Game Club Beyond Good & Evil: Assignment Two

Sorry for the delay on our second assignment for the Beyond Good & Evil Game Club.
E3 was overwhelming and knocked my plans a bit off-kilter for the week. BUT, I've got your second assignment right here and we're goign to go ahead and meet on Tuesday rather than Monday. Yes this will call of a little late night, last minute cramming, but isn't that what clubs are all about anyway?

In this second assignment for Beyond Good & Evil you'll need to complete the Slaughterhouse section of the game. Make sure you don't play past that point because I'd like us all to be on the same page, so to speak. After playing through the chunk, try to think up some interesting questions and discussion topics. I will have a list of my own, but I'm hoping we can all ask each other interesting things to discuss.

The game is available for the Xbox (not backwards compatible) PS2, Gamecube and the PC via Steam and Gametap.

We'll be meeting on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. Eastern. Just come to the site and look for the Game Club Beyond Good & Evil Discussion post. Again sorry for the delay in putting this out to you all.

Hit the jump for the Game Club rules.

British Gaming Blog takes a look at the highly anticipated games that weren't demoed at E3, and the titles would form an impressive show unto themselves. If only. All Points Bulletin. Tekken 6. Indiana Jones and, I mean really Ubisoft, no Beyond Good and Evil 2? Quoth BGB:

UbiDays 2008, Ubisoft announce Beyond Good and Evil 2 with an enigmatic, minimalist trailer. The fans go wild. E3 2008, Ubisoft announce Party Babies for Wii. Girls aged 5-12 go wild.

Agreed. Probably the biggest no-show of the whole conference, the Bungie/Halo game fiasco notwithstanding.

Missing in Action: The No-Shows of E3 [British Gaming Blog]

So Rainbow Six Vegas 2 was patched earlier this month with a slew of upgrades and gameplay changes, all of it free. Unfortunately, it also inserted a disc check — big problem for those who got the game via digital download.

The fix? I mean the official frickin' fix? The Register says an Ubisoft employee uploaded a fix to the company's support site that was actually a hack written by software pirates to defeat the disc-check. Yeah, Ruh-roh, Rubi. And presumably that guy has stepped in Ubi-doo, as the company removed the executable and is "thoroughly investigating the matter."

Even Top Execs Hated E3 2008

We had a hard time finding anyone overly excited about this week's E3 Media and Business Summit. From lackluster media briefings from the Big Three to a booth babe count that numbered in the single digits, it was hard to find much in the way of raw thrills. Even the highly paid executives hated it!

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that EA CEO John Riccitiello said "I hate E3 like this," hinting that a return to spectacle or the complete abandonment of the show were two viable options.

Laurent Detoc, president of Ubisoft North America is quoted as likening the event to a "pipe-fitters show in the basement." He may have just been referring to the Imagine, Petz and Ener-G portions of his own company's press conference, though.

Event may try to recapture luster [SF Gate]

Ubisoft Guy Says E3, As It Stands, Is "Not Appropriate"

Ubisoft's executive director, Alain Corre (on the left), isn't the biggest fan of the "new" E3. He wasn't a fan of the "old" one, either, and is instead calling for a happy medium between the two, where we get the May timing of the old event with the "no public" rules of the current one.

It's one milestone in the communication of your products throughout the year, and it's important because it's the ramp-up for Christmas...[But] E3 here, mid-July, in the Convention Center in downtown LA - it's not appropriate I would say.

Reason being that it's too late in the year for many/any new products to be announced, meaning most games on show have already been announced, meaning there's a lot less interest in the event, from retailers to the public to journalists.

Ubisoft: E3 is "not appropriate" at the current date, location [GI.biz]

Poor Mike just got done with the Ubisoft press conference. He's in the shower of his hotel room, cold water on full force, sobbing gently as he tries (in vain!) to scrub clean the memories of 117 Petz and Imagine: announcements. But it wasn't all bad. The Prince of Persia bits were good. Very good, as you can see if you catch the trailer. Revealed during the address was that "Elika" - the girl in white who serves as your buddy/Yorda character - is a definite improvement on her Ico-based inspiration. Not only can she not die, but she never, ever gets in your way, and rather than simply being a dead weight to lug around a level, will help you out by chaining moves with you, helping in jumps and "saving you from death". Perhaps the best use of her is this "death" mechanic. Instead of just dying, your wounded Prince will feebly call for Elika to save him, giving players a taste of humiliation without the need for death's cold, final embrace. Oh, and there's some new screens below, if you're interested.

Ubisoft Announces I Am Alive For Spring '09

Ubisoft announced at its press conference earlier today — via the trailer above — that I Am Alive, a title that looks to be a third person survival horror title that looks heavy on survival and light on horror. Well, light on zombies or demons from a netherworld, but horrific nonetheless. It's the title that Assassin's Creed producer Jade Raymond is rumored to be attached to, if that happens to do something for you.

Ubisoft E3 08 Press Conference Liveblog

Here's the first real (ie not just some artist doodling) trailer for Ubisoft's latest Prince of Persia title. If they were planning on tugging at the heartstrings of PoP purists and Ico fans alike, they're doing an excellent job.

Sandbox games are quickly becoming the bane of the demo-loving public. Open worlds just don't separate into bite-sized pieces well. Take Far Cry 2, for instance, which game director Clint Hocking has confirmed will have no playable demo before release due to the staggering amount of gameplay packed into every nook and cranny of the game. What, can't we just use invisible walls?

"One reason is, even if we were to give out what you played today - even if we put invisible walls around it and said, here's the demo, you can go anywhere you like inside these walls and play it how you want - that's potentially right there eight-to-ten hours of gameplay. I don't know too many people who are willing to give away a 12-hour game for free."

How about really tiny invisible walls? Maybe with a time limit? No? As gamers get more and more used to having demos available before games are released, the sandbox game devs are going to have to adjust. Perhaps just give gamers a square of land, a selection of weapons, and a target range? We can work this out folks!

No Far Cry 2 demo planned [Eurogamer]

Jade's Next Game - I Am Alive

So what's Ubisoft's Jade Raymond been working on since Assassin's Creed has come and gone? According to Gamekyo (formerly Jeuxfrance) she's been getting busy on I Am Alive, a survival game for the PC, 360, and PS3 from French developer Darkworks of Cold Fear fame and Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare infamy. Supposedly to be revealed at E3 next week in a lengthy video presentation, I Am Alive is a tale of survival following an earthquake that decimates Chicago. While the game will be a first-person affair, don't expect to be shouldering a bazooka. The point of view is meant to immerse you in the experience, similar to what EA is doing with Mirror's Edge.

It's not quite official confirmation, but Gamekyo has the trademark document for the game over at their site, so there's a pretty good chance this is a solid rumor. Still, even a solid rumor is still a rumor. The only thing that really strikes me as odd about the whole thing is I known people from Chicago, and no piddling city-destroying earthquake could take them down.

Jade Raymond working on I Am Alive [Gamekyo]

The latest season of the hit reality cooking show Hell's Kitchen has just wrapped up, leaving fans hungry for more of Gordon Ramsay's trademark spit and vinegar. Now relief is in sight, as Ubisoft announces Hell's Kitchen: The Video Game, coming this September to the Nintendo Wii and DS. The game offers a three-tiered challenge - preparation, cooking, and service - all watched over by a virtual version of Ramsay himself.

“I had a great time doing the voice for my own animation,” said Gordon Ramsay. “Being in a video game is a new experience for me and I’m very pleased with the results.”

And if he wasn't pleased, no doubt Ubisoft would know it. The game features a Career mode in which players earn stars and unlock authentic Ramsay recipes, some of which are exclusive to the game, along with an arcade mode with an ever-increasing difficulty level.

I must have this game. I have to admit I have become addicted to the show, and the prospect of having Chef Gordon tell me to fuck off and leave the kitchen is much more exciting that it should be. It's RAW!

Ubisoft Acquires Visual Effects Studio Behind 300

The line between movies and video games blurs even further as Ubisoft announces the acquisition of Hybride Technologies, the visual effects studio behind the blockbuster films 300, Sin City, and the Spy Kids series. Ubisoft will work closely with the team at Hybride to create new technologies for video games and visual effects, while at the same time continuing their film work.

“It is the quality and innovation of our artists that made Hybride into one of the most successful studios in cinema and the most important visual effects producer on the North American East Coast,” stated Pierre Raymond, founder and chief executive officer at Hybride Technologies. “The sharing of technological and creative expertise between Ubisoft and Hybride will position the two companies at the head of the pack in an entertainment industry in rapid evolution.”

A game company owning their own movie effects company will also do wonders for getting Ubisoft properties made into motion pictures, don't you think? Don't worry about the effects budget, we've got that covered. Hit the jump for the full release regarding this groundbreaking convergence of video games and cinema.

Mad Catz Secures Petz Licenz

Accessory manufacture Mad Catz have just announced that they've signed a licensing agreement with Ubisoft to create branded accessories for the Petz series of games for the Nintendo Wii and DS. Yes, that's right - Mad Catz is going to make accessories branded with Catz, as well as Dolphinz, Dogz, Horsez, Bunnyz, Tigerz, Hamsterz, and any other number of animals that can be pluralizes by swapping out an S for a Z. The only question is why this didn't happen sooner.

“Ubisoft develops some of the most engaging, popular video game franchises and we look forward to enhancing the Petz gaming experience by producing accessories that capture the personality and excitement of these titles,” said Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz.

No word on what sorts of accessoriez we can expect, but I'm thinking carrying cases for the DS, maybe a custom stylus or two. May the union of the misspelled animals be a fruitful one.

ESRB Rates My Japanese Coach, Ratchet & Clank Future Follow Up

Hey, geeks and otakus, there's good news on the edutainment front, as the Entertainment Software Ratings Board has given ratings to a slew of new games, including Ubisoft's My Japanese Coach. Yes, now that you've mastered the Spanish and French languages via your Nintendo DS, your next challenge is the tongue of the Japanese people. Finally, the mysteries of Rhythm Tengoku's menu screen will be unlocked to me! It's a perfect compliment to your fansubbed anime of choice.

Also making a rated appearance at ESRB.org is Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, the PlayStation 3 game that can't seem to keep its existence a secret. Surely, the title must be announced at E3 next week.

Finally, in other exciting news, Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium has been rated for a Wii release, meaning its Virtual Console appearance could be just months to a year away.

Three new screens for the upcoming Prince of Persia reboot. Enjoy. We're still digging the tasteful use of cel-shading, still looking forward to seeing how it all pans out, still wondering how Yorda grew up so fast, and why she still thinks it's a good idea to go adventuring without a decent pair of shoes.

[via Zapages @ NeoGAF]

TransGaming Brings Ubisoft To The Mac

TransGaming has just announced that they are now collaborating with Ubisoft to bring their PC games to the Mac via the Cider Portability Engine. The multi-title agreement will see Ubisoft PC titles appearing on TG's digital distribution platform GameTree Online throughout the summer and into fall alongside Windows platform releases. So what games do Intel-based Mac users have in store?

"Ubisoft is extremely excited about the partnership with TransGaming to bring our titles to the Mac," said Jay Cohen, senior vice president of publishing at Ubisoft. "This is the perfect opportunity to reach the growing Mac community so they can enjoy games such as CSI: Hard Evidence and our Petz franchise with Catz and Dogz."

Oh. That's...nice? Finally Mac gamers will be able to experience the titles PC gamers have been raving about for ages! I assume we'll see something a bit more meaty (yes, I know Petz have meat) as the partnership continues.

Game Club Beyond Good & Evil: The First Assignment

Alright, as promised today we're kicking off the rejuvenated Game Club with a group play through of fan favorite of Beyond Good & Evil. If you're interested in playing through a game along side a group of friends and then discussing the deeper meaning of the game and its plot, don't forget to hop in.

We will be meeting weekly, on Monday's at 9:30 p.m. Eastern, though this month with the holiday and E3, is going to have an odd schedule. I'm pretty sure it will be easy to get through the game in four meetings. So let's plan on our first meeting to start on July 7 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern. Just come to the site and look for the Game Club Beyond Good & Evil Discussion post.

In this first assignment for Beyond Good & Evil you'll need to complete the the Black Isle Mines section of the game. Make sure you don't play past that point because I'd like us all to be on the same page, so to speak. After playing through the chunk, try to think up some interesting questions and discussion topics. I will have a list of my own, but I'm hoping we can all ask each other interesting things to discuss.

The game is available for the Xbox (not backwards compatible) PS2, Gamecube and the PC via Steam and Gametap.

Hit the jump for the Game Club rules.