Ubisoft confirms three titles for DS launch in Europe

Publisher Ubisoft has confirmed that it will be bringing out three titles to accompany the launch of Nintendo's DS handheld console in Europe in the first quarter of next year.

The titles in question are Rayman DS, Asphalt Urban GT and Sprung - one of which, Asphalt Urban GT, is already in stores in the USA to accompany the world debut of the console there this week.

Rayman DS will be the first outing of Ubisoft's iconic platform character on the system, and will take advantage of both the DS' touch screen and its wireless multiplayer features, while Asphalt Urban GT is a street racing title which features plenty of licensed cars, but has picked up lukewarm reviews from US publications.

Sprung, meanwhile, is the working title of a rather unusual product for a western publisher to undertake - a dating simulation which is set in a "hip ski resort" and features "gender-specific adventures, entertainment dating missions and a hilarious script written by North Shore writer Colleen McGuinness."

Dating sims (known as "renai games" in Japan) are a genre that the west has generally failed to embrace, despite their enormous popularity in the Far East - it'll be interesting to see whether Ubi's take on the format can grab the imagination of consumers here.