Previous installments of Rayman Raving Rabbids games have all been about mini games that make use of the Wii's unique controls in perverse and silly ways. Like the one where you used your butt on the Balance Board to steer a Rabbid down a slope.

This game breaks away from the mini game compilation formula by giving the Rabbids an actual adventure – which is nothing new for the Wii – plus a really cool customization mode that may just be the first virtual torture chamber Nintendo's little white monster has ever featured.

What Is It?
Rabbids Go Home is an adventure game where the player controls two Rabbids out to gather all the stuff they can to build a giant pile of stuff so that the Rabbids can climb up to the moon. Clearly, the series hasn't abandoned its wackiness even if it's ditched the mini game format.

What We Saw
I played two of the three available levels and spent a lot of time futzing around with the Inside The Wii Remote feature where you can torture and customize the Rabbids you play in the adventure mode.

How Far Along Is It?
Very, very early days. The game isn't due out until October 2009.

What Needs Improvement?
Shopping Cart Physics: The goal of the game is to fill a shopping cart with as much stuff as possible; but I noticed that no matter how many wet floor signs, guard dogs, fire extinguishers and other junk I collected, the shopping cart always handled the same. As someone who's famous for losing control of her shopping cart at the grocery store, I think it would be way more fun (and challenging) for the cart to have physics that adjust to the amount of stuff the Rabbids collect.

What Should Stay The Same?
Inside The Wii Remote: Players can select this mode from the main menu and spend as long as they want customizing their Rabbids with unlockable items from the game. Once selected, the Rabbid is sucked "inside" your Wii Remote and you're treated to a surreal view of what your Wii Remote would look like if it were hollowed out and the size of your TV. From there, it's all about customizing your Rabbid with unlockable items obtained in adventure mode, like an air pump that can shrink or puff up the eyes, ears or lips of your Rabbid for an even more disturbing, slightly mentally impaired appearance. And when you get bored of that, you can shake your Wiimote or mash buttons like crazy to watch your Rabbid get bounced around inside the hollowed out controller. It's probably a bad thing to encourage kids to torture retarded rabbit creatures – but the Rabbids seem to enjoy the abuse, so I guess it's okay…

Same Old Humor: Anyone who's a fan of the Rabbids' brand of insane humor is going to have a lot to laugh at here.

Final Thoughts
I'm really not sure that the Rabbids – inane, insane little buggers that they are – can inspire enough sympathy to carry an entire adventure game by themselves. They don't talk, they're not that smart and I'm pretty sure they don't do well without air, so what happens when they get to the moon? I might be happy slamming them around a Wii Remote replica, but I'd feel terrible for actually killing them.

Highlights on the list include Q3 (November 2009 to December2009) releases for Assassin's Creed 2, which Ubi prez Yves Guillemot says will cost 20 percent more than the original and be a much bigger game; the long-delayed Splinter Cell: Conviction; the MotionPlus-only Red Steel 2; Wii-exclusive Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage and Rabbids Go Home.

Announced for early 2010 (Q4 ranging from January 2010 to March 2010) are strategy title R.U.S.E., survival game I Am Alive and a new Ghost Recon.

Notably absent from the list is the previously-teased Beyond Good & Evil 2.

I do remember one time in college, though, I went to bed real early in my dorm room. I woke up to knocking on my door later that night. Half awake, I open the door to find two cute girls from across the hall asking if I had any extra N64 controllers to play Mario Kart. I said "no" and closed my door. It wasn't until about 10 seconds later that I realized what I just did. *stupid, stupid, stupid*

The other benefit of the co-marketing agreement is a series of excellent quotes from Capri Sun and Ubisoft brand managers. Vinay Sharma of Capri Sun says that putting Rabbids on juice containers is just one of the "inventive ways to keep the brand cool and relevant with our audience."

Tony Key of Ubisoft calls the agreement "an opportunity to showcase the quirkiness of the Raving Rabbids and the entertaining gameplay of the new title." Just one step closer to a world where the universal language is fruit punch.

Capri Sun Launches Integrated Marketing Campaign With Rayman Raving Rabbids(R) TV Party Video Game

Ogilvy Creates Partnership Between Capri Sun and Ubisoft

TARRYTOWN, N.Y., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ — Kraft's Capri Sun brand enters into new marketing territory though a domestic integrated marketing partnership with Ubisoft's Rayman Raving Rabbids(R) TV Party video game. The partnership was developed by Kraft's longtime advertising agency, Ogilvy New York.

The wholly integrated marketing campaign includes integration of Capri Sun in the forthcoming Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party video game for the Wii(TM) home video game system from Nintendo. The game and the Capri Sun participation with the series are being promoted nationwide on 50 million boxes of Capri Sun, through television advertising under the Capri Sun "Respect the Pouch" campaign, on a microsite with customized Capri Sun / Rayman Raving Rabbids Web games that feature specially designed Raving Rabbids characters and an online sweepstakes.

"As marketers, we're always looking for inventive ways to keep the brand cool and relevant with our audience," said Vinay Sharma, senior brand manager, Capri Sun. "This promotion brings together Capri Sun, which has always stood for active fun, and the unique active gaming style of Wii. The partnership is fun and engaging for kids as it encourages physical activity, and we're thrilled to be part of this unique initiative."

"Working with Kraft and Ogilvy on the Capri Sun partnership provides Ubisoft with an opportunity to showcase the quirkiness of the Raving Rabbids and the entertaining gameplay of the new title," said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ubisoft.

Ogilvy's Digital Innovation Lab began working on the gaming concept over a year ago and selected the Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party game based on research of the gaming market and the target audience. Although research showed that 98% of boys and 84% of girls within the Capri Sun target audience play video games, the agency focused on the Wii system since it requires kids to be mobile and active, something Capri Sun has always reflected.

"We see gaming as an opportunity for brands to create meaningful brand engagements," said Maria Mandel, executive director of Ogilvy's Digital Innovation Lab in New York. "When you can build an entire 360-degree effort and include new marketing platforms such as active gaming, you have a richer and more meaningful way to build the relationship."

Promotion maximizes the fun

To maximize the partnership with the Raving Rabbids brand, Capri Sun is featuring the game and its characters in all promotional elements. In addition, Ubisoft has developed an online exclusive game called "Rabbid Droppings" on the RespectThePouch.com website. The website also includes a sweepstakes that offers consumers a chance to win one of four ultimate gaming system packages, including a 46" HDTV, Home Theater System, a Wii system, three Wii Remotes(TM), a Wii Balance Board(TM) accessory and one Rayman Raving Rabbids game.

Two of the mini-games integrate Capri Sun within the story and gameplay. Three new Rabbid characters, each tied to one of the three Capri Sun varieties, were created exclusively for the marketing campaign and integration in the Wii version of Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party game.

About Capri Sun

Capri Sun is the number-one ready-to-drink kids' beverage. The line, all available in cool silver pouches, includes Capri Sun juice drink, Capri Sun Roarin' Waters beverage and Capri Sun 100% Juice. All three sublines fall under Kraft's Sensible Solutions platform and are sold across the US in a wide range of great-tasting flavors. To learn more about Capri Sun, go to www.caprisun.com.

About Ogilvy NorthAmerica

Ogilvy North America (www.ogilvy.com), is the largest unit of The Ogilvy Group agency network, a subsidiary of WPP Group plc (Nasdaq: WPPGY). It has offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Durham, Minneapolis, Denver, and throughout Canada. Ogilvy North America brings together all the capabilities of the Ogilvy network to provide integrated marketing solutions to the agency's clients. It encompasses Ogilvy & Mather Advertising, OgilvyEntertainment, OgilvyOne, OgilvyInteractive, Neo@Ogilvy, Ogilvy Healthworld, Ogilvy Public Relations and OgilvyAction.

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has teams in 28 countries and distributes games in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2007-08 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of 928 million euros. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

Capri Sun and the Capri Sun pouch are a trademark of the Deutsche SiSi-Werke GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG.

(C) 2008 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Rayman, Rayman Raving Rabbids, the character of Rayman, Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Wii and the Wii logo are trademarks of Nintendo. (C) 2006 Nintendo.

“Rayman is one of the videogame world’s iconic heroes, and we look forward to bringing the mischievous fun of the game series to a new line of branded videogame accessories,” said Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz. “The addition of the Rayman Raving Rabbids license further strengthens and diversifies what we believe to be the video game accessory industry’s most extensive portfolio of brand licenses that already includes all of the major North American professional sports leagues and many of the most popular recent and upcoming software titles.”

No word on what bits of cute crap they'll be trying to shove down our throats, but I hope it will involve at least one Rabbid plushie with built-in motion detecting.

Mad Catz to Produce Rayman Raving Rabbids® Branded Console Videogame and PC Accessories

SAN DIEGO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (AMEX/TSX: MCZ), a leading third-party interactive entertainment accessory provider, announced today that it has secured a license from Ubisoft® to produce branded accessories based on the Rayman Raving Rabbids® series of games. The multi-year agreement gives Mad Catz North American rights to a range of accessories for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PC, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and the Wii™ home videogame system from Nintendo.

“Rayman is one of the videogame world’s iconic heroes, and we look forward to bringing the mischievous fun of the game series to a new line of branded videogame accessories,” said Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz. “The addition of the Rayman Raving Rabbids license further strengthens and diversifies what we believe to be the video game accessory industry’s most extensive portfolio of brand licenses that already includes all of the major North American professional sports leagues and many of the most popular recent and upcoming software titles.”

The debate comes after Dentist Gaye Herford spent a year trying to bring the plight of her son to the attention of Parliament after he suffered a seizure while playing Rayman: Raving Rabbids on this DS.

The paper reports that Ubisoft has already agreed to voluntarily test its games through a screening process.

Herford discovered her 10-year-old son with his eyes glazed over and twitching uncontrollably in an epileptic fit in May 2007.

If the campaign leads to new legislation, the UK will be the first country in the world to set such high safety standards for video games, the paper reports. Television and film programs are already tested.

MUM'S NINTENDO EPILEPSY BATTLE [The Evening Post]

Our immediate response to Gaye Herford was to not just take note but to take up her case. Testing of the original Rayman Raving Rabbids Nintendo DS game showed that no images posed a high risk for photosensitivity epilepsy....However, we took the view that different people can react in different ways and made a decision to prescreen and pretest all Ubisoft in-house developed games regardless of platform, prior to publication.

Mother strikes a blow against epilepsy risk of computer games [via pocketgamer]

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR HOLIDAY 2007 LINEUP

Q3 2007-2008 Lineup Showcases Some of the Industry's Most Anticipated Games

SAN FRANCISCO - September 21, 2007 - Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that its holiday 2007 lineup will feature an exceptional selection of titles. Covering all segments of video games - from hardcore to family titles, as well as games based on some of the most popular films and television series - the rich offering also includes some of this year's most anticipated new brands along with exciting new games from Ubisoft's multimillion-unit selling brands:

• Assassin's Creed(TM) - One of the most anticipated video games of the year comes to the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system in November, and to PC in early 2008.
• Beowulf(TM) - The video game, based on Paramount Pictures' and Shangri-La Entertainment's "Beowulf," the upcoming feature film from Academy Award®-winning director Robert Zemeckis, will be released in November on Xbox 360, the PLAYSTATION 3 system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.
• Blazing Angels® 2 Secret Missions of WWII - Currently available on Xbox 360, experience World War II on the PLAYSTATION 3 system coming this holiday. Play as an elite pilot in the follow-up to the successful Blazing Angels® Squadrons of WWII.
• Brothers In Arms Hell's Highway(TM), previously expected to be released for holiday 2007 will be released on next-generation platforms and PC in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007-08. Brothers in Arms Road to Hill 30 for Wii will be released in December.
• CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION(TM) Hard Evidence - For the first time, CSI fans will be able to play CSI on Xbox 360 and the Wii(TM) home video game system from Nintendo this holiday.
• Haze(TM) - Legendary development team Free Radical Design teams up with Ubisoft to deliver the mind-altering, technologically superior game Haze, exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3 system this holiday.
• Heroes of Might and Magic® V: Tribes of the East - Enjoy the dramatic evolution and conclusion of the Heroes® V experience this holiday on PC.
• Nitrobike(TM) - Navigate rocket-propelled motorcycles in this arcade-style game exclusively for the Wii(TM) home video game system from Nintendo.
• NARUTO(TM): Rise of a Ninja - In a game exclusively developed for Xbox 360 from the ground up and for the first time ever, in October, gamers will experience Naruto starting from the series' beginning.
• Rayman Raving Rabbids® 2 - The bunnies are back and crazier than ever in this new game specially developed for Wii and Nintendo DS(TM) this holiday.

This holiday, Ubisoft will also release games that appeal to all audiences, with its innovative and appealing Games for Everyone lineup:

• Chessmaster®: The Art of Learning for DS and Chessmaster®: Grandmaster Edition for PC - In both games, Josh Waitzkin, International Master and eight-time National Chess Champion, coaches players to grasp the basic fundamentals of chess and to master the game through exciting courses and tutorials taken directly from his groundbreaking book, The Art of Learning (Free Press).
• Cranium® Kabookii - Designed specifically for Wii, Cranium Kabookii is an all-new game where families jam, draw, act and puzzle as they collect points and take center stage in the Kabookii Arena to win. Special Kabookii Decoder Glasses reveal secret answers for added fun!
• Imagine(TM) - The Imagine line allows girls to explore their favorite interests and hobbies - as indicated by extensive lifestyle research on this audience - in an interactive and entertaining way with titles such as Fashion Designer, Master Chef and Animal Doctor for Nintendo DS.
• My Coach - Play and learn with this suite of entertaining training coaches that will teach you languages (My French Coach, My Spanish Coach) or help you to improve your expression (My Word Coach) for DS and Wii.
• Petz® - This holiday will see the return of Horsez®, Catz®, Dogz® and Hamsterz on the DS, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PC - and for the first time on Wii!

The graphics look more polished this time round, and details on new minigames are a bit scarce. We know that one has 4 Rabbids strapped to lab tables, with electricity-throwing cathodes above them. Cue lots of screaming when they get zapped. Another one involves some Rabbids in some theatre seats (naturally, they are wearing costumes like a Pirate, American Sport player, and one in bandages) talking on cellphones. Hopefully there will be some unique usages of the Wii Remote's Speaker here.

No telling when the release date will be, so don't go planning a Wii Party at your house unless you've got a copy of Mario Party 8 coming beforehand to use as a buffer. Feel free to swap dip recipes while you wait though. Kim Phu

News: Rayman's Rabbids Ready Their Return! [N-Europe]

• Pokemon Diamond (DS) Pokemon, Pokemon! Now in Diamond edition!
• Pokemon Pearl (DS)
  Pokemon, Pokemon! Now in Pearl edition!
• The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (PC)
  You can be a hobbit, or just look like one!
• F.E.A.R. (PS3)
  F.E.A.R. gets scary on the PS3
• Eureka Seven Vol. 2: The New Vision (PS2)
  Get your mech on...again!
• Aedis Eclipse: Generation of Chaos (PSP)
  A new RPG with jobs, customizable armies and three different storylines.
• Rayman Raving Rabbids Those wasscaly wabbids conquer the 360(X360)

If hell had a gateway, it would be that cupcake mouth. Shortly after reader Nathan and his girlfriend made this, they were sucked into a ring of the underworld Dante missed. Truly, truly nightmare inducing. Masochistic readers, check out the complete Flickr set. Yes, there are more of them. Brian Ashcraft

Rabbid Cupcakes [Flickr, Thanks Nathan!]

I don't know if I will ever get sick of these Very Useful Scientific Facts About Bunnies. The latest? Rabbids can't stand Christmas. That reminds me, I need to play some more Rayman Wii this weekend. Brian Crecente

Oh my god will you stop with the things-coming-out-of-toilets humor. I'm not on board with it.

Even rabbids.

There is a point to this post and that picture, besides my rather odd fear, and that is that Ubisoft is giving away three Wii and some games as part of a promotion for their so-fun-even-I-liked-it Rayman game.

Starting right now Ubisoft wants to see your best Rabbid Scream! Rayman Raving Rabbids fans are invited to submit any and all types of media illustrating their own take on the Rabbid Scream! You've seen it in the movie shorts and on our web sites, now it's your turn! Use your creativity and put it up on the web for everyone to see and vote on! Any and all media is welcome for the contest, from drawings and comics to full motion video! We want to see your best take on the Rabbid Scream, and we want the community, including your family and friends, to vote on the best of the best! Voting will begin December 11th!!!

Three grand prize winners will each receive a Wii, eight games (hold the Red Steel please Ubi), and a "special Ubisoft prize pack." Seven runner's up will get the prize pack.

Submissions will be accepted from Dec. 11 at midnight through Dec. 17 at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be chosen by popular vote. Brian Crecente

Rayman Resides [MySpace]

Rayman. Can't stand him. Not ever. Not anyone of his 50 bazillion games. Not on any system. Not once. Not till now.

I love, really, truly love Rayman's introduction to the Wii.

Essentially, it's a WarioWare take off, where Rayman, trapped by a heard of angry, very mouthy rabbits, has to perform a series of challenges as he tries to free himself from their furry, adorable clutches.

I've only played through a dozen or so of the game so far, but I like all of them. Sure, some are a little eh, but for the most part they're quite fun.

My favorite, by far, is bunny hunting, a tight first-person shooter that has you packing plungers as you take on a pack of similarly-armed rabbits. While the hunting game is really just a rail shooter, it's still a ton of fun and you can do headshots. Seriously, every time you thwap a bunny perfectly in the face with your plunger gun it actually says headshot. How can it get any better than that?

Other games like the variety of races, cow tossing and dancing are equally fun. I do have to point out that this is the title that features a first-person game that has you pumping carrot juice at approaching bunnies. Stop and think about that for a second. All you see in this game is a bunch of bunnies and you spraying a thick orange stream on them. Nuff said.

The worst of the games, so far, is probably one that has you tracing images of food using the remote. Sorta boring, but it's so short it's not a big deal.

If you're up for a fun collection of motion-heavy games on the Wii, this is the title for you. If you are looking for any depth or a bunny-less plot, than steer clear. Brian Crecente

Rayman Raving Rabbids has a blog. Yes, it's over at our stinky arch-nemesis' own personal Mordor, IGN. But it features lost of portly game progammers with the consistency of cottage cheese being mangled by insane, cackling rabbits. Which, frankly, is good enough for me. Florian Eckhardt

Rayman Raving Rabbids Blog [IGN Blogs]