B-Side News: Ubisoft Montreal Discusses PS3 Development with Far Cry 2

Wow, it's been months since I've last posted. I have a few things planned to post on here, but I just haven't taken the time to do it. Anyway, for now, the first B-Side News piece in even longer. Once again, I maintain that I'm usually not at fault when this happens. This is, of course, another instance where an entry truncation would be useful.



Impressed by the raw power the PS3 possesses, but worried about the difficulty in tapping that power.

Prolific developer, Ubisoft Montreal, whom have already released a few games on PlayStation 3, say that they’re a bit “worried” by the difficulty associated with the PS3’s complex architecture. Ubisoft Montreal’s Tech Director, Dominic Guay candidly reveals, "We were somewhat worried by some of the reported high complexity of developing for the PS3, but the raw processing power is impressive".

In the past, the PS3 hardware’s “wrath” has gotten the better of developers, which has caused for numerous delays from multi-platform games, and the PS3 version, usually, being the worse looking of the two. With time, though, this has improved, and games like Devil May Cry 4 and Burnout Paradise have showcased that Xbox 360 and PS3 multiplatform games can look and play nearly identical.

“We made sure we had a group of programmers that were not scared by complexity and had a large console programming experience to work on the initial PS3 R&D of Dunia (Far Cry 2's graphics engine). At that point, we didn't know what to expect.”

Tech Director Guay does feel that the PlayStation 3 plays up to some of Ubisoft Montreal’s technical prowess. He also mentions that, “We were positively surprised by how efficient the SPUs (the Cell processing units) were to do such things as run our vegetation simulation, our animations or our physics systems.”

“So while it did require quite a bit of R&D to understand how to use the system correctly, once we started having results we saw that it was a very capable console and that FC2 could run on it,” explained Guay.

One of the advantages that Blu-ray provides by having so much storage space available to developers, is the possibility to stream games in real-time. Guay’s intrigued by this possibility and feels it’ll prove useful for the PS3 version. "The hard drive and Blu-ray are making our life easy considering FC2 is an open world continuously streamed around the player. That streaming bandwidth and disk space is very appreciated. So, in terms of AI, game structure, physics, dynamic time of day, open world gameplay, dynamic weather system, destructible vegetation, all of those things where we had really pushed the envelope technically, they run well on PS3."

Of course, the PS3 version won’t be as impressive, visually, as the PC version that’s planned, but it’ll still hold its own, respectively. "However, the notable area where we had to make some tradeoffs is in some assets resolution which had to be brought down from the higher end PC configurations due to memory size difference. However, the good new is that since PS3 players are not outputting over the top resolutions like high end PC users, this is not a big deal. It's somewhat proportional to our video resolution output."

B-Side News: Pro Evo Soccer 6 Online Issues

Did I mention that people don't read? I did, didn't I?

Konami and Microsoft are working to fix the connectivity issues some players are facing.

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH today addressed that they are aware that a small number of customers are experiencing difficulty connecting while trying to play online. Microsoft and Konami are both working to fix the problem at hand. We’ll let you know when a fix comes along.

B-Side News: Shadowrun Available Now for Xbox 360 and PC

Shadowrun has gone on sale today, retailing for $59.99 for Xbox 360 and $49.99 for Windows Vista.

Shadowrun goes on sale today. It carries a MSRP of $59.99 for Xbox 360, and $49.99 for Windows Vista. Shadowrun is rated “M” for Mature.

Shadowrun is a FPS offering cross-platform multiplayer for both PC and Xbox 360 players. Players can choose between four different races including human, elf, dwarf or troll. Shadowrun will come with nine maps and three map variations. The game is set in a futuristic Santos, Brazil.

B-side News: EA Announces Partnership with The9

EA has invested $167 million into the Chinese online operator The9 Ltd. to bring FIFA among other titles to mainland China.

Electronics Art announced today that they have made an investment of roughly $167 million in The9 Ltd. The company is a leading online game operator in China. Both companies also announced a licensing agreement that allows for The9 to publish EA Sports FIFA Online in China. EA will own approximately 15 percent of the common shares of The9.

The9 currently operates licensed MMORPGs in China. Some of these include MU, World of Warcraft, Soul of The Ultimate Nation, and Joyful Journey West.

“EA will be a strong partner for us in the rapidly expanding online game market in China,” said Jun Zhu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The9. “We are seeing strong interest in online sports games in China with the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics and the FIFA World Cup in 2010, and FIFA Online is set to be a top favorite in the Chinese market.”

B-side News: Ubisoft Announces My Coach Line of Casual Titles

All I can say is that, people need some reading comprehension to prevent double news posts. Hence the recent influx of B-side news. Trust me, I don't prefer putting up B-side news instead of an actual news story for the site I write for.

My Coach titles promote personal improvement and will be released across Wii and Nintendo DS later this year.

Ubisoft is continuing their Nintendo DS support with more casual games. The publisher today announced the My Coach series of games, which will act as an extension of the already released Petz line of Nintendo DS titles.

Ubisoft apparently have even more casual oriented games in development, as they have appointed Pauline Jacquey as executive producer of casual games at Ubisoft.

“Ubisoft’s vision for this business is unique,” said Pauline Jacquey. “We are developing projects that make people feel that playing games is worth their while, allowing them to spend quality time with family and friends, learn a new skill, or improve their daily lives.
By creating games with real-life benefits, we are creating games that appeal to everyone.”

The My Coach series of titles will be educational titles designed to stimulate creative thinking. The first two titles to be released will be My Word Coach and My Life Coach. My Word Coach is being developed jointly with linguists; and intends to assist players in refining their verbal and vocabulary skills. My Word Coach will be available for both Wii and Nintendo DS this fall.

My Life Coach is a “personal coach” title that’s also being developed in collaboration with a behaviorist. My Life Coach will be available this Holiday for the Nintendo DS.

The successful Petz line of Nintendo DS games will also be making their way to the Wii later this year.

B-Side News: Bomberman Blasts onto XBLA this Summer

Bomberman promises to retain the classic multiplayer experience by allowing for 8 players to battle online.


Last week Bomberman was rumored to be making his way to Xbox Live Arcade. This week, we’ve got an official confirmation from Hudson, announcing a new Bomberman title for XBLA with support for up to 8 players online.

Bomberman will allow for full character customization, letting players personalize their character’s appearance to suit their needs with over 10,000 combinations available. In addition to 8-player online play, 4-player local action will also be provided.

"This has been one of our most requested games, our fans have been clamoring for it, and we are thrilled to finally be able to deliver the game they want," said John Greiner, President of Hudson Entertainment. "As our flagship series, Bomberman has been hailed as the best multiplayer game ever created. Now that Xbox LIVE Arcade delivers a truly worldwide multiplayer gaming platform, we can at last bring to market a Bomberman game that represents our long-term vision of the brand."

Bomberman is expected to launch worldwide this Summer.

B-Side News: Sega Joins the Unreal Engine 3 Bandwagon

Sega is just one of many studios licensing Epic’s Unreal Engine 3.

Sega today announced that they have licensed the Unreal Engine 3 for upcoming projects. All of these titles are being developed in North America.

“SEGA is pleased to arm our developers with the sophisticated tools contained in Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3,” said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA of America, Inc. “Its versatility and power will help SEGA create incredible gaming experiences.”

Details on the projects that will be utilizing the Unreal Engine 3 will be announced sometime later this year.

B-Side News: Next-Gen Wolfenstein Still in Development

A Madison, WI news channel ran a story about developer Raven Software. Some minor tidbits revealed about the next Wolfenstein.

A local Madison, WI news channel (WISC-TV) ran a story this past Friday about Raven Software, located in the Wisconsin city. Raven Software is known for titles such as Quake 4, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, X-Men Legends, Soldier of Fortunes, and many others. During the story, WISC-TV revealed that Raven Software is currently at work on a next-gen installment of Wolfenstein.

The story detailed that, “The company is currently working on a new game based on the "Wolfenstein" series, and with newer motion-capture technology, it is working with a local actress to be the character in its movie.” Which, really doesn’t tell us much regarding the game, but be happy that it’s in development.

During X05, id Software and Activision announced that the next installment in the Wolfenstein series was being developed at Raven Software for the Xbox 360 and PC. Later on in 2006, Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software, stated that the Xbox 360 would be the primary development platform for the next Wolfenstein title. This essentially confirmed John Carmack’s previous sentiments, where he had had mentioned that he would like to switch his primary development efforts over to the Xbox 360, instead of PC.

The WISC-TV story also stated that the next Wolfenstein title won’t be coming out until sometime in 2008. We’ll keep you updated.

B-Side News: Project Witches Coming to PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360

I'm dumb and can't figure out how to cut a blog post so I can include additional text and pictures. If anyone can tell me how to, I'd greatly appreciate it for this entry and future entries.

Being developed by Revistronic, Project Witches promises a next-gen experience unlike any other.

Project Witches Coming to PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360
Being developed by Revistronic, Project Witches promises a next-gen experience unlike any other.

Project Witches has been announced for PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360. The title is being developed by Revistronic; and will put players in a macabre medieval-esque world.

You’ll control Gwen, a male warrior that is struggling to resist his dark will, but does what’s in his power to rebel against it.

Project Witches is being developed specifically with cooperative play in mind. The modeling, levels, and scenes are being developed so players will work together through Project Witches.

Last of all, Revistronic has stated that they intend to bring out the most from all three next-gen consoles to provide a distinctive gameplay experience.

B-Side News: Naruto: Ninja Council 3 Release Date Announced

Late again on my update post. Somehow, I doubt anyone really cares if I'm early, on time, or late. For now, enjoy some B-Side News goodness. (It's not that exciting, really.)

Shipping date and new website revealed.

Today, D3Publisher of America announced that Naruto: Ninja Council 3 will be shipping to retail on May 22nd, 2007. The game features 27 players from the shows cast and offers 60 different missions for up to four players. The title will carry a MSRP of $29.95.

The website for Naruto: Ninja Council 3 also launched today. In addition to this Naruto title, this site will act as a hub to all future Naruto titles released on Nintendo platforms. You can check out the site here.

B-Side News: Shadowrun Beta to End April 30th

Oh man, I feel like I'm on a roll with B-Side News. I'll have a proper update sometime later this week. It's been a long time; not that anyone reads this or cares. Until then, Pokemons will consume me.

Shadowrun’s beta test will end on April 30th, FASA claims it was a success.

Shadowrun beta, we had a good long run. As with most beta tests though, they end on a bit of a bittersweet note. Let us pensively reflect on the times we shared, as the end comes this April 30th. FASA announced the beta closure today, and has deemed the Shadowrun beta test as a success through and through.

We look forward to your retail release, Shadowrun.

B-Side News: E3 Exhibitor List Revealed

E3 has been drastically reduced in size compared to last year. Expect only 3,500 invite-only attendees.

A definitive list of exhibitors to be at E3 ’07 has been released. Most major publishers will be in attendance, two independent developers, id Software and Foundation 9 Entertainment, and accessory and peripheral manufacturers Logitech and Nyko Technologies.

E3’s exhibit hall this year will be hosted in Santa Monica’s Barker Hanger, with running demos at nearby hotels. 60,000 attendees came out to E3 last year, this year it’s believed that only around 3,500 invite-only guests will attend E3 on July 11-13.

The full list of major publishers expected to attend this year’s E3 is below:

1C Company, Activision, Akella, Atari, Atlus, Buena Vista Games (now Disney Interactive Studios), Capcom, Codemasters, Crave Entertainment, Eidos, Electronic Arts, Konami, LucasArts, Majesco, Microsoft, Midway, Namco Bandai Games, NCsoft, Nintendo, Sega, Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Online Entertainment, Square Enix, Take-Two Interactive, THQ, Ubisoft, Vivendi Games, and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

B-Side News: Mad Catz Plays Basketball

Third party game accessory provider renews their license to produce NBA related game accessories.

Mad Catz Interactive known for their third party game accessories, have renewed their license with the National Basketball Association (NBA). This license will bring forth a variety of customized team video game controllers and other NBA related accessories.

Mad Cats intends to produce new video game controllers, faceplates, and Console Skinz for all 30 NBA teams, featuring their respective colors and logos. These products will be available across all major platforms, including the PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, PSP, DS Lite, and Wii.

Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz commented, “Basketball has proven to be an extremely popular genre for gamers and we are thrilled to announce the continuation of our license agreement with the NBA. Our new NBA line will offer fans more ways than ever to demonstrate their support for their favorite teams and we look forward to launching controllers and other quality accessories that enhance the gaming experience of our customers.”

Expect to be able to purchase this line of Mad Catz products through NBA.com, NBA arena stores, online game retailers, and your standard retailers.

B-Side News: WipEout Pulse Coming to PSP

WipEout Pulse, the sequel to the gravity defying racing game WipEout Pure, is set to release this September. SCEE’s Studio Liverpool is helming the development. WipEout Pulse will contain 24 new tracks and seven different game modes. Probably a lot of blazingly quick racing too, but that’s just a hunch. Eight racing teams will be making their appearance, including the new EG-X outfit. The newly refined racing will also include a new Mag-Strip feature, which will cause ships to become temporarily restrained to the track’s surface. Of course, this new addition will allow for a multitude of track design options such as loops, vertical drops, and 90 degree angled sections.

Additionally, the game will support both Ad hoc and Infrastructure modes for multiplayer. Another neat feature will be the ability to listen to your own music from a Memory Stick. That is of course, if you prefer that to the licensed soundtrack, which will include artists such as Mason, Loco Dice, and Stanton Warriors. You can even snap a picture of your ship at any time during a racing using Photo Mode.

Downloadable content such as new tracks, ships, and tunes will also be available at launch and proceeding afterwards.

B-Side News: Rockstar Collaborates with Timbaland on PSP Game

Further evidence that gaming has gone pop; Rockstar Games is working in unison with the hip-hop producer Timbaland to produce the music and rhythm game Beaterator for the PSP. The game will allow for players to become their own music producer, creating original beats and rhythms at their leisure. Sam Houser, founder and executive producer of Rockstar Games explained, "Having Timbaland involved in the game is a real honor and only adds to our excitement about the title." Will Timbaland’s famed beats ensure Beaterator’s success? That’s still up for debate, but we’ll be there to find out when the game launches this summer.

B-Side News: More news that didn't make the cut

As I previously mentioned, I'm going to post news that otherwise doesn't get posted on the site I write for. I'll start using "B-Side News" as the title to denote such entries. Anyway, this one is from yesterday, so it's a day late; but enjoy! (It's not very interesting.)

Aspiring game designer? Well, put your skills to the test, as Microsoft is offering $40,000 in potential prizes with its new Dream-Build-Play promotion. Excellent news if you’re versed in the ways of Microsoft’s XNA Game Studio Express, as that’s what’s required to partake in this contest. The possibility stands that your game could even be featured on Xbox Live Arcade. Great exposure, and a great thing to add on your resume. In addition to this, Microsoft also announced new tools available for the XNA Game Studio Express. These include Torque X, as well as texture-creation software.

The contest ends on July 2nd, and for further details about the Dream-Build-Play promotion, visit http://www.dreambuildplay.com.

B-Side News: The Tirade Continues

Only posting this crap here because someone beat me to posting it for the site I legitimately write for. I may start doing this more frequently in the future, because it's happening on a daily basis.

Oh, and long time no post!

My original post is below in italics:

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Fights Its Way To Next-Gen
Set to release across “various platforms”.

Ready 2 Rumble, the zany, yet comical boxing title that saw brief popularity at the beginning of last-gen is finally receiving a third installment. Not much was provided in terms of details unfortunately. The title is being developed by the Japanese AKI, whom you may recall developed such titles as Def Jam and WWF Wrestlemania. According to the press release, Ready 2 Rumble is planned for various platforms. So, hopefully no matter which console you own, you should be able to get your boxing on.

The original Ready 2 Rumble Boxing was a Dreamcast launch title. How the time just flies by. But I digress; Ready 2 Rumble saw a sequel appropriately named Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2. It’s anyone guess as to why the series was KOed from further development, but at least now things seem to be looking up.

10Tacle Studios CEO Michele Pes commented that, “With the release of “Ready 2 Rumble” 10Tacle Studios is focusing on one of the major game brands in the market.”
The original two titles saw favorable sales. But, a series that hasn’t had a game release in over six years can still be considered a “major game brand”? In any case, this title could potentially reclaim its former glory.