Ubisoft Nano: The Future of Gaming?
By Daniel Sumpton | Misfit Media Columnist
Ubisoft Nano is a platform for bite-sized HTML5 games developed by Ubisoft Da Nang in Vietnam. The service uses a collection of intellectual properties by Ubisoft and has made waves due to tech geniuses attached to the project like Joel Deligne. Joel is noted for developing a tool to smoothen Ubisoft Nano software development. The tool called Max2Spine is able to “convert 3D animations from some of Ubisoft’s biggest brands into 2D animations that can be used in the team’s new titles.”
Ubisoft Nano launches gaming forward by capturing all audiences. From casual mobile gamers to competitive leaderboard toppers, there will be a level of enjoyability on at least one of the many games provided on the service. The software is reminiscent of flash games that many played in schools, whilst being combined with game modes and mechanics that have become so prevalent in today’s gaming sphere, (battle royale titles for example). All games on the service are also entirely free, playable on ANY device, easily sharable through QR codes, and playable with your friends.
The highlight of the six games that are on the platform is easily Assassin’s Creed Freerunners. A game where you can play as your favourite assassin and make your way through a tricky course as fast as you can to beat your friends! Simple, fun, and addictive! There are also two Rabbids games (Rabbids Volcano Panic, Rabbids Wild Race), Hungry Shark Arena, a racing game titled Trackmania Blitz, and an online Super Bomberman-like game called Ubisoft All-Star Blast! There are also many more games in development for the service.
While Ubisoft Nano will obviously never totally topple large triple A single player experiences, there is no telling how large the playstyle will become for online players. It is true that free microgames on one platform have never been a secret to anybody. It is Ubisoft’s ability to integrate modern and popular mechanics into the old concept, as well as use their largest brands like Assassin’s Creed and Rabbids for it that show that they know how to evolve the concept like it has never been done before.