Beyond Good & Evil 2 "needs power"

By Fred Dutton Published 13 June, 2011

Ancel discusses possible next-gen release.

Beyond Good & Evil 2 might be too ambitious for the current generation of consoles to handle, creator Michel Ancel has revealed.

Talking with Eurogamer at E3 last week, Ancel confirmed reports that Ubisoft is now looking beyond the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for the long-in-development sequel to his acclaimed 2003 adventure.

Ancel wouldn't say for certain that it won't release on current gen hardware but revealed that his team is struggling to squeeze the game onto today's systems.

"I think we are still thinking about what we have to cut to fit on today's consoles, what we can improve. We really want to make the game perfect and as good as possible without cutting things. There is special gameplay that we really want to keep but it needs a certain power."

There has been very little said about the game since its reveal back in 2008 and, alas, Ancel wasn't forthcoming with much in the way of new information last week.

"I'd prefer you to see it when it is ready because it is something special to play," he politely replied to our demands for details.

However, he did outline why development has taken so long.

"After working on Rabbids, I then jumped into Beyond Good & Evil 2 for a long time. The development is advanced but we need more time to go further because with the hardware and the engine we have to improve it.

"So we took a little break and decided to make a 2D Rayman game because today's consoles are capable of really incredible 2D graphics and nobody has really used those abilities to display very HD pictures at 60FPS. In parallel with that, we continue with Beyond Good & Evil."

The original game – which saw a critically-acclaimed HD re-release earlier this year – while building a loyal fanbase, was hardly a huge commercial success for the publisher first time round.

However, Ancel is convinced the IP's luster has grown in the years since, and that the sequel has a better chance of connecting with audiences.

"We put a lot of our time, our energy, our patience into that game. So we were disappointed by the results," said Ancel of the original.

"At the same time, today we've been asked more about this game than any other game that Ubisoft has done in the same period. So this game is the one that people are really focussing on today. So it encourages us to continue on Beyond Good & Evil 2."

Ancel's next game, the delightful-looking Rayman: Origins platformer, is due out on PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 later this year.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (54) Latest comment 12 months ago

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  • jellyBelly #1 12 months ago

    NEEDS POWER

  • Haunted_Tree #2 12 months ago

    Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure. - Don Wilder and Bill Rechin

  • oceanmotion #3 12 months ago

    The new Rayman game does look awesome so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

  • Liam64 #4 12 months ago

    You guys already reported this, last week...

    http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-0...

  • Ingram85 #5 12 months ago

    The price of the original on psn has left a very sour taste imo, not as supportive to the cause now as much as I was a week or so ago.

  • Haloboy #6 12 months ago

    More power to the Pey'j!

  • vibroguy #7 12 months ago

    #5 didnt sony correct the pricing error and refund those affected?

  • Vortextk #8 12 months ago

    Not to say it would turn out to be a 12 year development cycle like duke nukem, but if the game can't do what you want it to do on current hardware, maybe developing it now is a bad idea. Seems like you'd just be imposing limits and designing software for some kind of middleground between new and old hardware which would just hurt in the long run.

  • Inmediasress #9 12 months ago

    Yeah I think the problem is that the HD remake didn't sell enough.
    You know the one which they basically randsomed us for Bg&e2, that means in theory we will never see a second game.
    This is just lame excuses for not making it too ambitious for this gen and what about PC that's miles ahead in terms of hardware waht else is there???? It's laughable lamest excuse I've heard since a long time.

  • Cadence #10 12 months ago

    Good point Liam64. Why is the same news being reposted now?? And why were you negged for suggesting it!

  • Kaminari #11 12 months ago

    #7

    No they didn't. Ubisoft fix the price, Sony comply.

  • Ares42 #12 12 months ago

    Been saying this for a while. People keep saying we don't need new consoles because the graphics are still good etc, but they fail to realize how restrictive certain parts of the console hardware is to the designers and how much effort is needed to tailor-make things to work.

  • God_Octo #13 12 months ago

    Ancel may think that the first may mature with age, but there's a limit to all these things. Soon the time difference between the original and the sequel will be so far apart that the greatness of the first will mean nothing. It'll be like DNF: those that originally followed it will either move onto newer pastures, or be sceptical about the quality of the finished product, whilst newbies will come to the game with no clue about the first one, and no care in the world how good it was. I think now is the perfect time for them to release the game, not in 5 or 10 years time when it won't be relevant at all.

  • lostlain #14 12 months ago

    Maybe make it for pc then?

  • Phishfood #15 12 months ago

    No one game should have all that power

  • mrharvest #16 12 months ago

    If Team ICO can manage to fit their game onto the current gen, if Bethesda can manage their huge free roaming epics, then what on earth do Ubi & Ancel plan to have in their game?

    Bollocks, I say!

  • Retro_ #17 12 months ago

    BG&E HD is a great remake. Super story and quite dark.

  • Caimbeul #18 12 months ago

    I keep saying that we need more power. Come on MS/Sony

  • Goodfella #19 12 months ago

    I loved the first game but does anyone give a fuck about BG&E any more?

    This could easily turn into DNF at this rate, unless he means the 360 is holding development back due to it's archaic DVD format.

  • Mister-Wario #20 12 months ago

    I must admit, I'm looking forward to seeing what this game is actually going to look like.

  • FuzzyDuck #21 12 months ago

    But the option to invert one's control sticks is possible on the current gen of hardware!

  • ro-kurorai #22 12 months ago

    I guess it's MS's asinine 3 (6.8/7.8 GB) disc limit, not "power" -_-
    Edited by ro-kurorai at 13/06/11 @ 20:50

  • twoism #23 12 months ago

    Maybe they just want it to look and feel like the target CG "gameplay" video that was leaked a couple years ago.

  • Vin #24 12 months ago

    This is all in Ancel's head, blates.

  • kitsuneyo #25 12 months ago

    WiiU exclusive.

  • Ged42 #26 12 months ago

    If I take some pictures of the local animal life, will it help with funds?

  • alimokrane #27 12 months ago

    As long as it's not cancelled for good, I'm happy. Keep at it Ancel :)

  • bemaniac #28 12 months ago

    I'm kinda glad to hear such a concept is going to possibly make it early for a next gen console. Funny feeling nintendo will be right on this for wii u

  • Cjail #29 12 months ago

    Rayman Origins is actually the demonstration that great ideas don't need more power, stunning 3d graphics, lots of shooting, etc...
    I suspect that Ancel is just frustrated by the fact that Ubisoft has not at all supported his idea/work; his words sound , to me, more like the final desperate excuse of a developer that has succumbed to an unjustified, unwanted, delay.
    Edited by Cjail at 13/06/11 @ 21:37

  • Sid-Nice #30 12 months ago

    Michel Ancel has just announced Beyond Good & Evil 2 for the Nintendo WII U; claiming the console has 50% more power than the Xbox 360 and the PS3. This is hard to believe considering Nintendo are notorious for using cheap components.

  • Sgt_Petter #31 12 months ago

    This game needs to be made, I never felt the need for a new console generation until now. I never played the HD version on XBLA, but I bought it, as my third copy, just to support them. How could I not at 800 MS points.

  • Inmediasress #32 12 months ago

    @Sid Nice
    You know you may actually have something there. Maybe it will be a Wiiu exclusive.

  • darkmorgado #33 12 months ago

    @Sid Nice

    Oh really?

    [link url=http://www.videogamer.com/news/wii_u_is_not_next-gen_says_michel_ancel.html
    ]http://www.videogamer.com/news/wii_u_is_...[/link]

    "Wii U is NOT next gen"

  • Sid-Nice #34 12 months ago

    @darkmorgado, no-one said "the Wii U is next generation" I think a lot of what Ancel said in that interview was lost in translation. One minute he's saying "The Wii U controller is next gen and it won't be long before others copy it" and when asked "Do you think Microsoft and Sony will make similar controllers?" He said "Sony no Microsoft maybe I don't know" He went on to say "We have several Wii U games in development and Rayman isn't one of them."

  • WukWhiteWolf #35 12 months ago

    Or they could make it a PC exclusive for the time being, and later port it onto new generation consoles.....but who am I kidding, Ubisoft would never release a PC exclusive.

  • cristoflanga #36 12 months ago

    Say nothing until you've played the game, that's the way I see it.

  • Stupid_Fat_Hobbit #37 12 months ago

    If I take some pictures of the local animal life, will it help with funds?

    Good idea, I'm going to start taking pictures of stray cats and hedgehogs and send them to Ubisoft. Might speed things up.

  • Collymilad #38 12 months ago

    HOW advanced is development though? Are we gonna get Perfect Dark Zero Mk II for the Xbox 3/PS4?

    Hope not.

    Also, the PS3 fanboys need to cut their shit. I'm not going to go over the multiple reasons why Blu-ray makes almost fuck all difference this gen, AGAIN. All I'll say is: Multiple discs or extra data on the HDD ala Forza 3, problem solved.

    The 360 is holding nothing back.
    Edited by Collymilad at 13/06/11 @ 22:38

  • JamieR #39 12 months ago

    Is he related to jermary clarckson in some way.

  • rodpad #40 12 months ago

    If they're thinking this out loud then I feel they've made little progress in developing the game thus far, let alone reaching a state whereby they could release some gameplay footage.

    I have a sad feeling this isn't going to see the light of day ever.

  • Slipstream #41 12 months ago

    Oh for crying out loud! Ubi are stalling the game, again! and with this nonsense excuse to boot. We're not asking for a Gears of War visual feast here Ubisoft, or SIMS 3 style micro-management, considering that BG&E already combines various genres, you'd only have to expand on what you've got, the world and atmosphere already oozes charm, just WHAT is going on here!?

  • Xeopuppy #42 12 months ago

    Surely PC's can handle the power now, so release it on the PC first, like next year and then a year later when consoles have caught up...

    ...Job Done.

  • The-Bodybuilder #43 12 months ago

    The Flux-Capacitor must be overloading.

  • goatjugsoup #44 12 months ago

    bullshit, i bet if they lowered their graphics expectations just a little, they'd have all the power they need i reckon

  • layleeloo #45 12 months ago

    They saying they have to cut it when they have a blu ray to stick it on. I'm finding that hard to believe

  • ballshock #46 12 months ago

    50 gigs not enough? shutap. Make the game for PS3

  • talideon #47 12 months ago

    Ancel's obviously taking the piss.

  • ubergine #48 12 months ago

    I've already got the byline for the review - "Pey'j turner."

  • Pasco #49 12 months ago

    Ancel obviously doesn't want to give up a native HD resolution or 60 FPS. There are very few current-generation games achieving that while looking decent and those that do don't offer any wide-open environments. If he wants to offer all that and perhaps add something on top then his reasoning has merit.

  • 43n1m4 #50 12 months ago

    Needs power? To me it seems like an excuse, that'll give him more time in development limbo. And although i consider the first game fun and good, I think a prolonged delay of its successor will only make the customer base even smaller by the time of its release, and then the game has to exceptional in order to attract a mass following.
    (If the next gen starts in 2013, then it'll be almost 10 years since the first game)

  • Evolution #51 12 months ago

    This makes me sad, thought we'd see BG&E2 again in the next year or so :(

  • geeza2020 #52 12 months ago

    NO!!! God I wish people would stop with their "I need a new more powerful console to splash £500 on". The fucking PS3 still doesnt RRP for under £200 and you want a new gen already? Fuck off. Maybe once the PS3 rrp is below £150 it might be financially viable for the manufacturers, but until then I dont think we'll hear anything on new consoles (Wii U is not next gen IMO). Besides, werent Kinect and Move supposed to guarantee the continuation of this generation of consoles for another 2 to 3 years?

  • Subdominator #53 12 months ago

    So ... they try to rebuild and widen the fanbase with a remake of the first and want to release the second to the small installed base on the next gen consoles. Smart move.

    If they release it on the next gen consoles it won't be out til 2017, when they have the installed base to actually sell some copies of their niche title.

  • smirny #54 12 months ago

    Taking bets on BG&E2 as launch title for Next-gen Xbox, Christmas 2013.