14 DAY TRIAL // The 2007 success of French based publisher Ubisoft, reflected in a net income rise of more than 100 million dollars, was largely based on the sales of Assassin's Creed, the free running and sneaking focused game starring Altair. The title has already pushed more than 6 million copies to gamers all over the world.
Ubisoft is now boasting off its status as the third largest publisher in the world, after Electronic Arts and Activision, and the biggest publisher in Europe. And with the status comes a different perspective on the way games are developed and published.
The best example is the gap between the Prince of Persia titles. After the Sands of Time saga was completed, Ubisoft decided to re-launch the franchise but offered the development team for the new game three years to polish the products. Company president Detoc says that "As we get bigger, we can give it more breathing room".
The same philosophy is now being applied to the Assassin's Creed franchise. The game is not getting a sequel in 2008, despite the fact that gamers are eagerly waiting for one. Even if it clearly sets up the plot for a new title, taking time to create a truly amazing product, ironing out the kinks in the first game, is essential for continuous success. Detoc says that "When we bring it back, there will be more anticipation for it".
Detoc is very clear on the fact that the Ubisoft team is still grounded and does not take success for granted. He says, "We just did 'Assassin's' and are sitting on top of the world, but we have to come back to reality very quickly because you're only as good as your last product". There are several new titles that are scheduled for release in 2008, which could prove to be as big as Assassin's Creed was in 2007, so expect no news regarding the sequel until 2009.