Assassin's Creed Anthology Dated and Priced

Following on from yesterday's leaked retail listing on Amazon France, Ubisoft has confirmed the existence of the Assassin's Creed Anthology Edition, and detailed when we'll be able to get hold of it.

The Assassin's Creed Anthology Edition will be available for Xbox 360 and PS3 exclusively through Amazon in both Europe from November 29 for €150, and the UK from November 30 for £119.99.

Unfortunately for those of you Stateside, it appears Ubisoft has no plans to bring the Anthology Edition to America. A representative for the company told IGN that the bundle is not currently scheduled for release in the US.

The Assassin's Creed Anthology Edition will include include Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - The Da Vinci Edition, Assassin's Creed: Revelations - The Ottoman Edition and the just-released Assassin's Creed III. The bundle will also include all the expansion packs and DLC for the Assassin's Creed games, as well as the Assassin's Creed III Season Pass, which provides full access to all forthcoming downloadable content for the game.

Also included in the pack are five lithographs, a steel book and a collector’s box. For more details on the Assassin's Creed Anthology Edition, check out the original story.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Borderlands 2 Pirate DLC Leaks

Information on downloadable content for Borderlands 2 has leaked online. Called “Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty,” the pack appears to have been leaked by files included in yesterday’s early release of the Mechromancer class and features new missions, a new rarity color, new loot and more.

According to a trophy list on PS3trophies.org, three additional Trophies (and presumably achievements) will be included along with the pack: one for completing a mission called “X Marks the Spot,” one for discovering all named locations “in Oasis and the surrounding Pirate's Booty areas,” and one for completing “all Pirate’s Booty side missions.”

In addition, files from the Steam version of Borderlands 2 have leaked significantly more information. A thread on the official Gearbox forums includes multiple images, showing off a new currency called Seraph Crystal, a new pink item rarity, new head customization options for the game’s original four classes, a new vehicle and a plethora of new items, weapons, enemies and bosses. In addition, a text file on Pastebin allegedly includes all of the Echo dialog from the game. According to one entry, the story of the pack is summed up as follows: “legends speak of Captain Blade's Lost Treasure of the Sands. Of a prize so great that men would turn the sands red in pursuit of it. Of a pirate queen, courageous and deadly, who would stop at nothing to find it. Of a monstrous Leviathan. Of the Vault Hunters who journeyed to the desert town of Oasis, not knowing the horrors that would befall them.”

For now, the content is unconfirmed, but we’ve reached out to 2K and Gearbox for comment. Previously, rumors suggested that new downloadable content called Torgue could be in the works for Borderlands 2, but it’s unclear if that and Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty are related. Gearbox hasn’t detailed any downloadable content for Borderlands 2, though a Season Pass currently available for purchase suggests that multiple packs will be coming in the future.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Wii U Announcements Discussed

Yesterday marked the long-awaited reveal of the Nintendo Wii U worldwide launch details and pricing news. While many of us here at IGN rushed out to pre-order the unique new console, others remained skeptical. I asked some of my friends around here to see what the consensus was, and -- as it turns out -- Nintendo's first foray into high definition graphics is a lot more polarizing at IGN than I thought it would be.

Mitch Dyer, Associate Editor says - Nintendo’s done little to win me over in the last six months. Everything about Wii U so far has been predictable. It’s hard for me to get excited about another Mario game, charming and entertaining as they always are, because they do very little to shake up the gameplay. Third-party stuff like ZombiU is interesting, but hardly alluring when Xbox 360, PS3, and PC have considerably more games I’m interested in.

This week's big press conference did two things: First, it convinced me the Wii U finally has substance; second, that I absolutely won’t be buying one. Oh, and theTekken characters look awesome in Mario costumes.

Colin Campbell, Features Editor says - It’s a fair price for a good product, and it’s got strong first-party support and okay third-party backing. I’m a family-man and I’ve completely bought into this idea of Wii U as a front-room box-of-fun, in much the same way as Wii was. I’ll be playing this with my kids, and so it’ll be a different model of fun than playing hardcore RPGs and shooters on Xbox 360 and PS3. I doubt I'll bother much with those Wii U games aimed at the hardcore gamer. Family fun is what Nintendo does best, and I’m impressed with the thought that has gone into serving the impulse to play with other people. If I was a single man, I’m not sure I’d be quite so convinced as of yet. Everything hinges on the controller and I’m still not sure that it offers enough to make this console worth buying, when new, more powerful consoles from Microsoft and Sony are likely around the corner. But Nintendo has a free holiday season with this new console, and my gut-feeling is that it will do very well.

Greg Miller, Executive Editor of IGN PlayStation says - Zombie U is a really cool survival game, The Wonderful 101 looks like this DC Comics fanboy's cup of tea, and Wii TVii's live sports integration seems interesting. All of that is cool, but not $300 cool. I'm letdown with this price point. Nintendo has been so guarded about Wii U information, but what has leaked out hasn't been the best buzz builder -- the machine is only slightly more powerful than the PS3 and 360, so when Sony and Microsoft's new consoles come out next year, this will already be an out of date system.

“

Wii U is cool, but not $300 cool.

When the Wii was announced, I was floored, hooked, and ready to pick my console up at its midnight launch. But as the years have gone by and I've seen my Wii age into a PS3 controller charger, I've lost my Nintendo faith. It's a great company with amazing exclusives, but it's not one that speaks to me. The Wii U is going to sell and Nintendo fans are going to love it, but I'll wait for the inevitable price drop and Mario Kart, Mario Golf, or Zelda.

Keza MacDonald, UK Games Editor - I wasn't totally sold on the Wii U when it was first announced,

“

HOLY S--T, BAYONETTA 2.

but since E3 this year I've been warming up to it. When you get your hands on the console and play around with the GamePad it just instantly makes sense. I was worried that Nintendo would overprice it, but $300/£250 seems very reasonable to me - it's cheap enough for me to want to buy one right now rather than save all my pennies for the next PlayStation/Xbox next year, which will almost definitely be way more expensive. The launch line-up could be better, but hey, it's launching with Mario. That hasn't happened in 16 years. Also: HOLY S--T, BAYONETTA 2! THAT was unexpected.

Nic Vargus, IGN Tech Editor says - Nintendo didn't dig into the nitty-gritty specs that I really wanted to geek out on, but maybe they didn't have to. The Wii U looks pretty powerful, at least until it has some next-gen competition. I'd like to pretend that the only thing that matters is Nintendo's first-party exclusives, but I still haven't dusted off my Wii to play Donkey Kong Country Returns, and I used to have dreams that I transformed into Diddy Kong. I'll probably still buy a Wii U, but that's just because I'm irresponsible with money.

Brian Altano, Executive Editor of News & Features says - I snuck out of work in the middle of helping coordinate our Nintendo Wii U news coverage to go pre-order a Nintendo Wii U -- along with Rayman: Legends, New Super Mario Bros., and Zombi U. So yeah, that was my reaction. Oh, and please don't tell my boss I ditched work, or that I might be ditching a lot more come November 18th. Hopefully he doesn't read this.

Charles Onyett, Executive Editor of IGN PC says - I think the price is fine. Apple charges $200 to $300 for a new phone with a payment plan pretty much on a yearly basis. Nintendo charging a little more for a full gaming console every six or so years is perfectly reasonable. While new consoles are always exciting, and I’ll probably wind up buying a Wii U somewhere in the launch window anyway strictly out of pure curiosity, I think its game lineup has issues. There are only a few real standout launch window games like ZombiU, New Super Mario Bros. U, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and Pikmin 3. Many of its launch titles have already been released or will be released on platforms millions of people already own.

The Wii U also doesn’t have the same kind of novelty the Wii did when it launched. Nintendo delivered a much more intriguing input device with the Wiimote. By comparison, it feels like the Wii U’s innovations are minor, and many of its dual-screen control mechanics are gimmicky. My opinion could very well change after I pick up a Wii U and get to play all the games over the course of a few months, but for now, beyond the simple fact that the Wii U’s launch -- at long last -- kicks off the next generation of consoles, there aren’t many reasons to get unreasonably excited.

Colin Moriarty, Editor, IGN PlayStation says - I have to be reminded every once in a while that one should never underestimate Nintendo. No matter how down-and-out they seem, no matter how completely irrelevant their hardware appears to be compared to Sony’s and Microsoft’s, and no matter how bitter and jaded the hardcore community seems towards them, they always pull a rabbit out of their hat. I have little doubt that the minds at Nintendo will perform a similar feat with the Wii U.

“

Nintendo simply isn’t the same company to me, and many others, anymore.

With that said, temper your expectations. Many of Wii U’s most appealing games will have already been out on other consoles by the time it launches. Its touch pad -- like the Wii’s controller -- is yet another gimmick, something Nintendo doesn’t even need with its strong library of legacy exclusives that will no doubt find their way in one form or another to the Wii U. And the casual gamer that made the Wii a rousing commercial success will not be back. Nintendo now has to cater again to the hardcore audience, and they lost some of that audience -- including me -- by refusing to give me much, making me long for the glory days of my youth, ranging from the NES and SNES to the N64 and the GameCube. Nintendo simply isn’t the same company to me, and many others, anymore.

Wii U is also too expensive. For a console that -- at best -- is marginally more powerful than this generation’s consoles, a $300 minimum price strikes me as strange. Then again, while the next Xbox and PlayStation will undoubtedly leave Wii U in the dust in terms of technology, it doesn’t really matter if the games are on Wii U. There are already some interesting titles announced and on the horizon, but I need to see more. Just like my wait-and-see approach with the 3DS (I finally acquired one this summer), I will be watching Wii U eagerly, waiting for a price drop and some compelling games for me -- the hardcore gamer -- before I drop my hard-earned dough.

Destin Legarie, Editor says - When I saw the Japanese announcement late last night about the Wii U pricing, I was skeptical.  I worried that it would be too high for the American market, and I was frustrated after hearing how much I would have to pay for a second controller.  When the Japan announcement came through it seemed that the console would set me back about $450 Day 1, which did not fly for my delicate American wallet.  Luckily that all changed this morning.

When I got to work that sour opinion vanished.  Not only did they hit that magical number of $299.99 for the American market (making us feel like we get a deal being one cent under $300) but they also revealed their exclusives. Rather huge exclusives, actually.  Bayonetta 2 being on the Wii U is a huge win for Nintendo and it came along with a list of great titles that will be out on launch day, or at least within the launch window.  The Ultimate Edition of Monster Hunter 3, New Super Mario U, and The Wonderful 101 are all games that have me ready to plop down my pre-order cash.

I do have one question for you though, Nintendo: why wasn’t THIS your E3 press conference?

Ryan McCaffrey, Executive Editor, IGN 360 says - Scoring Bayonetta 2 as a Wii U exclusive is a nice gesture to hardcore gamers on Nintendo’s part, and New Super Mario Bros. U looks excellent. But personally, nothing about the launch window -- be it price or software lineup -- is compelling me to buy Nintendo’s new console in 2012. I’m sure I’ll buy one eventually for the first-party games alone -- hell, I always do with Nintendo’s systems -- but I’m keeping my wallet closed for now. On a side note, Nintendo almost always does things in their own unique way, but it’s interesting that they’ve taken a page from Microsoft and the Xbox 360 launch by offering a “Premium” and a “Core” SKU. I do appreciate that they’ve given me a way to not have to buy Nintendoland whenever I do end up getting a Wii U.

Fran Mirabella III, Senior Director of Video: I’ve observed every Nintendo console launch since GameCube as part of this industry, and Wii U has, by far, felt like the one Nintendo was least prepared for. Until now. The E3 2012 showing was, let’s face it, completely off the rails. It goes down in the books as one of Nintendo’s worst press conferences. One of the major problems was that major playable software was scarcely highlighted, and the stuff you might be most interested in, you barely got to see (Super Mario Bros. Wii U, Rayman Legends, Pikmin 3, etc.). Today, it finally got a $299 price point, a release date, and a substantial amount of software. And, more importantly, I'm finally seeing more gameplay along with their GamePad integrations.

So am I actually excited? Yes. I’ve pre-ordered my deluxe bundle and am ready to get in line. What can I say, I’m a console launch junkie and there’s easily enough to keep me satisfied here. I’m excited to play Rayman Legends, Pikmin 3, and possibly some third-party games I’ve never had the chance to get to yet. But what is still missing is something that is often lacking from major console launches -- a Halo, an Uncharted... a Zelda. This isn’t surprising, but it is the nagging part of the Wii U launch currently. From Smash Bros. to a full-fledged 3D Mario, I just don’t know when that stuff is coming, and there’s no truly exclusive mega-franchise hitters here for core gamers. Most importantly, though, I haven’t seen many single-player GamePad integrations that really excite me. I love the idea of the GamePad for the whole family and things like TV browsing, but how is it going to change the next Metroid? That’s something we all still have to hold our breath a while longer for.

So what do you think? Agree with my co-workers? Despise them vehemently? It's OK, I feel the same way sometimes, and I have to spend all day with them. Sound off below and let me know what you think.

Brian Altano is IGN's Executive Editor of News & Features. Follow him on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Obsidian's Countdown Continues With New Details

Update: The teaser site for Obsidian's new RPG project we told you about yesterday has been updated, revealing more details about the mysterious "Project X".

The most important change to take note of is the fact that the number four has now become a three, revealing it to be a countdown rather than an indication of what the title may be. This means we should get more answers when the number reaches zero, which will happen on Friday.

New text has also appeared though, which reads, "The book unread is unwritten. The reason we don't explain it is the reason we use it. Its power is in its mystery. That is the Leaden Key, in part, in whole. Is it clear?"

"Digging for truth buries the seeker."

Though that's the only text visible on the page, a quick look its source code reveals a bit more: "Two centuries ago, your divine champion told the people of Dyrwood to grovel at his feet. If you've come on pilgrimage to the blasted crater that was our reply, Godhammer Citadel is *that* way."

So, does this give us any crucial hints about what the game is? The fact the number has changed makes Dungeon Siege 4 a less likely candidate than it was yesterday, but it's still possible. While Obsidian has spent a fair amount of time in the past working on other company's IPs, there's nothing to suggest this couldn't be a brand new endeavour of its own.

We'll find out more over the coming days.

Original Story: A teaser for what appears to be a countdown to the reveal of a brand new game has appeared on popular RPG developer Obsidian's website.

The landing page currently features the number four enveloped by an Ouroboros, an ancient symbol depicting a snake or a dragon eating its own tail. The text below reads: "What do the words mean? Nothing. The Dirge of Eír Glanfath is sound without form, a lone voice crying out in mourning because it must."

Clicking on the image takes you to forum landing page for Project X Speculation & Discussion where Obsidian fans have begun to speculate on what the words mean.

Described as a forum for "Obsidian's next RPG endeavor" it teases said game is so secret "not even its project codename is yet being revealed."

Stick around for updates and speculation.

Source : ign[dot]com

See PS All-Stars’ Nariko and Sir Dan in Action

Yesterday, we revealed that Nariko and Sir Daniel were joining the roster of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. And today, Sony has released videos of each character in action. You can see them both below.

Nariko and Sir Daniel mark the 19th and 20th confirmed characters in the game. Will there be more? Only time will tell!

Colin Moriarty is an IGN PlayStation editor. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN and learn just how sad the life of a New York Islanders and New York Jets fan can be.

Source : ign[dot]com

Halo 4: Spartan Ops DLC is "Longer Than ODST"

343 Industries' boss Frank O'Connor has responded to fan concerns over the length of Halo 4.

After yesterday's achievement list leak pointed to the game containing just eight missions, O'Connor explained on NeoGaf that this didn't reflect how long each would be.

“

The main campaign is substantial and will compare favorably with previous entries in the series.

Posting as 'Stinkles', he wrote that the "Number of missions has no bearing on the length of the campaign. It's a Halo sized campaign. PLUS [Spartan Ops] etc."

His words were then added to by 343 Industries' designer David Ellis (as lybertyboy) who claimed that "[Spartan Ops] season alone is longer than [Halo 3: ODST].

"Spartan Ops and Campaign are completely separate teams. As Frank mentioned earlier, the main campaign is substantial and will compare favorably with previous entries in the series."

Spartan Ops is a new story-driven game mode set to feature in Halo 4 and will replace the Firefight mode that appeared in Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST. Gamers can play it on their own or co-operatively with up to three other players, and the first Season of Spartan Ops plans to deliver five new objective-based missions and cinematics each week over a 10-week period. It's this content taken in isolation that Ellis has claimed will consist of more content than Halo 3: ODST.

So it seems if you were concerned after yesterday's news then there's no need to panic. Halo 4 launches on Xbox 360 on November 6.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

No Facebook Phone Coming Next Year

Bloomberg reported yesterday that Facebook “is working with HTC Corp. to build its own smartphone for release as soon as mid-2013,” vaguely citing “people with knowledge of the matter” (i.e. an anonymous source). But despite this rumor swirling around for years now, it will have to continue swirling.

During today’s 2nd quarter earnings conference call, Facebook’s CEO discredited the hearsay about a proprietary device, expressing the company’s intention to pursue alternatives “that aren't really building out a whole phone, which really wouldn't make much sense for us to do."

The Facebook team also revealed their struggles to monetize increasing mobile usage of the service; an exclusive mobile platform would give the company greater options - especially with regard to ad-placement.

For now, Facebook has a team of UI designers poached from Apple working on its notoriously sluggish iPhone app. “I think we're much closer to the beginning than the end in terms of what we can do with the apps we use today,” said Zuckerberg.

Facebook is expected to launch an improved and better-integrated app with iOS 6 this fall, with further updates to follow.

Source : ign[dot]com

Jon Favreau Gives Magic Kingdom Update and Discusses how Pixar is Involved in the Disneyland-Based Film

Jon Favreau was at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour yesterday in support of Revolution, the new NBC series he’s executive producing alongside J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke, with Favreau also directing the pilot episode.

After we spoke about Revolution (look for that portion of our interview in the coming weeks), the conversation also turned to Magic Kingdom, the Disneyland-inspired film Favreau is attached to direct. Favreau gave an update on that project and revealed that he’s been developing the film with the assistance and input of John Lasseter and the team at Pixar.

Jon Favreau: Magic Kingdom, I’ve been working on. I went back to back to back, three movies in a row -- Iron Man, Iron Man 2 and Cowboys & Aliens -- all of them with release dates announced as I cracked the script for the first time. We already knew the date and the poster -- and sometimes in some cases the cast. On this one, Magic Kingdom is a big film. It’s a very special piece of intellectual property with all the characters from the park and the legacy of Walt Disney. When I got hired, I said, “Look, I really want to emulate the storytelling model and development process of Pixar.” Pixar’s process is a lot different than Hollywood movies. You don’t just write a script, prep it, shoot it, and then figure it out sometime later. There’s a lot of visual effects that include animation, and post-production tends to be a bit of a knockdown, drag-out fight in the big Hollywood films, especially the visual effects elements. So what we’ve been doing is writing the script, going up to Pixar and meeting with the brain trust, coming back down, bring on artists and story editors, and putting it together as though it were an animated film. Then, by the time we actually film it, we’ll have a rock-solid story. I don’t want to rush anything. I want this one to be perfect. I want it to be one shot, one kill, like a sniper. I want to make sure this movie’s right in the crosshairs, that we can really knock it out of the park -- so to speak.

Question: Do you have to decide on a main character, or is it more of an ensemble?

Favreau: It’s going to be a family in the park, and it’s an alternate reality version of the park they get lost into. So much of it is just how it weaves together as a tapestry and what the visuals look like in creating this rich world. Fortunately, there’s no rush on it. I’ve been working on it as a writer now, and we’re in a very exciting part of the process and looking forward to getting that long lead prep as you would on an animated film. Then you work your way to where you know what the whole movie’s going to be before you ever roll camera. You could actually watch it -- as the Pixar people do -- actually watch it on a screen and evaluate it before you ever roll camera.

Question: It’s not officially considered a Pixar production though, right?

Favreau: No, as far as I know it’s a Disney production, but they’ve been very good about... I’ve known [John] Lasseter for many years now, and it’s our first time collaborating together. But he’s opened up us to all the resources at Pixar. I’ve been up there a few times now and stayed up at the ranch. It’s just been a dream come true. Taking a tour of Pixar is special enough, but to sit in a room and pitch to those people and hear their ideas? It’s very, very exciting. So I want to learn as much as I can from them and hopefully have their success in storytelling that they do as well by learning from their process. But I really want to hold this film in very high standards. I’m not rushing it, but it’s coming along very well. We’re very excited about it.

Question: Are the rides in the movie?

Favreau: Yeah, I think they’re called “attractions.” Disney corporate would call them attractions. But yeah, it’s informed by everything that I remember and know about the park from going there since I was a small child.

Question: Might we get any reference to Club 33?

Favreau: Club 33 is something that we’ve been discussing, definitely. I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the vulture in Club 33. That’s an interesting character. There’s a lot of ideas swirling around right now. I don’t know which ones are going to make it in, but it’s primarily informed by Walt’s vision of the park, either before or immediately after it opened. So a lot of it, for people our age, there will be a nostalgic element to it. People who know Disneyland, they’re going to see that we did our homework, but it’s ultimately going to be an adventure for the family and for the kids, too. I had a lot of fun playing to that type of crowd with Elf and Zathura, and this seems to be mixing elements from all the films I’ve done -- from Iron Man, Cowboys & Aliens, Zathura, Elf -- all rolled into one project that’s calling upon everything I’ve learned up to this point.

Source : ign[dot]com