this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2024
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Ubisoft Exec Says Gamers Need to Get 'Comfortable' Not Owning Their Games for Subscriptions to Take Off::An executive at Assassin’s Creed maker Ubisoft has said gamers will need to get “comfortable” not owning their games before video game subscriptions truly take off.

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[–] MeanEYE@lemmy.world 17 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Snarky comments and people joking about Ubisoft's practices but in reality many if not most will simply accept that, spread their butt-cheeks and prepare for all the shoddy practices to be rammed up their ass. Once they get one foot in the door it's just incremental steps from there, be it visual downgrades, selling experience boosters for games they made slower on purpose, day one DLCs, pre-orders, special editions, accounts for "offline" game, etc. Anything goes if they can squeeze another dollar from their customers. There's a message stronger than words when Ubisoft is constantly voted most hated company and yet remains one of the biggest.

Not sure what to tell you masochistic fans but Eves said spread the cheeks some more, there's nothing else for you to do obviously. Bend over.

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[–] Skkorm@lemmy.world 17 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Imagine playing a Ubisoft game

[–] EmergMemeHologram@startrek.website 7 points 2 years ago (4 children)

I tried to play an assassin's creed game but it required an Ubisoft account and signing their privacy policy. For an offline game on my console, why?!

Unfortunately I do have an Ubisoft account now so I can play Anno 1602 -- the remaster/updated version is only on Ubisoft.

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[–] CriticalMiss@lemmy.world 17 points 2 years ago

I’m already confident with having 0 Ubisoft games in my library.

[–] Blackmist@lemmy.world 17 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Not really, Ubisoft.

Much like music, movies and TV, you just need to make sure your content is both available for purchase for people who don't want a subscription and consistently available on a subscription service for those that do.

It's when you start fucking around and taking them off again because somebody else is offering you more for exclusivity that we get pissed off and just pirate things. You can't expect Assassin's Creed Black Flag to still be making you a noticeable amount of money, but a subscriber can rightfully expect it to be on your service.

I'm of the opinion that if a game is on a subscription service, be it PSN or Game Pass, then it should stay there except in very extreme circumstances. A game can take weeks to play through, and it's only going to take one large game going AWOL at 90% completion for me to sour on the whole idea.

[–] arc@lemm.ee 16 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (7 children)

Subscriptions are taking off, just not Ubisoft subscriptions because most of their games are derivative shit.

And personally I don't have an objection with the concept of subscription as an option. It's no worse than streaming music or videos, or renting a DVD / VHS back when. But whatever the service is will have to have a LOT of content, not just back catalogue but new stuff too with fair & reasonable terms for people to want to subscribe. If Ubisoft wants to ever see its stuff streamed it will have to be as part of some other, better service than the one they offer that's for sure.

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[–] kworpy@lemm.ee 16 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I love hearing these stories of big gaming companies being shitty as usual, knowing I only play indie games and I'm not giving theme a dime

[–] Mago@lemmy.world 16 points 2 years ago

Ubisoft needs to get used to me never buying their repetative lazy games every again.

What a shame. FC3, 4 and primal are some of my favorite games..

[–] CoolSouthpaw@lemmy.world 16 points 2 years ago

What a fucking piece of shit. Yuck.

[–] WindowsEnjoyer@sh.itjust.works 15 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Ubisoft and EA are the only games I pirate. Fuck those shitty cancer companies.

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[–] Chessmasterrex@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Pretty easy to not own a Ubisoft game. Assassin's Creed and Far Cry series are pretty boring IMO.

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[–] Drinvictus@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 2 years ago

Ubisoft doing God's work.

And by that I mean not having their games available on steam so I cannot purchase them.

[–] Caligvla@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 2 years ago

That's okay, you just need to get comfortable with me pirating your games... Then again that's Ubisoft, I don't think I even want to pirate their stuff.

[–] dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's hard to not be cynical about this pattern. To me, it's starting to look like a lot of companies are setting up long-term plans to weather a recession, and patiently wait for baselines to shift in order to normalize stuff like this.

Another way to frame it is, given enough time, a business will ultimately engage in rent seeking behavior if they see no alternative to adding value. Which kind of makes sense, as Ubisoft now builds absolutely monster sized games (e.g. Assassin's Creed 22 - Find all the Things Edition), with all the DLC, online content, and cosmetic bolt-ons imaginable; they've saturated that market. There's literally nowhere else for them to go, unless they take on much bigger risks like building a whole new franchise or two.

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[–] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 12 points 2 years ago

I am comfortable, it is called piracy. Just try me.

[–] vermyndax@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago

UbiSoft needs to get comfortable with execs not making sales targets.

[–] anarchyrabbit@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago

This is one positive about the Switch, cartridges are still a thing and I hope this trend continues with future Nintendo releases. Other than that fuck this, if that's their stance I will be comfortable to sail the high seas.

[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 12 points 2 years ago

oh, i forgot that it's 2024 and video games haven't really "taken off" yet

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago

MMO without the MM

[–] Embarrassingskidmark@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago

But I don't want subscriptions to take off...

[–] maness300@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago

Just downloaded the original Assassin's Creed from JC141 and I'm having a blast.

It's crazy how much ubisoft games have fallen.

[–] Dariusmiles2123@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 years ago

I’m not necessarily against one subscription service having a ton of games from a lot of developers. The problem is that a ubisoft service isn’t gonna have games from everyone and that playing a full game takes me 2-3 months with the time I have. Just buying the game is probably cheaper for me and gives me more guarantees.

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 8 points 2 years ago

I think he said the quiet part loud and the loud part quiet....

[–] Holyginz@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

I dont want to pay a subscription for a bunch of games I'm not interested in. I want to buy and own the specific games I want to play. Fuck off ubisoft

[–] WaxedWookie@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

We need time get comfortable trusting games companies that have the track record they do not to fuck customers that have trusted they'll continue to provide access to their games rather than arbitrarily removing them, adding game-ruining monetisation, fucking with subscription prices gating access to their libraries and generally acting like shady arseholes?

Suuure - sign me up.

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