Ubisoft has shared their updated sales statistics in the latest year-end financial report, noting that a whopping 11 million copies of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag have been shipped to retailers since its launch last year.

While it isn't quite there yet with reaching Assassin's Creed 3's sales of 12.5 million, the title now cements the brand as the fourth largest by retail sales for the past nine years. It isn't no surprise then to hear that Ubisoft are preparing for two titles this year, one for next-gen and PC and one for past-gen's PS3 and Xbox 360.

"We are extremely pleased that Assassin's Creed has become the fourth-biggest franchise in the industry," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said during the publisher's earnings call today, adding that the Assassin's Creed development team has been progressively growing the brand "into a regular 10 million-plus elite franchise."

Assassin's Creed Unity, the only Assassin's Creed game that Ubisoft has announced for 2014 so far, is being developed by 10 different Ubisoft subsidiaries around the globe, according to a financial presentation from the publisher. The slide lists Ubisoft Montreal as the lead developer on Assassin's Creed Unity, as well as the nine other internal studios providing assistance: Toronto, Singapore, Quebec, Annecy, Shanghai, Chengdu, Kiev, Montpellier and Bucharest.

“As a company, we expect to continue to support those consoles for the foreseeable future,” said Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot on the topic of supporting past-gen consoles. He also indicated that Assassin’s Creed will appear on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this fall, though no further information was given.

Ubisoft has unveiled a new edition of their latest Assassin's Creed title, offering up the entire game alongside the inclusion of the season pass to ensure you have a complete pirate adventure. This new edition includes the previous four digital packs - Death Vessel, Kraken Ship, Crusader & Florentine, and Illustrious Pirates - plus two multiplayer packs and the now standalone Freedom Cry DLC.

The year is 1715. Pirates rule the Caribbean and have established their own lawless Republic where corruption, greediness and cruelty are commonplace.
Among these outlaws is a brash young captain named Edward Kenway. His fight for glory has earned him the respect of legends like Blackbeard, but also drawn him into the ancient war between Assassins and Templars, a war that may destroy everything the pirates have built.

Experience the lives of ruthless and merciless pirates in History’s Golden Age of Piracy! Impersonate great adventurers of the Caribbean and unleash lethal new skills and weapons. Explore mysterious islands and with the colors of your sails, strike fear into the hearts of any sailor daring to cross your path!

Titled the Jackdaw Edition, the new bundle will be available in Australia and New Zealand come March 27th for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Ubisoft has announced a new multiplayer DLC pack for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, titled Guild of Rogues. The add-on is available to download right now for PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One and will arrive tomorrow for PlayStation 3 and 4.

The new DLC includes three new character classes - The Siren, The Stowaway and The Shaman, plus new customisation options and moves. It marks the final DLC for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag Season Pass holders, though we aren't too sure if this means the end of DLC entirely for Ubisoft's pirate game.

Alongside the new classes. two extra maps will also become available for all players next week on 17th February, Ubisoft has said. These will include the new offering of Kingston and Assassin's Creed 3 favourite Charlestown.

Today Ubisoft announced that Freedom Cry, the post launch downloadable content for their pirate-themed title Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, will be available to eager ship sailors come next week. Those on the PlayStation brands will find the DLC available come December 18th while all other platforms will gain access to the DLC come December 17th.

The single-player DLC comprises nine missions, in which players take on the role of former slave Adewale. Now first mate to blond buccaneer Edward Kenway, Adewale finds himself washed up in Haiti, or as it was back then, the French-owned colony of Saint-Domingue, a land itself plagued by slavery. Although he begins unarmed and crewless, Adewale finds new weapons in a machete and blunderbuss gun, as well as a personal reason to fight.

"We're still true to how his character was established in Black Flag," said AC4 Lead Writer Jill Murray on Ubisoft's blog. "He's not standing in for every black man who was ever a slave in the 18th century. He's Adéwale. He's the character we know. He has the wit that we've come to expect; he has heart. We see him as an older guy. He's matured and changed in some small ways. I think those are the kinds of character details that always take precedence over pretty much everything else that can happen in the story."

Those interest in the new DLC will find it available at a standalone price of $9.99, though it is also included in the $19.99 Season Pass.

Yet another current and next-gen release is with us in review form today, though in this instance review pillager NachosJustice only absconded with a PS4 review build of the game.

So ACIII definitely divided critics, fans and gamers alike, and while it's hard to see if Black Flag will also do this at this point given this review is adhering to a global embargo, Nachos definitely swam away from his experience as Edward Kenway in very high spirits.

Check out his Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag review, you don't even need a map marked "X" to find it.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag touches down on its first platforms next week, and Ubisoft has released the obligatory launch trailer, featuring a montage of pirate shenanigans from throughout the game.

Get ready to conquer the Caribbean seas! From a bold Pirate to a Master Assassin, embody Edward Kenway and fulfill your destiny as you defy empires of the Golden Age of Piracy.

Yarr.

The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Black Flag land in Australia on October 29th 2013, followed by PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U offerings on November 21st.

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag will not be offering any of its previously announced DLC on Nintendo's Wii U console, according to both Polygon and GamesBeat sources.

Sadly no reason was actually given on the decision to omit the somewhat interesting DLC for the Wii U console, which included a new single-player campaign among other various items. Interestingly the previous entry in the series, Assassin's Creed 3, was offered up DLC for Nintendo's struggling home console however at a somewhat later date than the other platforms.

Announced yesterday, Ubisoft's DLC plans include the aforementioned single-player campaign in a Season Pass plus a large batch of PlayStation exclusive DLC.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is due on October 31st 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U, with PC to follow in November, and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions also in production.

Ubisoft has unveiled new information on the Season Pass for their newest title in the Assassin's Creed franchise, Black Flag, this time offering up a brand new single-player story.

Born a slave, Adewale found freedom as a pirate aboard the Jackdaw where he became Edward Kenway’s second-in-command. Now, 15 years later, Adewale has become a trained Assassin who finds himself shipwrecked in Saint-Domingue without weapons or crew. He starts to meet locals in an effort to assemble a crew and steal a ship. The more he helps, however, the more he is drawn into the Maroon slave community. Forced to face his past, Adewale sets out to free the slaves and bring death to their captors. Over 3 hours of new single-player gameplay!

Season Pass holders will also be able to access additional single-player items including new missions and weapons, new characters for multiplayer and an exclusive Kraken Ship Pack which includes a "sail, wheel, and figurehead inspired by the legendary sea monsters known for swallowing ships, men and whales."

It isn't just Season Pass holders that will be gaining access to exclusive content for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, with PlayStation fans on both current and next-gen gaining various amounts of pre-order content. Check out the two videos below to see what you'll be able to get from both the Season Pass and from Sony's consoles.

The Assassin's Creed franchise has been one of the very few originally single-player only games to introduce a multi-player component that didn't just feel tacked on, and the upcoming Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is poised to continue building on the series' stealthy take on competitive play.

If sneaking around assassinating your opponents in Renaissance Italy or the American Revolution wasn't compelling enough, this time you get to do it as a smartly dressed pirate in the 16th century Caribbean. Check out the multiplayer trailer below for an assortment of badass pirate assassins one-upping each other.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is due on October 31st 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U, with PC to follow in November, and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions also in production.

Ubisoft has offered up a new video for their pirate adventures, this time giving us a 10 minute preview of the activities and locations you'll find within Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag.

Experience the new open-world activities in the largest Assassin's Creed world ever. Includes gameplay footage of new features and locations such as underwater treasure diving, smugglers caves, harpooning for sharks, and enhanced naval combat.

If this sounds like your kind of pirate life then check out the walkthrough demo below, and if you haven't already you can check out our recent hands-on preview of the latest title in the Assassin's franchise over here.

Harpoon in-hand and bull shark not more than two metres from our rowboat, I took aim and speared the hulking fish. But this only angered him, a point made all the more dramatic with the pool of blood now spreading out across the surface of the crystal blue waters. And with that, the shark takes off with a thud, dragging our tiny boat behind its anger-induced strength. I've only a handful of harpoons to take him out, but a few misses gives him a chance to compose himself, turn and come full-force at the boat. We brace.

This isn't even an excerpt from my hands-on with Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, but is a short enticement for you to get in and read the preview proper, because what Ubi has geared with this latest entry is plunderous.

Click here for our Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag hands-on preview.

Ubisoft has unveiled their most recent trailer for upcoming wall-climbing title Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, this time adopting for a more realistic live-action approach at the pirate life. With a number of powdered guns, explosions and lots of sword play, the new "Defy" trailer shows off what a pirates life might have been on the caribbean seas.

In the cruel world of pirates, men fight for their dreams.
But few achieve their goals,
Others will drown into darkness.
Thin is the line between chaos and freedom.
And the sea can either be your throne, or your tomb.
The choice is yours.
DEFY

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is due on October 31st 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U, with PC to follow in November. PlayStation 4 will be gaining a version on the consoles 25th November launch with an Xbox One version also in production.

We were recently offered a chance to catch up one-on-one with Ubisoft Singapore's Hugues Riccor who is serving as producer on Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, ahead of this year's inaugural PAX Aus event in Melbourne.

In our interview we chatted about the challenges the team faced in making an entire ocean an enticing, explorable playground, Easter eggs, what they learnt from the feedback of Assassin's Creed III, how Ubisoft's myriad development teams manage to all work off different game engines and what they pulled from the Far Cry 3 development and play experience to aid Black Flag.

"So what we’re doing is really also leveraging what Ubisoft’s learning how to do," Hugues explained. "I think Far Cry 3 was exploring some great balancing between the main mission, but also I’m building my own story; I’m crafting, and I’m progressing through the game; and we’ve partnered with them. We look at the data of how people played Assassin’s Creed 3, and how they played Far Cry 3, and then we tried to improve, in particular, things like fast-travelling, things like how to hold your hand to explore certain gameplay and new mechanics, but at the same time, give you the freedom to just go the other way if you wanted to go the other way."

Click here for our full video interview feature.

It's funny how popular some unboxing videos are, but then again, the higher price of collector's editions should almost demand that they be commonplace, so that at least anyone wanting to shell out the big bucks knows it's worth it.

The Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag Buccaneer Edition comes with some pretty cool stuff in today's unboxing video. One of the bigger rewards for spending big is the 46cm statue of main protagonist Captain Kenway, which is definitely something my figurine collection is in need of. Also included in the collection is the usual assortment of DLC, soundtracks and art books, all of which you can check out below.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is due on October 31st 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U, with PC to follow in November, and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions also in production.

Ubisoft has unveiled a handful of new screenshots for their pirate-themed title Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, giving us a look at the multiplayer modes that will be accompanying the single-player action. Taking the forefront in the shots include the playable Puppeteer and The Dandy, who sports an eyepatch and quite a dashing outfit.

Also among the new screenshots is a look at the revamped lobby system, which shows off a fair amount of customisation in each of the modes including the chance to ban certain skills if you deem them too troublesome. You can also swing by VG247 for an exclusive in-game look at the new multiplayer modes in-action as well as an extensive write up of what to expect from the multiplayer offerings.

In related Assassin news, the star of Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation will return to the series in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, with Aveline de Grandpré making an appearance in a series of missions found exclusively in PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 copies of the game. Jill Murray, writer of Liberation, has also returned to pen the continuation of Aveline’s tale.

Aveline’s missions in Black Flag pick up a ways after her story in Liberation ends. “It’s a ways forward so Aveline is a bit older,” Lead Writer Darby McDevitt explains. “It’s not directly related to the end of her story. If Assassin’s Creed IV is like a novel, Aveline’s missions are like a short story.” Providing about an hour of exclusive content, Aveline’s narrative is broken up into three missions, according to Game Director Ashraf Ismail.

To help better understand how exactly Aveline is able to be placed inside new protagonist Edward Kenway's memory, McDevitt explained during the San Diego Comic Con panel that these missions are made possible thanks to some of Abstergo’s Animus upgrades.

According to McDevitt, Abstergo Entertainment has been digging through genetic memories of the Assassin’s, supposedly in the search for a good product. “The present-day is set in Abstergo Entertainment – which is this fun, hip company to work for… at first,” McDevitt says. “You are able to access the Aveline stuff because your coworkers are working on retrieving different genetic memories from all kinds of different people.”

Hit the thumbnails below for a look at Aveline and the new multiplayer modes in action, or wall jump your way to our game page for further info.

After revealing new screenshots yesterday showing off the dangers lurking not just below the Caribbean Sea but also what lurks above, Ubisoft has today revealed a new 13 minute gameplay video showcasing the open-world adventures that Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag has to offer.

Game Director Ashraf Ismail takes us deeper into the world of Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag with this new commented gameplay video. Embark on a journey with Edward and discover his daily life as a pirate and Assassin in this Open-World demo, in a quest for glory, fame and hidden treasures.

Set at the dawn of the 18th Century, the game features some of the most infamous pirates in history, such as Blackbeard and Charles Vane, and takes players on a journey throughout the West Indies during a turbulent and violent period of time later to become known as the Golden Age of Pirates.

Check out the video below to see just what you'll be able to do in the high seas, including overviews on several missions and the re-worked naval combat.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is due on October 31st 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U, with PC to follow in November, and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions also in production.

A new batch of stills from Ubisoft's upcoming Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag have landed, offering some more picturesque in-engine snapshots of the game's lush Caribbean environments and well-dressed piracy.

Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag tells the story of Edward Kenway, a young British man with a thirst for danger and adventure, who falls from privateering for the Royal Navy into piracy as the war between the major Empires comes to an end. Edward is a fierce pirate and seasoned fighter who soon finds himself embroiled in the ancient war between Assassins and Templars.

Set at the dawn of the 18th Century, the game features some of the most infamous pirates in history, such as Blackbeard and Charles Vane, and takes players on a journey throughout the West Indies during a turbulent and violent period of time later to become known as the Golden Age of Pirates.

Hit the thumbs below for the full gallery.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is due on October 31st 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U, with PC to follow in November, and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions also in production.

Ubisoft has released another extensive gameplay trailer for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, this time offering a narrated walkthrough of naval exploration:

On the voyage to Havana with your ship The Jackdaw, learn the rules that Edward and his crew live by, and how they defy the empires of the 18th Century.

The 7 minute clip demonstrates how the player transitions between sailing the open seas and exploring the islands of the Caribbean, as well as some juicy naval combat, and fort capturing. Check it out below.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is due on October 31st 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U, with PC to follow in November, and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions also in production.

Ubisoft has revealed that while console players will be gaining the upcoming Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag come October 26 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U on October 29, those wanting to try out the pirate life on PC will sadly have to wait until after the initial console release.

While this shouldn't come as no surprise to PC players with the past Assassin's Creed titles having been delayed for PC by roughly a month, many were hoping for a launch around the same time. Speaking with ElderGeek (via ShackNews) at E3 2013, Ubisoft game director Ashraf Ismail the PC version will come "a few weeks after" the next-gen consoles launch sometime in November.

Previous Assassin's Crred titles have launched quite far apart from their console brethren, with Assassin's Creed 3 launching a month after and Assassin's Creed 2 launching several months after their original release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

"We're working hard on the PC version," Ismail said. "It's one of the main platforms we work on in the office. For our PC fans, don't worry. The game on PC looks phenomenal."

Ahead of the opening of E3 proper, AusGamers was afforded the opportunity of an advanced look at Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, and a chat with the game's Creative Director at Ubisoft Montreal, Jean Guesdon.

In the eleven minute interview, Guesdon talks to us about the planned features in the series' new swashbuckling Caribbean adventure, confirming sharks among the new acquatic ecology, and offering a better idea of what to expect from the increased open-world freedom with a more heavily-integrated naval component, and subaquatic exploration.

Interestingly, the developer also confirmed that the demo shown to attending press was the PlayStation 4 build of the game, running on a high-end PC.

Check out the complete interview here on AusGamers, which as usual includes a full transcript for those that prefer to skim, or can't understand the Aussie and French-Canadian accents, and for more details on AC4, hit up Steve's recent in-depth preview.