Assassin's Creed is killing at retail

Ubisoft announced that in the month since launch its love-it or hate-it epic Assassin's Creed has sold 2.5 million copies globally, making it the fastest selling new video game IP in US history. The company said the title has "greatly outstripped" its sales forecasts and they now expect to sell a minimum of five million copies of Assassin's Creed before the end of their fiscal year in March '08.

As a result, Ubisoft is raising its income expectation by 12%, increasing fiscal year projections by an extra €15 million to €840 million ($1.2 billion). The company also revealed that Tom Clancy's End War, Brothers in Arms and Far Cry 2 are scheduled for release during its next fiscal year, which begins in April. Ubisoft will lay out its complete games portfolio for 2008 on Jan. 23.

PS3 Assassin's Creed Patch Coming

Assassin's Creed has a lot going for it, in spite of some bugs in the game. The problems are a bit more severe for owners of the PS3 version, with the game freezing, locking up consoles and generally assassinating the gaming experience. Luckily, that should all be changing shortly with a new patch for the game coming to the PlayStation Network.

The recently announced patch for the PS3 version of Assassin's Creed will improve the stability of the game, and fix a few freezing issues which plague the title. Now if they would fix that duplicity bug and the (disturbing) hilarious "humping guard" glitch we'd sleep better at night. Of course, if you could use the latter to create a diversion for the other guards, that would be both classic and useful.

Ubisoft UK Boss says industry "Crying Out" For New IP's

Such is the opinion of Rob Cooper, the man in charge of Ubisoft UK following the debut of Assassin's Creed at the top of the UK charts. The ambitious "hitman in sandles" game became the third-fastest selling Xbox 360 game ever, something Ubisoft sees as confirmation that not everyone wants more lousy licensed games and sub-par sequels. "I think the success worldwide of Assassin's Creed absolutely proves that new IP can live and prosper within the sequel and licensed based competition," said Cooper, speaking to MCV. "The industry is crying out for new and compelling content and we're delighted that AC has lived up to its expectations."

November has been a good month for new IP's with Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune all making big splashes in their respective debuts. Common sense dictates no entertainment industry can sustain long term growth without a constant influx of new properties. Even the best franchises can only sustain sequels for so long before they eventually whither and die. It is exciting to see three new franchises of such high quality arrive on the scene in quick succession. If publishers give developers greater opportunities to capitalize on out-of-the-box thinking -- including spending the marketing dollars necessary to cement new properties in the public consciousness -- we might end up with more classics and less trash.

Assassin's Creed - A Glorious Mess

After last week's early reviews of Assassin's Creed hit the web, I wasn't sure what to make of them. Game Informer gave it a 9.5 and then IGN called it "one of the top five most disappointing games of all time." How do you balance those disparate opinions? These are two media outlets I usually respect, yet clearly they both saw this hugely anticipated title completely differently. Who was right and who was wrong?

Well, now that I've had a few days to play Assassin's Creed myself, I've formed my own opinion of it, and I also have a clearer understanding of where my esteemed colleagues were coming from with their polar opposite views.

Right away I will let you know, I like Assassin's Creed, and yet I am very disappointed by it. The parts of Creed that work well, work very well; like the amazing climbing and free-running. When you scale the heights of cathedrals and various other towers or free-run across rooftops while escaping pursuers, the feeling you get is one of immense power, both the power of lead character Altair (pronounced al-tie-ear), and the power of the Xbox 360. (I have not played the PS3 version of the game, so I will not be commenting on the negativity surrounding it here.) Regarding Altair, Game Informer noted in their review, "Rarely has a character without superpowers or magic been quite so powerful and exciting to vicariously inhabit, whether he’s perching on a high tower of the Acre Cathedral or countering the blows of a Templar knight." As for the Xbox 360, it handles the vistas, combat, hundreds of characters and huge, seamless cities beautifully with hardly a stutter.

I found the game's combat to be very enjoyable. It is definitely not going to be liked by hardcore hack 'n slash fans, but anyone who enjoys a bit more thinking in their swordplay will be very pleased. The combat is also very cinematic, keeping it fresh over time. I never got bored thrashing four or five foes at a time, even the hundredth time I did it.

The vistas you see from those previously-mentioned high perches, as well as Altair's movements and pretty much all the other graphics in the game, fully demonstrate Ubisoft's ability to develop a great game from the code up. For the most part, Assassin's Creed looks really good! Consequently, the parts where the game falls flat are even more baffling to me.

The voice work in Assassin's Creed, at least that of the actor playing Altair, is absolutely abysmal. Very surprising considering this is almost universally a strong point in Ubisoft games. Just look at the Splinter Cell or Ghost Recon franchises. Making Altair's voice even more grating is the fact that most of the other voice work in the game is actually quite enjoyable. While virtually all the ancillary characters have mostly-accurate accents of various middle-eastern origins, Altair sounds like he was born and bred in Indiana. Topping off this vocal crap sandwich is the fact that his lines are delivered with all the flair and emotion of a narcoleptic spelling bee judge reading the dictionary. Therefore the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the person responsible for casting the game's actors.

The gameplay is far from perfect. As great as the combat and climbing are, the investigative aspects of the game are tedious and overly repetitive. When you save various citizens from a beating or kidnapping at the hands of ruthless town cops, you're thanked by having to hear the same three lines of canned dialogue over and over again. Boring with a capital WTF!?! Same for the "eavesdropping" and "pickpocketing" mini games...they are overly simplistic and occur far too often.

As far as the writing in the game is concerned, I found it largely forgettable. Without spoiling it for those who've yet to play it, Creed's "hook" is cliched at best and just plain lazy at worst. The story is further gimped by the fact that the story's one major plot twist is revealed before you even actually play the game. Someone needs to take a "Fiction 101" class.

As bad as all that sounds, it didn't stop me from playing Assassin's Creed. I would take a break from it only to find myself thinking about the swordplay or climbing another tower. It also helps that the Xbox 360 version has achievements tied to it. I seriously doubt I would've finished this game if not for the opportunity to fatten my gamerscore. Even though I dreaded playing parts of the game later, my achievements addiction brought me back for more.

As you can see, Assassin's Creed is a somewhat frustrating game to review. It's an enigma, wrapped in a riddle, sprinkled with some wonderfulness and nearly ruined with some craptastic design choices. If I have to give it a numeric score (which I loathe), I'll give it an overall score of 7 out of 10. I actually enjoyed the climbing and fighting aspects the more I played it, but the other stumbles in game design and casting really hurt the overall experience. On the bright side, I see the potential for an absolutely fantastic sequel.

IGN calls Assassin's Creed one of "top five most disappointing games ever"

Assassin's Creed has received almost universal praise from media outlets across the web, so when I read a review from one of the most respected and widely read game sites around, IGN, I was stunned by the negativity of their opinion. However, once I got past my initial shock, I realized the reviewer makes a lot of valid points; and honestly, it's refreshing to see someone take a deeper look at a big name title without being blinded to its faults by the hype machine.

The reviewer, Hilary Goldstein, praises the game's stunning visuals, even giving a pass to the inordinately long loading times (as long as five minutes for some levels), texture pop-in and occasional frame rate stutters. Considering the immense size of the cities in the game, such hiccups are forgivable.

As a historic recreation, Assassin's Creed is a triumph. The main character, Altair, is a member of the Hashshashin (or Assassins), a real-life group that performed politically-motivated murders between the 11th and 13th centuries. The three cities in the game, Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus, are modeled meticulously using historic documents available from the period. Even the nine people you assassinate throughout the game all actually existed and were either murdered or vanished mysteriously around the time the game takes place.

Gameplay wise, the free-running and climbing aspects of the game are superb. The combat is unique and fun, although hack 'n slash fans will probably find it frustrating (which is not a bad thing if you ask me). Unfortunately, the rest of the gameplay mechanics fall flat. The information gathering aspects of the game, including eavesdropping, pickpocketing and other minutiae are incredibly boring and repetitive.

What is not expected or acceptable is the poor voice acting of Assassin's main character, Altair. While the ancillary characters are all voiced very well, the star of the game is voiced by a b-grade actor. Even worse is the writing. The story, which had great potential if handled correctly, is crippled by having its biggest twist revealed in the first five minutes of the game.

The long and the short of Assassin's Creed comes down to whether you plan to play it for the long or short term. If you play the game for an hour, you'll probably think its great, but if you play all the way through, you're likely to find it tedious and disappointing. Overall, the reviewer feels the developers have laid the groundwork for a potentially fantastic sequel, but in his first mission, this Assassin wields a rather dull blade. He goes so far as to call Assassin's Creed "one of the top five most disappointing games of all time considering its vast potential."

I would be curious to hear some of your opinions. If you've played the game, share your thoughts with your comments.

Watch the full video review below.

Assassin's Creed earns 9.5 from Game Informer

Assassin's Creed is one of the biggest releases in a holiday season full of huge releases. The game's visuals have been widely praised since it was first revealed to the public more than a year ago. The game has been publicly embarrassed by a few glitches along the way though, so a review of the final product has been eagerly anticipated by yours truly.

Game Informer is the first to provide a non-exclusive verdict, and it is a resounding 9.5 out of 10. The graphics do indeed impress, and apparently the controls are simply fantastic. The reviewer notes, "you’ll wander a huge open world – three massive cities and the connecting countryside. It’s a strange mix of meticulous historical recreation and totally open level design. Climbing and leaping can get you to almost any place in the world – usually by any number of different paths. Hero Altaïr is as much ninja as medieval warrior as he goes about the grim business of hunting down evil men who are oppressing the people of the Holy Land. Rarely has a character without superpowers or magic been quite so powerful and exciting to vicariously inhabit, whether he’s perching on a high tower of the Acre Cathedral or countering the blows of a Templar knight." He does not mention whether one version looks better than another, and considering the remarkable sameness of Call of Duty 4 on both the PS3 and 360, I doubt there is any noticeable difference.

I will give you my own take next week after I've had the game in my hands for a few days.

Assassin's Creed earns 37/40 from Famitsu

In this gaming month of historic proportions, Assassin's Creed is among the most anticipated November releases. It seems all the hype and excitement is well justified as Famitsu has given the game a rock solid 37/40 as seen in this Japanese scan showing it earned scores of 10/8/9/10 respectively. The 37 is one point less than Super Mario Galaxy and the same as Halo 3, so clearly the game has turned out well. I can't wait to get my hands on it so I can give you my opinion assuming I can tear myself away from Call of Duty 4, Uncharted and Mass Effect long enough to sample it...somehow I think I'll find a way!

Assassin's Creed Goes Gold

One of the most anticipated titles of 2007, Assassin's Creed has gone gold and will be released November 13th. November is shaping up as a wallet busting month for gamers, with Super Mario Galaxy, Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect and now Assassin's Creed all vying for your entertainment dollars before Thanksgiving. The game will come out simultaneously on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 priced at $59.99 with a limited edition version made available at the usual $69.99. If you order either version from GameStop you'll also receive a glorious art book.

The Holiday Showdown - It's All About Games

Games sell consoles.

This is one of the foundations of gaming. My Wii, purchased with excitement on launch day, now sits stagnant. If I could change history, I wouldn’t have bought that machine. Caught up in hype, I refused many meetings with my gaming senses and headed out to pay £200 for a week or two of gaming. There is simply not enough games for the machine.

Why is the PS3 struggling? “Price,” you cry? Certainly the hefty cost of the console is one reason. But I, like many others, would happily hand over £300 or more to play the finest games of all time. If only Sony’s machine had them.

Xbox 360 became the first machine to outsell the Wii. When the executives were cheering, the staff should have given a respectful nod to Master Chief, as it was his videogame swan-song Halo 3 that drove sales upward.

The present, and past, are all nodding agreement to this rule. That’s why publishers need to get a grip on release schedules to come out on top this December.

Businessmen know Christmas is the time to sell. It’s the time parents walk into shops, money in hand, looking for a present for young Jimmy to enjoy come Christmas Day. Need for Speed has proven itself adept at self-selling during this all-important period, claiming the Christmas number one chart position for many consecutive years. Aside from this giant of sales, let’s take a look at some of the games that could sell the most – and give the big 3 reason to boast.

Super Mario Galaxy is huge. It’s on the horizon, doing its best to block out rivals. Gaming’s granddaddy returns with an excitement steeped in more then just nostalgia; Galaxy feels fresh, new, and innovative. The game appears to be stepping in time to the Wii’s beat merrily; Their tandem could prove formidable when Mario touches down later this year.

The game to benefit directly from Army of Two’s delay could be Haze. Heard of, but not shouted about, Free Radical’s FPS has enjoyed a steady rise in interest since its announcement. Sony must have their fingers crossed this release doesn’t become another to stumble on the icy-surfaced PS3 release schedule.

With a storyline that remains a guarded secret (aside from the snipped of you being an assassin out of favour with his co-workers), Assasin’s Creed nevertheless has managed to grab attention with its Prince of Persia influenced gameplay, charming third-crusade setting, and a graphical showcase as eye-grabbing as anything else on the new generation of consoles.

Still basking in the afterglow of critical and commercial hit Bioshock, Bioware is looking for success again with Mass Effect. Already having garnered awards at various trade shows, the game is stealing attention for itself. You must defend our realm from another’s attack as Captain Shepard. His appearance and skills are all shaped by your decisions, as will be the fate of the universe come the end of the game. Certainly an interesting prospect for gamers.

These are just four of the games battling for your interest this Holiday season. I’ll revisit this later to update you on the Christmas Rush’s victories and losses.

Adam Montgomery

Assassin's Creed Collector's Set Unveiled

The Assassin's Creed Collector's Set has been revealed, and it includes a beautiful 12 inch tall figure of the game's lead character, Altair. My wife would never go for having this thing placed anywhere in our home. Unless I could possibly convince her that Altair is a veiled allusion to the founding of her favorite company...Apple Computers. Rent "Pirates of Silicon Valley" if you're lost.

I must admit, the thing does look supercool, but I am kind of getting sick of developers throwing in useless extras to pry another twenty, thirty or seventy dollars from our pockets. Just give me a great game that lasts longer than 10 hours and I'm cool.