Sony Pictures wins bidding war for Assassin’s Creed movie

By Rick Marshall Published June 19, 2017

Ubisofts’s massively popular Assassin’s Creed franchise has moved yet another step closer to the big screen.

Sony Pictures is finalizing a deal to adapt and distribute the Assassin’s Creed movie franchise after winning a bidding war over the rights to the game. According to Variety, Ubisoft’s desire for creative control over the adaptations of its games was a major element of the deal, and factored heavily into the negotiation process.

The French game developer launched Ubisoft Motion Pictures back in February, and announced plans to bring Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell, and Ghost Recon to the big screen in May. The adaptation-minded offshoot of the company also has plans for an animated television series based on its Ravings Rabbids franchise.

Assassin’s Creed isn’t the only game-related project on Sony’s plate these days, either. The studio also has an adaptation of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted franchise in the works.

Just in case you’ve missed out on the Assassin’s Creed phenomenon, the franchise follows a man who’s kidnapped by a mysterious corporation and forced to relive the memories of his ancestors — which include several generations of a shadowy guild of assassins — in order to recover ancient artifacts.

The Assassin’s Creed franchise has sold more 30 million copies of the games worldwide, with the latest installment, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations hitting shelves November 15.

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Gaming

The best video games of November 2023: Super Mario RPG, Assassin’s Creed Nexus, and more

Princess Peach in Super Mario RPG.

After a hectic October and the lackluster Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III becoming available on November 10, you might have felt like this outstanding year for games was finally wrapped up and that paying attention to new releases was less necessary. That feeling would be misguided, as plenty of outstanding games dropped this month. From new games tied to huge franchises like League of Legends and Mario to more experimental indie games and new IP, quite a few awesome games have flown under the radar this month.

In particular, the following seven games stuck out to us the most as the best video games released in November 2023. Give them a shot before the year ends; you might find one of them makes for a fine last-minute addition to your personal game of the year list.
Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story

Gaming

Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR turned me into a sociopath (and I love it)

Ezio sneaks up on a guard with a crossbow in Assassin's Creed Nexus VR.

I’ve done a lot of memorable things in VR this year. I’ve climbed mountains, commanded hundreds of tiny people, and even paddled through the seas in a kayak. With Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR, I get to add another virtual feat to that list: I’ve jumped down on top of an unsuspecting guard and plunged a hidden blade into his throat with pinpoint accuracy. And I’m a little worried about how delighted I am by that.

Ubisoft has been a long-time supporter of VR going back to early standouts like Eagle Flight, but Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR finds the publisher making its full leap of faith into the tech. It’s not another virtual “experience” based on one of its popular IPs, but rather a full-throated Assassin’s Creed game with just about everything you’d expect in its console counterpart. There’s sneaking, parkour, lock picking, pickpocketing, death-defying leaps, and even a wealth of collectibles hidden in small-scale recreations of historical locations. All that’s missing is the open-world glut -- and that’s arguably its best quality.

Gaming

Assassin’s Creed Mirage ending explained: What happens to Basim, Nehal, and Roshan

Basim showing off his hidden blade in front of the Bagdad cityscape.

Assassins’ Creed Mirage is out now, bringing the series back to basics with a game focused on one of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s most intriguing characters. This adventure follows Basim as he goes from Anbar street thief to expert Assassin in Baghdad while hunting down members of The Order of the Ancients. As a prequel, there are some things about Basim as a character you might already know going in. Still, learning exactly how Basim stumbled upon these revelations is entertaining itself.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is shorter than other games in the series (at around 12 to 17 hours to complete), but most of the noteworthy reveals are saved for the story’s ending. If you want to know how Basim discovers who he truly is or just need to read a recap of the narrative’s major events, this is an overview of everything that happens in Assassin’s Creed Mirage and how it concludes in spectacular fashion.
How does Assassin’s Creed Mirage begin
Assassin’s Creed Mirage begins with a brief narration from modern-day Assassin Brotherhood Mentor William Miles. In the game’s only Animus-referencing narrative segment, he admits that he was worried people would learn the wrong lesson from Basim’s story. He now recognizes that his story “has much to teach us” and is now sharing it. He then sets the stage for its ninth-century Baghdad setting, the threat that is The Order of the Ancients, and Basim’s humble origins and eventual challenging of the Creed’s ideals.
This intro then transitions into a dream sequence for Basim, where a creepy jinni attacks him. Upon awakening, he’s comforted by his friend Nehal, and they set out to complete a contract for their friend Dervis in Anbar, a smaller city close to Baghdad. After pocketing some people and stealing a shipping ledger, Basim and Nehal learn that Dervis is working with a member of Hidden Ones named Roshan.
Roshan initially rejects Basim when he asks to come with her on a mission to retrieve a chest from the Caliph’s Winter Palace, but he and Nehal end up sneaking off and trying to get it anyway. Upon successfully infiltrating, they learn that the Caliph is working with The Order of the Ancients. They get to the chest and find a mysterious device inside it that gives him a vision of one man torturing another. The Caliph catches Basim doing this, and Nehal stabs and kills the Caliph.