Ubisoft E3 Press Conference 2017

Ubisoft E3 Press Conference 2017

 

Ubisoft began with a montage of all the different ways that they have introduced their logo in a wide variety of games. This got an introduction from the company president, Yves Guillemot, simply stating, “Let the games begin!”

 

The first trailer of the presentation was for a Rabbids game, it showed a rabbid below a Super Maro Coin Block. It jumped and hit the block once, getting a coin. After that, it seemed amused to simply jump into it repeatedly to get more coins. It paused briefly like it got stunned. After that, it jumped into the block one more time and got its head stuck inside it. It struggled a brief while to try and get out. A second rabbid came along, pulled on the stuck rabbid to try to free it and then the first rabbid's body hit the coin block, producing another coin. This amused the second rabbid who then used the first's body to empty out the coin block, causing a Super Mushroom to appear. It picked it up, looked at it, and ate it. This caused the second rabbid to grow to a massive size, smushing itself and the first rabbid against the screen for this short.

 

The trailer ended there and then Yves Guillemot came out on stage to welcome everyone to the E3 press conference. Behind him, the rabbids remained animated, blinking and looking outward onto the audience.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Guillemot talked about the dream of unleashing the rabbids on the world of Mario. “Today,” he stated, “the dream is reality!” He then got to welcome into the press conference, Shigeru Miyamoto. Miyamoto came in with a Bullet Bill Arm cannon from the newly announced “Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle.” Miyamoto had brought one of the arm cannons for Guillemot as well. The two posed briefly on stage with them for everyone. Miyamoto talked about the long standing friendship that he and Guillemot share over the years. Apparently it is quite common for him to visit the Ubisoft booth at E3 and just hang out with him. When they began talking about the rabbids and this project, acknowledging one of the lead developers, Miyamoto said that he had one condition on this project, that they not make a Mario Jump game or a Mario platform. He wanted them to make a Mario game that had never been made before. Guillemot felt that they had delivered on that. Miyamoto commented that since the game was being made in Europe, that it has a very unique flavor to it compared to other Mario games. He likes the action to it and the added layer of strategy and tactics helps immensely as well. The play will have a very good pace to it as well. From there, they introduced the producer of the game, Xavier Manzanares.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

He opened with “Finally, we can talk about this project.” They have had this game in development for over 3 years and it is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. Apparently, for this game, the rabbids have been teleported into the Mushroom Kingdom and this has made the world unstable and chaotic. At first, the rabbids and the Mario cast do not know each other. Over time though, they will come to form a dream team. From there, the gameplay demo went on to show how battle will flow here. There is a large area that will show where your characters can move. They can stay in the open, take cover to avoid taking damage or at least reduce the chances of being hit. Almost all the cover is destructible though. Over time it will break down and become less effective until it breaks. Almost all of the team members in your party will have abilities and a few of them will have unique abilities that can give you an advantage in combat. From there, he went to explain that there will be Rabbid pipes. These will allow for rapid movement around some of the battle area. He explained that this was a combat demonstration from the beginning of the game. Later on you will be able to do much more complex set ups and engage in more intricate combats. Xavier told us of the passion that was core to this game. He looks forward to us being able to try the game on the floor at E3. After that, a trailer for the game run. It showed all the combat we had seen in the gameplay so far. It showed a number of different rabbid costumes as well as Yoshi, Peach and Luigi in action against the rogue rabbids. This game has a release date of August 29th, 2017.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Assassins Creed Origins

Next up was Assassin's Creed Origins. It started with Ashraf Ismail coming on stage to introduce himself and say, “I've waited a long time to say that.” He opened talking about the various times and locations that the series has taken us, For the 10 years anniversary they wanted to take everyone back to where things began. He explained that bringing the game to Egypt, a game they have had in development for 3 years, fundamentally challenged them to reinvent what it means to be “Assassin's Creed.” From there, he introduced the game and let us see what it in 4K rendering in its Alpha build.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Assassins Creed Origins

This gameplay trailer opened with an upwards rising shot from behind a sand dune to show two of the great pyramids. After that, we got a birds of view of our Assassin, Bayek, riding along a sand covered path on a camel. We then saw a brief shot of one of the field workers followed by the sun setting behind the hills past the winding portions of the Nile. A quick shot of a statue of a jackal then we get to see a swamp-like area. We then see an entrance plaza to a pyramid that is being built with numerous great statues around it. A quick shot of a statue and then we see a hippo and a crocodile that appear to be coming to blows with each other. Then we see a lion chasing down a gazelle and a jump cut to it taking down the gazelle. Next is a person on a reed boat sailing down a narrow river. Then it cuts in front of that boat and we see larger ships moving on the wide body of water in front of us. The scene jumps to a chariot racing happening. After that we see 2 people on horseback with bows and arrows. A quick shot of Bayek and then see someone driving an ox-cart along a path. A few animal shots then we see a boat on a river protected by shields mounted on its side. The person toward the bow needs to ward of a crocodile coming toward their boat. We then get an underwater shot of 2 crocodiles and then one of a boat sinking before we see a hyena then a trio of people riding in the desert. Next is more people working on masonry. They are hauling a statue on its rollers. We get to see Bayek climbing up a cliff-face after that, people worshiping one of the Gods, a large group of people traveling along a road, Bayek fighting, more worshipers, a priest attacking someone and then flamingos taking flight. We see a little more combat and then Bayek walking through a burned forest with embers swirling around him, calling his eagle to his side. After that, we get a wide view of one of the area that is likely to be in the game. Then back to fighting, with both riding in the desert and in melee combat. A very quick shot of Bayek swimming in a river before seeing him fighting a bit more. A few scenes of trees and buildings burning, a warrior wearing a jackal mask, we then see this warrior standing behind a jackal statue. This is followed by Bayek riding on a camel. He he sitting on it, looking over the area in front of him as the trailer ends.

 

Ashraf Ismail came back on stage after the trailer. He then gave us an extra treat, sending the camera over to their home base, Ubisoft Singapore. There, they showed us some of the gameplay in its alpha build. They focused initially on Senu, Bayek's Eagle and companion. We see the eagle flying over an enemy camp to mark enemies and let you scout it out. It was only a quick look and the screen was a little darker for the bright sunlight coming down on it. Still, the game looks to feature improved graphics over what we saw in Assassin's Creed Syndicate and a very different style of combat. As he was telling those assembled where they could play the game, we got the release date of October 27th, 2017 on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 The Crew 2

Just after he stepped off stage, a new trailer started to run. This showed an inverted city that the camera was panning up into. A prop plane flies across the center of the screen and the view is righted just after the plane executes a trick. From there, we get a quick scene in a car garage before a race is begun at a traffic light. From there, we can see the world itself appear to fold over itself. To the sides you have mountains and valleys, on the other side, the rocky wastes of a desert. On the top you have the famous arches of the Golden Gate Bridge. The view cuts to just behind a black car racing down the the city streets. The camera jumps ahead and over to the right into the desert. We see a different race in progress, cutting across the open wastes. We see a BMX rider, the same driver from earlier, pull on his helmet and then zoom off. The scene shifts to a bike race with a ATV style truck joining in in the background. There is another shift when the BMX bike launches itself into the air, performing a trick nearby a plane. The focuses shifts to the plane that we see zooming through the mountains, getting a very quick look at Mount Rushmore. The plane performs a series of aileron rolls before it pulls out to be revealed as a LIVE share video. A quick shot of the numbers going up for the likes and subscribers, a fast shot of an interview with the pilot/driver we've seen throughout the trailer, After that, we see the plane just yards above the surface of a lake, kicking up some water as they travel. It changes to an in-cockpit view as the pilot weaves between pylons in front of them. The plane flies over a ridge and appears to blast over a race car track. The focus shifts to the cars on the track, with one screeching as it comes around a corner. The plane seems to lay some some smoke that causes a wreck. From there, we see the car with the driver we've seen throughout dodge around it. After that, a compilation of various wins that he's had are shown in instagram like photos. We're treated to more racing before 2 cars break off the track, bust through a gate and take the street for racing. The focus shifts again to the area in front of them. From there, the camera shifts upward, onto the Golden Gate Bridge area and 2 boats zooming along the water. We see those boats racing each other through what appears to be San Francisco Bay. After that, we get a montage going back through all the different areas that have been shown in the trailer. Finally, we get to see the Driver in front of all of his different vehicles before the title of “The Crew 2” is finally revealed.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 The Crew 2

Stephane Beley, creative director, came on stage and started talking about how the Crew, 2 years, showed us what open world racing could be like. This time, they are looking to show us what we wanted to see in the future and take it well beyond just driving. Then, they began an in-game trailer, showing the various vehicles and locations that you will be racing in. You will be handling boats, cars, helicopters, bikes and much more. Beley then started talking about the street races. Next was the off-road racing with both ATVs and BMX bikes. Next was the boat portion, where we saw both the open ocean, bays, and rivers being used. Finally, we looked at planes. This has you weaving through a city as well as stunting around the open sky. This trailer ended with another montage of the various vehicles focused in one setting. This finally gave us a release of Early 2018 for this game. There will be a rewards program with this game to unlock more contents and to help players kick start their collection as well as gain Beta access to the game.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 South Park The Fractured But Whole

The next trailer was for the new South Park game, “South Park: The Fractured But Whole.” It begins with an impassioned speech that everyone started out on the same team, they were working toward a common goal. From there, we see the struggles as the two sides form and either stay with the franchise or walk away from it. The trailer plays out with many shots of the different characters in their super hero outfits. Cartman ends the trailer by narrating its title and then starts laughing. The game's release date is October 17th, 2017. They have a demo of the game available at the booth on the convention floor.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Transference

Ubisoft E3 2017 Transference

Another trailer started after South Park. Multicolored neon lines came up from the bottom of the screen. At the tops of the bars, letter and numbers could be seen streaming down into them. It goes from there to 2 people, Kyle McCullough, VP of Digital and Gaming, and Elijah Wood, Creative direction, of Spectrevision, talking about using VR to help people experience something like being in a movie. The camera switches to apparently the other side of the table with Daniel Noah, Head of Development and Lisa Whalen, CEO, talking about keeping the experience with you after you have taken off the gear. We see a quick zoom in on Elijah Wood's eye and then static jumps periodically as we see the inside of the studio briefly before jumping to a mixing room, the inside of a bedroom, and then back to the board room. Elijah Wood began to tell us about research, in the game world, of uploading memories, both good and bad. The camera moves back from them to reveal that we were watching through a screen. A scientist is adjusting settings here and then we see 4 people back to back in chairs in VR headsets. The small monitors are now showing scenes from inside the virtual reality. The scientist is adjusting the knobs below the screens and monitoring the participants. The scene becomes frantic with changes, the scientists being shown as moving rapidly through the day. It calms for a moment to show a recorded video from this experiment mentioned earlier. The man on the screen calls this a “recorded consciousness”, telling us, “No matter how real it may seem, it can't hurt you.” After the line, “You're completely safe.” the title of “Transference” is shown on the monitor that just had the short video.

 

After that, Guillemot came back on stage to share a new surprise. Ubisoft Singapore had come up with a new idea within one of the most popular franchises.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Skull and Bones

The trailer began with showing the year, 1721. A narrator is telling of men from all over the world sailing the treacherous trade routes of the Indian Ocean. The riches found there fuel the dreams of power and fortune while they whet the appetites of those they fear the most, pirates. The screen goes from back to showing a bronzed-leaf globe. The view pans out to reach the globe underwater below the bowsprit of a sinking ship. A woman begins to sing as we see people, presumably dead, floating underwater, sinking down. The scene jumps to above water with a galleon at full sail charging ahead. A quick look in the hold reveals gold and chests with other treasures. It then goes to the deck of the ship, with hands tending to the ship and commanders walking the deck. The scene jumps again to beyond the ship so we see it in frame but also another ship with black sails coming up behind it. A woman is at the steering wheel, looking on calmly with a smile. Cannons are rolled to the front of the ship and start taking aim at the one in front of them. The female captain gives an order to maneuver the ship and then gives the order to fire. The pirate ship looses a broadside on the merchant vessel. Chained cannon balls are fired, spinning onto the other ship and leaving a wake of devastation there, taking out the masts of the ship. Another few shots of the merchant ship sinking into the depths. The captain of the ship with the black sails takes a telescope and looks through it. From the mist emerges a third and fourth ship with Red Sails, both of which are coming directly at her ship. We get to see the captains of both of these ships, one of which plainly means to kill the captain of this vessel. She quickly rallies her sailors to their posts as she takes the wheel. She steers her ship directly between the two other vessels, both giving the order to fire on hers. We see both ships, the white-sailed and the black-sailed, sinking and reaching the bottom of this bay. Just as they reach, a red flag comes across the screen, a steel wheel behind a skull and cross-bones appear in the fluttering with a clank. “Skull and Bones.”

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Skull and Bones

When the trailer finished, Justin Farren, Creative Director, came on stage. He stated that the average pirate lived 120 days during the Golden Age of Piracy. He presented this game as a chance to not just survive, but to climb the food chain and surpass the legend of every pirate that ever sailed the high seas. He told us how Ubisoft, once they brought naval combat to Assassin's Creed Black Flag, had wanted to bring the ultimate pirate experience to players. Skull and Bones aim to take the tactical action of this to the next level. Skull and Bones will be taking place in a shared systemic world. You can sail solo or form a gang of pirates with friends. This game looks to have seasons of play, having you either working with others or in a competition with them. After that, he introduced “Loot Hunt”, a team based 5v5 PvP mode in Skull and Bones. Then we got to see pre-alpha gameplay footage. A narrator throughout the gameplay is explaining the various mechanics at play here. As well, they are telling us about the different types of ships and their advantages. We see the round play out quickly. When the looting phase ends, pirate hunters appear in man-o-wars. These ships vastly outclass those the Pirates are in. The only choice is to run. One of the ships in the group makes a sacrifice play to allow the ship with the most treasure to get the opening needed to begin her escape.

 

One more trailer ran for Skull and Bone. It is apparently a world that will not just be static. It is a world that will react to what is happening around it. This will feature some major threats from below the waves as well. We see a pirate ship celebrating their victory when the ship they had sunk vanished below the waves with only a few barrels popping up. The pirate ship shakes and the camera zooms far above the ship to reveal a massive karken below the water underneath the ship.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Just Dance 2018

Ubisoft E3 2017 Just Dance 2018

Just after that trailer, the theater darkened and a dance track started. 3 performers came on stage in automaton style costumes and began dancing to the track of the same name by Jamiroquai. After a short time, the track changed to Bubble Pop! By Hyuna with 3 more dancers coming out in shorts and silver jackets. All of them followed steps and routines very much like those found within the game, Just Dance. Both of these tracks are from “Just Dance 2018.” That track came to an end with a panda suit coming out who was quickly circled by the arms of all 6 dancers on stage as a new dubstep track began. A quick dance number and another track began. This one sung live with a pair of dancers behind the singer. Bebe Rexha, “The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody).” All the dancers on stage join into a choreographed routine behind Rexha. When this track ended, so did the dancing.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 South Park Phone Destroyer

After that, another trailer started to run. With a spinning smartphone we see it rotate as the various features it has are listed off. Then it goes horizontal and Cartman of South Park comes on and states “We are playing 'Cowboys and Indians'.” We go on to see the team based combat as the Cowboys face off against a number of opponents, Clerics, Princesses, Native Americans and many more. The game is revealed to be “South Park Phone Destroyer”, coming in 2017.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Starlink Battle for Atlas

Another trailer started after that. This one begins in outer space, with a few of an asteroid field. The narrator tells us of “Atlas, Jewel of the Pilaes.” The narrator then talked of their exploration out into the universe. Then the tone got more serious, talking of the Legion and it destroying everything it came across. We then see a Nintendo Switch Joycon with an attachment that has one of the ships. The player makes some adjustments to the model, adding on different parts and the ship in-game changes. We see a ship evade fire and then reach a planet and goes through its atmosphere to reach the surface. The Legion forces are on the planet. We see another change to the weapons on the ship with a corresponding change in-game. The captain of the player's hip is telling another crew member they need more time to get the engines fully powered. A ship is dispatched to an icy world where it engages more of the Legion's forces. The narrator tells us that “We are up against impossible odds but together we will adapt and overcome.” The game is revealed to be “Starlink: Battle for Atlas” coming in Fall of 2018. This game will be coming out on Xbox One, PS4, and the Switch.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Starlink Battle for Atlas

Then, Matthew Rose from Ubisoft Toronto came out to talk more about this game. He told us how the 80's childhood toys of fun towns, sci-fi adventures, and great cartoons formed the catalyst for this game. This game will let the player control a team of Star Pilots in a massive open living star system. They will be working together to save Atlus from the Forgotten Legion. The ships will be very customization and adapt to new things with additional weapons or armor that you can attach to the ship model itself. These add-ons for the ship will be both physical and digital in their release.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Steep

After that, we got an announcement on the new IP Steep that was revealed last year at E3. Rebecka Coutaz from Ubisoft Annecy came out to talk about the progress made and thank the gamers for their support. She talked about how working with athletes has been improving the game greatly. She told us what stories they had been hearing from these athletes and how they practice for various elements of their sports. She told us the athletes working at elements of their craft for years to make just that one attempt at a perfect run. From there, she went on to reveal the first expansion for Steep.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Steep Road to the Olympics

The trailer for the Steep expansion began with radio chatter and a crowd cheering as we looked on at the slope of a snowy mountain. We see a snowboarding stretching just before beginning a run with an Olympic vest on. We see a skier as well preparing for the downhill run and other athletes getting ready for their run in the events. After we see some of the races begin, we are treated to a list of the events that will be in the expansion: Downhill, Snowboard Cross, Slopestyle, Skicross, Halfpipe, Parallel Giant Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Big Air, Slalom, and Ski Halfpipe. This expansion will be called, “Road to the Olympics.” This expansion will be available December 5th, 2017.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Far Cry 5

Another trailer started just after that one. This opens in a field with a toppled statue of the Crucifixion in the bottom left of it, with a faded American flag painted on the small wooden building next to it, looking out across the field toward the mountains in the background. The trailer then jumps to a small bridge across a narrow river with a wooden bald eagle at the top of an archway at the start of the bridge. The scene jumps again to a panning shot of a stained white church beyond a few trees and a small field. We enter into this church as we hear singing. Inside it, you can see the congregation is armed with automatic weapons with numerous small cages above them with candles inside. The camera continues to move forward and over to the front of the church. The man in front stands up, having a solo verse in the song and then hoists his gun up like the rest of the congregation. This leads to the reveal of the title, “Far Cry 5.”

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Far Cry 5

Dan Hay, the creative director for Far Cry 5, and director for the Far Cry brand, came out to talk about this game. He tells us that the game will be taking place in Hope County, Montana. A vast, rugged and beautiful area. He tells us it was a place that people didn't bother to lock their doors, or they used to it. Now, the county has been overrun by a fanatical cult. The player will be trapped deep within the cult's territory. The roads are closed, there's no cellphone signal and people are scared. He explains that you and your guns for hire will need to cause a ruckus.

 

A gameplay trailer started after Hay's brief presentation on stage. We see the player head to a ridge overlooking the town. We meet up with one of their mercenaries. They report that the town is overrun. The player looks down toward a church and sees some of the fanatics preaching at some of the inhabitants. One of the fanatics hits the townsperson in the back of the head and they go down. The player tells the mercenary to head up onto the nearby water tower to look at things with a simple command. The fanatics are marked already as the player goes down the slope toward a ruined school bus. The player goes through the bus and takes cover by the front of it. They highlight one of the fanatics, and the gun for hire, Grace Armstrong, takes them out with a quick quip. Grace calls out someone running up behind you and then states that you'll need more help. The character whistles and the dog from earlier comes running in. They are introduced as Boomer, Fangs for Hire. Boomer is seen tackling fanatics, holding then and bringing their guns to you after you take them out. Next, we see a plane come in and start firing on the fanatics. We are introduced to Nick Rye, Death from Above. The game is then revealed to be co-op with them coming in with a blue semi-truck with flames on its front and a battering ram. We then get to see a variety of vehicles that we will be able to use, which includes planes, farming vehicles, and many others.

 Ubisoft E3 2017 Beyond Good and Evil 2

Another trailer followed that one, bringing us to a different game. This one showing us a hong kong like city, panning down and jumping into a restaurant. We see someone picking up a dumpling with chopsticks and start talking to us. We see a humanoid pig, Zhou Yuzhu, and monkey, Knox brokering a deal for an idol and Knox needs to get going for a hot date. An idol is produced and a disc is passed to Knox. The idol, when held by the pig quickly melts after one of its gem eyes pops out after Knox has taken the disc. Knox explains that it is swiss chocolate and makes a quick get away using a combination of a mechanical arm and a jet pack to bound away. Yuzhu tells his hirelings that he wants every cop in the city after that Knox. Knox makes it to his getaway vehicle that is waiting well above the restaurant. We see them blast away from the meet-up point and into the traffic below them. A quick celebration is cut short as the cops do show up and start shooting at them on their hoverbike. The few squad vehicles chasing Knox and companion through an archway to reveal a massive police ship that fires off missiles at them. The driver artfully dodges between them and zooms along. A police copter gets above them, the driver tells Knox to “do it” and he launches himself up into the copter above him and they hijack it quickly and use this vehicle to continue their escape. The hover bike and the missiles slam into the large police ship which then starts exploding. The driver gives a cheer as they pilot away from the scene past a massive statue of Ganesha. We see the copter flying over the wasteland well outside the side and through a few other places to reach its destination. They come to a large ship that opens its bow and admits them in. Inside the pair is greeted with cheers by the inhabitants of the ship. A leader says, “It's about bloody time” and then Knox throws her the disc. She puts it into a skull-shaped reader. It quickly reveals a star map of the local system that zooms outward, revealing the destination. The ship takes off after that. It flies above the clouds and then jumps off in a sudden burst of speed. This game is revealed to be “Beyond Good and Evil 2.”

 Ubisoft E3 2017 BeyondGood and Evil 2

Onto the stage comes a pair of people, Michel Ancel and Gabrielle Shrager. They thank the audience for the applause. Michel is tearing up at the response to this trailer. He then thanked the teams who were behind the game and Yves personally. He then thanked the fans of Beyond Good and Evil who have been sticking with them for so long. It has been over 15 years since the first game came out. Gabrielle started telling us about the game itself, that will be taking place in System 3, before the birth of Jade. This places the game in a time with hybrids being made simply so corporations can expand their grasps get more resources in their power. You will be exploring this system to explore various plants and pilot massive space-faring vessel to see worlds both spectacular and dangerous. Michel took over, talking about how they have been working on just building the technology that the game will be using. They told us about their “Space Monkey Program” which will involve the fans to help the game build toward its utmost potential. Both Michel and Gabrielle invited Yves onto the stage to join them. With him, most of the presenters and others came onto the stage to join them.

 

Yves thanked us for coming to the presentation and the dedication of the fans. All of the Ubisoft employees seemed to come up on stage to share this closing moment together. They had a lot to show this year.


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