The GameShadow Blog

Ubisoft has purchased French development studio Nadeo.

Nadeo has been responsible for the long-running TrackMania series.

Ubisoft is aiming to expand further in the online gaming world and this announcement should excite fans of the TrackMania series, with TrackMania 2 due out in 2010.

Ubisoft has announced that Splinter Cell: Conviction is to be delayed.

Due for an October release, the next edition in the Tom Clancy series will now be available in the first quarter of 2010.

Ubisoft also announced delays for the next Ghost Recon title, as well as the new IP I Am Alive.

Long-term interests of the company and full-year targets after a fall in business over the first half of 2009 were the main reasons stated by Ubisoft.

Ubisoft has picked up the publishing rights to Heroes Over Europe.

Atari were due to be publishing the World War Two shooter being developed by Transmission.

It will still be released in September on PC, XBOX 360 and PS3.

The shooter genre is heading to the Wild West.

This year has already seen Damnation, the ‘shooter gone vertical’ from Codemasters, based on elements of American history.

Ubisoft’s Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, the follow up to the 2006 original Call of Juarez, will take players to the heart of the Wild West with the McCall brothers.

Red Dead Redemption, from the makers of GTA IV, will also offer another ticket to the gun-firing, cowboy hat-wearing lands.

Ubisoft has confirmed some additional titles for 2009-2010.

Titles that have been quiet recently are making their way out in the dated period, including Anno 1404 and Splinter Cell: Conviction.

Assassin’s Creed 2 and R.U.S.E. are scheduled for the same period, plus a new Ghost Recon and Raymond Raving Rabbids title.

Ubisoft has trademarked a new Driver title.

Driver: The Recruit is the name that has been registered and indicates that a new edition in the long-running series is heading for a release.

The original Driver was released in 1999.

Ubisoft has released the first footage of Assassin’s Creed 2.

There has been a lot of talk about where and when the game will be set, and the teaser hints at an Italian-style theme.

More will be revealed over the next few months in the build up to the 2010 release.

After the announcement that World In Conflict: Soviet Assault will not be released in console form anytime soon, players of the original World In Conflict have had a major game update.

A patch weighing in at over 950MB brings the game to version 1.10 and will gear up the 2007 title for multiplayer gaming compatibility with the new Soviet Assault release.

This is a significant update to help extend the real time strategy experience.

Ubisoft is publishing World In Conflict: Soviet Assault.

World In Conflict: Soviet Assault will not be launching on consoles this month, or anytime soon.

The real time strategy title, picked up Ubisoft from previous publisher Sierra, is to be released only on PC.

There is no concrete news on whether a PS3 or XBOX 360 release will surface this year, or if developer Massive Entertainment have shifted their focus to a new title, under the supervision of Ubisoft.

Having already been released on XBOX 360 and PS3, EndWar will mark its PC release next month complete with amBX enabled features.

Ubisoft and amBX have announced the innovative, real-world sensory features will be part of the world war strategy title, creating a greater gaming experience for amBX users.

It’s been confirmed that American publisher Midway has filed for bankruptcy.

The publisher’s troubles had been widely reported and this announcement is meant to enable a complete restructure.

The studios and offices outside the US will not be affected though.

Reports have now surfaced that The Wheelman, one of Midway’s upcoming titles, has been picked up by Ubisoft.

Ubisoft has acquired the assets and personnel of Swedish development studio Massive Entertainment.

The studio is best known for its expertise in the real time strategy genre, with one of the most successful titles being 2007’s World In Conflict, the branding of which has also been aquired by Ubisoft.

Ubi set out to make Far Cry 2 as immersive as possible. And they’ve really done a great job. I swear I will never get tired of seeing my avatar’s finger push through his arm to ‘pop’ a bullet out the other side. Or the way you get a glimpse of your own legs when moving between the driver’s seat and a mounted gun.

I’ll be honest tho’ it’s lacking something, something you can’t get from software alone. Like the heat of the sand under your feet, the mild, refreshing, breeze in your hair and the orangey ambient glow from a kick-arse sunset.

Well this is of course where I tell you about something amazing that does the stuff I just mentioned. Introducing amBX. amBX does all that (apart from the heat-of-the-sand bit, but hey just put your feet on the radiator ;D) plus rumble.

So am I just teasing you? No amBX and GameShadow are giving you the chance to win ONE of TWENTY Premium kits plus a copy of, my current favourite game, Far Cry 2.

Entry Here!
(it’s like 90 seconds work!)

This one’s not going to seal up until 2009 when the BBFC actually takes over and the shit does or doesn’t hit the fan.

Earlier this year, the Byron report recommended the BBFC take control of all game rating in the UK for titles aimed at the over 12s, where up until now the BBFC had had a lesser involvement. This has lead to all sorts of industry outcry in defence of the popular and voluntary Pan European Game Information board (PEGI).

The industry is concerned the BBFC involvement will mean UK delays and additional costs, while the BBFC swears it is capable of upping its staff and seeing things through.

The latest couple of developments have involved the BBFC taking an outright swipe at PEGI (where so far they had always played the ‘we want to work together’ card), claiming it was unprofessional and slow.

“The trouble is that it is not clear who PEGI is,” David Cooke told The Times. “Administration is handled by the Dutch film regulator, who subcontracts to a couple of blokes [the Video Standards Council] in Borehamwood.” He also pointed out that the BBFC turn around time is around 25% faster than PEGI’s, and that having an independent board in each country helps to reflect that country’s cultural sensibilities.

Fair point, David, but when your cultural sensibilities mean we can’t play Manhunt 2, I’d rather stick with the Dutchies. No, we haven’t forgotten about that one.

More recently, Nintendo, Sega, Ubisoft and EA all banded together under ELSPA to attempt to drive a nail through the BBFC’s plans by declaring their official support for PEGI in an industry wide press release.

“Keith Ramsdale, Vice President and General Manager of EA UK, Ireland and Nordics, said: ‘The Government’s proposed changes will create extra administration and cause delays in getting hit games into the hands of British consumers. Only PEGI is built to address the fast changing nature of the games industry and is best placed to deliver the needed protection for minors.’”

I don’t for a second think that there isn’t more going on behind the scenes than the players are letting on. It’s all politics, smoke and mirrors.

I’m not pro-BBFC for obvious reasons, but I am for a legally enforceable and reliable ratings service, and there’s no concrete evidence to suggest the BBFC can’t pull that out of the hat.

Yeah right.

We already know the new Prince of Persia is billed as a reboot of the franchise - it’s technically a new prince, new location, new characters, and nothing, as far as I can tell, to do with Persia. In a CVG interview, producer Ben Mattes is billing the fourth instalment as a return to form for people like me who realise the first new Prince was the only decent one.

“More than anything before this is the spiritual successor to the Sands of Time. If anything I think we’ll see the fans that lapsed after Sands of Time come back.”

Hmm… forgive my jaded cynicism, but still… hmm…

In other news, Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina are now confirmed to be joining the Jake Gyllenhaal lead cast in next year’s Prince film. Now, Ben Kingsley is patently a god, but I can’t help but feel both he and Alf probably have very little idea what they’re signing up for, beyond ‘it’s what the kids are crazy about these days’.

Still, I reckon Jake’s not a bad choice - he’s just about young and obnoxious enough to play the original, Sands Prince to decent effect.