*Was completely sure that the end of Desmond's story meant that Ubisoft would be taking at least a year off from the Assassin's Creed series.*
*Sees the announcement for Assassin's Creed IV not five months after Assassin's Creed III comes out.*
*Sighs in exasperation*
In all seriousness, I love the Assassin's Creed games. When the first Assassin's Creed came out, I played through it three or four times, alternating between doing the bare minimum to get by, and doing absolutely everything available to me. It was the only game I ever got every achievement for.
When Assassin's Creed II was announced, I was struck dumb with anticipation for months. It was worth every moment of waiting, as far as I'm concerned. It was such a good game.
When Brotherhood was announced, I was surprised, but still excited. I figured I'd have to wait a couple of years before I got a new Assassin's Creed experience, and a new one so soon didn't strike any warning bells right away.
When Revelations was announced, I was significantly more wary. The hook at the end of Brotherhood was the only reason I got into that game. I wanted to see what had happened to Desmond. I wasn't feeling the need for another Assassin's Creed game so soon. After Revelations came out, I was convinced Ubisoft would be abandoning the yearly release cycle soon.
When Assassin's Creed III was announced, the only reason I let it slide was because the whole 2012 thing was integral to the game's plot. Otherwise, I would have been appalled. Yes, you were continuing Desmond's arc, but you were moving away from Ezio, and such a drastic shift takes time to get right. I know a team had been working on ACIII for quite a while, but I still thought it was too much.
And now Desmond's story is over. Honestly, what are the present day sequences going to be? You can't go backwards in time, because you're calling it Assassin's Creed IV, which suggests a move forward. Explain to me why this seemed like a good idea? Why not wait for a year, craft the game in some fancy new hardware, and release it for the next gen consoles? Or maybe that's why they're announcing it right now: they want people to know they'll be able to get it for their PlayStation 4s. Honestly, is Watch Dogs not good enough as a launch title, Ubi? You need a Creed game in the line-up, too?
For the first time in the series' history, this is not a guaranteed buy for me. Desmond's story arc was enough to keep me hooked, but you're going to have to work really hard to sell me on this one. It's way too much, too soon. If this is what you're doing now, maybe the next gen will be a very good thing: hopefully the new hardware will lead to longer dev times for the first couple of years, so we don't get yearly releases so often.