As the name suggests, the game is based in the future. However, not a very distant future. The developers of the game stress that they’ve tried to stay as true to reality as possible. The weapons featured in the game are already either being employed by Special Forces at the moment or are in the testing phase to be made available soon. Like most Tom Clancy games, Future Soldier is all about realism and Ubisoft have employed the services of four navy seals who’ve helped make sure the motion capture is as realistic as possible and that the game stays true to reality.

The game is set in different locales ranging from Bolivia to Peshawar. For our first look at the game, we’re going to talk about the map based in Peshawar. It was particularly interesting, as it was an urban setting. The mission starts in the middle of the city and you have a lot of civilians around. In order to mark out your enemies and differentiate them from civilians, you have to use one of the intel gadgets. You can either use a sensor grenade, which will mark out all enemies in it’s radius or use the drone to give you an aerial view of your enemies. Once your enemies are marked, you can use the magnetic view, which is a sort of X-ray mode to reveal enemies hiding behind cover.

Among the many futuristic gadgets at your disposal is optical camouflage. It’s like an invisibility cloak that you can turn on and it works when you’re moving slowly are or stationary.

A range of weapons are also at your disposal and each of them are customizable to your liking. A special “gunsmith” mode is also available for Kinect users who want to customize their weapons Minority Report-style. Those more comfortable with button mashing than waving hands and using cumbersome hand gestures can stick to their controllers while using the “gunsmith” mode.

While there’s loads of futuristic weapons to play with, the real focus of the game is the squad based combat. This is where the realism really kicks in and you get the feel of what being part of a Special Forces team is like. If you’ve played GR:AW, you’ll appreciate how much the squad management has been simplified. At a basic level, killing your enemies usually means identifying them via intel devices, using stealth and camoflauge to get into the right positon, tagging the enemies, so that your squad has them positioned in their line of sight and are ready to take them out on command, and finally initiating the kill sequence. You also have the option to get a team member to take out an opponent directly.

In addition to all this, Ubisoft gets so much right with Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. Character animations are realistic, levels are well detailed and the explosions can be breath taking. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier releases in May 2012. Watch out for a full review on MEGamers once the game is out.

We started with a quick briefing session with the developers excitedly showing off some of the finer aspects of the game. Their excitement wasn’t without reason, the game looks absolutely spectacular – it just gets so much right – the beautiful lighting, the realistic character animations, the breathtaking explosions. What’s even more impressive is the squad based action. The developers have worked with Special Forces agents to simulate what squad work is really like and there’s a great sense of reality to this game.

We caught up with Yann Suquet, Associate Producer of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, to talk about what gamers can expect from the futuristic shooter.

Yann Suquet, Associate Producer of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.

Yann, can you please tell us about your role at Ubisoft?
I’m the Associate Producer for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and I work with the development team. I understand what the game developers want and I organize the work.

Tell us a bit about the game.
The game is a third person shooter and it stays true to the core pillars of Ghost Recon, keeping the team-based action intact and improving it further. As you know, Ghost Recon is all about Special Forces. We’ve improved the way your team takes orders and we’ve done this by working with Special Forces soldiers. We’ve found out that when Special Forces carry out their missions, they assign targets to each soldier and the kills are carried out. They don’t tell them where to stand or where to take cover. Targets are assigned and the soldiers take them out.

Even the weapons stay close to reality. You have sensor grenades, which can tell you where you’re enemies are located and you also have drones to help scout of the area. These are weapons which are either already available or being developed at the moment, so it’s not so inconceivable that these weapons will be used in combat in the very near future.

Also, a very important part of the game is the AI. It reacts to any threat it senses. The gameplay is not just dependant on the player anymore; it’s the team as a whole.

We’ve also spent a lot of time on motion capture with four different Navy Seals. Each character on your team is thus different and it really gives you a sensation that you are part of a team. It’s a smart third person shooter.

It also keeps to real life in that fact that you’re allowed minimum collateral damage but if you shoot too many civilians, then it is game over. You also have to be very smart and use all the items at your disposal including the sensors and drones. You also have to make good use of cover where you can.

The game also includes over one hour of cinematics. You get to see and experience what it’s like to be a soldier everyday.

Need for Speed: Shift Finals
Date: Friday, 27 January 2011
Venue: Living Rooms Cafe
Time: Check-in at 5.30pm, tournament starts at 6pm
The equipment: LG Cinema 3D TV and Need For Speed PC Racing Pod
The prize: 42” LG Cinema 3D TV (1 nos.) + LG Cinema 3D Monitor (1 nos.) + LG 3D Laptop (1 nos.) + One LG Optimus 3D Mobile (1 nos.)+ Exclusive Tshirt + XBOX console ( 1 nos.) Cap + Certificate + Trophy
Open to: Winners of the monthly finals of the LG Cinema 3D Gaming Championship.

FIFA 11 Finals
Date: Saturday, 28 January 2011
Venue: Deira City Centre
Time: Check-in at 5.30pm, tournament starts at 6pm
The equipment: LG Cinema 3D TV and Xbox 360
The prize: 42” LG Cinema 3D TV (1 nos.) + LG Cinema 3D Monitor (1 nos.) + LG 3D Laptop (1 nos.) + One LG Optimus 3D Mobile (1 nos.)+ Exclusive Tshirt + XBOX console ( 1 nos.) Cap + Certificate + Trophy
Open to: Winners of the monthly finals of the LG Cinema 3D Gaming Championship.

Dance Central Finals
Date: Saturday, 28 January 2011
Venue: Deira City Centre
Time: Check-in at 5.30pm, tournament starts at 6pm
The equipment: LG Cinema 3D TV and Xbox 360 Kinect
The prize: 42” LG Cinema 3D TV (1 nos.) + LG Cinema 3D Monitor (1 nos.) + LG 3D Laptop (1 nos.) + One LG Optimus 3D Mobile (1 nos.)+ Exclusive Tshirt + XBOX console ( 1 nos.) Cap + Certificate + Trophy
Open to: Winners of the monthly finals of the LG Cinema 3D Gaming Championship.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Finals
Date: Saturday, 28 January 2011
Venue: Deira City Centre
Time: Check-in at 5.30pm, tournament starts at 6pm
The equipment: LG Cinema 3D TV and Xbox 360
The prize: 42” LG Cinema 3D TV (1 nos.) + LG Cinema 3D Monitor (1 nos.) + LG 3D Laptop (1 nos.) + One LG Optimus 3D Mobile (1 nos.)+ Exclusive Tshirt + XBOX console ( 1 nos.) Cap + Certificate + Trophy
Open to: Winners of the monthly finals of the LG Cinema 3D Gaming Championship.

Tournaments:

Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition – Monthly Finals
Battle it out against the best Street Fighter players in the UAE. Maximum players – 64.
The equipment: LG 42″ LCD TV with 4ms response time and PlayStation 3. You can bring your own controllers – they must be compatible with PlayStation 3.
The prize: 42″ LG TV
Where to register: At the venue between 3pm to 3.30pm.
Check-in time: Between 3pm to 3.30pm on the day of the event.

Weekly Tournaments:

FIFA 11
1vs1 FIFA matches played on Xbox 360. Select your team and beat your opponent to climb up the tournament ladder. Last gamer standing wins.
The equipment: LG Cinema 3D TV and Xbox 360
The prize: 22″ LG TV
Where to register: www.facebook.com/LGGulfFanClub
Check-in time: Between 3pm to 3.30pm on the day of the event.

Call of Duty: Black Ops
Beat your opponents in the Nuketown map. Games are played on Xbox 360.
The equipment: LG Cinema 3D TV and Xbox 360
The prize: 22″ LG TV
Where to register: www.facebook.com/LGGulfFanClub
Check-in time: Between 3pm to 3.30pm on the day of the event.

Need for Speed: Shift
Score the best time on the Nürburgring to win. Games are played on PC but you have to use the special racing wheel to play.
The equipment: LG Cinema 3D TV and Xbox 360
The prize: 22″ LG TV
Where to register: www.facebook.com/LGGulfFanClub
Check-in time: Any time between 3pm to 6pm.

Dance Central
Played on the Xbox Kinect, play three rounds and your best score will be chosen. Player with the highest score wins.
The equipment: LG Cinema 3D TV and Xbox 360
The prize: 22″ LG TV
Where to register: www.facebook.com/LGGulfFanClub
Check-in time: Any time between 3pm to 6pm.

Monthly Tournament:

FIFA 11 – Monthly Finals
1vs1 FIFA matches played on Xbox 360. Select your team and beat your opponent to climb up the tournament ladder. Last gamer standing wins.
The equipment: LG Cinema 3D TV and Xbox 360
The prize: 42″ LG TV
Where to register: Open to December weekly winners only.
Check-in time: Between 6.30pm to 7pm on the day of the event.

Call of Duty: Black Ops – Monthly Finals
Beat your opponents in the Nuketown map. Games are played on Xbox 360.
The equipment: LG Cinema 3D TV and Xbox 360
The prize: 42″ LG TV
Where to register: Open to December weekly winners only.
Check-in time: Between 6.30pm to 7pm on the day of the event.

Need for Speed: Shift – Monthly Finals
Score the best time on the Nürburgring to win. Games are played on PC but you have to use the special racing wheel to play.
The equipment: LG Cinema 3D TV and Xbox 360
The prize: 42″ LG TV
Where to register: Open to December weekly winners only.
Check-in time: Between 6.30pm to 7pm on the day of the event.

Dance Central – Monthly Finals
Played on the Xbox Kinect, play three rounds and your best score will be chosen. Player with the highest score wins.
The equipment: LG Cinema 3D TV and Xbox 360
The prize: 42″ LG TV
Where to register: Open to December weekly winners only.
Check-in time: Between 6.30pm to 7pm on the day of the event.

Continuing with the weekly movie night, the event will reel in the super-hit animated movie, Legend of the Guardians. If you would like to win yourself a seat, check me-movies.com.

Geekay Distribution is one of the subsidiaries of the Geekay Group MEA, a major business entity with independent profit centres in Retail and Distribution, across segments in the Entertainment Space. Apart from their strong retail presence of 14 stores spread across UAE, Bahrain and Oman the Geekay Group MEA distributes Nintendo games software, hardware and high quality accessories. They also exclusively represent Steelseries, Gioteck, Licensed Nintendo, Licensed PlayStation®, Duracell Gaming and the Ben 10 licensed range.

Manish Bakshi, General Manager of BenQ for the Middle East and Kishan Deepak Palija, Managing Director, Geekay Distribution seal the BenQ-Geekay Distribution partnership.

Manish Bakshi, General Manager of BenQ for the Middle East and Africa, said: “The gaming market is a priority market for BenQ and we continue to invest in strategic resources to build upon our position as a preferred brand and market leader in this segment.”

“Our partnership with Geekay Distribution, a renowned gaming distributor with strong presence across channels in our target markets in UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, complements our strategic expansion plans for the region. We are confident that with Geekay Distribution on-board we can boost our market presence in the gaming segment and drive sales across the region,” Bakshi added.

The partnership with Geekay Distribution will initially focus on distributing BenQ’s latest XL and RL Gaming Series. Included in the XL series is BenQ’s best-seller, the new 23.6” (16:9 Aspect Ratio) LED Gaming Monitor, BenQ XL2410T which is a gamer’s tour-de-force, featuring a 120Hz refresh rate, 23.6″W LED panel and backlighting, 3D-ready and 2ms response time. In addition, the monitor is equipped with an extensive range of gaming modes, the capacity to display video from two sources at the same time and the ability to be adjusted to just about any angle. A new XL gaming monitor, the BenQ XL2420T, will soon be available in the market early next year.

In the RL series, the newly-launched BenQ RL2240H, the world’s first Real-Time Strategy (RTS) gaming monitor, features the Black eQualizer, an exclusively designed color engine

technology that reveals critical combat details with improved visibility in darkened areas. The Black eQualizer allows gamers to adjust the screen brightness without over-exposing white levels, enabling them to screen critical combat details speedily with added gameplay comfort.

“Our partnership with BenQ will not only expand Geekay Distribution’s portfolio of the latest gaming hardware, but will also provide gamers in the Middle East with easy and direct access to BenQ’s award-winning and world-class products that are used by professional gamers from around the globe,” said Kishan Deepak Palija, Managing Director, Geekay Distribution.

BenQ XL2410T is available at all Geekay retail stores and priced at AED 1999.

For more information, please visit www.BenQ.ae

With a vast portfolio of games showcased at GAMES11, we spoke to Tristan Irons, marketing head at RED,  to know more about the Modern Warfare 3 promotion, how Ubisoft deal came to be, the growing potential of the Middle East market, and how it was heading his first ever GAMES event.

MEGamers: Tristan, this is your first GAMES event. What did you think of the event?
Tristan Irons: For me GAMES 11 was great, especially being directly involved. I never imagined it would be so large and exciting. I really enjoyed showcasing the titles by giving consumers the opportunity to try them out before they launch.

RED Distribution, as always, has a massive presence at GAMES11 this year. What was involved with putting all this together?
TI: There was plenty of planning internally; the team pulled up there sock and went for it. When having such a strong portfolio of games, it can be a lot of work to show off the content. Many resource hours and internal experience are some of the elements to contribute to the success of GAMES 11.

RED is now distributing games for Ubisoft now. Tell us how this distribution deal came about?
TI: It is common for publishers to review their support in any international market, choosing Red was a strong strategic choice to get the best representation in the Middle East. We at Red are ecstatic at the chance to promote and distribute titles from the number 3 publisher in the world.

What top titles does RED have in the pipeline for the rest of the year?
TI: With EA’s FIFA 12 coming out on the 29^th of September, we expect great success with this title. FIFA 12 is the only fully Arabic football game coming out this year, and having Abdullah Al Harbi from Saudi Arabia and Issam Chaouali from Tunisia as our commentator talent is sure to make this title the top of the charts for a long time. The new impact engine improves an already top notch game, and takes it to the next level.

Another great title from EA is Battlefield 3, slated for launch on November 1^st; this is a superb first-person-shooter. Our response for this title was phenomenal. The behind closed door, hands on gameplay really generated some excitement with the gamers. Being the first Marines on the ground, you are challenged with exhilarating missions across the globe surrounded by chaos – watch out for bullets…and falling buildings.
EA was also showing off Need for Speed: The Run, the next chapter in the Need for Speed series where you play as Jack trying to save his life by winning a coast to coast race from San Francisco to New York and taking home the $25 million while avoiding the police as well as the men who want him dead.

Modern Warfare 3 is obviously one of the most anticipated Activision and consumer titles of the year; we are all very pumped up about this one. With the popularity of Black Ops, we expect nothing but sheer excellence from the title on November 8^th. Pre-order has begun at Virgin where you can have the chance to win a Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited Edition though the unique dog tags draw (www.cygol.com/mw3). I think we all want to find out what Soap and Price are up to this time…

Activision also showcased the next chapter of the Spiderman series, Edge of Time where Spidey’s future self needs to save Spidey of today. Quality gameplay and story line back this title up along with voice overs from Val Kilmer as Walker Sloan and Smallville’s Laura Vandervoot as Mary Jane.
X-men Destiny allows you to control the fate of one of three mutant characters where players can choose to helping humanity or destroying it. Evolve your mutant through an almost RPG style game-play and choose your own destiny.

Warner Brothers’ long awaited sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum, Arkham City is just around the corner, Oct 21^st. This highly polished game has won some top accolades at E3 definitely generated some hype with consumers. At E3 Batman was nominated for, Best Overall Game, Best Xbox, PC and PS3 Game, Best Action Game, Most Anticipated Game.

It’s not hard see why. Many attendees couldn’t stop talking about this game after getting their hands on the controller.

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is sure to be a hit on November 15^th when the game launches. Ezio is back at it again in 1511 AD searching for Altair’s hidden ancient artifact which is said to be a powerful weapon that would end the Assassin and Templar war. There is also the multiplayer aspect returning to the franchise where players can customize characters and weapons.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is another Tom Clancy title published by Ubisoft set to launch in 2012. This heart pounding 3^rd person shooter will take you through Norway, the Middle East and Asia. Ghosts will be combating an ultra-nationalist force that has taken over Russia. This game focuses on team play and promotes futuristic warfare like we have never seen before. The new Gunsmith for Kinnect is something that personally blew me away; the features associated with motion and voice technology add a whole new element to the gaming experience in ways we have not seen before.

David, how did you get started with events and Light Blue?
David Balfour: Since the age of 19 I’ve been involved in live events. It all started with music events in Scotland such as T in the Park, TripTych moving on to new product lunches and road shows. I then moved to client side when I moved to Dubai to work for Heineken as Brand & Event manager looking after major sporting events in the Region. Four years ago we started Lightblue and PlayStation was one of our first clients and since then we have done hundreds of activations over the years including some of my favorites like our KillZone media event, GT5 digital event, our Uncharted 3 event which Nick (MEGamers’ ace reviewer) did very well in and of course this years PS3 stand at GAMES11

GAMES moved to a new venue this year – The Dubai Mall Ice Rink. Tell us about the choice of venue for this year.
DB: We wanted to changes things around this year and one of the main things we looked at was venues. We searched high and low to find something a little bit different that was big enough and cool (excuse the pun) enough for GAMES11. The team behind The Dubai Ice Rink were excellent and without their co-operation we could not have done this.

This is the first time LightBlue is organizing a GAMES event. What was it like working on the project?
DB: GAMES is a wonderful project and for us to be part of this, for a gamer like me meant we could have some fun with the brand and create new elements which helped grow the brand like our website and social media pages thus giving the audience a real connection with GAMES. It also let us have a conversation with our followers, which is massively important to us.

Can you share with us what was involved with getting this event up and running at the Dubai Mall Ice Rink? And what happened to all the ice?
DB: Lots of sleepless nights and lots of meetings with the world and their granny and approvals from the world [laughs, but to be fair everyone was great all the way from the GAMES committee members to DED to the Dubai Ice Rink. What happened to the Ice, well the DIR have a great system in place so that we didn’t have to move the ice so for the whole time the ice was underneath us keeping us cool!

What were the biggest hurdles you faced organizing this event?
DB: I think the timescale we had to get everyone in and built was by far the biggest hurdle we had– we didn’t want to disturb the Ice Rink too much, so we gave ourselves 60 hours to set everything up and be ready to open to the media.

How many people attended the event compared to last year?
DB: The official number is 82,234 which is massive, last year GAMES10 had a fantastic 50,000 – Just shows how much the brand has grown. I also think the media and consumers have really taken to it this year and now has become part of the Dubai event calendar.

What’s next on the plans for LightBlue?
DB: Well next week we are officially 4 years old but no time to celebrate as, we are straight into a great HP activation for GITEX and actually a worlds first for a FMCG brand down at The Dubai Mall… sadly I cant tell you yet what we are doing but we are very excited and so is HP – I’ll keep you posted.