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Ubisoft Montpelier Explains Why The Wii U Exclusive ZombiU Lacked Online Multiplayer

When the Nintendo Wii U released in November in launched with several promising video games including New Super Mario Bros. U, Mass Effect 3, Assassin's Creed 3, and many other titles. But one of the more interesting game's released was Ubisoft's ZombiU.

The first-person shooter survival horror video game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier brought an exclusive experience to the new console, as gamers were able to utilize the Wii U GamePad for unique gaming mechanics.

The Wii U GamePad gyroscope allows the controller to sense its rotation and tilt in three-dimensional space, and the touchscreen lets players scan different areas of the environment in order to find items. But the game lacked one major feature, according to Ubisoft Montepelier.

In a recent interview with Nintendo World Report, Ubisoft Montpelier producer Guillaume Brunier spoke about why the team didn't add a multiplayer mode and how an exciting online multiplayer mode is a dream for the developers.

"We did, but we ruled it out quickly as we thought we could not deliver it on time," Brunier told Nintendo World Report. "How to bring a cooperative experience and still keep fear and tension is a question we would love to address though."

Brunier said that during the game's development, the team did not have a lot of time to explore the option of creating an online multiplayer mode because they had other issue to work on, but that the team would like to create an online experience for the potential ZombiU series.

"We did not spend a lot of time contemplating online multiplayer as we had other issues to address," Brunier told Nintendo World Report. "In our most exciting dreams, we would like to create an online experience where players never quite know where they stand between coop and player vs. player. Doubt is a great nest for tension and fear."

In the same interview with Nintendo World Report, art director at Ubisoft's Montpellier studio Florent Sacré explained why the game did not use a static central hero.

"Playing several characters - normal guys, guys like us - was one of the first ideas we had in the project," Sacré said. "To maximize the survival experience, we didn't want a hero that was too cumbersome."

Sacré added, "The story came later. By organizing everything around the Prepper we could justify the series of safe house guys. We left room so that players could let their imaginations run wild, so that they could interpret the game world and characters and tell themselves stories. This space for freedom was essential to us."

Have you played Ubisoft's zombie game for the Wii U? What did you think about it? Tell us in the comment section. You can check out our review round for ZombiU here and check out the game's official trailer below...

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