Given the current state of affairs it seems probable that eventually, there will be an AC game at least partially set in modern times, Desmond isn't learning all these skills for nothing. My question is how will the AC series' game mechanics function in a setting like modern-day New York? I suppose we could still have free-running and hidden blade action but with the advent of skyscrapers, cars, mass transportation, alarms, satellite imagery, sniper rifles and so on it's hard to imagine that these elements won't be changed significantly. More than this, how will combat work with guns? Don't tell me the security guards will come at Desmond with batons and stun rods.
 
How do you think an Assassin's Creed game will work in the modern era?

It will probably work like combat with crossbows.

Why wouldn't the Templars come at him with batons and stun rods? They don't want to kill him, they want to take him alive. Some people could have guns, but the gameplay could be similar to Batman: Arkham Asylum, but Assassin's Creed.

OP just think about it real hard. In Modern times the Assassin's and Templars will still need to be descrete. Dya know those random films that involve companies kidnapping people cus they are doing some illegal stuff? It will probably be similar to that, so the Templar leader will control the company that is like some Conmputer Business and have his personal goons use weapons in search of the remaining Assassins.

" Why wouldn't the Templars come at him with batons and stun rods? They don't want to kill him, they want to take him alive. Some people could have guns, but the gameplay could be similar to Batman: Arkham Asylum, but Assassin's Creed. "

Dumpsters EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!

" Why wouldn't the Templars come at him with batons and stun rods? They don't want to kill him, they want to take him alive. Some people could have guns, but the gameplay could be similar to Batman: Arkham Asylum, but Assassin's Creed. "

Swan diving into dumpsters 
 
Crawling back out riddled with hypodermic needles 
 
GAME OVER

They could make it work easily enough, but they'd lose all of the appeal of the franchise at the same time.
 
A silenced pistol would work as a direct replacement for the current projectile weapons - they wouldn't need to make it a shooter.  Just say Desmond can't carry around anything like a rifle because he needs to stay discreet.  If you set it somewhere like the UK or... well, the UK, then regular cops don't carry guns.  London might work better than somewhere like New York anyway, because it has a decent variety of old and new buildings and it's not especially skyscraper heavy.

FUCK THAT!!!! I want it in some like chinese Ninja village.

There's definitely plenty at the end of Brotherhood to suggest that the next game is going to have a lot, if not a majority, still in the animus. Personally I hope they change the gameplay a lot for the modern stuff, and maybe make a spin-off that retains the vanilla AC experience.

" FUCK THAT!!!! I want it in some like chinese Ninja village. "

" @Cirdain said:

" FUCK THAT!!!! I want it in some like chinese Ninja village. "

While ninjas are based out of Japan and not China I would also love ninjas or Chinese villages as an AC setting. "

" @SuperBuster said:

" @Cirdain said:

" FUCK THAT!!!! I want it in some like chinese Ninja village. "

While ninjas are based out of Japan and not China I would also love ninjas or Chinese villages as an AC setting. "

What happens if set during the golden age of pirates!....Way better then ninjas...  "

" Swan diving into dumpsters  Crawling back out riddled with hypodermic needles  GAME OVER "

" @Gmanall said:

" @SuperBuster said:

" @Cirdain said:

" FUCK THAT!!!! I want it in some like chinese Ninja village. "

While ninjas are based out of Japan and not China I would also love ninjas or Chinese villages as an AC setting. "

What happens if set during the golden age of pirates!....Way better then ninjas...  "

Some sort of trolling!!!!  Pirates vs. Ninja's BEGIN!!!!!! .... *All the Pirates die mysteriously* /END "

I'm just going to say Mirror's Edge, except done better (not that I don't like that game). 
  
Seriously, though, Ubisoft has already given us a good example on how this could work with Splinter Cell: Conviction. Sure, the traversal isn't as rich or varied in Conviction, but I think it does provide some good idea of how Assassin's Creed in modern times could work when it comes to combat. While I doubt we'll be seeing Desmond with a pistol (I hope not), some combination of flashbangs and throwing knives could work equally well.  
 
I think people are over-thinking this way too much, focusing too strongly on the whole concept modern day weapons such as guns. There have been plenty of games where you outrun gun-toting enemies, while trying to avoid getting shot at. 
 
And even if the game takes place in New York, I am certain that there are plenty of ways in which Assassin's Creed's parkour (free-running) system could work in such a setting. 

Desmond runs around on the roof tops in a hoodie. Everyone whips out their cell phones and Desmond has a million views on YouTube. Crazy super hero wanna be that calls himself "Ezio the Assassin" is arrested the next day and placed in a mental hospital. Run credits.

It will be different, and may not be everyones cup of tea, but I think the way things work now will just be twisted to work within a modern day setting. I'm seriously hoping it isn't set in NYC though. You gotta have faith...
  

there will be guns and shit, but there's gonna be restrictions on using them against Desmond for whatever fucking reason.. so it'll just be hand to hand combat or sword fights etc.. but no shooting

Who knows. maybe AC3 will play like a TPS with stealth mechanics. 
 
Gears of creed!

Personally I would follow these ideas.... 
 

• More focus on staying incognito and blending into the crowd to stay undetected.
• Emphasise on non-lethal methods to distract guards and escape from them. Examples such as smoke grenades, flash bangs and flares etc.
• Both taser and regular handguns would be available, albeit in limited circulation, from fallen enemies. Equipping either would maintain the maximum notoriety level at all times until they were discarded.

NYC has too many skyscrapers for it to be the setting. 
 
You need a city that has tons of buildings but not too many skyscrapers, i'm thinking London and Paris,old cities but with some new architecture.

Don't worry, he can handle himself even with guns around ;)

I think Ubisoft can find out ways to keep the free-roam and stealth elements alive and interesting with new gadgets and new ways of getting around. What I'm most concerned about is the combat. I can't think of way to do close quarters combat in the modern era without drastically changing the gameplay that the AC series has built upon up until this point. Maybe they can implement some form of gun combat that's interesting but if AC becomes a shooter I won't want to play it. Maybe they will come up with a plot device so that guns aren't used and combat is done using futuristic blades and other similar weapons.

It's not that often that you are in mass combat though unless you have gathered the attention of all area guards. The only time I can think this was is occasionally at Borgia towers and towards the end. So close quarters can still easily be a hidden blade and Hamz had some brilliant suggestions of how it might unfold. With those implemented it will keep smoke bombs alive as if you do run into too many guards you can use a smoke bomb and then go to work with your hidden blade. The guns won't be much different from the hidden gun and also crossbows of Brotherhood, at least I can't see them being.

third person shooter but with way less ammo, make it very scarce so that you just don't use a gun all the time.  Make the assassin skills he's learned so far a big part of the game.

It won't work in open spaces and that is why the developers will pick another historic era for AC3 and have Desmond fight a little bit in rather confined spaces where the close-quarters combat doesn't seem out of place.
 
At least that's what I'm hoping for. I don't want another modern times game with guns. Zzzzzzzz....

Vanquish less crazy more acrobatics/melee combat

By 2012, the world has run out of gunpowder

" It's not that often that you are in mass combat though unless you have gathered the attention of all area guards. The only time I can think this was is occasionally at Borgia towers and towards the end. So close quarters can still easily be a hidden blade and Hamz had some brilliant suggestions of how it might unfold. With those implemented it will keep smoke bombs alive as if you do run into too many guards you can use a smoke bomb and then go to work with your hidden blade. The guns won't be much different from the hidden gun and also crossbows of Brotherhood, at least I can't see them being. "

Hot damn! After watching this clip, I wouldn't be too adverse at a little interlude or whatever taking place during WWII