Assassin’s Creed III

Assassin's Creed III is an upcoming - Science Fiction historical action-adventure open world stealth video game being developed and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U and Microsoft Windows. It will be the fifth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series and the third numbered title in the series. The game is set for release in October 30, 2012. Ubisoft has said that the game will be bigger than any of its previous installments.

Assassin's Creed III will be set during the American Revolution and will feature a new protagonist called Connor, but his birth name is Ratohnhaké:ton (pronounced Ra-doon-ha-gay-doon).

Synopsis

Premise

Set between the years 1758 and 1777, the war between the Assassins and the Templars has moved to Colonial America. The player takes on the role of a young half-English, half-Mohawk man named Connor (also known by his birth name, Ratohnhaké:ton), who is drawn into the fight against tyranny when his home is attacked by white colonists. Over the course of the game, the player will encounter historical figures including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Charles Lee.

Cast

• Bill RogersVorlage:Fact as Connor/Ratohnhaké:ton
• Nolan North as Desmond Miles
• Danny Wallace as Shaun Hastings
• Eliza Schneider as Rebecca Crane
• John de Lancie as William Miles
• Phil Proctor as Dr. Warren Vidic
• TBA as George Washington
• TBA as Benjamin Franklin
• R. Lee Ermey as Charles LeeVorlage:Fact
• TBA as Thomas Jefferson
• TBA as Lafayette
• TBA as Joseph Louis Cook

Development

Origins

Work on Assassin's Creed III began almost immediately after the release of Assassin's Creed II (2009) by a senior team of Ubisoft developers. When Ubisoft first revealed Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood in 2010, as new details came to light, there was some confusion within the gaming community as to whether this would be Assassin's Creed III. According to the developers Brotherhood was not Assassin's Creed III, and that the third installment will not star a "pre-existing character". Ubisoft Montreal's developers stated in their interviews that Assassin's Creed III will be released eventually. Jean-François Boivin of Ubisoft. Also stated that each numbered title in the series will introduce a new lead character and a new setting. Patrice Désilets, former series' creative director, said that the series has always been planned as a trilogy. He also commented on the story of Assassin's Creed III, saying that it will focus on Assassins' quest to prevent the end of the world in 2012, and their race against time to find temples and Apples of Eden built by "Those Who Came Before". Desmond will be searching for clues as to the locations of these temples, by exploring memories of one (or more) of his other ancestors.

In October 2011 Alexandre Amacio, creative director of Assassin's Creed: Revelations, announced that the next installment of the franchise was to be released before December 2012, however, Amacio himself would not be directing the game. This comes from the idea that Desmond Miles, the modern day protagonist of the series, was to finish his tale by December 2012. Amacio said that gamers should not have to play a futuristic game after the time period in which it is set.

Pre-announcement

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed during an earnings call on November 8, 2011, that a new "major" Assassin's Creed game will be released in 2012. Guillemot refused to go into any further detail on the title beyond its confirmation. Speaking to MCV, Guillemot dismissed the notion that annual Assassin's Creed installments are diluting the brands, stating instead that they're necessary to "satisfy the demand". Guillemot also claimed in the same interview that this year's Assassin's Creed will be the series' "biggest to date."

In February 2012, Ubisoft officially confirmed the existence of Assassin's Creed III, and its North American release date of October 30, 2012. Guillemot described Assassin's Creed III as "the true next generation of both the Assassin's Creed brand and interactive entertainment/storytelling in general. We will push the title a lot because it's a fantastic product that the team has been working on for three years. What we have seen is just fabulous." Guillemot went on to say the publisher's investing more heavily in the game than in any other title in the series.

Internal leaks

Reports of Assassin's Creed III would take place during the American Revolution surfaced following a supposed "inside source" at Ubisoft claimed that in January 2012. On February 29, 2012, an upcoming promotional image of the game was sent to Kotaku by a Best Buy employee, along with information from the retailer that a full reveal was imminent. The leaked promotional image led to a general consensus that the game is set in North America during the American Revolution, and at least in part, a snowy setting. Around the same time, Ubisoft mentioned "a major announcement from Assassin's Creed" was "only days away" via the series' official Facebook. The page's cover photo also depicted a snowy and bleak setting. Further GameInformer appeared ready to confirm the fresh details via an advertising banner posted on its site. Images show the new assassin standing next to American revolutionary leader George Washington.

Following the reports, Ubisoft released Assassin's Creed III's official box art on March 1, 2012, which confirms the game's American Revolution setting. The company said it will announce "all the details" at 5pm on March 5th. Additionally, Game Informer revealed its latest cover feature which includes more artwork of the game's new main character. On March 2, several screenshots were leaked ahead of Ubisoft's official reveal, and the first gameplay details emerged via Game Informer.

Post-announcement

Assassin's Creed III was unveiled with a first cinematic trailer on March 5, 2012. Ubisoft described the game as the "most ambitious" project in the company's history, with twice the production capacity of any previous title from the publisher. The game features a new engine, AnvilNext, for improved visuals, character models and AI, allowing for battlefields full of fighters. Ubisoft later said the it's aiming to make Assassin's Creed III "look next-gen" on current-gen consoles using the new AnvilNext engine. Ubisoft UK MD Rob Cooper said that Assassin's Creed III is a good entry point for newcomers to the series, and that he thinks Assassin's Creed III will hold its own against this year's biggest releases.

Marketing

Following the official reveal, Ubisoft announced incentives for gamers pre-ordering Assassin's Creed III from Amazon, GameStop and BestBuy: this will take the form of a free SteelBook collectible edition featuring artwork by renowned comic book artist Alex Ross. For newcomers to the series, the Assassin's Creed Double Edition was released on PSN, which brings together the first Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II in a virtual compilation box.

External links

• Official website