March 29, 2012April 1, 2012

PlayStation Blogcast 018: Six Degrees of Assassin’s Creed III

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Dying for more details on Assassin’s Creed III? Today’s show is for you! We sit down with ACIII Creative Director Alex Hutchinson to learn more about one of 2012’s most intriguing PS3 games. Our 15-minute roundtable discussion yields juicy new insights, including what the Assassin’s Creed III team thinks of BioShock Infinite and why they chose to pursue an all-new story set amidst the blood and thunder of the American Revolution. Thanks to Jeff’s encyclopedic knowledge of the series, we also dive into ACIII’s myriad gameplay improvements, including Connor’s dual-weapon fighting style and why your hands won’t cramp up during the game’s climbing and traversal sequences. It’s one of our best podcast interviews yet, so don’t miss out.

Of course, we also reveal first details on next week’s North American PSN releases, answer a new set of user questions, serve up a farm-fresh new PSN Gem of the Week, and give out copies of Closure and Dead or Alive 5’s PSN demo. Don’t forget: Submitting helpful user tips and good user questions might net you a free PSN game, so don’t hold back!

The Cast

Sid Shuman – PlayStation Sr. Social Media Specialist

Jeff Rubenstein – PlayStation Sr. Social Media Manager

Nick Suttner – PlayStation Sr. Product Evaluator

Rey Gutierrez – PlayStation Sr. Social Media Specialist

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game
details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating
descriptions.]

Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. Special thanks to Astro Gaming headsets for providing audio gear.

Comments are closed.

40 Comments

3 Author Replies

Tyler_stewart
March 29, 2012 at 1:05 pm PDT

Nice.
DION3TO
March 29, 2012 at 1:31 pm PDT

I am PS Blogcast listener and I’d like to suggest something.

There are some times when I get here only wanting to hear those parts I am more interested in. So wouldn’t be a great ideia if you guys could provide the exact time (minute and secon) when different subjects/topics are discussed?

That would be so much better, I think.

Thanks for any consideration.
Cheers ;)
- Sid Shuman
  March 29, 2012 at 2:40 pm PDT
  
  It’s a good idea. Not sure it’s supported by the current player and tech we’re using, but something we’ll keep in mind! Thanks for sounding off…and I hope, one day, you listen to the whole show :-)
Butters360
March 29, 2012 at 1:37 pm PDT

Next to the UNCHARTED series by Naughty Dog, the Assassin’s Creed franchise is my favorite. I cannot wait to play this. Once I’m done with my UNCHARTED marathon, Assassin’s Creed is next!
vanwinkle
March 29, 2012 at 1:47 pm PDT

Woah, terrible update next week for PS Store, lol. And absolutely nothing mentioned about the Vita in the lineup (even though there will be a little DLC and videos, but that’s sure to be about it). Two weeks in a row of nothing to mention for Vita is a little disconcerting, I won’t lie.
- Sid Shuman
  March 29, 2012 at 2:41 pm PDT
  
  Supremacy MMA came out for Vita this week and there are more games on the way — when the release dates are final, you’ll hear about ’em here first!
Robbie_G_lrish
March 29, 2012 at 1:54 pm PDT

I take exception to Nick calling the original version of DMC3 unplayable. It happens to be in my top 5 games of all time. Was it hard? Yes it was, but I was still able to score A or S on every level and I don’t consider myself to be a video game wizard or anything. The special edition that was put into this HD collection is supposedly much easier and way more forgiving so I’m extremely reluctant to pick it up. I also want to make sure it doesn’t have any issues like the Silent Hill collection.
- Nick Suttner
  March 29, 2012 at 2:03 pm PDT
  
  I was definitely being a bit dramatic. :-)
  
  Wasn’t just me though! From Wikipedia: “However, the first North American and European release was criticized for its difficulty even in reviews that gave it a high score. Reviewers took issue with Capcom’s decision to turn the Japanese version’s “Hard” mode into the North American and European “Normal” mode.”
  
  Still a great game from what I played, but I guess I didn’t have the patience necessary for that version.
afiqltd
March 29, 2012 at 1:55 pm PDT

Its gonna be a blockbuster year of gaming >:D
lisatsunami
March 29, 2012 at 2:28 pm PDT

I will of course download to my preciousss later tonight.

I love the AC series. Nothing better than coming home from a long work day & sneaking up & stabbing as many people as you can. Oh, & then playing Assassin’s Creed.
- Sid Shuman
  March 29, 2012 at 2:42 pm PDT
  
  I’ve only briefly played the prior AC games, but this one definitely grabs me — will be playing day one!
tacotaskforce
March 29, 2012 at 2:30 pm PDT

Got bad news for ya, RAD did have a sequel… and it was a DS exclusive that never left Japan. If you want to pay absurd import prices you might be able to find the game’s pseudo sequel too, which was still on the PS2, but was a licensed Tetsujin-28 mini-game that only, IIRC, had 3 monsters. Sadly it seems like sandlot has withered away after they got burned on the Wii.
- Nick Suttner
  March 29, 2012 at 2:45 pm PDT
  
  Can’t decide if that’s good or bad news! I had heard rumblings of something like that but didn’t realize it was an actual R.A.D. game. But still, imagine a proper current gen one…actually, I can’t, too rad (heh) to even imagine.
Logan22
March 29, 2012 at 2:47 pm PDT

Nick DMC3 was definitely hands down the best action game of its time (with gameplay & story better than GOW 1). You should definitely check out the HD edition if it is indeed the Special Edition version (that one is much easier). Dante & Vergil became Legends through that game within the community & fans. Its part of the reason why the new reboot is being so criticized (I’ll keep an open mind though until playthrough, then judge).

Most people don’t know that Dante & Vergil were AAA characters with a lot of depth.
Logan22
March 29, 2012 at 2:50 pm PDT

Can’t wait to hear the AC3 details. This game is like The Avengers of video games (so many years/games of build up since AC2).

They should definitely take a break though after AC3.
SlaughteredNinja
March 29, 2012 at 3:53 pm PDT

This should be interesting. But I haven’t even watched the trailer yet. I will before I listen to this episode. Oh, and keep this podcast long!
mclovinrocks
March 29, 2012 at 4:03 pm PDT

epic mickey 1 I would love to play that with my ps move um I am very happy and excited for epic mickey 2 but it would just be so AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! if you could get one to playstation also the radio shows are excellent love to listen to them each and every week also I hope that some new horror games come to the psn I just got jouney and nfl blitz from psn store god do I love both thoses um wondering if you will ever bring back that mlb not the show but the one thats like nlf blitz and its not mlb 2k the big earler uh just don’t have it at the top of my head right now but I had those games for ps2 they where alot of fun I am also hopeing at some point in time we get the witcher 2 that game has been on my list to get ever since I heared it came out to pc uh but anyways hope to get some word back on this stuff!!!!!!!!!!!
camiwaits_us
March 29, 2012 at 4:29 pm PDT

I just got a PS Vita and it is pretty rocking, but i’ve a question, how does one delete applications? I can’t seem to figure it out.
Mattsta001
March 29, 2012 at 4:30 pm PDT

Who is responsible for managing indie games on PSN?

Just wondering because Closure is getting a lot of praise on Twitter form other indie devs but it seems no promo copies were given to review sites prior to release. It might as well not exist to the gaming media. The game has just 2 reviews while the latest indie game on XBLA has 41 reviews.

Is this really the way to run a service? Can you honestly say you are doing a good job?

I’m glad to see Journey doing so well but it’s like one step forward, two steps back.
- Nick Suttner
  March 29, 2012 at 4:55 pm PDT
  
  Much appreciate the concern, but a few things to keep in mind:
  
  Unlike certain other consoles, we allow indies to self-publish on PSN; this is great because it helps games like Closure come to the system without relying on a publisher, but also means that they have to do their own PR. Considering that it’s pretty much just two dudes in this case, I’d say that they’re doing a pretty great job getting the word out; even today, the game just got great reviews on Joystiq and PSNStores (and IGN before that), and a GiantBomb quick look. We also did what we could to help it out, by doing things like putting the game in our booth on the GDC floor and making it a part of the Spring Fever promotion (the PS Store is skinned top to bottom with Closure right now). I’m thrilled to see Journey doing so well too, of course, but it also has Sony as a publisher to help get the word out.
  
  We want to see the indie stuff all doing awesomely as well, but sometimes it’s not as simple as it seems. :-)
materclobber
March 29, 2012 at 4:30 pm PDT

do you think we will ever get angry birds for the vita?!!! i would love that but seems unlikely.
blakseed
March 29, 2012 at 4:54 pm PDT

Yes, yes we do need a new War of the Monsters for this gen! It would be insane.
boxmyth
March 29, 2012 at 4:57 pm PDT

Here’s a question: how has the Vita impacted downloadable PSP game sales? Fancy charts and graphs to illustrate would be awesome. And can we count on seeing some UMD-only PSP games showing up on PSN if the sales numbers are on the good side?

And a tip: I owned a PS3 for a couple years before someone told me this. I had been shutting down my system by holding down the PS button on my controller until the prompt came up, but if you go all the way to the left of the XMB and select to turn the system off from that option, it will ask if you want to complete all downloads before shutting off the system automatically. This tip was a revelation to me and saved me from hours of needless waiting (and having to leave my system completely on overnight for bigger downloads).

Love the blogcast! Keep it up!
Angry-Puppy
March 29, 2012 at 5:08 pm PDT

@camiwaits_us – Press and hold the screen to bring up the screen that lets you move icons around. Touch the app that you want to delete (not all things will be delete-able) and the options “Information” and “Delete” will come up, and…well. I’m sure you know where to go from there. (:
Arjmand
March 29, 2012 at 5:54 pm PDT

Good Evening Gentlemen, congratulations on another great blogcast

Just a few questions/comments for ya

1) On episode 16, you guys said you were having a “user resume tips” segment. Any idea when that will come around?

2) Sid, we can only wish for MK vs SF. As much as I’d love to see that cross-over, I really don’t think its ever gonna happen. This is the closest thing…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4-js6TKPBc. Guilty Gear vs Street Fighter seems pretty appealing?

3) Wow, you guys pried out so many goodies from that AC III interview. I’m surprised he didn’t say “Oh I can’t discuss that at the moment” every 10 seconds

Keep up the great work!
poisonedsodapop
March 29, 2012 at 6:36 pm PDT

That origin story greatly interests me. I have a friend in a similar position and I told him to go for his dreams after hearing it. Maybe some day in the future if you’re looking for artists I’ll be applying to SCEA!

On a side note I guess I wasn’t fast enough on the theme but thanks for giving me props. I knew that song so well due to hearing it at work all the time. Never even played the game yet lol.
Mattsta001
March 29, 2012 at 6:36 pm PDT

@Nick, thanks for the reply and that makes things a bit clearer.

Being part of the Spring Fever promo I would have thought there’d be more support though. It also begs the question why didn’t Sony pick up and publish Closure? It was the Indie Game Challenge Winner for crying out loud. Self publishing is a good launch pad but if you are a small team surely it would be better to have a publisher and get all the support than self publish and have to do the PR work yourself. Maybe this is why a lot of indie devs choose not to go with PSN and we get critically panned games like Doc Clock.

Can’t imagine it’s that much trouble for Sony to send out promo copies of games it chooses to include in its promotions and campaigns, especially if those games happen to be award winning titles. Anyway, please get more good indie titles on PSN and promote them. Two good indie games per month would be great.
EvoAnubis
March 29, 2012 at 6:55 pm PDT

I’m actually not going to listen to this one yet; I have a couple of roadtrips coming up, and I’m counting on you guys and Podcast Beyond to keep me awake while I’m driving for eight hours!
JDSSLP
March 29, 2012 at 10:30 pm PDT

Thanks again for another entertaining and informative episode. I especially like when the Gems of the Week are farm-fresh.
SukiHissori
March 29, 2012 at 10:41 pm PDT

I’m so incredibly excited for the DMC HD Collection <3

I have a suggestion!

Do you think we ever might be able to organize our games on the PS3 alphabetically or by Title Name?
Also, maybe some more color choices for the XMB?

When do you think any Classics will come back again?
fultz7
March 30, 2012 at 7:05 am PDT

Here’s a simple question: Are the questions and tips posted here reviewed for PSN codes? I posted a tip a couple of weeks ago but was so late to the party (I think a new BlogCast article posted the next day) I’m not sure it was seen.

Here’s the tip again for any readers who may have missed it.

On the Vita, you can press the PS button to bring up the home screen and any other app screens, which I’m sure everyone knows. However, if you press the button again while not in an app, it brings up another screen where you can tap which screen you want to get to, rather than having to swipe screen to screen to all the way to the app you want to use. Very helpful for people who like to keep several things open at once.

I also have a couple of questions.

When will PSOne Classics be playable on Vita?
Do you guys have any suggestions for finding bounties on Uncharted: Golden Abyss?

Anyway, love the Cast guys. I don’t remember how I found it, but it has brought me to the site. Keep up the good work!
djnealb
March 30, 2012 at 7:40 am PDT

Awesome! Thanks for answering my question on the blogcast! The last name y’all gave me is nowhere near close to the real thing, though ;-)
ABRipperXX
March 30, 2012 at 7:59 am PDT

Hey Guys, great show. I gotta question i looked up Atlus psp games and the other 3 titles that they have that aren’t compatible with PS VITA: Hammerin’ Hero, R-type Dimension and Steam Bot Chronicles are no longer on the store why?
drunkguys20
March 30, 2012 at 9:03 am PDT

let me know when good demos come out like ninja gaiden 3 demo or loilpop chainsaw curious about the last one
Captain_CHEETO
March 30, 2012 at 11:09 am PDT

Great stuff guys. Very excited about next week releases especially the very controversial I am Alive demo. Thanks for the AC3 Q&A, I had so many questions answered. Hopefully you can make this developers Q&As a regular thing. Maybe next time we can get Rockstar to talk about Max Payne campaign? Keeping fingers crossed.
mconwell
March 30, 2012 at 12:50 pm PDT

How do I submit a question to the Blogcast? Is there a twitter account or email address for this?
BladeGash
March 30, 2012 at 3:44 pm PDT

Wow, I didn’t think it was possible to beat last weeks crappiness , but I was wrong. Once again, no awesome Vita stuff unless you’re in a very specific Niche. Oh well, at least I have a 3DS to keep me entertained, which has much better games anyway handsdown. I think I might trade in my Vita, it’s been collecting dust ever since I got it.
Dragonzblaze
March 30, 2012 at 3:55 pm PDT

mass defect worst thing to ever happen in the gaming universe tales of graces f is a much better game and deserves more love and attention tales games are what gaming is all about XD
Curufinwe5503
March 30, 2012 at 9:22 pm PDT

I know you guys can’t be too negative about games, but the Silent Hill HD situation is really bad. The quality of the port is terrible compared to something like the Team Ico collection.

http://shshatteredmemories.com/blog/2012/03/25/hd-collection/#more-10572
C_Y_P_H_E_R
March 31, 2012 at 11:54 am PDT

Tomahawk > red coat…..can’t wait!
el_fungo_ita
April 1, 2012 at 11:50 am PDT

Ciao a tutti sono anche io un grande appassionato di Assassin’s Creed e sè devo dire la mia il nuovo capitolo di AC (3) non prometterà niente di BUONO! e sempre rientrando nelle mie considerazioni posso dire che forse il gioco fallirà per la mancanza di un punto vitale che ha accompagnato ALTAIR nel primo capitolo “la DEDIZIONE”
e “L’ANTICO” in quanto come si è visto già dal secondo capitolo EZIO AUDITORE non era molto dedito alle regole che imponevano i VERI assassini e inoltre per quanto riguarda il secondo a parer mio ci stiamo un po troppo allungando ..io ovviamente preferisco l’antico alla tecnologia in quanto mi affascina di più .. e chi non piace?
con questo nuovo capitolo che vedrà un nuovo ASSASSINO spero che almeno uno di questi due elementi a me importanti resteranno ! Una piccola cosa so che non c’entra niente ma a me piacerebbe vedere NEED FOR SPEED CARBON c’e un modo per farlo sapere a coloro che gestiscono il sito plystation store? (so che detta così è strana ma perfavore vorrei una risposta) grazie e ciao
Ghost_Six6
April 4, 2012 at 12:22 pm PDT

Hey guys, maybe you’ll want this for user tip of the week =)

If you want to check how much free space there’s left on your Vita Memory Card, you can simply click on the settings bubble, navigate to “System” and then clicking on “System Information”

It’ll give you all the info you need =)

cheers.
Edwerd
April 5, 2012 at 7:16 am PDT

Hey guys, great podcast!

Recently, I read a book titled Ready Player One about a futuristic world living through a video game. My question, do any of you guys have a favorite video game related book and/or movie?