Two downloadable add-ons for Ubisoft's Montreal's recently released murder-centeric open-world action game Assassin's Creed II are slated to arrive in the first two months of 2010, publisher Ubisoft revealed today in a mailing to the press.

The terse "media update" specified names and release months of the first two packs--"Battle of Forli" in January, "Bonfire of the Vanities" in February--with no word as to what each downloadble pack will bring with it and pricing simply listed as "TBA." Read more »

Publisher Ubisoft today launched a new cross-platform online service dubbed Uplay, which will reward players for in-game actions and accomplishments among other functions.

The first game to take advantage of Uplay is Ubisoft Montreal's Assassin's Creed II, which just launched on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in North America today and arrives in European territories and shops come Friday.

Based on in-game actions, players earn "Uplay Win Units" that can be exchanged for "rewards such as exclusive in-game content or digital items." Assassin's Creed II rewards include the in-game Auditore Family Crypt and an Altair costume. Read more »

'Lineage," a live-action short film promoting the impending release of Assassin's Creed 2, is now available for your viewing pleasure and for download on FileShack. Sword fights, intrigue, and the requisite assassinations are all present as we follow the anti-hero father of Ezio through various locales in Firenze, Italy, circa 1476.

"Family. Justice. Honor. These are the values guiding my blade." Read more »

As the Renaissance villa was a great symbol of power, this new Assassin's Creed 2 dev diary explains, star Ezio can spend his ill-gotten gains on improving his manor and the surrounding town--which will generate income and provide a posh place to stash gear.

The Ubisoft Montreal gang also discusses the database functions of the Animus virtual reality experience, which fills players in on famous landmarks and important characters. Read more »

More Assassin's Creed 2 media has crept silently from the shadows and explains some differences between Ezio, the series' new protagonist, and his predecessor Altair.

Unlike Altair, who was trained by a cabal of assassins to be a professional killer, the new "hero" Ezio is described as a "man of the Renaissance" out for revenge. In other words, killing isn't just his day job.

Assassin's Creed 2 jumps out and shanks the PS3 and Xbox 360 on November 17, with the PC version to arrive in early 2010. Read more »

The importance of having friends in both high and low places is imparted in the latest Assassin's Creed II trailer, which details the open-world game's various factions.

Ubisoft Montreal's premeditated murder simulation sequel hits PS3 and Xbox 360 on November 17, with portable iPhone and Nintendo DS renditions and Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines PSP coming the same day. AC2 PC, meanwhile, arrives in early 2010. Read more »

The first in a "series of short films" inspired by Assassin's Creed II has been released by publisher Ubisoft, providing a fourteen minute glimpse into the life of Giovanni Auditore da Firenze--the father of Assassin's Creed II protagonist Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

The videos were crafted with the help of Ubisoft subsidiary Hybride, a visual effects house known for its work on Avatar, 300 and Sin City among other films. Read more »

Progression is a very important part of games. Progressing through a game. Going from one level to the next. Completing a stage. Video games.

Eventually this lengthy Assassin's Creed 2 dev diary moves beyond the obvious and covers more detailed facets of the game's design. There's also a bonus punch. Can't go wrong there.

Though this developer diary for Assassin's Creed II is titled "All's Fair in Love and War," the "love" part doesn't really factor in. Mostly, it's about new enemy and weapon types.

Ubisoft Montreal's open-world sequel hits PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 17, with the once-simultaneous PC edition now slated to arrive during early 2010. Read more »

Leonardo da Vinci plays the Q to your 007 in Assassin's Creed II, supplying slayer Ezio with technologically advanced weapons like the "mace" and the "poison blade."

Actually, da Vinci did in fact design a number of radical weapons for the age--though he likely did not hand them out to street assassins in exchange for Kill Bux.

Assassin's Creed II arrives November 17 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Expect the PC port to show up sometime next year. Read more »

To celebrate the revelation that Heroes and Veronica Mars star Kristen Bell will reprise the role of "Lucy" in Assassin's Creed II, publisher Ubisoft sent over two screenshots from the game itself and close to a dozen pictures of the actress in the recording studio.

The open-world assassination game, which sees the mysterious Lucy assisting Desmond as he uses a specialized machine to relive the genetic memories of his ancestors, hits PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 17 and PC next year. Read more »

Having just announced Assassin's Creed II will be hitting DS too, Ubisoft has now released a Tokyo Game Show trailer for the open-world murder simulator.

Assassin's Creed 2 improves the original with more mission variety, NPC pals, more weapons and the joys of an economy, hitting Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on November 20 with the PC release delayed until early 2010 "To deliver the best quality game." Read more »

Once slated to arrive alongside its PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 brethren on November 17, the PC release of Assassin's Creed II has now been pushed into early 2010.

"Assassin's Creed 2 PC has moved to the first quarter of 2010," Ubisoft revealed via Twitter. "A bit more time for the dev team to deliver the best quality game to you." Read more »

Ubisoft's video diary series for Assassin's Creed II continues below, with the Ubisoft Montreal development team talking up the sequel's more varied mission structure.

The open-world action game hits PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 17.

To mark the conclusion of PAX 09, Ubisoft has issued a six-and-a-half-minute video walkthrough of Assassin's Creed II that summarizes what was on display at the show.

The open-world murder simulator sequel, once again crafted by Ubisoft Montreal, arrives on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and now iPhone come November 17, 2009.