Publisher Ubisoft has confirmed that more titles in the Prince of Persia series are on the way, though further details are slim. In a financial statement released today, the company made a brief mention of the franchise, noting that a new Prince of Persia title is expected to arrive within the next fiscal year. Ubisoft's 2008 fiscal year begins April 1, 2008 and ends March 31, 2009. Other games due out from Ubisoft in that time span include Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, Far Cry 2, Haze, Tom Clancy's EndWar, a Shaun White snowborading title and a Tom Clancy air combat title. The publisher also revealed that more entries in popular casual-oriented franchises Petz, Imagine, and MyCoach will arrive in the next fiscal year, along with a new line of casual games.

Here are the official system specs needed to play Assassin's Creed on the PC:
Supported OS: Windows XP / Vista (only)
Processor: Dual core processor 2.6GHz Intel Pentium D or AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ or better recommended)
RAM: 2GB (3GB recommended)
Video Card: 256MB DirectX 10.0-compliant video card or DirectX 9.0-compliant card with Shader Model 3.0 or higher (512MB video card recommended) (see supported list)*
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0 or 10.0 compliant sound card (5.1 sound card recommended)
DirectX Version: DirectX 10.0 libraries (included on disc)
DVD-ROM: DVD-ROM dual-layer drive
Hard Drive Space: 12GB
Peripherals Supported: Keyboard, mouse, optional controller (Xbox 360 Controller for Windows recommended)

*Supported Video Cards at Time of Release:
ATI RADEON X1300-1950 / HD 2000 / 3000 series
NVIDIA GeForce 6600-6800 / 7 / 8 / 9 series

Laptop versions of these cards may work but are NOT supported.

Ubisoft has confirmed two days ago at CES in Las Vegas that it is going to use Philips' Ambx-technology in some of its major upcoming titles. amBX allows developers to include "surround sense" elements in games through various peripherals, including light, colour, sound, rumble and air flow through enabled devices like fans and LED-powered lights. The tech is being shown at CES working on both Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway and Far Cry 2, which were recently delayed by Ubisoft until the next fiscal year beginning April 2008. "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway and Far Cry 2 are titles that will showcase just how powerful and in your face amBX effects can be in a war game. This is just the start of the alliance between amBX and Ubisoft and the level of our comarketing with Ubisoft will underline our dedication to bringing all-new ambient effects to world class games." said amBX COO Jo Cooke. amBX only works with PC titles at the moment, but console announcements are on the way too. The agreement will also see an amBX patch being released for the original Far Cry. Further patches for existing Ubisoft games will also be released with the amBX-enabling of additional titles to be announced later.

Publisher Ubisoft has announced Far Cry 2 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Set in Africa, the exploration-heavy first person shooter is slated to arrive within the 2008-2009 fiscal year, which begins in April. A PC version of the game was first revealed last summer. All editions of the game are being developed by Ubisoft Montreal, which previously handled the Xbox, Xbox 360, and Wii spin-offs of the first Far Cry (PC). Original Far Cry creator and developer Crytek is not involved with the project, as Ubisoft acquired the Far Cry and Crytek Engine rights in 2006.

Publisher Ubisoft has issued new screenshots and details of Ubisoft Montreal's Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2, which was announced exactly one month ago. Compared to the first entry in Ubisoft Montreal's Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas series, the first-person tactical sequel will feature 11 new weapons, 13 new multiplayer maps, two new multiplayer modes, and the ability to play co-op at any time during the single-player campaign, though it was not specified if co-op will be offline-only. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is expected to arrive on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in March 2008.

Ubisoft today announced a massively multiplayer web-based game set in the Heroes of Might and Magic Universe. Titled Heroes of Might and Magic Kingdoms, the browser-based game will launch this spring. "This is a new type of game for Ubisoft, one that allows you to jump into a rich and complex universe just with your Web browser," said Ubisoft's Serge Hascoët in the announcement. A true web-based game, the title will require no download to play, with a user login allowing access to a free account from any computer. Beta keys have been bundled with the Heroes of Might and Magic Complete Edition (PC), which retailed today in Europe. The beta will begin in early 2008 and last about three months before the title's launch in the spring, according to the game's website.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Although, Ubisoft slated two titles in the previous post, it's now balancing with the announcement of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, a sequel to the Sin City-based tactical shooter released in 2006. The game, which Ubisoft said is planned for "next-generation consoles and PC," is scheduled for release in March 2008 to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Rainbow Six gaming franchise. In an announcement today, Ubisoft didn't reveal much about the upcoming game but promised improved graphics, new gameplay features and new Vegas settings. The tactical solo campaign will return, and the sequel will build on its predecessor's popular multiplayer modes. Co-op and adversarial multiplayer will return, and Vegas 2 will provide "unprecedented interaction between the solo and multiplayer modes," Ubisoft said. "We are convinced that Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will remain a pioneer in the highly competitive first person shooter genre, bringing more of what Rainbow Six fans love to the table.", he also added.

The company delayed four unspecified games during its second quarter announcement, and today Ubisoft has furthered the release dates of two additional titles. Though it was confirmed for a December 14 release just a week ago, Free Radical's drug-enhanced shooter Haze (PS3) will now make its way to stores during the period of January through March of 2008. Sam Fisher's newest outing has also been postponed, as Ubisoft Montreal's Splinter Cell: Conviction (PC, X360) has been removed from the fiscal year calendar entirely. It's now slated for an ambiguous release sometime in the next year, which begins April 1, 2008. It was previously scheduled for a fourth fiscal quarter ship date.

Yet another groundbreaking, earthshaking game title has gone gold this month. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Ubisoft Montreal's Assassin's Creed are now being manufactured and will hit stores on November 13, Ubisoft announced today. A $69.99 limited edition, said to pack a figurine and other goodies, will be available along with the standard $59.99 version. The PC version of the latest stealth adventure title from the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time team was originally scheduled to release alongside the console iterations, but was recently delayed until early 2008. For more on Assassin's Creed and its wonderful atmosphere, check out here.

Owners of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 will be happy to know there will be a reason to pop in that disc again soon, as Ubisoft will release a new set of co-op and adversarial maps through an Xbox Live Marketplace package titled Co-op Collection. The Co-op Collection will come with nine maps; four of them adversarial exclusive, five others shared with co-op. Most of the maps are based on levels from the original Ghost Recon and Ghost Recon: Island Thunder, but two of the adversarial maps are brand new. New achievements will be included as well, adding a total of 110 points to the game. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Co-op Collection will be released next month.

Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced the creation of a new Tom Clancy franchise being developed by Ubisoft's Bucharest studio for next generation consoles and PC. The first air combat game taking place in Tom Clancy's universe, the brand will launch in 2008. Set in a near future, the game imagines a world where a private military force has cumulated such power that it attacks the USA. Thrust into the cockpits of incredibly powerful and technologically advanced jet fighters, gamers will benefit from hi-tech piloting assistance, providing comfort, security and enhanced perception. As players gain skills and confidence, they will be able to shed the assistance. But before choosing performance over security, they'll have to weigh the risks carefully.

Ubisoft has released a Heroes of Might & Magic V: Tribes of the East demo for those of you interested in trying the upcoming strategy game expansion pack. The 900MB demo features a key episode in the Heroes V storyline where you will follow Gotai, a young warlord of the Orc tribes, as he leads his armies in an invasion of the Griffin Empire. Control the new Orc faction by building cities, recruiting troops, and fighting battles with brand new creatures and discover the unstoppable power of the Orcs on the battlefield. Developed by Nival Interactive, the retail version of the stand-alone expansion ships October 16.

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Ubisoft opened today a new video game development studio in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Richard Tsao, senior producer at Ubisoft's Shanghai studio, has been appointed managing director of the new studio. Ubisoft Chengdu will initially focus on internal outsourcing and in time will be responsible for developing online titles for PC, consoles and handhelds. The new Ubi studio will open its doors in Tianfu Software Park with 10 team members and the goal of expanding to 200 developers over the next year.

The success of our studio in Shanghai, which has been further confirmed with the launch of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 for the PLAYSTATION 3 system, has encouraged us to extend our growth in China,

said Christine Burgess-Quémard, executive director, Worldwide Studios at Ubisoft.

This popular first-person shooter game developed by Crytek is now available for free with a few in-game advertisements. It is unclear if the free version contains the sandbox editor but it is definitely worth a try.

The game can be downloaded here.

The latest patch for Tom Clancy's "Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2", v1.04, is now available. There have been a few fantastic changes made, including multicore support and the ability to run multiple dedicated servers on a single machine! The patch includes various minor fixes as well.

Shacknews posted today a set of eight screenshots from Far Cry 2, the first person shooter sequel in development at Ubisoft Montreal. See all the screenshots here.

French game developer Ubisoft announced at Comic-Con 2007 that it will be adapting two popular television shows into video games. The American Broadcasting Company's (ABC) hit mystery drama 'Lost' will be released on the XBOX 360, PS3 and PC in early 2008. Ubisoft will also bring the National Broadcasting Company's (NBC) freshman hit 'Heroes' to an unspecified platform. Few details were given but VP of worldwide licensing Christian Salomon did say players will interact directly with the shows universe.

As promised, Ubisoft has released a multiplayer demo for Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, allowing you to try out this action sequel developed by Ubisoft's Paris studio and Red Storm Studios. The demo contains 1 map (Calavera) and 2 modes (Recon vs Assault & Team Deathmatch). Click here to download GRAW2 directly from Fileplanet.

Ubisoft has released a new trailer and five new screenshots from Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, this time showcasing the PC version of this action sequel developed by Ubisoft's Paris studio and Red Storm Studios. The game again puts you in control of the Ghosts who have to change their holiday plans to go to El Paso and put a stop to a growing rebel threat. The game is scheduled to be released this summer. Download the 2:01 min of gameplay footage from here.

Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that it is creating Tom Clancy's EndWar, a new brand in the Tom Clancy series of video games. Led by strategy veteran and Ubisoft creative director Michael de Plater, Tom Clancy's EndWar is being developed by a world-class team at Ubisoft's Shanghai studio whose members have experience developing Ubisoft's hit franchises including Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. Tom Clancy's EndWar is scheduled for release on next-generation consoles in fiscal year 2007/2008.

Paris - 11 April 2007 - Today, Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announces that it has concluded an agreement to acquire SunFlowers, owner of the Anno brand, one of the most successful strategy games with 5 million units sold worldwide and one of the best-selling games in the German market.
Through the transaction, Ubisoft will acquire a 30% stake in Related Designs, which developed Anno 1701, the latest entry in the Anno series and is currently working on a future Anno title.
The agreement between the two companies is subject to normal closing conditions. The acquisition is expected to close in Ubisoft's fiscal year 2007-08 first quarter.

Activision published Guitar Hero a few years ago for the PS2, which allowed people to pretend they could play real guitar. They did this by plugging in a fancy guitar controller modeled after the Gibson SG, and programming the "notes" for a bunch of songs that the player has to hit to play the note. Ubisoft is doing something very similar, with an entirely different style of guitar, and for the Nintendo DS. Gamers, by pressing the right button on the D pad and strumming with the stylus, can play a set of unannounced songs. Free play mode allows gamers to invent their own songs, which can be used to propose to the girl of your dreams in the nerdiest way possible.