Ubisoft speaks of Assassin's Creed development issues

  • Posted October 13th, 2007 at 07:41 EDT by
  • 11,008 views
  • 38 Comments

In an interview with Pro-G, Assassin's Creed creative director, Patrice Desilets, spoke on a few roadblocks the development team is running into with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

"Both have their own challenges", said Desilets. "Right now we have a big challenge on the 360 to make it fit on a DVD, to put five languages, to put all the data on eight gigs. On the Blu-ray side we're really good, but then the memory is quite different. How we handle memory is really different between the two machines and we're struggling right now on the PS3."

"We have people who are really dedicated and we're having help from Microsoft on one side and Sony on the other side to have the same quality on both systems. It really depends on the week basically as to who's best."

So, for those of you wanting to get Assassin's Creed for Sony’s home console, rest assured that it will not be a watered down port of its Xbox 360 counterpart.

Ubisoft is hard at work to bring you a quality product that should be identical if not better on the PS3 as it is on any other competing format.

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  1. Flora20709

    • 7:47am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 1

    Ubisoft Hard at work........please

  2. gingo | gingo

    • 7:54am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 2

    psn id: gingo... i dont see how memory is a problem because both consoles 512mb its just that 256mb for ps3 can be used for cell etc. but i'm sure it can be used in games

  3. jphuff | jhuff

    • 8:02am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 3

    No surprise and not a memory RESTRICTION, just vastly different architecture. Same problem seen elsewhere with multi-platform games. Most probably won't be an issue after this year, but sounds a lot like the issues devs had with the PS2 when it was within it's first two years. Hopefully Sony can figure out a way to ease dev pain with the current gen (as they usually do, albeit a bit late) and perhaps consider this a bit more when planning the next generation of hardware. Sony makes powerful platforms, but they definitely need work on making the hardware more friendly for developers from the get-go.

  4. -Zaku- | SlashZaku

    • 8:17am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 4

    Yeah, it's not a problem with the amount of memory, it's how they are using it.

  5. Soraz | Sodraz

    • 8:30am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 5

    So Ubisoft is finally seeing the flaw of the Xbox 360...not enough space, they should have gone exclusive to the PS3.

  6. franckribery07

    • 8:45am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 6

    plz ubisoft, don´t screw this up !!!

  7. djrussell | djrussell89

    • 9:01am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 7

    I like Ubisoft.. 90% of the time they bring out really top games. I hope Assassin's Creed is as good as it sounds and plays (my only concern  is perhaps its a bit too short).

  8. Ryoma

    • 9:10am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 8

    x360 got 512mb memory and like 36mb is taken for the console where as the ps3 has 512mb but 256 for all the multimedia stuff and 256 for games plus around 97mb is taken from the 256 for games, the devs for quake wars and the devs for rage said this.

     

    Oh and this game is 18 hours if u storm straight through it and up to 40 hours if you do all the side quests

  9. royboy | bigfreezy1975

    • 10:06am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 9

    as much as i loved POP, i don't trust ubisoft. They got MS dirty hands on them now. Selling off 25% to EA games and Peter Moore is a questionable move in my opinion. Somehow this will translate into the 360 getting future exclusives and or ps3 gamers will be put behind the 8 ball yet again made to wait for another sad port. Don't get me wrong now i do like AC but if they wanted to be for real, they'd release it as a ps3 exclusive but i forgot they got Moore on their side. But Jade Raymond still will be hot to me.

  10. AFSOCOM

    • 10:25am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 10

    @ Ryoma: Don't bother commenting when you are clearly misinformed, and have no clue what you're talking about. Out of the 512mb on the PS3 about 60-70mb is reserved as a memory footprint, for now. All the rest is available for the devs to use in games. So figure about 450mb of ram is available to devs at best. However Sony has been reducing that number little by little. With every update they seem to give a little more back. It's rumored that some of the devs over at Valve said that Sony plans on cutting that number back to 32mb total, which is the same as the 360. The amount of ram isn't the issue, it's how these devs are optimizing it, and from the sound of it they're not doing that great of a job.

  11. D3v1lwqer23

    • 10:53am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 11

    Ghost Recon and R6:V really boosted my confidence in Ubi...Please dont dissapoint here.

  12. Jbthegreat

    • 10:59am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 12

    This just doesnt look like a game I would be playing a couple months after its release

  13. happypeoplearegay | call-me-on-5

    • 11:25am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 13

    When I first saw the trailer for this game and it was a PS3 exclusive, i was really excited. Then when it was announced for 360, the trailers got worse. the animation is just sloppy. They really let me down. Still.................................................................................................................................................

    AT LEAT THEY AREN'T AS BAD AS EA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    GOD I HATE EA

  14. YamatoKei

    • 11:36am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 14

    The amount of RAM isn't the problem here. The architecture is: on x360, RAM is handled by the GPU. So, sending data to the GPU is as easy as "here boy, fetch this block of data", and dynamic data can be modified directly. On the PS3, you have to send polygons one by one, or write to video-memory (just a bit slower) - just like in PCs, but everything's much faster. The PS3 design might seem inferior, but actually it's the other way around.

    So, to make the GPU draw at its best speed, three absolutely different approaches are necessary (1 for x360, 2 for PS3). I bet Ubisoft is wondering which of the two PS3 approaches to use, since in different contexts one is faster than the other and  vice-versa for other contexts.

  15. InfernoReaper | GrimDarkling

    • 11:52am BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 15

    "Right now we have a big challenge on the 360 to make it fit on a DVD, to put five languages, to put all the data on eight gigs."

    *Laughs hysterically*

  16. Alfie-UHE | Alfie-UHE

    • 12:02pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 16

    not a waterd down port of its crapbox counterpart? i hope not too! wasn't this game originally a PS3 exclusive? should of stayed that way, then gave a sh!t port to xbox

  17. Alpha2

    • 12:18pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 17

    The game was never a PS3 exclusive, hardly any of Ubisofts games ever stayed on one platform and sony wasnt about to pay them for exclusivity because they rarely do that. As for the memory issue, The Playstation platforms have always ben short on memory but the idea was always that the machines spit the meory on to the screen faster so it didnt have to sit in the machine waiting to be used (layman's terms here) but when dealing with persistant sandbox universes it's a hinderance to try and keep track of everything with such a small amount of memory. I really wish the next gen of Playstation would keep this in mind as it ALWAYS seems to be an issue.

  18. proog | proog

    • 12:27pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 18

    While they sometimes give lame excuses for being lazy on the PS3 side, it's good to see that they are trying to optimize it for the PS3 as much as they can instead of just porting the Xbox' limitations.

  19. cOwpander | Sobe_Elixir

    • 12:52pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 19

    I totaly agree with you "proog", last thing I want is a washed down port like other 360 games to PS3. That is just a teribble way to develope games and I think I speak for alot of PS3 owners, that is not what we want. Take yout time Ubi, do it right, ask the PS3 engineers how it's done and fallow there instructions accordingly.

  20. iToke

    • 1:21pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 20

    this game is going to be the sheeeeeit, just better not get fvcked up by these crazy devs.  and to all the talk with ea......be nice to them, they are the ones doing out orange box.....and if that EVER gets released, hopefully they do a quality job.

  21. Vipir | Vipir

    • 1:23pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 21

    I dont think this is complete BS, but I think it is quite far from the truth.  You mean to tell me that within the last 2+ years of developing this game they are just now running into problems with memory.  Highly doubtful.  On the other hand, it does seem logical that as we near the games completion they run into disc space problems.  Im not trying to be a fanboy and I dont know all the ins and outs of game design, but I feel as though Ubisoft needed a reason to delay the game and instead of solidly blaming the 360, they chose to go neutral and bring up some prblem that if exicst they would have known about since early stages of development.  IDK, thats my honest opinion.

  22. ChocolateBuddy | JWdarkn3ss

    • 2:03pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 22

    come on ubisoft. this is your last chance with me dont mess this game up

  23. NY_Young1 | NY_Young1

    • 2:19pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 23

    We would have to see when the game comes out. Hopefully it's as good as it seems.

  24. Lp47PS3 | Lp47

    • 3:41pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 24

    Its already started devs are limited to the 360's disc size, come on 8gb is pathetic. It was a very smart move by sony to put blu-ray into the ps3. Also I dont think the ps3 memory problem is as big as the 360's storage problem. I hope the ps3 version comes out on top.

  25. Battlecraft

    • 4:39pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 25

    both consoles should have gotten 1gig of RAM instead of 512KB

  26. sainraja | sainraja

    • 7:12pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 26

    This is Ubisoft Montreal though. I'd give them the benefit of doubt.

  27. Kojiro000 | ShinKojiro

    • 9:41pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 27

    how do you water down 8 gigs to 50 gigs anyways? Im pretty sure we'll NEVER stop hearing about 360's Disk size contraints. but the PS3 memory use how-to will be figured out soon. only thing devs will be able to do is A) Make an ugly game on both systems or B) Reduce the sound quality, Texture Quality, Animation Quality, World Size, and overall game length on just the 360, and leave the PS3 with the whole deal. DEATH TO 360! RAR!

  28. d-universe | DJRush12

    • 11:30pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 28

    I absolutely must get this game. Come on Ubisoft, pull through for us.

  29. alchemyuser1 | alchemyuser1

    • 11:46pm BST - October 13th, 2007
    • 29

    issue of memory thats it? They are not telling us sumthing

  30. PS3-The Ultimate Machine

    • 2:10am BST - October 14th, 2007
    • 30

    Its just a matter of time that they learn how to develop for the ps3 with ease.And whats with you ppl and EA.You guys dont understand that they have multiple studios developing games and some comeout with excellent games,yet others just update the Rosters.And about Peter Moore,i hated that guy beyond all reasons,but look what he did for the ps3 at EA sports.EA wasn't going to give us ANY 60 fps sports title,but now every single EA sports game will run 60fps thanks to Peter.

  31. Shabudalz

    • 2:24am BST - October 14th, 2007
    • 31

    we shouldnt have anything to worry about. only the 360 should be.

    remember, this was suppose to be a ps3 exclusive.

  32. OneManArmy

    • 5:34am BST - October 14th, 2007
    • 32

    Hmm, Ubisoft is earning my trust again, however I'm not sure if they deserve it.

  33. bigrob904 | BIGROB904

    • 4:11pm BST - October 14th, 2007
    • 33

    http://www.plasmas4free.com/default.aspx?r=930609

    i everyone yall would be doing me a big favor if yall go to this link or copy and paste this website to your search bar cause i need a hdtv and i can get one for free if i get 20 refferels so if i get get 20 of you to register complete one of the first three advertisements they are compltely free just put in information and i will get credit for your registration you can pick a gift and do the same thing to other people that i am asking for you and you will recieve your gift within a week of the completion of the process so please do this fpr your fellow ps3 owner.

  34. soket

    • 4:57pm BST - October 14th, 2007
    • 34

    i really don't see why companys make cross platform games for the 360 and PS3 as if they are in the same league.  CLEARLY they are not.  I don't want a half assed bunk 360 game on my ps3 id rather play an exclusive or nothing at all.

  35. The Cleaner

    • 6:02pm BST - October 14th, 2007
    • 35

    I only ever play my games with one language... Just a thought.

    As for memory issues on PS3 - work a bit harder and put in the necessaey funding to get around this hurdle. Either that or just ask Sony to cut out all the unnecessary stuff in the DRM.

  36. Mecha_Daddy | mecha_daddy

    • 11:44pm BST - October 14th, 2007
    • 36

    Here's hoping this isn't just lip service.  If they come through on their promise I'll buy the product.

  37. soul_reaper25 | soul_reaper25

    • 4:30pm GMT - November 13th, 2007
    • 37

    psn id:soul_reaper25 i hope it goign to be like they say it is man i plan on buying it when it comes out it depends how good it is so far what i seen of the game ill rate it a 4 out of 5 so thats good but lets find out when it comes out. so the ps3 version is goign to be btter like they said thx to the blue ray they didnt have to sturggle butting the gasme on the disic and gaybox 360 version they had to struglr on theres so that tells u that next gen needs blue ray to handle all, the stuff like reallly in teanse action/war and graphics thats why they(microsoft) ant able to push there systam because they dint but a blue-ray on it

  38. djduke316 | DJDuke316

    • 10:33pm GMT - January 19th, 2008
    • 38

    Next time, just port it from PS3 to 360 instead.  Problem solved.

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  • Related game: Assassin's Creed

    Release date (US):
    November 13th, 2007
    Developer:
    Ubisoft Montreal
    Genre:
    Action - Third Person
    Rank:
    16 of 1,470 Games
    Up 0 places (in last 7 days)

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