Olivier, can you tell us how the development was handled between the PS3 & X360 versions?

Just after the original GRAW on X360 was released, the team began to work on GRAW2, simultaneously on the PS3 & X360 versions.

As the game engine (in-house YETI) was primarily built, in GRAW for the X360, the engineer team had a lot of work to do, to gain the same level of mastering on the PS3 hardware. Just as they did on X360 for GRAW1 before.

Since then, both teams have been working simultaneously on their versions, whether it's UBISOFT Paris & Red storm on the X360, or UBISOFT Paris & Shanghai on the PS3.

How would you sum-up the specific differences between the X360 & PS3 development?

For an engineer, the two platforms are critically different, with different strengths & weaknesses. Moreover, we feel that there's a real difference in the philosophy behind it.

The very primary differences, in the way the processors are designed & combined or the way the memory is handled make them very different challenges for engineers.

This said, the GRAW engine was designed with cross-platform in mind, which allowed us to develop most of the game features whatever the platform and then, later on optimize them for a specific version.

It seems pretty difficult for the development team to port a X360 game to PS3... was that the case for GRAW2?

GRAW2 can't actually be seen as a port, as the two games were simultaneously developed.

As the hardware was so different, GRAW2 PS3 was an original development, which requires taking some time to think how you can get the most out of the console, goal being to provide the same experience for the end-users.

That time is used to come up with smart choices, most of them coming with the experience on how to use the hardware at its best.

That experience can extend depending of the platform exclusive features like the Achievements on the X360 Live or the Sixaxis controller on PS3 for instance.

How many people have been working on PS3 compared to the X360 team?

It's actually more complex than this. First, we had all the game, level & artistic design team working for both platforms, with specific task forces assigned to the aforementioned exclusives. Then on a technical point of view, a separate team has been working on the PS3 hard & software. The GRAW2 PS3 engine lead had actually already a strong experience on Playstation hardware but also was responsible for GRAW1 optimizations on X360.

Thanks to his experience, we've been able to make choices (like assigning a specific task to a specific core of the CELL) that tend to use the hardware to get the most out of it.

During the project, the teams exchanged best practices, at the code level. Some original decisions on the PS3 code actually made it through X360 and added a lot to the X360 version performances.

On the AI specifically, how different it is between the PS3 & X360 versions?

The code written for AI is actually exactly the same on both platforms. The differences lie in the way it's compiled & handled by the hardware. When we've made different choices, depending on the compared strengths of the components of each platform (using the CELL or one of the X360 core for specific tasks), it was just to secure high performances and will be totally invisible for the players.

AI has been a great area for improvement between GRAW & GRAW2, whether it's the team mates AI (which uses voice feedback to highlight enemies in the surroundings very precisely) or the enemy AI, which uses height & covers to surprise the player. This is a key to a tactical shooter experience success, and we really enjoyed the brute power offered by both platforms!

Anyways, the best to test it is to play the demos, already out for X360 & PS3 or to wait for the PS3 game release (with exclusive maps, weapons & Sixaxis support) next week!

On Thursday, the Mayor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, Jose Reyes Baeza Terrazas, ordered his government to seize and confiscate every copy of the game Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, stating that the game was 'unnecessarily rude' against the city and the people of Cd. Ju rez, Chihuahua. The Mexican Government has yet to make an official statement. Explains reader Jose:

Now, when the sequel came out last month, the government of Chihuahua and the mayor of Cd. Ju rez, where the game takes place, were deeply offended after finding out that the game placed American soldiers shooting Mexican rebels in their territory, making an incredible media show that was showed on TV and some local newspapers. Although the main attention of this movement was to force the Mexican government to issue a diplomatic query with the American government about it... The local gamer community was actually excited to have their city featured on a video game...

Voice of reason: GRAW is published by Ubisoft, a Canadian company. So Mexican politician man, don't blame America, blame Canada! Somebody please tell them, because there's still time!! Brian Ashcraft

Eds Note: Apologies. Ubisoft is a French company, and GRAW2 was made in Montpellier in France. So please Mexican politician dude, please, blame the French and leave North America the frick alone.

GRAW 2 Pisses Off People In Mexico [Dario]

Ubi just confirmed that the multiplayer demo for Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 will be hitting this coming Monday.

The demo will come with a map called Outpost and supports both adversarial and co-op modes of play with up to 16 players.

Better still, if you download the demo on Feb. 26 you might get a chance to play against the developers:

Gamers who download the demo on February 26th will also have the incredible opportunity to be among a select group to challenge the developers to some multiplayer action. All one needs is to submit their Microsoft gamertag, have a ubi.com account and some luck. Sweepstakes will determine the winners who will be invited to play with Red Storm on the Multiplayer Xbox 360 demo on February 28th, 8-10pm EST. To sign up for this please visit http://ghostrecon.uk.ubi.com/graw2/match.php. The registration will stay open until, Monday the 26th, 6pm and winners will be informed after this. The gaming session will be in English. For more information on how to participate please visit www.ghostrecon.com.

I loved GRAW for quite awhile, can't wait to see if GRAW 2 pushes the envelope further or just looks purdier. Brian Crecente

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Demo [Major Nelson's Blog]

OMG, I want to play this game, but could they have made this developer's diary any less interesting? It was like watching some bad science film in high school. Ambient Occlusion, object translucency, depth sprites, dynamic fire and smoke... whatever just show shit blowing up.Brian Crecente

The title still appears to be on schedule for an early March release for the Xbox 360 and PC, with a PSP version hitting a couple weeks later. Michael McWhertor

Ubisoft Delays GRAW 2 on PS3 [1UP]

Hit the jump for two more. Man, I just can't get enough of this stuff. And that airstrike video (number three). Holy shit! Brian Crecente

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is officially in the works, Ubisoft announced today.

The game is in development for the 360, PS3, PSP and PC by Ubisoft's Paris and Red Storm Studios and set to hit in spring 2007.

While I'm a big fan of the original GRAW, this one doesn't sound like it's going to change much besides the plot. GRAW 2 carries on the plot from the original game and has you defending the U.S. and Mexico from rebel attacks. I was intrigued to read that the game will include some firefights in El Paso, Texas, where I went to high school.

That should be interesting.

Ubi says the game will have new "groundbreaking" visuals, improved artificial intelligence, more ground and air support and a tweaked Cross-Com system which will allow you to expand that tiny real-time picture-in-picture video to take up the whole screen.

Hit the jump for the full release. Brian Crecente

SAN FRANCISCO - December 8, 2006 - Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter(TM) 2, the next installment in the popular squad-based action franchise, is currently in development for the Xbox 360(TM) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system and Windows PC. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is being developed by the award-winning teams that created the original Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter(TM) in Ubisoft's Paris and Red Storm Studios. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is scheduled for worldwide release in Spring 2007.
"Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter set the standard for what we know as the next-generation gaming experience," said Laurent Detoc, president of Ubisoft North America. "With Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, Ubisoft is taking all the successful elements in the original to an unparalleled level of quality - the sophisticated technology, weaponry, graphics, story and online gameplay will heighten the intensity and bring gamers an even more amazing experience."

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter received critical acclaim and quickly became one of the best-selling games on Xbox 360 and one of the most played games on the Xbox Live online gaming service. Recently, the prestigious British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awarded Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter with "Best Game of the Year" and "Technical Achievement" honors.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 builds off of the events in the first game and places gamers in control of the U.S. military's elite fighting unit, the Ghosts. In the year 2014, the rising conflict between Mexican loyalists and insurgent rebel forces has thrown Mexico into full-scale civil war. Under the command of Captain Scott Mitchell, the Ghosts are called upon to face an imminent threat to the United States. The fate of two countries now lies in the hands of the Ghosts as they fend off an attack on U.S. soil. Equipped with the most cutting-edge weaponry and technology, the Ghosts must battle on both sides of the border to neutralize the escalating rebel threat.

Key Features:
Groundbreaking Visual Experience: The war zone in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter comes to life as you navigate through trash-strewn streets and pick off enemies from behind bomb-scarred structures. The cutting-edge physics and particle systems will show you some of the most intense and realistic explosions, smoke, and environment destruction ever seen in a video game. Dynamic lighting and shadows will morph as real-time day/night cycles and a constantly changing weather system require you to adjust to the changing conditions on the fly.
All-New Battlegrounds: For the first time ever, the Ghosts will defend U.S. soil from a cross-border attack, taking the fight to all-new locations. The Ghosts will battle enemies in mountain terrains, barren deserts and even on their home turf in El Paso, Texas. Each environment presents its own benefits and challenges and will call for fresh tactical approaches.
Vastly Improved Artificial Intelligence (AI): Watch your back as rebels send their own team members to flank your position or gain vantage points by utilizing vertical gameplay to pick you off from the rooftops above. Improved squad-mate AI will now feed you more of the information you need with descriptive commands like "enemy spotted behind red truck ahead."
Improved Cross-Com: The revolutionary new Cross-Com 2.0 will give the player more information than ever before. You will be able to see what your friendly forces see in the top left display and the click of a button will expand that to full-screen view for a clearer and more precise picture. This will give you a more comprehensive view of the entire battlefield. The new Full Command View will allow unprecedented precision in developing and issuing tactical plans on the battlefield.
Expanded Support: Command lethal air strikes with jet fighters, gain mobile cover for otherwise impassable situations and replenish armaments on the battlefield using an unmanned artillery MULE. Players can now heal their team on the battlefield, including squad leader Scott Mitchell, with an all-new Medic class of soldier.