This is the news I've been hoping for, as I'm certain have many others. The upcoming Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag will not, I repeat, not play into old pirate stereotypes. This is according to Lead Content Manager Carsten Myhill (see below) in an interview with MCV. Give the franchises track record for historical accuracy and wholesale rejection of tropes and cliché, it's unfortunate that this is something which needed to be said, but I'm also extremely glad that it has been. All too often pirates are turned into a depressingly trite caricature of pop culture icons, when the truth is much uglier. Many of those who romanticise the sea faring 'anti-villains' are about due for a dose of reality. And Black Flag is promising, for some at least, to provide just that. Agree or disagree with my critical standpoint, the fact remains, this is the route they have chosen. So sail on down to the comments section and applaud, or bemoan, your inability to put me to the plank.

"It's not easy. It takes a very talented team, a lot of experience, and great tech. It's one thing having good naval combat, but combining that with good boarding and land-based gameplay in a seamless way is hard to do. We're avoiding things like walking the plank, parrots on the shoulder, and hooks for hands. We're giving pirates the 'HBO reality' treatment. And that allows us to redefine piracy in entertainment. No longer is it for kids."