E3 2012: Ghost Recon Still Coming to Wii U

Ubisoft has confirmed that Ghost Recon Online is still on its way to Wii U. While the Wii U version of the title was announced at E3 2011, it was absent from both Nintendo and Ubisoft’s E3 press conferences and booths this year, causing some people to wonder if the title is still headed to Nintendo’s new system. Now, Ubisoft tells IGN that the Wii U version is still planned but will arrive after the PC version.

“Ghost Recon Online is being developed for the PC first. That was always the plan,” senior vice president of sales and marketing Tony Key told IGN. “The team is taking a little bit longer than they thought they would to get Ghost Recon Online to the level and quality that they want and that definitely has had an impact on how much time they’re able to spend on the Wii U version because we want to make sure we get it right.”

According to Key, the development team working on the PC version is made up of many of the same people who will make the game for Wii U, so the project will have to wait until the PC version has been completed.

“If we start working on the Wii U too soon, we might end up wasting a lot of resources because the PC is a lot easier to test and learn with,” Key said. “Ghost Recon Online on the PC, we can test and learn with that and apply all the best benefits we learn onto the Wii U version to make sure that it’s a great Wii U game. That’s an unusual product for a console and we want to make sure we nail it. It really is because the PC team is a lot of the same guys that will work on the Wii U.”

Ubisoft showed off several Wii U titles during its E3 press conference, including Rayman Legends, Avengers: Battle for Earth, ZombiU, Assassin’s Creed III and Just Dance 4. In addition, the publisher told us this week that its upcoming new IP Watch Dogs could come to Wii U.



Source : ign[dot]com

E3 2012: Demon’s Score is Absolutely Bananas

My biggest E3 2012 surprise so far is how much I enjoyed Demon’s Score from Square Enix. The iOS game is tucked away in a quiet corner of the publisher’s massive booth, in the midst of nearly a dozen other iOS offerings. But I expect the title to earn much more buzz once more gamers get their hands on it.

The game might best be described as one part Elite Beat Agents-style action rhythm, and one part on-rails lightgun shooter. Circles appear on-screen, and must be tapped in time with the music. Red circles simply have to be tapped at the proper moment. Blue circles must be swiped in a specific direction. And finally large “critical hit” circles appear at key moments and must be furiously tapped as many times as possible within a short time limit.

The twist is that each accurate hit whittles down your demonic opponent’s health bar. All of the game’s musical stages are essentially boss fights against a different fiend, and the rhythm beats the players must tap are actually devilish enemies being dispatched.

This premise is already very cool on its own, and a perfect fit for a touch-screen interface. But what sends Demon’s Score over the edge is its completely over-the-top presentation and voice acting. Levels begin with a gleeful “Let the chaos begin!” One enemy exclaims unironically “I am fated to die… a lonely death!” Making something weird and kinetic walks a fine line between memorable and trying too hard, but so far Demon’s Score appears to be on the right side of that line.

IGN will have more on Demon’s Score, including a price and release date, as soon as it becomes available.



Source : ign[dot]com

E3 2012: Get Over Yourself and Enjoy God of War

Since PlayStation's E3 press conference Monday, my life has been a bit like an episode of the Twilight Zone. After years of talking about how silly the character of Kratos is while the rest of the world openly loved him, the script has suddenly been flipped. I seem to be the only one stupefied by the God of War: Ascension single-player demo.

It started pretty much as soon as the gameplay stopped. I turned to IGN editor Colin Campbell in the darkened Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, and he gave one of those British shrugs of indifference he's so good at. When the conference was finally over, I expected my Podcast Beyond cohost Colin Moriarty to join my cause of God of War awesomeness, but he joined Campbell in the "It's the same old same old" camp and moved on to Beyond: Two Souls or Last of Us talk.

Let's be clear here: God of War: Ascension is in fact more God of War. Kratos is hurling his blades, dis-braining enemies and (probably) screaming. But there are some changes in that demo that warrant discussion and awe.

“ I've been describing God of War III as visual porn for years, but this blows it out of the water.

For starters, have you seen it? I mean, have you seen that demo? It's beautiful. I've been describing God of War III as visual porn for years, but this blows it out of the water. Look at the muscle detail on Kratos at the start of the demo, the way the flaps of his fustanella cascade off his legs, and the gush of blood that covers his shoulders when he impales that tentacle. These are visual cues that are flat-out amazing. When Kratos unleashes that rage radial smash, the camera pulls in on his face, and you can see his eyes get wide and the corners of his mouth react.

These little details make a big difference. That demo is one of supreme beauty, and it feels like it's been swept under the rug because it's "just more God of War." Sure Kratos has the power to rewind time from Singularity now, pick up weapons enemies tried to use on him, and climb ledges a bit more, but the core experience is more of the same.

But is that reason enough for God of War: Ascension to not be part of the E3 conversation? The overwhelming majority of people liked the previous God of War games, right? We told PlayStation we dug them, so they made more for us and seem to have drastically raised the bar both visually and in terms of the new multiplayer options. And now that it's here, we're shrugging our shoulders and talking about other stuff.

It's one of the perils of the video game industry, I suppose. E3 is the place for huge announcements and news. People come here wanting to be surprised, and this year, it seemed like we knew all about the big announcements. Writers like myself saw The Last of Us a few weeks ago, Assassin's Creed III has been all over the place, and even Quantic Dream's new Beyond: Two Souls managed to leak hours before its debut. If you ask me, it's because of this backdrop that Watch Dogs has been able to get so much traction. No one knew anything about it, so a cool demo was all it needed to launch onto many people's short list for game of the show.

I'm not saying that God of War: Ascension is my game of the show (it isn't), but I am saying ignoring it or writing it off is a huge mistake. Giving a talented team the chance to iterate and build is a very good thing -- ask IGN's 2011 Game of the Year Portal 2.



Source : ign[dot]com

E3 2012: Bullet Run -- Bring the Heat

Many of the free-to-play games at this year's E3 take themselves very seriously. From the semi-simulation World of Warplanes, to the epic battlefields of Planetside 2, these are games that aim to hook you with fun action, but certainly aren't trying to make you laugh or chuckle at their sheer ridiculousness. Which is where Sony Online Entertainment's Bullet Run stands a chance to break out amongst the increasingly crowded free-to-play market. Sure, first-person shooters are a dime a dozen on PC, but Bullet Run's mix of action, wit and visual spectacle could be enough to engage an audience looking for something a bit less serious.

Bullet Run puts you in the shoes of a would-be superstar competing in a modern-day gladiatorial arena. Unlike the ancient days of Rome, though, you aren't fighting for a crowd cheering in the stands. Instead your adoring fans watch at home from their televisions and computers, seeing the carnage you wreak through the array of mounted and flying cameras in each level of Bullet Run.

Since the premise is that you're always being watched, Bullet Run's design centers around turning your character into a, well, character. Just like modern day WWE wrestlers, every person in Bullet Run decorates themselves with lavish costumes and body paint, assuming a persona. Likewise, just like the WWE, Bullet Run encourages a lot of smack talking, only it comes in the form of taunts. Whenever you die you're treated to a kill cam of the player who did the shooting. If the player wants bonuses, they can take a moment just after a kill to taunt you.

Taunting makes you vulnerable for a few seconds, but they encourage you to do it to earn Heat. Heat is the resource you earn every match, and what you use to unlock additional skills. Heat is earned for kills, for well-time taunts and for other general crowd-pleasing moves you pull off during the match. You see, instead of the now-typical killstreak rewards we see in many other shooters, Bullet Run rewards you with additional powers throughout the match based on the total Heat you earn across all your lives. This means you don't have to be the guy that manages to kill 10 people in a row to get an incredible power, you just need to play pretty well throughout the course of multiple spawns to earn each subsequent tier of power. Do well and you'll earn a power, do better and you'll earn something even better. Powers range from the ability to drop a sentry turret, to a robot that can freeze people in place, to things like "Akimbo," which allows you to wield two guns and do a knee slide on the ground for additional Heat. You don't pick a pre-made character with abilities, but instead choose from an array of them to put together a list you like best, choosing one from each of the four tiers.

Sounds pretty interesting, right? Well, it is in concept, but I think Bullet Run will have an uphill battle taking many people away from their current shooters. The Heat mechanics are a smart twist on the typical killstreak rewards, but otherwise it felt very similar to every other first-person shooter out there. Gunplay is totally competent, but the level design seemed pretty standard, and visually it doesn't stand up to a lot of the competition. The free-to-play angle might give it an audience, but ultimately I'm not sure this will have the roaring crowds in real-life like it does in the game.

If you're interested in trying it for yourself, you won't have to wait long. Bullet Run enters beta in the next couple of weeks, with a planned release this summer.



Source : ign[dot]com

E3 2012: Why Watch Dogs is My Game of the Show

Every day I read about various accounts and sites being hacked. I hear about people being spied on or harassed online. News spreads of computer failures that lead to the loss of innocent lives, or the inconvenience of thousands more. I read this information, this data, on my phone. On my iPad. On my computer. On my dedicated portable gaming device - on my home console for that matter.

It’s with my modern day, fast-paced lifestyle that I see Watch Dogs, not only remarkable and visually stunning open world game, but one that has the clever hook of exploiting the vast network of technology that permeates our lives. This is relevant in a way that Assassin’s Creed never could be. This feels more real than anything we’ve seen in Call of Duty. Ubisoft has found something remarkable here, and if it succeeds, the publisher will add another powerful franchise to its extensive roster. Make no mistake about it, the presence of Watch Dogs nearly tipped the scales of E3 2012 towards Ubisoft all by itself. That takes something special. While this show hasn’t featured many surprises, it is still packed with quality software from established, excellent franchises. Being new isn’t necessarily enough to completely steal the show. Gameplay is king.

Watching Ubisoft demonstrate its vision of a hacker with the power to control and influence anything attached to a network, to the “CTOS,” Ubisoft’s version of Skynet, is remarkable. Layers unfold as lead character Aiden Pearce stalks his prey in digital and physical form. Like a ghost that has somehow found the ability to become corporeal, Pearce can shut down your phone, or invade it and discover your life story - while he’s standing ten feet away, gun in hand. Pearce moves with a shuffle and a slight awkwardness, a hunch that is no doubt born from years of trying to keep a slightly smaller profile. A leather overcoat, baseball cap and occasional handkerchief over the mouth keep our so-called hero anonymous, a shadow that can fade into the darkness when the moment calls for it.

Like many modern games, Watch Dogs seems to borrow a variety of elements from all around it, but watching a battle amongst cars (after Pearce had caused a ten-car pile-up through some sort of electromagnetic pulse) in the open world of Chicago, I was immediately reminded of Grand Theft Auto. I was reminded of GTA because, in its current state, and from what I can see, Ubisoft might have found a way to outdo Rockstar’s iconic franchise.

Watch Dogs lacks the flippant, pseudo-playful nature of GTA, but it makes up for it with details of its own that are too incredible to ignore. Pearce’s abilities immediately set this game apart. You’re no criminal slinking your way through the underworld. You’re a vigilante, guided by a ruthless code, unafraid to kill your enemies. There is a larger strategic gameplay element here. GTA requires you confront people and blow them up with a rocket launcher. In Watch Dogs you can invade someone’s privacy, discover their darkest secrets and then blackmail them until they submit to your will. Not that there’s anything necessarily wrong with the GTA approach, but I find what Watch Dogs is doing to be far more fascinating.

Ubisoft’s ambition for this game, which has no release date or specified platforms (though it could come to any of them, including Wii U), doesn’t just limit itself to taking place on whatever console you have. It extends to the iPad as well. In a behind-closed-doors demonstration, members of the development team pulled up a map of Watch Dog’s Chicago, and proceeded to highlight how this extra program could tie to your game.

Not only can players interact with a fully 3D map of the city, and scout locations via building blueprints, they can track targets and even spend money to fully investigate subjects ahead of time. Post-mission, you’ll be able to scrub through an interactive timeline of your actions, watching your gunfight with the police and escape by propelling a car over a raising river bridge. But that’s not all. Ubisoft doesn’t just want you to gain intel on your own world, but the world your friends occupy as well.

Like any good spy, players will be monitor what others are doing. Not only can this be useful for learning tricks or potential sticking points for future endeavors, but it can be used in a competitive manner as well. Challenges can be issued, and under the right circumstances (if both players agree to the scenario, it sounds like), you’ll be able to manipulate technology around your friend, attempting to shut down some of their options and force them to improvise as they react to your actions.

That’s why Watch Dogs is my game of E3 2012. It not only has the ambition of scope and detail that few games have, it’s finding a way to twist that, to find a clever way of bringing innovative gameplay into that large-scale setting. Few games really try to do both of those things. In development for two years, and with seemingly at least another year to go, Watch Dog has dared dream big. And it has paid off. This is definitely one to keep an eye on, folks. Just be warned - it might start to make you a little paranoid.



Source : ign[dot]com