Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines PSP

Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines Product Details

Released on 20/11/2009

• May reveal for new Assassin's Creed

  In between the talk about numbers, statistics and more numbers in Ubisoft's financial results call, the company's CEO Yves Guillemot revealed some exciting news: that the next Assassin's Creed game will be officially unveiled in just three short months.
  
  "We will have an Assassin's Creed this year," said Guillemot. "We are going to give you more details in May."
  
  By his year', of course, Guillemot is referring to the fiscal period in other words, the game could launch any time between now and 31st March 2012. But it's a fair bet that, given the swift development period of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, the next in the series might well turn up around November time.
  
  Talking of Brotherhood, Ubisoft confirmed that the latest game in the stealth-action series had shipped 6.5 million copies since launch, a figure slightly down on predecessor Assassin's Creed II, but still mightily impressive. The publisher's other recent success, Just Dance, looks set to run and run, with Guillemot suggesting "there's a good chance this dance segment can be strong for four or five years like Guitar Hero."
  
  While it may not be the best time to make comparisons to Activision's recently-nixed franchise, Ubisoft revealed that the series and spin-offs including Michael Jackson: The Experience and Dance on Broadway had shifted over 10 million copies. Just Dance 3 in time for Christmas, then? We certainly wouldn't be surprised.
• Do you have what it takes to write the book on Assassin's Creed?

  CVG has spotted a post on Ubisoft UbiWorkshop site that should be pretty interesting for fans of the Assassin Creed series. It a call to arms for any knowledgeable super-players to help with the construction of an Assassin's Creed Encyclopaedia.

  Here what it says: "As the more faithful among you know by now, we are working on an Assassin's Creed encyclopaedia (well my human colleagues are, I mostly make sure they do it right).

  "A huge task by all means," admits the poster. "So, we need somebody to help them advance the project. Make no mistake, this is a job offer, not some petty human crowdsourcing trick."

  The post goes on to explain that applicants should have "excellent English writing skills", and "an accurate knowledge of the Assassin's Creed universe". Also, they don need to have any past experience. Equally, while it would be ideal if the candidate lived near Montreal, they could work from home.

  If youe interested, send an email to volt@ubisoft.com, along with encyclopaedia entries concerning either a main or secondary character from the series, the Animus or a historical event the series has covered. Best of luck!

• Ubisoft eyeing up the movie biz?

  It made some seriously cinematic games over the years, but now the French publisher Ubisoft is taking the plunge and opening up a movie division with the ultimate aim of creating films and TV shows based around its video games.

  That according to the Hollywood newspaper Variety, anyway thanks for the spot, Eurogamer who announced last week that Ubisoft Motion Pictures is being formed, headed by Jean-Julien Baronnet, who already worked with famous directors like Luc Besson, the man behind Leon and The Fifth Element.

  It early days, so wee not sure yet which Ubisoft games will be getting the big screen treatment, but Ubisoft already been sending out questionnaires asking gamers if they want to go to the cinema to see movies based on Ghost Recon or Assassin Creed.

  We reckon that Ezio Auditore renaissance adventures would be particularly well-suited for a life on the silver screen: Assassin Creed has action, adventure, and a weird sci-fi twist that should ensure blockbuster dominance.

  As Eurogamer points out, though, Ubisoft already had a bit of a run-up at Hollywood, in the form of last year Prince of Persia movie, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. What did you make of that one?

• Assassin Creed Revelations announced

  Ubisoft has just won a place in our hearts that it will hold for the rest of time. According to Eurogamer, the French publisher just announced Assassin Creed Revelations, the latest chapter in its brilliant action series, and it sounds like a belter.

  The game heading for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this November, and it will apparently be the final chapter in Ezio story. The star of Assassin Creed II and Assassin Creed: Brotherhood will be heading to a new city, Constantinople, to stab people up in the Ottoman Empire.

  Templars are making trouble again, but there will be new gameplay tweaks, too: youl be able to manipulate memories to decipher mysteries and get a glimpse of the future, and the multiplayer content has apparently been refined and expanded, with the addition of new maps, characters, and modes.

  "Delivering the final chapter of the Ezio trilogy is an important milestone in the Assassin's Creed franchise for us and for our fans," said creative director Alexandre Amancio. "Assassin's Creed Revelations includes lots of new features and some significant surprises. We can't wait to show our fans what we have in store at E3 this year."

• Ubisoft lifts the lid on Assassin Creed: Revelations

  Last week we got to hear about Assassin Creed: Revelations, the latest instalment in Ubisoft brilliant sci-fi action adventure series that will hit the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 this November. Now, wee getting some real info on what we can expect from the title.

  According to the latest issue of Game Informer thanks for the spot, Eurogamer Revelations sees you back in the shoes of Ezio Auditore, who now well over 50 years old. Ezio on a quest to locate seals that hold memories of his ancestor Altair, and when the player tracks any of these down, they'll be able to play through some special Altair sequences.

  Elsewhere, Constantinople provides the setting, with four different districts to adventure across. Youl also be heading out into Central Turkey at times. In terms of new gadgets, youl get a hookblade that allows you to zipline around as well as mess up baddies, and there will be over 300 different bomb variations for you to craft. Eagle Vision, meanwhile, has become Eagle Sense, which lets you see the paths patrolling guards will take, so you can work around them.

  Wee already super excited about this one, but it safe to assume we'll hear more at E3. We'll keep you posted.
  

• Assassin's Creed: Cutting through history

  Assassin's Creed has become such a mainstay of the game charts, and in such a short space of time, that it's easy to forget the mystery and confusion that surrounded the launch of the very first game back in 2007.

  Teasing glimpses of the Middle East in the 12th Century suggested a historical epic, but strange digital glitches hinted at science fiction. It was an open-world game, but nothing like the free-roaming crime capers the genre usually offered. And it was apparently a stealth game, but without a need to hide in boxes or crouch in corners.

  When the game finally arrived, the pieces fell into place. Ubisoft's Montreal studio had conjured up a breathtakingly lifelike recreation of historical cities, and populated them with crowds that flowed and moved in realistic ways. Our hero, Altair, was a member of the Order of Assassins, waging a centuries old war with the rival Templars. Oh, and he was being controlled by a relation from the future, via a machine called the Animus which allowed Desmond Miles to relive the memories of his ancestors.

  Most impressive was the nimble ease with which Altair could scamper around Jerusalem, Acre and Damascus. His fluid free-running made rooftop escapes and daring climbs incredibly intuitive and fun. Few will forget the first time they climbed a tower, admired the view and then dove off into a haystack far below.

  However, the gameplay beneath the technology was fairly raw. Altair had to carry out nine assassinations, which were triggered by performing set tasks. These tasks included such heart-pounding exercises as sitting on a bench and eavesdropping, or walking very slowly behind someone.

  Ubisoft clearly took notice of the criticisms levelled at Assassin's Creed's more repetitive moments, as two years later Assassin's Creed II improved the series hugely with more dynamic missions, a stronger story and a more interesting hero. With a hop forward in time to 15th Century Italy, Ezio Auditore became our lead, bringing with him a rakish charm that marked him out as a Rennaisance James Bond. Accessories and gadgets could now be purchased, from no lesser vendor than Leonardo DaVinci himself, and the game was rightly praised for the way it took the immersive world of the first title and built a deep and rewarding game on top.

  The second game also showcased a series capable of delivering multiple narratives at the same time. As Ezio's story unfolded in the past, Desmond's story followed suit in the present. Hidden in the game, behind mysterious glowing glyphs, was yet another tale. Subject 16, a previous user of the Animus, had buried clues to his fate throughout history. Solving the mind-boggling puzzles, and deciphering the dense conspiracy-laden history lessons within, added yet more layers to the increasingly immersive Assassin's universe.

  With the formula cracked, Ubisoft quickly set about improving, adding and tweaking the game for the best results. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood followed in 2010, just a year after Assassin's Creed II, leaving some fans worried that the game would be a jumped-up expansion pack rather than a true follow-up.

  The worries proved unfounded, as Brotherhood not only continued Ezio's story in thrilling fashion but introduced some remarkable new features to the series. First among these was the brotherhood of the title, a growing team of assassin's that could be recruited, trained and then called upon to assist in your nefarious hits. Brotherhood also introduced multiplayer for the first time, in the shape of a cleverly designed suite of game modes that used the stalk-and-slay gameplay of the main story to weave a paranoid multi-layered game of cat and mouse, with players all hunting one of their peers - while someone else in turn hunted them.

  In just five years, Assassin's Creed has gone from a curious oddity to one of the biggest and most critically acclaimed gaming series of this console generation. This week sees the release of Assassin's Creed Revelations, an ambitious entry that brings original star Altair back into the frame alongside Ezio, while Desmond roams digital limbo trying to return to normality. With Altair and Ezio reaching the end of their adventure this year, and Desmond's story set to wrap up in another sequel in 2012, the future and past for assassins everywhere has never been brighter.

• Ubisoft asks fans to help pick future Assassin's Creed locations

  
  Ubisoft asks fans to help pick future Assassin's Creed locations

  Ubisoft has sent a survey to fans on its Assassin's Creed Uplay mailing list, asking them to vote on possible locations and time periods for future games in the series.

  There are eight options to choose from, all of which could throw up intriguing new gameplay possibilities. Medieval China and feudal Japan both feature on the list, as do the American and Russian revolutions. Ancient Rome and Egypt are also suggested, along with Victorian England and the Spanish Conquistadors.

  The recently released Assassin's Creed Revelations brought the stories of previous heroes Altair and Ezio to a close. Next year's Assassin's Creed 3 will reportedly be the last to feature Desmond Miles, the modern day hero who relives the memories of his ancestors in the games.

  But Ubisoft has admitted they want Assassin's Creed to be an annual event, and there's certainly scope in the idea to take the series to interesting new places in 2013. Where would you like to go?

  Assassin's Creed Revelations is out now for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
  

• Assassin's Creed 3 dated

  Ubisoft has stuck a dagger in its calendar and confirmed the release date for the next entry in the Assassin's Creed series. And here it is: Assassin's Creed 3 will arrive on October 30th this year for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. A Wii U version is also in the pipeline, but may arrive later depending on when the console launches in Europe.

  Details are scarce as to what Assassin's Creed 3 will feature, but we do know that it's been in development for three years and will be the last we see of series protagonist Desmond Miles, the hapless modern day hero who has jaunted back into the memories of ancestors such as Altair and Ezio Auditore in the Crusades and Renaissance periods.

  Ubisoft has already confirmed that 2012 marks an important cut-off point in the saga, tying in with the various conspiracy theories and doomsday prophecies that drive its storyline. Both Altair and Ezio saw their stories completed in last year's Assassin's Creed Revelations, so expect Desmond to explore an all-new historical setting for his final adventure. Rumour ninjas have pegged the American Revolution as a possible choice, but Ubisoft has yet to comment.

  "It's a fantastic product that the team has been working on for three years," Ubisoft top man Yves Guillemot told investors today. "What we have seen is just fabulous."

• Michael Fassbender to star in Assassin's Creed movie

  Assassin's Creed will make the daredevil rooftop leap from games to the big screen in fine style, it seems, with the announcement that Michael Fassbender, one of the most popular actors around, will not only star in the movie version of Ubisoft's hit stealth franchise, but will also co-produce the movie with Ubisoft through his own production company.

  Fassbender is box office gold right now, with critical acclaim for arthouse dramas such as Shame and A Dangerous Method rubbing up against commercial hits such as X-Men: First Class and Prometheus. "Michael Fassbender was our first choice," said Ubisoft Motion Pictures boss Jean-Julien Baronnet. "Michael is an extremely smart, talented, versatile and committed actor."

  It's unclear which elements of the Assassin's Creed games will be used for the movie, but Ubisoft is adamant that it will retain creative control. The publisher even scuppered an earlier attempt to finance the movie by refusing to allow Sony's movie division to tamper with the story.

  It'll be a few years before we see the Animus in action on the big screen, but gamers can look forward to the end of an era when Assassin's Creed 3 is released this November 16th. The game, set during the American Revolutionary War, brings the story of time-hopping hero Desmond Miles to a close.
  

As a valued customer we now offer you the facility to sign up to email price alerts. Please enter the price you want to be, or below, and if drops to that level we will let you know...