Ubisoft has a new logo that represents its 'grain de folie', apparently

French video game giant Ubisoft has revealed a new logo, the fourth in its 31-year history, as the company prepares to reveal its upcoming slate of games at the annual E3 press conference on 12 June.

In a blog post, the company detailed the reasoning for the new logo, saying it "marks a new era for Ubisoft" focusing on "live and digital games as well as a player-centric approach to creating immersive worlds".

"Our new logo is minimalist, modern and monochromatic," the post goes on to explain. "It's a window into our worlds, giving a preview of what's to come by highlighting the artistry that goes into creating them.

"The swirl and the letter O are both deliberately created to be reminiscent of hand-drawn shapes and represent our human qualities of enthusiasm, curiosity and the grain de folie that Ubisoft is known for."

We'll forgive the Ubi team the phrase "grain de folie" because they're French. It means 'a touch of madness'.

The post also describes the history of Ubisoft's three previous logos. "It all started in 1986 with this rad design - a look inspired by the distinct visual style of the '80s," the post explains. "At the time, Ubisoft was a local distributor of video games.

"Nine years later, Rayman was born and Ubisoft introduced the rainbow. This marked the company's shift from distributor to creator, and highlighted the fact that Ubisoft was creating mainly family-oriented content.

"In 2003, the swirl appeared on the scene and once again signaled a shift. It followed the acquisition of Red Storm and the creation of new Tom Clancy titles, marking a more mature and diversified approach."

Ubisoft recently confirmed new Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and The Crew games for release this financial year, ending 31 March 2018. They will feature heavily at the E3 press conference in June, as will South Park: The Fractured But Whole and other unannounced titles.

"With this new look, we proudly embrace our role as a creator of worlds and invite you, the players, to continue playing, engaging, and growing with us," the post concludes. "As we move towards our most exciting time of the year (E3!), you will see this new emblem take on the colors and textures of our worlds, and we can't wait to hear what you all think."

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