The creative director for Assassin's Creed 3 thinks your ideas are stupid and you should just shut up already. Really, that's not even very paraphrased.
"People on the internet suggest the most boring settings," Alex Hutchinson told OXM. "The three most wanted are WWII, feudal Japan and Egypt. They're kind of the three worst settings for an AC game."
Assassin's Creed 3 writer Corey May really wants to do India, and Hutchinson agrees, saying "I would too. I'd really love to do the Raj."
The moral of the story is: Don't expect an Assassin's Creed title in WWII, feudal Japan or Egypt settings, ever. Also, shut up.
Assassin's Creed 3 creative director doesn't like your ideas, Internet
Anindo | 06:41 |
Assassin's Creed III
by Jessica Conditt on Apr 5th 2012 11:00PM
286
Humanizing a killer with Hitman: Absolution
Anindo | 06:38 |
Hitman Absolution
This time it's personal.
It may be one of the worst taglines ever, but for Hitman: Absolution, it's an apt summary of a demo given to me in San Francisco last week. This time around, Agent 47 isn't accepting contract kills -- he's on his own mission.
This decision gives IO Interactive a unique opportunity not afforded to the developer before, lead producer Hakan Abrak said. "Agent 47 makes the call," Abrak said. "He decides what the next step is. The mission and the story was progressing through the contracts before, but in Absolution there are no contracts. He needs to figure out what the next steps are and that really gives us an interesting way of progressing story. Also it gives us an opportunity to get you guys closer to Agent 47."
While that's the goal, I wasn't able to get much of a sense of that in my demo, which focused mainly on 47's new skill set. For how long Agent 47 has been in the murder game as arguably the world's greatest assassin -- well, in the game's world he is the best, obviously -- he hasn't really changed much. Same suit, same bald mug, same garrote wire.
There is some advancement for him, finally, in Hitman: Absolution. It seems 47's downtime has mostly been spent playing video games, as two distinct new features are highly reminiscent of those found in Splinter Cell Conviction and the Red Dead series. 47, like Sam Fisher, can see through walls -- even the plotted patrol paths of enemy AI -- and, like in the Red Dead series, has a firing mechanic that slows down time and lets him tag several enemies and objects before unloading in a spectacular flurry of bullets.
"We tried to to communicate his super keen senses into mechanics in the game," Abrak said. "The Instinct mode is kind of the umbrella that communicates this -- Point Shooting is also part of Instinct mode. Real-life elite squads can train to shoot with their instincts. Or it's like sensing that somebody is on the other side of the wall. 47 doesn't have super powers but he has these extremely keen senses that we really wanted to show."
But even these new tricks don't change the game's emphasis on stealth; they just bring the action side of the series more on par with the stealth side. "First and foremost, what we're trying to convey is that Hitman is still very much about stealth," Abrak said. "If you liked that in the earlier installments, you're definitely going to get that here. But we also want to present compelling action, if you're that type of player. In earlier installments, if you went into action, every enemy would come after you -- you felt like a failure, like you had done something wrong. We really wanted to do that differently here, so if you play action, we think it should be a compelling experience and we think we've achieved that. If you want to switch between stealth and action, you should have the freedom to do so." Firing a shot won't magically call every enemy in the entire level to your position.
This particular mission was set in an orphanage and showcased one of the more linear levels players should expect in the final game. It isn't all sandbox environments this time around, Abrak said. "Later on, we will show you things to come, such as freedom in environments seen in Hitman games before. There are open environments that you know from earlier installments."
If my time with Hitman: Absolution proved anything to me, it's that IO Interactive isn't afraid to take bold steps with this latest installment. Whether that upsets you or not, I can say that it excites me personally. IO could've easily put out another cookie cutter game and satisfied fans, including myself, but they chose the more difficult path of innovation and that should be celebrated.
It may be one of the worst taglines ever, but for Hitman: Absolution, it's an apt summary of a demo given to me in San Francisco last week. This time around, Agent 47 isn't accepting contract kills -- he's on his own mission.
This decision gives IO Interactive a unique opportunity not afforded to the developer before, lead producer Hakan Abrak said. "Agent 47 makes the call," Abrak said. "He decides what the next step is. The mission and the story was progressing through the contracts before, but in Absolution there are no contracts. He needs to figure out what the next steps are and that really gives us an interesting way of progressing story. Also it gives us an opportunity to get you guys closer to Agent 47."
While that's the goal, I wasn't able to get much of a sense of that in my demo, which focused mainly on 47's new skill set. For how long Agent 47 has been in the murder game as arguably the world's greatest assassin -- well, in the game's world he is the best, obviously -- he hasn't really changed much. Same suit, same bald mug, same garrote wire.
"We tried to to communicate his super keen senses into mechanics in the game," Abrak said. "The Instinct mode is kind of the umbrella that communicates this -- Point Shooting is also part of Instinct mode. Real-life elite squads can train to shoot with their instincts. Or it's like sensing that somebody is on the other side of the wall. 47 doesn't have super powers but he has these extremely keen senses that we really wanted to show."
But even these new tricks don't change the game's emphasis on stealth; they just bring the action side of the series more on par with the stealth side. "First and foremost, what we're trying to convey is that Hitman is still very much about stealth," Abrak said. "If you liked that in the earlier installments, you're definitely going to get that here. But we also want to present compelling action, if you're that type of player. In earlier installments, if you went into action, every enemy would come after you -- you felt like a failure, like you had done something wrong. We really wanted to do that differently here, so if you play action, we think it should be a compelling experience and we think we've achieved that. If you want to switch between stealth and action, you should have the freedom to do so." Firing a shot won't magically call every enemy in the entire level to your position.
This particular mission was set in an orphanage and showcased one of the more linear levels players should expect in the final game. It isn't all sandbox environments this time around, Abrak said. "Later on, we will show you things to come, such as freedom in environments seen in Hitman games before. There are open environments that you know from earlier installments."
'Hitman: Profession' trademark filed in Europe
Anindo | 06:37 |
Hitman Absolution
Square Enix Europe has filed a trademark for Hitman: Profession. Siliconera dug up the paperwork, which gives us very little information beyond a name and the potential for hours of speculation on what it means.
The most obvious guess would be it's the name of the new Hitman game, in production under IO supervision at the Square Enix studio in Montreal. Considering Hitman: Absolution won't be ready until sometime in 2012, it'd be surprising if Square had already filed trademarks on the next installment.
Hitman: Profession could also be some kind of transmedia tie-in, mimicing Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed model and creating experiences -- loosely tied to the core game -- covering comics, iOS and Facebook. Like we said: speculation!
Hitman: Absolution has nuns to make Agent 47 run (spoiler: he doesn't)
Anindo | 06:34 |
Hitman Absolution
Turns out yesterday's Hitman Absolution tease, which featured a bunch of Kasumi Goto silhouettes, was actually showing off the naughty nuns from the clip above. Using only a minuscule amount of his silent assassin repertoire, Agent 47 takes out an ICA (his former employer) hit squad, known as "The Saints," in brutal fashion.
Those looking for something a little less up-close-and-personal can pre-order Hitman: Absolution now from GameStop and obtain the Hitman: Sniper Challenge as a bonus. Agent 47 runs (and kills) for his life once again on November 20.
Hitman Absolution Gameplay & plot
Anindo | 06:33 |
Hitman Absolution
Gameplay
It has been confirmed that the game will take place in the United States,[3] and will feature an online option.[4] In addition, the game will feature "instinct mode" which will allow 47 to predict enemy patrol routes, much like the 'visor mode' that was featured in Splinter Cell: Conviction.[5]
Plot
Hitman: Blood Money ended with Diana helping Agent 47 fake his death, in order for him to escape The Franchise. 47 killed their leader, former FBI director Alexander Leland Cayne, though he was part of a larger secret society called Alpha Zerox. Diana and the rest of ICA do not know 47's whereabouts, nor does the player for certain - though the last scene shows 47 entering an Asian establishment, asking suspiciously what they have to offer, "preferably in the back". The first in-depth trailer for the game shows Agent 47 storming a safehouse, and confronting Diana while she is showering. 47 is "betrayed by those he once trusted and now hunted by the police, he suddenly finds himself at the center of a dark conspiracy and must embark on a personal journey through a corrupt and twisted world, in his search for the truth". At least one portion of the game will be set in Chicago, but it has been confirmed that the rest of the game will take place within the US. Hitman: Absolution is not set in a specific Hitman timeline.[6] Confirmed plot details include series protagonist Agent 47 assassinating his former International Contract Agency handler Diana Burnwood early in the game[6] and the antagonist identified as Blake Dexter, a new character to the series. The character will be voiced by Keith Carradine.[7] There will be a significant amount of blood and gore in Hitman: Absolution.Hitman Absolution
Anindo | 06:31 |
Hitman Absolution
Hitman: Absolution Info
Description
The fifth game in the multi-million selling franchise showcasing IO’s new Glacier 2 game engine, Hitman: Absolution follows Agent 47, a cold blooded assassin, who takes on his most dangerous contract to date. Betrayed by those he trusted and hunted by the police, he finds himself at the centre of a dark conspiracy and must embark on a personal journey through a corrupt and twisted world, in his search for the truth.MSRP
49.99 USDRelease Date
Nov 20, 2012Genre
Action, StealthDeveloper
IO Interactive
Publisher
Eidos, Square Enix
Rating
M (Mature)
UPDATE
Agent 47 isn't doing a very good job with that whole sneaking around thing, as we found out pretty easily this morning that his next game, Hitman: Absolution, launches November 20.
Publisher Square Enix announced the date this morning alongside news that pre-orders will get access to a ... whole other Hitman title. Not too shabby!
Publisher Square Enix announced the date this morning alongside news that pre-orders will get access to a ... whole other Hitman title. Not too shabby!
'Hitman: Sniper Challenge' spotted in magazine ad; spinoff game is Absolution pre-order bonus
Anindo | 06:25 |
Hitman Absolution
'Hitman: Sniper Challenge' spotted in magazine ad; spinoff game is Absolution pre-order bonus
The game is advertised as a pre-order bonus for Hitman: Absolution at GameStop, where it will be handed out when you pre-order. It comes with a sniper rifle item for Absolution as well, the code for which will be given out when you pick up the retail game.
Hitman: Absolution gets a well-dressed 'Professional Edition' [update: EU and NA
Anindo | 06:23 |
Hitman Absolution
Hitman: Absolution gets a well-dressed 'Professional Edition' [update: EU and NA
Don't get too excited – we thought the image above revealed some kind of replica gun in a cool briefcase as part of the Hitman: Absolution "Professional Edition," but it's actually bonus in-game DLC. Oh well, no toy guns for us! Said DLC, the "Agency Gun Pack," comprises a Jagd P22G pistol, a UMP SMG and an SPS 12 semi-automatic shotgun.
The Professional Edition, announced for Europe today, also includes an art book, a making-of DVD, and a fancy clamshell box. We're due to get some kind of special edition in North America as well, but details haven't been announced yet.
Update: the North American release will have the same "Professional Edition." In addition, Square Enix announced retail-exclusive bonuses for Amazon (the "Bartoli Custom Pistol"), Best Buy (the "Bronson 1928M SMG"), GameStop (the "Agency Kazo TRG" sniper rifle), and Walmart (the "Krugermeier 2-2 Pistol").
The Professional Edition, announced for Europe today, also includes an art book, a making-of DVD, and a fancy clamshell box. We're due to get some kind of special edition in North America as well, but details haven't been announced yet.
Update: the North American release will have the same "Professional Edition." In addition, Square Enix announced retail-exclusive bonuses for Amazon (the "Bartoli Custom Pistol"), Best Buy (the "Bronson 1928M SMG"), GameStop (the "Agency Kazo TRG" sniper rifle), and Walmart (the "Krugermeier 2-2 Pistol").
'Hitman Sniper Challenge' trademarked in Europe
Anindo | 06:19 |
Hitman Absolution
Square Enix Europe continues its Hitman trademark spree with Hitman Sniper Challenge. Siliconera dug up the latest trademark, which comes a month after the site found a Hitman: Profession trademark lurking in the European database.
What is Hitman Sniper Challenge? Much like Hitman: Profession, any guess is purely speculative. What we do know is that a new Hitman game is under production (with IO supervision) at the Square Enix studio in Montreal. IO is currently finishing up Hitman: Absolution for its 2012 launch.
Square certainly has plenty of transmedia opportunities for Agent 47 that could cover angles beyond games.
What is Hitman Sniper Challenge? Much like Hitman: Profession, any guess is purely speculative. What we do know is that a new Hitman game is under production (with IO supervision) at the Square Enix studio in Montreal. IO is currently finishing up Hitman: Absolution for its 2012 launch.
Square certainly has plenty of transmedia opportunities for Agent 47 that could cover angles beyond games.