Ubisoft’s UK marketing boss Murray Pannell has suggested that the Assassin’s Creed franchise will be as big as Grand Theft Auto “in the not-too-distant-future.”

Speaking to Eurogamer this morning, Pannel said: “To be honest, I’m not sure we’re [as big as GTA] yet. But I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t get there at some point in the not-too-distant future.”

There’s certainly some way to go, if sales figures are anything to go by. In the Spring, Assassin’s Creed II had sold an impressive nine million copies in the past year – but GTAIV had hit 15 million in the same timeframe (although GTAIV had been on the market for longer).

Pannel continued: “It’s fair to say Assassin’s 1 promised a lot and slightly under-delivered in terms of gameplay. Assassin’s 2 promised even more and actually this time delivered on it. And I believe quality of the game will be a fundamental part of positioning ourselves in that blockbuster franchise space.”