E3 06: Ubisoft recites Assassin's Creed

Ubisoft gave visitors to last year's Tokyo Game Show a glimpse at a next-gen action title it referred to as Project Assassins. Today, new details were announced for the project, and the publisher said that it is bringing Assassin's Creed to the PlayStation 3. No mention was made of an early, presumed Xbox 360 version of the game which was on display at Microsoft's X05 event.

Set in 1191 AD at the height of the Third Crusade for the Holy Land, Assassin's Creed puts players in the silent shoes of Altair and gives them the opportunity "to shape events during this pivotal moment in history." Altair is presumably a member of a group of ruthless assassins whose plan is to bring an end to the bitter struggle by striking out at both warring parties.

The game is being developed by Ubisoft's Montreal studio (creators of hits like Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time), and Ubisoft is making some big promises for the project.

"Assassin's Creed is going to push the video game experience as we know it today into an entirely new direction," said the Montreal studio's CEO Yannis Mallat. "Assassin's Creed's compelling theme and storyline experienced through the next-generation console will captivate audiences and affect them on the same level as an epic novel or film."

And just like the Crusades, Assassin's Creed is all set to spawn sequels. The company refers to Assassin's Creed as "the first game" of a new franchise that will make its debut at next week's Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Ubisoft is focusing on creating more new franchises heading forward. The company has said it plans to introduce three new brands to the marketplace every two years, and Assassin's Creed is its latest example of developing new intellectual properties.

Assassin's Creed is expected to arrive in stores in 2007.