According to Ubisoft, there might not be a new "Far Cry" or "Assassin's Creed" game in 2017. Tommy Francois, Ubisoft VP of Editorial, explained why the two titles may not be releasing anytime soon.
Francois told IGN that the next "Far Cry" and "Assassin's Creed" titles are being observed very closely during the developmental process. He continued that they believe Alpha for the games to be one year before release. Francois emphasized that the specific goal that they were trying to achieve is Alpha one year before, more quality and more polish. He added that if it means biting the bullet and not having a "Far Cry" or "Assassin's" game in 2017, then that is what will exactly happen.
Francois continued that a long break towards the new "Far Cry" game will not hurt sales. He explained that "Far Cry" has only been moving up in terms of sales. He said that they sometimes do too much for the game, and he is actually pleased that fans have certain perceptions on how they are managing the franchise. He added that he just wants people to love the next iteration of either the next "Far Cry" or "Assassin's Creed."
The long break was reportedly a creative decision, since Ubisoft is trying new approaches and moving away from the traditional open-world formula. Currently, they gave "Far Cry" and "Assassin's Creed" some time to innovate, decant and polish. According to Francois, they spent one year creating prototypes of alternatives and a new macrostructure. Ubisoft aims to have enough space to provide real changes and ultimately make better versions of "Far Cry" and "Creed."
Forbes noted that it may actually be good for Ubisoft to reconsider its approach in making a new "Far Cry" game. After several years, the franchise has started to appear repetitive, which even Ubisoft has noticed. Taking two to three years off will be good in catering to new concepts and approaches that will make "Far Cry" a much better game in the future. Ubisoft will also be working with newer technologies and consoles by then. More updates and details on upcoming Ubisoft titles are expected soon.
