Assassin’s Creed Coming 2012 Says Ubisoft CEO

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Assassin’s Creed will have another entry in 2012, as confirmed by Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot during a conference call. While no details were given, it is believed that the game will wrap up the story arch with Desmond Miles and conclude the “end of the world” plot set in December 2012.

Meanwhile, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations has higher pre-orders than Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood did last year, although its sales are ultimately expected to be “double-digit” lower than it’s predecessor. “We want to be careful and prudent, but we have high expectations for the product,” Guillemot said,

The Assassin’s Creed has sold over 31 million copies since its inception in November 2007, Ubisoft indicates.

Source: Gamasutra

Call Of Duty Elite Servers Blown Up By Usage

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The launch day of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 sent millions to retailers to pick up a copy, and a good percentage wanted to register for an account on Call of Duty Elite. The demand was such that the service is suffering from a significant backlog as hundreds of thousands look to log in, as technicians look to fix the issue.

“We are proud to say that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has launched and millions of people are already playing online,” said Chacko Sonny Studio Head for Beachhead Studio. “Registration requests for our new live service Call of Duty Elite are exceeding even our most optimistic expectations, which is creating a bottleneck and some players have not been able to register. We have already registered hundreds of thousands of players and we are working around the clock to increase our capacity as quickly as possible.”

“Please be assured your gameplay data is safe and that whenever you successfully register for Call of Duty Elite, all of your data will be waiting for you,” he added. “So enjoy the game, start ranking up and we assure you we are working around the clock to accommodate every player who wants to be a part of Call of Duty Elite as quickly as possible. We will update you frequently to keep you informed.”

Source: callofduty.com/elite/status

Wii Still 45 Percent Of Ubisoft’s Business

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The Wii has not had a good 2011, with diminished hardware and software sales. Still, despite the difficulties that third-parties have had with the system, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot says that the Wii is a huge part of their business.

“Today, the Wii still is 45 percent of our business,” he said. “Just Dance, all those casual games, are selling extremely well.”

As for the Wii U, he hopes that the system’s new capabilities, including better graphics and the tablet controller, will help propel the company’s business to a new level. “Now to [what audience] will it be addressed We don’t exactly know yet,” said Guillemot. “But the potential of the machine, and the tablet [controller], I think is a good way to improve the potential gameplay.”

Source: Gamasutra

DC Universe Online Sees 1000 Percent Increase In Concurrent Users

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Recently, Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley indicated that 120,000 new PC users had been added to DC Universe Online since the switch to free-to-play. Now he says that the game has achieved “1000 percent of our pre-F2P concurrent numbers” though it has not come without technical issues.

“We’re very aware of the long queues and other issues,” said Smedley. “We’re working on adding more hardware and working on our servers so we don’t have them.”

Source: Twitter.com

Adobe Acquires Auditude

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Adobe Systems has announced that they have acquired Auditude. This will help the company offer end-to-end video, connecting authoring, publishing, monetization and optimization to help customers build long-term businesses through the delivery of video content across all IP-enabled devices.

“Premium video publishers want to capitalize on the foundational shift to digital by providing viewers with great media experiences and maximizing the value of their content on every IP device,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president and general manager for Adobe’s Digital Media Business Unit. “With this acquisition, Adobe can now offer an unparalleled platform for authoring, distributing, analyzing and monetizing digital video experiences everywhere — simplifying work flows, increasing consumer engagement, delivering insights and driving increased revenue for content publishers.”

“By joining Adobe we are accelerating our vision of helping top media companies and publishers maximize the value of their video content,” said Jeremy Helfand, CEO of Auditude. “Adobe has deep roots in video and bringing our capabilities together will provide great incremental benefits for our customers. As part of Adobe we are excited to bring publishers and media companies a platform offering that has never been possible before, driving unprecedented monetization opportunities for them.”

UFC Fox Event Sees Advertiser Interest

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight championship match between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos will be a historic moment for mixed-martial arts. These sorts of fights happen all the time, but what’s notable is that it’s taking place in prime time network television.

When it comes to legal sports, few are as viscerally gory as the UFC. Just this past June, Dos Santos rendered Shane Carwin’s face a crimson mess, but Fox is not concerned.

“We sold out all 15 units in a week,” says Todd Siegel, executive vp, Fox Sports Cable Sales. “In fact, we could have sold more units, but people came to us a little late. We had to turn down a couple movie studios as well as an automotive client.”

Media buyers report that a 30-second spot in The UFC on Fox cost just over of $100,000, with the Among the advertisers including Anheuser-Busch, the Casio G’zOne Commando smartphone, the U.S. Marine Corps and buys from the studios 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. This comes a few months after Fox Sports signed a seven-year, $700 million rights deal with the UFC.

Fox has gone all out to promote the UFC, with interviews and advertisements during their football and World Series coverage. This program on Fox offers an unprecedented promotional platform for the UFC, even if there’s a near-term dip in PPV revenue.

“You don’t go on free television and make your money, that’s just not the way it works,” says UFC president Dana White. “We’re going to get smashed on this fight, but it’s an investment in the future of the business.”

Source: AdWeek

Rabbids Are Alive & Kicking

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Rabbids are one of the best known names when it comes to party gaming and they’re coming to Kinect! Time to stop them from invading your house!

Are You Black Eyed Peas Experienced?

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On the official Facebook fan page, a new tab allows fans to get into the groove. Answer three questions to find out which track from the Black Eyed Peas Experience best reflects your mood. Three more engagements are on their way allowing fans to electrify the city, get the party started and be like a Pea. Stay tuned and get into the groove!