A few weeks ago, French game developer Ubisoft announced they would be putting together a team that would be the last line of defense against remarkable game franchises being made into mediocre movie adaptations. After starting the studio, which is headed by film executive Jean-Julien Baronnet, Ubisoft has already gone underway to bring three notable franchises to the screen. These franchises are Assasin's Creed, Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon and are all planned to be released in 3D.

In an interview with Variety, Baronnet explained that the company

"has been working with the games' producers and Ubisoft's marketing team to identify the DNA of each game and come up with storylines that are consistent." He also stated that the projects have generated plenty of interest "from US studios and screenwriters."

It looks like, according to the newly instated senior VP of international marketing and distribution Jean de Rivieres. a script for at least one of these franchises will be ready within the year.

This is pretty exciting news, to see a company personally take their intellectual property into another medium rather than just let another company do it without adequate supervision. Gamers won't just appreciate any old video game adaptation (see The Rock in Doom) but Ubisoft has the right attitude here. If you want something done right, do it yourself, and that's exactly what Ubisoft is doing, at least from an administrative standpoint.

[Joystiq]