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Ubisoft Announces Raving Rabbids 4

by Pedro Hernandez - January 18, 2010, 10:30 am EST
Total comments: 38 Source: Gamasutra

Outside of that, the company will focus on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in the next fiscal year.

Ubisoft has announced that, for the next fiscal year, they will focus on more traditional, core titles, due to their casual portfolio shrinking by 50 percent, according to Gamasutra.

These titles include a new Assassin's Creed title, The Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, and a fourth Raving Rabbids game.

"The fiscal year 2010-11 line-up will be more focused on the Xbox 360 and Playstation, the consoles which are expected to experience sustained sales growth in games for gamers in calendar 2010," Ubisoft said in a statement.

Despite Ubisoft's focus on more traditional titles, they also promise that "other new franchises and innovations will also be announced throughout the year."

Talkback

BlackNMild2k1January 18, 2010

FRANCHISE FATIGUE!!!!

STOP DOING IT!!!!

CaterkillerMatthew Osborne, Contributing WriterJanuary 18, 2010

Part 4? I'm glad Nintendo makes at most 2 sequals a generation, but years and years apart.

I suspect that Ubisoft's new strategy won't last long when they see sales numbers.

StratosJanuary 18, 2010

I feel like every other news story this new year is a 'State of Nintendo and 3rd party support' argument/discussion just waiting to happen.

TJ SpykeJanuary 18, 2010

Quote from: Caterkiller

Part 4? I'm glad Nintendo makes at most 2 sequals a generation, but years and years apart.

To be fair, it's easy to make sequels to party games (need I remind you N64 had 3 Mario Party games and GameCube had 4?). The Raving Rabbids games are basically just mini-game collections (although they are fun).

NinGurl69 *hugglesJanuary 18, 2010

Recently, retailers started to reject new mini-game collections to stock.  Way to go, Ubi.

Missing games of note:

A sequel to the new Prince series, which is a real shame, since the Epilogue ended on a massive cliffhanger;

Still no BG&E2, though Kotaku (or some other news site, I forget which) said recently that it is still in development.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterJanuary 18, 2010

I am deeply saddened that no one bought the excellent Rabbids Go Home, a title that for once didn't rely on the tired mini-game collection train of thought, forcing Ubi to likely make Rabbids 4 yet another mini-game collection.

NinGurl69 *hugglesJanuary 18, 2010

2009 was a "one wii game for xmas only" year, and it belonged to MARIO.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterJanuary 18, 2010

Quote from: NinGurl69

2009 was a "one wii game for xmas only" year, and it belonged to MARIO.

Say that to Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort, both which were part of the top three best sellers in December.

ShyGuyJanuary 18, 2010

I should pick up Raving Rabbids 3, but I need to get Silent Hill first.

NinGurl69 *hugglesJanuary 18, 2010

Quote from: NWR_pap64

Quote from: NinGurl69

2009 was a "one wii game for xmas only" year, and it belonged to MARIO.

Say that to Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort, both which were part of the top three best sellers in December.

I wasn't going to mention non-games, but Rabbids doesn't even stand a chance to those, nor non-games released last year.

Quote from: NWR_pap64

I am deeply saddened that no one bought the excellent Rabbids Go Home, a title that for once didn't rely on the tired mini-game collection train of thought, forcing Ubi to likely make Rabbids 4 yet another mini-game collection.

Yeah, but in this case, it's probably because of franchise fatigue. After 3 years of Rabbids mini-game collections, Rabbids Go Home was probably fighting an uphill battle to get attention from people whose eyes have started to glaze over.

UrkelJanuary 18, 2010

Quote from: NinGurl69

Recently, retailers started to reject new mini-game collections to stock.  Way to go, Ubi.


I can confirm from my last trip to Best Buy that there was a lot less shovelware (i.e. Ubisoft games) on the shelves. Most of it is now on a small shelf of "value software" along with discounted titles like Tales of Rehash.

Chozo GhostJanuary 18, 2010

I wish the Rabbids would go home and stay home.

Ubisoft, please give us the same games you're giving PS3 and 360! We don't want your garbage!

I think the Rabbids are wonderful creations actually, but aren't a lot of us still waiting for the actual Rayman game?

NinGurl69 *hugglesJanuary 18, 2010

Not at all.  Can't rely on Ancel for those sorts of things anymore.

Ian SaneJanuary 18, 2010

Quote:

Yeah, but in this case, it's probably because of franchise fatigue. After 3 years of Rabbids mini-game collections, Rabbids Go Home was probably fighting an uphill battle to get attention from people whose eyes have started to glaze over.


That's likely the case.  When I saw the headline I thought "wait, they've made THREE of those already?"  If you aren't looking for a sequel you don't pay attention to when they release one, regardless of how good or bad it ends up being.

For example Guitar Hero 6 could become the most highly reviewed game of all time and I wouldn't even know because I've lost interest in the series so I don't read up on news about it and read previews or reviews for it.

BlackNMild2k1January 18, 2010

The problem with the Guitar Heros and Rock Bands is that they are the exact same game over and over again with new music tracks. So why don't they just release all the new tracks a DLC and you only have to buy the game once?

Rabbids on the other hand is a great new IP, but they are seriously trying to run it into the ground. The 1st one was a surprise because they essentially took over a Rayman game. My sister bought the 2nd one for me and I don't think it got more that 10 minutes of playtime. I saw a TV party(RR3) but there was no way I was even gonna give that the time it took to really acknowledge it.

What should have happened after the 1st Raving Rabbids game was an actual Rayman game. Maybe one where he is getting revenge on the Rabbids but it is a more traditional Rayman game. But 3 minigame fest in a row before releasing a real game with the rabbids in it was already working against RGH and it's not gonna do any favors for RR4.

Chozo GhostJanuary 18, 2010

Sequels are okay, but having a sequel every year (or less than that, in some cases), is just going overboard. Every year we see a new Madden game, and pretty much the only thing that ever changes with those games is the Roster. Party games are pretty much the same way.

GoldenPhoenixJanuary 18, 2010

What will we ever do without Ubisoft's poor attempts at core games besides Red Steel 2? I mean they've been trying so hard lately.

Mop it upJanuary 19, 2010

Ugh, not another Rayman Rabbids party game. With as much as I like Mario Party, I thought I'd never tire of minigame collections... though I think the fact that Mario Party used to be pretty much the ONLY minigame collection released each year helped keep it from becoming stale. These days there are like, what, at least one every week?

I bought the first Rayman Rabbids game for $8 a few months ago. It was decent, if I'd played it when the Wii was first launched then I would have really liked it, but at that point I'd already played similar minigames in other titles. I got TV Party for Christmas and have yet to crack the shrink wrap.

PeachylalaJanuary 19, 2010

No third party is trying hard enough. They are stuck in Fail City.

KDR_11kJanuary 19, 2010

Quote from: BlackNMild2k1

FRANCHISE FATIGUE!!!!

STOP DOING IT!!!!

Never stopped them. PoP trilogy in one generation?

Quote from: Chozo

I wish the Rabbids would go home and stay home.

Ubisoft, please give us the same games you're giving PS3 and 360! We don't want your garbage!

I'd rather have Rabbids than Sam Fisher.

StratosJanuary 19, 2010

Quote from: Halbred

Missing games of note:

A sequel to the new Prince series, which is a real shame, since the Epilogue ended on a massive cliffhanger;

I thought that was resolved in a DLC pack which had the final ending? Or am I understanding that incorrectly?n All I heard was that the real PoP ending had to be bought as DLC.

Quote from: NWR_pap64

I am deeply saddened that no one bought the excellent Rabbids Go Home, a title that for once didn't rely on the tired mini-game collection train of thought, forcing Ubi to likely make Rabbids 4 yet another mini-game collection.

Didn't NPD give it a decent 1st months sales? I thought it got around 70k? Reminds me that I need to get it the next time I buy some games.

DeguelloJeff Shirley, Staff AlumnusJanuary 19, 2010

Quote from: NWR_pap64

I am deeply saddened that no one bought the excellent Rabbids Go Home, a title that for once didn't rely on the tired mini-game collection train of thought, forcing Ubi to likely make Rabbids 4 yet another mini-game collection.

They aren't "forced" to do anything.  Nobody pointed a gun at their heads and told them to make three party games and then a real one.

broodwarsJanuary 19, 2010

Quote from: Stratos

Quote from: Halbred

Missing games of note:

A sequel to the new Prince series, which is a real shame, since the Epilogue ended on a massive cliffhanger;

I thought that was resolved in a DLC pack which had the final ending? Or am I understanding that incorrectly?n All I heard was that the real PoP ending had to be bought as DLC.

The "Epilogue" DLC just adds an extra level that takes place after the main ending, which mostly just better sets up the supposed sequel.  Unfortunately, I highly doubt now that we'll ever see that sequel since Ubisoft is made up of cowards who would rather retool the Assassin's Creed series until it actually works and rush back to the Sands of Time trilogy than make a sequel which fixes the issues of their new Prince of Persia series.

SixthAngelJanuary 19, 2010

Another Rabbids game?  Grind that franchise into the ground a little more, I can still see the ears poking out of the ground.

I thought Go Home was just another mini game fest and completely ignored it until someone here started talking about it.  They really need to do something to actually show its a different kind of game.

StratosJanuary 19, 2010

Quote from: SixthAngel

I thought Go Home was just another mini game fest and completely ignored it until someone here started talking about it.  They really need to do something to actually show its a different kind of game.

No Marketing to tell consumers its a different product = Fail

Quote from: broodwars

I highly doubt now that we'll ever see that sequel since Ubisoft is made up of cowards who would rather retool the Assassin's Creed series until it actually works and rush back to the Sands of Time trilogy than make a sequel which fixes the issues of their new Prince of Persia series.

To be fair, if Ubisoft were "made up of cowards" they never would have released the 2008 PoP in the first place.  That game was pretty daring.  Removing penalty of dying, having an open world, and the gorgeous, but not mainstream, art style... there was nothing cowardly about that release.

NinGurl69 *hugglesJanuary 19, 2010

Still cowards.  You CANNOT EMPHASIS ON CANNOT ignore the "revenue safety net" of the all the Petz/Imagine/Vets/derivative shovelware titles they've release this cycle.  My colleagues are researching this, and they number over 100 (all territories, DS + Wii software only) and might be approaching 200 titles already.  And somehow, the only "serious" titles they've managed to release on Wii in 2009 is a localization (Tenchu 4), and movie tie-in (Avatar), and a spinoff of a SPINOFF (Rabbids non-non-game).  Cowards.

And since they've admitted their safety net ("recent Wii efforts") is collapsing, I'm sure their "daring" projects on platforms elsewhere will start feeling an additional squeeze, maybe, become "less daring" as a backup plan?

How 'bout they jump off a cliff.

ejamerJanuary 21, 2010

It's funny to read ignorant comments from spiteful gamers.

Ubisoft offered some very solid games for Wii over the past year.  Dawn of Discovery was an incredible game, but nobody bought it because of lack of effective advertising and cover art that failed to distinguish it from the heaps of shovelware.  Rabbids Go Home was awesome, but I'm sure that enough Rabbids games have been sold that convincing consumers to pick it instead of something more recognizable (ie: Mario) was doomed from the start.  TMNT Smash Up was decent, but didn't take full advantage of the license and was quickly punished by review scores and gamer sales.  Shuan White was a solid title, just like Press Your Luck, Broken Sword, and Tenchu - but of which sold well.

No serious games?  Try again.  Some were remakes or sequels or ports... but they were all worth playing.


That said, I feel that withdrawing support and focusing on annual sequels of popular franchises and low cost development options is a bad approach for Ubisoft to take.  There should be better ways to learn from mistakes than "playing it safe" and offering more of the same junk.  But what do I know?

KDR_11kJanuary 21, 2010

Dawn of Discovery sold fairly well in Germany AFAIK and that was its primary market (Anno games are always aimed at Germany first, hence the budget price in the US while it was full price over here).

The first Shaun White did fairly well too, the second failed. That one analysis suggests Wii owners don't like sequels.

BlackNMild2k1January 21, 2010

All Ubisoft needs to announce is BG&E2 for Wii and make sure RS2 is a good game and then everything will be fine for them.

DeguelloJeff Shirley, Staff AlumnusJanuary 21, 2010

Quote:

but nobody bought it because of lack of effective advertising and cover art that failed to distinguish it from the heaps of shovelware.

Take a guess who's responsible for most of that shovelware.  While it is true that real gamers aren't supposed to care about boxarts and advertising and whatever, in general the market does.  UBISoft made for themselves a reputation of bad shovelware, and made no effort to change that despite publishing decent games.

BlackNMild2k1January 21, 2010

That's not true. They had a Press Release stating that they were gonna have "Nintendo-like quality" for their future releases.



.....oh you said effort.

DeguelloJeff Shirley, Staff AlumnusJanuary 21, 2010

I remember that Press Release.  Wasn't it from 2007 or something?  Right before they opened the floodgates of crap?

NinGurl69 *hugglesJanuary 21, 2010

"No serious games?  Try again.  Some were remakes or sequels or ports... but they were all worth playing."

If the games were free or really cheap, it'd be easier to play all these nice things.  But worth BUYING?  not... yet...?  (really, I want Shaun White 2, but releasing a year apart is way too soon for a casual gamer with little time like myself)

There's quite a gap to jump to go from "worth playing" to "worth buying (within the company's acceptable financial reporting window)," and it's still Ubi's responsibility to communicate the "worth" to potential consumers for the decent games they did provide.  I have a couple of these GREAT games, but how can we expect everyone else to know or take interest?  Those games were interesting before I bought them, and great after I finally played them; but I'm a "gambler."  Ubi's gotta deliver in such a way that customers aren't gambling, but Great Scott, they've certainly developed a reputation that sabotages the decent things they do manage to make.

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