Thoughts On E3 2014: Ubisoft Press Conference

What follows are my personal thoughts on Ubisoft at E3 2014. I welcome all thoughts and criticism regarding this year’s expo!

 

If I can say one thing about the Electronic Entertainment Expo, it’s that the opening conferences are usually lacking. Between the five I sat through with my friends, Ubisoft did a great job with the gameplay/demonstrations on-stage.

Sure, Microsoft had a mix of gameplay and trailers, but about 80% of Ubisoft’s press conference was gameplay. This was quite a relief considering I was so frustrated with the Electronic Arts press conference a few hours prior. But how did Ubisoft stack up in terms of what has been presented?

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I thought I order Ceasar, not Ranch.

Far Cry 4 (Gameplay)

The game looks beautiful, and I’m very interested in what it has to offer. I didn’t have the chance to play any of the other Far Cry games, so this will be interesting. On stage, they showed the first five minutes of the game. I count this as gameplay because it wasn’t a pre-rendered piece or some type of trailer. Showing what will actually be in the game is the best way to earn my money. That is a standard I think all publishers should live by considering CGI trailers don’t really do the trick.

Just Dance 2015 (Gameplay)

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Is it time for Thriller yet?

I think it’s hilarious that the first time Kinect was mentioned during E3 2014 wasn’t by someone from Microsoft. Actually, Ubisoft mentioned Kinect a few times, but bringing out their star dance franchise was good to see. I could have done without the live performance, but they showed exactly what would be in the game. I appreciate that more than anything.

They also announced that players would be able to share their dances online and have them judged by other players. Sure, it’s a bit weird since a lot of people are self-conscious, but it’s something new. AND there is a mobile app that allows you to use your phone as a controller for the game, which is pretty cool. I probably won’t get this game, but it’s nice to see some new integration at this conference.

The Division (Trailer)

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You talking to me?

This presentation was pretty short since gameplay for this game was already shown at the Microsoft press conference. The trailer showed a fast forward of the city before and during the outbreak where invisible people are interacting and being killed. Then, the main characters show up to protect someone in trouble. Then, flamethrower Jesus!

There’s not much else I can say besides the fact that I want to try this game. Also, I saw gameplay earlier, so Ubisoft is still doing a decent job.

The Crew (Gameplay)

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I want that shiny one, and that shiny one.

The only thing I’ll say about this racing game is that it looks good. Apparently, you can drive from Miami to LA without having any load time between sections. Throw that in with the new stuff in Just Dance 2015, and you’ve got my attention. Do you see what’s happening, EA? The ratio of show versus tell in this conference is one of the reasons EA is last on my list.

Assassin’s Creed: Unity (Gameplay)

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Everybody wants to rule the world, righjt?

This presentation began with a trailer, but ended with gameplay. Once again, Ubisoft is doing it right. Co-op is a new addition that I’m looking forward to, but I’m still not convinced that I should give the franchise another chance. But that shouldn’t take away from the positive here: GAMEPLAY!

And before folks say it, I have heard about the uproar about the lack of female characters in co-op. I agree that the lack of diversity in the gaming industry is unbelievable, but it’s worth hearing the developers out first. Maybe we can choose our own characters or make our own like an RPG. If there isn’t something like that, I suggest that developers stop during delopment of a game and ask themselves ‘what if this male character was female’ or ‘what if this white character was Asian’? Would it change the story or gameplay? (Personally speaking, I find the hulabaloo to be much ado about nothing. Women characters are inherently different to program for than male characters, considering this is Ubisoft and the gaming industry, what did people expect? -Editor)

Shape Up (Demonstration)

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If only we could all battle our clones…

Like the Just Dance 2015 demonstration, I felt that they didn’t need to show us how this exercise game works outside of showing it on the big screen. However, I’m not upset with them for doing so. This is another instance where Kinect was mentioned, which makes me wonder if Microsoft is giving up on it altogether.

At any rate, they did some type of stepping mini-game that was basically DDR for those who aren’t old enough to remember DDR. Then, they had two guys do terrible push-ups for a bit. Other than that, it’s another exercise game to help people get up and get active. It’s amazing that we’ve come to a point where we need video games to get us moving instead of going outside.

Valiant Hearts (Trailer)

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I can’t feel my legs! Oh, this dog is so cute!

This was one of the oddest transition a company can have in a press conference. ‘First, we’ll make you happy. Then, we’ll make you cry and hate your life.’

Set in World War I, there is a dog and a narration and a lot of death and sadness. There was nothing about gameplay, but this part of the presentation was so dreary that I wondered about my own existence and wished the show was over. Way to bum everyone out, Ubisoft (I am not going to lie, I actually cried a little at the end of this. Involving a dog is basically shorthand for making you have the feels -Editor).

Rainbow Six: Siege (gameplay)

Is he trying to rescue me or is he trying to be my boyfriend?

Is he trying to rescue me or is he trying to be my boyfriend?

This is where I rolled my eyes constantly. They said that this is gameplay from an actual match with actual people, but I know from experience that no group is that organized and formal with each other in an online, shooting match (Or indeed, if they were in the same room -Editor). This is meant to be from the multiplayer portion of the game, and it looks great. I enjoyed the teamwork aspect of it all, but was really annoyed by the dialogue between the ‘players’.

By the end of this gameplay segment, my friends and I were asking each other the same question. ‘Are we meant to forget about Rainbow Six: Patriots’? Seriously, I was actually looking forward to that game from its concept to the hope of seeing some actual gameplay. I guess it’s not going to happen, but what a bummer. Otherwise, this gameplay footage was a great way to end the presentation.

————–

Aisha Tyler did a great job despite the fact that she towered over most of the guys that came on stage. She did well with presenting the games and buffering some of the odd transitions between games. And she wasn’t fake, either. I mean that she knew that we knew that she was reading a teleprompter sometimes and she didn’t hide it or try to dance around the audience. She was genuine, and I loved her for it. Did I mention she was funny as hell?

Even though I probably won’t buy most of these games, Ubisoft continues to perform the simple task of showing gameplay. They did a great job advertising Watch Dogs because all they did was to show me gameplay, and I was hooked. None of the games hooked me, but I may change my mind thanks to what they did at their conference. This is the standard I wish all gaming companies followed when advertising their games.

Forget CGI theatrical trailers. Funnel that money back into producing the game, and then show me the game. That seems pretty simple to me, but then I’ve never worked in game development. Although, I didn’t see anything about Prince of Persia, I wasn’t let down. Ubisoft did a great job and they do exactly what I expect other companies to do. SHOW GAMEPLAY!

Stayed tuned for my thoughts on the Sony press conference!

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