Assassin's Creed is an annual franchise, but a recent survey from publisher Ubisoft indicates that the company may be second-guessing its current business model, reports The Gaming Liberty.
The poll teases a new co-op mode, gauges interest in the American frontier setting, and asks if fans would like to see the return of protagonists Connor Kenway and Desmond.
One question in particular reads, "If it was to become available next year, how likely are you to purchase the next Assassin's Creed game?" Franchise fatigue has become commonplace in the industry, a complaint that many gamers and critics alike began to take note of upon the 2011 release of Assassin's Creed: Revelations, the last chapter of Ezio Auditore's story.
Assassin's Creed 3 introduced several new gameplay mechanics and implemented an upgraded game engine, which resulted in 3.5 million copies sold in its first week alone, twice that of Revelations, according to IGN.
Ubisoft also asks how attractive the "possibility for a friend to join the game in order to help [you] at any time during the solo mode" is for players. The Creed franchise introduced multiplayer in Brotherhood, but has refrained letting it bleed into the narrative mode since its inception.
Additional questions pry into fans' "enjoyment or dissatisfaction with Assassin's Creed 3's gameplay, combat, and story," according to Gamespot.
Assassin's Creed 3 features a new engine known as Anvil Next, which introduces all-new situational animations, increases the amount of non-playable characters (NPC's) that can inhabit the game space, and allows players to fluidly navigate the uneven surfaces and tree branches of the American frontier.