E3 2010 - Ubisoft Brings Games to Life
posted Tuesday Jun 15, 2010 by Scott Ertz
Any section of a Press Briefing at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles that begins with the confused statement "There are attractive people running around..." has got to leading into something interesting. Especially when it is muttered by Joel McHale, who was asked to host the briefing for a second year in a row, despite being the reason everyone hated the Ubisoft briefing last year.
We may not know why Joel was there again, but we do know why there were attractive people running around. They were part of the demo team for Battle Tag, a new game from Ubisoft that really blurs the lines between videogame and real game.
Hit the break for the details on this new game.
Playing in the real world with laser-tag style guns, Battle Tag incorporates the fun of laser-tag with the exertion of running around outside (or inside). The game has several play modes, but the one we saw was like a scavenger hunt. Find the targets, scan them (one at a time) and return to the home base to log that you found it. First player to find all 4 targets wins.
While played on a small stage it wasn't much fun, it seems like in a park, neighborhood or apartment complex, this could be a great at-home laser-tag solution. We assume you will also be able to play regular one-on-one or team-based tag or capture the flag as well.
The game is controlled by an electronic referee who keeps score and time, plus ensures everyone is following the rules. The interesting part is that the ref connects to the computer, so you and your friends can keep your scores and games logged and continue the fun over longer periods of fun. See whose stats are better and watch to see if you improve your game.
So, readers, would you play a game like this? Let us know in the comments section!
Also, don't forget to check out PLuGHiTz Live! Radio Tuesday night @ 9PM Eastern for our Microsoft and EA recap show and Wednesday night @9PM Eastern for our Sony and Ubisoft recap show!
