UbiDays

The new Prince of Persia is going to be a different game than what it once was. Fans of the old titles will inevitably whine and complain about the fresh new direction the franchise is taking. However, when gamers complain it’s often a good indication that something called innovation is going on, and a series is being turned on its head.

To the dismay of many, the ability to bend space and time has been stripped from PoP, but Producer Ben Mattes isn’t worried about the preconceptions and fixed notions of what a PoP game is supposed to be:

A lot of people say, “Oh my god, you can’t make a PoP game without the Sands of Time!”, and my answer is, “Oh yeah? Watch me!”

From the illustrative art style, to free form acrobatics and a narrative steeped in Zoroastrian mythology, it’s shaping up very nicely. Check out the two-part interview and some screenshots below.

Click for high-res shots:

Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway could easily be brushed aside as “another WWII game”, since that’s exactly what it is. But don’t let that preconception nail Gearbox’s shooter into a coffin, never giving it a chance.

The Brothers in Arms series doesn’t just do WWII right, it does war right; tackling the psychological horrors, the patriotism and, of course, the brotherhood of conflict. If you’re that fatigued with the setting, then make this the single WWII game you play this year.

Check out the trailer below, straight from the Ubidays conference in Paris. If it doesn’t pique your interest, then the union of WWII and videogames is truly dead.

We reported last week that cult favourite Beyond Good & Evil had a sequel in preproduction, according to the franchise director Michel Ancel. However, it hadn’t been given the greenlight by Ubisoft. Today, Beyond Good & Evil 2 has been officially announced by the publisher at their Ubidays event in Paris.

Here’s a teasing glimpse of the game in this hilarious and downright mysterious new trailer:

One of the greatest games out there has been given a second chance, and Ubisoft are taking a giant leap of faith for the few, yet incredibly devout fans of the franchise. The question now isn’t whether the game will be good, it’s whether gamers have grown enough in five years to give this game the sales it deserves. Only time will tell.

Earlier this week it dawned on me that there is a game called Splinter Cell Conviction. Remember? Sam Fisher went all Bourne with a man purse, crowd stealth and using anything and everything as a weapon. It looked pretty good, but what the hell happened?

Please sir, all I wanted was some spare change

Wonder no more, because a year of radio silence has been broken. According to Xbox World Magazine by way of CVG, the title is indeed “delayed”. Yeah, that’s an understatement.

We won’t see the new Sam Fisher until 2009 or even as late as 2010. It’s back to the drawing board since Ubisoft feels the initial design concepts aren’t as fresh as they once were.

Look for an official statement from Ubisoft, the perfect opportunity being next week at their UbiDays event in Paris.

UPDATE: According to Ubisoft, “There is no official comment on this story, which is based on a purely speculative news piece”

Again, just wait for official news on the title.