Assassin's Creed III videogame orders rocket

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - French videogame titan Ubisoft on Thursday said that pre-orders for the latest installment in its blockbuster Assassin's Creed franchise have set a new company record.

Advance orders for Assassin's Creed III, being released on Tuesday for play on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 videogame consoles, were more than double those seen for the title's predecessor, which set a new high last year.

"This is the biggest launch in the company's history by two," said Ubisoft senior vice president of sales and marketing Tony Key. "We are excited." The fifth installment in the franchise will star a new hero and move the story from Europe to the United States (US) colonies during the American Revolution.

"You're going to be blown away," said Ubisoft chief executive Yves Guillemot.