The developer of Assassin’s Creed Shadows revealed its views on the current video game market in a recent report. However, Ubisoft believes that subscriptions and free-to-play games impact the success of “full games”.
In recent years, the way we consume video games has evolved significantly. Due to inflation and the development of dematerialized gaming, many users have opted for these alternatives, to free-to-play games or for subscriptions like Xbox Game Pass. Moreover, the observation applies both to gaming on PC and on home consoles.
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If these low-cost alternatives (or even free for titles like Honkai: Star Rail, Roblox, Fortnite or Valorant) appeal to the public, the new products offered at 60, 70 or even 90 euros are having difficulty attracting players. In any case, that’s what Ubisoft says in a financial report published in the United Kingdom.
The traditional model of purchasing video games dethroned by subscriptions and free alternatives
The creators ofAssassin’s Creed ShadowsStar Wars Outlaws and Skull and Bones explain in this document that “ many new games (struggled) to stand out » and that many now experience difficulty in “ achieve the sales levels they could have achieved » in the past. However, according to its representatives, the traditional economic model of the game would not be able to compete with new ways of playing.
In this same document, they state that the fact of spending between 60 and 80 euros on a video game (during a single purchase such as the acquisition of a physical game) is a phenomenon which is losing its scale. Conversely, consumers would prefer to spend their money more responsibly in “ subscription services, long-term game-services, free-to-play games and cloud gaming ».
« Some notable exceptions »
This observation also concerns Ubisoft which has been confronted with several commercial failures, whether Star Wars Outlaws or XDefiant. If this has an impact on new franchises, licenses well known to the public continue to stand outlike the Assassin’s Creed games and in particular Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Even if ” some notable exceptions » remain, the future is very uncertain at Ubisoft. After its stock market listing was suspended and the publication of its latest financial report was postponed, rumors about the studio and publisher multiplied. In particular, some believe that the company will be acquired very soon, but no statement has yet been made on the subject.
