Assassin's Creed 3 Wii U controller features detailed

Swish special features being prototyped for the Wii U touchscreen controller in Assassin's Creed III include easy access to the Animus and inventory, and an alternate view for Eagle Vision.

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Like the Wii before it, the Wii U has a fancy controller which encourages developers to add unique functionality. Unlike the Wii, though, the Wii U will have enough muscle to run games like Assassin's Creed III. Add that all together, and you have special features for the Wii U touchscreen controller in AC3, which have now been revealed a little more.

Ubisoft's prototyping a number of context-sensitive uses for the touchscreen, creative director Alex Hutchinson explains in the latest issue of Nintendo Gamer magazine (via NintenGen). It could show a map when you're off exploring, but be used to quickly select weapons in combat.

Then there's the in-game encyclopedia detailing notable locations and people, which could use the second screen to dump information when you come across them rather than popping up on the main screen.

The most intriguing idea teased, though perhaps not the most practical, is using the touchscreen for the information-gathering 'Eagle Vision' mode.

Set during the American Revolution, Assassin's Creed III is coming on October 30, though the Wii U edition obviously can't launch until the console does this holiday season, and who knows how long Ubisoft will delay the PC version this time?

From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 27, 2012 11:30 AM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, Assassin's Creed 3 Wii U controller features detailed.

    Swish special features being prototyped for the Wii U touchscreen controller in Assassin's Creed III include easy access to the Animus and inventory, and an alternate view for Eagle Vision.

    • reply
      March 27, 2012 11:50 AM

      [deleted]

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        March 27, 2012 2:51 PM

        From what I recall from the previous E3, Nintendo is trying to give devs as much control over it as possible, so it's kind of a crapshoot till it's proven successful.

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      March 27, 2012 11:51 AM

      It sounds like it may have some good features but the later release date will probably mean a missed opportunity, fans waiting anxiously for the game will probably be more inclined to buy it on the other platforms on day one.

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      March 27, 2012 11:55 AM

      "and who knows how long Ubisoft will delay the PC version this time?"

      Apparently they are not delaying it and giving PC gamer's same day launch love --> http://www.ubi.com/US/Games/Info.aspx?pId=10502 this makes valcan_s happy :)

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        March 27, 2012 2:38 PM

        Woah there, we don't want any facts to get in the way of our pre-emptive whining!

        not saying they won't delay the PC version but how about we wait until they actually do it.

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      March 27, 2012 12:18 PM

      So they'll make special Wii U controller support, but not for fucking mouse and KB?

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        March 27, 2012 12:25 PM

        There isn't a company called "Computer" that will give them money to do it.

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          March 27, 2012 12:29 PM

          Actually there are thousands upon thousands of entities willing to give them money to do it.

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        March 27, 2012 12:28 PM

        Lol I was thinking the same thing.

        It's pretty obvious that Ubi just plain dislikes the PC platform, and we fucking hate them right back.

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          March 27, 2012 2:34 PM

          If they didn't like the PC platform they would stop making games for it. If they don't like PC gamers though, I can't blame them. Bunch of pirating, entitled, whining, petty little bitches.

          I love the PC and it's where I do 90% of my gaming but we can stop pretending that the community is any more intelligent or reasonable than the foulmouthed tykes on Xbox Live.

          • reply
            March 27, 2012 2:36 PM

            C- trolling, at best.

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              March 27, 2012 2:41 PM

              Well someone had to say it. Where was that article that called out PC gamers on their prima donna bullshit that everyone was talking about a while ago? That was golden.

              I'm in a bad mood today so I probably shouldn't be posting but that wasn't trolling. people need an attitude check.

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                March 27, 2012 2:51 PM

                I think you should read into this situation a little more. This isn't some one-off event. Ubisoft has been progressively anti-PC for years now, and the attitude they're sporting with this ASSCREED3 PR is pretty blatant.

                In reaction to stories like this, PC gamers stop buying Ubi games and the inevitable lackluster sales for Ubi PC games is blamed on piracy/the entitled PC community, sounding eerily similar to your first comment up there.

                Maybe you should go work for Ubisoft.

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                  March 27, 2012 2:54 PM

                  I really don't know why Ubisoft even bothers with the PC anymore. If you are going to support the platform, same goes for any platform really, do it right or don't do it at all.

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        March 27, 2012 12:53 PM

        Yah that really is just 0.o

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        March 27, 2012 12:55 PM

        POST PC ERA didn't you get the memo?

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        March 27, 2012 1:07 PM

        I'm sure Nintendo told them to "make something work with our controller gimmick"

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        March 27, 2012 2:30 PM

        Oh please. All the Assassin's Creed games have support for mouse + kb. It's not the best way to play the game (you realize m+kb isn't best for every game and genre, right?) but it's there.

        God I hate how the internet gives such a voice to ignorant people who make shit up because they don't know what the fuck they're talking about.

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          March 27, 2012 2:39 PM

          You realize rick's comment is in response to this news, right?
          http://www.shacknews.com/chatty/27907003

          You were saying something about ignorant people not knowing what they're talking about?

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            March 27, 2012 3:22 PM

            Are we reading that comment as implying there'll be no mouse+kb support at all?

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              March 27, 2012 3:26 PM

              That's how I read it. But it retrospect that may not be what he meant.

              Either way, he implied that the m+kb support for AC3 is worse than the previous games which to the best of my knowledge is not true at all.

              I don't understand why when Ubisoft does the same thing they did for the previous 4 games, all of a sudden it's a scandal now.

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          March 27, 2012 2:40 PM

          You just owned yourself :(

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          March 27, 2012 2:40 PM

          D'oh!

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          March 27, 2012 2:42 PM

          God I hate how the internet gives such a voice to ignorant people who make shit up because they don't know what the fuck they're talking about.
          THEN STOP POSTING.

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          March 27, 2012 2:53 PM

          Grape Failure

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          March 27, 2012 3:03 PM

          lol. I didn't say it was ideal (in fact I explicitly said the opposite), but it's there. You can play all the AC games with mouse + kb. It's not designed around it, no. But I could list dozens of PC games that are not ideally played with m+kb, including all the previous installments of the AC series.

          They're not making "special" support, no. PC gamers need to get over this idea that they're "special".

          It's not a human rights violation if developers don't treat you as the high gods of gaming, catering to every last whim and request no matter what.

          Given how much lower the sales are from PC versions and the fact that a lot of PC gamers don't even bother to pay for the games, they're doing you a favor by even treating you as equal, let alone "special".

          My opinion may be unpopular but this ever-worsening prima donna shit from the PC community is making me increasingly embarrassed to be a PC gamer.

          Just my opinion. You don't have to like it, and I probably shouldn't have posted it, but that's my take.

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            March 27, 2012 3:11 PM

            Whatever. You can dogpile on my posts all you want but PC gamers need to get used to the idea that we are not gaming royalty. The coming years and decades are going to be very hard for you so long as you keep clinging to that notion.

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            March 27, 2012 3:21 PM

            Supporting the defacto means of input on the pc is hardly "special", especially when the previous games supported it fine?

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              March 27, 2012 3:23 PM

              The support is the same as the previous versions. Nothing has changed.

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      March 27, 2012 2:57 PM

      What do you think the sales figures are going to be for the PC vs. WiiU version? Ubi's shitty PC porting aside, do you think the WiiU version is going to sell shitloads?

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        March 27, 2012 3:29 PM

        I think the Wii U is going to tank in general but I hope I'm wrong. Nintendo is in a really tough situation right now.

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