Joystiq

Red Steel 2 director unsure on Kinect, Move potential

Kyle Orland — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

In developing Red Steel 2, Ubisoft Creative Director Jason VanderBerge learned quite a bit about Nintendo's optional Wii MotionPlus accessory (and how people use it). So he seemed like a good person to ask about the potential of Sony and Microsoft's impending motion control accessories, the Move and Kinect. When we did just that, catching up with VanderBerge after his talk at GDC Europe this week, he was a bit ambivalent about the subject.

Continue reading Red Steel 2 director unsure on Kinect, Move potential

Red Steel 2 director unsure on Kinect, Move potential originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Red Steel 2 director's field guide to Wii Remote swingers

Kyle Orland — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

If there's one thing Ubisoft Creative Director Jason VanderBerge learned in playtesting Red Steel 2, it's that different people respond to the simple direction "swing the Wii Remote like a sword" in very different ways. At his talk at GDC Europe today, VanderBerge showed off just how different those swings can be, using a cane to demonstrate the movements of the seven major types of Wii Remote swingers he's identified. Besides being highly entertaining, the demonstration showed just how hard it is to train motion control players to perform even simple actions the way a developer expects.

We weren't quick enough to get a video of the hilarious, high-energy performance, but we did manage to snap some pictures that show off the intensity of VanderBerge's flailing. Hit the break and see how many of these specimens you've encountered in the wild.

Continue reading The Red Steel 2 director's field guide to Wii Remote swingers

The Red Steel 2 director's field guide to Wii Remote swingers originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft reports $76.2 million operating loss in fiscal year 2009-10

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:00:00 EST

Ubisoft today released its financial earnings report to investors for fiscal year 2009-10 (ending March 31), reporting sales of €871 million ($1.1 billion) with an operating loss of €60 million ($76.2 million). CEO Yves Guillemot softened investor reaction by saying: "The global economic crisis had a pronounced impact on the video game industry in 2009, which contracted by nearly 10 percent year-on-year. Ubisoft's sales were hit particularly hard, falling 18 percent over the full year despite a stabilization in the second half of the year."

Ubi's Q4 sales were up 1.9 percent year-over-year to €210 million ($266.7 million), outpacing internal guidance by €10 million ($12.7 million). The company says the inflated numbers are due partially to "a strong increase in sales of Just Dance," the "ongoing exceptional performance delivered by Assassin's Creed 2 which sold-in nearly 9 million units during the year," and higher-than-expected sales of both Red Steel 2 and Avatar.

And Guillemot predicts a sunnier 2010-11. "We forecast a return to profitable growth in 2010-11 with positive cash flow generation, driven by a games line-up that is more closely tailored to growth segments based on strong franchises." He also notes his excitement for new technology driving increased sales, saying, "Lastly, the upcoming launches of new consoles, including Natal and Sony Move, should enable us to capitalize on the technology investments that we have undertaken in recent years and re-energize the casual games segment."

Source -- Ubisoft FY2009-10 Sales & Earnings Report (warning: PDF link)

Ubisoft reports $76.2 million operating loss in fiscal year 2009-10 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 May 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NPD: Red Steel 2 sold 50,000 copies through April 3

David Hinkle — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EST

Based on NPD figures (via Kotaku), Ubisoft's sequel, Red Steel 2, managed to sell 50,000 copies in its debut month of March -- up until the end of the NPD's catalog period, April 3. Admittedly the game was released at the tail-end of the month on March 23, but we'd still classify the sales as "decent."

A Ubisoft representative broke it down to Kotaku like so: "Considering that the NPD sales only accounted for 12 days on the store shelves and that NPD doesn't include all retailers we are looking forward to a complete month of sales data to see where we stand." We're anxious to see how it'll do in April and suggest you sheathe your "it's on Wii so it won't sell" sword until the April NPDs arrive.

NPD: Red Steel 2 sold 50,000 copies through April 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Red Steel 2

Randy Nelson — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST

Click to enlarge

I'm not going to sugar coat it: Red Steel 2 isn't a hardcore first-person shooter. In fact, it's not actually an FPS per se, unless you take the acronym to mean "First-Person Sword-er." What Ubisoft Paris has made here is an arcade-style game that most closely resembles a good old-fashioned hack-'n-slash side-scroller -- only viewed through the eyes of its protagonist.

There's some light exploration -- even some hidden areas and items to be found -- but Red Steel 2 is, at its heart, a brawler that relies heavily on combos, special moves and finishers. There's some shooting, but it plays only the slightest supporting role to the main attraction: Swinging the Wiimote around like a sword and looking cool (on-screen, at least) in a stylized, sci-fi western world.

Gallery: Red Steel 2 (03-23-10)

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Review: Red Steel 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cut a rug with Red Steel 2's enemies in the latest trailer

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:30:00 EST

Well sure, the baddies from Red Steel 2's "Enemies" trailer aren't quite dancing, per se, but there is quite a bit of fancy footwork going on -- not to mention tons of other stuff getting cut, as you might imagine. From the adorably named "Katakara" to the not so subtly named "Ninja," it seems that Red Steel 2 is full of flamboyantly exaggerated personalities, all of which are ready to put a sword or bullet through you at a moment's notice. Oh, and if you were wondering how your foes will stop your combination of bullets and sword charging full speed at them, you'll want to pay extra close attention at the end there (spoilers: they handle it like jedi).

Gallery: Red Steel 2 (Wii)

Cut a rug with Red Steel 2's enemies in the latest trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reggie: Nintendo doesn't like pushing control schemes on devs

David Hinkle — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:01:00 EST

The thing about Wii MotionPlus is that there haven't been a whole lot of games supporting it. Outside of last summer's Wii Sports Resort (and upcoming Red Steel 2 and Flingsmash) there's really only some sports games utilizing the tech. According to a recent interview with Reggie over at MTV Multiplayer, it's because Nintendo isn't really pushing for any kind of control scheme from third parties.

"What's unique with Nintendo is we don't force our developers to stick to a particular type of control scheme, and you've seen that -- everything from the new Metroid title to be single remote driven to FlingSmash utilizing the Wii MotionPlus," he said. "So it's all about what's right for the game." While we're inclined to agree with the latter part, we still wonder why nothing is using MotionPlus -- especially since it's something that greatly improves the core functionality of the Wiimote. And considering almost everyone has MotionPlus by now (or soon will, if they're Walmart shoppers looking for a great bundle), why not develop with MotionPlus in mind?

As for more MotionPlus games from Nintendo, Reggie teases "more titles that are coming" and that it "continues to be a core part of what we do." So, the take away is this: even though Nintendo just released a new piece of hardware, it's not too worried about supporting it with content -- kinda like every other peripheral the company has ever released. Yeah, we're talking about you, Wii Speak!

Continue reading Reggie: Nintendo doesn't like pushing control schemes on devs

Reggie: Nintendo doesn't like pushing control schemes on devs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: Red Steel 2 (2009)

Andrew Yoon — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:05:00 EST

Dear 2010,

It's a chilly December day here in New York City. Ubisoft has stopped by with a copy of Red Steel 2, forcing me to adhere to a strict embargo, one that ends in a brand new decade: February 22, 2010. I hope with the new decade comes flying cars, robot servants and -- perhaps more reasonably -- a better version of Red Steel 2.

You see, here in 2009, Red Steel 2 continues to control poorly. Once again, Red Steel fails to capitalize on the dream of "1:1" sword controls, as Wiimote swings still translate into predetermined animations. Although Red Steel 2 requires the MotionPlus accessory, the game doesn't demand precision or finesse; all enemies are seemingly killed the same way: by stabbing them in the back. Battles are largely reduced to waiting for an enemy to attack, dodging and then swinging wildly at the enemy's weak point. Any other method seems ineffective, with gun play serving a largely decorative purpose. (Enemies seem to block every shot you fire.)

Gallery: Red Steel 2 (Wii)

Continue reading Hands-on: Red Steel 2 (2009)

Hands-on: Red Steel 2 (2009) originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Steel 2 trailer is having a bad day

David Hinkle — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:45:00 EST

This latest Red Steel 2 trailer proves one thing: life is tough in the west. Sure, we've played enough Oregon Trail to know all about the dysentery that plagued the settlers of our old west, but did you know, even in alternate universes, the west is just as wild? Let's not discount the hardships a katana-wielding cowboy must face, folks. It really makes you reflect on what's important in life -- looking all badass.

[Via Nintendo-Online]

Red Steel 2 trailer is having a bad day originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Steel 2 launches March 23 in US, March 26 in Europe

Xav de Matos — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST

After pushing most of its anticipated titles from Fall 2009 into the new year (and some even further), Ubisoft has finally revealed when Red Steel 2 will exit the saloon doors and somersault onto retail store shelves. The latest trailer -- titled "Caldera" -- reveals the Wii-exclusive sequel will release on March 26 in Europe, while GameSpot confirms the game lands in the US on March 23, as previously suggested.

Ubisoft plans to launch Red Steel 2 in two flavors: Standalone software for $50 and bundled with the Wii Motion Plus add-on for $60. GameStop preorder customers will also get exclusive access to two in-game swords. We're still smitten with the sequel's new manga-esque, East-meets-West visual style and "desert-bound, high-tech metropolis" setting, but we're also still holding our breath to see if Ubisoft can tweak the "canned" gameplay we experienced during our last hands-on with Red Steel 2.

Red Steel 2 launches March 23 in US, March 26 in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Steel 2 coming March 23, Ubisoft site says

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST

It appears that Ubisoft has unceremoniously dated Red Steel 2 for March 23, 2010, according to the publisher's site. Ubisoft mentioned the release window last July and didn't include Red Steel 2 in its recent delay announcements. We've contacted Ubisoft to confirm the date.

The Wiire notes that Ubisoft slashed Red Steel 2 sales projections by half -- to 500k expected units sold -- during its financial update last week. Hopefully, the MotionPlus-required game has worked out its control issues in the six months of extra polish time it's received.

Gallery: Red Steel 2 (Wii)

[Via The Wiire]

Red Steel 2 coming March 23, Ubisoft site says originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Steel 2 dev diary brings a sword to a gunfight

David Hinkle — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST

Most of the doubt surrounding Red Steel 2 has to do with the swordplay -- and it's for good reason. The bandana'd thug-slashing permeating the entirety of its predecessor just flat out didn't work, most of us can surely agree. But this latest video diary shows how the addition of Wii MotionPlus has really changed the experience in the sequel, at least from a slashing and stabbing perspective. See for yourself in the footage above.

Red Steel 2 dev diary brings a sword to a gunfight originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Steel 2's TGS trailer introduces your buddy Payne

Ben Gilbert — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:15:00 EST

He may be introduced as "a nice guy," but we're betting Red Steel 2's newly introduced character "Payne" isn't quite as friendly as the trailer above would let on. Sure, he may take you for rides on his motorcycle and ... um ... show you the inside of his new truck (?), but won't he get you killed when his path of destruction drags you down with him? The risk is yours, friend, should you decide to take the chance. You'll have plenty of time to decide between now and the notoriously vague "early 2010," when the game's set to hit store shelves.

With a sword! There, are you happy?!

Gallery: Red Steel 2 (Wii)

Red Steel 2's TGS trailer introduces your buddy Payne originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Steel 2 director would 'love' to see series on 360, PS3

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST

During a Q&A session following the PAX demo of Red Steel 2, creative director Jason VandenBerghe told Joystiq that he would "love" to see Red Steel arrive on other platforms. When asked about the possibilities of the new motion control options headed to PS3 and Xbox 360, VandenBerghe said, "I personally would love to see any and all consoles have more sword fighting experiences." He then added that any decision to develop the series on other consoles would be up to Ubisoft.

Here's hoping Ubisoft decides to throw us more than a deluge of Rabbids once the 360 and PS3 climb aboard the motion control bandwagon.

Red Steel 2 director would 'love' to see series on 360, PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Steel 2 walkthrough highlights ninja juggling

David Hinkle — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:00:00 EST

Ubisoft has unleashed a developer walkthrough of Red Steel 2, where creative director Jason Vandenberg takes us through one of the game's levels. There's plenty of context-sensitive prompts to ogle and lots of swordplay, not to mention that super strong double-barreled shotgun, but the real value is in juggling those ninjas. We can definitely see ourselves having fun playing clay pigeon with a few ninjas.

Red Steel 2 walkthrough highlights ninja juggling originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft's Guillemot explains Splinter Cell, Red Steel delays

Christopher Grant — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:45:00 EST

Maybe this afternoon's news that Splinter Cell: Conviction - aka Badass: The Game - and Red Steel 2 were being delayed from later this year to the beginning of next year took you by surprise. Not us, Reader. We've become so desensitized to the pain of losing highly anticipated titles like Conviction to the vagaries of a tumultuous market that we can no longer tell delays from cancellations. We've got it bad.

So, we tuned into Ubisoft's conference call this afternoon in the hopes of gleaning some new information from CEO Yves Guillemot. To our pleasure, Mr. Guillemot provided some details explaining why one of his company's already very delayed major releases would be delayed further. "Red Steel and Splinter Cell are going to greatly benefit from the additional polishing time we are providing and will clearly be among the leading brands on the Wii and 360 for the March quarter," Guillemot said. If you'll recall, Splinter Cell: Conviction had already missed its original 2007 release date.

When asked why these two games were being delayed, Guillemot explained, "The changes on Splinter Cell and Red Steel - it's just a question of polish. The team was asking that they couldn't be with the level of quality on all the maps and all the game for the end of the year, so they had asked for more time to be able to come with a better product, for both of those games. The quality of the games is there for what you've been able to see at E3, but we were not able to have that same quality on the full game of those two products."

Of course, in a conference call full of analysts and investors, the tiny matter of lost sales came up. Guillemot admitted that, for "those two products, it's around a million units" of lost sales in the first month. However, when faced with releasing subpar titles or losing a stronger opening month, Guillemot came down strongly in favor of the latter. "We really think with the level of quality that we'll be able to obtain with the time we give them we will have a long shelf life for those products," he explained. "Now, because [Conviction and Red Steel 2] are launching during that quarter, they will not do as many units for the first month as they would have done in November/December, but we think that on the long-term they can achieve more units than what they would've done."

And it sounds like Ubisoft's patient partner for the still Xbox 360-exclusive Conviction - that would be Microsoft - doesn't mind waiting another couple months. Guillemot says, "We still have the full support of Microsoft because they know that if we can bring a very high-quality game this will help their machine. So we still have the full support from them." And if they deliver a quality game, they'll have the support of gamers as well. Your move, Ubi.

Ubisoft's Guillemot explains Splinter Cell, Red Steel delays originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steel yourself: Red Steel 2 pushed to early 2010

Randy Nelson — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:36:00 EST

Sam Fisher's latest will have some company on the new releases wall in the "March quarter" of 2010 (read: before 03-31-10). Ubisoft has delayed the planned holiday release of the Wii MotionPlus-exclusive Red Steel 2 to early next year for undeclared reasons.

Although the sword-and-gun FPS is probably the most anticipated of the company's forthcoming Wii lineup, the list of incoming 2009 games still includes the likes of Rabbids Go Home, Shaun White Snowboarding World Stage, Academy of Champions and TMNT Smash-Up.

Steel yourself: Red Steel 2 pushed to early 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: Red Steel 2

Randy Nelson — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EST

click to enlarge

We stopped by Ubisoft's San Francisco offices late last week to spend more time with its upcoming Nintendo platform lineup. Although we'd played many of the same games -- at the same stage of development -- during E3, now was the time to really focus on details. So, first up was Red Steel 2, a game that initially had us smitten with its manga-esque East-meets-West visual style, but failed to impress once we took hold of its controls.

So, once again, we were faced with the extremely short demo / gameplay primer Ubisoft had created for last month's trade show. This second look didn't leave us any more enamored with the mix of sword slashing and pistol shooting, but we were able to get a better idea of exactly what didn't feel right. At the same time, we came away even more impressed by the game from a visual standpoint than when we'd first seen it in action.

Gallery: Red Steel 2 (Wii)

Continue reading Hands-on: Red Steel 2

Hands-on: Red Steel 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Week on the Nintendo Channel: E3 interviews

David Hinkle — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:15:00 EST

This week, the Nintendo Channel has been flooded with a variety of interviews about big upcoming Wii titles. There are interviews with the folks behind FFCC: The Crystal Bearers, Red Steel 2, Cave Story, and, as you can see above, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. So, hit up the video above, then if you want more E3 interview goodness, be sure to boot up your Wii and check out what's on the Nintendo Channel.

Gallery: Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Wii)

Continue reading This Week on the Nintendo Channel: E3 interviews

This Week on the Nintendo Channel: E3 interviews originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E3 2009 highlights: The Nintendo roundup

James Ransom-Wiley — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST

Nintendo E3 2009 checklist:

Mario? *check*
Zelda? *check*
Metroid? *check*

Are we missing something? Head past the break to find out!

Continue reading E3 2009 highlights: The Nintendo roundup

E3 2009 highlights: The Nintendo roundup originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: Red Steel 2

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:40:00 EST

After the awkward and misguided mess that was Ubisoft's Red Steel, it must sound like damning praise to say, "Well, the sequel's much better." After all, Nintendo's newfangled MotionPlus attachment has come to save the day, introducing one-to-one movement and finally delivering the sword fighting extravaganza that all those energetic Wii players have been enjoying in the commercials.

Unfortunately, MotionPlus' binding to Red Steel 2 doesn't feel particularly effective in combating the original game's flaws. It's a miss, like sticking a band-aid on someone's knee after they've been poisoned. If the MotionPlus makes a fundamental difference to the gameplay, it's not immediately apparent within the framework of a pretty insipid combat system.

Gallery: Red Steel 2 (Wii)

Continue reading Hands-on: Red Steel 2

Hands-on: Red Steel 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Steel 2 hitting store shelves in Wii MotionPlus bundle

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:03:00 EST

As one would assume, a samurai western video game with a heavy focus on the implementation of a peripheral that allows for alleged 1:1 digital sword maneuvering will be hitting store shelves bundled with said attachment. Or, to put it in monosyllabic terms, we just learned at the Ubisoft press conference that the Wii MotionPlus exclusive Red Steel 2 will be bundled with Wii MotionPlus at launch. Are you like, totally surprised?

Red Steel 2 hitting store shelves in Wii MotionPlus bundle originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft gives clearer picture of Splinter Cell, Red Steel release dates

Justin McElroy — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:15:00 EST

We still have no idea why it's taken Sam Fisher so long to return to us, but at least now we have a better idea of when he'll be back. Ubisoft narrowed the release date for Splinter Cell: Conviction to Q3 of this fiscal year (between November 2009 and December 2009) in a conference call this morning.

We also got narrower release windows for games like Assassin's Creed 2 (Q3), Red Steel 2 (Q3) and Ghost Recon 4 (Q4). You can check out the full list right here.

Ubisoft gives clearer picture of Splinter Cell, Red Steel release dates originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 May 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Analysts predict over ten million sales for MotionPlus

JC Fletcher — Wed, 13 May 2009 09:10:00 EST

Both Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter and EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich expect the Wii MotionPlus peripheral to achieve sales of around ten million units in the US and Europe. The two just disagree on how long it will take.

Pachter believes that the sales will happen early on, driven by bundles of early MotionPlus compatible software: "I think around 20 percent of Wii owners in the US and Europe will have bought Wii Sports Resort, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 or EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis," Pachter told Edge, "so that's around eight million." He added, "I think another two million will buy MotionPlus with new consoles."

Divnich thinks three million units will sell through this holiday season, but it will take an additional year to achieve the ten-million-plus level of sales. "For the Wii MotionPlus, we currently expect the install base to reach over 11 million units by the end of Nintendo's next fiscal year in March 2011, a 15 percent penetration."

Both analysts think Red Steel 2 is a risk that could pay off for Ubisoft. "Red Steel 2 may come along at precisely the right time, around when people are ready for another [MotionPlus] game," Pachter said. "The risk is really more a function of competition, compounded by the risk that Ubisoft could make a bad game." Both analysts believe that Red Steel 2 will be bundled with a MotionPlus.

Analysts predict over ten million sales for MotionPlus originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 May 2009 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Steel 2 promo video lands on YouTube

Randy Nelson — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:30:00 EST

Where did it come from? Who knows. What we do know is that a promotional video for Ubisoft's recently revealed, Wii-exclusive Red Steel 2 -- prefaced by a screen bearing the words "Destination PlayStation" for no logical reason -- has been uploaded to YouTube. The roughly minute-and-a-half video talks up the game's Wii MotionPlus-infused gameplay and depicts a guy (we'll call him "Joe Gamer") swinging away in his living room as some surprisingly good looking gameplay footage is shown.

We say "surprisingly" because it appears to be much sharper than Wii's 480p visuals are capable of. It is nice and smooth, which is in keeping with the game's purported 60 frames-per-second action. Pre-rendered or not, we totally dig the visual style, Ubisoft. More, please.

Get thyself an eyeful after the break.

[Via GoNintendo]

Continue reading Red Steel 2 promo video lands on YouTube

Red Steel 2 promo video lands on YouTube originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 May 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Steel 2 is MotionPlus exclusive, cel-shaded

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:00:00 EST

As you probably already know, the latest issue of Nintendo Power blows the doors off of the recently announced sequel to the Wii's slightly disappointing, sword/gun-toting FPS launch title, Red Steel. Now that the mag has landed in a few quivering, anticipatory hands, more details about Red Steel 2 are beginning to surface.

First and foremost, the title will apparently be cel-shaded -- hinted at by the sole piece of concept art we received yesterday, and confirmed by a number of scans which are beginning to creep onto the internets. Also, we recently got confirmation from Nintendo Power itself that the game will be "Wii MotionPlus exclusive," a phrase we can only interpret to mean "you need a MotionPlus dongle to play it." (Are you guys comfortable with calling it a dongle? That's such a lovely word. Don-gle.)

We'll let you know when we hear even more facts about the game. And by facts, we don't mean "my brother's girlfriend's sister's stepmom goes to a beauty parlor where she read about Red Steel 2 while waiting for her bouffant to dry."

[Thanks, Fernando Rocker!]

Red Steel 2 is MotionPlus exclusive, cel-shaded originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Steel 2 coming in holiday 2009

Justin McElroy — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:45:00 EST

Click to embiggen.

The Red Steel 2 media onslaught continues today with the official announcement from Ubisoft. There's not a lot new to talk about, but we did learn that Ubisoft Paris is on development and that we'll get to slice and shoot our way through the game this holiday season.

They also sent along some not particularly enlightening concept art that you can see for yourself by clicking the snippet above.

Red Steel 2 coming in holiday 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Steel 2 goes to the Wild West, adds MotionPlus support

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:50:00 EST

Red Steel 2 is real ... and it's not really what we were expecting. The June 2009 issue of Nintendo Power will feature Ubisoft's Wii-exclusive sequel, and the cover reveals two things:

MotionPlus makes wielding the sword feel "as real as you'd always dreamed!"
Red Steel 2 seems to take place in the Wild West ... with swords. WTF?

Now, before you freak out, let's not forget that the Wild West and the East have merged together quite successfully in the past. If Red Steel 2 turns out anything like the Charles Bronson / Toshiro Mifune mashup Red Sun, it should be the best game ever made. Check out the cover after the break.

[Thanks, Fernando Rocker]

Continue reading Red Steel 2 goes to the Wild West, adds MotionPlus support

Red Steel 2 goes to the Wild West, adds MotionPlus support originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guillemot accidentally confirms Red Steel 2

Chris Greenhough — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:35:00 EST

Filed under: Rumors

Ubisoft has stopped short of saying HEY GUYS RED STEEL 2 IS TOTALLY COMING, but we can be reasonably certain it's on the way.

Previously, the game's producer has talked openly about the sequel to Ubisoft's Wii launch slash-a-thon, and now it seems Ubi CEO Yves Guillemots has really given the game away, with a careless slip of Gallic tongue.

Speaking at a conference call earlier today, Guillemots announced that "We have lots of products coming for the Wii next [fiscal] year. We have Red Steel --," before halting himself mid-sentence and apologizing. Whoops! Call us wild rumor-mongers if you like, but it's safe to assume that the next word out of Guillemot's mouth would have been "2."

Gallery: Red Steel

Guillemot accidentally confirms Red Steel 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Assassin's Creed 2, Red Steel 2, Splinter Cell Conviction, Ghost Recon coming by March 2010

Christopher Grant — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:59:00 EST

Straight out of Ubisoft's Q308 earnings call comes news that Assassin's Creed 2 - the not-so-secret sequel to the 6 million plus selling megahit - will be silently leaping onto consoles "by March 2010" according to ~~the Twitter feed of gaming gournalist Geoff Keighley~~ Ubisoft's third quarter earnings report.

Ubi's forecasting for its 2009 fiscal year - running from April 2009 through March 2010 - takes "into account ... 7 franchise titles" including Assassin's Creed 2, the mysterious (still Xbox exclusive?) Splinter Cell Conviction, and Ghost Recon. Some quick finger-based math tells us that leaves four unannounced "franchise titles." Beyond Good and Evil 2, maybe? Red Steel 2, perhaps? Throw us a bone here!

Update: Ubi's CEO Yves Guillemot "mentioned a game that [he] wasn't supposed to mention" during today's conference call. Guillemot blurted out, "We have lots of products coming for the Wii next [fiscal] year. We have Red Steel" before apologizing for his indiscretion. We imagine a room full of PR reps rolling their eyes. Sacrebleu!

PDF - Ubisoft Q308 earnings report

Assassin's Creed 2, Red Steel 2, Splinter Cell Conviction, Ghost Recon coming by March 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft director: Red Steel 2 to support Wii MotionPlus

Ross Miller — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, First Person Shooters

Ubisoft Executive Director Alain Corre has revealed in an interview with Gamesindustry that Red Steel 2, at one time Ubisoft's worst-kept secret, will support the new Wii MotionPlus attachment (which is exactly what we speculated in our Wii Sports Resort hands-on). "It's true that on Red Steel it's the typical product that will appreciate the new device," said Corre, who also indicated that he found out about the peripheral during Nintendo's press conference, like every other developer.

The first Red Steel launched with the Wii console and met with tepid reviews, and while Corre admits the game was "a bit rushed," he also said the game is still selling well - "at a lower pricer, of course." While the thoughts of precise swordfighting has intrigued, we don't want to get our hopes up.

Ubisoft director: Red Steel 2 to support Wii MotionPlus originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MotionPlus accessory adds hope to Red Steel 2

JC Fletcher — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:42:00 EST

Filed under: News

The Wii MotionPlus accessory is probably the best thing that could happen to Red Steel, and, luckily, Ubisoft has figured out this staggeringly obvious fact. The company has announced that they'll be using the new motion-tracking device in Red Steel 2, which is still yet to be officially announced itself. Although now that the game's producer is giving interviews about it, we can be pretty sure it's coming.

Adding the new technology will no doubt add to the already lengthy development cycle of the sequel, and accordingly no release window is given for Red Steel 2. This is the first game other than Wii Sports Resort that has been revealed to use the MotionPlus peripheral, so it's at least ahead of the curve in aspects not related to actually being available in a store.

MotionPlus accessory adds hope to Red Steel 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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