Assassin’s Creed III‘s patriotic swag won’t reach British shores.
The upcoming game in Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise is already gaining some notoriety for its depiction of a Minuteman-siding protagonist fighting both British soldiers and Templar agents. Head writer Corey May has already stated that Assassin’s Creed III‘s story is historical, not anti-British but that doesn’t change the fact that the original box art showed us a British soldier two seconds away from taking a tomahawk to the face. This may not be a controversial issue for American audiences, but there is a slight concern considering that Ubisoft is Europe’s third-largest game publisher, and serves a significant number of British citizens. Perhaps it’s not too surprising then that the recently announced Assassin’s Creed III Limited Edition will be a North and Latin America exclusive, while European gamers will be left with standard and digital editions only.
While Ubisoft hasn’t stated why European gamers are being left out, it’s hard to deny that the Limited Edition includes many patriotic-themed items that will carry different meanings to different audiences. The set includes a massive 24″ by 48″ Assassin’s Creed-inspired colonial American flag and a 9.44″ statue of protagonist Connor standing before a (somewhat smaller) colonial flag. Also included for Digital Deluxe Edition users is a notebook containing “George Washington’s true story”. This Deluxe Edition should still be available for all players, and will also include a soundtrack, extra single-player missions, and extra in-game outfits.
No one is expecting Ubisoft to release a European Limited Edition with a Templar-themed British flag alongside the true story of King George III, but there might be a conflicting message when Ubisoft (a French publisher by the way) isn’t giving European gamers the option for a Limited Edition of their own.
Assassin’s Creed III comes out on October 30th.
Source: Joystiq
Published: Jul 3, 2012 05:06 pm