Ubisoft’s Laurent Detoc Talks About Wii Launch Titles

In an interview with IGN, Ubisoft North America president Laurent Detoc talked about the seven launch titles for the Wii. The lineup includes the previously revealed Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids, as well as Far Cry, Blazing Angels, Open Season, Monster 4×4: World Circuit, and  a new racer called GT Pro Series.

Seven launch titles from one company is quite remarkable and the decision to bring these games to Wii is based on Ubisoft’s bullish outlook for the next-gen console. The company’s ultimate goal is to be the number one independent publisher for the Wii in 2006.

The announcement of Far Cry for Wii was quite a surprise as it will be released against another first person shooter (FPS), Red Steel. It would seem that the move has Ubisoft running the risk of cannibalizing its own sales. Detoc says this won’t be the case; the games offer different experiences.

The Wii version of Far Cry will include elements from Far Cry Instincts Evolution in addition to a fresh storyline. As with Red Steel, players will be able to shoot enemies using the remote in Far Cry. Detoc adds, “You will also be able to throw grenades, punch, jump, run and balance to keep from plunging to your death. You will also be able to drive cars, trucks and boats. If you’re looking for a game that allows you to experience the true beauty of the Wii and its revolutionary remote technology, this is it.”

For the dogfighting game Blazing Angels, Detoc gave an idea on how the game will be played on Wii. The left and right hands will perform separate roles with less crossover and collaborative control patterns. That way, one hand can focus on main controls, while the other is used for simple routines.

As for Monster 4×4, the controls were rebuilt to make use of Wii’s motion-sensing features, so players can actually feel like they’re at the wheel.

GT Pro Series, which is a Wii-exclusive, is inspired by a Japanese game that wasn’t released in North America. Ubisoft is optimizing the game for the Wii. It will feature 80 licensed cars, loads of tuning options and fluid drift-style controls and physics. While that’s pretty standard for a racer, Detoc hinted on an mysterious accessory that will make the game a must-have.

Finally, Detoc sung his praises for the Wii: “From what I’ve played and observed, the Wii will be successful. It changes our entertainment experience as gamers. It is innovation at its finest. As a creative company, Ubisoft embraced the remote as a gold mine for our talented developers to imagine new ways to play and interact with their TVs. That’s what you will get from us across seven games in four different genres.”

Looks like we’re going to see a solid lineup of Wii titles come launch time. If this is an indication of what we can expect from future Ubisoft games for Wii, then the company might just be on its way to becoming the number one publisher for Nintendo’s next-gen console.

Via IGN

In an interview with IGN, Ubisoft North America president Laurent Detoc talked about the seven launch titles for the Wii. The lineup includes the previously revealed Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids, as well as Far Cry, Blazing Angels, Open Season, Monster 4×4: World Circuit, and  a new racer called GT Pro Series.

Seven launch titles from one company is quite remarkable and the decision to bring these games to Wii is based on Ubisoft’s bullish outlook for the next-gen console. The company’s ultimate goal is to be the number one independent publisher for the Wii in 2006.

The announcement of Far Cry for Wii was quite a surprise as it will be released against another first person shooter (FPS), Red Steel. It would seem that the move has Ubisoft running the risk of cannibalizing its own sales. Detoc says this won’t be the case; the games offer different experiences.

The Wii version of Far Cry will include elements from Far Cry Instincts Evolution in addition to a fresh storyline. As with Red Steel, players will be able to shoot enemies using the remote in Far Cry. Detoc adds, “You will also be able to throw grenades, punch, jump, run and balance to keep from plunging to your death. You will also be able to drive cars, trucks and boats. If you’re looking for a game that allows you to experience the true beauty of the Wii and its revolutionary remote technology, this is it.”

For the dogfighting game Blazing Angels, Detoc gave an idea on how the game will be played on Wii. The left and right hands will perform separate roles with less crossover and collaborative control patterns. That way, one hand can focus on main controls, while the other is used for simple routines.

As for Monster 4×4, the controls were rebuilt to make use of Wii’s motion-sensing features, so players can actually feel like they’re at the wheel.

GT Pro Series, which is a Wii-exclusive, is inspired by a Japanese game that wasn’t released in North America. Ubisoft is optimizing the game for the Wii. It will feature 80 licensed cars, loads of tuning options and fluid drift-style controls and physics. While that’s pretty standard for a racer, Detoc hinted on an mysterious accessory that will make the game a must-have.

Finally, Detoc sung his praises for the Wii: “From what I’ve played and observed, the Wii will be successful. It changes our entertainment experience as gamers. It is innovation at its finest. As a creative company, Ubisoft embraced the remote as a gold mine for our talented developers to imagine new ways to play and interact with their TVs. That’s what you will get from us across seven games in four different genres.”

Looks like we’re going to see a solid lineup of Wii titles come launch time. If this is an indication of what we can expect from future Ubisoft games for Wii, then the company might just be on its way to becoming the number one publisher for Nintendo’s next-gen console.

Via IGN