As a video game professional (yes, I work in the industry for a living) this week is a particularly exciting week: E3. The super-mega-ultra-everything conference where everyone who's anyone showcases their big upcoming projects.
Today's slate included console giants Microsoft and Sony, but the star was undoubtably software company Ubisoft, who debuted their latest installments of three of gaming's best franchises: Farcry 3, Ghost Recon: Future Soldiers, and this absolute gem--
Assassin's Creed: Revelations.
This trailer is gorgeous. This goes beyond a commercial or demo....this is a freakin' work of art. Everything is high-res and fluid, the models are smooth, the textures are blended, it has dynamic lighting that's dramatic without being harsh (major, major CPU strain when rendering). And more than that, it's beautifully edited, telling a story against a fantastic piece of music (Iron by Woodkid)
It might not seem like it right now, but this is a big, big deal. Video gaming has struggled to be recognized as an art form the way film and music are. It's work like this that catches people's attention and shows gaming can produce something equally amazing as anything you see on the screen or hear on the radio. 100 gold stars for Ubisoft.
FYI, Nintendo's conference is Tuesday at 10AM. You can watch live streams of it on IGN.com or Gamespot.com. The Big N has big plans this year, including a full lineup of software for the newly released 3DS, and the debut of their next gen console, which they've promised outpaces both the XBox360 and PS3 in sheer computing power.
EDIT: Da Big N has moved its conference to 11 AM today.