Steven Barnes’ Assassin’s Creed Trilogy Not Happening
By Stephany on Thursday, November 1st, 2007 at 2:23 PM PST In Gamer Life, Games, Games Industry, Ubisoft
Looks like the plans for the Assassin’s Creed trilogy have been axed according to a recent blog post. According to Steven Barnes, who was slated to write the new Assassin’s Creed novels, descendants of the original Ismaili Hashashim sect contacted Ubisoft and was quite irate about having their ancestor’s treated with such little respect. Here is a excerpt I pulled from Steven’s blog:
I was asked about “Assassin’s Creed” and I’ve got bad news: the book isn’t going to be published. No, there was nothing wrong with it: Marco Palmieri at Pocket Books was perfectly happy with it. But it seems that the video company got visits from descendants of the ORIGINAL ASSASSINS, members of the Ismaeli sect currently led by the Agha Khan in India. They…suggested that Ubisoft, the game company, show more respect for their ancestors, and Ubisoft went all pitter-patter. Next thing we knew, they wanted to remove all religious references from the book. I guess the Crusades were about shoe size or something. Then they hired an expert to vet the book. Curious that they hadn’t thought about that before, eh? And finally, they wanted to send the book to the Agha Khan’s people for their suggestions. By this time, Marco was thoroughly disenchanted. The book was turning into puree of bat s**t, and I was no longer amused. The whole three-book project died.
Great, FICTIONAL storylines get slapped by overly PC and sensitive cry babies once again. I suppose every novel from here on out will have to have the “seal of approval” from the descendants of a long dead society, religious group, or backwoods rejects. Next time someone decides to write a novel depicting Ozark Hillbillies as less than flattering, I may just have to pay the publisher a visit and demand that my toothless, illiterate, and inbred ancestors be treated with more respect. They cannot help it if fluoride was not available, schools were not mainstream, and the only woman within 200 miles was their sister! Sheesh!
“Next time someone decides to write a novel depicting Ozark Hillbillies as less than flattering, I may just have to pay the publisher a visit and demand that my toothless, illiterate, and inbred ancestors be treated with more respect. They cannot help it if fluoride was not available, schools were not mainstream, and the only woman within 200 miles was their sister!”
Amen on the sentiment too.
By the way if you are looking for a current game to protest, how about http://www.city-interactive.com/indexf.php?page=redneck_kentucky ? (Surprisingly it’s not as bad a game as it sounds.)
To be honest i think that those descendants were just upset that they couldn’t get the CONVERSATIONALIST ACHIEVEMENT on the game. So they decided to complain about it.
Fingers crossed that it isnt really killed. That game is the best i had in a long time, except Halo 3. 
Religion is messed up at the moment. Loved the game. AMAZING gameplay, storyline, and all that stuff. It’s everthing I wanted and more.
When i heard about a book, AND a trilogy of the game…. WOAH
Now its not going ahead because of something as messed up as RELIGION.
Irritated with frustrasion.
so wait ure telling me that the games isnt goin to have another 2 parts to it
or is it just the novel
I’m hearing, “SIN Episodes 2 will be out before then”
wat are these descendents gunna do if they ignore it?
assassinate them?? lol
Assassin’s Creed is the most amazingly deep video game I have ever played. A book is cool, but what really needs to happen is a movie. That would shut the so called “decendents” up. We could even let them be extras in it if it would make them feel better. Anyway, if there are no sequels to the game, I believe I speak for everyone when i say, WTF.
movie would be awesome. i really want this game to have more to it. i liked the story but what do you do when you get thru with it? if ther is not assassin’s creed 2 or something like that then im calling ubisoft myself and demanding justice.
more proof that religion only divides. assassin’s creed has (or had?) potential
Admittedly, as a profoundly biased person against muslims in general this game was hard for me to play.
I really don’t like being “one of them”.
Yes… i’m prejudice. I’m okay with it.
I sleep fine at night.
But when you hear a story like this, it’s easy to be.
A useless religion from a garbage country making demands of an american company to follow it’s will “or else”.
One more US company that loses respect in my eyes for sucumbing to the mulim-izing of america.
Happen in Europe, now it’s time for their taint and pathetic views to come here i suppose.
Thomas, Ubisoft is based out of France and Canada mainly. So next time you start spewing hatred, make sure you spew it in the right direction.
Yeah also learn to spell Thomas “Mulim-izing”?
But in all seriousness. I loved Assassin’s Creed, I cant be the only one on the planet that after a few hours of playing the game, pondered if I could actually climb S#it like our “hero” could. Everything I saw, Fountains, Statues, Malls… I wanted to climb everything. I beat the game and saw cliff hanger for the second game….. now Im about as lost as I was when HBO canceled Canivale!!!
Hope you know how I feel!
J~
Such a cliff-hanger that end game sequence. But I really enjoyed playing the game.
hey guys (and maybe girls)
in any case anybody wanted to share a fanfic or two, why you don’t post ‘em at http://www.fandomination.net?
there’ll be many persons who’d be happy for that
including me
thxs
WTF`s those guys problem? their ancestor`s the big hero! I diddnt here christians complain even though the story implies Christ was a fraud with a magic orb
I’m an Ism’aili and a descendant of the Assassins, this isn’t about PC gone mad; Imagine a game in called jewish Creed in which you played a jewish banker trying to seize control of a bank truthfully could you see that being made???
The Assassins were disciplined, strict survivors who fought for freedom of thought and social justice for the poor and disadvantaged. They produced great science, and philosophy of the greek tradtion both of which were viewed with suspicion in the middle east and seen as heretical in Europe of that time.
This is my history, this is my bloodline, I would want anyone who wanted to use this in anything as mundane as a computer game to give my ancestors a degree of respect the same they would show to Allied soldiers in WWII games; is that too much to ask?
Back to Assassin’s Creed, the fact is its a great game and it is sad that people are hurting because of it. But I know when 400 programmers get paid and stock holders receive their dividents that this is true Americanism. You what would be cool is if they took the story and had Desmond go to another organization and move the main character that way. If we could change the organization basis and character set would that be enough to get the religious organization off Ubisoft’s back.
PS
I love Europe and they are more advanced in liberalism and many ways than us. But you forget that Europe is no longer Christian. They are private and treat Christianity as words to live by instead of the truth. As long as there is the passion and love of God in some one in America I will never speak ill of it.
For if Christ was not raised from the dead: let us eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.
Remember America is not Christian. We stopped being Christian and one nation under God upon the Globalization and Liberalization of America. I will not be P.C. for you or any one so leave Thomas Alone. Freedom of speech is not just a term to be used lightly. If it were bad the admins would have removed it. I love everyone but I am not afraid to say that Christianity is the truth.
Peace and Love in Christ Jesus the Lord
. . . . . . seriously ?? In all do respect . . . . who gives ??
It’s just a book or its just a game , it’s not like it’s dissing their heritage. Iunno , I didn’t really read it thoroughly , just kinda scanned it.
Assassin’s Creed is an amazing game , even though there are some things that should be changed for the next game ( NOT BOOK ) . Such as – less redundancy , and possibly being able to go in the buildings , not just on the roofs lol. Ou Ou Ou !! And if it’s feasible , to be able to but things , and earn gold to buy things . . . . whatever things lol ( or to pay off the harrassers x D )
~ Kristina
:: EDIT ::
> but < in the last paragraph 3rd line 3rd to the last word – change to buy . . . . . = __ = “