Ubisoft Goes for War World…and Girls

By Geoff Duncan July 12, 2007

Game publisher Ubisoft has announced it’s bringing its 3rd person shooter War World to Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade. Scheduled to be available “later this summer”—c’mon folks, there’s more than one hemisphere—War World hopes to redefine thenotion of an “arcade shooter” by combining tactical game play, fast action, and next-generation visual effects. In the game, players take on the roles of one of 10 “mechanoids” (think two-leggedbattle robots), each with their own unique strengths, and take them on a string of havoc and mayhem in a 100-level single-player campaign. Or, if that’s not challenging enough, War Worldwill also offer a four different multiplayer games through Xbox Live, supporting up to 8 players. War World is rated T for “Teen” by the ESRB, but neither Microsoft nor Ubisoft havereleased any pricing infomation.

And on an utterly different note, Ubisoft also announced at this week’s E3 conference in Santa Monica that it plans to launch a new line of video games specifically intended for girls aged 6 to 14, after conducting “extensive lifestyle research” into that audience. Video games specifically aimed at girls have so far failed to make serious dent in the traditionally male-dominated, shoot-and-blow-things-up world of video gaming, although there have been some noteworthy efforts from Sierra and other publishers.

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Ubisoft’s new line of games will be called Imagine, with the first games titles Imagine Fashion Designer,Imagine Animal Doctor,Imagine Babyz, and Image Master Chef. The first games will ship in October 2007 for the Nintendo DS, with subsequent titles (including Imagine Figure Skater) to follow in 2008. Imagine Fashion Designer and Imagine Babyz both offer unique online components which (respectively) let them share their designs and exchange baby pictures and parenting tips.

“Ubisoft is excited to finally offer young girls a line of games that give them the chance to explore their hobbies and interests in interactive and creative experiences,” said Helene Juguet, Ubisoft’s senior director of marketing, in a statement. “Our consumer research revealed that the young girls’ market has been relatively overlooked. We are happy to introduce a variety of titles relevant to what girls in this age group have indicated they are most interested in.”

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Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Gaming

All Experts in Star Wars Outlaws and where to find them

star wars outlaws interview returning characters qi ra

Unlike most other Ubisoft games, or even most RPGs for that matter, you don't level up and unlock skills as you would expect to in Star Wars Outlaws. You won't earn any points or find a skill tree waiting for you here, but rather the new Experts system. As you explore the galaxy and meet new people while hunting for treasures, you will encounter special characters called Experts who are willing to help Kay expand her skills. Well, once you find and help them out, that is. Without their help, you're stuck with your basic abilities for the whole game, so taking a break from your main quest to find them is well worth your time. The galaxy is a big place, so we'll tell you where to find each of the Experts in Star Wars Outlaws.
How learning new skills works

As we mentioned, you won't find yourself leveling up after completing missions or dispatching enemies. The only way to learn any new skills is through finding an Expert.

Gaming

The best abilities in Star Wars Outlaws

EMBARGO 7/30: Kay snakes through a base.

While Kay Vess is no amateur when you begin Star Wars Outlaws, she's far from a pro. She is a decent shot, can hack basic computers, and even pick locks, but she's not much more complicated than that. Unlike a traditional open-world game — especially a Ubisoft one — you won't find any skill trees or XP bars here. Instead, Kay can only pick up new abilities by meeting special Experts. These NPCs are scattered across the various planets and need to be found and befriended before you can start working on unlocking new skills. It's a long process no matter how you approach it, so we're here to pass along the vital info you need on the best skills in Star Wars Outlaws.
Armored Undershirt

The first Ability you should aim for is Armored Undershirt, which you can start on right away since it is part of Bram's set. This Ability is a passive buff that increases your default HP by 1, which is incredibly valuable at the start of the game when you only have three. Hunt down or purchase Ironweave and 8 Coarsweave on Toshara to snag it.
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Gaming

How to play Kessel Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws

Kay playing cards in Star Wars Outlaws.

Kay Vess will do just about anything to earn credits in Star Wars Outlaws. She's mixed up with a lot of dangerous people and cash is always tight. While there are plenty of missions you can do for the various Syndicates, as well as loot and treasures to find, plus locks to pick for some cash, those all come with a lot of risks. If you want to earn some credits the honorable way, Kessel Sabacc is this universe's preferred way to gamble. You'll be introduced to the game early on and instantly hit with a wall of tutorials and rules to somehow master in just a single game. While it shares elements with some card games you may know, it is entirely its own beast. Let's break down the rules so you know how to play the winning hand every time.
How to play Kessel Sabacc

Kessel Sabacc is played in three-turn rounds and goes as many rounds as it takes for only one player to be left with chips. You start with six chips and are dealt two cards with the option to draw and discard one card each turn for the cost of one chip. You can hold to pass your turn and keep that chip as well. At the end of three turns, everyone's hand is shown.