Category: Splinter Cell VR

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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 “.

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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.

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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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