While we understand that Ubisoft plan to release an iteration of Assassin’s Creed annually for the foreseeable future, the company have revealed that they have an ending in mind for the overall series. In an interview with Eurogamer, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag game director, Ashraf Ismail, talked about the finite nature of the franchise, as new screenshots of the forthcoming high seas adventure appeared online.
Here’s what Ismail had to say about the series’ longevity:
“We have an idea of where the end is, what the end is,” Ismail told Eurogamer. “But of course Yves [Guillemot, Ubisoft’s overall boss] announced we are a yearly title, we ship one game a year. So depending on the setting, depending on what fans want, we’ve given ourselves room to fit more in this arc. But there is an end.”
Ismail went on to discuss the simultaneous nature of development at Ubisoft – which has allowed the studio to juggle franchises such as Splinter Cell and Rayman, whilst also establishing new IPs like Watch Dogs. And he attributes this modus operandi to the number of internal studios at work around the globe.
“We have multiple development teams, then we have the brand team that sits on top and is filled with writers and designers concerned with the series’ overall arc,” Ismail explained. “So there is an overall arc, and each iteration has its place inside this.”
The fact that Ubisoft speak openly about the conclusion of Assassin’s Creed may allay some fears that the studio would run the series into the ground. Of course, with three games currently in active development, that proverbial finish line may prove to be a distant milemarker for some time yet.
Acting as the sixth major instalment in the illustrious franchise, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will swagger onto Playstation 4, Xbox One, Wii U and PC sometime this year. As for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, however, the game is slated for release on October 29th, 2013 in North America – November 1st for Europe. And in order to whet your appetite, check out these new screenshots from the game which give us our first glimpse of the game’s modern day setting:
