![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
weber_dubois222013-09-02 09:31 pmweber_dubois222013-09-02 09:31 pm
weber_dubois222013-05-08 07:14 pmEntry tags:
Session Name: Diverse Game Characters: Write Them Now!
Speaker(s): Jill Murray
Company Name(s): Ubisoft
Track / Format: Advocacy
Overview: Variety is the spice of life. Games are a playful exploration of life. Clearly the two are made for each other. For writers and narrative designers, this means building diversity into the cast of characters with whom we populate game worlds. This requires research, imagination, consideration, and yes, the risk of getting it wrong. But attention paid to diversity strengthens every aspect of writing, and opens us to new narrative possibilities and gameplay paradigms. This session is a diversity bootcamp covering everything from "sensitive topics" to finding the nugget of commonality we share with each character we invent. [SOURCE]
weber_dubois222013-02-28 04:12 pmAssassin’s Creed 3: Liberation writer says no “magic touch” required for diversity
Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation writer Jill Murray has downplayed Ubisoft’s decision to feature a black, female protagonist, instead calling on the rest of the industry to catch up.
Speaking to Kotaku in an interesting feature on Aveline’s creation, Murray said some of those arguing in defense of all-white, all-male casts are being creatively lazy.
“[There's a] fear that ‘diverse’ characters are risky and might offend or alienate players by their simple inclusion — that including them requires a magic touch, special bravery, a trembling sensitivity, or a mandate to ignore sales,” she said.
“Creating “diverse” characters is no different than creating any character, and I believe that those who struggle with it need to address deeper issues within their own creative process.”
( Read More )
weber_dubois222013-02-07 03:35 pmAssassin's Creed 3: Liberation moves 'close to 600,000' units [Update!]
Assassin's Creed 3's PlayStation Vita companion piece, Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation, has either shipped or sold "close to 600,000" units, Ubisoft announced during a financial investors conference call this morning. We say "or" because, while the word "sold" was used, this terminology was also used to refer to Assassin's Creed 3's 12 million shipped units, and therefore the true nature of the statistic is unknown.
( Read More )
weber_dubois222013-01-30 09:34 amAssassin’s Creed 3 and Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation Receive Huge Discount
Both the console title Assassin’s Creed 3 and the portable counterpart Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation have received a substantial discount from Amazon. All platforms are currently benefiting from the current sale. Here’s a breakdown of each platform, their discount percentage and their new price:
( Read More )
weber_dubois222013-01-18 05:40 pmPatch changes for Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
What does the new patch for Assassin's Creed III Liberation do?
SO UBISOFT actually got around to fixing the errors in Liberaton somewhere around last month (December 12, 2012). The problem is that they or the gaming websites never bothered to make an announcement about it. The news about the game's first and second patches are restricted to the support website itself. I knew you didn't give a shit about Liberation, Ubisoft, but damn, you ignored it completely.
( Patch Details )
SO UBISOFT actually got around to fixing the errors in Liberaton somewhere around last month (December 12, 2012). The problem is that they or the gaming websites never bothered to make an announcement about it. The news about the game's first and second patches are restricted to the support website itself. I knew you didn't give a shit about Liberation, Ubisoft, but damn, you ignored it completely.
( Patch Details )
weber_dubois222013-01-17 05:53 pmAssassin's Creed 3: Liberation among games nominated for 2013 Writers Guild Awards
Both Assassin's Creed 3 and its PlayStation Vita spin-off, Liberation, were honored with nods from the WGA. Liberation wasn't the only Vita game nominated for the award — Uncharted: Golden Abyss was also selected. Rounding out the list of six are Halo 4 and Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. Here's the full list of games, along with their publishers and credited writers:
( Read More )
weber_dubois222012-12-28 01:50 pmThe fuck does that mean? - Kokatus surprised by how Black "AC3: Liberation" feels
History often seems lightyears away, doesn't it? Even game franchises like Civilization-where you zip from ancient Rome to space flight in the span of hours-put a layer of abstraction over the experience that make it feel distant. The Assassin's Creed games use history exceedingly well, but none of them have felt as personal as Assassin's Creed III: Liberation does. As a black man and parent of a bi-racial daughter, this game hits home for me. But what really surprised me is how this portable Assassin's Creed game comments on racial dynamics in a specific moment in time. You can feel history moving through the game.
Liberation proves that game design inspiration can be found in the ugliest moments of history. But American history doesn't just inspire the mechanics and rules of Liberation's gameplay. The game's story and characters feel more alive thanks to a smart infusion of tropes drawn from the history of black people in the United States. I'm going to point out few examples, some of which contain spoilers. If you want a fresh experience with Liberation's plot, stop reading now.
( Red More )
weber_dubois222012-12-22 09:54 pmAssassin's Creed Sale on PlayStation Network
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has become one of the most successful this generation: after a humble start, the game has become of the most appreciated and sold. The latest entries of the series, Assassin’s Creed 3 and Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation have been only released last month and they’re already considered as the best of the franchise. If you are still holding off, you may be happy to know that Ubisoft has teamed up with Sony to create a special offer on the North American Playstation Store.
Until the end of the weekend, players can buy both Assassin’s Creed and Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation with a nicely discounted price, with 35% off the full price. The Gold edition of Assassin’s Creed 3, containing the full game and the season pass, which will allow you to download any present and upcoming DLC for free, is also discounted with a 35% off. [SOURCE]
weber_dubois222012-11-26 06:28 pmSound Byte: Meet the Composer – AC III: Liberation
We speak to Winifred Philips, the composer for the Assassin's Creed III spin-off.
( Read More )
Readers of Sound Byte will recognize Winifred Philips from a previous Sound Byte. To recap, Philips is best known for doing music work for God of War, The Maw, and the LittleBigPlanet series. Recently she won a Hollywood Music in Media award for her work on Assassin's Creed III: Liberation.
We managed to catch up with the composer about her recent work on Ubisoft's open-world action stab-heavy series.
( Read More )
weber_dubois222012-11-22 11:26 pmAssassin's Creed 3: Liberation save corruption bug to be squashed soon
The widely reported save corruption bug for Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation will be wiped out (instead of player's save files) in an upcoming patch. Eurogamer reported on the issue earlier last month and we've been poking Ubi with pointy objects ever since to get a legit answer on what's up. Last night, the publisher got in touch.
"Our team is in the process of finalizing the first patch for Assassin's Creed 3 Liberation," the Ubisoft statement to us reads. "This will address the save game corruption issue that you asked about [previously]. We'll have a better idea on the timing of the patch soon."
So, if you're grabbing Liberation during some Black Friday deal, if you can keep your animus instincts in check, it may save potential heartache to wait for the patch. [SOURCE]
weber_dubois222012-11-21 06:08 pmAssassin's Creed III: Liberation Drags Vita Out of the Danger Zone in Japan
It’s been a recurring theme that whenever software actually launches for the PlayStation Vita in Japan, the system gets a huge boost. That’s remained true this week, with Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation pulling the platform out of the danger zone. The handheld adventure was accompanied by a couple of new colours, which prompted the Vita’s tally to more than triple, up from the disastrous 4,021 units reported last week, to the more respectable total of 13,091 units. The game itself sold 24,034 units, earning it a place in the sixth spot on the software charts. [SOURCE]
weber_dubois222012-11-17 01:13 am‘Black Friday 2012’ bundles and deals revealed for Playstation 3 and Vita system
Sony Computer Entertainment today revealed their official “Black Friday 2012” bundles and deals for their Playstation 3 and Vita systems. The company will be offering deals on the Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified, and Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes bundles for the Playstation Vita. You can check out the content list for each product below (via Playstation Blog).
( Read More )
weber_dubois222012-11-17 12:55 amUbisoft Sounds Surprisingly Happy with Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation Sales
Developers don’t pound their chest at the sight of their PlayStation Vita software sales very often. There’s a reason for that – if every single PlayStation Vita owner bought LittleBigPlanet, for example, that would be just over 2 million units sold. 2 million in sales isn’t poor, but it’s not a breakout success, nor a reality in this case. For comparison, there has been approximately 3 million PS3 copies of LittleBigPlanet 2 sold, despite a current PlayStation 3 install base surpassing 60 million units.
( Read More )
weber_dubois222012-11-15 02:47 pmPS3 Trophies Forum: Assassin's Creed III: Liberation Trophy Guide
Players: 1
Online Trophies:Fighter
Completionist
Online Pass Required for Platinum: No
Cheat Codes Affect Trophies:
Estimated Time to Platinum: 15-20 hours
Minimum Playthroughs: 1
Collectible Trophies:
Difficulty Trophies: None
Missable Trophies: None
Glitched Trophies:
weber_dubois222012-11-13 12:14 pmInterview with "Assassin's Creed: Liberation" Composer, Winifred Phillips
In October, Ubisoft set out to prove Sony’s new handheld, the PS Vita, was capable of delivering an Assassin’s Creed experience on par with its console counterpart. But though we thoroughly enjoyed our time with Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation, we enjoyed its soundtrack even more. Recently, composer Winifred Phillips agreed to answer a few questions we had in light of what may be one of the best video game soundtracks of 2012.
( Read More )
weber_dubois222012-11-11 08:19 pmAssassin's Creed Encyclopedia- 2nd Edition Unboxing (06:19)
The Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia Second Edition from UbiWorkshop. This encyclopedia contains over 120 new pages from the first edition released, totaling 384 pages. The Second edition is a hardcover copy with new cartes blanches, created with the Assassin's Creed Dev Team in Ubisoft Montreal, revised content from the first edition based on all feedback (dev team and community), up-to-date with Assassin's Creed III, and Assassin's Creed: The Chain narrative contentAvailable at UbiWorkshop for $49.95
weber_dubois222012-11-09 02:20 amWhy I Keep Thinking About Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
Shaun McInnis shares his thoughts on why Liberation came so close to greatness, and his hopes for what's to come.
( Read More )
Last week, I reviewed Assassin's Creed III: Liberation. I scored it a 6.5. At various points in the comments, this led people to pronounce that I was surely (A) a Vita hater, (B) a horrible monster, or (C) a horrible, Vita-hating monster. But as these things tend to go, the reality of the matter isn't quite as exciting as the theories: I'm simply a fan of the series who enjoyed Liberation but felt its flaws--technical and otherwise--were substantial enough to warrant a score in the "approach with caution" range.
And yet, in spite of the frame rate issues and misguided touch controls, there's something about Liberation that's stuck with me over the past week. It's a deeply fascinating game, one that takes risks and introduces new ideas to the tried-and-true Assassin's Creed formula. These ideas don't always come together especially well, but they're almost always interesting. And, for me, no part of Liberation is more interesting than its narrative ambitions.
( Read More )