VentureBeat » Rayman Legends

GamesBeat weekly roundup: A new social gaming King, big Xbox announcement May 21, and more

Jasmine Maleficent Rea — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:23:27 +0000

If you follow VentureBeat but don’t regularly check our GamesBeat site, here’s a list of the best video game stories we ran over the last seven days that you may have missed.

This week, Microsoft announced that it will unveil the new Xbox console on May 21, Nordic Games Licensing acquires both Darksiders and Red Faction from the THQ bankruptcy auction, and Candy Crush developer King overtakes Zynga as the largest social gaming company.

You’ll also find reviews of Monaco, Dead Island: Riptide, Injustice: Gods Among Us, and Defiance, as well as previews for Call of Juarez: Gunslinger and Kingdom Rush: Frontiers.

News

Mobile News

Earnings and Acquisitions

Tech

Woops

Nintendo’s new plan

Nextbox

Microsoft officially revealing next-generation Xbox on May 21

All This Funding

Reviews

Previews

Interviews

Pieces of Flair

Filed under: Games

GamesBeat 2013 is our fifth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. You'll get 360-degree perspectives from top gaming executives, developers, and analysts on what’s to come in the industry. Our theme this year is “The Battle Royal.” Check out full event details here, and grab your early-bird tickets here!

A digital olive branch: Ubisoft releases Rayman Legends Challenges on Wii U eShop

Jeffrey Grubb — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:09:01 +0000

Perhaps, by now, you’ve calmed down. I’m talking to the Wii U owners reading this that raged at publisher Ubisoft for delaying its upcoming platformer, Rayman Legends. The French publisher is ready to take you back — if you’ll behave yourselves.

Ubisoft released the Rayman Legends Challenges app on Wii U today through the system’s eShop digital-distribution platform. The free app offers up competitive score-based gaming across several of the platformer’s levels. This comes months before Rayman Legends’ new Sept. 3 release date, and it is exclusive to Nintendo’s Wii U.

Ubisoft specifically created this app to placate angry fans.

The company originally intended to release Rayman Legends in February. The developer finished the game earlier that month. It was ready to ship out when the publisher revealed that it would rather hold off so it could release it on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 at the same time. This will help maximize sales since those consoles have much larger player bases than Nintendo’s latest hardware.

Regardless of Ubisoft’s logic, Wii U fans were angry that the company pushed back one of the few early exclusives for financial reasons. Some gamers even protested the delay outside of Rayman developer Ubisoft Montepelier.

Rayman Legends Challenges is available now. It is an 840MB item, which took me about 30 minutes to download and install.

Filed under: Games

Rayman Legends gets 30 extra levels thanks to delay

Jeffrey Grubb — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:55:58 +0000

Ubisoft finished Rayman Legends for Wii U earlier this year, but the publisher delayed it so it could release it simultaneously on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in September.

But the French developer isn’t just sitting around smoking and drinking until the new release date even if Legends is complete. Ubisoft is using this extra time to perfect the existing title. It’s also adding a lot of new content.

“Trust me,” Ubisoft senior game manager Michael Micholic told the U.K. Official Nintendo Magazine. “The things we are adding aren’t minor. We’re not talking about some polish here and there, but 30 new levels and several new bosses.”

Rayman creator Michel Ancel also spoke to the magazine about the negative fan reaction to the publisher’s decision to push back the Wii U release.

“I wasn’t shocked [by the reaction], but it was really hard for us,” said Ancel. “Of course, there are more important issues and problems in the world, but we worked really hard to make something. It was difficult for us and the fans.”

Following Ubisoft announcing the delay, fans joined with Ancel and other Rayman developers to publicly protest the decision. Over 11,000 fans signed a petition asking the publisher to release the Wii U version on its original scheduled date of Feb. 26.

Filed under: Games

Ubisoft releasing Rayman Legend’s online challenge mode on Wii U eShop for free this April

Jeffrey Grubb — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:57:13 +0000

Ubisoft is so sorry that it delayed the Wii U version of Rayman Legends so it could release the game simultaneously on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but it’s not sorry enough to release the game before September.

Instead, the company revealed plans to release Rayman Legend’s full online challenge mode for free on the Wii U eShop this April. This mode will pit players against one another in daily and weekly challenges. This is the first online mode for any Rayman game.

The challenges spawn across five different levels, which each focus on a different kind of play style. One level tests reaction times while another might focus on precise platforming skills.

One of the levels, called The Dungeon, provides challenges to players based on the Wii U’s GamePad controller. Even when the game finally does ship for the Wii U, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, this level will remain exclusive to Nintendo’s hardware.

This is the full mode that will end up on the retail disc. Gamers will be able to compete in any of the challenges solo or with up to five people. Leaderboards and ghosts will help players keep track of their friends.

The game’s creative director Michel Ancel and senior game manager Michael Micholic go into a bit more detail in the video below:

So, are you ready to forgive Ubisoft for delaying Rayman Legends yet?

Filed under: Games

GamesBeat weekly roundup: Luigi turns 30, and Obama says we need more gamers

Jasmine Maleficent Rea — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:07:41 +0000

If you follow VentureBeat but don’t regularly check our GamesBeat site, here’s a list of the best video game stories we ran over the last seven days that you may have missed.

This week, World of Warplanes developer Wargaming bought Gas Powered Games, Nintendo announced a bunch of new content focused on Luigi as the company celebrates his 30th birthday, and both House of Representatives Minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and President Barack Obama defended video games.

You’ll also find a review of Aliens: Colonial Marines and previews for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Darkstalkers Resurrection.

News:

Mobile News:

Reviews:

Aliens: Colonial Marines isn’t the Aliens sequel you wanted (review)

Previews:

Interviews:

Pieces of Flair:

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Show some love with GamesBeat’s gaming valentines

Mike Minotti — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:00:53 +0000

You’ve probably seen gaming-themed valentines before (like the digital cards we received from multiple developers and publishers), but the ones in the gallery below are special. Why? Because I made them! I originally drew most of these masterpieces back when I was an intern at Bitmob (which later turned into GamesBeat).

I included all of the old valentines and a few new ones. These lovely cards feature characters from games like Mass Effect, World of Warcraft, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Mega Man, and more. Please share them with your friends, and let them know how much you care! You must expose the world to my artistic genius!

Filed under: Games

Rayman Legends developers protest Wii U game’s delay

Jeffrey Grubb — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 15:38:05 +0000

The French have taken to the streets with crudely drawn signs to protest Ubisoft’s decision to delay Rayman Legends for the Wii U.

The developers at Ubisoft Montpelier posed with protesting fans, who gathered around a hand-drawn poster with Rayman’s face on it, which reads in French (thanks to Eurogamer and Stephanie Bergh for the translation): “Free our Rayman. Support Ubisoft Montpellier.” Rayman is also crying and saying “please.”

Michel Ancel is publicly with us. #FreeRayman sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash…

— Daniel Switzer (@daniel_switzer) February 12, 2013

Beloved game designer Michel Ancel, who oversees the Rayman franchise, is visible in the picture below:

Rayman creator Michel Ancel (left) ponders the plight of Rayman.

For the unaware, Ubisoft announced a new Rayman platformer for the Wii U around the time of the console’s debut. The publisher originally intended the game to release solely on Nintendo’s new platform. Developer Ubisoft Montpellier devised many of the core mechanics around the specific functionality of the Wii U GamePad controller.

Rayman Legends was due out on Feb. 26, but last week, Ubisoft stunned fans by delaying the Wii U version so that the publisher could simultaneously release newly developed Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ports.

Wii U owners weren’t happy about this news, especially since it’s clear that Ubisoft Montpellier had already finished development. Now it’s equally apparent that the developers are also upset.

Ubisoft hasn’t responded to our request for comment on the situation. We will update if that changes.

The publisher probably didn’t make the decision to delay Rayman Legends lightly. It is clearly concerned about making a return on its investment, but I wonder if that’s worth upsetting fans and the company’s own internal studios.

Frustrated gamers started a petition asking Ubisoft to release Rayman Legends on its original Feb. 26 release date.

Filed under: Games

Ubi to Wii U fans: Rayman Legends’ delay broke your heart? Here, have another demo

Jeffrey Grubb — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 22:27:00 +0000

Game companies keep handing us garbage bags full of news today. Here’s another one courtesy of Ubisoft.

The publisher announced plans to release a new exclusive demo of Rayman Legends for the Wii U. This comes just a day after the company delayed the game and revealed it is now coming to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Apparently, this is the French publisher’s idea of damage control, as you can see from its post on Facebook:

But gamers aren’t happy. The game is finished, according to Ubisoft. The publisher is simply sitting on the Wii U version of Rayman Legends so it won’t take away from the hype of the September launch on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

“There are no issues with the game development,” Ubisoft spokesperson Sarah Irvin told Digital Spy. “The only reason for the delay is to release on multiple platforms.”

Some early Wii U adopters are pretty upset. A majority of the responses on the company’s Facebook post are from angry fans claiming they don’t want another demo. One of them created the image at the top of this article.

We’ve reached out to Ubisoft to determine if it will add any more features to the Wii U game, but it hasn’t responded to our requests.

But based on Ubi’s comments so far, it doesn’t sound like new features are in the works. Now, it sounds like they’re gonna release a new demo, finish the game for Microsoft’s and Sony’s systems, and call it a day.

That’s Ubisoft’s right, but man — it’s definitely some trash.

Header image credit: Michael Cottrell

Filed under: Games

Ubisoft’s Xavier Poix spells out lessons from Wii U launch games (interview)

Dean Takahashi — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:00:19 +0000

For the French game publisher Ubisoft, new platform launches represent an opportunity to test new ideas in the market and release new intellectual properties. With the Wii U, Ubisoft lined up eight games to come out at or near the launch of Nintendo’s new game machine. Nintendo sold 3 million Wii Us in its first season, but its expectations are falling short for the quarter ending March 31. So did Ubisoft make a mistake in backing the Wii U so heavily?

Xavier Poix runs Ubisoft France, overseeing the publisher’s three main studios, with more than 700 developers. He is in charge of the Just Dance, Raving Rabbids, Rayman, and Ghost Recon franchises. He gave a talk yesterday on leveraging new technology for games at the DICE Summit, an elite game industry event in Las Vegas. We caught up with him for an interview. Here’s an edited transcript of our talk.

GamesBeat: What is the gist of your talk?

Xavier Poix: It’s focused on leveraging new technology in order to change the way we play. It’s about how we can mix the creativity that we have with what we want to do in terms of new design and the innovation that’s brought by new technology. In France, we have two main studios — Montpelier and Annecy. Especially at Montpelier in Paris, we’ve focused on designing games for new consoles.

I’m sure you can imagine that when you’re designing for launch technology — when you need to be there at the launch of the console — at this point you have no benchmarks. There are no games out there using that technology. You can talk about it, but you can’t playtest it. It’s a time where it’s about your intuition and only your intuition. It’s about knowing that technology presents a lot of opportunities but also constraints. The tech is built by you and empowered by you. It’s quite complex.

The purpose of the talk is to explain that it’s at those moments, when you have so many new constraints and opportunities, that you can face new changes in gameplay. I have a lot of examples, from Ghost Recon, which we brought to the Xbox 360 at launch, to Rabbids and Red Steel on the Wii. There’s Just Dance, which came after that. And now on the Wii U, with ZombiU and Rayman Legends.

GamesBeat: How many titles have you shipped on the Wii U? You had eight in the works, right?

Poix: We did four in France. There was also Assassin’s Creed, which was done in Quebec, and a sports game we did in Barcelona.

GamesBeat: You guys report earnings on Thursday.

Poix: Yes. [Chuckles]

GamesBeat: So you can’t really say how well they did, but do you have some kind of postmortem on the process of getting those games out at launch?

Poix: Yeah. Our focus in this case is that we needed to make sure that we found the new innovation that the console is bringing. I think we’ve done a good job as far as what we’ve been able to provide in terms of asymmetrical gameplay. Our goal was to find new ways of playing with that, and we’ve done it.

Of course, it’s the launch window, so you need to wait for the final results. Nintendo is talking about that a lot. The figures aren’t as high as what they were expecting. But for us it’s been good. What we’ve discovered building games on this technology at launch — on the multiscreen approach, on having another kind of controller in the living room. It will bring something very new in terms of gaming. It wasn’t as easy and obvious for them, compared to the Wii, to communicate those ideas. It will take some time. But we’re very proud of what we’ve done. Since we have so many games that we’ll be releasing, the people who will buy the console will eventually play good games on it. We think that especially with ZombiU, for instance, and Rayman Legends, they’ll have something to play for a long time.

GamesBeat: What else is still coming on the Wii U?

Poix: I can’t disclose any other projects. Today our focus is on Rayman Legends. I don’t know if you had the chance to play it, but it brings something that hasn’t been seen on the Wii U so far, with the multiple gameplay types. It’s very interesting. The demo showed some, but we have so many more to show in the next month.

GamesBeat: Was there any feedback from gamers that was interesting to you, as far as playing your games on the Wii U?

Poix: One good example came from ZombiU. ZombiU was very challenging for us because it’s very innovative, in terms of both what Nintendo’s console brings and what we wanted to convey with the experience and gameplay. We decided to go for a very hardcore approach. Death is permanent. You need to start the game over again when you lose. We got a really good response from fans about that.

What was also widely talked about was a social feature that we added to the game. When your character dies, you can see them as an enemy afterwards. You can also see guys from another console that are dead coming over into your world. That’s the kind of stuff we really appreciate. Another nice feature that was quite new is the fact that you can write messages to other players at certain points. “There are zombies coming!” When you’re in your own experience and your own world, you see where other survivors have written stuff on the walls. It’s really interesting. The response from fans was ideal.

Filed under: Games

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Ubisoft now bringing Rayman Legends to Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 — Wii U version delayed until Sept.

Jeffrey Grubb — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:26:09 +0000

One of the most promising-looking Wii U exclusive games is now multiplatform.

Ubisoft revealed today that it will delay Rayman Legends for Wii U until September, when it will also release the title for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

“We heard from many Xbox and PlayStation owners and Rayman fans who told us they really wanted to play Rayman Legends on their current system,” Ubisoft chief marketing officer Geoffroy Sardin said in a statement. “We decided to give the fans what they wanted while at the same time broadening the audience exposed to this innovative and memorable game.”

In its debut at E3 and in the demo currently available on the Wii U, Rayman Legends includes many gameplay elements specific to the features of Nintendo’s newest home console. An entire character operates solely based on touch-screen controls using the GamePad. The publisher didn’t specify how it will adapt these mechanics for Sony’s and Microsoft’s machines.

While losing the Rayman Legends exclusivity is a minor blow for Nintendo, Ubisoft is likely only looking to make a larger return on its investment. The combined install base of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 is well over 100 million units worldwide. The Wii U only has a fraction of that. If the game needs more time, that’s going to cost more money. The publisher’s accountants probably did the math and realized the game needs a wider audience to make a profit.

We’ve contacted Ubisoft to determine why it is delaying the Wii U version, and we will update this story with its response.

Filed under: Games

Why Ubisoft has eight games coming for the Wii U (interview)

Dean Takahashi — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:00:37 +0000

Not all game publishers have welcomed the Nintendo Wii U with open arms. But French game publisher Ubisoft has gone bananas over it, making more games for the new console than anyone else. That’s what Ubisoft usually does when someone introduces a promising new game platform. Ubisoft’s core strategy is to develop original intellectual property to launch at the debut of a new video game platform. It then follows up those hits with sequels that reap bigger and bigger revenues.

Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ubisoft, says his company is taking the same approach with the Wii U because it bring “second screen” gaming to life. Here’s an edited transcript of our interview with Key, who never met a new console he didn’t like.

GamesBeat: Here we are again. Another console launch.

Tony Key: I have this conversation every time a new platform ships, but our goal is to be the number one third-party publisher on Wii U. We have six titles launching on day one, another one two weeks after, and then another one in calendar Q1. So we have eight titles in what Nintendo’s calling their launch window.

GamesBeat: Can you run through the games as well?

Key: We have exclusive titles for the Wii U shipping on day one: ZombiU, Rabbids Land, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013, and our newly-announced partnership with ESPN called ESPN Sports Connection. Then, in Q1, our other exclusive is Rayman Legends. We also have, on day one, Assassin’s Creed III and Just Dance 4. On December 4, we have Marvel’s Avengers: Battle for Earth. Those three games are also on other platforms. You can see by the amount of exclusive titles that we’re very excited about the machine. When we were part of the Wii launch back in 2006, we only had two exclusive titles, which were Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids. Those turned out to be the number two and number three best-selling Wii games of that launch, behind Zelda. We’re expecting to be heavily represented at the top of the Wii U software sales chart.

GamesBeat: What’s attractive about it, given that there’s been a lot of discussion about the potential of the machine among gamers? Some say it’s a great machine, some say it’s a bad machine. What would you point about it that tells us it’s going to do well?

Key: When the Wii came, it ushered in an era of motion gaming. It really opened things up for the industry. It was a very innovative machine, and it was hard for people to understand what value it brought until they got their hands on it. The same thing is happening with the Wii U. This type of innovation and Nintendo’s vision are going to be difficult to explain through videos and trailers, as you saw with that TV ad from the U.K. today, talking about the Wii U and the benefits of the tablet controller.

We think that this machine is ushering in a year of second-screen gaming. How the market will react to that and what kind of innovation that will bring obviously remains to be seen. Our position is, we believe in it. We’ve got all these titles we’ve been working on. We’ve had a lot of experience working on and playing games with the second-screen experience. We think it’s an innovation that’s going to have a big impact on the industry.

GamesBeat: If you look at a title like ZombiU, how do you take advantage of that second screen?

Key: I was about to say it gives you another set of issues. You’re one of the last people on earth, so you have issues, right? I meant to say it gives you another interface to utilize, to make the gameplay experience different. In ZombiU, the controller is your backpack. You’re carrying things around with this controller, but you don’t pause the game to get something out of your backpack, a new gun or a new tool. When you’re rummaging around in that thing, up on the television there could be somebody sneaking up behind you. It adds a new level of intensity to the product that wasn’t possible before.

There’s other features with ZombiU, without getting too tactical, that utilize the second screen. Finding a zoom lens and things like that. There are lots of clever ways to use it, but the thing we want to focus on is that it changes game design. It adds all kinds of possibilities. ZombiU utilizes a few of those. A game like Rayman utilizes a few of those as well. There’s a multiplayer mode, an asymmetrical multiplayer game occurring with that second screen. These are things that are hard to represent in video. We’re looking forward to that moment where a critical mass of consumers gets their hands on the hardware. That’s when people see how cool it is. I don’t see how people can be too critical of something that they haven’t had a chance to use yet.

Filed under: Games

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Here are the Wii U games you’ll be playing at launch (or close to it)

Sam Barsanti — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:58:32 +0000

This morning, Nintendo finally announced the price and launch date for its upcoming Wii U video game console as well as its new TVii feature that lets you use it as a Netflix/Hulu/Tivo/whatever box. Of course, you can also play video games on the Wii U, and we have the complete list of the system’s launch window games, as well as screenshots of many of them.

The Wii U console is in stores Nov. 18, with the basic version costing $300 and the deluxe $350; for specifics on each package, see our story from this morning.

Now, the system’s “launch window” extends from when the Wii U comes out all the way until March of next year. That means a few of these might not actually be available in 2012, but Nintendo still includes them in the “launch window.” It makes sense if you try not to think about it too much.

Either way, check out the list and gallery below to see all of the games you’ll be playing on your hot new Wii U … at some point within the next six or seven months.

Funky Barn
NBA 2K13
007 Legends
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Transformers Prime
Wipeout 3
Skylanders Giants
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game
Ben 10: Omniverse
Family Party: 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
Mass Effect 3
Madden NFL 13
FIFA Soccer 13
Trine 2: Director’s Cut
Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien
Zumba Fitness Core
Jett Tailfin
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition
Tank! Tank! Tank!
Nintendo Land
New Super Mario Bros. U
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge
Sing Party
Lego City: Undercover
Wii Fit U
Game & Wario
Pikmin 3
The Wonderful 101
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Nano Assault Neo
Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper
Darksiders II
Wheel of Fortune
Jeopardy!
Toki Tori 2
Assassin’s Creed III
Just Dance 4
Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth
Rabbids Land
ESPN Sports Connection
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013
ZombiU
Rayman Legends
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Game Party Champions
Batman: Arkham City — Armored Edition

The gallery is below, but if you prefer your pictures to move and have sound, take a look at these Wii U launch trailers.

Filed under: Business, Games

Why Nintendo Wii U games are currently listed at $100 a pop

Sebastian Haley — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 23:03:44 +0000

Although Nintendo hasn’t announced anything just yet, rumors are pointing to a Wii U release by November. Online retailers such as Amazon.com are already taking preorders for the Wii U launch lineup, with each game sitting at a whopping $99.99.

Are they all made of gold? Does each game case include a lock of Shigeru Miyamoto’s hair? The reality is a bit more obvious (but far less awesome). From Amazon: “Official pricing and release date have not been announced by the publisher. These are estimates only and subject to change. Preorders will be covered by the preorder price guarantee and only be charged the lowest price available during the date the order was placed and the final release date.”

Amazon doesn’t know how much the games will retail for, but it wisely won’t increase a preorder once it’s been made. So you can reserve your copy today, and when the official pricing is announced, that $100 game will drop down to the actual price before anyone’s credit card is charged. It’s the same reason they list December 31, 2013 as the release date.

As for what that actual price or release date may be, a spokesperson for Nintendo gave GamesBeat the following statement:

Nintendo has not revealed details about hardware and software pricing, launch date, or launch lineup for Wii U. We will be sharing that information at a later date.

Riveting stuff! Regular Wii titles generally retail for $49.99, but PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 titles average $59.99. If Ubisoft’s third-party lineup for the Wii U is any indication, the Wii U may go back and forth between the two price ranges depending on the publisher’s perceived value of the game (Zombie U is $59, but Rayman Legends is listed at $49).

Filed under: Games

GamesBeat’s gigantic E3 2012 roundup

Omri Petitte — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 23:48:59 +0000

The sensory smorgasbord of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) heaved itself upon the video game industry for three straight days, and GamesBeat’s intrepid crew enthusiastically hit showfloors, conference halls, and meeting rooms to offer our readers piles of previews, interviews, and news.

What follows below is our collected coverage during the show. You’ll find everything here sorted into categories for easy navigability.

Awards

Who needs stickers? We analyzed, judged, and sorted our top picks for the show’s offerings directly for you. Take a look — the results might surprise you.

GamesBeat’s E3 2012 Game of the Show…plus staff picks – by Dan “Shoe” Hsu

The GamesBeat E3 non-award awards: The least prestigious awards in the industry – by GamesBeat staff

The coolest technologies we saw at E3 2012 – by Dean Takahashi

The best family games of E3 – by GamesBeat staff

The top 8 trends of E3, from bows to brutality – by Mike Minotti

The top 15 swag shirts of E3 2012 – by Rus McLaughlin

Previews

You’ve found the beating heart of E3′s overwhelming magic. Whether from observatory impressions or direct, hands-on experiences, GamesBeat discussed and dissected a sizable stable of upcoming games and hardware.

Hands-on

Hitman Absolution lets you perform hits in giant crowds – by Dean Takahashi

Metro Last Light fights shooter fatigue with deeper single player – by Dean Takahashi

Crysis 3 brings the jungle, gun hacking, and silent stealth kills to Manhattan – by Dean Takahashi

EA reveals Dead Space 3, coming with drop-in cooperative play – by Dean Takahashi

Sleeping Dogs turns Hong Kong crime movies into a video game – by Dean Takahashi

From the creator of Portal, Quantum Conundrum caters to physics-based puzzle gamers – by Dean Takahashi

Capcom remakes hack-slash-shoot-grapple formula with upcoming DmC: Devil May Cry – by Dean Takahashi

Capcom shows three playable characters for Resident Evil 6 – by Dean Takahashi

Neverwinter’s user-generated content could elevate it above the competition – by Stefanie Fogel

DmC: Devil May Cry is full of swagger…and F-bombs – by Eduardo Moutinho

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed leaves Mario Kart in its dust…and wake…and vapor trail – by Mike Minotti

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is an anime you can actually play – by Eduardo Moutinho

Sony Online Entertainment’s PlanetSide 2 – by Rob LeFebvre

Slice, dice, and julienne enemies in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – by Eduardo Moutinho

Medal of Honor: Warfighter deploys fire teams to the front lines – by Eduardo Moutinho

Hell Yeah! is like Metroid with a chainsaw jetpack-riding demon bunny – by Mike Minotti

Dead or Alive 5 wants to deliver a power blow to the competition – by Eduardo Moutinho

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s simplicity is just what consoles need – by Omri Petitte

Hands-off

Just what kind of game is Star Wars 1313? – by Dean Takahashi

Warner Bros. confirms LEGO: Lord of the Rings video game – by Dean Takahashi

EA’s cute The Act romance game exploits iPad’s touchscreen for unique gameplay – by Dean Takahashi

Turn the snow crimson with redcoat blood in Assassin’s Creed III – by Dean Takahashi

Far Cry 3 demo leads you deeper into drug-induced insanity – by Dean Takahashi

Quantic Dream’s Beyond: Two Souls is one of the best games of E3 – by Dean Takahashi

The 5 different games you’ll be playing in Dishonored – by Sebastian Haley

Final Fantasy XIV brings new gameplay and western sensibilities to venerable franchise – by Rob LeFebvre

Windows 8 works hard to meet the needs of all gamers – by Rob LeFebvre

A trio of Mario games strengthen Nintendo’s 3DS lineup – by Mike Minotti

OnLive’s MultiView spectating entices multiplayer and co-op gamers – by Omri Petitte

Player choice matters in The Walking Dead: Episode 2 – by Stefanie Fogel

The Last of Us is even smarter than you think – by Rus McLaughlin

Star Wars 1313 is a game of firsts for the sci-fi franchise – by Eduardo Moutinho

The adventure-game renaissance continues with The Cave – by Eduardo Moutinho

Heroes and villains join forces in Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion – by Mike Minotti

007 Legends proves personality makes or breaks a game – by Omri Petitte

Breaking down what’s exactly new in God of War: Ascension – by Dan “Shoe” Hsu

Turning technology against your friends in Watch Dogs – by Omri Petitte

Interviews

Chasing after the wayward developer or evasive executive amid a sea of journalists and industry luminaries didn’t slake our interview appetite, and we nabbed a slew of thoughtful talks with members across various gaming companies. Take a look.

Why Ubisoft is pouring a lot of resources into Wii U games – by Dean Takahashi

Harvest Moon creator wants to spread happiness with his new game – by Jacob Lopez

How Shenmue’s lead programmer rescued a bad game – by Jacob Lopez

The Last Story developer talks Operation Rainfall, reason for cover system, and Wii U – by Jacob Lopez

With 1.3B tanks obliterated and 30M players, Wargaming.net plans to conquer the online gaming world – by Dean Takahashi

Even Scribblenauts’ creator is surprised by the things people make in his new game – by Jacob Lopez

The Witcher developer CD Projekt RED wants to set new standards with Cyberpunk – by Stefanie Fogel

Japan’s Gree moves mobile gaming into the spotlight at E3 – by Dean Takahashi

THQ’s Brian Farrell talks about looking for a bottom and staging a comeback – by Dean Takahashi

Crytek says CryEngine 3 already does awesome graphics as good as Unreal Engine 4 – by Dean Takahashi

Our opinions

During the craze-filled days of E3, our minds typically busied themselves with ensuring our legs avoided snapping off our torsos and running away with yelping noises. But sometimes, a cohesive thought miraculously coalesced within our overloaded brainpans. Our hands shakily reached for the keyboard, keys started tapping, and well…these are the results.

The DeanBeat: What to expect at E3 – by Dean Takahashi

4 ways developers will use SmartGlass to enhance Xbox 360 experiences – by Dan “Shoe” Hsu

Nintendo’s Wii U: Safe on first, weak on third-party – by Rus McLaughlin

Why Nintendo will have a tough time adding a second GamePad tablet controller to the Wii U – by Dean Takahashi

Tomb Raider is not torture porn – by Rus McLaughlin

Would it be a mistake for E3 to move out of LA? – by Dean Takahashi

Bored, impressed, and giddy: Our final thoughts on E3 2012 – by Dan “Shoe” Hsu

Move over, consoles – mobile is the future – by Rob LeFebvre

Microsoft’s E3 2012: Analysis of 16,000+ comments shows Halo 4, South Park impressed, rest did not – by Andrew Hiscock

Sony’s E3 2012: Analysis shows “shotgun blast” won big, Wonderbook lost – by Andrew Hiscock

Nintendo’s E3 2012: Reactions show hardcore gamers lost faith in Wii U – by Andrew Hiscock

Memes

All it takes is one memorable quote, one Freudian slip, or some facepalm-worthy banter to prompt the Internet community’s creative and unrestrained hand at animated gifs, a worshipful use of Impact font, and hastily jangled Photoshop edits. Here’s what we’ve found.

The best memes of E3 – by Jeff Grubb

Remember these crazy memes from past E3s? – by Jeff Grubb

The wildest memes from the Microsoft E3 press conference – by Jeff Grubb

Silly memes inspired by Sony’s E3 press event – by Jeff Grubb

Aisha Tyler: Ubisoft’s meme machine – by Rus McLaughlin

The oddest Nintendo E3 gifs and Photoshops from the Internet – by Jeff Grubb

Galleries

We snapped plenty of pictures while attending parties, pressers, and meandering the showfloor. Direct your eyeballs upon these galleries, and enjoy the view!

The big gallery of E3′s huge banners – by Mike Minotti

E3 2012 will get your hands up – by Evan Killham

Our editor-in-chief’s E3 adventure – by Evan Killham

The many costumes of E3 2012 – by Jacob Lopez

Retro games have a place at E3, too – by Jasmine Rea

Videos

Dubstep. A beleaguered Lara Croft. Ham-handed hosts. No, this isn’t the latest entry in Alex Trebek’s dream diary — it’s some of our E3 video and trailer content below. Enjoy!

Tomb Raider trailer shows how Lara Croft feels sorry for shooting you – by Dean Takahashi

Konami pre-E3 2012 event: More Castlevania and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – by Jasmine Rea

Ubisoft shows strong commitment to the Wii U – by Mike Minotti

6 awkward moments from the E3 press briefings – by Evan Killham

Why we wub wub wub E3 2012: The dubstep of E3 – by Jacob Lopez

Press conferences

Surprises and snooze-fests alike emanated from E3′s five major press briefings held by Microsoft, Electronic Arts (EA), Ubisoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Check out all the announcements and debuts here.

Microsoft (video)

Halo 4 trailer video shows Forerunners, new tech – by Rob LeFebvre

New Splinter Cell: Blacklist borrows from Uncharted – by Jeff Grubb

Gears of War: Judgment sets Sera on fire (again) – by Rus McLaughlin

Microsoft previews Xbox Music at E3 press conference – by Rob LeFebvre

Forza Horizon brings street racing to the franchise – by Jasmine Rea

Microsoft introduces Xbox SmartGlass to integrate smartphones and tablets with Xbox 360 – by Dean Takahashi

Nike+ Kinect Training brings in-depth fitness measuring to Xbox 360 – by Jeff Grubb

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer coming to Xbox 360 this fall – by Jacob Lopez

Usher hits the stage to announce Dance Central 3 – by Rob LeFebvre

Xbox Live is getting Nickelodeon, Machinima, and tons of live sports – by Tom Cheredar

Kinect voice commands hit EA Sports flagship titles – by Eduardo Moutinho

South Park creators introduce their game and playfully mock Microsoft – by Jeff Grubb

New Xbox 360 games coming from Signal Studios, Twisted Pixel, and…Gore Verbinski? – by Stefanie Fogel

Microsoft E3 2012 press conference recap…in limerick form – by Andrew Hiscock

Electronic Arts (video)

SimCity Social: If this free-to-play game is too good, will you pay $60 for the full PC version? – by Dean Takahashi

EA reveals Battlefield 3 Premium and fields “15 million players worldwide” – by Omri Petitte

Star Wars: The Old Republic gets new planet, new species, and free trial – by Jacob Lopez

EA nabs UFC from THQ – by Jeff Grubb

Medal of Honor: Warfighter’s beautiful carnage – by Rus McLaughlin

EA shows off Need for Speed: Most Wanted at E3 – by Rob LeFebvre

Ubisoft (video)

Rayman Legends rhythmically runs to the Wii U – by Eduardo Moutinho

You are the network in Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs – by Rus McLaughlin

Here’s where that Watch Dogs cube-head QR code goes – by Jeff Grubb

Sony (video)

Experimental developer Quantic Dream reveals the haunted life of Jody Holmes in Beyond – by Jasmine Rea

Nathan Drake and the Big Daddy Bouncer join PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale – by Mike Minotti

J.K. Rowling is writing PlayStation’s Wonderbook – by Rus McLaughlin

Sony announces Assassin’s Creed III Vita and PS3 bundles with exclusive content – by Jeff Grubb

Sony brings down the house with The Last of Us demo – by Dean Takahashi

Sony E3 2012 press conference recap…in limerick form – by Andrew Hiscock

Nintendo (video)

Social networking comes to Wii U, Miiverse will interface with PCs and phones – by Jasmine Rea

First look at action-strategy game Pikmin 3 – by Jeff Grubb

Nintendo confirms 23 games at E3, video streaming, and more for Wii U – by Mike Minotti

Wii Fit U will make you sweatier, livelier, and happier – by Rob LeFebvre

Brag to the Miiverse and take on new modes in New Super Mario Bros. U – by Eduardo Moutinho

Zombify your face with ZombiU for the Wii U – by Mike Minotti

Nintendo bets big on “asymmetric” tablet-based gameplay – one player against several – by Dean Takahashi

Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition utilizes Wii U’s GamePad screen – by Omri Petitte

Nintendo details 3DS Mario titles, Luigi’s Mansion, and third-party games – by Jeff Grubb

Nintendo Land brings asymmetrical multiplayer to Wii U – by Jasmine Rea

Nintendo’s E3 2012 press conference recap…in limerick form – by Andrew Hiscock

Filed under: Business, Games

The top 8 trends of E3, from bows to brutality

Mike Minotti — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 01:10:29 +0000

With publishers showing so many games in such close proximity, the Electronic Entertainment Expo is a great place to discover the directions that developers are taking the entire industry for the next year and beyond. Below are eight trends that GamesBeat’s writers noticed during the annual trade show.

1. The year of the bow.

I don’t know when bow and arrows became so cool. Maybe we should blame Hawkeye from The Avengers? Or maybe that girl from the Hunger Games? Whatever the reason, many of gaming’s protagonists have traded their rifles for wood. GamesBeat writer Jeff Grubb actually detailed this phenomenon quite a bit, listing Crysis 3, Tomb Raider, Far Cry 3, and Assassin’s Creed III as examples of string-tugging action.

Now, some of these characters use bows because of limited resources (Tomb Raider) or because of the technology of their day (Assassin’s Creed III), but why on earth is the guy from Crysis 3, who probably has access to the most advanced weapons technology on the planet, using such a primitive device?

2. Fourth installments of franchises, aka fourquels.

This industry has always loved its sequels, but when you reach the fourth installment of a series (in many cases within the same console generation), you begin to want for a bit more originality. Microsoft is the most guilty party here, showing off an upcoming library of software that includes Halo 4, Gears of War: Judgement, and Fable: The Journey.

Not that Sony is completely off the hook, thanks to God of War: Ascension, the fourth console release of the series. Sure, all of these titles are likely to be enjoyable on some level, but franchise fatigue is definitely setting in.

3. Shocking brutality.

Video games have been violent for a very, very long time. It seems like ages ago when we all gasped while Kano tore a guy’s heart out of his chest in the original Mortal Kombat. Still, the violence was usually treated with a sort of action movie level of seriousness…meaning it wasn’t taken very seriously at all.

Well, now all of the killing, cutting, ripping, bludgeoning, and bleeding seems much more real. The trend seems to start with the new Tomb Raider, which sees protagonist Lara Croft screaming in almost constant pain as she is impaled and beaten. Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us is also a clear example of more visceral violence, especially thanks to a notable scene from Sony’s press briefing where the player shot a guy in the face with a shotgun while he begged for his life. Despite a lifetime spent watching polygons and pixels explode into bits of organs and limbs, for the first time ever gaming violence is making me wince.

4. Everything looks like Uncharted.

I’m guessing that we’re beginning to see a lot of the games that were put into production after 2009′s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves proved to be a big hit. There were multiple titles on the show floor that featured climbing and mouthy characters that could easily be describe as, “It’s like Uncharted, but….”

I mean, there was Star Wars: 1313, which was like Uncharted but with a sci-fi setting, and Tomb Raider is like Uncharted without any of the lighthearted comedy. Even Splinter Cell: Blacklist seems to take the series in a more climbing-focused direction. I guess imitation is flattery, right?

5. Stealthy franchises are less stealthy.

Remember when Metal Gear was a stealth-based franchise? Sort of hard to believe that series could inspire a hack-and-slashing affair where you cut a guy into a dozen pieces with a sword, but that’s exactly what we have with Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. What about Assassin’s Creed III? The new protagonist, Connor, seems to prefer to charge directly at his foes rather than stunning his adversaries with surprise like his ancestors, Altair and Ezio, did.

Even Agent 47 has gotten bold enough to kill his targets in the middle of giant crowds in Hitman: Absolution. Of course, these could all just be vertical slices that are focusing on more action-oriented aspects of these titles, but you still couldn’t escape the feeling that stealth was out of style at E3.

6. Second screens.

Dual screen gaming was made popular with Nintendo’s DS hand held device back in 2004, but now we’re seeing that concept taken to the consoles. We already knew about Nintendo’s Wii U, the new system that heavily features the use of a tablet controller, but Microsoft showed off SmartGlass technology, with allows preexisting smart phones and tablets to act as a second screen for Xbox 360 experiences.

We saw a lot of examples of this technology being used for unique gameplay possibilities, notably in Wii U platformers New Super Mario Bros. U and Rayman Legends, where the second screen can be used to assist the main player. Microsoft, meanwhile, showed off the ability to instantly transfer a movie from the television to a smart phone mid-scene. It’ll be interesting to see how consumers take to this innovative (and potentially expensive) technology.

7. Revenge!

A lot of characters seem to be motivated by revenge this year. Just look at the tagline for Dishonored, the new steampunk, action-adventure title from publisher Bethesda: “Revenge solves everything.” You can also look at the trailer for the four player co-op mode in Far Cry 3, where four random people unite in their quest for (what else?) revenge.

Don’t forget about Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. There’ so much revenge that they have to make up new words for it!

8. Amazing facial animation.

Last year’s L.A. Noire impressed many with its exceptional facial animation, and it seems like the trend for more realistic looking characters will continue. The PlayStation 3′s Beyond: Two Souls, the new title from Heavy Rain’s David Cage, leads the pack with some absolutely stunning faces that are able to emote and act as well as any real person.

Even franchises which aren’t normally renowned for this kind of technology have stepped up their game, notably seen in trailers for Far Cry 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Man, I remember when the character’s mouths didn’t even move.

GamesBeat 2012 is VentureBeat’s fourth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. This year we’re calling on speakers from the hottest mobile, social, PC, and console companies to debate new ways to stay on pace with changing consumer tastes and platforms. Join 500+ execs, investors, analysts, entrepreneurs, and press as we explore the gaming industry’s latest trends and newest monetization opportunities. The event takes place July 10-11 in San Francisco, and you can get your early-bird tickets here.

Filed under: Games

GamesBeat’s E3 2012 Game of the Show…plus staff picks

Dan "Shoe" Hsu — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 23:33:24 +0000

Each year, during the various press conferences surrounding the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) game-industry trade show, people applaud. Some of it’s polite (some guy we don’t care about is getting on stage). Some of it’s fanfare (yay, a new Zelda!). Some of it’s fake rah-rah (come on, we know you’re employees trying to pump up the crowd).

But once in a while, it’s pure, legitimate wow.

An extended, genuinely enthusiastic ovation awaited the conclusion of publisher/developer Ubisoft’s demo of Watch Dogs, a new modern-day drama/action/adventure game with a touch of cyberpunk. It’s stylish. It’s violent. And it’s oh-so-pretty. Of course, it’s way too early to judge whether this upcoming (date: TBD) Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC release will be any good or not, but read our quick-look preview and peep the gameplay video below to see why we picked Watch Dogs for GamesBeat’s E3 2012 Game of the Show.

Ubisoft’s thriller wasn’t the only star of E3. Here are the final top-threes by the rest of the GamesBeat staff who were in attendance at E3 2012. (To check out more coverage of any of the games, just click on the tags below the article or follow our E3 tag.)

Dan “Shoe” Hsu, GamesBeat editor-in-chief

1. The Last of Us (PlayStation 3)
2. Watch Dogs (multiplatform)
3. Dishonored (multiplatform)

Dean Takahashi, GamesBeat lead news writer

1. Beyond: Two Souls (PlayStation 3)
2. The Last of Us (PlayStation 3)
3. Watch Dogs (multiplatform)

Sebastian Haley, GamesBeat culture editor

1. Metro: Last Light (multiplatform)
2. Watch Dogs (multiplatform)
3. The Cave (multiplatform)

Omri Petitte, GamesBeat writer

1. Watch Dogs (multiplatform)
2. Assassin’s Creed III (multiplatform)
3. PlanetSide 2 (PC)

Mike Minotti, GamesBeat writer

1. Assassin’s Creed III (multiplatform)
2. Disney Epic Mickey: The Power of Illusion (3DS)
3. Rayman Legends (Wii U)

Jacob Lopez, GamesBeat writer

1. Watch Dogs (multiplatform)
2. The Last of Us (PlayStation 3)
3. Scribblenauts Unlimited (Wii U)

Stefanie Fogel, GamesBeat writer

1. The Walking Dead — Episode 2: Starved for Help (multiplatform)
2. Borderlands 2 (multiplatform)
3. Quantum Conundrum (multiplatform)

Rob LeFebvre, GamesBeat writer

1. Watch Dogs (multiplatform)
2. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (PlayStation 3)
3. Gravity Rush (PlayStation Vita)

Rus McLaughlin, GamesBeat writer

1. Watch Dogs (multiplatform)
2. The Last of Us (PlayStation 3)
3. Tomb Raider (multiplatform)

Eduardo Moutinho, GamesBeat writer

1. Star Wars 1313 (multiplatform)
2. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (multiplatform)
3. Injustice: Gods Among Us (multiplatform)

Please vote for your own favorite in our poll and explain your vote in the comments.

Filed under: Games

The best family games of E3

GamesBeat Staff — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 16:57:52 +0000

The team of heroes that make up the GamesBeat squad have disassembled after conquering another Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. If you’re looking for full coverage, head to our E3 hub. For now, we’ve returned to our families who have asked us for our thoughts about the show.

Here is the list of GamesBeat’s ten favorite family games of E3 2012:

Nintendo Land
Wii U – Nintendo
Holiday 2012

When the Wii launched in North America, Nintendo included Wii Sports with the system and marched in a golden era of family gaming. The big publisher is hoping that Nintendo Land will have a similar effect. The minigame collection will feature Zelda and Animal Crossing themed events that showcase the functionality of the Wii U GamePad.

In Luigi’s Ghost Mansion, for example, four players control ghost hunters while the person holding the GamePad controls a specter. The hunters try to weaken the ghost with their flashlights, while the ghost tries to weaken the players by sneaking up behind them. The rest of Nintendo Land follows this same pattern of asynchronous multiplayer where the player with the GamePad takes on an entirely different role in relation to the others with standard Wii remotes.

Game & Wario
Wii U – Nintendo
Holiday 2012

Not content with a single minigame collection, Nintendo is also working on Game & Wario. The yellow Mario villain is bringing his warped sense of style to the Wii U with a horde of small games that take advantage of the GamePad. Events like “Arrow” will have players firing a bow from the touchscreen at enemies on the television. In “Shutter,” gamers will use the GamePad to take pictures of on-screen criminals before a timer runs out.

If you like your minigames with a bit more quirk, then your family may prefer this over Nintendo Land.

Dance Central 3
Xbox 360 – Harmonix
Quarter 3 2012

Everybody dances. Sure, maybe your dad shouldn’t (Pops, we don’t want to see you do the alligator again!), but everybody loves getting down. Which explains why so many people love controlling their music games by busting a move. Dance Central, the Xbox 360 Kinect’s marquee game, returns for a third attempt. This time, developer Harmonix is including a story mode which will have dancers traveling in a time machine to fix historical dance steps. Does that sound crazy? Well, free your mind and your butt will follow!

Just Dance 4
Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/Wii – Ubisoft
October 9, 2012

Want to shake your money-maker but don’t own a Kinect? Well, Just Dance 4 is available on Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The sound track will feature over 40 hits. Confirmed songs include Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass,” The B-52′s “Rock Lobster,” and Will Smith’s “Wild Wild West.”

New Super Mario Bros. U
Wii U – Nintendo
Holiday 2012

A new Nintendo system used to guarantee a new Mario game. While that is no longer a certainty, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Wii U is launching with a followup to one of the Wii’s best-selling games. Four players control Mario, Luigi, two toads, or their own Mii with the Wiimotes while a fifth player aids by creating blocks and stunning enemies using the GamePad’s touchscreen. Although, reports from our team on the E3 floor suggest that they had more fun when they were using the GamePad powers to impede and annoy the other players.

Rayman Legends
Wii U – Nintendo
Holiday 2012

Many fans and critics consider Rayman Origins to be one of the best games of 2011. This Wii U sequel will bring a lot of the same platforming elements into an equally colorful world. Legends ups the family friendliness by including a fifth playable character controlled with the Wii U GamePad’s touchscreen. While up to four other players can run and jump around the side-scrolling environments, the GamePad player can tap on the screen to activate objects and mop up collectibles.

Scribblenauts Unlimited
Wii U – 5th Cell
Holiday 2012

The main character from the previous Scribblenauts has a new world to explore. This time, instead of a bunch of self-contained levels, the magic-notebook wielding Maxwell will have a much more open world to explore. For the unaware, Scribblenauts allows players to summon a seemingly endless variety of creatures and objects simply by typing in the word. Unlimited allows players to combine multiple objects into one hybrid. Just be careful. I’m pretty sure that combinations such as “winged bears” and “walking snakes” are harbingers of the apocalypse.

LEGO City: Undercover
Wii U/3DS – TT Games
Holiday 2012

Lego has locked itself together with TT Games and publisher Nintendo to make a Grand Theft Auto clone based on the building-block company’s most popular play set, the city police station. Players will take the role of undercover cop Chase McCain who will be busting criminals all across Lego City. McCain can swap out his own parts to become other characters and gain new powers.

Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
Wii/Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 – Junction Point Studios
November 18, 2012

Disney’s world-famous Mickey Mouse returns for a second adventure on the Wii. This time, the classic character is expanding his digital presence to Microsoft and Sony’s consoles. The first game suffered from a poor camera and a complete lack of voice acting. Lead developer Warren Spector claims that they’ve fixed the camera and that the game will be fully voiced.

Since the end of the events in the first game, Mickey has teamed up with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit (who was a villain in the first game) to help save Wasteland, which is Oswald’s home. If Spector’s tam at Junction Point has truly fixed the camera, then this could be one of the best family games of the year.

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
3DS – Dreamrift
November 18, 2012

Disney will release a portable adventure starring the round-eared rodent for the 3DS on the same day as the console counterpart. The title will be a tribute to the Sega Gensis game Mickey Mouse: Castle of Illusion, which many fans believe is the mascot’s greatest video game. Power of Illusion will be a side-scrolling platformer that takes place after the events of the first Epic Mickey. The “illusions” of other Disney character will make an appearance including Captain Hook, Peter Pan, and Beast from Beauty and the Beast.

Please vote for your favorite in our poll and explain your view in the comments.

Filed under: Games

GamesBeat E3 Roundup Day 1

Jasmine Maleficent Rea — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 06:34:56 +0000

If your head is spinning with all the breaking E3 news, GamesBeat wants to help. At the end of each day, we’ll compile a handy roundup of the day’s best content in one convenient post. If you want to keep track of them all, just type “E3 roundup” in the search bar.

Four out of the five major press conferences happened today, and that means GamesBeat is nearly overflowing with breaking news, previews, and commentary. Below you’ll find coverage from Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Sony.

Sony brings down the house with The Last of Us demo

Sony announces Assassin’s Creed III Vita and PS3 bundles with exclusive content

J.K. Rowling is writing PlayStation’s Wonderbook

Nathan Drake and the Big Daddy Bouncer join PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale

Experimental developer Quantic Dream reveals the haunted life of Jodie Holmes in Beyond

THQ confirms that it has laid off employees of WWE developer THQ San Diego

E3 2012: You are the network in Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs

Here’s where that Watch Dogs cube-head QR code goes

Rayman Legends rhythmically runs to the Wii U

Ubisoft shows strong commitment to the Wii U (videos)

Far Cry 3 demo leads you deeper into drug-induced insanity (preview)

Turn the snow crimson with redcoat blood in Assassin’s Creed III (preview)

Why Ubisoft is pouring a lot of resources into Wii U games (interview)

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot embraces disruption, new business models and new platforms (interview)

Ubisoft will make eight games for the Nintendo Wii U

Ubisoft’s creative director on why hooded assassins still fit in the American Revolution (interview)

EA shows off Need for Speed: Most Wanted at E3 2012

E3 2012: Medal of Honor: Warfighter’s beautiful carnage

EA nabs UFC from THQ

Star Wars: The Old Republic gets new planet, new species, and free trial

EA reveals Battlefield 3 Premium and fields “15 million players worldwide”

Madden NFL 13 is now even more of a contact sport

SimCity Social: If this free-to-play game is too good, will you pay $60 for the full PC version?

NCAA Football 13’s Heisman Challenge mode puts the “I” in team (hands-on preview)

EA reveals Dead Space 3, coming with drop-in cooperative play (hands-on preview)

Crysis 3 brings the jungle, gun hacking, and silent stealth kills to Manhattan (hands-on preview)

Hitman: Absolution trailer is indicative of gaming’s broken culture

New Xbox 360 games coming from Signal Studios, Twisted Pixel, and…Gore Verbinski?

South Park creators introduce their game and playfully mock Microsoft

E3 2012: Nike+ Kinect Training brings in-depth fitness measuring to Xbox 360

Forza Horizon brings street racing to the franchise

Filed under: Games

Rayman Legends rhythmically runs to the Wii U

Eduardo Moutinho — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 23:45:07 +0000

The latest color-soaked and fun-filled Rayman adventure, Rayman Legends, is shaping up to be a potential must-have title for the upcoming Nintendo Wii U. Ubisoft Senior Game Manager Michael Micholic and his team took full advantage of their time during Ubisoft’s 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) press event to showcase the platformer and its touch-friendly, co-op-centric gameplay.

Players can assume multiple roles depending on which Wii U-compatible controller they choose to use. The Wii U Gamepad maneuvers the pixie-like Murphy who can interact with the environment through a series of swipes and taps. Gamers can also use the Pro Controller to control Rayman and Globox for a more traditional experience. Even Wiimotes will be compatible with the release.

Characters will depend on each other to successfully traverse levels. During one part of the demo, Murphy adjusted the heights of platforms for Rayman and Globox to jump on. Later, the Gamepad-wielding player used the controller’s gyroscopic features to rotate a spiky platform onscreen.

In Micholic’s words, “The combination of sticks and buttons and touch-based gameplay create an infinite amount of co-op combos.”

But the real highlight of the demo came when the team played through a Bit.Trip Runner-like rhythmic sequence. Going along with the game’s work-together motif, Rayman, Globox, and Murphy sprinted through a vibrant level, performing jumps and attacks in sequence with the driving background music. The action was fluid and fast, culminating with the trio successfully finishing the run — complete with guitar-shredding characters surrounding the heroes to celebrate their achievement.

Filed under: Games

Ubisoft shows strong commitment to the Wii U (videos)

Mike Minotti — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 23:43:35 +0000

Ubisoft showed the world that it is ready to support Nintendo’s new, tablet-based system at its pre-E3 press conference with a plethora of game trailers.

First was Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth. The computer-generated trailer offered little information on how the game will play, but it did show plenty of famous superheroes, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America, Hawkeye, Thor, and Iron Man. The press conference’s hosts made the biggest fuss for the reveal of a Wii U logo at the end of the video.

A live demo for Rayman Legends, the sequel to the critically acclaimed 2D sidescroller Rayman Origins, demonstrated how developers could use the Wii U’s tablet for new and interesting ideas.

“The combinations of new controls and original game styles that the Nintendo Wii U makes possible really inspired the creative ambition of the team working on Rayman Legends,” said Michel Ancel, creative director at Ubisoft, in a press release sent to GamesBeat. “Rayman Legends expands upon what everyone loves about Rayman’s world and adds new ways of playing together that will make it the most collaborative and fun game in the franchise.”

The company showed off another computer-generated trailer, this time for ZombiU, a (please act surprised) undead-infested survival horror game for Nintendo’s Wii U set in England. The video’s creepy music and camera-panning still images of dramatic moments, including a man blowing his brains out before a horde of zombies can reach him, were reminiscent of the famous ad for Dead Island, another zombie game.

GamesBeat learned details about ZombiU earlier at a dinner with Xavier Poix, managing director of the Ubisoft France game studios. The title will be a realistic shooter that allows players with a regular Wii remote to battle the brain-seeking monsters while another person can use the tablet controller to command hordes of undead.

“ZombiU is a dark and daunting game that gamers will love to play again and again,” said Guillaume Brunier, producer at Ubisoft, in a press release issued to GamesBeat. “ZombiU takes advantage of the Nintendo Wii U’s one-of-a-kind capabilities and will be a launch title that every gamer will want to sink their teeth into.” The title is being developed by Ubisoft Montpellier, which previously worked on From Dust, Beyond Good & Evil, and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter.

Poix told GamesBeat that Ubisoft will be the biggest third-party publisher for the Wii U. This strong show of support at its press conference certainly seems to bolster that claim.

Filed under: Games

GamesBeat Weekly Roundup

Jasmine Maleficent Rea — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:44:03 +0000

If you follow VentureBeat but don’t regularly check our GamesBeat site, here’s a list of the best games stories we ran over the last seven days that you may have missed.

This week in news: Digital downloads for full retail games coming to 3Ds and Wii U, Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami working on a new survival horror game codenamed “Zwei”, Valve reveals inventive Defense of the Ancients 2 pricing, and Nintendo posts its first fiscal year loss.

You’ll also find a review for Bloodforge and previews for PlayStation All-Star Battle Royale, Dishonored, and Crysis 3.

Leaked Rayman Legends trailer shows NFC tech in action on Wii U (updated)

Dan Crawley — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:40:03 +0000

Update: Ubisoft has confirmed that Rayman Legends is currently in development in Montpellier, with series creator Michel Ancel taking the helm.

A statement responding to the leak of the trailer says: “An internal video showing images of Rayman Origins’ sequel has leaked over the Internet. This video was intended as a purely internal demonstrative video, and in NO way represents the final game, the final console, or their features. This video was destined for internal production teams who often create game prototypes with work in progress development kits.”
–

A trailer for the previously unannounced game Rayman Legends has leaked, demonstrating use of the Wii U’s tablet-like controller, and showing how real world objects can be linked with games on Nintendo’s upcoming console.

Activision’s successful kids’ title Skylanders has already demonstrated the potential for selling toys that interact directly with video games. Nintendo’s decision to build near field communication (NFC) technology into the tablet-like controller of the Wii U looks set to expand that market further, when the console launches in the Fall.

NFC technology allows devices to communicate simply by touching them together, or bringing them in close proximity, with connection being established in less than 100 milliseconds. NFC chips can be embedded in cards, stickers, figures, or virtually any other real world object.

The Rayman Legends trailer shows a toy heart being placed on the Wii U controller, which sends hearts raining down in the game. A toy Rabbid — from the Rayman: Raving Rabbids spin-off series — is then used, replacing enemies in the levels with Rabbids. Finally a figure of Ezio, from the game Assassin’s Creed, is teased, but this is not shown interacting with the game, and it may just be a joke by the developer.

The new Rayman title certainly looks as visually stunning as its predecessor, Rayman Origins. Along with its good looks and interesting tech, it will apparently be offering various multiplayer and social features, including races, challenges, and mini-games.

The touchscreen on the Wii U controller is shown being used to manipulate platforms in the game, while three characters are controlled via regular Wii controllers. It is also shown being used as a regular controller, in a two player game.

Speaking about the implementation of NFC technology back in January, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said: “By installing this functionality, it will become possible to create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via non-contact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world.”

Iwata also pointed to the potential of NFC tech for making instant purchases via the Wii U: “Adoption of this functionality will enable various other possibilities such as using it as a means of making micropayments.”

Whether it makes a bigger mark as a payment method, or by bolstering the sales of accessories, NFC tech looks set to be a key feature for Wii U. Given third-party use as strong as that seen here, one can only imagine what the future holds for the Pokemon franchise.

The leaked Rayman Legends trailer has now been removed from YouTube, but images from it are presented in the gallery below. The video is still being hosted at French website Gamekult at the time of writing.

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