Category: Assassins Creed VR

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Ubisoft AAA VR Game, Half-Live VR Code, Win Skyworld Quest! – VRecap

Happy September! Yes, 2019 is beginning to wind down (11o days until Christmas!), but there’s still plenty of VR news to sift through.

This week’s VRecap is filled with updates on games already released, already announced and, well some games that aren’t announced but we basically know all about. For example! Ubisoft is hiring lots and lots of senior positions for an unannounced AAA VR game. Not only that, but it’s apparently based on one of its existing franchises, too. If that isn’t either the rumored Splinter Cell VR or Assassin’s Creed VR we’ll eat our hats.

https://youtu.be/MIHb2JrcO9I

Elsewhere, we finally know that Borderlands 2 VR is coming to PC! But watch on for some extra details for PSVR players too (or just go to the PlayStation Store, but please still watch here too). After that, we’re talking about the latest chapter in the Facebook privacy saga,  where we spoke to the company about the data it collects from our Rift and Quest headsets.

As for releases, it’s kind of a quiet week, but we’re giving you the chance to win one of the new Quest titles launching in Skyworld: Kingdom Brawl! Vertigo Games has kindly supplied us with codes, which you can try and grab here.

Anyway, time for us to get out of here for another week. Still enjoying the VRecap? Let us know in the comments section below? Think there are things we can improve? Get lost! No, actually, just please tell us in a nice and pilot manner. Until next week, have fun in VR!

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Ubisoft Hiring For ‘Unannounced AAA VR Project’ Based On ‘Great IP’

Videogame publishing giant Ubisoft is currently hiring for an “unannounced AAA VR project.”

The company currently has nine high-level listings related to the project in Dusseldorf, Germany (first spotted by VRFocus). One for a Senior Game Designer role states that successful applicants “will work on cutting-edge VR technology, on one of Ubisoft’s great IP’s, developed across multiple studios.”

Other roles currently being sought include a Senior Technical Artist, Senior Level Artist, Senior General Programmer, Build & Release Engineer, Art Director and Level Design Director. In its report, VRFocus claims that Ubisoft is building a 50+ person team to work on the project, with many positions still to be listed. We’ve reached out to Ubisoft to confirm this claim and will update this article when we hear back.

Update: An Ubisoft spokesperson issued us with the following statement: “We are working on the next VR Escape Room for 2020, as well as a new AAA VR project for which we are currently hiring.”

Interestingly, Ubisoft is also hiring a Lead Character Artist for a VR project in Newcastle, UK. It’s not clear if this is for the same project or something else.

Splinter Cell Returns?

The listings appear amid reports that Ubisoft is developing two new VR games based on its IP. The first is reportedly Splinter Cell VR, marking a return of a long-loved stealth series. An Assassin’s Creed VR game is also apparently in the works. If the reports are true, these games will be exclusive to Oculus headsets. Recently, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said to expect Splinter Cell on “different devices”.

Dusseldorf is where one of the company’s Blue Byte offices is based. Blue Byte is a network of three studios based in Germany. The team is behind the Anno series of City Simulation games. It also often assists with the development of other major Ubisoft titles. Newcastle, meanwhile, houses the Ubisoft Reflections team. Again, the team largely contributes to the creation of other major projects.

This will be far from Ubisoft’s first VR game. Back in 2016 the company launched titles like Eagle Flight and Werewolves Within. Later down the line it released Star Trek: Bridge Crew and most recently worked on a zero-gravity multiplayer shooter named Space Junkies. If these recent rumors turn out to be true, we could see at least one Ubisoft VR game announced at Oculus Connect 6 later this month.

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Splinter Cell VR: Ubisoft CEO Expects Series On ‘Different Devices’

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot says we’ll see Splinter Cell return on “different devices.” Now what could that mean, hmm?

Guillemot said as much in a video interview during ChinaJoy in Shanghai earlier this month. “On Splinter Cell there will be some new type of experiments, but more on different devices,” he said of the stealth series’ return. “We are working a lot on the brand today to come back at one point. We can’t say when because as you know it takes time, but we have to find which time is right to come back “.

Ubisoft Rumors

His comments come following a July report that Oculus has signed a deal with Ubisoft for exclusive Splinter Cell VR and Assassin’s Creed VR games. The report claimed that Oculus owner Facebook was stepping up its VR exclusivity efforts. A week later, Guillemot stated that “good games may help VR take off.”

While it’s still not final confirmation, teases of an experimental Splinter Cell on new types of devices certainly point to VR. It’s a bit of a stretch, but the use of the world ‘devices’ could mean both the Oculus Rift and the Quest.

Splinter Cell is a series of stealth games that cast the player as Sam Fisher. You sneak through levels, avoiding detection as you take out guards or slip past them. The stealth genre is well suited to the medium, making both Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed a promising fit for both Rift and Quest.

If the report is true, that also means that Facebook is looking to outright acquire studios to make VR games. Could we see announcements around these rumors at next month’s Oculus Connect 6? We’ll be watching along to find out.

What would you want to see out of a Splinter Cell VR game? Let us know in the comments below!

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Ubisoft CEO On Rumored Facebook Deal: ‘Good Games May Help VR Take Off’

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot didn’t deny reports of a deal with Facebook for new VR games in its investor call this week.

Earlier this month rumors surfaced stating that Ubisoft had signed exclusive Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed VR games to the Oculus platform. According to the reports, the move is part of Facebook’s push to get more content on its VR headsets. At the time, neither Facebook nor Ubisoft responded to the reports.

During a quarterly investor call yesterday, however, the rumor was directly mentioned to Guillemot. The CEO wasn’t asked to confirm its validity but instead asked about Ubisoft’s approach to VR. “On the VR side, we think seamless, frictionless, and good entry prices, and good games, could help this business to take off because it provides a good immersion for players,” Guillemot replied. “But we need to make sure those elements are there to make it actually grow,” he said.

It’s an interesting answer, given that this was an opportunity for Ubisoft to deny the rumor if it was fake. Still, don’t take it as confirmation of any sort. Ubisoft already has a handful of VR games to its name including Eagle Flight and Star Trek: Bridge Crew.

We don’t know if the supposed Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed VR games would appear on Rift, Quest or both. Guillemot’s comments around accessibility definitely seem in-line with Facebook’s push for more approachable VR headsets, though. Quest offers the most friction-free access to VR yet and the updated Rift S removes a lot of the hassle of the original.

Still, we’ll have to wait and see if there’s any validity to these reports.

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Report: Facebook Signs Deal for ‘Assassin’s Creed’ & ‘Splinter Cell’ VR Games

According to a report by The Information, Facebook is allegedly looking to sign more deals with game studios, the result of which aims to bring some high-profile franchises to the Oculus platform. This is said to include VR versions of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell.

The Information report cites “two people familiar with the matter,” and says that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is directly involved in the initiative. Jason Rubin, Facebook’s VP of special gaming initiatives (and former head of content at Oculus), is also reportedly heading up the initiative.

The report contends that the company has already signed deals for exclusive VR versions of Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell. There’s no word on the scope of these projects, or whether they will be true franchise games in their own right, but calling them ‘VR versions’ as opposed to ‘VR experiences’ certainly sounds promising.

Ubisoft has produced a slew of VR games since the consumer launch of VR, including Star Trek: Bridge Crew, Space Junkies, Werewolves Within, and Eagle Flight; it’s clear they have the know-how.

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An Oculus spokesperson responded to The Information’s request for a substantiation of the report, however the company says they “cannot comment on specific partnerships, but we will continue to focus on expanding our library and reaching broader gaming audiences for years to come.”

Ubisoft, the holder of both Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell IPs, has yet to comment on the story.

What’s more, an Information source maintains that while the size of the investment is expected to be less than $1 billion, that it could grow beyond that number.

As a point of comparison, Mark Zuckerberg announced at Oculus Connect 3 in 2016 that the company had earmarked $500 million for content. That money has ostensibly brought in a few high-profile productions to the Oculus platform such as the Star Wars Vader Immortal series from ILMxLab, Epic Games’ Robo Recall, and MARVEL Powers United VR from Sanzaru and Oculus Studios; many of these are unique implementations with a clear aim to draw in new users, but in the same breath they’ve done little to answer the question that many VR newcomers eventually ask themselves: “Why can’t I play [x] in VR?”

While there are a few Oculus exclusives on the horizon, including the open-world game Stormland, the combat-heavy adventure Asgard’s Wrath and the sequel Lone Echo II, if the report can be believed, it appears the company is continuing on its path to generate a library of recognizable, exclusive content—all of which has the aim to both attract and retain users in their ecosystem.

The post Report: Facebook Signs Deal for ‘Assassin’s Creed’ & ‘Splinter Cell’ VR Games appeared first on Road to VR.

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Report: Assassin’s Creed VR And Splinter Cell VR Coming Exclusively To Oculus

A new report states that Facebook’s Oculus has signed a deal with Ubisoft for exclusive Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed VR games.

The article from The Information cites “two people familiar with the matter” in saying Oculus is looking to outright buy game studios and sign exclusive deals. One of these sources reportedly revealed that the company has already signed deals for Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed in VR. The article does not confirm if these games will be made for Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, or both.

Update: A Facebook spokesperson provided us with the same statement given to The Information: “The response to Oculus Quest and Rift S gaming have been incredible. We cannot comment on specific partnerships, but we will continue to focus on expanding our library and reaching broader gaming audiences for years to come.”

The article also states that early sales of Quest, which launched in May 2019, have “substantially exceeded Facebook’s internal sales projections.”

If true, Oculus appears to be doubling down on its exclusive content priorities. Since the launch of the Oculus Rift in 2016 Oculus has published games from third-party developers like Insomniac Games and Twisted Pixel under its Oculus Studios label. While a deal with Ubisoft for these VR games would be in-line with its previous movements, Oculus has never outright bought a VR studio.

Of the two series mentioned here, Assassin’s Creed is likely the better known. The long-running series takes players to various points in history and casts them as assassins that execute targets and sneak away unseen. Ubisoft already has several location-based VR games based on the franchise.

In Splinter Cell, meanwhile, you play as an elite secret agent that infiltrates hostile areas. Ubisoft itself already has experience in VR with games like Eagle Flight and Space Junkies.

Currently, Oculus is working with the EA-owned Respawn Entertainment on an Oculus Rift first-person shooter (FPS) set to be revealed at Oculus Connect 6 this September

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E3 2018: Assassin’s Creed VR-Erfahrung mit VR Maze vorgestellt

Ubisoft präsentierte in Kooperation mit Triotech auf einem privaten Preview-Event die lokale VR-Erfahrung Assassin’s Creed: The Temple of Anubis, in der die Spieler/innen in einem VR Maze im Stil des bereits veröffentlichten Assassin’s Creed: Origins mit Pfeil und Bogen durch das virtuelle Ägypten schleichen konnten.

Assassin’s Creed: The Temple of Anubis – Mit Pfeil und Bogen durch das virtuelle Ägypten

Auf einem privaten Preview-Event von Ubisoft konnten die Journalisten von Upload VR verschiedene Spiele-Demos von der E3 bereits vor Ort austesten. Neben einigen Games, die auf der Pressekonferenz von Ubisoft präsentiert wurden, fanden die spitzfindigen Besucher/innen eine boxförmige Besonderheit unter den Angeboten: Das VR Maze von Triotech, das die immersive VR-Erfahrung Assassin’s Creed: The Temple of Anubis beheimatete.

VR-Maze-Triotech

Das Mini-Labyrinth war mit einer HTC Vive Pro, zwei Basisstationen, zwei Vive-Wand–Controllern sowie einem kabellosen PC ausgestattet, der innerhalb eines Rucksacks platziert wurde. Im Kern der Struktur wurden rote, blickdurchlässige Glasplatten montiert, die ein Tracking der Brille sowie der Controller, an jeder Stelle innerhalb der Box, weitestgehend gewährleisteten. Dank der tragbaren Ausstattung war es den Testern möglich, in einer immersiven VR-Erfahrung in die Rolle eines Assassinen im alten Ägypten einzutauchen.

Assassin's-Creed-The-Temple-of-Anubis-Ubisoft

Darin wandert der Spieler durch ein uraltes Grab. Durch die speziellen Boxen werden physische und virtuelle Elemente vereint, um dadurch die Immersion noch weiter zu verstärkt. Während des Abenteuers bekämpft der Spieler verschiedene Feinde mit Pfeil und Bogen, die sich dem akrobatischen Grabräuber in den Weg stellen. Am Ende erwartet den Helden eine gigantische mythische Schlange, die ebenfalls mit einigen gezielten Pfeilschüssen bald das Zeitliche segnet. Abschließend darf man kopfüber den ikonischen Sprung des Franchises in einen Heuhaufen genießen. Ungefähr zehn Minuten dauert das VR-Erlebnis.

Der Tester vor Ort war sowohl von der Tracking-Lösung wie auch von der Immersion des Angebots begeistert. Zwar offenbare die VR-Erfahrung selbst keine großen Innovationen, doch erzeuge das Komplettpaket durch das VR Maze eine beeindruckende Illusion, in der man sich durchaus verlieren könne.

Derzeit ist die VR-Erfahrung Assassin’s Creed: The Temple of Anubis zwar noch nicht im Einsatz, jedoch soll die lokale VR-Attraktion zukünftig international in verschiedenen Anlaufstellen ausrollen. Das VR-System ist zudem bereits mit einer Lizenz für Ubisofts Rabbits sowie Minotaur’s Maze gekoppelt.

(Quellen: Upload VR | VR Maze)

Der Beitrag E3 2018: Assassin’s Creed VR-Erfahrung mit VR Maze vorgestellt zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Ubisoft entwickelt Assassins Creed VR-Erfahrung für Arcade-Hallen

Das Assassins-Creed-Franchise umfasst mittlerweile – mit dem kürzlich veröffentlichten Assassins Creed Origins – zehn Ableger der Hauptreihe und zahlreiche Nebentitel. Damit gilt es als eines der erfolgreichsten Spiele des französischen Publishers Ubisoft. Nun wird die Action-Reihe um einen zusätzlichen Titel für die virtuelle Realität erweitert, denn Ubisoft kollaboriert mit Triotech zur Entwicklung einer gemeinsamen VR-Erfahrung. Diese ist jedoch zunächst nur für VR-Arcade-Hallen geplant und wird vorläufig stationär im kanadischen Montreal angeboten.

Assassins Creed VR – Stationäre VR-Erfahrung im Ubisoft-Zentrum in Montreal

Assassins Creed VR

Zur Entwicklung einer Assassins-Creed-VR-Erfahrung arbeitet der Publisher Ubisoft mit dem Unternehmen Triotech zusammen. Diese sind bekannt für ihre immersiven und interaktiven VR-Erfahrungen für Vergnügungsparks und weitere Freizeitprojekte. So entwickelten sie unter anderem einen Escape-Room für das Fear-The-Walking-Dead-Franchise und zahlreiche VR-Attraktionen.

Das neue Assassins Creed VR wird zunächst ausschließlich im Ubisoft-Zentrum in Montreal angeboten und dort für Besucher zugänglich gemacht. Die Entwickler zielen damit direkt auf dem Arcade-Markt ab und nicht auf Besitzer heimischer VR-Brillen. Dadurch versuchen sie, die Welten des Franchise als immersive VR-Erfahrung für Fans und Gäste zugänglich zu machen und zusätzlich neue Zielgruppen zu erschließen.

Dies hebt auch Ernest Yale, Gründer und CEO von Triotech hervor: „Wir beobachteten die Entwicklung der VR-Technologie innerhalb der letzten Jahre sehr genau. Wir glauben, dass wir mit diesem Ansatz etwas Besonderes für den Markt anbieten können. Besonders dank der Kombination aus Content, Technologie und einzigartiger Erfahrung für die Gäste.”

Das Unternehmen veröffentlichte kürzlich erst die Weiterentwicklung ihres Rabbids VR Ride – dem Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride – auf der IAAPA und geht damit weitere Schritte im VR-Entertainment-Markt.

Ob und wann die Assassins-Creed-VR-Erfahrung für PlayStation VR (PSVR) oder PC-Brillen auch in die privaten Haushalte kommt, bleibt zunächst abzuwarten. Wir bleiben jedoch am Ball und werden euch über Neuigkeiten über die virtuelle Welt der Assassinen auf dem Laufenden halten.

(Quellen: VR Focus)

Der Beitrag Ubisoft entwickelt Assassins Creed VR-Erfahrung für Arcade-Hallen zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!