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Ubisoft Trailers Surprise Thrill and Tantalize

Ubisoft [1]MontrealVia E3 – Earlier today Ubisoft [1] unveiled their lofty list of upcoming titles at E3 – and I will admit that they did surprise, thrill and tantalize my tingly gamer senses. Ubisoft’s trailers have always been well done, but in this round, I have to say that the creativity, especially with the Red Steel 2, Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage and R.U.S.E. trailers, has advanced to new levels. Even the new Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Convictions may have won me over – this new incarnation of Sam Fisher looks like my kind of game hero – and the trailer appears to have some pretty intense game play and storyline happening.

A very pleasant surprise in the bevy of trailer reels was the preview of Academy of Champions. The game is very colourful with stylized characters and a highly-detailed environment, and judging solely from the trailer, Academy of Champions looks like the kind of game a player could end up investing a lot of time in. It would be easy to become drawn into the story and work hard to make sure that the good guys are victorious over the bad. My favourite though, is of course Assassin’s Creed 2. I am very much looking forward to seeing how the continuation of the story will unfold – along with all of that sneaking about with shiny blades stuck up my sleeves.

Continuing on with Ubi’s big announcements, filmmaker James Cameron made a surprise appearance on the press stage, introducing the first details for Avatar: The Game [2] along with Yannis Mallat, CEO of Ubisoft Montreal.

The game will take you deep into the heart of Pandora, an alien planet that is beyond imagination. Gamers will encounter the Na’vi, Pandora’s indigenous people and discover creatures and other wildlife the likes of which have never been seen in the world of video games before. When conflict erupts between the RDA Corporation, a space-faring consortium in search of valuable resources, and the Na’vi, players will find themselves thrust into a fight for the heart of a planet and the fate of a civilization.

“Technically, we have a lot in common with Ubisoft and the game world,” said Cameron during the press conference. “We utilized highly sophisticated technologies in creating Avatar so, when it came to choosing a game company, I wanted a partner that would not only be inspired creatively by the world of Avatar but would have the capacity to keep up with the challenging demands of its technological needs. Ubisoft was that company.”

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game will ship this December 2009 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Wii(TM) home video game system from Nintendo, the Nintendo DS(TM) system, the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system and the PC.

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game will be shown to select media in stunning stereoscopic 3D at Ubisoft’s booth (South Hall, Booth #1022) during E3 June 2-4, 2009. Thanks to Panasonic, Ubisoft will be showing James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game using Panasonic’s 3D Full HD Plasma Home Theater System, enabling the viewing of true-to-life 3D Full 1080p HD images by using a specially configured Panasonic 103-inch Plasma HDTV, capable of distributing full High Definition (1920 x 1080 pixels) images separately to the left eye and right eye of the viewer. With it, you are no longer just playing a game; you are experiencing all Pandora has to offer.

E3 News About Other Ubisoft Titles:

Looking far into the future, Paramount Digital Entertainment and Ubisoft announced the development of a video game based on the upcoming film “Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.” The video game is expected to launch simultaneously with the highly anticipated film adaptation of one of the world’s most well-known and beloved literary series. “Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn” will be released in the US on December 23, 2011 and internationally in late October and early November 2011.

The film, distributed by Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment, utilizes state-of-the-art, next-generation performance capture. Ubisoft’s Montpellier studio will work with director and producer Steven Spielberg, producers Peter Jackson and Kathleen Kennedy, to develop a unique and thrilling game that is closely tied to the upcoming motion picture.

“We look forward to working with Ubisoft and the filmmakers to create exciting new interactive adventures for Tintin,” said Thomas Lesinski, President, Paramount Digital Entertainment. “The upcoming video game will reintroduce Tintin to a whole new generation of gamers.”

“We’re incredibly excited to have the opportunity to work on the Tintin game,” said Christian Salomon, Vice President of Worldwide Licensing at Ubisoft. “We’re honored to bring one of the world’s most iconic comic characters to life in this new title.”

Early in 2010 Ubisoft will be releasing No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle [3] exclusively for the Wii™ system from Nintendo in North America. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle follows up on the success of No More Heroes that garnered multiple industry awards, including GamePro’s Wii game of the year, GameSpot’s Best Wii game and Editor’s Choice award and Best Original IP, IGN’s Best Wii Story and Best Action Wii Game.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle continues the tale of punk anti-hero Travis Touchdown, the Japanese anime Otaku, and pro wrestling-obsessed assassin. Travis finds himself at the bottom of the UAA (United Assassins Association) rankings and must wage war to become the No. 1 assassin once again. The follow-up to the popular No More Heroes will offer fans infectious, fun gameplay that allows you to wield not just one, but two swords and face multiple bosses simultaneously in bigger-than-ever boss battles. The game is created by video game design legend Goichi Suda (Suda 51), developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Marvelous Entertainment.

“Ubisoft is excited to bring No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle to North American gamers,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ubisoft. “No More Heroes won countless accolades from both gamers and media alike, making the sequel one of the most anticipated core titles for Wii.”

Also announced today by Ubisoft was Your Shape [4], a ground-breaking new fitness title that leverages the technological advances of an entirely new, revolutionary camera for the Wii™ system from Nintendo. Your Shape is scheduled to be released worldwide this Holiday 2009.

Your Shape is the first fitness game that comes with a camera peripheral included inside the box. Featuring Ubisoft’s proprietary Body Tracking technology, the game enables players to scan their bodies and then projects their images onto the TV, creating a personalized and interactive workout. Based on the player’s specific body shape analysis, fitness level and personal goals, Your Shape is able to recommend the workout program that is best suited for them.

The game also features a virtual coach that provides verbal and visual feedback on all of the player’s movements to ensure that each minute invested achieves maximum results. The coach is always by the player’s side, motivating them to reach their goals. Since Your Shape has more exercises than any other fitness game, the workout routine is always fresh and exciting. Best of all, Your Shape allows you to get these benefits without holding a controller, leaving your hands free to incorporate any equipment that you may already have, without any excess bands or straps. The camera and Body Tracking technology follow your progress, showing you the tangible results of your hard work.

“The development of the new camera for the Wii™ and our Body Tracking technology means that Your Shape will offer an interactive experience that is a technological breakthrough in gaming, as well as in the fitness category,” stated Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer at Ubisoft®. “Ubisoft’s continuing efforts to innovate allow us to offer players a more realistic, personalized and motivating method of working out to reach their fitness goals.”