LIVE: Ubisoft E3 2009 press conference

@techcrunch / 4:50 pm PDT • June 1, 2009

We’re live at Ubisoft’s conference at E3 in Los Angeles…

We expect to see a lot of AssCreed 2, Red Steel 2, Tom Clancy and possibly DLC for Far Cry 2 from Ubi tonight. Stay tuned.

7:49 PM: Doug Aamoth Event starts at 5PM Pacific, 8PM Eastern. Stay tuned, we’ll be underway shortly.
7:56 PM: devindotcom Yo ho ho and a bottle of fun!
7:57 PM: devindotcom People are still sitting down. This huge, beautiful theater is packed to the rafters.
7:58 PM: devindotcom Ubi was the belle of the ball last year, so let’s hope they kick ass this year too. We know we’re gonna see some Assassin’s Creed 2… oh the announcer is piping up now
8:01 PM: devindotcom Okay!
8:02 PM: devindotcom It’s on, fools. We’ve just gotten a little taste of what’s to come.
8:02 PM: devindotcom “Good evening fellow nerds!”
8:03 PM: devindotcom This guy’s doing a “I’m a gamer .. but I have kids” schtick
8:03 PM: devindotcom The coolest thing in the room right now is this sweet crane cam.
8:03 PM: ThePeterHa Joel McHale is the Ubi MC for tonight
8:04 PM: devindotcom “Everyone at Ubisoft is a star. That’s why I don’t get to work there.”
8:04 PM: devindotcom One of the most recognizable athletes of all time coming up, apparently.
8:05 PM: ThePeterHa
8:05 PM: devindotcom Also a movie star coming on… but they’re being coy.
8:05 PM: devindotcom Lots of strangling coming up. And animals. Hopefully not both at the same time.
8:06 PM: devindotcom President and CEO, Yves Guillemot on stage
8:07 PM: ThePeterHa
8:07 PM: devindotcom Lots of talk about interconnection. Corporate strategy or new game tech?
8:08 PM: devindotcom From Convergence to confluence. Very exciting stuff here.
8:08 PM: devindotcom Uplay: brand new online destination
8:08 PM: ThePeterHa
8:09 PM: devindotcom Allow consumers to create and share screenshots, videos, walkthroughs, hints for friends, etc.
8:09 PM: devindotcom Screenshot’s username was “EwokLover”
8:10 PM: devindotcom Why not join forces with moviemakers? -instead of just adapting
8:10 PM: ThePeterHa
8:10 PM: devindotcom Avatar: the Game for instance
8:10 PM: ThePeterHa
8:11 PM: devindotcom Working with Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg….
8:11 PM: devindotcom working on Tintin!
8:11 PM: devindotcom Tintiiiiiiin
8:11 PM: devindotcom Tintin + Assassin’s Creed would be the greatest game of all time
8:12 PM: devindotcom They’re very proud of their use of accessories and non-standard controllers – EndWar, Shaun White snowboarding etc.
8:13 PM: devindotcom Next step: making the interface disappear. What does this mean?!
8:13 PM: ThePeterHa
8:14 PM: devindotcom President of Montreal Studio talking about ‘confluence.’ He’s really excited about something they’ve been working on.
8:15 PM: devindotcom “Ubisoft Digital Arts,” crossing over into Hollywood. 300, Sin City etc.
8:16 PM: devindotcom They’ve been working closely with James Cameron on Avatar. More details tomorrow.
8:16 PM: ThePeterHa
8:16 PM: devindotcom They’ve worked on 100 effects shots for Avatar.
8:17 PM: ThePeterHa Ubisoft knows how to run a press conference
8:18 PM: devindotcom Using Ubisoft’s in-game effects and tools …. Assassin’s Creed movie using real game assets and in-engine stuff?!
8:18 PM: devindotcom An Assassin’s Creed movie would be…. mmm, withholding judgment.
8:19 PM: ThePeterHa
8:19 PM: devindotcom Guess who….
8:19 PM: devindotcom James Cameron!
8:19 PM: ThePeterHa
8:20 PM: ThePeterHa
8:20 PM: devindotcom James wrote the treatment for Avatar 14 years ago. The folks in charge said they couldn’t be done.
8:21 PM: ThePeterHa
8:21 PM: devindotcom Pioneering lots of different technology like special mocap stuff
8:22 PM: devindotcom 22nd century… on the “not a planet” Pandora… lush rainforest environments with incredible life-forms (beautiful and terrifying)
8:22 PM: devindotcom This guy is secretly (maybe not so secretly) a huge nerd
8:23 PM: devindotcom Human-alien hybrids called Avatars, hence the title
8:23 PM: devindotcom “Just to be clear, it’s not a Matrix type story”
8:24 PM: devindotcom Remote control human beings… wounded humans living vicariously through Avatars… man this is getting complicated as all hell
8:24 PM: devindotcom Sounds like the plot of a Space RPG. Smokin’ hot 10-foot blue aliens
8:24 PM: devindotcom “this battle at the end of the movie is the mother of all battles”
8:25 PM: ThePeterHa Did Cameron just make up his own elvish/klingon language?
8:25 PM: devindotcom Alien giants, flying “kraaa” vs. helicopters and guns, who would have guessed he was working with a video game developer on this thing?
8:25 PM: devindotcom Cameras took 9 years to develop
8:25 PM: devindotcom how is that possible, film has only been in production for 4 years
8:25 PM: devindotcom maybe it’s on Pandora time.
8:26 PM: devindotcom “We wanted to choose our video game partner verrrry carefully.” Decided on Ubisoft, and why not?
8:26 PM: ThePeterHa I change my mind about Google being Skynet. Ubisoft is Skynet.
8:26 PM: devindotcom Good point Peter. They’re going to hook up with iRobot and take over
8:27 PM: ThePeterHa *touches nose
8:27 PM: devindotcom *touches Peter’s nose
8:27 PM: devindotcom SHOW SOMETHING ALREADY
8:27 PM: ThePeterHa SHOW SOME VIDEO OR SOMETHING
8:27 PM: ThePeterHa SWEET JEEBUS
8:27 PM: ThePeterHa The game is not a slave to the movie
8:27 PM: devindotcom I am a slave to the movie
8:28 PM: ThePeterHa JC is totally nerding out over this thing.
8:28 PM: devindotcom Peter did you see the crane cam almost dink that camera guy? That’s trust
8:29 PM: devindotcom If we got a couple drinks in this guy he’d show us the whole thing
8:29 PM: devindotcom I think he can’t wait to get his baby out there. Hope it’s good or he’ll disappear forever.
8:29 PM: ThePeterHa OK, now I’m over it. SHOW SOMETHING!!!
8:31 PM: devindotcom I just checked under my seat for 3D glasses…. wishful thinking unfortunately.
8:31 PM: ThePeterHa
8:32 PM: devindotcom No spoilers in the game! It won’t be like King Kong then.
8:33 PM: devindotcom Cameron says it’s “the coolest game out there.” Thanks dad
8:33 PM: devindotcom Viper wolves?!
8:33 PM: ThePeterHa We’ll see the demo when E3 opens up the doors tomorrow at Ubi’s booth
8:33 PM: devindotcom And he’s outa here!
8:34 PM: devindotcom “there are so many French people backstage… it’s a little scary” Same thing out here.
8:35 PM: devindotcom He’s saying Red Steel 2 is way more exact. Mmm, we saw some of that with that tennis game in EA’s thing. Not quite, but decent.
8:35 PM: devindotcom Red Steel 2 trailer…. this one’s new.
8:36 PM: devindotcom I like the look of this game waaay better than the last one. It’s like Afro Samurai crossed with … I don’t know, Red STeel.
8:37 PM: devindotcom And there’s still no blood. I think that’s kind of ridiculous, especially with the otherwise stylized graphics.
8:37 PM: devindotcom Janson Vangenberghe and Roman Campos Oriola, Creative Director and Lead Game Designer respectively for Red Steel 2
8:37 PM: devindotcom They’re gonna demo it. Sweet.
8:38 PM: devindotcom This guy looks craaaazyyyy
8:38 PM: devindotcom Trigun, that’s what it reminds me of. Trigun with swords.
8:38 PM: devindotcom Okay, live demo running now. We’ll have video up ASAP after the event.
8:39 PM: devindotcom Opening sequence is tight. You’re being dragged behind a motorcyle
8:41 PM: devindotcom Sword position is mapped 1:1 to the position of the controller
8:41 PM: devindotcom The harder you actually slash, the more damage you do. Thank you, no more flicking
8:42 PM: devindotcom Guys blink and disappear like River City Ransom after you stab them to death
8:43 PM: devindotcom There’s simplified controls for noobs, more ‘customizable’ controls for experts
8:43 PM: devindotcom Bullet time stuff, looks fun.
8:43 PM: devindotcom Not to be macabre, but really it looks kind of weird without blood.
8:44 PM: ThePeterHa
8:45 PM: ThePeterHa
8:45 PM: devindotcom Fatality!
8:45 PM: devindotcom Red Steel 2 available at launch of Wii Motion Plus.
8:46 PM: devindotcom Sports stuff now. Get to the Creed!
8:46 PM: ThePeterHa That’s *bundled* with Wii Motion Plus, Devin.
8:46 PM: ThePeterHa I interviewed Shaun White!
8:46 PM: devindotcom Oops, I misspelled bundled as “available”
8:47 PM: devindotcom New Shaun White game. We’ve got a skit intro here.
8:48 PM: devindotcom Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage
8:48 PM: ThePeterHa Available this coming holiday season
8:48 PM: ThePeterHa Ubi soccer game coming
8:49 PM: ThePeterHa Pele on the Wii, I think.
8:49 PM: ThePeterHa Pele is here!
8:49 PM: devindotcom Pele, he’s here
8:50 PM: devindotcom Everybody’s cheering and stuff but this guy is probably used to even more fanfare
8:50 PM: devindotcom Pele 3d model looking preeeeetty weird
8:51 PM: ThePeterHa
8:51 PM: devindotcom Pele: “I don’t speak english.” MC: “Well you’re doing a pretty good job right now”
8:52 PM: devindotcom Pele: “I’m very happy to be here… I’m very happy to be working with Ubisoft” Well that’s good
8:52 PM: ThePeterHa
8:52 PM: ThePeterHa Why isn’t Nicholas here translating for us?
8:52 PM: devindotcom You mean Carlos?
8:52 PM: ThePeterHa Yes
8:54 PM: devindotcom Seems like a nice guy.
8:54 PM: devindotcom Academy of Champiooons
8:56 PM: devindotcom Soccer philosophy. Too much to transcribe. Sneak preview of the game playing…………now
8:56 PM: devindotcom what, this looks insane
8:56 PM: devindotcom it’s like those GBA sports games crossed with… harry potter, crossed with the corpse bride
8:57 PM: devindotcom cinematic trailer though. no gameplay
8:57 PM: devindotcom Academy of Champions Football, only for Wii
8:59 PM: ThePeterHa
8:59 PM: ThePeterHa Coming in 2009
8:59 PM: ThePeterHa
9:00 PM: devindotcom We’re covering this way better than the other guys by the way.
9:00 PM: devindotcom Producer and Creative Director of Splinter Cell, Alex Parizeau and Max Beland
9:00 PM: devindotcom Talking about Splinter Cell: Conviction
9:01 PM: devindotcom Trailer showing now. Spoiler warning since I haven’t played Double Agent
9:03 PM: devindotcom Looks good. I always wanted to tear around as Sam Fisher instead of creeping.
9:04 PM: devindotcom All the Ubi guys have the same general fashion sense
9:04 PM: devindotcom untucked, dark sport coat, non formal shoes… is that the dress code in France?
9:05 PM: devindotcom They’re going to play it now. Demo time, we’ll get that up for you shortly. MC: “I’m gonna go backstage and freak out.”
9:06 PM: devindotcom Interrogation mini-game. very sadistic. Urinal smashing. Breaking of stall doors…. story elements being told to you are “projected” on the surroundings.
9:07 PM: devindotcom Real gameplay starts now. Looks great. Good lighting. Very cinematic.
9:07 PM: devindotcom That was brutal. You move a lot faster.
9:08 PM: devindotcom Nice climbing. Not as good as Altair though. Ooh, shooting through window while hanging onto it. You’ll see the video soon.
9:10 PM: devindotcom Has a sort of “augmented reality” look to it. Less immersive but possibly better for gameplay.
9:11 PM: devindotcom He just did something to a guy’s face, twice.
9:11 PM: devindotcom Very thrilling! Nice bookcases in this mansion too.
9:12 PM: devindotcom Oops. captured. It’s over! Looks great.
9:12 PM: ThePeterHa We’ll have over six minutes of gameplay footage coming soon
9:13 PM: ThePeterHa Available this Fall for the Xbox 360 and PC
9:14 PM: devindotcom Trailer for a … I’m not sure. I’ll get back to you.
9:15 PM: devindotcom Steely-eyed men mug at each other! Tanks roll under your fingers! I think this is a “concept”
9:16 PM: devindotcom What, it’s real? “Ruse”
9:16 PM: devindotcom Looks like Battleship on a Surface.
9:17 PM: devindotcom Battery is suffering. Come on Assassin’s Creed!
9:17 PM: devindotcom Ah. Ubisoft is leading the way in casual games. We’ll just take a brief break here.
9:25 PM: devindotcom That was… tweeny.
9:25 PM: devindotcom They’re still going.
9:30 PM: devindotcom Camera-based fitness game… I’ll believe it when I see it though. Looks sort of idealized.
9:30 PM: devindotcom The lady in the movie didn’t need a lot of work though.
9:31 PM: devindotcom
9:31 PM: devindotcom More raving rabbids.
9:31 PM: devindotcom Rabbids Go Home. We’ve got dancing rabbids here.
9:32 PM: devindotcom We’ll have video of that later… in the meantime, BRB.
9:37 PM: devindotcom Not sure what’s going on, we’re abusing these little rabbids living inside the Wiimote. It’s actually pretty funny.
9:38 PM: devindotcom Hmm, you’re rolling around collecting things, and the moon is involved. Not like Katamari Damacy at all…
9:39 PM: devindotcom Battery warning. We’ll have video, don’t worry.
9:49 PM: devindotcom Nice long press conference. Battery almost gone. TMNT smash brothers-type game, some project from the creator of Rez and Lumines.
9:50 PM: devindotcom Okay. Assassin’s Creed 2 being talked about. Come on little battery!
9:50 PM: devindotcom November 17.
9:50 PM: devindotcom HERE WOe
9:50 PM: devindotcom go
9:51 PM: devindotcom Takes place in Venice during the Renaissance…!?
9:51 PM: devindotcom Festival… ladies…
9:51 PM: devindotcom it’s a cinematic trailer, no gameplay yet
9:52 PM: devindotcom Masque Ball. Just saw an assassinish boot.
9:52 PM: devindotcom Oh he’s so dead
9:53 PM: devindotcom Lots of Altair-looking guy running around in Italy…. looks stylish.
9:54 PM: devindotcom He’s got a gun!
9:54 PM: devindotcom Assassin’s got a gun. No less lethal than the throwing knives i suppose.
9:54 PM: devindotcom it’s over!
9:55 PM: devindotcom The whole thing is on video. We’ll get it uploaded toot sweet.
9:55 PM: devindotcom Thanks for reading, everyone. We’re off to find food and an outlet.