Ubisoft, Gameloft developing exclusive titles for upcoming Gree platform

Ubisoft and mobile developer and publisher Gameloft have both partnered with Japanese mobile gaming company Gree to develop exclusive games for the upcoming Gree platform. Ubisoft will launch a brand-new mobile title in the Assassin's Creed franchise this coming December, in both English and Japanese language. Gameloft's new game, tentatively titled Gang Domination, is a free to play card-battle title based on Gameloft's existing Gangster franchise. Considering its Japanese roots, Gree hopes that this new Gameloft title will help its upcoming platform reach a Western audience. Speaking to Gamasutra, Gree's SVP of marketing and developer relations, Eros Resmini, said that Gameloft's established mobile brands will play a key role in attracting Western players. "In addition to being experienced on mobile, Gameloft has some great franchises we think we can be successful with," he said. "As a company that primarily has its game assets in Japan today, we think partnering with some high quality brands in the West is a great way to make the platform and the overall ecosystem of games better." Though that's not to say that Gameloft's new title is being made exclusively for the West. Resmini pointed out that Gang Domination's card battle system was inspired by a number of popular Japanese games. Gree believes that the game's combination of Western IP and Japanese mechanics -- along with a bit of localization -- will help it translate well across multiple regions. "We're looking at ways to better localize the mechanic for Western audiences, but we think it's a game style that will be very popular over time. Tying that system to an IP that's already recognizable in the West is a great way to gain adoption for it," he said. He added that Gree plans to announce additional partnerships with Western developers as the Gree platform nears its scheduled launch in Q2 2012. Last week, Gree announced partnerships with a number of Chinese and Korean game companies, all of whom are set to develop games for the Gree platform.