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Yves Guillemot: "Vita Not Dead Yet AC:Liberation sell 600k"

Oni Jazar

Member
The game had some good and bad parts but Aveline is the best new character in Videogames in a very long time.

vjQR15K.jpg
 

zulfate

Member
I would love if ubisoft can put a anno game on the vita! I loved having a city sim on portables like sid meiers pirates on the psp!
 

Derrick01

Banned
Rockstar has a vita game(s?) in development I believe

I'd love a Vita GTA since it can give us more modern open world games with proper controls, but I doubt it at this point. Sony should be doing whatever they can to make it happen.
 
But that's because vita is doomed that ACL succeeded.
I mean, if there was many other games on vita, they will have each a smaller part of sales despite driving a larger userbase, just like on others consoles.
When ACL was released, it was the first good (true or false, it's not the debate) vita game in months. Vita owners better not miss this one to feed their handheld.

Lol WTF is this post? Seriously? Good games, big franchise games, sell, big shock i know.
 

pantsmith

Member
Just wondering. Considering the relatively niche userbase of the Vita right now, do you think sales of these games have a fairly decent downloadable attach rate? I've bought 4 games at retail (full price ;_;) and everything else has been purchased off of the psn store.

I imagine they also make more per digital purchase, though its hard to say much without numbers.
 

Ydahs

Member
Instead of downports of HD titles, this is what the Vita actually needs. Games that can't stand on their own and complement a main series. Similiar to how SEGA tackled Sonic on the DS and home consoles.
 
But that's because vita is doomed that ACL succeeded.
I mean, if there was many other games on vita, they will have each a smaller part of sales despite driving a larger userbase, just like on others consoles.
When ACL was released, it was the first good (true or false, it's not the debate) vita game in months. Vita owners better not miss this one to feed their handheld.

Why was I not surprised when I saw your profile..
 

Kyon

Banned
Instead of downports of HD titles, this is what the Vita actually needs. Games that can't stand on their own and complement a main series. Similiar to how SEGA tackled Sonic on the DS and home consoles.

Vita needs simultaneous releases with the usual multiplatform franchises that are on every platform along with 3DS. Like what WB is doing with all the Lego games AND original games.

Because honestly I'm not here for ports of a damn 3DS game judging by the Lego games which could be open world like the console versions. Sega has shown that they can do this I totally agree with you. Look at Sonic All Star Racing they ported it to Vita and its a solid port too. I have no doubt the new Sonic adventure game will be the same. Phantasy Star Online 2 is also a great port judging from the Beta and footage. :3
 

jcm

Member
Just wondering. Considering the relatively niche userbase of the Vita right now, do you think sales of these games have a fairly decent downloadable attach rate? I've bought 4 games at retail (full price ;_;) and everything else has been purchased off of the psn store.

I imagine they also make more per digital purchase, though its hard to say much without numbers.

Guillemot says digital makes up 15-20% of Vita sales. It may be higher for games that aren''t being bundled with a physical copy like AC:L was.

And yes, either Sony or Ubi make more money when they are able to cut the retailer out of the loop. I have no idea what the revenue split is, but there's definitely more revenue per unit to split.
 
Real test will be whether Ubisoft announces another Vita exclusive of comparable scale.

A more polished AC sequel with proper multiplayer would be welcome as would a GRAW and Splinter Cell game. However, considering Rayman Legends got announced for PS360 and Vita got the shaft, I have my doubts.

I'd love a Vita GTA since it can give us more modern open world games with proper controls

Who wouldn't? A GTA: SAS would be an amazing game and very welcome. A GTA PSP HD (LCS, VCS, CW) collection would also be much welcome. Or a RDR: Stories from R*.

But as you said, it's unlikely. The only open world games that might come to vita are infamous or an AC:L sequel.
 

Drek

Member
A more polished AC sequel with proper multiplayer would be welcome as would a GRAW and Splinter Cell game. However, considering Rayman Legends got announced for PS360 and Vita got the shaft, I have my doubts.
Legends is apparently done and they're delaying release for PS360, they aren't going to add more time to that delay for the Vita. I'd bet a Vita port will follow shortly after however, as they've already brought Origins and Sony now has a very convenient PS3 > Vita port system.


But as you said, it's unlikely. The only open world games that might come to vita are infamous or an AC:L sequel.
Never know, Sony's recent comments about needing to do better with the Vita and getting 3rd parties more involved (From Kato, their CFO) sounds like they might have some interesting new partnerships coming for GDC/E3/TGS. Rockstar has traditionally been pretty friendly to Sony platforms, including the PSP where they carved out some pretty healthy profits.
 

Loxley

Member
I know this is sort of true for any console, but this year will either be fantastic for the Vita or fucking terrible. I guess at this point E3 will tell, or hey maybe Sony will give it a mention on the 20th.
 
If this first year of Vita has taught Sony anything, it's that no one wants a handheld to buy watered down handheld versions of console games. I'm hoping 2013 means some games NOT built around being a "console experience in your pocket!" That's the reason why Nintendo is so successful with their handhelds.

thats the biggest load of bollocks ive ever read.
 

Diseased Yak

Gold Member
Man, I really hope this news leads to more Vita advertising/promotion by Sony, and some devs hopping on board the Vita development train!
 
And this is just with a mediocre reception. Can you imagine the scenario if the game got higher review scores? I'm pretty sure it would go nearly twice the amount. Regardless, this is just their FIRST entry into the new hardware, can't wait to see what they could bring in the next few years.
 

Revolver

Member
The game had some good and bad parts but Aveline is the best new character in Videogames in a very long time.

vjQR15K.jpg

I played a bit of this on a relative's Vita and couldn't agree more. I liked her character much more than Conner. Whenever I get a Vita of my own Liberation will be a must buy.
 
You mean Bioshock (which is 2K, not R*) or something else?

IIRC, Jim Reilly, who was at IGN, tweeted during E3 that Rockstar had multiple Vita titles on the way.

Later in 2011 or earlier last year, another GAFfer supposedly in the know said that this was an error or miscommunication, and that there was only one Vita title in development.

Since then, there's been no word that I know of (I can't find this supposed Jim Sterling tweet).
 

Hatten

Member
It makes perfect sense for mobile developers to hate the Vita: on phones they have a lower bar than on consoles and with Android you don't have to ask for permission to sell your game.
 

Figboy79

Aftershock LA
And that is what you get when you put non port game.

Why would i buy NFS MW if i have better PS3 version ? More handheld only games is what vita needs.

I bought PlayStation All Stars on PS3 digital, downloaded it to my system, and downloaded the Vita version. Before there was Cross Buy, I had decided to buy the Vita version, and pick up the PS3 version at a later date, on discount.

I played the PS3 version a total of 3 times. I play the Vita version daily.

Different people have different gaming requirements. I don't have much time to play my PS3 as much as I used to, but I do have a clear 2 hours each day on the bus. I use that time to play my Vita.

Most games I buy nowadays I'm getting the Vita version (if it's a port). There will be others that will buy the console version over the Vita version. I bought a Vita, not because it was the new hotness, but because it filled a need in my gaming habits.

Why buy a portable if you play 99% of your gaming at home? For a gamer that doesn't have a lot of home time gaming (the exception for me lately has been Ni No Kuni, but if there was a Vita version as well as a PS3 version, I'd have bought the Vita version), having ports is great, as well as original content.

AC3: Lib, is a really good AC game, and it's even more impressive for being portable. I hope Ubisoft makes another one. Looking at these sales, they probably will.

I like that the gaming market will cater to more than just the masses. Not all of us want ports, but we don't have to buy them if they aren't our thing. Some of us, however, like that ports exist.
 
Never know, Sony's recent comments about needing to do better with the Vita and getting 3rd parties more involved (From Kato, their CFO) sounds like they might have some interesting new partnerships coming for GDC/E3/TGS. Rockstar has traditionally been pretty friendly to Sony platforms, including the PSP where they carved out some pretty healthy profits.

I'll believe it when I see it and not just announced with a log a la Bioshock, COD, RE PSP, DMC PSP, Elder Scroll PSP, etc

What? Ubisoft did better on Wii U than Vita for the year, both this quarter and for the entire fiscal year (which Wii U wasn't even available in before this one quarter).

Out of curiosity, how many games available for each? They both got a pretty significant bundle, so that's kind of even there.
 

QaaQer

Member
Is the game any good or is it just because it's an AC title?

I think this review is pretty fair: http://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2012/12/07/seven-ways-assassins-creed-is-better-on-the-vita/

1) Aveline rocks
The lead character in Liberation is Aveline, and she’s the best protagonist the series has ever had. It’s not just that Aveline is a woman. It’s not just that she’s black. It’s not just the accent. It’s not just that she’s an orphan with a Mysterious Past. It’s not just that she’s a capable businesswoman shipping cotton to Havana. It’s all five of those things.

2) Three Avelines rock even more
Aveline has three personas, called guises, based on what she’s wearing. Each has different strengths and weaknesses. Her slave persona is very different from her assassin persona which is very different from her respectable lady persona. They’re each deadly in their own way, and they each store up wanted levels, which encourages Aveline to change clothes frequently to cover her tracks. Of course, she can’t just change clothes in the middle of the street. Clothes were very complicated back in the olden days, especially all that stuff ladies had to wear with, I dunno, corsets and whatnot. So you have to commit to a set of clothes at the unlockable dressing rooms scattered around the city. This gives Liberation something that very few superhero games offer: a playable secret identity.

3) No sign of Desmond
Liberation is exactly what all the Assassin’s Creed games should be: Desmondless. The virtual history sim — called an animus — still comes into play, but not by forcing you into cutafscenes where you have to play some whiny douchebag assassin descendant with daddy issues who needs to get up and stretch his legs. Instead, you can investigate a mysterious hacker running around the city and environs, a sort of ghost in the machine. Why can’t we be that guy in the other games instead of that Desmond doofus?

4) No attempt to tap into other games
Liberation is a self-contained mystery about Aveline rather than another installment in the saga of some character I actively dislike. It is a standalone story and not just another chapter an in incomprehensible series.

5) New Orleans has unique character
Assassin’s Creed 3 takes full advantage of its Frontier America setting, complete with all the silly History’s Greatest Moment bits. But Liberation’s exotic New Orleans swamp, on the cusp of being American if not for all these pesky Frenchmen and Spaniards, is enthralling. It even gives Liberation the opportunity to play with voodoo without feeling as cheesy as, say, the mystical tattoo/drug nonsense in Far Cry 3′s indeterminate Pacific Island setting.

6) I have no desire to play the multiplayer
Assassin’s Creed 3 is two full games, both very very good. It can be confusing. Do I level up my homestead or do I level up my online characters? There is no such confusion in Assassin’s Creed: Liberation where the multiplayer is, I think, an elaborate joke. Ha ha, Ubisoft. You guys really got me.

7) It’s on the Vita!
It’s on the Vita! Even though the visuals suffer in their tininess, none of the basic Assassin’s Creeding is compromised. This is a full-blown counterpart to Assassin’s Creed 3, with its own setting, style, character, and location. Bravo, Ubisoft.

On the negative side is this from the comments section:

I disagree with Tom so sharply here that I'm not sure how to express it without being mistaken for one of the churlish fanboys that crowd the site anytime one of his reviews strays outside the median. All I can say is that his experience with the game was very different from mine.

Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation is a dim, tedious, and broken game, technically and conceptually speaking, in practically every regard. The highest praise I can offer is that it never crashed during the 7-8 hours I fought with it, though given the number of times I was forced to reset due to scripting errors or invincible assassination targets, that's a minor distinction.

As Tom says, Aveline can use changing stations to switch between three different personas: The Lady who can beguile useless guards and be fatally obstructed by shin-high platforms; The Slave who can blend into crowds until her notoriety explodes for any random infraction; and The Assassin who would be able to fight really well if the combat system functioned the way it was supposed to. This means that under absolutely ideal circumstances, the player might have access to as much as one-third of the tactics that Ezio gained within an hour of starting Assassin's Creed II, but is battling three notoriety bars instead of just one.

These are not ideal circumstances. Trying to kill a witness is a coin-flip on whether the character model will lock into a freakout pose and become immune to damage. Step down onto a pier or tumble into the water as The Lady, and she'll happily drown rather than violate her prohibition on climbing. Enemies pop into and out of the world at an arm's length. Proximity and timing seem wholly unrelated to whether melee attacks connect. In one "boss" encounter, I hacked the guy in the arteries for a sustained three minute combo, yet he wouldn't keel over until I gave up and accidentially countered his next attack.

But even in a game where traditional, iterative controls only work some of the time, it's kind of amazing how poorly the Vita-specific elements work. Some of it is just silly busy work, like pinching your fingers across the front and rear touch screens to rip open a letter. The real trials come when Aveline needs to hold a letter up to a light source, as apparently a light bulb, a flash light, and the Earth's sun are insufficiently bright for the game to recognize through the system's camera. Also, God bless anyone who can make pickpocketing or chain killing work consistently.

Tom is absolutely correct that New Orleans and the surrounding bayou has a distinct appearance compared from anything I've seen in Assassin's Creed III. From an aesthetic standpoint, the designers should be proud of what they were able to accomplish on a handheld. It's such a shame the visual fidelity comes at such a steep performance cost: Aveline sprints and climbs and tumbles with a gentle leisure, as though the whole of colonial Louisiana were suspended in a thready gel.

Is Liberation really a self-contained mystery about Aveline? I earnestly don't know, because at a point in the game where Ezio was avenging his murdered family and Connor was fighting to protect his home, Aveline was still meeting with people of uncertain importance towards an end I couldn't comprehend. Something about shipping irregularities, Cajun accents, and a cultish mystic? That wasn't worth sitting through when it involved lightsabers.

I never played that PSP Assassin's Creed game, Bloodlines. I did force myself all the way through the first 360 game though, so it still means something when I call Liberation the worst game in the franchise. Altair's adventures were just repetitious and boring. This one actually takes all of the improvements the series has made since then, brainstorms ways to make them off-putting and high maintenance, and then gives it all compression fractures on the way into a portable platform.

I recommend against it.
 

Moonlight

Banned
600k vs 34k platform sales for UK wiiU?

still pathetic?
600k worldwide versus 34k platform sales in a single region?

Are you high?

EDIT: That's not to say that 600k is bad, and I'm very happy that it provides a good leg to stand on for the Vita, but this is a fucking terrible comparison.
 
Out of curiosity, how many games available for each? They both got a pretty significant bundle, so that's kind of even there.
Ubisoft's ZombiU bundle was EU only and higher priced versus the regular SKUs. Not that "even" really.

Anyway, Ubisoft releases on each so far:

PS Vita
-Asphalt: Injection (NA/EU)
-Assassin's Creed III: Liberation (NA/EU/JP)
-Dungeon Hunter: Alliance (NA/EU/JP)
-Lumines: Electronic Symphony (NA/EU/JP)
-Michael Jackson: The Experience HD (NA/EU/JP)
-Rayman Origins (NA/EU/JP)

Wii U
-Assassin's Creed III (NA/EU/JP)
-ESPN Sports Connection (NA/EU/JP)
-Just Dance 4 (NA/EU)
-Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth (NA/EU)
-Rabbids Land (NA/EU/JP)
-YourShape: Fitness Evolved 2013 (NA/EU)
-ZombiU (NA/EU/JP)
 
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