Assassin's will be as big as GTA – Ubi

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 12 July, 2010

"In the not-too-distant future."

Stab-'em-up series Assassin's Creed will be as big as Grand Theft Auto "in the not-too-distant future", Ubisoft reckons.

"To be honest, I'm not sure we're there yet," UK marketing boss Murray Pannell told Eurogamer when asked whether Assassin's Creed will be as big as GTA.

"But I don't see any reason why we shouldn't get there at some point in the not-too-distant future. That's about longevity and building decent products, properly marketed, and getting the name out there.

"I believe with the success of Assassin's 2 we have now got an opportunity to position ourselves as one of the true triple-A blockbusters. Are we as big as things like GTA and Halo and things of that nature? Possibly not at this point. But I think we are uniquely poised now as a property, as a franchise, to certainly consider ourselves one of the must-have games whenever a game launches on Assassin's Creed in the franchise."

While Assassin's Creed is a phenomenally successful series, it still has some way to go before it matches Grand Theft Auto's spectacular sales and mainstream appeal.

In May Ubisoft said Assassin's Creed II sold "nearly nine million units" during its last financial year, which ended on 31st March 2010.

In March Take Two revealed that GTAIV had sold over 15 million units worldwide.

Pannell said Ubisoft will grow Assassin's Creed through continued critical success and aggressive advertising.

He said: "It's fair to say Assassin's 1 promised a lot and slightly under-delivered in terms of gameplay. Assassin's 2 promised even more and actually this time delivered on it. And I believe quality of the game will be a fundamental part of positioning ourselves in that blockbuster franchise space.

"As marketing director, it's part of our role and responsibility to position it from a consumer point of view as one of those big blockbusters through decent marketing campaigns. One thing we've been doing already is advertising Assassin's: Brotherhood on TV this summer, three or four months before launch. That only helps position it in consumers' minds as, 'This is a big game I need to consider as one of the true blockbuster franchises'."

Pannell expects Brotherhood, due out in November this year, to sell more copies than Assassin's Creed 2.

"In terms of expectations, people should certainly see this as a full price product with as much depth of gameplay if not more than the version we brought out a year ago. We're certainly positioning it that way. We're investing in the product in that way. And in terms of our expectations from a sales point of view, we'd see it doing at least as well as Assassin's 2, if not, ideally, better."

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (48) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • M_of_the_sys #1 2 years ago

    What's with the huge fecking Zavvi ad?!

  • X3Entente #2 2 years ago

    double meaning?? Assassins creed 3 set in the not so distant future??

  • metalangel #3 2 years ago

    And we'll be playing this Triple A game on our 3DTVs, right? You cunts. You're as disconnected from reality as your PC customers are from your DRM servers.
    Edited by 1 at 12/07/10 @ 10:56

  • urban #4 2 years ago

    Dislike it when studios make presumptuous claims about their IP's. Get your head down and work damnit!

  • ZuluHero #5 2 years ago

    Yeah.. why not? I think it offers a lot in terms of different gameplay, its certainly has the sparklings of something really great. While i hated the first, I love the 2nd (still playing it as a late adopter).

    If i finish it in time i'll get Brotherhood on release.

  • The-Bodybuilder #6 2 years ago

    1. Those Zavi ads are annoying.
    2. It will be hard to keep this running like the GTA games, the biggest problem being the storyline.

  • toythatkills #7 2 years ago

    No it won't.

  • MiniAmin #8 2 years ago

    That Zavvi advert is intrusive as fuck. Please kill it now.

    Ah Shopto we miss thee, with thy cheap prices and subtle adverts :(

  • Jonathan_Fakenham #9 2 years ago

    Yeah, Ubisoft really are as out-there as their E3 press conference implied.

  • M_of_the_sys #10 2 years ago

    @The Bodybuilder

    Really? I like the storyline. If anything, it's my favourite part about AC. Especially the back story in the glyphs.

  • Toothball #11 2 years ago

    Too many Zavvi ads. It wouldn't be as bad if there weren't four for GTA4 on PS3, but still too many of them.

  • loopy #12 2 years ago

    Whatever happens, I for one won't be buying any future iteration of the series until they drop that god-awful DRM on the PC.

  • Steroyd #13 2 years ago

    *twitch*

  • bodypopper #14 2 years ago

    AC2 is fun but too easy - there's money all over the place so it's easy to become an armoured badass and breeze through the rest of game after a few hours play. Having a money-generating villa/town is unnecessary.
    The complex time shifting plotting and the graphical effects for places you can't go take you out of the world you're in too much. It's good but for that reason it's not as absorbing as GTA or the awesome RDR and lacks humour.
    Edited by 3 at 12/07/10 @ 11:56

  • EthanWoods #15 2 years ago

    I see no reason why it shouldn't be as big as GTA; they've only had the second game out not too long ago, and 6 million units behind isn't overly far away given that GTA's been around for yonks.

    AssCreed has a far more interesting premise and storyline at any rate - and a better shorthand for the title.

    Just read a couple of comments about AC being more highbrow than GTA (it is by miles), and I agree that may actually do it a disservice in sales numbers.
    Edited by 1 at 12/07/10 @ 11:55

  • bluem4gic #16 2 years ago

    ZAVVI SPAM because GTA and Assassins creed are mentioned in the same sentence? Someone at Eurogamer need to get IT Support on that

  • shadowaspect #17 2 years ago

    Ubisoft, speaking as a PC customer, you are dead to me.
    Edited by 1 at 12/07/10 @ 11:58

  • Stuz359 #18 2 years ago

    Wish Ubi would stop spouting this nonsensical crap. It's about the third such weird claim I have heard in three weeks.

  • The-Bodybuilder #19 2 years ago

    @ M_of_the_sys

    That' kinda my point.
    The GTA games usually have their own containted storylines, with sometimes references to the past. TH AC storyline is one back arc of genetic memory, time travelling, one main antagonist organization, a human origins mystery, and most of all, the story seems to be drawing to an end.

    If they had kept it contained without the genetic memory stuff, they could milk this for as long as they like. But with that, I can't see them making multiple games of this forever.

  • Eraysor #20 2 years ago

    The Assassin's Creed storyline is fucking brilliant; I had more fun searching for the hidden glyphs to unlock The Truth than I did actually assassinating people!

  • X3Entente #21 2 years ago

    Listen Matt Damon you fucking moron.
    first of all having a machine that some how reads someones "genetic memories" and re constructs the past a la animus machine is total bullshit, they may have well called it the deus ex machina. Its not high brow at all, just the most laughably convoluted plot device this side of metal gear solid. And as for the "lowest common denominators" that are lured to the gun sex and violence of gta, erm the series is more popular because every game in the series is a masterpiece. To toss it off like the series is simply beating up prostitutes and stealing their money is a little narrow

  • ryandsimmons #22 2 years ago

    I don't think people are actually reading the article, they are just reacting to the headline.

    The guy didn't say "hey, we are going to be bigger than Jesus, sorry GTA" he was responding to a question.

    "Do you think you will be bigger than GTA?"
    "Sure, why not."

    Nothing arrogant or anything that I can see.

  • I\'mListening #23 2 years ago

    Dream on...

  • kinky_mong #24 2 years ago

    It's all kicking off in here! Show him your moves you learnt while filming the Bourne films Matt!

  • X3Entente #25 2 years ago

    its appeals to the same demographic as gta, but hasnt captured that demograph as widely, due to the slight complication of not being anywhere near the same quality

  • BigJonno #26 2 years ago

    Does that mean that AssCreed can compensate for the woeful lack of an update to the really quite brilliant GTA: London 1969 by releasing an AssCreed game where you play as Desmond's granddad, who was actually a hitman for the Krays. Or something.

  • mfolwell #27 2 years ago

    As if the existence of Brotherhood and the loss of Désilets wasn't already turning on all the alarm bells, now they're focussing even more heavily on the longevity of what was supposed to be a trilogy.

    Thanks Ubisoft for wasting the many hours I spent on AC1 and AC2 in the hopes of actually seeing a decent conclusion at some point.

  • makeamazing #28 2 years ago

    I really liked AC2. Never got near to finishing AC1... so for me they moved it in the right direction, and i cannot wait for Brotherhood.

    There will always be haters to big games, but AC2 is a big game.

  • Blakester #29 2 years ago

    To be honest, who cares about GTA or Assassins Creed when RDR has raised the bar beyond both of them.

    RDR has a believable, living, breathing world that you have to tear yourself away from. Assassins Creed has never had that.

  • kangarootoo #30 2 years ago

    "What's with the huge fecking Zavvi ad?! "

    Ah, I wondered why the article was all skinny 'cos of some big white space next to it.

  • kangarootoo #31 2 years ago

    "It will be hard to keep this running like the GTA games, the biggest problem being the storyline."

    Well, having next to no story line never harmed GTA.

    And please everyone think about it before flaming me - GTA, like RDR (a very awesome game) had very little story line to speak of. The majority of game time involves you running errands that have nothing to do with the story, for NPCs who after much errand running will eventually give you the leg up you need to move along the story.

    RDR as my current example was shit loads of fun, but most of the time the plot went thus.

    "Give me what I need"
    "First do this random for me"
    "Give me what I need or I'll put a bullet between your eyes"
    "Yeah whatever"
    "Ok. I'll do that thing you asked me to do.... but THEN you had better give me what I need or I'll put a bullet between your eyes"
    "Yeah, whatever"



    Hehe, reading on through the comments, I suspect X3Ententen is not going to be my friend :)

  • bad09 #32 2 years ago

    "Ubisoft, speaking as a PC customer, you are dead to me. "

    Was gonna come on and say the very same so instead I'll just say, even as a fan of many of your games Ubiscum, f**k off and die, do the PC community a favour.

  • M_of_the_sys #33 2 years ago

    @Kangarootoo

    I think that was his point. GTA can keep going due to the story being like that. Assassin's Creed's story is finite. Personally, I think they could (and probably will) do a lot of spin offs like they've done with AC: Brotherhood.

  • Markitron #34 2 years ago

    AC 2 was a far better game than GTA4 but I dont think its unique storyline lends itself to a series like GTA's does

  • DiamondIce #35 2 years ago

    I have only just got round to AC2 and I cannot believe how different this game is compared to the first. AC felt like a cure for insomnia but the sequel is an immense improvement.

    I can't see it becoming as big as GTA, though. Ubisoft know if it has become as big as GTA when it is blamed for all of societies ills.

  • kangarootoo #36 2 years ago

    @M_of_the_sys

    Well I guess it could be said that Ubi have set the bar "too high" by having a storyline, something that doesn't hold GTA back. But personally I think that isn't giving Ubi enough credit when it comes to writing a storyline.

    The best TV serials, from The Wire to Friends can keep going for multiple seasons simply because they maintain the quality of their writing. Same with a prolific novellist. Ubi might have a chalenge ahead of them to maintain the same quality of storytelling throughout the life of the franchise, but maybe they are up to that challenge? :)

  • Walkerj #37 2 years ago

    i thought this meant as big as gta in square mileage.

  • mingster #38 2 years ago

    AssCreed will be as big as your mom.

  • kinky_mong #39 2 years ago


    You're so full of shit and narrow minded that there's no point entering debate with you.

    How do you like them apples?!

  • Deckard1 #40 2 years ago

    Matt Damon

  • skuzzbag #41 2 years ago

    Matt Demon.

    See what I did?

  • Nodebug #42 2 years ago

    What a stupid article/headline. Whats up with this "Sun" journalism and pushing words into the spokespersons mouth and then quoting it out of context as the headline. Cheap, EG, Cheap.

  • darth_paul #43 2 years ago

    UBI is desperate for a big hit, so it starts daydreaming :p

  • ronuds #44 2 years ago

    Wishful thinking, indeed.

  • winstoninabox #45 2 years ago

    @ryandsimmons

    Yes, the title is really very misleading. The Ubi Marketing guy wasn't making a statement, but answering a question. It's not very fair to take someone's answer and turn it around so that it sounds like they were making a declaration. Must have been a slow news day.

  • kangarootoo #46 2 years ago

    "UBI is desperate for a big hit, so it starts daydreaming"

    I'm pretty sure Ubi already has more than a few "hits" under it's belt.

  • Wyrm #47 2 years ago

    AC will never be as big as GTA, as a sandbox concept, GTAs modern setting offers far more options for messing around. You can only stab someone and jump onto to a roof so many times. Where are my grenades to throw off the roof when I get there?

  • Kengro #48 2 years ago

    Yeah right... There's one little difference, GTA is a damn good series, Assassins creed is not