Archive for the ‘ubisoft’ Category
Scott Pilgrim vs The World vs PSN today!
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in PlayStation Games, PS3, PSN, scott pilgrim vs the world, ubisoft on August 10th, 2010
Three months ago, how many of you had heard of Scott Pilgrim? I’ve got to admit, I hadn’t. But after seeing the game at E3, I got really interested in the world created by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Now I’ve read all six of the books (highly recommended), will be seeing the movie this week (again!), and will definitely be playing Scott Pilgrim vs The World later today when it debuts exclusively on PSN.
First take a look at this brand-spanking-new trailer:
If that doesn’t convince you that this game is for you, I’m not sure what will. If you’re all about the 8-bit beat ‘em up style and chiptune music, do read on.
Recently, I (along with writers from a few other gaming sites) had the opportunity to chat with both Bryan Lee O’Malley (the creator of Scott Pilgrim) and Edgar Wright (the director of the upcoming Scott Pilgrim vs The World movie). Both have serious gaming cred; the Scott Pilgrim books are laden with gaming references, and Wright’s Shaun of the Dead and Spaced both prominently featured PlayStation games.
Now I was going to spend a couple of hours carefully transcribing the half-hour conversation and placing the reams of text here. Then I noticed that Game Informer’s Ben Reeves, who was sitting about 4 feet to the right of me during the interview, already did that. You should read it.
My questions were about PSP appearing in Book #6 (O’Malley is a fan of Half-Minute Hero) and how Anamanaguchi got involved in making the game’s (awesome, chiptune) soundtrack.
If you’ve got any further questions, feel free to drop them in, and I’ll see what I can do to get them answered. Otherwise, keep an eye out for the full game (and the free demo) later this afternoon.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World Soundtrack Goes Old School
Posted by Michael Micholic in PlayStation Games, PS3, PSN, scott pilgrim vs the world, soundtrack, ubisoft on July 28th, 2010
Once we decided to go for the old school, side scrolling, beat ‘em up style with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Video Game, we wanted to go all in! We brought in pixel artist extraordinaire Paul Robertson.
The next step was creating an amazing soundtrack. We immediately thought of Brooklyn chiptune rockers, Anamanaguchi. They wowed us (and 5,000 others) at PAX and really captured the sound we wanted for the game. Here, the guys share their favorite songs from the game.
Ary Warnaar
“Twin Dragons”
I really enjoyed how the Twin Dragons cue came into existence. It was very unexpected. A couple months ago we were playing a show here in Brooklyn with Ok, Go. I was hanging out backstage with one of my good friends Damon who also happens to be one of the most talented chip artists I know (he goes by Starscream with his drummer George). We were kinda bored and decided to start a collaboration italo-disco song on Game Boy. He started with an awesome bass line and beat, and I started writing some melody stuff. We didn’t get past the loop that night, but the next day I couldn’t get it out of my head, and kept working on it. I don’t remember at what point I realized it would work perfectly for the game… it sort of just transformed into that cue naturally. So yeah, it’s my favorite because it really started as a song for myself that ended up being for Scott Pilgrim. That natural transition is a great example of what made the project so fun. It never really felt like writing for a video game, it felt more like composing music for life stuff we’ve all experienced – stuff that Scott Pilgrim happened to have experienced as well…
Luke Silas
“Suburban Tram”I’m especially proud of the track we wrote for the train level – Suburban Tram. When we were working on it, Pete had brought up giving it a sort of Hot Water Music-type sound, and it actually came very naturally after that. I really love positive, uplifting punk and post-hardcore music, and it was a lot of fun to try and translate it into our distinct style. Something about the final version of this track evokes real motion, as in makes you want to move, both from the heart and on the road.. at least that’s how i hear it!
James DeVito
“This is the End”It was really interesting to hear ‘This is the End’ (yes, it’s for the perfect ending only!) go through many different phases as it was being written. At first it was just a straight ballad, but it needed something more… more epic and triumphant. Obviously it’s gotta be the best song ever if you have to be perfect to get there. That’s when Ary mentioned to Pete to think of it more as an epic Queen ballad, and it all came together after that. Pete absolutely nailed it. Not only will this song be extremely gratifying to the player as they perfect the game, but it also ended up being one of the last songs we wrote, and the last song we mixed, so us too were even treated to the ‘perfect’ ending of an incredibly amazing project.
Peter Berkman
“Scott Pilgrim Theme”It’s really difficult for me to pick just one track to talk about, so I guess I’ll approach it in the big picture and discuss the theme. This was the first song we wrote for the game, I wanted the theme to be everything that epitomizes “Scott Pilgrim” to me. I wanted a melody that was both melancholy and triumphant, I wanted it to evoke a sort of nostalgic John Hughes world and the deluge of emotions and gut feelings that present themselves when you’re completely smitten, which Scott Pilgrim undoubtedly is. That’s what the second half of the song is about, the first half is about punching people, obviously.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World debuts exclusively on the PlayStation Network on August 10th.
Don’t forget to pre-order for a free Sex Bomb-Omb tee for your PlayStation Home Avatar!
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood at Comic-Con 2010
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in assassin's creed brotherhood, comic-con10, PlayStation Games, PS3, ubisoft on July 23rd, 2010
If you’ve played through the Assassin’s Creed games, it’s obvious that a lot of thought went into the world of Assassins vs Templars – especially if you’ve unlocked every last thing in ACII. The writers on the franchise spoke about the process of creating the storyline – “exploring the cracks in history,” as they put it – at their San Diego Comic-Con panel Nothing is True, Everything is Forbidden – writing for Assassin’s Creed. But first – feast your eyes on the new multiplayer trailer.
Lead Writer Jeffrey Yohalem revealed more about AC: Brotherhood’s structure: it’s going to chronicle the struggle that leads to true leadership, based around the principles of Machiavelli’s The Prince. It takes more than just charisma to be a leader, but you’ve got to make a lot of right decisions before people put their life in your hands. In AC: Brotherhood, we’ll see how the returning Ezio will exemplify those qualities in the continuing struggles of the Assassins vs the Templars. Expect almost everyone that you met in ACII (but didn’t kill, natch) to return, albeit through deepened relationships. Characters that seemed merely helpful or 1-dimensional in ACII will reveal themselves to be more complex now.
The writers stressed that it’s important that everything fits into the story of Assassin’s Creed. Even the game’s menus are part of the Animus machine that Desmond channels the past in. Multiplayer mode is no different: “Abstergo has been busy,” said Yohalem. Remember that room filled with Animi (Animuses?) during the escape scene at the beginning of ACII? That’s the Templar-controlled company’s training ground for new, counter-assassins. They’ve been uploading the skills that actual Assassins like Desmond have been unlocking into their most adept pupils, and their training simulation is our multiplayer.
However it fits into the story, it looks like a good time. I’ve heard it described as a modern videogame take on hide-and-seek, and that seems accurate. But with more stabbing. Oh, and two new characters were revealed: a Blacksmith and a Soldier, and based on the Q&A that followed the panel, there’ll likely be more revealed between now and the game’s November release.
Some more highlights from the fan Q & A section:
Q: Will there be more Desmond gameplay in ACB?
A: Yes, it’ll take a very unexpected turn. Things will change quite a bit in the present day. He’ll also be changing his look.
Q: Will there ever be any female assassins?
A: Yes, wait for November.
Q: Will we learn more about the ancient assassins from that room where you place the seals you collect in ACII?
A: Yes. Everything that we have started will resolve… Eventually.
Q: How many multiplayer characters total?
A: A lot. (but not Ezio or Altair, as that wouldn’t make sense in the scope of the story)
Q: Any plans for DLC?
A: Yes, there are plans in the works.
Oh, one last thing. That Russian/red star Assassins logo that popped up a week or two ago was not a hint that the next Assassin’s Creed game would take you to Russia. It’s actually a new comic book based on the Tunguska explosion hinted at in ACII.
E3 Encounters: Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in E310, PlayStation Games, PS3, PSN, scott pilgrim vs the world, ubisoft on July 9th, 2010
Without question, Scott Pilgrim vs The World is the most popular game at E3 that I had barely heard of. I didn’t know much of the Edgar Wright-directed, Michael Cera-starring movie hitting later this summer. I had never read any of the comics by Bryan Lee O’Malley (though I’m rectifying that now).
All I know is, I played a game that took me back to my gaming childhood: 8-bit beat’em ups with brightly colored sprites, old-school music, and couch co-op. And when I loved it, I wasn’t alone; Scott Pilgrim vs the World pulled in awards and nominations from sites like 1UP, Gamespot, IGN and Joystiq, and was one of the most talked about games of the show.
The key thing to note: Scott Pilgrim vs The World is debuting exclusively on PlayStation Network, and that you’ll be playing it in just about a month: August 10th.
You’ll be seeing a lot more about Scott Pilgrim vs The World here on the PlayStation.Blog in the coming weeks, including updates from Comic-Con and a post directly from Anamanaguchi, the famed chiptune band who behind the game’s sountrack.
Coming to PSN: Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes for PS3
Posted by Nathan Vella in capybara, might & magic: clash of heroes, PlayStation Games, PS3, PSN, ubisoft on June 3rd, 2010
Ahoy-hoy PlayStation.Blog readers! Nathan Vella here — I’m co-founder and president of Capybara. You might remember Capy from such PlayStation Network titles as the barftastic puzzle romp, Critter Crunch! Capy is back on the PlayStation.Blog after a short hiatus to talk about our return to PSN — this time we’ve teamed up with our pals at Ubisoft to bring you Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes.
Now, some of you might be thinking, “what the hell is this game?” Well, imagine for a moment that the lovely Mrs. Puzzle and dashing Mr. Turn-Based Strategy got together and made a baby — that baby would be the battle system. Now, take that baby and raise it up on RPG adventuring, and you’ve got Might & Magic Clash of Heroes, a puzzle/strategy/RPG hybrid in 2D HD!
Now, when Clash of Heroes was first published last year, it was showered in critical love and received numerous glorious awards giving Capy lots of reasons to celebrate. And, to celebrate we have taken all the awesomeness of the original, and ratcheting it up to 1000. Now we’re back on the awesome PlayStation Network with online & local versus multiplayer, a new co-op multiplayer mode, tons of balancing tweaks, new unit abilities and so much more.
Also, we’ve taken our love of both high-definition 2D & traditional animation, and combined them to create the stunning visuals of Clash of Heroes. Critter Crunch artists Qiqo & Sylvain have joined forces with the rest of Capy’s amazing art team to bring you thousands of frames of 2D HD goodness. Capy believes that 2D gaming has a bright future ahead of it in the HD era, and we’re proud to be a part of a small group (alongside upcoming PSN awesomeness like Klei’s Shank) trying to push 2D HD as far as it can go.
I’ve included some screenshots in this post but, in September, you will be able to see the game in action on your PS3! As well, Clash of Heroes will be playable in the Ubisoft booth at this year’s E3, so definitely stay tuned for more news on this game.
Since you’re already online, you can hop over to the Might & Magic Facebook page and hit that trusty LIKE button. And while we’re talking “SOCIAL NETWORKING WEB 6.O DOT COM/INTERNETS”, you can follow Might & Magic Community girl Noemie on Twitter via @UbiXhane, as well as keep up to date with Capy via @Capybara_Games.
Just like the last time we were here, Capy will be answering as many questions as humanly possible. Ask away friends!
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands – built specifically for PSP
Posted by Joel Vignola in PlayStation Games, prince of persia: the forgotten sands, psp, Trailers, ubisoft on May 13th, 2010
Hi, I’m Joel Vignola, Producer of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands on the PSP here to answer any questions you may have on the PSP version coming out May 18th.
Let me start off by explaining a few points we at Ubisoft Quebec City are exceptionally proud of. To begin with, Forgotten Sands is not a game based on the upcoming Sands of Time movie; we created our own storyline for the game. Second of all, this IS a unique game built from the ground up specifically for the PSP, this is not a port from any other system. The adventure is all new, the location is new, and the Prince’s powers are all new as well. The only way to experience this adventure is on the PSP.
Some of the new powers include the ability to speed up and slow down objects within the game; being able to solidify sand lets the prince create new paths, while speeding up traps can be used against enemies. You can give yourself some breathing room by slowing down traps or enemies, or increase the challenge by playing everything at full speed.
We’re really interested to see what you guys have to say after playing the game and can’t wait to answer your questions, even if they’re not related directly to the game! We look forward to hearing what you’ve got on your mind, and hope you all enjoy the game as much as us.
Oh yeah, an added bonus for owners of the PSP and PS3: when you connect both together, you can unlock the original Sands of Time costume for the Prince to wear in the PSP version of Forgotten Sands.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands – Back to his (PS2) roots
Posted by Graeme Jennings in Featured Post, PlayStation Games, prince of persia, prince of persia: the forgotten sands, PS3, Trailers, ubisoft on May 13th, 2010
Hi everyone, my name is Graeme Jennings and I’m the producer for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands on PlayStation 3. With the game coming out so soon and everyone at Ubisoft excited to see what you guys thought of it, we wanted to get your opinions on the PlayStation.Blog and have the chance to answer some questions you guys might have for us.
To start off, let me explain a little about Forgotten Sands. The first thing I wanted to mention is to let you all know that this is not a game based on the Sands of Time film, in fact, we are bringing the prince back to the roots from the PlayStation 2 era by having this game take place in the seven year gap between Sands of Time and Warrior Within. We think you’ll notice a lot of reminiscent elements of the original trilogy in Forgotten Sands.
Some other things we’re extremely excited to talk about are the elemental powers and epic battles that take place n the game. Thanks to new innovations in technology we are able to pull off huge battles, from a boss that’s over 30 feet tall to fights with up to 50 enemies on the screen at once; the Prince definitely has his work cut out for him in this one. We are also providing the Prince with new powers over the elements, abilities like being able to solidify water to climb on it, creating a trail of fire behind you, and blasting enemies away with a tornado to name a few.
Finally as an added bonus for PlayStation users, if players connect their PSP and PS3 together, they will unlock extra experience points to put towards upgrading the Prince’s arsenal.
So if you have any questions for us on Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands feel free to ask them and we’ll do our best to answer. One of the best opportunities to see how we did with a game is to hear it directly from you. Thanks, hope you all enjoy the game!
Qore Episode 24 – Featuring Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, LittleBigPlanet 2, PlayStation Home, and Jens Pulver
Posted by Kevin Furuichi in littlebigplanet 2, media molecule, PlayStation Games, PlayStation Network, prince of persia, QORE, ubisoft on May 11th, 2010
The Prince of Persia is everywhere! Along with a major motion picture from the same team that brought us Pirates of the Caribbean, the character will be appearing in a graphic novel and a new videogame set in the time frame between The Sands of Time and Warrior Within. Audrey Cleo spoke with the developers at Ubisoft to learn more about the new gameplay mechanics, while Veronica Belmont explores Wondercon 2010 to catch up with actor Jake Gyllenhaal. There’s also a preview of the graphic novel in the Qore digital gallery.
Qore also provides an early look at the just-announced LittleBigPlanet 2! The team visited Media Molecule in the UK to understand how the creativity of the community inspired them to push the boundaries in the sequel to transform the platform game into a platform for games.
There have been thousands of improvements and additions to PlayStation Home since Qore first visited back in 2008. Veronica sits down with PlayStation Home Director Jack Buser to discuss his favorites, including the upcoming midway space… and Producer Katherine de Leon reveals an upcoming new space with a steampunk aesthetic.
Fans of mixed martial arts will know the name Jens Pulver— the first UFC lightweight champion. He’s a serious gamer and his character is also exclusive in the PS3 version of UFC Undisputed 2010. So, Audrey Cleo met up with the legend at his new training facility in Boise, Idaho and actually jumps into the cage with “Lil Evil.”
Qore’s download center is full of goodies this month for both subscribers and single-episode purchasers. There’s an exclusive Qore trucker’s cap for PlayStation Home. It’s the perfect companion to last year’s Qore T-shirts (which, if you missed them, are also part of this episode by popular demand). Download them through Qore and then enter your Home wardrobe to check out your new threads.
Also, in celebration of the LittleBigPlanet 2 preview feature, there’s also a Qore exclusive cap for use in the original game. And finally, everybody can download the Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands theme.
Look for Episode 24 later today when PlayStation Store updates.
And this Thursday, May 13, meet Veronica Belmont and Audrey Cleo in PlayStation Home at 9 PM EDT in the Qore Theater. They’re bringing outtakes from this month’s episode and answers to your questions.
Coming to PSN this Week: Assassin’s Creed II – Battle of Forli
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in assassin's creed 2, PlayStation Games, PS3, ubisoft on January 27th, 2010
If you played through Assassin’s Creed II this winter (Platinum Trophy right here, folks), then you may recall there were a couple of corrupted sequences that Desmond wasn’t able to access in the Animus. Well, this week, you’ll be able to play through the first of two “repaired” sequences, as The Battle of Forli hits the PSN on Thursday.
Producer Frederic Lefrancois (you remember him, right?) has some more details on the DLC:
The battle of Forli is an actual battle where the Orsi brothers attacked the city of Forli which was ruled at the time by Caterina Sforza. Ezio and Machiavelli – leader of the Florence mercenaries – make their way to the citadel of Forli with the apple of Eden to request protection from Caterina Sforza. As they approach, something goes wrong: Forli is under attack! Borgia guards are laying siege to the city. The attack seems to be lead by the two dreaded Orsi brothers. Players will have to protect the city alongside Sforza and the great Machiavelli who they have met towards the end of sequence 11. The flying machine will also be accessible in the city/region of Forli to players.
Oh wait, did I make you read about history? You can just watch this video instead :-)
The Battle of Forli DLC hits PSN tomorrow for $3.99. The second AC2 DLC, Bonfire of the Vanities is scheduled for late February, will run you $4.99, and will *not* feature an early-90s Tom Hanks.