Theres a revolution on the horizon. With the release date recently set provisionally for October 31st, Assassins Creed 3 is generating a stronger, more palpable buzz than any of the others in the franchises history. If Ubisoft are to be believed (and weve really no reason to believe theyre not), Assassins Creed 3 is not only set to blow its own previous record out of the Frontier, but also its on track to set records for the actual company itself. According to Ubisoft, AC3, which became available to pre-order three weeks ago, has already dwarfed the pre-sale figures for earlier AC titles within the same time frame generating numbers ten times higher than last years Assassins Creed: Revelations. Tony Key, Ubisofts Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing said "with a development cycle of three years, Assassins Creed III is the true next-generation experience of the Assassins Creed brand. This is clearly how theyve been marketing their next instalment thus far. And it looks like its worked an absolute treat for them. Many have been getting somewhat bored of the AC brand of late, with even long standing fans admitting that yeah, enough is enough guys. Ubisoft have previously released an AC game per year since the release of Assassins Creed 2, using the same characters, similar settings and timelines and the exact same technology, causing an inevitable waning in pre-sale interest. But with the well-publicised development of a brand new game engine, a massive lurch forward through time for the story and a brand new protagonist at the forefront of their new title, AC3 is actually tipped to be the biggest game launch in the Ubisofts history. Key also added that the production value of the game, combined with the biggest marketing commitment we've ever made, will make Assassins Creed III the highest-selling Assassin's Creed game ever. Additionally, the new setting and hero makes this the perfect time to jump into the series for anyone that has not previously played an Assassin's Creed game."
No Keyboard/Mouse Optimisation
All this comes in spite of another announcement indicating that there will be no optimisation for Keyboard and Mouse in Assassins Creed 3. Thats not to say that your Keyboard and Mouse are rendered obsolete or anything, but in a recent interview with GameSpy, Creative Director Alex Hutchinson stated his belief that with a pad is the only way to play Assassins Creed. "We're definitely supporting PC, we love PC, but I think it'll be PC with a controller," said Hutchinson, I don't see us investing hugely in a mouse and keyboard setup. I think if you want to play on PC and you want to play Assassin's Creed, you have a controller." Assassins Creed 3 is due for release on October 31st on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Well be posting news and updates as they happen so be sure to check our Assassins Creed 3 page for more information as and when it happens.