PlayStation LifeStyle » Assassin’s Creed II

Ubisoft: Only 40% Players Finished Assassin’s Creed II

Corey Schwanz — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 03:30:07 +0000

Many gamers are worried about a video game’s length, due to the cost of a game, it is only reasonable to expect that there is value in a title. The Vanquish debacle is proof enough of that. But what can be said when there are raw statistics that show that gamers can’t even finish one of the best games of 2009?

During a recent Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood press event, the game’s mission director Gaelec Simard revealed that only 40% of the game’s players finished the game. This figure is from Ubisoft’s Uplay service, which tracks game progress and unlocks in-game content. Granted, this data can only be accessed when players set up an account and have their console connected to the internet, it’s at least something. Uplay allows for more accurate data across all platforms, as only Xbox 360 achievements were used to track completion on the original game.

This figure is only the base point that Brotherhood is looking to meet. “In the industry, the number of games that are finished is more like five to ten percent,” Simard figured. “We all think people finish games, but when you start asking around, you’ll find that a lot of people don’t get to the end. We want the player to experience the whole package, so that’s something we’re trying to push.”

What do you think about these statistics? Apparently in the industry, it’s more common to see lower numbers. I find that surprising from an outsider’s point-of-view. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

[Source]

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Stealth Kills AC2 Pre-Orders

Matt Baker — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:33:42 +0000

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed II sold over 9 million units since its release last year. The next multiplayer-focused Assassin’s Creed title, AC: Brotherhood, looks to reign supreme in terms of sales and gives out a strong hint of doing that with news of its pre-orders beating those of 2009 smash-hit Assassin’s Creed II.

During Ubisoft’s Q1 results yesterday, the publishers’ CEO Yves Guillemot said that Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood would reaffirm Ubisoft’s position as the number one multiplayer video games developer and also went on to say:

Pre-orders are currently higher than last year, and according to EDAR-IMG metrics coming out of E3, Assassin’s Creed ranked number one in terms of purchase intent. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood should allow us to reaffirm our position as one of the industry’s best multiplayer developers.
The pre-orders are the strongest ever seen, already 20 per cent above those from the same period last year, even before the awards announced following E3.

Guillemot also claimed that they are confident Brotherhood, despite being released near the Christmas market, would still see no direct competition for the game during the time of its November release.

If you still haven’t pre-ordered Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, click here to do so now and earn $10 off your next video game purchase to boot!

Amazon Stealthily Ends Assassin’s Creed 2′s Price

Max Murray — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 02:49:27 +0000

If you’ve been lingering in shadowed corners, atop roofing fixtures or amongst bails of hay all in preparation to finally seize the best selling title Assassin’s Creed 2 at the right price, your training has finally paid off…

Amazon has recently cut the price of Ezio’s adventure through Renaissance Italy to a sizable $25, which also qualifies for free shipping. Considering this is down from $40, you’re not going to see a lower price than this anytime soon.

No word on if this is a deal, or a permanent drop, but chances are fairly high of supply being limited.

Check out our review and then sneak on over to Amazon to start the adventure!

Pre-Order Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Now For $10 Offer

Matt Baker — Wed, 26 May 2010 18:25:48 +0000

Assassin’s Creed II was a smash hit for famed developers Ubisoft upon its release last Christmas. The platformer racked up an accumulative of over 8 million units sold worldwide, as well as garnering critical reception. A follow up title was inevitable to be announced, and Ubisoft did just that with Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. The game is now available for pre-order along with an attractive bonus for doing so.

Amazon have listed Ezio’s latest outing, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, up for pre-order. By pre-ordering the next installment in the highly successful franchise you’ll also be gifted $10 bonus credit to use on a future game.

So, join the brotherhood and sneak over to Amazon to ensure yourself a copy as well as securing a $10 off a future game purchase.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood will be receiving a multiplayer beta as the game will for the first time in the series feature the intriguing prospect of multiplayer. A release date is still unconfirmed, although, the game does have a rumored 2010 release.

Why are you watching the game’s teaser trailer!? Go and steal yourself a copy of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood!

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Gets Teaser Trailer Treatment

Matt Baker — Tue, 11 May 2010 18:48:43 +0000

Speculation regarding a new Assassin’s Creed title has been mounting for quite some time. The game was only recently revealed, entitled, “Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood”. Not much is known about the game yet, but a new teaser trailer and a detailed breakdown of the game’s weapons should give fans an a better insight into Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.

If you head on over to Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood website, you’ll notice that a short teaser trailer has been revealed. Not only that, but new weapons which have been detailed should also get you excited. The game, which will bring back Assassin’s Creed II protagonist Ezio, will include weapons such as an axe, claw, syringe, and dagger.

Is it just me, or does the the narrative in the trailer sound like that ugly bastard from Killzone 2, Scolar Visari?

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood will for the first time in the series feature multiplayer and a release date is still unconfirmed, although, the game does have a rumored 2010 release.

Assassin’s Creed II Game of the Year Edition Sneaks Up for The Kill

The Great Thomasio — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:28:20 +0000

Since being release in November 09′, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed II has gone on to sell over 6 million copies and counting. Ezio’s epic battle against the Templars was one of the best games released last year and easily made up for the repetitiveness of the original title. For those who might have been waiting to purchase the title, you might want to wait a big longer as a ‘Game of the Year’ edition has popped up and we have the details you need.

While it isn’t official, it seems ShopTo.net has the inside on the Game of the Year Edition for Assassin’s Creed 2 as it seems that it will be hitting later this month, on the 21st to be exact. No further details were given, however if I had to be a guessin’ man, I’d say that it’ll feature the recent DLC that hit this year. Ya know, the chapters that were ‘glitched’ during the game and later released as DLC. How convenient.

If you were a fan of the first Assassin’s Creed and have been wondering if you should check out the sequel, read our review here, as AC2 is a significant upgrade over the original in about every way possible.

When we hear more about this ‘Game of the Year’ edition, we here at PlayStation LifeStyle will let you know!

[Source]

Assassin’s Creed II’s Price Gets Executed

Matt Baker — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:07:56 +0000

Assassin’s Creed II was one of the best games of 09′. Dramatically improving from its predecessor, Ubisoft‘s second installment of the IP should warrant a purchase from any hardcore gamer. If you haven’t picked up the game yet, now would be a perfect time to do so, as a major retailer has listed the title at a tempting price.

If a lack of funds from blockbuster releases has assassinated any thoughts of buying a new game, then worry not because Best Buy, has a great deal for you. The retailer’s latest price cut has been applied to Ubisoft’s critically-acclaimed Assassin’s Creed II. The game has been reduced to an irresistible price of $29.99.

If you haven’t at the very least played Assassin’s Creed II, then unfortunately you’re missing out on one of the best games to arrive on current generation consoles. The game has been improved in every aspect from the original Assassin’s Creed, and now would be a good time to bag your self one hell of a deal.

So what are you waiting for? Sneak over to Best Buy now and steal your self a copy. C’mon, you know you want to.

Assassin’s Creed II: Bonfire Of Vanities Blazing New Trailer

Matt Baker — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:05:37 +0000

Ubisoft continues to support Assassin’s Creed II with action-packed downloadable content. First was the ‘Battle of Forli’ pack, which introduces you six new missions. The latest DLC pack named “Bonfire of Vanities” looks even more promising with a newly released trailer.

Bonfire Of Vanities which hits the PlayStation Store today for £3.19/€3.99, contains ten memories, and Florence, which was unavailable for the original Assassin’s Creed.

The pack was confirmed for release today. If you’re a Ezio fanatic, then you’ll enjoy this new trailer below of the new DLC pack.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Check out PlayStation LifeStyle’s review of Ezio’s latest adventure.

Ubisoft Q3 Sales Revealed, Shows Decline

Matt Baker — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:57:43 +0000

Ubisoft has released its sales figures from the publisher’s fiscal third quarter. Despite the release of Assassin’s Creed II, the firm’s Q3 sales shows decline.

Ubisoft has revealed their Q3 sales which shows a drop, despite the impressive sales for Assassin’s Creed II.

Ubisoft said it generated sales of €495 million ($678.9 million) for the fiscal third quarter ended December 31, 2009, a 2.7 percent year-on-year drop. The decline came even as November’s Assassin’s Creed II sold 6 million units worldwide through mid-January–1.6 million of that coming from its opening week.

The company reported €661 million ($906.6 million) in sales, a 22.5 percent year-on-year decrease.

Ubisoft plans to sort out its current situation by focusing on its strength in “high-end” games, and by “concentrating on more regular releases for its major franchises.”

Ezio Executes Assassin’s Creed II Price

Jonathan Leack — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:39:58 +0000

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed II was one of the best action titles of 2009. Although the first Assassin’s Creed was an enjoyable title, the second in the series improved upon its predecessor in just about every way. Now is your chance to get your hands on this impressive title if you haven’t already.

Amazon.com has Assassin’s Creed II listed for the low-price of only $44.00 including free Super Saver Shipping. This is a great opportunity for those who missed out on this outstanding title starring the new protagonist Ezio to finally experience what Ubisoft have created.

Also, according to a recent Best Buy ad, Best Buy will be holding a $20 off sale for Assassin’s Creed II starting February 7th. It is unclear whether this is in-store only or also available online.

In Hong Kong Airport? Play Some PS3

Matt Baker — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:49:58 +0000

Are you in Hong Kong airport waiting for your flight? Bored? Fear not, as Hong Kong airport has teamed up with SCE by installing several PlayStation 3s in various locations in the Hong Kong International Airport for free public access.

Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong has teamed with the HKIA to put the some PS3s up for public play. The systems feature the latest PS3 games, including ‘Final Fantasy XIII‘, ‘James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game’, ‘Uncharted 2: Among Thieves’, and ‘Assassin’s Creed 2’, and seemingly Gran Turismo HD is playable as well.

A 2009 study showed that departing passengers’ wait time at HKIA is around four hours, so if you have time on your hands, why not try to set a world record by completing Final Fantasy XIII in under four hours?

[Source]

Assassin’s Creed II Sneaks By for More Than 25% Off its Price

Anthony Severino — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:41:15 +0000

If you haven’t picked up Ubisoft’s 6 million unit selling Assassin’s Creed II, then now is your chance as one retailer is offering one of the best games of 2009 for more than 25% off.

The world’s largest online retailer, Amazon.com has listed the smash-hit Assassin’s Creed II for the low price of $44.00. That’s 27% off the retail price of one of the best video games of 2009.

Sneak over to Amazon now, and take advantage of this “steal” of a price.

Uncharted 2 Nominated for Writers’ Guild Award

Anthony Severino — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:49:23 +0000

Uncharted 2 is among 5 video games nominated for the esteemed Writers’ Guild of America Video Game Writing Award. According to the WGA, the award was implemented to “encourage storytelling excellence in videogames, to improve the status of writers, and to begin to encourage uniform standards within the gaming industry,”.

Check out the full list of nominees after the jump.

The Writers’ Guild of America’s video games category was established 2 years ago. Previous winners include Dead Head Fred and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Here are the nominees:

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Written by Amy Hennig; Sony Computer Entertainment
Assassin ‘ s Creed II, Story by Corey May, Script Writers Corey May, Joshua Rubin, Jeffrey Yohalem; Ubisoft Entertainment
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Written by Jesse Stern, Additional Writing Steve Fukuda, Story by Todd Alderman, Steve Fukuda, Mackey McCandlish, Zied Rieke, Jesse Stern, Jason West, Battlechatter Dialogue, Sean Slayback; Activision
Wet, Written by Duppy Demetrius; Bethesda Softworks
X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Script Writer Marc Guggenheim; Activision

Winners will be announced next month on Feb. 20th, at the Writers’ Guild Award Ceremony.

PSLS On Location – VGA PS.Blog Meet-up

Paulmichael Contreras — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:11:58 +0000

Two weeks ago, the Spike TV network held their annual Video Game Awards show, or VGAs for short. The official PlayStation Blog held a meetup to celebrate 17 nominations awarded to various PlayStation games in Hollywood, and I was lucky enough to live in the area to attend.

I may never wear that shirt now!

The day began as it never does in almost perpetually-sunny Southern California – raining. Not just raining, but pouring, windy and just a hazard to drive on the freeway. Knowing how much fun these meetups are, however, provides for more than enough incentive to brave the elements and drive down to the rendezvous point. In this case, it was the Capitol City sports bar.

I arrived at around 1:45 PM after about 40 minutes of drenched freeway that slowed the traffic down. To the speed limit. There was valet parking around the back which only cost $7. When I got to the bar, a Sony worker saw my Home shirt and told me to sign in on the list at the front counter. Although I was over two hours early, my name ended up number 63 on the list! The place was practically empty, however, indicating that those before me simply signed in and then left to go explore Cahuenga Boulevard or simply just avoid having to pay to stay out of the rain. I just took a seat in the room to the left and ordered a lowly coke. I chatted with Emanuel Merino from rpgamer.com, and we passed the time in the bar talking, checking e-mail or even watching whatever was playing on the many televisions surrounding us.

4:00 PM. The event is almost underway. Emanuel and I get chased out of the main room because they have to prep it for the party. So we get to wait in the front lounge, outside of the cold rain where now a long line had formed. We got a few looks in our direction, perhaps of jealousy because we were nice and dry. They started letting people in and I ended up second in line!

Receiving my ticket for the raffle!

I was handed my raffle ticket, and was instructed to fill out a name tag and take a ballot to vote for my choices in various categories. I filled out a name tag, grabbed a ballot and pen and picked a perfect seat. I could see the large projector in front clearly and the center table was right in front of me. The event started with I believe Chris Morell from the PS.Blog announcing some of the Naughty Dog team that were there with us that night. A few minutes before the show kicks off, I get up to have my swag autographed by the team. I brought a copy of Uncharted 2 and a longsleeve tee-shirt I had nabbed at the E3 2009 PS.Blog meetup this past June. While I saw others wearing the shirt, I was the only one who brought it to get signed, and the Naughty Dog team commented on how much they liked the idea. Besides, out of all the PlayStation-related shirts I have collected over the years, my favorite is still the Home shirt, no offense to the awesome Uncharted 2 longsleeve.

Assassin’s Creed II At the Price You Need

Anthony Severino — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:19:24 +0000

Assassin’s Creed II, the follow up to one of the most successful new IPs of all time, was released to much acclaim. With DLC planned and an open world that offers so much to do, Assassin’s Creed II is definitely worth its price of admission. But what if the price was even lower? For today only, it is…

As part of Amazon.com’s Deal of the Day, Assassin’s Creed II has been discounted to $39.78 to give gamers one last chance to pick up this game at a fraction of the cost.

Don’t miss this deal, and if you do be sure to watch your back, you never know when an Assassin could creep up behind you for the kill. Head on over to Amazon.com now and pick up a copy at this low price.