Ubi Snaps Up Trials Devs, RedLynx

With the big publishers’ tendencies to hoover up all promising studios with more gusto than an underfed call girl, it should come as no surprise that Ubisoft have acquired RedLynx, creators of the popular Trials franchise.  We’re no strangers to the punishing world of Trials, here at GLHQ, and many a long night has been spent mangling controllers in fury over Trials HD and, in particular, King of the Hill and other similarly blood boiling tracks.  Others among us have been content to punish the rest of the gaming community by creating their own, spitefully difficult custom tracks, so this is a series we like to keep an eye on.

How it will fare under Ubi’s banner is anyone’s guess, but in an uncertain financial climate, we don’t blame RedLynx for sheltering under a bigger umbrella.  Tero Virtala, chief executive officer of RedLynx had this to say:

“We were attracted by Ubisoft’s focus on creativity and quality, and the fact that they base their long-term strategy on both the traditional and digital distribution video game markets.  The reality of today’s market is not about platforms, it’s about creating excellent gaming experiences that consumers can play on any device or screen they like… As part of the Ubisoft team, RedLynx will be able to focus even more intently on creating stand-out, excellent brands that push the boundaries of online gaming in many new growth areas”

The next title in the Kickstart-alike Trials franchise will be Trials Evolution, which is set to be released in the next few months and will boast the following features:

• Multiplayer – both local and online
• Challenging but balanced single player game
• Outdoor environments and curved driving line
• Full-featured track editor
• Global track sharing
• Bike and rider customizations

Lucky bastards at PAX Prime and Gamescom got to get their grubby mitts on it on the show floors in recent months, but the rest of us will have to wait.  Still, no matter, it gives us time to look out the sellotape for ‘controller incidents’ and brush up on our relaxation techniques (bring hand to mouth and swallow Valium).

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