IN DEPTH: RABBIDS INTERACTIVE TV
Manzanares will launch the Rabbids Invasion game this November
a new genre, it’s not as if we can look at other games from other companies and see how they did it. “So we almost went into an
R&D period, which we didn’t think we needed to do at first because we saw this as just a party game mixed with a TV show.”
GROWING MADNESS Rabbids Invasion: The Interactive TV Show will launch this November on PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The boxed release will feature all 26 episodes (or 78 segments) of the first season, and Ubisoft is already planning to create further downloadable episodes to coincide with season two. There’s even a Rabbids movie
set to come out in 2016. Although Manzanares isn’t convinced an interactive film will work. “It’s not something we can apply
directly because a movie can be two hours long. It’s a different experience,” he says. “But it is something we need to think about.” Rabbids Invasion uses the
camera functionality of PS4 and Kinect, and was first unveiled as an Xbox One projecta at E3 last year. Since then there have been some changes – namely Microsoft’s decision to create a Kinect-free version of Xbox One.
“Everyone who bought an
Xbox One until now has a Kinect,” says Manzanares. “But now that Microsoft has said it wants to remove it to put the price down – that clearly has an impact. And it is something we are looking into. “But people will still buy the
Kinect. And this game is a good way to promote Kinect.” The Rabbids have a big few
years ahead of it, with TV shows, films, games and other projects. Ubisoft has even expressed an interested in the toys-to-life genre. Yet Rabbids Invasion may have an impact that goes beyond just Ubisoft. Interactive TV has been a concept that companies – such as Xbox – have discussed at length in recent years. The Rabbids have the chance to prove if it’s a concept that can really catch on. “Interactive TV shows are a new
thing that will become something global in the near future,” concludes Manzanares. “We are learning every day. But
we’ve seen Microsoft talk about what it is trying to do with Xbox One and Halo and everything they have in terms of licences and interactive TV concepts. So we know it is going to become something that will interest a lot of our players.”
LICENSING THE RABBIDS Xxx
FROM the moment the Rabbids came screaming onto Nintendo Wii, the series has been a big one for Ubisoft. It has sold almost 15m games worldwide. The TV series is shown in 25 countries, including a popular Saturday slot on Nickelodeon in the US, and boasts almost 300m views overall. As a result, it’s become a licensing goldmine. There are Rabbids cards, comics, stickers books, food, Todd McFarlane toys and there’s even a themed attraction at the Futuroscope theme park in France. “The licensing part is really connected to the production team and all the different
studios and what we are trying to do within the games,” says Rabbids producer Xavier Manzanares. “We want to make sure that
there are no gaps between the licensing or marketing strategy and the games themselves. That means what we propose, whether it is a game or not, should be quality and should be something coming from the creative sides. “We are not doing a lot of these licensed products just for the sake of it, it’s because people asked for it and it’s good to see them react in a really positive way. “They want more Rabbids.”
June 6th 2014
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www.mcvuk.com
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