Otaku Dome had the honor of interviewing Ubisoft Montreal over a number of topics related to the Assassin’s Creed franchise. We talk ACIII, ACIV, online ship battles, and more in the interview below:

1. What was the reason for choosing Assassin’s Creed IV’s Era and Theme?

Back in 2011 we decided to create Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag based on the first interations of the naval segments in ACIII that were under production at that time. We realized that there was a lot of potential with this technology (technical feasibility) and we wanted more of it, ideally using piracy as a setting (team’s desire). Because we’re Assassin’s Creed, we didn’t want to treat it in a very cliché or immature way. We did our homework, made some researches and realized that the real history was providing us with a decade (1713-1722) where all the most famous pirates gathered in Nassau; Bahamas trying to build their own democratic republic (pivotal historical moment). Everything was perfectly aligned to start the development of Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag.

2. After the conclusion to AC III, will we get a follow-up to the modern day happenings from that time?

Well, in fact Assassin’s Creed IV’s present day is in direct continuity of ACIII’s one. You’ll meet some character you might know already and get introduced to new ones. The modern day of Black Flag allows you to explore Abstergo Entertainment, the brand new studio that the firm has just opened this year in Montreal. Fans will find tons of content that I’m sure they’ll like a lot.

3.  I remember you saying in interviews that an online mode with naval ships became a bit of a challenge, can we see this put into AC IV with DLC in the future?

We said that one of our first ideas was to have a kind of naval multiplayer but it would have been indeed a chunk too big to swallow for us. Instead we made the decision to focus on the solo experience and develop some new cool features (like the gameslab) for the existing multiplayer. We always prioritize the quality first. All along the development of the game we made sure to control our scope and ambition to hit the sweet spot with a lot of content but well-polished.

4. What are your thoughts on fan response since the original Assassin’s Creed?

We’re delighted by the response of the audience. Our community has frown bigger and bigger since the first Assassin’s Creed and we feel really lucky to be supported by so many people. The involvement of the fans is awesome, they are really creative and are always a source of inspiration for us. Their art, creations, cosplay, films are truly a very gratifying reward for all AC developers.

5. What are your hopes for the future of the franchise?

We certainly hope to continue to please our fans and bring history into the mainstream audience thanks to our incredible transmedia universe. Assassin’s Creed is now a true entertainment franchise and with such solid foundations and strong DNA the future looks bright .

Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag is available across multiple consoles including the recently released PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The story DLC “Freedom Cry” was just released today. Expect our review of both the main game and Freedom Cry soon.