VGA 2009: Assassin's Creed 2 developers on DLC, third game

by Kevin Kelly on Dec 17th 2009 10:15PM

This past Saturday brought us the Spike TV Video Game Awards and – before experiencing the litany of world exclusives that awaited us inside – we spent some time outside cruising the red carpet and talking (briefly!) to many of the game developers and talent. We squeezed them for information as fast as we could while simultaneously wishing them holiday cheer and good tidings. Yes, it was as awkward as it sounds. Here's what we learned from Jean-François Boivin, Production Manager on Assassin's Creed 2.

So you have already announced two DLC packs. Will there be packs after that? How are you filling in Chapters 12 and 13? Is there a Chapter 15?

You guys will find out soon enough ... there's nothing really announced yet as to anything that would support the next two DLCs. It will all make sense. [Ed. note: here's that announcement, and we're springing out of our seats]

What has surprised you since launch?

One of the things that is really cool is that right now, the numbers show us that 40% of the people are actually finishing the game. What that tells us is that people are really submerging themselves into the world of Assassin's Creed.

Where would you want to set Assassin's Creed 3?

That's something we don't even know yet ourselves. Right now we're just taking a break after shipping this game. But we're thinking about where this license can go, and we're working on concepts in the next few months.

Tags: assassins-creed, assassins-creed-2, interview, Jean-Franois-Boivin, Microsoft, red-carpet, spike-vga-2009, Ubisoft, vga-2009, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (84)

I'm not trying to fool you fools.Just carry on to your whatever the hell your playing, I have a game of Shattered Memories to continue.

Yes, go back to your Wii, please. Don't try to fool the cynical, sharp-eyed commenters of Joystiq.

As a HUGE Assassin's Creed fan, I certainly am pleased that so many other people love the game as I do.

However, I would hardly call 40% a success. But still, well done Ubisoft for developing, for me, my GOTY.

God, i just don't understand game sales at all. 2 million people buy it on Xbox AND PS3, Halo 3 sells 8 million on one console, KZ2 sold only like 500k right? I don't fucking understand that. There are something like 33 million Xboxes alone right? how the fuck do only 8 million people have Halo 3 and 1 mil have AC2? And they don't even fucking finish it? For $60 god damn dollars they don't finish it? What do people fucking do with their consoles?

Send them back to Microsoft.

/jk

Killzone 2 is up over two million now.

I think people just don't care. While I haven't finished a few titles, I usually make an effort to finish even the bad ones. If I paid for it, I play it (unless it's godawful or...*sniff* too hard).

I believe its because of companies like Gamestop, where console gaming has become moving from game to game very quickly. The next big game comes out and that "old" game is traded off to Gamestop for some credit, however little.

PC gamers for the most part have to keep the games they buy because of DRM, Gamestop not taking them for fears of PC gamers just ripping them to their hard drive, etc. and so they do play them to completion.

It's just that, with 33 million xboxes, there has to be some amount of people who have neither XBL, Halo 3, CoD, AC1/2 or tons of other games. What the hell people have them for if they arent buying these kinds of games?

Well, there's the Madden people, the CoD people, the 'casual' people, etc.

Don't stress over it. If someone buys something and they don't get the full use out of it, that's their dumbass decision. That's like buying a PS3 or an Xbox and keeping it in a closet collecting dust.

Aside from this introductory line I have two words for you:

Used games.

Not everyone is a hardcore gamer with lots of time and money that buys the really popular games and finishes them as soon as possible.

A lot of people buy a console and like one game, and if it breaks they usually never get it fixed. Or they rent. And for completions, they're probably just not very good at games and get stuck on the harder parts, and give up, or rarely play. I have a friend who bought Uncharted 2 on day one and still hasn't beaten it on normal, and he hasn't even played multiplayer that much.

Well, for starters, there are children that have consoles. Every game you listed is rated M.

That said, I agree with you. You'd think with as many consoles as there are out there these big games would be up around 16-17 million even on just one console.

Recall also that there are probably a fair number of these sold copies of AC2 that are currently sitting in closets wrapped in bright Christmas paper, waiting for the 25th to roll around and the carnival of avarice to begin. Naturally, those haven't even been played yet, much less finished.

Some of these might even have been stolen by the Grinch. So nobody's completing those copies.

French Revolution!
nothings says assassinations like mr.guillotine

You're right, nothing does. Because a guillotine would be used in a public execution, not a secretive assassination

@Dark Knight
how many of those unused consoles are on Gamestop shelves or being sent back to their maker for repairs? how many of those consoles are replacement consoles? how many ppl really just wanted a cheap bluray player a year ago?

anyway, im buyin AC2 dlc when it comes out. hell, i rented the game and im gonna buy the dlc. and prolly rent the game again! (im lyin, GameFly here i come!)

So STILL no replay missions feature? OK.

In the DNA block/menu you can replay assassination missions but only missions that aren't apart of the story line.

Which is stupid.

Yeah I guess you just have to replay the story in its entirety. If I remember correct you could replay any mission in astbergo so it's a strange omission for the sequel that kind of kills some of the replay value. Hopefully they patch it into the game with the DLC.

Best game I've played in MGS4.

*ahem* SINCE MGS4

No actually you were right the first time, since you can unlock the Assassin Costume in there.

I really like these short format "interviews." Something I can read quick and get a sweet nugget of info from. I hope we can see more of these in the future from other trade events.

Anyone else with me on this?

assassins creed 3 set in tokyo japan and assassins creed 2 set in modern times maybe in new york

I think setting the game in the mid to late 1800s New York or London would be awesome (think Gangs of New York or Jack the Ripper)

I expect to see a lot more of Desmond and his gang in the third one. Yes, the historical locations are epic and whatnot, but from a story standpoint, In my opinion Desmond is far more intriuging. Also the way his character developed during that credits sequence surely point to him being in the third one a lot more.

Here's what i'd like to see. Your Assassin this time is... Desmond and this time there's no animus, and you're running around in the present taking out Abstergo and the Templars.

I know that's never going to happen but you have to admit it would be pretty interesting.

Thats what I don't want to happen in the third game. I wouldn't even buy it if it were a Desmond game. I love the AC universe but Desmond is a douche and I don't care about him individually like I do Altair and Ezio. Like I said if part 3 is modern day in the storyline and doesn't involve a period piece then I won't even buy it. The franchise is built upon exploring other times in history and intertwining historical fact with fiction not modern/futuristic day Desmond

Have to disagree with you there, Tomstaff. That's exactly the last thing I want to see. Desmond's story is an interesting way to thread together different games, but if it became the only focus, I'd be disappointed.

I love the historical settings. They give the Assassin's Creed series a unique place in the gaming world. I've loved both AC1 and 2, but if 3 was just in the modern times, that would send my interest plummeting off a high roof and into a Venetian canal.

The problem with a present day one is that, especially in America where Desmond is from and will probably be for the final game, streets are too wide these days, the free running element will really be weakened by modern architecture and city planning because the jumps will be harder, there is less exposed brickwork to deal with and you can't just run about in the middle of the road when there is traffic about.

They're gonna need some excellent world designers to pull it off.

My moneys on the next assassin being female and a lot of awkward gender jokes.

When did 40% completion become a bad thing? I remember statistics of other games which had a much lower completion rate. Not everyone has the time to run through a game in a couple of days.

the thing about a Modern Demond game is.... Flight to different world locations.
and not all modern locations are that modern are they? Alot of Europe still has buildings and whatnot intact from its long history.

it would be cool if desmond and the gang had to fly to different locations to retrieve pieces of eden, but while in transit, they used a portable animus to learn more about the piece they are going to find in past history.

This way they could be Tie in history more to Desmond, explore modern and historcal time periods and in a variety of locations across the world and its timeline

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VGA 2009: Assassin's Creed 2 developers on DLC, third game

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