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'Assassin's Creed Origins' arrives October 27th
Gladiator battles, pyramids and hippos. Yes, hippos. Assassin's Creed Origins will tell you the story of how the assassin brotherhood began, with Bayek, an Egyptian sherif. While the rumors of an Egypt-based title have been around for weeks, we finally got to see how that will shape the stealthy-stabby series.
'Assassin's Creed Origins' could arrive on October 27th
Ubisoft is expected to launch a new Assassin's Creed at E3 2017, but some Game Informer subscribers who got their next issue early might already have the details the developer plans to announce. Based on photographs of the magazine posted by HungryGhost57 on Reddit and Imgur, the new entry in the series entitled Assassin's Creed Origins will be released on October 27th with the tagline: "As an empire falls, a brotherhood rises." The announcement's accompanying illustrations show the titular assassin against a backdrop of pyramids and sphinxes, just like the retail pre-order card that was also leaked a couple of days ago.
Xbox One launch title 'Ryse' is free to play next month
April is fast approaching, which means another handful of games will be free to play on Xbox One through the Games with Gold program. During the course of next month, four titles -- two for Xbox One and two for Xbox 360 -- will be free to download. The most notable of the group, Ryse: Son of Rome, will be available for players to download during the entire month of April. If you'll recall, Ryse was an Xbox One launch title back in 2013.
'Assassin's Creed: Ezio Collection' clambers to PS4, Xbox One
The rumors are true: To make up for a mainline Assassin's Creed skipping this year, Ubisoft is putting the best entries in the series into one package. Again. Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection brings Assassin's Creed 2, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and the story's finale, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this November 15th. A post on the Ubiblog says that these are the single player campaigns and add-on packs only -- none of the multiplayer that started with Brotherhood will be present here. That's because the developer-publisher believes the "most polished and fully featured version" of the mode already exists in the form of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag's online offering, originally released in 2013.
The hostile takeover of 'Watch Dogs' studio Ubisoft continues
Ubisoft, the studio behind Assassin's Creed, Watch Dogs, South Park, Rabbids and plenty of other off-the-wall franchises, is slowly losing itself. The company is being swallowed up by Vivendi, the entertainment conglomerate responsible for Universal Music Group and Dailymotion, among other ventures. Vivendi has been buying Ubisoft stock with the goal of securing a seat on the studio's board, and it now controls 20.1 percent of Ubisoft shares and 17.76 percent of its voting rights. The latest stock purchase comes just days after E3 ended on June 16th.
Everything we saw at Ubisoft's E3 event
Ubisoft's annual bit-too-weird E3 event went as scheduled, with acid-colored dance routines; weird, ironic Ubisoft creatives in comedy skits I didn't quite understand; oh, and a bunch of games. That included closer looks at Watch Dogs 2, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, as well as some virtual Star Trek and a peak behind the scenes of Fassassin's Creed. Let's take a look. Follow all the news from E3 2016 here!
'Assassin's Creed' movie trailer has fighting and Fassbending
We won't have a new Assassin's Creed game this year, but what we will have is a movie. And now we know just what it'll look like when it hits theaters this December 21st, courtesy of a trailer that just debuted on the late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live. It looks appropriately stabby and features tons of the series' hallmark moments: a massive cityscape shot from above, an abducted protagonist by way of Michael Fassbender, eagles flying around spires, a leap of faith off of a very tall building, and, of course lots of folks in hoods looking ready to kill assassinate folks during the Spanish Inquisition.
'1666 Amsterdam' is back in 'Assassin's Creed' creator's hands
Ubisoft and Patrice Désilets, the creative director of Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed 2, have reached an agreement that gives Désilets ownership of a mysterious original IP, 1666 Amsterdam. Désilets and Ubisoft have a rocky, winding history: Désilets is recognized as the creator of the studio's most famous franchise, Assassin's Creed, but he left the company in 2010. Désilets joined THQ Montreal in 2011 where he started work on an original franchise that turned out to be 1666 Amsterdam. However, THQ famously went under in 2012 and sold off its assets in January 2013. The Montreal studio -- complete with 1666, Désilets and all -- was picked up by Ubisoft for $2.5 million. Désilets was right back where he started, but he didn't stay long.
Shooting the Arabs: How video games perpetuate Muslim stereotypes
Islam has an image problem. And it's not just recent world events that have led to an undue level of scrutiny and prejudice. The media has been pigeonholing Muslims for years. You need only watch a few episodes of 24 or Homeland to see that Muslims, particularly those of Arab descent, are almost always painted as the enemy.
There won't be an 'Assassin's Creed' game this year
Time-traveling parkour people, take it easy this year. Ubisoft will not release a new Assassin's Creed game in 2016, breaking the franchise's annual launch schedule for the first time since 2009. Ubisoft says it's listened to fan feedback since the release of Assassin's Creed Unity, a game that was plagued by technical glitches when it launched in 2014. Sales of last year's installment, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, were slower than expected, Ubisoft noted in its quarterly financial report released today.
Recommended Reading: Michael Jackson's music in 'Sonic 3'
The Michael Jackson Video Game Conspiracy Todd Van Luling, Huffington Post If you paid attention to the music in Sonic 3, you likely noticed some of the audio resembles Michael Jackson's tunes. While Sega admitted the King of Pop was involved with the soundtrack, it claimed to have nixed all of his work from the final version despite obvious nods to the singer. As it turns out, that's not exactly the case and Huffington Post details the a decade-spanning search for the truth from some of Sonic's biggest fans.
Playdate: Clambering around London in 'Assassin's Creed: Syndicate'
It's autumn, so that means it's time for a new Assassin's Creed game. This time out the franchise has gone back to London's industrial age with Syndicate. A period when kids worked in factories and hooded folks jumped off of tall buildings to kill members of the Knights Templar. That last part might not be historically accurate. Maybe. There are a lot of variables at play here. Regardless, the last few AC releases haven't been great, but I'm determined to give Syndicate the old college try to see if it can recapture the franchise's highpoint, 2009's Assassin's Creed 2. This time you can come along for the ride with Sean and myself as we explore London's seedy underbelly starting at 6PM Eastern / 3PM Pacific. As always, we'll be playing for two hours and you can tune in either on this post, the Engadget Gaming homepage or Twitch.tv/Joystiq if you'd like to join us in chat.
Inventor makes a real-world 'Assassin's Creed' rope launcher
One of the centerpieces of Assassin's Creed Syndicate is Jacob Frye's wrist-mounted rope launcher -- he can scale buildings like a Victorian-era Batman. But would such a thing be possible in real life? If you ask Colin Furze, the answer is yes... sort of. As part of a promo for Ubisoft, the inventor built a real rope launcher gauntlet that uses a carbon dioxide canister to propel the line, and a motorized winch to hoist you up. You wouldn't want to use it for any daring escapes: it's bulky, slow, and needs a harness to support your weight. However, the very fact that it works at all is impressive. If you ever need to fight Templars (or just want to climb walls with ease), you'll want to ask Furze for some pointers.
Ubisoft is building a tiny indoor theme park in Malaysia
If you were excited about Nintendo's deal to put its characters in Universal theme parks, chew on this: the publisher behind games like Assassin's Creed, Just Dance and the Raving Rabbids games is building it's own amusement park. No kidding -- Ubisoft has partnered with RSG, a Malaysian park developer, to create a 100,000+ square foot indoor facility in Kuala Lumpur featuring Ubisoft-themed rides, attractions and shows.
'Assassin's Creed Syndicate' hits PCs on November 19th
If you're determined to play Assassin's Creed Syndicate on your sweet PC gaming rig, you're going to have to wait a while longer than everyone else. Ubisoft has announced that the Windows version of its Victorian stealth action game will arrive on November 19th, or nearly a month after the console edition's October 23rd debut. This is to make sure PC players get a "stable, optimized" version of Syndicate right from the start, the developer says -- clearly, Ubisoft is still feeling the sting of Unity's botched launch.
Ubisoft at E3 2015: 'Assassin's Creed,' 'Just Dance' and new IPs
Ubisoft (featuring Aisha Tyler, as always) has revealed quite a lengthy list of games at this year's E3. It includes new entries in fan favorite series Assassin's Creed and Just Dance, as well as new IPs for those who'd rather try something fresh. We've listed them all below the fold along with their trailers, so you can get a quick glimpse of what the French gamemaker has in store for this year and next.
Ubisoft's E3 2015 liveblog!
Ubisoft's E3 blitz is a curious mix of triple-A titles, like Assassins Creed, as well as, er, Raving Rabbits and Just Dance iterations. It's also typically had a spadeful of spectacle thrown into the mix. And that's probably a very good reason to liveblog it -- so we're going to. Expect more information on Ubisoft's premier titles, more information on Rainbow Six: Siege. It all starts at 2:45PM PT, or 5:45PM ET. Come on over and join us!
Watch Ubisoft's E3 keynote live stream here!
If you're reading this, chances are you're waiting for Ubisoft to shed more light on its upcoming titles: Assassin's Creed Syndicate, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, Tom Clancy's The Division and possibly several virtual reality games as hinted by the company last month. To get the latest sneak peek (you know you want to), feel free to tune in here at 2:45PM PT / 5:45PM ET today to watch Ubisoft's E3 conference live stream, courtesy of Twitch. Don't worry if you can't make it, though, as we've got you well covered for E3 this year. You're very welcome.
'Assassin's Creed Syndicate' brings stealth action to Victorian London
Ubisoft's last Assassin's Creed title didn't exactly get a warm reception, but the game developer is apparently bent on making amends: meet Assassin's Creed Syndicate, the next installment in Ubi's historical stealth action series. The new game moves the setting forward to Victorian London, where the industrial revolution and social inequality are the hot-button issues of the day. However, the real centerpiece is the franchise's first use of multiple main characters. You can take control of either Jacob Frye (a "brash and rebellious" character) or his sister Evie (a "master of stealth") when you're in open-world situations. You're locked to playing one or the other in key story missions, but the move should otherwise add some variety to gameplay that has gradually become formulaic.
The next 'Assassin's Creed' will be set in Victorian London
When Ubisoft surveyed Assassin's Creed fans in 2011, two possible video game locations piqued our curiosity: Feudal Japan and Victorian England. With each annual release, we've clamored to see if either had been chosen as the developer's next virtual playground. Well, for one historical backdrop that time has finally arrived. Kotaku reports that next year's instalment will take the ongoing Assassin-Templar tussle to the streets of London in the 19th century. Code-named Victory, players will be hiding in the rafters of Charing Cross station, battling atop racing stagecoaches and chasing thieves down dingy cobbled streets. Ubisoft has seemingly confirmed the leak, so it's possible that, just like Assassin's Creed Unity last year, we'll get an official trailer sooner rather than later. Kotaku has some screenshots for your perusal, but in the meantime you'll have to visualize a gruesome Jack the Ripper assassination for yourself. Of course, if you're one of the people that's been affected by the bug-riddled Unity, it's probably best to retain a fair degree of skepticism right now.
