Ubisoft yanks Haze 360, PC from release list

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jun 20th 2007 at 12:25PM }

Didn't we play this game already? After unleashing yesterday's avalanche of release dates and promptly crushing the month of November in the process, Ubisoft has removed any date and mention of the PC and Xbox 360 versions of Haze from the list. Speaking to an Ubisoft UK representative, Joystiq was told that the mysterious disappearance could be attributed to the PlayStation 3 being "the only confirmed platform for Haze." Oh dear, it's Assassin's Creed all over again.

Just last month, Ubisoft described the politically charged shooter as "leading on PS3," noting that "no exclusivity for any platform has been officially announced." Despite Free Radical's director, Steve Ellis, stating that the developer's chief challenge was "designing a solution that will work well across the platforms," Haze was theorized to be at the very least, a timed PS3 exclusive. The week-long release gap between the PS3's Haze and other versions shown on Ubisoft's initial schedule rendered such a conclusion comical, but not untruthful. What of the vanishing Xbox 360 and PC versions then?

When we asked directly whether Haze was a PS3 exclusive or not, Ubisoft simply reiterated that the system was "the only confirmed platform." It's the same line we kept hearing when Ubisoft was dodging questions about the exclusivity haze surrounding Assassin's Creed -- a game which started out on "PlayStation 3 and at this time, no other platform has been confirmed." Ubisoft later admitted a PC version would "indeed see the light some day" (the same day, actually) and then finally confirmed an Xbox 360 version to an unsurprised audience.

Can we expect the same sequence of events for Haze, or are negotiations between suits still active? We expect to get some answers (simple "yes" or "no" ones, preferably) at next month's Min-E3.

Tags: Assassins Creed, AssassinsCreed, FPS, Free Radical, FreeRadical, Haze, Ubisoft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Zsavior @ Jun 20th 2007 12:32PM

Oddly Enough somebody just mentioned this in a post about Ubisoft CEO doing an about face on PS3 price point stance.

mccomber @ Jun 20th 2007 12:37PM

It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is

megaStryke @ Jun 20th 2007 12:38PM

@mccomber

Bill Clinton id the Ubisoft CEO! Ha ha ha ha!

CowboyGA @ Jun 20th 2007 12:43PM

God, I love that photoshopped picture. Now that's a winning web-comic.

Dud @ Jun 20th 2007 12:43PM

It'll be hilarious if we see a news story in a day or two saying that Microsoft dumped 25m for them to drop the PS3 version entirely and its now 360/PC exclusive.

Poisoned Al @ Jun 20th 2007 12:49PM

I've not seen much of this game so I'm not terribly cut up about losing it for the PC, but at least the PS3 has SOMETHING now.

whosmav @ Jun 20th 2007 12:51PM

little off topic..and not to gloat..but phantom is incredible!!! I need a crash course in Jap

tituspullo @ Jun 20th 2007 1:03PM

don't blame them i wouldn't want to face halo 3 !

SharpBlade @ Jun 20th 2007 1:05PM

You lost me Ubisoft... When you get your head out of your arse let me know.

SuicideNInja @ Jun 20th 2007 1:11PM

This is getting old. Screw exclusives. It would be interesting to see what platform would win if all games were available on all platforms.

Put simply: I have a PS3, but unless Sony publishes the game, I refuse to buy a game for it over a 360 version. The XBL experience is just more fun than the PSN experience for me.

Matt B @ Jun 20th 2007 1:26PM

Since I see this around a lot, I felt it appropriate to return the favor:

http://360.justgotowned.com/

:)

Matt @ Jun 20th 2007 1:33PM

Ubisoft's loss. If they want to sell only 100,000 copies, release it as a PS3 exclusive. Sorry for them if they don't want at least the 500,000 copies they'll get from a 360 release.

Trio @ Jun 20th 2007 1:37PM

Ha,ha,ha Xbox 360 losers no Haze for you.
!Ohh wait i have a PC Damnnn......

SovietDancinBear @ Jun 20th 2007 2:10PM

@8

Good call, hold off on this until after the Halo honeymoon is over. Not sure about why they're pushing it back on the PC but for the 360, its not a bad call to delay it for a couple of months.

ExMcloud @ Jun 20th 2007 5:04PM

so you think there really isn't gonna be a 360 version of a FPS? Ha ha!! Don't make me laugh.LOL. Nall but PS3 needs some games and honestly the 360 and Pc version will drop eventually so it really doesnt matter. No company in their right mind would make a FPS just for PS3 thats stupid the FPS install base isn't nearly big enough for that system so lets be serious

Jake @ Jun 20th 2007 1:52PM

Wait a second. Then why the hell did Ubisoft post PC and 360 release dates. If the game is PS3 exclusive, what would have possessed them to post the other release dates for the other platforms for one week later.

Personally, I think they are just pushing the 360 and PC dates out as to not compete directly with some other heavy hitting shooters on the other platforms.

It is interesting, though. They have to know by now which platforms the game will release on, yet refuse to comment openly.

Basically, they have made two relevant statements:

PS3 is the only announced platform.
360 and PC versions will follow one week later.

Those two aren't mutually exclusive. I believe they are both true, though the 360 and PC versions could very likely be more than one month behind.

Jake @ Jun 20th 2007 1:53PM

Matt B @ Jun 20th 2007 1:53PM

Cmon Matt, Only 100,000 copies you think. There are 3.5M PS3 owners WW that have not had a good game drop in over 2 months. I expect closer to 1M sold on the PS3 within a couple weeks of release.

baby sea tuna @ Jun 20th 2007 2:07PM

@11.

"Network Error (dns_server_failure)

Your request could not be processed because an error occurred contacting the DNS server.
The DNS server may be temporarily unavailable, or there could be a network problem.

For assistance, contact your network support team.
Network Error (dns_server_failure)"

http://yourshittysite.justgotowned.com

douche.

unrealy2k @ Jun 20th 2007 2:11PM

Well I don't really mind if the game comes out on the 360 in like January, since I'm already spending like 180 or so in November on other ubisoft games.

Kankles @ Jun 20th 2007 2:14PM

Haze is seriously launching durring the wrong window. Because of its timing it is going head to head with halo 3, UT3, Half-life orange Box, and Quake Wars. Haze is not going to matter at all this fall and even if it were multi console it still won't sell.

Matt B @ Jun 20th 2007 2:22PM

@18
Works fine for me.

http://yournetwork.justgotowned.com

douche bag. :P

bl13 @ Jun 20th 2007 2:24PM

@18 - You might want to check your DNS server.

No seriously, the site worked for me.

Trio @ Jun 20th 2007 2:34PM

@ 21 Kankles
Haze is seriously launching durring the wrong window. Because of its timing it is going head to head with halo 3, UT3, Half-life orange Box, and Quake Wars. Haze is not going to matter at all this fall and even if it were multi console it still won't sell.

You forgot the most anticipated game of the year:

"Crysis"

Digi Smalls @ Jun 20th 2007 2:43PM

Free Radical's director, Steve Ellis, stating that the developer's chief challenge was "designing a solution that will work well across the platforms"

so...how did 360 get owned Matt B? all the 360 has to do is play the same 3rd party games better and cheaper than the PS3 to keep outselling it. which its currently doing with no sign of stopping.

Haze will be out on 360, Splinter Cell Conviction WON'T be on PS3. tell me, have you played any GRAWs on your PS3 yet? i've played two already on my 360. so how's Rainbow?

maybe the timed exclusive will be TWO weeks, not just one. yeah, that'll show 360. pshh.

.

Craig Everett Earl @ Jul 20th 2007 11:12PM

Really sick of the Xbox360/PS3 bashing guys. What it boils down to is there is only so many good games on each system. I myself, have went through the entire list researching everything profusly (since I am a writer and wanted to decide for myself... www.myspace.com/intrusionmovie ) and in what I learned was there are currently 3 games on the xbox 360 I would like to have and two are GTA clones. I do now currently own a PS3, so while I'm not hear to bash the Xbox owners, since I bought the PS3 because it's also a computer and blu-ray drive and for the simple fact that I can play my binder of old ps and ps2 games I don't want to give up, just for a new system. Anyway, here is a list below of PS3 games coming out that Xbox360 don't seem to be currently getting. Decide for yourself and research it. I'm sure things will change. They always do, but I'm really excited about the lineup and if I did instead own an Xbox360 this would make me want a PS3. The list is below. Best,
Craig Everett Earl
Writer/Producer

PS3:
Grand Turismo (new video on PS3 network looks amazing!)
Lair
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
Warhawk
Heavenly Sword
Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots
Rachet and Clank
Uncharted
Time Crisis 4
Haze
Folklore
SOCOM: Confrontation
Tekken 6
Resident Evil 5 (my mouth watered on this network video)
Metal Gear 4

Xbox 360 only:
Two Worlds
Bioshock
Blue Dragon
Project Gotham Racing 4
Eternal Sonata
Halo 3
America's Army
Viva Pinata: Party Animals
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction
Mass Effect
Culdcept Saga
World in Conflict
Fable 2
Strike Force: Red Cell
Too Human
Mobile Ops: The One Year Wars
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic

Peace!

AKM @ Jun 20th 2007 2:50PM

Why you guys care that much about FPS on consoles??? Otherwise why we spend $600+ for 8800GTX?

Digi Smalls @ Jun 20th 2007 2:59PM

millions of people love FPS on consoles AKM.

25 million on just the first night of Halo2 in fact.

it's ignorant (and arrogant) to assume everyone should pay $600 (on top of the price for a PC) to play FPS.

as a PS3 advocator, it doesn't surprise me that you'd say this AKM, but i would stay off that $600 sum here if were you. kinda a sore subject.

.

Player1 @ Jun 20th 2007 3:06PM

A sure way for a soldier not to be seen is to wear bright neon lights all over their body.

Digi Smalls @ Jun 20th 2007 3:06PM

maybe that was $25million. same diff.

cc123 @ Jun 20th 2007 3:17PM

baby sea tuna = idiot

haha =)

Seriously though, this flip flopping crap with games is getting annoying. Just announce the damn platforms and be done with it.

MS might have set a really bad precedent with their 50 million "advance" to T2. If other companies want in on that kind of action they might be acting like airheads on purpose to get cash.

Aex @ Jun 20th 2007 3:23PM

@Digi Smalls

/sigh, I used to have respect for you :( What have you become!

Digi Smalls @ Jun 20th 2007 3:26PM

heh, cuz of the math error Aex?

Digi Smalls @ Jun 20th 2007 3:26PM

don't forget they did this exact same thing with Assassin's Creed way before the Rockstar deal.

they're begging Sony to work with them on an exclusive/marketing deal but Sony is just too proud, Sony has stated that they don't make deals. they say publishers come to them on their own (and they did, last gen).

the fact that it will also eventually be on 360 shouldn't make Sony break from tradition now. although they do very desperately need some 3rd party exclusive love.

.

Digi Smalls @ Jun 20th 2007 3:27PM

Aex @ Jun 20th 2007 3:30PM

@Digi Smalls

Nah, Post 25 :( It makes you sound like a rabid fanboy. I always knew you prefered the 360, Who doesn't atm really, but your posts were never ... like that.

Digi Smalls @ Jun 20th 2007 3:38PM

ah, you must've missed my posts yesterday re: Sony's first party studios and the PS brand. its precisely my frustration with my PS3 it that fuels my ire.

you're right, it definitely has gotten worse as games i bought the system for have been patently delayed or turned into multiplayer only downloadables.

.

Jake @ Jun 20th 2007 3:41PM

Aex,
He was kind of provoked into it.

This whole story makes fine sense. The 360 is getting Halo3 and the PC is getting Crysis(is it this year yet?). Nobody would give a damn about Haze. But PS3 owners aren't getting any megaton uber-shooters, except maybe Unreal.

Actually, now that it dawns on me, I think Unreal will be the best game on PS3 released this year. It is crazy that an Unreal game is kind of flying under the radar right now. Four player co-op, deathmatches, vehicles, and all around mayhem, and it is made by Epic. Yet all you hear about is Halo and Crysis.

Digi Smalls @ Jun 20th 2007 3:46PM

that, and i like to bust the fanboy in Matt B all the time.

Dustin @ Jun 20th 2007 3:51PM

@28: Maybe you should look up the details of the game.

Anyway this game seems moderatly interesting, but like someone else said, if the PS3 wasnt so barren it would be "just another shooter" in other words if it was a 360 exclusive you PS3 die hards would say exactly that, if it switches to a 360 exclusive you will say "it didn't look that good anyway" if its a PS3 exclusive it will be the "next halo killer" since kill switch dropped off the face of the planet...

Player1 @ Jun 20th 2007 4:01PM

Dustin,

What do the details of the game have to do with having neon all over? I know that your suit is supposed to block out screams and charred bodies and whatnot. Is neon yellow the default color for happyvision? Please explain so I won't make such stupid comments.

Snukadaman @ Jun 20th 2007 4:02PM

hahahaha mattb...they couldnt even sell 1 million copies of spiderman 3 on the ps3 let alone oblivion..granted spiderman 3 is shit but theres no excuse for oblivion..you would think them 3 million users would buy any GAME too play on that grill...

ZippyDSMlee @ Jun 20th 2007 4:58PM

If its not on PC I dont want to play it anyway.

Matt B @ Jun 20th 2007 4:59PM

And that is why I take it Digi Smalls. At least you own a PS3, so your gripes are from experience not from 360 bandwagon propaganda.

sheppy @ Jun 20th 2007 5:32PM

"Anyway this game seems moderatly interesting, but like someone else said, if the PS3 wasnt so barren it would be "just another shooter" in other words if it was a 360 exclusive you PS3 die hards would say exactly that, if it switches to a 360 exclusive you will say "it didn't look that good anyway" if its a PS3 exclusive it will be the "next halo killer" since kill switch dropped off the face of the planet..."

Actually, I don't care where it goes. I have all three. My purchasing decision will be based around what group of friends will be buying Haze more than anything. That was what dictated my AC4 purchase. The NBA Street Homecourt purchase was based entirely on "hmm, I have four PS3 controllers and 3 360 controllers." Also, I've noticed the graphics on many multiplatform releases tend to be darker on 360. So if a game is sporting a darker motif, I'd prefer the PS3 version just because I actually LIKE being able to see my games.

But with Haze, I'm afraid my 360 gaming pals will be more preoccupied with Halo 3 to bother with Haze.