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Game development

• On which platforms will Assassin's Creed 2 be available?
  Assassin's Creed 2 will be available on PS3, X360, and PC. We will also release another Assassin's Creed game on PSP: Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines.
  
  
• When will it be released?
  November 17th 2009
  
• Is the PC version going to be released at the same time as the PS3 and 360?
  Yes, we are planning to release the three versions at the same time.
  
• Who is in charge of the development?
  Core development on the PS3, X360 and PC versions of the game is handled by Ubisoft Montreal. We also have other teams working on specific parts of the game in other Ubisoft studios to help us deliver the scope and quality we are looking for.
  
• What I want to know is, with Assassin's Creed 2, will there be a dominant version, or will they be basically, identical?
  The core content of the experience is the same but there are some specific features linked to each platform's technology. For instance, you will be able to connect your PS3 version of the game with Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines on PSP to unlock exclusive content on both the PS3 and the PSP.
  
• What are the PC specs?
  We cannot confirm the PC specs right now.
  
• Are there any achievements?
  Yes there will be achievements and trophies in Assassin's Creed 2.
  
• Regarding the inclusion of Far Cry 2's vegetation system; will the game actually provide plenty of opportunities to show off this technology?
  Even if our engine is different from Far Cry's Dunia Engine, we were able to expand the features behind the Anvil/Scimitar to add the vegetation technology from Far Cry 2. Therefore you can expect amazing Tuscany landscapes!

Story

• 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 and fresh historical period. Overall we are building on the strengths on the first episode, it's unique sense of freedom and immersion and adding a lot more depth, variety and scope to the core game play.
  
  Story wise, 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.
  
• What is the storyline of the game?
  Once again, Desmond will be exploring his DNA to relive an ancestor's life, however this time it with a very different goal and it's a very different kind of ancestor. Ezio Auditore Da Firenze; a nobleman who lived at the end of the 15th Century in Italy is our new hero. His family is betrayed and murdered by the ruling families of Italy, and Ezio must uncover the arts of his ancestors in order to avenge their death. To his allies, he will become a force for change - fighting for freedom and justice. To his enemies, he will become a bogeyman - dedicated to the destruction of the tyrants of Italy. Through Ezio's quest for vengeance, Desmond and the present day Assassins will uncover the crucial piece of the conspiracy that was hinted at in the first Assassin's Creed game. The Templar/Abstergo plot is bigger than could have been imagined with consequences reaching to every detail of modern life as we know it.
  
• Will there be an opportunity for the Desmond/future time line 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 gameplay-wise, Desmond has more tricks up his sleeves than what you saw in Assassin's Creed…
  
• Will there be any templars to kill in AC2? Or descendants of the templars?
  The main plot in Assassin's Creed is a struggle between the Assassins and the Templars, so they are still in the game, and you’ll be able to fight them.
  
• 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.
  
• What about the cryptic signs that Desmond sees at the end of Assassin's Creed? They didn't refer to the Italian Renaissance, was that on purpose?
  Those symbols were left by subject 16 who was previously kept captive by Abstergo. The symbols on the walls weren't necessarily meant to hint at the location of the next game, but rather the global and timeless nature of the threat our heroes are facing. Having said that, I must admit we were really excited to see the amount of speculation and questions it raised amongst fans!

Gameplay

• Will certain buildings be accessible from the inside?
  Yes, some of them will be accessible from the inside.
  
• Is the flying machine a one shot experience in Assassin's Creed 2?
  We have a lot of ideas around the flying machine and other new types of gameplay we are developing for the game. The Italian Renaissance was such a cauldron of creative minds that any game designer's dreams could come true in Assassin's Creed 2! More specifically, on the flying machine, we'll adjust our plans depending on the feedback we get from play tests.
  
• How many hours of gameplay can we expect in AC2?
  We have greatly increased the scope of the game since the first instalment of Assassin's Creed, so just completing the core of the game will be longer than the 20 hours it took in the first game.
  Moreover, we have developed several different optional gameplay that will add a lot of depth to the whole experience and will also extend your gameplay time in a very significant and meaningful way. As for the exact number of hours it will require it's still too early to say!
  
• How will combat work?
  Many new skills concern the fighting system - without naming all the new possible moves, Ezio can master a great amount of new weapons: long pikes, axes and war hammers to name just a few. As those are heavy weapons, Ezio won’t have to carry them all the time: he will now be able to disarm his enemies and use their weapons against them. He will also use his hands more efficiently when fighting, performing various punches, kicks, grab movements, head butts and spectacular grabs… Holding your enemy by the collar and hitting him with your forehead is quite soothing… If you happen to be burning with vengeance like Ezio is.
  
  One hidden blade is fun but two is better. This time, Ezio will have one hidden blade on each arm. Imagine all the possibilities in new assassination moves, counters and upgrades using two hidden blades. My favourite one is the double kill, which gives you a great sense of power. Finally, we’ve added a lot of new assassination moves. You can pounce on your enemy from virtually anywhere in the city: rooftops, hiding spots, water, ledges etc.
  
  These are just but a few of the new skills Ezio brings to the table; he has many more tricks up his sleeve…
  
• How will you improve the crowd interaction for the second game and the role of the NPCs for blending/stealth/attack…?
  In Assassin's Creed 2, you have been betrayed by the ruling Italian Families - you will have to learn how to interact and use the 'common people' or, like we call them in the game, "the underworld", to get your revenge. So you can generally consider that the crowd is on your side (except of course if you behave too badly!). First, any crowd NPC can help you to hide - just go into a group and press the blend button to enter a crowd and lower your chances of being noticed by guards. The crowd can help you to stealth through the city but aren't 100% stealth proof as guards have various awareness levels depending of their class. We have also added a new "notoriety system" where your actions in the city will impact your notoriety and how you are "wanted" in the city. You can use certain groups to perform specific actions. Those specific groups are called factions. There are a few factions in the game. There will be the thieves, the courtesans and the mercenaries. Through the game, you will meet various faction leaders. For example, Antonio of the thief guild will ask you to do certain missions for him. Once you gain Antonio's thrust, the members of the thief guild will be fully operational to give you help and perform specific tasks. Each faction possesses their own unique skill for Ezio to use and manipulate his enemies with. For example, the courtesans will be able to go seduce and distract groups of guards letting Ezio sneak pass them unnoticed.
  The entire game play/mission structure in Assassin's Creed 1 was semi-linear and kept the same structure through the 9 assassinations.
  
• Will Assassin's Creed 2 feature more missions and a wider variety in the structure and how the story unfolds?
  The game structure and the mission system were the most crucial elements we wanted to improve on. We are redefining the overall mission structure to give gamers a more fun, rewarding and unpredictable experience throughout the game by adding a lot of variety in missions types and changing the way the story and the missions unfold.
  
  There are no more patterns of missions to perform but rather a story that develops through a great amount of mission giving characters. Some characters will give you an assassination mission, others an escort/protect mission while some will give you a chase mission etc. There is no limit to the types of challenges we will give players. We invested most of our development time in ensuring that there is a huge amount of variety and depth in the missions required to finish the story. But we also want the player to have a real freedom and opportunity to explore and 'use' the world we have created at their own pace. Cities are now filled with a ton of missions that the player can do if she chooses: for instance, you can now decide to get rid of witnesses if you feel you are becoming too notorious after a not-so-stealthy assassination, or help thieves pursued by guards. These tasks are optional but will bring you interesting rewards if you accept to fulfill them.

• 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 Désilets, 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 harbour 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 and mercenaries at this time were not only carrying weapons but also were wearing a wide range of armour 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?
  Three main differences; One, the type of damage you can do with them. Some swords are more efficient than others. For example... two-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 two 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!

Yesterday at the San Diego Comic-con it was revealed that Hybride Technologies are producing a series of short films based on Assassin's Creed 2! The panel at which it was announced was entitled "Assassin's Creed 2: Video Games and Hollywood Converge", and focused on the the bridge between video games and film.

"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!

Following the announcement of the Assassin’s Creed 2 short films, Yannis Mallat, Chief Executive Officer, and Jade Raymond, Executive Producer, have done a very detailed Q&A answering many of the questions raised by the community. The entire Q&A can be found below. Enjoy!

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.

We're giving you the chance to pick your favourite 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 http://www.assassinscreed.com/vote and pick one of the following as your favourite:

- 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 traveller - Travel X kilometres 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 17th 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!