Ubisoft suggests players need to “get comfortable” with not owning games.
Ubisoft suggests players need to “get comfortable” with not owning games
The company, which has produced titles like ‘Assassin’s Creed’ and ‘Far Cry’, has seen a huge influx in users of Ubisoft+, which allows players to stream digital games, though has emphasised that a shift away from physical media “needs to happen”.
In an interview with GamesIndustry, Ubisoft’s Director of Subscriptions Philippe Tremblay said:
“One of the things we saw is that gamers are used to, a little bit like DVD, having and owning their games. That’s the consumer shift that needs to happen. They got comfortable not owning their CD collection or DVD collection.
“That’s a transformation that’s been a bit slower to happen in games. As gamers grow comfortable in that aspect … you don’t lose your progress. If you resume your game at another time, your progress file is still there. That’s not been deleted. You don’t lose what you’ve built in the game or your engagement with the game.
“So it’s about feeling comfortable with not owning your game.”
The Ubisoft boss then revealed the company was “ok” with some of the drawbacks of their subscription model, namely gamers playing a title, then cancelling their subscription in order to purchase the game elsewhere.
He said: “There are multiple behaviours. There are definitely a lot of people who come in for one game and then decide to buy it after the subscription ends. That’s part of the reality and that’s ok with us.”