The Assassin's Creed video game series -- beyond its trademark murderous historical fiction -- is known for arriving in annual installments. 2013 is no exception, with French publisher Ubisoft recently revealing Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, a pirate-centric next entry in the long-running franchise.

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There will also be exclusive titles for the Vita, like "Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified" and "Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, " featuring a female lead assassin.

CNN: Sony highlights mature games, cross-play at E3

" In recent years, the old-school "Thief" games have been eclipsed by other titles that have improved upon the genre, including Ubisoft's "Assassin's Creed" and "Splinter Cell" series and Arkane Studios' "Dishonored.

NPR: 'Thief' Slithering Into Next Generation Of Games