In an interview with JeuxVideo Magazine, Michel Ancel (creator of Rayman and the original Beyond Good & Evil) is quoted as saying that Beyond Good & Evil 2 is in preproduction and has been for about a year or so:
We've been in preproduction for a year, and we're working on research in small teams. But, for the moment, it's just in the draft stage, and Ubisoft hasn't agreed to it yet.
According the rest of the article, about a dozen people are working on the project. Ancel wants to maintain continuity with the first game, and dropped some hints as to what that might imply: "Large variety of stages of play, lots of emotion in the gameplay, characters you can get attached to. This time, we're addressing the fate of the planet." He also mentioned that animals will play a role in the game, although there's very little elaboration on that point.
Considered one of the best games of 2003, the original Beyond Good & Evil was critically acclaimed but commercially panned. As someone who has very little faith in the creative capacities of the giant publishers in the industry, I'm glad that Ancel and his team are working on a new game. I can only hope that Ubisoft gives it the green light. Perhaps we'll get an official announcement at UbiDays -- coming on the heels of another BGE2 rumor, I think that's likely.
For any readers in France, the full interview is in JeuxVideo Magazine, no. 91.
[Via JeuxVideo, thanks, power-glove!]
Contest:
8:46 AM on 05.15.2008
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I don't neccesarily think the game was the second comming of our lord( I mean, for god sakes! It was a stealth action game!) But it was loaded with style, it was gourgeous, it had great charecters and terrific music/voice acting!
And it had a plot twist you saw comming from a mile away!
Also, I like games with a decidedly European feel.
(snide comments aside, I'm totally excited over this!)
At the risk of incurring the wrath of the entire internet, I didn't like this game at all.
But this is good news
This is still good news though. I'll finally have to pick up the original to see what the fuss is all about.
I know you are supposed to be at work. Why are you checking Destructoid.com, I wish I could be online all day at work, bastard.
If this comes out on the PS3, the day it is released is the day I pick one up. GTAIV didn't do it, MGS4 isn't going to...BG&E2 will. Crazy, but true.
Animals played a big role in the last game as well... I wonder if it'll be a similar thing.
IS.
A.
GOD.
AFTER.
ALL.[/b]
You heard it here first. :D
Thank you for showing me the way, Destructioid.
Oh God I'm so happy right now
I didn't hate it myself, but yeah, I didn't love it as much as everyone else seemed to either.
So I guess I'm...I dunno, semi-excited? Eh.
I may have to backtrack and check out the first one. 03 was a busy year.
But the biggest thing in my opinion was it had an ending that just screamed sequal. But it never came.
This is a blessing in disguise. We might possible get an awesome sequal to an awesome game on the next gen platforms after developers have had time to work out the kinks in the systems.
Sure a top notch last gen game would have been cool, but would have been lost in the shuffle. And as a launch title it probably would not have impressed that much, but we might get it now. Horay!
I wonder what platform it would be on. Wii would be fun, what with the photography part, or PS360 for the graphics. Then again graphics be damned, if they released BG&E2 looking exactly like the original, I'd still buy it.
God I suck.