Ubisoft’s E3 2015 liveblog!
Ubisoft’s E3 blitz is a curious mix of triple-A titles, like Assassins Creed, as well as, er, Raving Rabbits and Just Dance iterations. It’s also typically had a spadeful of spectacle thrown into the mix. And that’s probably a very good reason to liveblog it — so we’re going to. Expect more information on Ubisoft’s premier titles, more information on Rainbow Six: Siege. It all starts at 2:45PM PT, or 5:45PM ET. Come on over and join us!
It’s time for Ubisoft… and it’s a madhouse.
Ah, Ubisoft. We meet again. Let’s see what wacky things you have in store for us this year!
The music is super-loud, there are people in body armor and Victorian garb, and Mat’s personal space is being invaded.
The music cuts out and a video begins! It’s a couple of Ubisoft people being awkward on camera, rather than on stage.
Rabbids Invasion is up first!
A rabbid dressed in a toast costume is unable to jump into a toaster. Classic rabbids.
The first official fart joke of E3, 2:42PM PT, Ubisoft press conference.
Now we have a video of Ubisoft employees talking about how cool their jobs are.
When will someone actually get on the stage? I mean, I like movies, but …
It’s a cool little video, but the stage is so empty. Someone think of the stage!
I see no trace of Aisha Tyler so far. I want to see what kind of shoes she’s wearing this year.
Seems like the video is wrapping up though. (Fingers crossed.)
Now the Ubisoft developers and executives are reading mean tweets. The crowd chuckles politely, while quietly wondering why we’re still just watching a bunch of videos.
“I should have gone to see Jurassic World,” someone in the audience thinks.
Somehow, the video keeps rolling. Now it’s a Just Dance World Champion showcase.
People in the audience are talking, clapping, having a jovial time in general, despite the continued neglect of such premium stage space.
It boggles the mind. Such is Ubisoft.
Two of the people from the actual video are in the audience! Will they dance onstage? No. They’ll dance live on Twitch later in the week.
Apparently the actual conference hasn’t started yet — this has all been pre-show.
Fear not, stage. Your time to shine is coming.
And the video rolls ever on.
The last movie I saw was Avengers: Age of Ultron. There’s no reason for you to know that. This event is making me nostalgic, I guess.
The video ends. A hushed sigh of relief rolls over the crowd.
Somewhere, someone asks what time it is. It’s earlier than you think, friend.
NOW LOADING UPDATE.
I hear Aisha Tyler!
She’s giving us emergency exit instructions. I’M SCARED.
The lights go down and … another video.
This one is for what looks like a new South Park: The Stick of Truth.
Cartman and his buddies are all superheroes now, saving the city from evil Butters.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole is now available for pre-order.
Matt Stone and Trey Parker hit the stage with Aisha!
She’s wearing ankle boots, by the way. And a jumpsuit! Dig it.
Matt and Trey are also wearing clothes.
Cue the witty, awkward banter.
“We’re kind of whiny babies,” Matt and/or Trey says.
“We might regret it, but we’re doing it again.”
South Park: The Fractured But Whole is made in collaboration with Ubisoft San Francisco. It follows the story of a new kid coming to town and joining the other kids in a superhero game.
And off they go! Aisha commands the stage and starts the show.
I do love how cool Ubisoft is with cursing. We’ve had a few f-bombs and sh** drops already.
Some of Ubisoft’s top fans stand up — they’re front and center for the show.
Aisha drives home that Ubisoft truly listens to its fans and players.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot takes the stage!
Yves is adorable. He loves games, game creators and game players, he says.
Here’s a new IP from Ubisoft Montreal.
There are soldiers in medieval-style armor defending a castle.
A huge battle erupts. I’m getting a slightly Viking vibe from some of these characters.
Some of the soldiers battle in a green mountainside, while others are in a dark castle.
Lots and lots of swordplay.
For Honor.
Apparently I missed the Samurai-style characters, but they’re there.
“When you look inside yourself, do you see a knight, a Viking, a samurai, perhaps?” Jason Vandenberghe says from the stage.
He has a truly badass cane, by the way, and great stage presence.
Eight people take the stage, put on headphones and pick up controllers.
Two teams of four players in a live multiplayer demo, live onstage right now.
We’re following the blue knights right now. We see one main player race toward a horde of orange samurai.
The battlefield is packed.
The player runs to a clear area and faces off with a samurai, one-on-one, then two-on-two.
These are all live players, not NPCs, in the clearing. NPCs and live players rage in the background.
Yikes. Head-chop complete.
“That was just a tease of our current build,” Jason says.
The four-on-four demo is at E3 “on console.”
Check out forhonorgame.com to sign up for the beta.
Aisha returns and we’re on to The Crew.
“Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.” And we cut to a trailer of The Crew.
There are cars!
The Crew: Wild Run on November 17th, 2015.
Now, something else: a cat riding a unicorn.
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