration of the impact of video game technology.”

Instead of training just the weak eye, the new game uses both eyes, binocularly, to train the brain in order to improve visual acuity of the patient by using different contrasts levels of red and blue that can be seen through stereoscopic glasses. Using this method, the physician can adjust the game’s settings in accordance with the specific patient’s weak eye’s condition, allowing both eyes to see the gameplay unfolding.

“McGill University has a proud history of innovation and product development in numerous fields, especially life sciences.  It is our pleasure to see one of our invented technologies take the next step to commercialisation” stated Dr. Michèle Beaulieu, Associate Director of the Invention Development and Entrepreneurship Assistance Team in the Office of Innovation and Partnership of McGill University.

Amblyopia is an ocular disorder that involves decreased vision in one eye as the result of a turned eye or unequal refractive error (meaning that one eye is more powerful than the other). Traditional treatments which include patching of the sighted eye have had minimal effect due to poor compliance and other issues such as social stigma, a longer treatment time and a high relapse rate among adolescents and adults.  This medical condition affects up to 3%1 of children internationally, and if unsuccessfully treated, is a leading cause of blindness in adults.

Amblyotech will be seeking FDA clearance to market this therapy in the US.  Upon receipt of all regulatory approvals the treatment will be available worldwide.

Train2Game News Free Assassin’s Creed Unity DLC

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Today, Ubisoft announced that Assassin’s Creed Unity – Dead Kings is now available, free of charge, for all Assassin’s Creed Unity players on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC, and will be released tomorrow January 14th on PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system in the UK.

After the events of Assassin’s Creed Unity, Arno’s quest for redemption leads him to the town of Saint-Denis, then known as Franciade. There he is sent on a mission that will take him to the depths of the city, an intricate network of catacombs and deep caves that hold the remains and best-kept secrets of past French kings.

To uncover the dark mysteries that lie beneath the Basilica, Arno is equipped with a lantern to guide his way and will gain access to the Guillotine Gun, a powerful weapon made for both long-range destruction and deadly close-quarter combat.

In Assassin’s Creed Unity – Dead Kings, players will encounter familiar faces including Napoleon and the Marquis de Sade, as well as a new enemy faction, the Raiders, merciless foes desecrating the catacombs. Players will also be able to embark on additional side quests including new Murder Mysteries, enigmas, and co-operative missions, where players can join forces for a heist mission and a special Brotherhood mission.

Both single-player and cooperative modes enable players to unlock new weapons, gear, and outfits that carry over between Assassin’s Creed Unity and Assassin’s Creed Unity – Dead Kings.

Ubisoft promised it would give out Dead Kings for free to anyone who bought Unity, as a way of apologising for the game’s bug filled launch.