Take a look at the official nominations page and wish us luck!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/Ubigabe
Live posting will also be done on:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/assassinscreed

GUINNESS WORLD RECORD ®
Assassin’s Creed II has featured on more magazine front covers than any other video game

London, England – April 15th, 2010 – Today Ubisoft® received confirmation from Guinness World Record ®, the global authority on record breaking, that Assassin’s Creed II now holds the Gamer’s Edition Guinness World Record for being the most cover-featured video game. Assassin’s Creed II was used as a lead cover story on 127 different publications in 32 countries, between April 2009 and April 2010.

“Assassin’s Creed is one of our most well-loved brands,” said Alain Corre managing director EMEA at Ubisoft. “The worldwide interest for the brand, coupled with the energy and creativity of our press team made for a winning combination and I am proud of receiving this Guinness World Record.”

“Gaz Deaves, Editor of Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition, said: “The evidence submitted by Ubisoft was extremely thorough, with full details of every publication that featured the game. It’s been a pleasure researching this category and we were pleasantly surprised that Assassin’s Creed II took the record – I’m sure plenty of commentators (including myself) would have predicted another well-known game winning the title instead, and this achievement is even more impressive in view of the other 2009 releases that Assassin’s Creed II was able to beat”.

In the United Kingdom, the massive press campaign for Assassin’s Creed 2 achieved 17 front covers, over 340 pages of specialist press coverage and 14 review awards from April 2009 to April 2010.

The record will be shortlisted for entry in the next edition of Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition. For more information please visit

www.guinnessworldrecords.com/gamers

More information to come soon! But for now check out the screenshots below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w74QfRErLw

Alrighty then, tell us a little about yourself…
I go by the name Marka Marquez and I’m from the United States.

Okay, and what are you trying to express with your art?
I like to be able to express not only myself in my artwork but also capture emotion and elements like time and life. When people see one of my pictures and feel strong emotion from it, or when it gets them thinking is when I feel like I’ve accomplished my goal. Even with simple pictures like [this one]. It’s a humorous picture, but it makes you smile when you see it, and I like to know that other people experience that. I also like to draw pictures that symbolize the beginning of something and sometimes the end.

Can you give us an example?
My picture “He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind” (http://puzzle-of-life.deviantart.com/art/quot-He-who-is-fixed-to-a-star-145737149) basically portrays a young Leonardo da Vinci becoming enraptured with the idea of capturing the mysteries of the world and changing them, a picture that expresses the moment his life as THE Leonardo da Vinci began.

Impressive, got anything else?
I have obvious artwork that doesn’t call for expression. I really like to create character profiles, but I guess even then I try to express what kind of character the subject is. I would like to get into more original works though
I have a DeviantArt account which can be viewed here: http://puzzle-of-life.deviantart.com/

Thanks very much Marka, on behalf of the developers of Assassin’s Creed 2 and the rest of the Ubi Montreal Studio!

If you have art that you’d like to share with us, please post it up on our forums (http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5251069024/m/9861003146) or on our facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/assassinscreed) and maybe you will be featured on the next “Our Fans Got Talent”!

- Gabe - www.twitter.com/UbiGabe

After that the price will go up to £1.79


ACII:M is a multiplayer-only, top-down assassination game for up to four players!

Download it here

The reviews have been flooding in so check them out below:

Gamers Guide to Life

More coming soon!

Sequence 13: Bonfire of the Vanities
A must for Assassin’s fans, Assassin’s Creed II Sequence 13: Bonfire of the Vanities continues to expand the addictive AC2 universe. Work with Machiavelli to free the city of Florence from the grip of the mad monk Savonarola by targeting influential citizens under his control.  Battle, sneak and free-run your way through more than ten challenging new memories.  Discover a new district of Florence, and utilize Ezio’s brand new move: the spring-jump.

Palazzo Medici – Located in Florence, the player gets to explore the house of the Medici family. It is located in the San Marco district of Florence.
Santa Maria dei Frari – Located in Venice, in the San Polo district, the player gets to explore this renowned church built in the XIIIth century.
Arsenal Shipyard – Venice was known for its Arsenal, a shipyard that was settled in the eastern part of the city. The last Templars’ Lair is located there, and lets the player explore the Drydocks.

Find out more here!

Vote for it now on the fantastic – www.baftagameaward.com.

The Battle of Forli is the first of 2 new pieces of DLC for Assassin’s Creed 2, and is the first of the “Corrupted” memory segments.

It contains six new missions, including a “Special Memory” in which Ezio can use the Flying Machine once more!

Specs :
Minimum Configuration:
SUPPORTED OS: Windows® XP (32-64 bits) /Windows Vista®(32-64 bits)/Windows 7® (32-64 bits)
Processor: Intel Core® 2 Duo 1.8 GHZ or AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4GHZ
RAM: 1.5 GB  Windows® XP / 2 GB Windows Vista® - Windows 7®
Video Card: 256 MB DirectX®  9.0–compliant card with Shader Model 3.0 or higher (see supported list)
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0 –compliant sound card
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0
DVD-ROM: DVD-ROM dual-layer drive
Hard Drive Space: 8 GB
Peripherals Supported: Keyboard, mouse, optional controller
* This product does not support Windows® 98/ME/2000/NT

Recommended Configuration:
Processor: Intel Core® 2 Duo E6700 2.6 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ or better
Video Card: GeForce 8800 GT or ATI Radeon HD 4700  or better
Sound: 5.1 sound card
Peripherals: Keyboard, mouse, joystick optional (Xbox 360® Controller for Windows recommended)

Supported Video Cards at Time of Release:
ATI® RADEON®  X1950, HD 2000/3000/4000/5000 series
NVIDIA GeForce® 7/8/9/100/200 series

Editions:
Standard - Main game + Extra sequences Battle of Forli & Bonfire of the Vanities

White Edition - Main game + Extra sequences Battle of Forli & Bonfire of the Vanities + 1 Templar Secret location (Santa Maria Dei Frari)

Black Edition - Main game + Extra sequences Battle of Forli & Bonfire of the Vanities + 3 Templar secret locations (Palazzo Medici, Santa Maria Dei Frari, and the Arsenal Shipyard)

Be advised, in order to fully take advantage of everything the DLC has to offer, you should first complete Memory Sequence #11. You have one week to go, happy gaming!

UbiGabe – http://twitter.com/UbiGabe

Click here to start voting!

You can read an update at Kotaku.

Get full details on the Game Developers’ Choice Awards here.

]]> http://assassinscreed.uk.ubi.com/community-news/?feed=rss2&p=5951 http://assassinscreed.uk.ubi.com/community-news/?p=5871 http://assassinscreed.uk.ubi.com/community-news/?p=5871#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:52:19 +0000 Ubisoft_News http://assassinscreed.uk.ubi.com/assassins-creed-2/community_news/?p=5871 Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery for iPhone and iPod Touch lets players discover an exciting chapter of the Assassin’s Creed® II storyline. They follow Ezio as he travels to 15th-century Spain to rescue fellow assassins being held under the guise of the Inquisition, only to uncover a Templar plot to sail west and discover the New World.

Key features

• Momentum-Based Gameplay – Combine breathtaking speed and aerial kills to become the ultimate master assassin in the #1 action adventure game this Holiday.
• Untold Story – Learn about Ezio’s mission to Spain and his untold story during a period of his life not featured in the next gen games.
• Variety of Mission Types – Experience a wide range of exciting mission types including stealth, escape, and free form.
• Wallpapers – Find and download hidden art to use as wallpaper.

Check out the preview at Pocketgamer, and  there is also a Ben Mattes interview at Pocketgamer.

Alltern8.com – Game Of The Year

Gamepro.com – Editors Choice

Gamesxtreme.net – Editors Choice

SpikeTV - Best Action Adventure Game

And now, without further ado, Patrice Desilets will explain what lies in ‘Battle of Forli’ and ‘The Bonfire of the Vanities’. Enjoy the video.
-Aymar

The patch will be released today on Playstation 3 and on December 11th for the Xbox 360. Thank you to all those that gave feedback and we hope that the fixes listed here will address some of the issues you have been facing.

Thank you all for your patience and feedback.

If you would like to see some of your fanart featured here on the Assassin’s Creed 2 website, post it here and the best will be featured each week!

Below are some of our favourites so far! Click the images to see the artist’s profile and the complete image.

Whisk yourself away into the streets of Renaissance Italy, meet up with Leonardo da Vinci or perform some rooftop heroics without ever leaving the comfort of LittleBigPlanet. Fresh from the 15th century streets of Florence and canals of Venice comes the hero from Assassin’s Creed II, Ezio Auditore de Firenze who will be offering his costume up for Sackboy’s exclusive use!

Price: £1.59 / €1.99 / US $1.99 / AUS $ 3.45 / NZD $3.90
Included:

• Ezio Auditore Glove and Hidden Blade
• Ezio Auditore Cowl and Collar
• Ezio Auditore Breeches and Boots
• Ezio Auditore Tunic and Cloak

There will be two sets of downloadable content, the first is entitled “Battle of Flori” and launches in January. The second, entitled “Bonfire of the Vanities”, will be released in February. There isn’t a lot else we can tell you just yet, but stay tuned for more information coming soon!

I’m sure you’ll agree that this award is well deserved, especially if you’ve listened to his beautiful music! If you have yet to hear the Assassin’s Creed 2 soundtrack, you can now listen to it on Spotify and iTunes. You can also buy the CD from from Amazon!

First the video, and then the artist!

- Could you introduce yourself?
Tom Quigley’s the name. I’m the creator and director of Quigley Films, which is a small video production company that sort of specializes in fan films and parodies of video games and anime.

- How long does it usually take to create a video like the one you did in AC?
Well, usually for a piece like this I would want to have at least 2 months to really get everything to run smoothly. However, this was not the case for AC: Generations. I found out about the “Live By The Creed” contest about a month before the deadline, so we all had to work really fast to get it all done.
Fortunately I had an amazing team of talented people to help me out, so despite having about half the time I wanted, things never got TOO stressful.

- What appeals to you in Assassin’s Creed universe?
Really, what doesn’t appeal? There’s something romantic about those vigilantes who go out and serve justice when the law cannot (or does not). The settings are beautiful, and really the visual style of the game is extremely distinct. It was a fun challenge to try to mimic that style, but still try to present my own personal spin on the AC universe as well.
And of course, one of the biggest attractions I’ve always had to the games is the parkour. Being a practitioner myself, to see it represented so well in a game has always been very exciting.

- What are your future plans and upcoming projects related to Assassin’s Creed? And in general with other videos?
Well, if we continue to get a lot of good feedback from this piece, I think there’s definitely a possibility that a second part could be in the works. I think we can go a lot of places with this character, and in the modern world we created. So if it pleases the fans, we’ll go for it.
Other than that, we will most definitely continue to make short tributes and parodies of whatever tickles our fancy, so to speak. It’s been about a year since we finished our last major project, so we’re looking into starting another long piece as well. Options we’re looking into include (but are not limited to!) Resident Evil, Metal Gear, Mirror’s Edge, and Phoenix Wright. And as always, we love to hear from the people who are watching our stuff. So if you have any suggestions, let us know!

- Where can people find more of your work?
They can find our homepage at www.QuigleyFilms.com where they are welcome to relax, have a cup of tea, and send us email about their philosophical views. Or just watch our videos. That’s fine too.

- Any specific thing you would like to add?
Your opinions matter a lot to us; we survive on the views and reviews of the people. We want our audience to enjoy what we make, so any feedback is good feedback! If you like our stuff, hate it, or want to see more of it, go ahead and send an email. Your responses are the only payment we get!
Also, believe in your dreams. If you don’t, who will?

Thanks again so much for this opportunity. I hope the article goes well for you, and if all goes well for us there may be another episode in the works!

Of course if you would rather chat to other gamers, get help and share your experiences, then the Official Assassin’s Creed Forums are the place for you!

Check out : www.assassinscreed.com/webbattlewhere you have leaderboards and your own personal game statistics! You will also be able to challenge your friends or random opponents in duel! The better your stats in-game, the stronger you will be on the web - so it’s a good way to measure yourself against other Assassins worldwide!

Last but not least, you can also unlock new achievements only available through Web Battle, which you can convert into exciting exclusive rewards such as hints and tips, never seen before artwork and other elements you’ll will need to discover for yourself…

The wait is over, Assassin’s Creed 2 has finally launched in the UK!

Already there have been some fantastic reviews coming in. Metacritic has a great overview here, but below are some of our favourite so far. We hope you like the game as much as these guys!

Games Radar 10
Play.TM 94%
Eurogamer 9/10
GamesXtreme 9.7

T3 review 5/5
Nuts Online review 9/10
Maxim review 5/5

First of all, I invite you to watch the World Premier Uplay Trailer if you haven’t already.

Secondly, Uplay is a service, and to be more precise, it is a whole set of free services that enhance your experience with Ubisoft games, starting with Assassin’s Creed 2 and followed by a whole bunch of upcoming titles including Splinter Cell Conviction and R.U.S.E. Uplay enabled games will feature several Uplay services allowing you to enhance your gaming experience and be rewarded for what you are already doing: playing. To start with, Uplay offers four main services: Uplay Win, Uplay Help, Uplay Share and Uplay Shop.

- Uplay Win. A system that allows you to earn points called Units by performing specific Actions in Uplay enabled games. Those Units can then be redeemed for Rewards or saved for better Rewards later. The best part is that it works across all Uplay enabled games so you can, for example, earn Units in Assassin’s Creed 2 and decide to use them in another game, or vice versa. It also works across all associated platforms (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC), so you can play a game on your PC and redeem Rewards on your PS3. Basically, the more you play, the more you win exclusive free content for your favourite games!

- Uplay Help, a service that will give you guidance and tips so that you can enjoy your Ubisoft games at their very best. Imagine getting help directly from the developers themselves as well as from other players or even helping other players yourself. If ever you’re stuck in Assassin’s Creed 2, I invite you to check out our Uplay Help videos which will be available on www.uplay.com when the game is released.
- Uplay Share will allow you to create content from within our games and share it with your friends and the rest of the community, be it statistics, screenshots, videos or even in-game content such as maps.

- Uplay Shop will be your destination to browse and purchase additional content for your favorite Ubisoft games.

Uplay in Assassin’s Creed 2.
The best way to understand how Uplay works, in my opinion, is to have a real example of how it works with a specific game. So, let’s look at Uplay in Assassin’s Creed 2, which is the first available service is Uplay Win. In each and every one of our Uplay enabled games, four Actions will unlock up to 100 Units. Those Units will work as a currency that you can redeem for goodies and in-game Rewards. All Actions are linked to a Trophy or Achievement.

The four Assassin’s Creed 2 actions are:

So, now you know how to get Units. You can spend all of them on Assassin’s Creed 2, or save them for upcoming titles.
The rewards in Assassin’s Creed 2 are:

The second service you will find Uplay Help. We will provide a series of videos that will give you tips and advice on the different mission types you will find in the game, including how to make sure that you are prepared for special events and unique missions like collecting the feather, races or using the flying machine. You will also find tutorials that will teach you how to become more effective in the different aspects of the game (fighting, free running, etc.). Finally, you’ll have a complete walkthrough for all assassinations in the game. This last section may contain some spoilers, but it could help you to find the best way to get close to your target, and the ideal path to flee.

In a nutshell
Uplay is currently in beta and is the next step for Ubisoft and the way we take care of our community. We are all really excited about it and will be putting more and more effort into pleasing our fans, and give you new entertaining tools and new ways to communicate with each other and with us.

Thank you and see you online!

The Launch Trailer for the PSP game, Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines, will be live tomorrow. Keep an eye out!

Thanks a lot
-Atmon

If you’re planning to buy Assassin’s Creed on the 20th this is something you HAVE to see. Don’t miss out!

Don’t forget to head to to Official Forums to discuss the story and give us your feedback.

I had to say that our team was excited to meet fans, and we had a few surprises waiting for them. You are probably wondering who these fans are, and I have to say that it’s quite a mix of nationalities and profiles. We had the chance to gather people from UK, France, Italy, Canada and even Austria, to name a few. Among them were gamers, active forums members, blog writers, editors and lucky sweepstakes winners.
The first time we met was the day before the event, where we all went to a restaurant together. The evening was really cool with tons of questions and discussion about the game, our schedule, but also gaming in general. However, their main request was “who is the mysterious key speaker we’ll meet during the event?” Well even though they tried hard to corrupt me, I remained silent!

On Friday morning, I walked to the hotel to meet our fans and video staff. Yes, we had cameras during the event, and I mean lots of them! You’ll see why later on.

So, we met in the Hotel lobby and then we took taxis to go to the Ubisoft Montreal studio. We started the day with a studio tour, which is always exciting for everyone. They loved our video studio, especially the audio recording department, where they got to play with swords! Then we showed them how we create all the cool assets and videos you guys see on Internet. We also had a surprise for them, our Dev Diary #6 was just finished the day before and they were treated to a world premier in our studio! But that was only the beginning…
We then went down to the Assassin’s Creed 2 floor, where we had prepared a huge room full of HDTVs and consoles. After watching a couple of videos and trailers, we welcomed our main guest: Sébastien Puel, Producer for AC2!

He was kind enough to spend more than an hour answering a staggering number of questions (and that’s exactly where the cameras became important, we will update you on where to watch all those videos as soon as they appear online or on your favorite console’s online network). And then Sébastien took a couple of hours to do some one-on-one interviews with all the fans, with the help of Benoit Lambert, our Game Director, and Francois Roughol, one of our main Game Designers.

After this really interesting round of Q&A, we let our fans play the game for 3-5 hours depending on their schedules, and if you want to know what other gamers thinks of the game just click on the following links!

Strategy Informer’s Preview
Console Monster’s Preview
Xbox360 Achievement’s Preview
IncGamer’s Preview

And here is a really fun podcast you should listen to.

More feedback and video will come soon and I’ll keep you updated!

Once again, I want to thank everyone for attending, it was a blast and we enjoyed welcoming you in Montreal!

-Atmon

Head on over to Xbox.com or the Avatar Marketplace on your Xbox 360 to get your hands on the new Assassin’s Creed 2 avatar clothing and accessories!

Time for the grand finale!
- Atmon

Following the story of Assassin’s Creed II, the book gives fans another look at the story in a different media. The book can be pre-ordered from Amazon.

If you still haven’t seen the first part, you can watch it below. Keep an eye out for the second and third parts coming soon!

The Launch Centre pulls all their Assassin’s Creed 2 content into one rather attractive homepage. Head on over now to check out their lasted previews and news, and keep an eye out for more coming soon!

The soundtrack will be available for digital download on November 16th. You can buy the soundtrack from Amazon.

Head over to The Gadget Show website to find out more!

Lineage is the prequel to the Assassin’s Creed II story, revealing the machinations of 15th century Italy through the actions of Ezio’s father, Giovanni.

Watch the first part below and keep an eye out for Part 2 coming soon!

Games Radar is convinced that both camps will enjoy the game a lot, see what you think.

Gamespot “The game is looking very impressive, with the new locations and the historically accurate setting, and the hours flew by as we played.”
IGN “Assassin’s Creed II is a lot more than anyone expected.”
Nowgamer “A month to go and the build is more polished than we could’ve possibly hoped. This is going to be very, very good.”
CVG “It’s pure fan service, as are most of the promising changes we’ve seen in the game so far.”
TVG “Few single-player games offer 27 hours of gameplay as a ballpark figure and with its setting, story and free-running looking first class, the stage is set for AC II to be a great game.”

In stores now, you now you want it!

Click here to buy it now!

We’re really excited to show you this because we have been talking a lot about the convergence between video games and cinema, and now it has become a reality for Ubisoft. We hope that you will like the movies, and because it’s a long tradition in cinema’s history, I’ll conclude on a trailer.

Atmon

It sounds like articles are on their way guys!

Atmon

Could you please introduce yourself and your multiple aliases?
I am William George and yes you got me, I have two aliases: Neomatt and Dark Echo.
Why do I have two aliases? Well, every gamer has to have a cool nickname but why just have one if you can have two or more, almost like Desmond in Assassin’s Creed I and II, being Altair and Ezio.

What do you do in real life?
I am a 22 year old self-taught aspiring Graphic Designer and Motion Graphics Designer that is looking for work. I live in Holland and I love all forms of art, movies, music and videogames.

How long does it usually take to edit an existing video with a new music and/or sound effects?
When I first saw the trailer and read some comments about it, it became clear to me that some people didn’t think that the music in the trailer was fitting.
Then I thought if I could try and edit the trailer with new music that might fit the trailer better. I immediately knew what soundtrack and sound effects I wanted to use and it took me approximately an hour to edit it all together and render it.
I uploaded it to YouTube and GameTrailers and have been very surprised at the attention it has been given.
There have been some lovely comments and ratings from many people, for which I’m very grateful. Thank you all.

What do you like in Assassin’s Creed universe?
I am a huge fan of the Assassin’s Creed franchise and I love the whole concept. Getting back in time, reliving history, assassinating bad guys in cool awesome ways. I love the gameplay, the variety of characters, the open living world and the hidden blades, that’s what makes an Assassin’s Creed game a unique game and a must have.

Where can people find more of your work?
I have a YouTube Channel, with few animations and fan trailers on there:

So for the people who are interested in visual effects or want to see some cool stuff, be sure to check it out. Unfortunately I don’t have my own website yet, but hopefully I will create one in the near future.

What are your future plans and upcoming projects related to Assassin’s Creed? And in general?
Well if there will be new Assassin’s Creed II trailers coming out, then I might try to do something “cool” with them. I hope to get a job in the graphics industry very soon and I will keep making cool fan trailers and animations to put on the internet for people to see and to get inspired.

Any specific thing you would like to add?
I just want to say thank you Atmon and Ubisoft for this great interview and for all the people out there who are into making fan trailers and other creative things. Let your imagination run wild and be open minded, because the mind is like a parachute, it only functions when its open.

Greetings,

William George

Immersion is very important in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. By immersion I mean evolving in an environment the player can almost fully interact with, but also putting one’s self into the main character’s skin. So based on that, one of the main aspects we wanted to focus on in Assassin’s Creed 2 is progression.

Unlike Altair, Ezio is not an Assassin from the very beginning. He is born in a noble family and therefore a member of Florence’s high society. He’s more interested in women and having fun than in any kind of responsibility. Even when he is young, Ezio is a ‘prodigy’ – meaning that he already has the attributes of a master assassin (even when he’s young) but he will learn to develop his skills with the help of others throughout the events of the game.

Tragic events will have him change his lifestyle and will have him striving for a slow, long, but inevitable revenge. With the help of the underworld, he is going to walk down the long path to learn to embrace his destiny, that of an Assassin. Indeed, as the story goes, he is going to realise that quenching his thirst for revenge is not going to bring the ones he lost back, and he will also discover the true meaning of being an Assassin: fight for the truth and for justice against the powerful Templar order.

It will take Ezio the spawn of his life to evolve into a Master Assassin and get his revenge and unfold the conspiracy that threatens Italy. The player is going to witness a great progression from him being young noble men to a complete master assassin. As the game goes, you will follow Ezio as he first learns new running and navigation capabilities – like the leap climb – new NPC interaction moves such as blending in the crowd and hiring faction members, and also new fight moves he will be able to learn by buying training sessions in the villa’s fight ring. The economic system is actually going to play a large role in character progression. With the money you earned in the game, you will be able to buy armor and clothing upgrades – in addition to weapons and tools – that will visually reflect your progression in the game.

There is also a learning aspect to the game. Indeed, the Animus 2.0 is a real database for historical facts and will give the player many opportunities to learn about the great monuments or real historical figures he will come across during his journey through the game.

And guess what - AC2 was one of the rare non-Japanese games to earn an award! Specifically, itreceived an award in the “Future Category” of the Japan Games Award 2009 (the equivalent of a Best Game Award). Future category is chosen by TGS visitors and journalists from all titles presented at the exhibit.

- Could you please introduce yourself for our community?
Hey everyone. My name is Graham Cornell. I am the Founder and Creative Director over at TheDuoGroup. TheDuoGroup is a small creative group that produces trailers, ads, and shorts for the Interactive Entertainment Industry. Sounds legit right?

- What do you do for a living?
I’m currently a Marketing Specialist for a small technology company located in downtown Chicago.

I have contacted you through GameTrailers, because of an Assassin’s Creed sweet trailer that you created; could you give us more details about that project? How many people worked on that video, and how long does it usually take to create such an asset?
We just released a promo video for our upcoming Assassin’s Creed fan film “Initiation.” Initiation takes place before Altair has received the coveted title of Assassin. We follow him as he arrives to the last trial of his initiation.

We had a handful of people work on this project. The art was crafted by the amazingly talented Eric Hibbeler. Original music and sound design are being worked on as we speak by Hybrid Two Studios. (You can check out more or their work at www.hybridtwo.com.) Our voice talent was also done through Hybrid Two. Everything else (creative direction, editing, post production..etc) has been done by TheDuoGroup here in Chicago.

This project has taken a while to make! There was never a budget for this project and that being said, no strict deadlines were conceived. The different parties working on the short were instructed to get as much work done as they could in their free time. It has taken longer than expected, but it has been well worth the wait. The short has come together very well.

- Why Assassin’s Creed universe?
I personally loved the world and atmosphere that Ubisoft built around Assassin’s Creed, however there hasn’t been a great deal of story or history released about it. We wanted to take the opportunity to help build out the history of Assassin’s Creed and Altair as a character. A lot of people enjoyed playing as Altair, yet never had the chance to understand his past. So we thought we could share our interpretation, which is always an AWESOME one.

- Where can people see more of your work?
You can see more of our work over at our website: www.theduogroup.com. Stop on by and say hi!

Do you have any other plans related to Assassin’s Creed? And in general?
We don’t have any plans specifically related to Assassin’s Creed in mind at the moment. Maybe something funny - we try not to take ourselves to seriously - I’m sure once we play AC2 something might spark.

- Any specific thing you would like to add?
Thanks to all the positive feedback we’ve received via comments, emails- we put a lot of our free time into our projects and it’s always great to hear from those who’ve liked our work. Keeps us wanting to do more!

-Atmon

“A superior Sequel in every department? Almost certainly!”

Visit the Official Assassin’s Creed Forums to discuss this video and to talk to other members of the Assassin’s Creed community.

- You previously insisted on the fact that character progression was a central development aspect of Assassin’s Creed II. How did you represent that progression in the game?

As immersion is a point we wanted to push, the main idea behind Assassin’s Creed 2 progression was to relive the life of our main character – Ezio – and his evolution throughout the story that spawns for 30 years. Ezio isn’t born an assassin. He will have to learn to become one. A large part of Ezio’s story is him answering the question – who am I? What’s my purpose? – He can’t find the answer to this question in 1 year or 2; it takes the spawn of his entire life. The player will have to accomplish a certain number of achievements in order for Ezio to learn new skills and turn into a Master Assassin. He will meet a lot of characters that will teach him new skills, how to behave and reach his full potential. As Ezio matures, his values, his morals, his sense of self – will also change.

- We’ve heard about a lot of major locations Ezio will get to explore, like Florence, Venice, Tuscany/San Gimignano, the mountains etc. Is the Italian capital – Rome – going to be a part of the game?

It would be a shame to make a game set during Renaissance Italy and not include its capital. Rome is definitely going to be a part of the game! The city was also subject to a lot of suspicious activity at that time which is in line with the atmosphere/storyline of our game.

- In Assassin’s Creed, Masyaf was the home of the assassins. Is there a home city or a sort of hideout where Ezio can go without being troubled by guards in Assassin’s Creed II?

In his adventure, Ezio will discover the Auditore Family Villa, in the city of Monteriggioni. Perched atop a beautiful Tuscan valley, Monteriggioni has become run down and is badly in need of repair. The Villa will become Ezio’s domain.
As Ezio, you will be able to invest in renovations, bringing the city back to its former glory. You may also choose to redecorate the Villa Auditore with famous renaissance paintings, stock your weapons and armor, and store a variety of collected objects. Any improvement to the city will help develop the local economy, rewarding you with periodic income, which can be reinvested in the city or used elsewhere in the game. In addition, Monteriggioni hides many secrets. Ezio will be able to discover some secrets about his family’s past and many other surprises for players that will look into the most hidden areas of the Villa.

- We’ve previously heard about famous families – the Medici and the Pazzi – and the conspiracy that is at the heart of their history. Will the game involve any other controversial history facts around great figures of the Italian Renaissance?

Renaissance Italy was known for being a time of great political anarchy – there wasn’t any one leader to rule the country and families would strive for power over the pieces of territory that composed Italy. In Venice you had the Doges. In Florence, the Medici family took control of the city – and left the Pazzi family behind – which triggered the Pazzi conspiracy against the Medici brothers. In Rome, the power essentially belonged to the Popes. One of the most famous Popes of the renaissance being Pope Alexander the 6th. He was a typical Renaissance Pope in many ways but he was also probably the worst. All the Popes in the Renaissance treated the people’s State like their own territorial kingdom: they raised armies, they marched into the field, they sacked cities, they launched campaigns against their enemies. Since betrayal was a common thing at the time, they also tended to rely on family members as close councilors and lieutenants, people they felt they could trust because they never were sure whether the other cardinals in the Vatican were entirely on their side. Alexander the 6th pursued exactly those strategies but he took them to unheard-of lengths. You will get to meet “the Pope” in Assassin’s Creed 2…

- What more can you tell us about Leonardo Da Vinci in the game?

Leonardo is a student in Verrocchio’s workshop until 1476. Between 1476 and 1481, there is little historical information on Leonardo’s life…Here is our version: What really happened between these dates is that the Auditore, Ezio’s family, patron Leonardo to open his own workshop. Therefore, Ezio will meet Leonardo as he visits the artist in his workshop. Events will bring both Leonardo and Ezio to become very good friends and therefore close confident to one another. They are both progressive men and are each master of their arts. They spend a lot of time discussing their personal problems and helping each other work their way through them. Leonardo is aware of the tragedy that befalls the Auditore family and will support Ezio through it.

As you all know, Ezio becomes an assassin. On the other side, Leonardo is not an assassin and he is not fully aware of what Ezio is going through throughout the story. Leonardo will ask Ezio a lot of questions and Ezio will have a hard time opening up to what he “really” does. There is a little tension between Ezio and Leonardo throughout the story but Leonardo is wise and understands the choices his friend needs to make.

Leonardo plays an important role in Ezio’s life. Leonardo also helps Ezio solve mysteries and puzzles, build weapons, and create inventions that will each have their use to Ezio! If you need something for a mission, Leonardo is there for you.

You will find the answers in this trailer.

Click here to see more!

High praise indeed. You can pick up the latest issue of Games Master from UK news agents now!

So, who are you?

Hi I’m Sunita, known as Tenshi23 on the forums. I enjoy gaming, films and spending time in nature. I mostly make digital artworks though I’ve started to create more traditional pieces now.

- How long does it usually take to create a character like the one you sent?

This model took about two weeks to complete. I always create the head first, spending a couple of days trying to capture the likeness. After this I make the wire armature for support and to keep the proportions of the model.

Sculpting the body takes about a week as I have to build in layers to prevent the clay from cracking. During this time I began creating the framework of the flyer.

Once the body and complete I could finish the flyer and begin painting. This stage took a further two days.

- Why Assassin’s Creed?

I enjoy the freedom the player is allowed to experience as Altair, whether this is scaling buildings, performing leaps of faith or catching a templar unawares. The story of the Assassins and Templars captured my interest and I’m looking forward to seeing the conspiracy unfold in the new game. Also how could I forget the artwork and visuals of the game! I just love the level of detail and many a time I just used to scale viewpoints to take in the cities.

- What are your future plans related to Assassin’s Creed? And in general?

I expect I will be creating more digital painting and models after playing the new game. I can’t wait to learn the stories of the new characters. In the mean time I will be hosting more contests at the Assassin’s Creed fan guild I co-run at deviantArt, Visionary Assassins http://visionaryassassins.deviantart.com. The aim has been to create a fun community with regular contest like we enjoyed at 1191ad.com. (n.b. Atmon: Guys you should take a look it’s really cool)

Away from Assassin’s Creed I’m also trying to improve my pencil portrait skills, and have a few in the works at the moment.

- Where can people find more of your work?

At my deviantArt page http://tenshi-rising.deviantart.com/

- Any specific thing you would like to add?

I don’t think I would have concentrated on art again if it hadn’t been for the Assassin’s Creed community. I hadn’t found art to be fun since school but by taking part in the missions at 1191ad.com it improved my confidence. I’ve improved more than I thought capable over the last 18 months so thank you for helping me enjoy creating artworks again.

Thanks a lot for sharing them with us Sunita!

- Atmon

Enough text. Watch the video below, and believe me it was worth the wait!

- Atmon

A few Assassin’s Creed forum members have been kind enough to allow me to post a few for your viewing pleasure. I hope you enjoy them! Remeber that you can take part in the first mission and be one of the first to visit Live By The Creed by signing up here!

By UchihaKarasu

By L.Cie

By D1sturbed

]]> http://assassinscreed.uk.ubi.com/community-news/?feed=rss2&p=1992 http://assassinscreed.uk.ubi.com/community-news/?p=1902 http://assassinscreed.uk.ubi.com/community-news/?p=1902#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:12:17 +0000 Ubisoft_News http://assassinscreed.uk.ubi.com/assassins-creed-2/community_news/?p=1902 We would like to thank the thousands of fans that took the time to participate in deciding a piece of Assassin’s Creed 2. Thanks to your vote, we now have our latest Achievement/Trophy for AC2. And the winner is:

Victory lies in preparation - Get all available upgrades for Ezio

It seems that Ezio will need to be ready to face any challenges!

- Atmon

In this section of the interview he talks about how important he feels story is to a game, his opinions on the online gaming community and what challenges he faced when given some rather tough Italian words to pronounce.

Don’t forget to head over to Livebythecreed.com after the interview to sign up to the official Assassin’s Creed community. The first mission is live so take part for your chance to win some great prizes!

- Lots of the fans on our forums already had the chance to already know who you are, but could you please introduce yourself for people discovering you for the first time?
I am something German, also known as Michael and love all kinds of creative, geeky, pop culture things including indie and niche art like sculpts, figures and games which will probably lead into a future in game design; also I collect stuff.

- As we can see, you use a lot pop culture in your miniatures, mainly video games, comics and movies. What do you like in Assassin’s Creed universe?
My favorite thing is probably the parcour gameplay that pretty much breaks away from any restrictions you see in most open world games where your main protagonist doesn’t do what you yourself as a player would do.

- How long does it usually take to create a miniature like Ezio?
The longest part actually is getting all the pictures, concept art and possible figure parts together which can take up to a month and after that it is usually 5 to 10 days of sculpting and painting.
- Where can people find more of your work?
There is my personal website http://somethinggerman.blogspot.com/ ,my deviantart page http://somethinggerman.deviantart.com for all pictures, work in progress or other kinds of sculpts I make, www.figurerealm.com where custom creators like me submit their work or collectors and videogame forums like www.sideshowfreaks.com or this one

- Do you have any plans related to Assassin’s Creed universe?
I recently saw the picture of Ezio from the black edition where he is wearing that black armor thingy but I will probably do my own character design for a next AC game similar to District B13 with David Belle.

- Any specific thing you would like to add?
First off, thanks for interviewing me before you hopefully come to the people that make those awesome Ezio costumes, thanks to Kaxen for giving me a laugh with those comics and if you want to you can feel free to add my PSN ID ScarletVice. (nb. Mine is Ostea ;))

In the interview he talks about how get got the role and gives some insight into the game and his character, Shaun Hastings. Check back early next week for the second part!

Assassin’s Creed II White Edition – Available exclusively at GAME at £59.99 (£49.99 on PC)
This Limited Edition of the game will be available for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, and Includes:

- An Ezio collectable statue (20 cm / 8.5 inches tall)
- An unlockable in-game bonus quest within the walls of one of the most mysterious monuments of the Renaissance: The Santa Maria Dei Frari church in Venice!

Assassin’s Creed II Black Edition - Available exclusively at Play.com at £69.99 (£59.99 on PC)
This Extremely Limited Edition of Assassin’s Creed II comes packaged in a collectors box and will be available for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. It Includes:

- 3 unlockable in-game bonus quests
- A “Conspiracy Book” behind the scenes artbook
- The game soundtrack
- Rare “Master Assassin” Ezio black figurine (20 cm / 8.5 inches tall)

Exclusive in-game quests can only be found in the limited editions and each quest will offer a unique gameplay experience within the walls of the most secretive monuments from the Italian Renaissance such as the Medici palace, Venice arsenal shipyard or the Santa Maria Dei Frari church.

Be one of the exclusive few that will discover for themselves the secrets hidden within…

- Could you introduce yourself?
I’m Raymond Holley. I am currently pursuing a Liberal Studies Major, which includes a Major in English and a Minor in Art. I love drawing humans, and I’m more apt to draw human faces.. I don’t know why, but I can’t help other than to draw humans. I would not have gone far with my art were it not for the Art Instructor at the college. I cannot thank her enough for her incredible help and guidance. She helped me get a solid foundation on my art style, and helped me draw humans and faces like I never imagined. It was because of her that I was inspired to draw Assassin’s Creed characters.

- How long does it usually take to create drawings like the one you sent?
It usually takes me 10-14 hours to complete my current projects. I used to spend mere hours on them, finishing them in one sitting. I found an amazing artist who spends 20+ hours on their work. I was amazed at the time they spent, and began practicing more time on my art. I’m still working on taking my art slow, but I’m getting there.

- What appeals you in Assassin’s Creed?
I absolutely love anything to do with assassins, and Assassin’s Creed did not disappoint. It opened up thousands of doors in my imagination for inspiration on my stories. I now find myself coming up with story ideas that somehow involve two organizations pulling all the strings, which is very similar to Assassin’s Creed. It was also the idea of a hidden blade and the fact that it’s whole fictional tale of Templars vs. Assassins that sparked even more ideas. The end of the game left me questioning for weeks, and furthered my love for it. I could not help but to express my love for the game by drawing its characters. (Although, I feel like I should draw Desmond. He’s such an undermined character…)

- What are your future plans and upcoming projects related to Assassin’s Creed? And in general?
I don’t plan anything on my projects for Assassin’s Creed. They usually are inspired out of the blue. I drew Altair because I saw that pose online somewhere and felt compelled to draw it. I drew Ezio because I saw the GameInfomer’s cover for Assassin’s Creed II and figured I should give it a try. I have a third Assassin’s Creed picture, which is from the Assassin’s Creed II HD Debut Trailer. It’s the split-second shot of Ezio near the end of the trailer. I drew that from my desire to do another big project during summer break. I need to find a scanner to post it online, though, so it’s still in a cover slip waiting to be posted online.
I wish to become an Author/Artist, or combine both and become a Graphic Novelist. I have thousands of story ideas, but I fail to complete or even begin typing them because I struggle describing the characters. So, I draw my characters in my story and have them nearby so I can explain in detail what they look like in my stories. However, whenever I draw something, I always like to tie some epic plot behind the character that explains why they look how they look in the picture.

- Where can people find more of your work?
I am a member on Deviant Art, and here is my page: radikar.deviantart.com

- Anything specific you would like to add?
I would like to say to all the artists out there that you should never put yourself down. Be confident in your art and find your specific style. Don’t conform to other styles, as they are not your art signature. Improve on your own style to further your art. Don’t feel inferior because others can draw well. Learn from them and find out what got them to where they are now in their art. Also, don’t be afraid to spend some money on your art tools. While art is really something someone must be passionate about, your art can expand even further by buying the right tools. My art increased because I was inspired by other artists, became confident that I could draw well with the help of my Art Instructor, and because I spent money on art supplies. Get encouragement from others as well. My friend was told by her father that she would never be able to draw. Now, Michelle Rue (Known as Ladymyuu on Deviant Art.) has an online webcomic (Inner Wild) and she spent $300 on 75 Copic Markers. Not saying that your parents have to disprove your ability to draw, but Michelle managed to still pursue her dreams and passion for art even though her father said she couldn’t. Don’t ever say you can’t draw just because you’re not as good as other artists. Don’t ever think you can’t draw because others say otherwise. Learn from other artists and pursue that passion for art to the best of your ability.

Raymond Holley

I’ve already said too much. This is the link you want, discover the truth for yourselves!

- Could you please introduce yourself to the community?
Greetings! My name is Ben, known on the forums as ASsAsSiN39181.

- What do you like in Assassin’s Creed universe?
To me, the thing about Assassin’s Creed that draws me in the most is the fact that it’s simply about kickass Assassin’s! I’ve always thought sword wielding Assassin’s were awesome, hiding in the shadows and striking with one quick blow. How could you NOT think that’s cool?

- How long does it usually take to create a drawings like the one you sent?
I don’t usually time myself, but for this, it took about an hour to sketch, shade, scan and colour.

- Where can people find more of your work?
http://cheeseboy18193.deviantart.com/ is where I am most. Deviantart is my myspace and facebook.

- What are your future plans and upcoming projects related to Assassin’s Creed? And in general?
I don’t really set plans on what I’m going to do. I usually just do it when I get inspired and have time. In general, I plan on becoming a concept artist for game companies, such as Ubisoft.  Mash a love for games and a love for art together, and you get that.

- Any specific thing you would like to add?
Just wanted to say I’m honoured to be interviewed, and thank you for giving us fans such an awesome kickass game! Thanks a lot!

Many thanks to Ben for this great interview and his awesome artwork.

Atmon

Today we’re giving you the chance to pick your favorite Xbox 360 Achievement/Playstation 3 Trophy and get it included in the upcoming Assassin’s Creed 2 game!

To vote, simply log in to your Ubisoft account, visit www.assassinscreed.com/vote and pick one of the following as your favorite:

- The taste of revenge - Kill X Brutes (brutes are a heavy guard)

- Weapon Master - Use all weapons at least once.

- Victory lies in preparation - Get all available upgrades for Ezio

- Mighty traveler - Travel X kilometers within the game

If you’re a fan of Assassin’s Creed 2 on Facebook you can also post your vote there.

The vote will close on the 17^th of August and we will reveal the final results a couple of days after.

So be sure to go on our forums and help us to shape your game!

I’m Kaxen. I’m an art major who is a fangirl on the side. I’m mainly focusing on doing animation and comic books. Ideas jump into my head and they pop out as comics.

How do you ended up creating a comic on Altair and now on Ezio?

Altair seemed pretty cool. I wanted to draw him. At first I was only planning on doing one since I thought Altair was difficult to draw. But now I am at 200+ comics… Playing around with the Assassin’s Creed universe is very fun.

What appeals you in Assassin’s Creed franchise?

I like the parkour the most. Assassin’s Creed is one of the few games where I spend more time messing around than actually following the storyline. But I like the story too. And sexy assassins. Sexy assassins always make life better, unless they’re stabbing you…

How long does it usually take to create a comic strip?

The single panel comics don’t take more than an hour. The longer and more complicated ones don’t usually take more than two. I draw pretty fast.It’s getting ideas that sometimes takes a while.

Where can people find more of your work?

http://zekarmisama.deviantart.com for absolutely everything and http://askalty.smackjeeves.com for Ask Altair comic strips and http://daring.smackjeeves.com for Daring the Wind which is my more serious fancomic.

What are your future plans and upcoming projects related to Assassin’s Creed? And in general?

I will probably keep going with Ask Altair (Desmond and Ezio) and drawing tons of comics and maybe the occasional animation. Machiavelli will definitely show up. He is one of the few things I remember from school so he must be awesome. And someday Leonardo Da Vinci will turn around. Aside from Asassin’s Creed, I have another comic about dragons vs. airplanes called Under One Sky.

Thanks again to the lovely Karmen, for her time and talent.
Atmon

To talk about the game and discuss the short films visit the Official Assassin’s Creed forums.

• What is Ubisoft’s strategy on the convergence of film and video games?
(YM) Our Convergence strategy has one main and clear objective: to expand our video game brands and to develop them on additional platforms to provide a global experience to an extended audience. Convergence doesn’t only mean film and video games. It is open to all platforms and mediums that could support our franchises.

Over the past few years we have built our strategy step-by-step by developing an internal structure that would allow us to reach our objectives. First, back in 2007, we created Ubisoft Digital Arts, our internal digital content development team. A year later, to accelerate our strategy, we acquired Hybride Technologies, one of the industry’s most renowned VFX creators that worked on Sin City and 300. Between these two major steps, we also signed up the AVATAR deal which is another element of our convergence strategy since we are working on both the games but also directly on some of the movie scenes.

Most recently, we have also created our Comic Book publishing house to support the creation of some Assassin’s Creed 2 comic books and we also have other initiatives under way. We are convinced that the deepness of our brands can be transposed on other mediums and this is exactly what our approach is on Convergence.

• Will Hybride be involved with the AC2 video game?
(JR)) Hybride and Ubisoft Digital Arts are involved in the sense that their work on the short films has influenced the game. Although they are not working directly on the game’s assets per se, many of the film’s experts have collaborated with the team to bring a new level of quality to the game. The film’s weapon desiner for example worked with the game’s art director on our weapon design. Once we saw working versions of the hidden blade and other weapons we were able to adjust each animation to make sure it reflected the actual weight and function. That’s the beauty of mixing two different universes such as cinema and video games. By sharing expertise, both spheres grow and improve one another.

Another good example of this collaboration is the common casting of our main characters. The same actor was cast in both the film and game so that we can work with actors to help evolve the characters. We’re going a step further than just photographic likeness. We’ve recorded the actor’s voice and mo-capped them for the game’s narrative sequences. This process really helps give more life and credibility to our in-game characters.

• How will the films tie to Assassin’s Creed and/or Assassin’s Creed II directly?
(JR)The short films explore the events that happen just before the Assassin’s Creed II game starts. They revolve around Ezio’s father, Giovanni Auditore da Firenze and give insight on the game’s backstory and universe. We wanted you to understand where Ezio’s hate and quest for revenge come from. We want the player to really hate the bad guys even before they start to play.

• Will the films be live-action?
(YM)Yes, the short films are a mix of live action and CGI. The technique Ubisoft is using is very innovative;the game environment is used at different stages of a film production. Using the game engine, the director was able to find his set location and extract them to create a layout. It allowed better definition of the production needs. Furthermore, the game engine was used for the creation of the virtual sets. As live actors were filmed on green screen they were then integrated inside the virtual set extracted from the game environments. The game sets are then enhanced for better integration with live actors. To a certain extent, it’s similar to the technique used in 300 and Sin City on which Hybride collaborated. For Assassin’s Creed: Lineage, Hybride has developed specific in-house techniques that allow them to directly project in-game environments on the set of the shooting, allowing the director and the actors on the green-screen set to have a real understanding of the spatial environment in which the action takes place.

• Will CGI and special effects be used on all the films?
(YM) Yes, as all the shots were filmed on green-screen the virtual sets will be inserted on all of images thus allowing the actors to live in the environment. This will be true of all the films in the short films series.

• How will Ubisoft Digital Arts work with Hybride on these films?
(YM) The Ubisoft Digital Arts team is actually deeply involved in the production of the shorts. Their experience is very strong in 3D while Hybride’s experience is really focused on compositing. So both teams are complementing each other.
Over 45 people of the U.D.A. team are actively involved in the movies’ post production work these days.

• Is Jade Raymond or any of the Ubisoft development team involved with the AC2 short films?
(YM) Yes, the creative team behind the Assassin’s Creed video games was closely involved in the conception and development of the short films series and of course Jade Raymond was overseeing the whole project as executive producer on the Assassin’s Creed brand.

• Will you be using any renowned directors to create the films?
(YM) Yves Simoneau is directing the short films. He’s an awarded director and scriptwriter whose work includes “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”, “Nuremberg”, “Marie-Antoinette”, “Napoleon”, “Les Fous de Bassan” among others.

• Yannis Mallat claimed that the films would have unprecedented production value at the E3 press conference. How much money is being spent to create these films?
(YM) Just like our game productions, we are not revealing the specifics of the budget details. But the idea behind the production value is not just about how big the production budget is. Overall, the idea is to say that we are giving ourselves the means for our ambitions.

With the production of AC and now ACII (along our other AAA projects), we have invested significantly to produce some high-end games that have amazed millions of gamers around the world. We are bent on making these short movies visually as stunning as our games by using state of the art Hollywood production tools, processes and technology.

• What does being a “full 360” Development Company mean to Ubisoft?
(YM) A full 360 degree development company means that we are positioning ourselves not only as a game developer and publisher but as a Company that is producing entertainment content on multiple platforms and mediums.

• When will the short films be released?
(JR)They will be released close to the launch of the Assassin’s Creed II game. Right now we cannot confirm any details on how they will be broadcast.

• Are there plans in the future to evolve from short films to full feature animated movies?
(YM)_When we announce our convergence strategy, we clearly stated that at one point we would be interested in at least keeping the control of our IPs when the time would come to bring them to the big screen.
Over the past 23 years Ubisoft has become one of the most successful game developer-publishers worldwide. However, we realize we can’t become movie creators overnight. There is a learning process that we have to go through to become full feature film producer-creators. We still have a lot to learn from this industry and this is what we are doing right now.

• Were the team members from Hybride who are working on these short movies also involved in the production of 300 or Sin City?
(YM)Yes. Hybride has a lengthy 17-year experience in producing VFX for feature films. Some of the people working on ACII Lineage have participated in the production of not only 300 and Sin City but also on Journey to the Center of the Earth, Spy Kids…

• What can Ubisoft learn from Hollywood and what can Hollywood learn from Ubisoft?
(YM)Ubisoft believes that there is a lot for us to learn by working with the movie industry. On one side there is the convergence of the content but on the other side, there is also the convergence of the tools and technologies.

We are finding out that there are a lot of similarities in the way we work and the way the VFZ and movie artists do work. We are often working with the same tools, but in different ways. We are convinced that we have to learn from them as much as they have to learn from us.

The movie industry is now over a century old, the game industry, around 30-years old. If there’s one area where we have some steps to make, it’s in the way we are telling our stories. The Spielbergs, Camerons and Jacksons, have a lot to teach us in that field, because our industry isn’t at the point it should be when it comes to telling a good story that transmits emotions.

• In 10 years from now. What do you think Ubisoft will be like? A multimedia company working in all fields of entertainment?
(YM) In 10 years from now, Ubisoft will be an entertainment content provider.

• Some game worlds have already expanded to movies (Square with FF for example). Will Ubisoft´s approach be any different?
(YM) Our approach is different because we are not focusing specifically on films or feature films. Without saying an approach is better than the other one, we believe in a step-by-step strategy. Strategically, we are putting the pieces of the puzzle together, learning our way through and sticking to our mission of delivering the best interactive content possible.

• Will the Hybride artistic/movie experience also influence Ubisoft´s upcoming games?
(YM) It’s the objective and it’s already in full effect. But it is not limited to Hybride. The idea is to make sure that our whole Convergence strategy has a direct impact on how we also develop and produce our games.

We have to approach the creation of our universes with a much wider and open mind. From now on, the content we are producing for our games will also have a life outside of its original expression medium, but will have an impact on all the content that will be generated on the other platforms as well.

“Ubisoft has detailed our vision for convergence over the past two years. Now, at Comic-con, we are exclusively revealing one of the first building blocks to this strategy: Assassin’s Creed 2: Lineage,” said Yannis Mallat, chief executive officer at Ubisoft Montreal. “We’ll be discussing the links between the game and the short film series with some of the key players of the project. We are thrilled to be able to share the results of our efforts with the Comic-com audience.”

Hybride Technologies, the visual effects studio behind 300 and Sin City, along with Corey May, Assassin’s Creed 2’s scriptwriter are working together to bring the fans something spectacular!

Then join the Assassin’s Creed Twitter experience and compete to assassinate your targets the fastest. Take part in a real time social battle using only tweets! Collect points, unlock weapons and work your way up the leaderboards.

To take part visit the Assassin’s Creed Website. For more information visit the Official Assassin’s Creed Forums.

Also don’t forget to follow the Ubisoft Twitter for the latest news and announcements!

Head on over to the Ubisoft video portal to watch the video now! Make sure to post your thoughts in the comment section or in the Official Assassin’s Creed forums.

By Diego Pacheco, a talented young artist from Guatemela, go on deviantart and follow his work! dyio.deviantart.com

This one’s really got a manga flavor and you’ll see that this young artist from England does not only like anime… He is also gifted as you can tell from viewing his stuff on deviantart here ninjatic.deviantart.com.

Atmon

- Could you introduce yourself and explain what is your role in Assassin’s Creed 2 team?
My name is Benoit Lambert. I am the Game Director working on Assassin’s Creed 2. I’m working hand in hand with Patrice Desilets, the game Creative Director. My role is to overview the game design and make sure all of our gameplay mechanics respect Patrice’s vision.

My objective with Patrice is to offer an exciting and consistent game experience where we find the proper balance between story, gameplay, character progression – roughly, between emotion and fun. I am also closely working with the mission team so we make sure to properly take advantage of all the features we have worked on, all the variety that we have.

- What kind of weapons were available during the Renaissance? How did you use them when building the game?
The Renaissance was above all a cultural revolution. It took place in Europe roughly between the 14th and 17th century. The Renaissance Period makes the transition between Middle Ages and the Modern era. Numerous cultural aspects of the society were strongly affected such as art, politics, science, economics, religion….
Still as far as weapons are concerned, many of the medieval weapons were still in service during the Renaissance; swords, mace, war hammers, axes, halberds, bows…
Venice, of course, was also a harbor for seagoing exploration and had trade opportunities with the middle and far east so we also kept in mind we could have scimitars and daggers for weapons.

Besides, soldiers & mercenaries at this time were not only carrying weapons but also were wearing a wide range of armor types. We obviously took all this into account during Assassin’s Creed 2’s pre-production phase. This important variety of weapons offers lots of potential when it comes to offering more depth into our fight system.


- What will be the core mechanics of the fighting system?
Our main focus is to give more opportunities to our players and allow them to get better and better throughout the whole game. Ultimately, the Assassin is a bad ass killer.
If you develop your character well enough, if you then properly use your fighting skills, if you master the particularities of the wide variety of weapons you have and if you know your enemy, you will be able to almost 1 shot kill anyone. The kills are again very impressive, very exciting to perform all the more when you kill 3, 4 enemies in a row. It feels good.
Still, in order to reach this level the player will have lots of things to learn and do. In AC2, the great thing is that we progressively introduce skills, weapons or enemies so anyone can properly enjoy the experience. Great players will obviously be able to make the best of it, still good players will definitely enjoy it as well.

- Can you give more clues about the different weapons type? We heard about 30 different weapons?
Yes, we want to have around 30 different weapons in the game. We have small weapons such as daggers, average- size weapons such as swords, hammers, war hammers and long and heavy weapons such as halberds, spikes or 2-hand axes. Note also that the player can efficiently fight with his bare hands. He can get rid of enemies or even disarm them… The hidden blade will also be a fight weapon, which we didn’t have in AC1. We also have range weapons such as throwing knives or the Hidden Gun that you heard of already… Ezio will also use another impressive weapon but I am not going to talk about that right now 

- What would be the difference between them in game?
3 main differences; One, the type of damage you can do with them. Some swords are more efficient than others. For example… 2-hand axes obviously do lots of damage. This gives a great value to the disarm for example. Second, some enemies will properly defend against certain weapons. So you will need to adjust your strategy or weapon while fighting. Third, we would like each category of weapon to offer a special attack. We have some exciting ideas.

- Can we expect other cool devices like the smoke bomb?
I was talking earlier about the fact that Venice was able to get products from the Far East… This is a perfect example of a device based on powder, a “technology” coming from Asia. Smoke bomb is a great device for sure. Above all it is a great gameplay tool for our players. You can use it to ease an escape, to distract guards when doing an approach, to disorient enemies during a fight… I think players will love it because it opens up lots of opportunities within an open world game.

To come back to your question, Ezio is definitely going to have far more devices. We know about his relation with Leonardo Da Vinci, the Inventor of the time. We know about the ability for Ezio to use 2 Hidden Blades at the same time, we know about the Hidden Gun, the smoke bomb… Yes, there is more but I am not going to talk about that right now.

- What about the hidden gun, a lot of players are wondering if it could affect the game’s balance?
I understand the concern but there should not be any. Assassin’s Creed 2 is not a shooter. We definitely respect the license and the subtlety that goes with it. No doubt. In AC1 you were able to 1 shot kill using the throwing knives. Here we wanted to add more depth to the long range system. In AC2, we still have throwing knives and we wanted a Hidden Gun as well.

- You can buy bullets, so does that means that NPC’s will have access to guns, or is it just Ezio?
We wanted a weapon that is completely unique for the player. The Hidden Gun was a perfect fit since historically, guns were barely appearing at this time.

- Any chance for us to see the throwing knives again?
Yes as I said earlier we have throwing knives as well. And what about a crossbow? Or a bow? Will Ezio be able to disarm an archer and get their weapon? Obviously we thought of the crossbow. We really wanted to have it for AC1. or AC2, we felt it didn’t fit with the era and like for the bows, both weapons are not easy for an assassin to wear or use… they are actually bigger than we think!

Make sure to go read the latest issue of P3Zine (Issue 29) as it contains three exclusive screenshots and a 2-page preview article!

The P3Zine is free an can be downloaded here. The information can be found at pages 18 and 19.

Don’t miss out!

In this video an Assassin’s Creed 2 team member and a historian we have worked closely with will give you more details about our main character Ezio Auditore Da Firenze. You’ll be able to learn where he came from, more aobut his back story and well… Watch him in action in a sweet double assassination!

All you have to do is click here and watch the video!

Don’t forget to share your comments on the Assassin’s Creed forum!
Atmon

You can join the discussion and read the full Q&A here at the Assassin’s Creed forums!

How is Assassin’s Creed 1 linked with Assassin’s Creed 2?

Assassin’s Creed 2 is the sequel to Assassin’s Creed. The events in the present start right where the first game left off but the Animus will plunge you into a very different & fresh historical period. Overall we are building on the strengths on the first episode, its unique sense of freedom and immersion and adding a lot more depth, variety and scope to the core gameplay. Storywise, Ezio is a descendant of Altair and the connection between the two games will be revealed through an encoded book very much like the one Leonardo Da Vinci is famous for writing.

Will there be an opportunity for the Desmond/future timeline to have more of a role this time? Will we be able to play as Desmond?

Yes, Desmond is back. He is helping the 2012 Assassins fighting the Templars by retrieving some vital information hidden in his genetic memory. But his role will not stop here and you will see that gameplaywise, Desmond has more tricks up his

Is the franchise still planned to be a trilogy on X360, PS3 and PC?

Yes, that still is our vision. However, we want to continue extending the universe we’ve created. There are still many more stories we want to tell about the Assassin’s Brotherhood.

E3 is now over, and as promised we gave you lots of information, an amazing CGI trailer, and some great moments on stage with the AC2 demo by Patrice Desilets.

E3 was a blast and we are really happy to see that you like the things we showed.

We still have a lot to talk about, and we have tons of surprises waiting for you, so as a little appetizer we wanted to offer you a couple of exclusive wallpapers in various sizes, including iPhone Wallpaper

Click here to download the pack now!

Hope you like them!
Atmon

Click the image below to preview this fantastic wallpaper.

The theme costs 240 mspoints and is available now!

A couple of days ago we asked you to come up with questions for AC2 team, and thanks to you and our online team we were able to gather lots of questions from Italy, France, US, UK, Germany…

So if you want to get your answers go to events.ubi.com and check our AC2 show with Jade Raymond and Patrice Desilets!

If your name and questions does not appear on the show don’t worry, it doesn’t mean that we will never answer… We will come up with a Q&A in the upcoming weeks and we will keep up to date.

Thank you guys for your participation we hope that you’ll enjoy the show.

Atmon

For those that missed it, head over the Ubisoft Event website to watch it and see what else is coming from Ubisoft this year!

You’re probably wondering: “What’s so special, everyone does that?”. Well that’s quite simple guys. Just like the game, everything we do goes the extra step. Take this news section. When we were discussing about the AC2 website and the tools we would like to have, the most important feature that came out was: ”A place to share insights with the community like a blog, but also a place where we can highlight some of the cool stuff fans are doing”.

That was the starting point of what you have in front of you now. Sure you’ll find the usual news about our game here, but we’re also paying a lot of attention to you and the things you do. Whether it’s banners, artworks, avatars, wallpapers, comics, funny videos, mods etc… we’re going to showcase our favorite things we find here. We all think that the Assassin’s Creed community has some of the most creative fans ever! That’s why we are preparing lots of ideas and activities, but we will talk soon enough about that.

I’ve been a bit rude, not introducing  myself. I am Atmon, the Community Developer for Assassin’s Creed 2 (I’ll explain my role in another post ;)). Be sure to bookmark this site, and check back often because we’re going to have an exciting time leading up to this holiday!

Thank you

Atmon