Famed assassin Ezio surely has his fair share of enemies as the current main character in the Assassin's Creed series, but he's about to add millions more. Xbox 360 and PC users have apparently been snubbed from the online beta of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.
The top-selling action franchise will, for the first time, have a robust online multiplayer mode when the latest entry to the series ships November 16 on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. But only PS3 users have been promised the chance to test out the online action in an exclusive beta next month.
Beginning August 9, anyone who pre-orders Assassin's Creed Brotherhood on PS3 will receive a "token" which will grant access to the beta when it goes live on September 13. Those who already pre-ordered will be able to step into GameStop and pick up their token any time after next week.
Publisher Ubisoft confirmed the news today in a press release, saying, "The pre-launch beta will feature brand new multiplayer gameplay and serve as a final stress test for the online systems of the game, allowing fans to get a glimpse of the one-of-a-kind gameplay."
So, don't mind the fact that more people will probably be playing the game over Xbox Live than on the PlayStation Network, and thus a true "stress test" would be more useful on the Xbox 360. The only real stress here is on Sony's pocketbook and whether or not whatever deal it brokered with Ubisoft will be worth it in the end. Or perhaps the 360 and PC betas are tied to the Best Buy or Amazonpre-order campaignsand just weren’t announced in today’s press release.
All is not lost if you plan on playing the game on Xbox 360 or PC, though. Pre-order for either of those platforms through GameStop and you still get the exclusive in-game "Harlequin" character. Best Buy preorders will apparently earn you “The Officer”, but we can’t imagine a world in which the Harlequin isn’t the cooler of the two.
Above: Pre-order exclusive: Harlequin character in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
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