Sony Pictures wins bidding war for Assassin’s Creed movie

By Rick Marshall Published June 19, 2017

Ubisofts’s massively popular Assassin’s Creed franchise has moved yet another step closer to the big screen.

Sony Pictures is finalizing a deal to adapt and distribute the Assassin’s Creed movie franchise after winning a bidding war over the rights to the game. According to Variety, Ubisoft’s desire for creative control over the adaptations of its games was a major element of the deal, and factored heavily into the negotiation process.

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The French game developer launched Ubisoft Motion Pictures back in February, and announced plans to bring Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell, and Ghost Recon to the big screen in May. The adaptation-minded offshoot of the company also has plans for an animated television series based on its Ravings Rabbids franchise.

Assassin’s Creed isn’t the only game-related project on Sony’s plate these days, either. The studio also has an adaptation of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted franchise in the works.

Just in case you’ve missed out on the Assassin’s Creed phenomenon, the franchise follows a man who’s kidnapped by a mysterious corporation and forced to relive the memories of his ancestors — which include several generations of a shadowy guild of assassins — in order to recover ancient artifacts.

The Assassin’s Creed franchise has sold more 30 million copies of the games worldwide, with the latest installment, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations hitting shelves November 15.

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Gaming

Ubisoft confirms Assassin’s Creed remakes are in the works

Basim perched on a ledge overlooking Baghdad

In a company interview with CEO Yves Guillemot posted on the Ubisoft website Thursday, the executive reveals that there are remakes of Assassin's Creed games in the works, although he doesn't specify which ones.

"Players can be excited about some remakes, which will allow us to revisit some of the games we've created in the past and modernize them," he says, implying that it could pertain to games made before Odyssey. "There are worlds in some of our older Assassin's Creed games that are still extremely rich."

Gaming

Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ blend of old and new is a recipe for success

Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows fighting an enemy. He's dressed in his samurai armor.

Assassin's Creed Shadows was officially revealed a couple of weeks ago in a beefy cinematic trailer showing off its dual protagonists, Yasuke and Naoe. It's a big moment for fans of the series, as Shadows is finally the Feudal Japan Assassin's Creed game fans have been asking for since it was teased back in the very first entry in the franchise in 2007.

Does it live up to that long wait? Ahead of today's Ubisoft Forward stream, I saw an extended gameplay presentation for Assassin's Creed Shadows that gave me a much better sense of what to expect this fall. The team behind it is looking to blend newer series entries like Valhalla, Odyssey, and Origins into the more traditional Assassin's Creed titles from over a decade ago. And that seems like it could be a winning formula.
Out of the shadows
During the presentation, I saw both of Shadows' playable characters in action -- and they're quite different from one another. Yasuke's Samurai stature and hulking physique command respect from villagers when he walks by. They bow to him, move out of his way, and clearly show signs of admiration. His combat skills also match this, giving him access to actions like a shoulder charge to break down doors or knock enemies off balance.

Gaming

Can’t wait for Assassin’s Creed Shadows? Play these games instead

Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows fighting an enemy. He's dressed in his samurai armor.

Ubisoft unveiled Assassin's Creed Shadows last week, giving us our first real glimpse at the first Assassin's Creed game to be set in Japan. Its Feudal Japan setting is something that fans of Assassin's Creed have craved for a long time, and while it's awesome that Ubisoft is finally delivering that concept, some other games did beat it to the punch. Many other developers have noticed how fruitful a historical Japan setting can be, from its feudal era all the way until the West started to intervene in the Edo period. As a result, there are quite a few games that I can recommend you check out while you're waiting for Assassin's Creed Shadows' November 15 launch.

The five games I'm recommending all range in size. Three of them are AAA action games, all set in different eras of Japanese history that immerse players in different ways. Meanwhile, the other two games I'm spotlighting are more experimental titles that, while not directly comparable to Assassin's Creed Shadows from a gameplay perspective, are still well worth your time if Japanese history and culture intrigue you.
Ghost of Tsushima