Assassins-Creed-2 posts

While the Assassin's Creed franchise has been a big hit for developer-publisher Ubisoft on the console front, the open world stealth action game series hasn't had much of an impact on the PC platform. The first two games in the series were released months after their console platform debuts and the same goes for the third game, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, which is already out for Xbox 360 and PS3 but isn't due out for the PC until sometime in the first quarter of 2011.

Yet, an Ubisoft rep insisted to Computer and Video Games that the PC is a big part of the game series. Ubisoft UK marketing boss Murray Pannell is quoted as saying, "Definitely, PC is still an important platform for the franchise." He added that details on what the PC port of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood will contain will be revealed "soon".

That Razer concept dealie for the mobile PC game device has a ton of potential. They just need to get the right combo of hardware and price and it could sell like hotcakes.

• Steam now has the Mac port of Assassin's Creed II available for purchase. It also supports Steamplay (PC version gets the Mac port for free and vise versa).
• Steam has new automatic updates available for Swarm Arena, Ship Simulator Extreme and Rush.
• Fable III for the PC showed up with a playable build at CES this week. Sadly there's still no word of a release date.
• A panel about Thief 4 is scheduled for the 2011 Game Developers Conference. But it's just for the game's music.

Last week we reported that some players of Ubisoft's PC ports of Assassin's Creed 2 and Splinter Cell Conviction could now play the game without having to be always connected to the internet. Now a rep for the publisher has told Shacknews that some of its recent PC titles have been "patched out" to allow the games to be players without a constant internet connection although they will still require such a connection in order to start.

This decision, however, is being done on a "case-by-case basis" according to the story. Upcoming PC games from Ubisoft (such as the PC port of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood) could still launch with the publisher's controversial DRM "always on" internet connection requirement.

Hold onto your debit cards. Steam has just posted up a new batch of PC games on sale from now until 1 pm Eastern Time on Thursday. We know; it's so tempting but we bet there's a few games on this list that you have to have RIGHT NOW:

Tales of Monkey Island - $17.49
Railworks 2 - $8
Spore Complete Pack (the original game and two expansions) - $19.99
Just Cause 2 - $7.50
Aliens Vs Predator - $5
Trials 2 Second Edition - $2.50
Day of Defeat Source - $2.50
Zuma's Revenge - $8
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - $14.99
Recettear An Item Shop's Tale - $6.80
Assassin's Creed 2 - $14.99 or $12 if you own Assassin's Creed 1
Bully Scholarship Edition - $3.75

Confirming earlier rumors, Ubisoft has now revealed via their latest financial press release that a Mac version of the developer's stealth-action game Splinter Cell Conviction is in the works. In addition the publisher also has plans to release a Mac port of its hit open world action game Assassin's Creed 2.

Both of the Ubisoft Mac ports are scheduled to be released to gamers sometime this quarter which means they are due out before September 30. Our question: Will the Mac ports also have Ubisoft's "always on" DRM set-up that are now a part of the publisher's PC game releases? We hope not.

Last week Ubisoft teased us about their plans to release a comic book based on the Assassin's Creed game franchise. Today comic book web sites like Comic Book Resources and Newsarama have more info about the upcoming three issue mini series which will be released in "late 2010".

The series will focus on a Russian assassin, Nikolai Orelov, with each issue focusing on a period of time in his life (Issue 1 - apprentice, Issue 2 - main assassin, Issue 3 - old veteran). Most of the comic takes place in St. Petersburg, Russia, in the early days of the 20th century with the fall of the Czars and the rise of Communism. The series is co-written and drawn by comic book veterans Cameron Stewart and Karl Kerschl. According to an Ubisoft rep the comic book story is set firmly within the developer's Assassins's Creed universe and hints that a game based on the new Russian Assassin could be made in the future.

As we predicted last month, a "secret project" that was related to Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed game series has now been officially revealed as a comic book project set for release sometime this fall. The series will be created by comic book veterans Cameron Stewart and Karl Kerschl.

What's more interesting is the setting for the comic book series. The press release and the symbol you see to the right would seem to indicate that the comic book takes place in Russia, perhaps during the Soviet Union time period. Indeed Stewart and Kerschl did a research trip to Saint Petersburg, Russia for the project. More info about the comic will be revealed during the Assassins Creed Brotherhood panel next Thursday at the San Diego Comic-Con.

For a while it looked like Ubisoft was looking to turn the Assassin's Creed action game franchise into a yearly series a la Call of Duty. Thankfully that will not be the case, according to Ubisoft Montreal's executive producer Jean-Francois Boivin. Speaking to Eurogamer, he stated that this fall's Assassin's Creed Brotherhood won't get an instant follow-up in 2011.

He states, "I believe that this license needs a breather. You can't plough a field every year. Once every three years – or once every something – you have to let it breathe. You have to let the minerals back in." Certainly the yearly releases of new games in the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series seem to be taking its toll on those franchises. However the Call of Duty series continues to be a big seller after several years of yearly installments.

Yes it's been only a week since E3 2010 but the folks at Ubisoft are still in a celebratory mood. and they are breaking out the price cuts from now until Friday June 25 at their online store for PC digital downloads. Several of their games are now on sale for 50 percent off their normal prices.

The games on sale include an Assassin's Creed-Assassin's Creed 2 bundle for just $39.99, the two Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter titles in a bundle for for $14.99, and H.A.W.X. for just $9.99. You can also get the E3 Ubisoft Pack with six games (H.A.W.X, both Ghost Recon titles, Driver: Parallel Lines, Assassin's Creed and Shawn White Skateboarding) for $49.99.

One of the main folks behind the Assassin's Creed action franchise at Ubisoft has made a rather sudden departure from the company. Game Informer reports that Ubisoft Montreal creative director Patrice Désilets has indeed left the studio. Ubisoft's only comment about his leaving was that Désilets "has decided to take a creative break from the industry."

Désilets has been with Ubisoft Montreal since it started and helped to revive the Prince of Persia franchise at the studio before helping to launch the Assassin's Creed franchise. His departure comes as Ubisoft is planning to release Assassin's Creed Brotherhood this fall. Ubisoft said his involvement in the making of that game was "essentially done" before he left.