With the release of Assassin's Creed 2 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC Ubisoft has rolled out their own social network, Uplay, that compiles in-game data on players' accomplishments and will span many of their upcoming titles. Similar to the Xbox 360's Achievements or the PlayStation 3's Trophies, Uplay Actions pop up on the screen alerting players that they've reached a new milestone. Points are awarded for these Actions and through an interface on the game disc, players can unlock rewards like decorative themes for their Xbox or PlayStation, exclusive in-game levels, bonus items and multiplayer modes.
Uplay is currently in an unfinished beta form and as such many of its features are labeled as "coming soon" but there's a lot of potential to extend each game far beyond the TV screen. Uploading gameplay statistics like 'distance traveled' and 'number of fights won' to Uplay allows players to compare their progress with friends who are also playing the game and unlock even more bonus content in the form of high quality art, music, and videos. For the completionist it adds even more accomplishments to obsess over but adding another social network on top of what Sony and Microsoft already offer could become more overwhelming than entertaining. Of course, Ubisoft can always tweak Uplay through both their website and online software updates, ensuring it'll be interesting to see how the service evolves as new titles are released and feedback from users comes in.
The next two games to feature Uplay connectivity are R.U.S.E. and Splinter Cell Conviction, both scheduled for release in 2010. You can sign up for a Uplay account even without one of these games at the official site.
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