Orders soar for coming 'Assassin' game

French videogame titan Ubisoft said Thursday that pre-orders for the next version of its blockbuster "Assassin's Creed" videogame are on a record-setting pace. So many copies of "Assassin's Creed III" have been reserved in advance of its October 30 release date in North America that it is on track to become the most pre-ordered title in the company's history, according to Ubisoft. Exact sales figures were not disclosed. "Players will experience the biggest game launch in Ubisoft's history with the highly-anticipated release of 'Assassin's Creed III,'" said Ubisoft senior vice president of sales Tony Key. "The production value of the game, combined with the biggest marketing commitment we've ever made, will make Assassins Creed III the highest-selling Assassin's Creed game ever." The fifth installment in the franchise will star a new hero and move the story from Europe to the US colonies during the American Revolution. "You're going to be blown away," said Ubisoft chief executive Yves Guillemot. "Assassin's Creed III features the franchise's most expansive setting so far, along with an exciting new hero and exponentially more gameplay." The videogame was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and six of the France-based company's other studios. Versions of the title have been tailored for play on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles as well as on computers powered by Windows software. The title was priced at $60. Ubisoft said it was working on a version of the game for Nintendo Wii consoles. The hero in "Assassin's Creed III" is Ratohnhake:ton, described as being part Native American, part English and an 18th Century member of a line assassins that players were introduced to when the first game was released in late 2007. The game is the fifth installment in a franchise that has sold more than 38 million copies. Play is set in the context of genetic memories relived by a modern day descendant of a legendary line of assassins. A hallmark of the franchise has been "historical fiction" that blends rich details from past centuries with fantasy characters locked in a battle between assassins and Knights Templar hunting for a mysterious orb of great power. Ubisoft plans annual releases of installments in the Assassin's franchise, which has grown to include novels, comic books, Facebook games and short films.