• by Aaron Baar , October 20, 2017

For all the detailed graphics and promise of immersion, video games still can’t replace the true experience of going to another land to know what it’s about first-hand.

Ubisoft, the company behind the popular “Assassin’s Creed” game franchise, has teamed with Defy Media to take two of its “Smosh” games hosts to Egypt to experience the setting and mysteries of the franchise’s latest release, “Assassin’s Creed Origins,” in real life. 

“Ancient Egypt is not only the oldest setting we’ve undertaken for an Assassin’s Creed game, but it’s also one the most mysterious, dynamic, and largest worlds we’ve brought to life for our players,” Adam Novickas, vice president of marketing for Ubisoft, tells Marketing Daily. “The series provides a different entry point for our fans to learn more about the world of ‘Assassin’s Creed Origins’ from the rest of our campaign touchpoints that are predominantly gameplay driven.” 

For the three-episode series, hosts Mari Takahashi and Joshua “Joven” Ovenshire are surprised with a trip to Egypt. Once there, they explore the pyramids and landmarks that make appearances within the game and learn about ancient Egyptian culture, mummies, weapons, the spices in bazaars and animal life on the Nile. They also learn how to use one of the game’s principal weapons, a longbow, at the Archery Academy Egypt.

Defy Media presented the idea for the “Open World” series at its Newfront presentation last May. Creating a three-episode series was a way to move beyond Ubisoft’s typical gameplay and influencer marketing programs and bring new players to the game, Novickas says. 

“While trailers and influencer gameplay are still cornerstones of our online content, [this series] provides the opportunity for us to tap into a larger lifestyle conversation across both gaming and travel audiences,” he says. “This is a departure from our past predominantly historically grounded, more serious gameplay content and reflects the more casual and relatable entry point to our brand that we’ve started to develop.”

The first episode of the series launched on Smosh’s YouTube channel on Thursday, Oct. 19. New episodes will be uploaded weekly in advance of the game’s official launch on Oct. 27.