A New Age of Gaming and Streaming Collaboration
Ubisoft and Netflix have officially committed to a live-action Assassin’s Creed series—gaming-imng streaming entertainment convergence’s largest step to date. The strategic deal will be relying on the huge fan base of the longtime stealth-action franchise and also making indications about Netflix’s new focus on gaming adaptations on screen.
A Historic Alliance
Assassin’s Creed is not just another franchise based on a game asset. It also demonstrates Ubisoft’s desire to advance its intellectual properties (IPs) beyond the normal gaming ecosystem, and Netflix’s aggressive pursuit of high-end gaming franchises to expand the universe it has for original content.
It is far from being the first time Netflix has teamed up with a gaming studio—their wildly successful adaptation series for The Witcher franchise and gaming-centric League of Legends series Arcane had already established such high benchmarks. But Assassin’s Creed comes with a specific test and opportunity: from converting a centuries-spanned sci-fi epic to a successful live-action series able to satisfy gamers as much as broader viewerships.
Ubisoft Strategic Reorganization
Along with the series announcement was news that Ubisoft was refocusing its executive offices by appointing a new co-CEO to oversee a new subsidiary dedicated to creating cross-media storytelling. That is, Ubisoft is creating a dedicated department dedicated to creating game adaptations as series and films, potentially looking to replicate Marvel Studios’ transmedia success template.
The step implies that on-screen adaptations of forthcoming collaborations are on the cards. The franchises of Far Cry, Watch Dogs, or Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six could lead the way in the next on-screen adaptation.
What We Know So Far
Casting information for the series is not being made public, but Netflix and Ubisoft have announced they will approach the show “genre-bending” in respect to the original story. Fans are curious if the show will be based on the beloved Ezio Trilogy, the Origins saga, or if the show will introduce a completely new Assassin.
Either way, Netflix budget and creative freedom offer scope for exploring timelines back into the past, genetic memories, and modern conspiracies—the very pulse of the Assassin’s Creed universe.
Why It Matters
For Ubisoft, the series is a platform to branch into new streams of revenue and establish its franchise on new platforms. For Netflix, it is a competition to match the level of Disney+ and Amazon Prime, who are both making huge bets on content-based on games. Its success or failure will establish the template for adaptations for games in the future. As entertainment businesses experience greater overlap into one another, such films will establish the way individuals who play games and viewers consume content for the next decade.
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