Watch Dogs to Inspire Assassin’s Creed 5?

Assassin’s Creed is perhaps the most successful Ubisoft franchise of all time, but it’s reached its apex in the midst of current-gen consoles. Speaking to GameReactor, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag designer Jean-Sebastien Decant reveals that it may be open world action hacking title Watch Dogs that will define the next generation.

“Watch Dogs is kind of showing us the path for the future. I think we’re going toward a gaming place where the open world will be shared with other players. More and more. Socially speaking, but also maybe multiplayer stuff. And we will have to consider the open world much more like a platform that we could sustain for years.”

Considering that more open world games are aiming to integrate online play in new ways without severely impacting the player’s main game – and even a few such as Destiny, The Division and The Crew which have you online and playing alongside other players – Watch Dogs looks to be a strong foundation for this trend.

Will it go on to inspire the next Assassin’s Creed as well? We’ll see how it pans out when it launches on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U and PC in early 2014.