Ubisoft Wants Players To 'Feel Comfortable Not Owning Games' In Future

I am comfortable with that. What I'm not comfortable with is supporting one publisher who thinks their small library is worth more than game pass.

No thanks, I'll continue to stay "uncomfortable" knowing that I'm not actually owning the stuff i spend money on.

It's more than just ubisoft that wants this. All the major publishers would rather we live in a world where you have to pay them a monthly sub for access to their content instead of a one time payment for lifetime access to each game.

Luckily the sub services are not at risk of replacing purchasing games.

If I really like a game, I buy it. If I'm not sure, I'm glad for Game Pass.
I would have never bought Lies of P, but I enjoyed it. Not interested in owning it since I can't see myself playing it again.
At the end of the day, the decision of owning (or not) a game it's still in the player's hand.

I’m probably one of the oldest gamers on here and grown up with physical media of all types more than most.
But when CDs and Blu rays went I embraced it and love digital, so easy and convenient.
All my three consoles are all digital right now and I would never want to go back to physical for any of my media.
I thought being an old person it would be me rebelling against all digital but overtime I’ve come to embrace

As long as I have an option to “buy” a game and not deal with subscriptions, I don’t care, but the day where subscribing to several publishers is the only way to play their games, well that’s just miserable. I will keep praying that never happens.

@Kaloudz I think the vast majority of people don’t return to play old games again, outside of re-releases maybe. But I’m always returning to old games, but I acknowledge it isn’t all that common. I often worry about the future landscape of games because I’m weird and an outlier basically 😆

Im more than comfortable not owning ubisoft games already also very comfortable not playing one again as well if that helps ha

I dont even subscribe to gamepass. i dont fel comfortable with this model at all. I still buy all my games.

@Kaloudz I think that would drive me crazy. I get frustrated that I don’t have enough time in life to play my old favourites AND play new ones. I envy you because it would be liberating to just look forward and never look back. 😅

I'm sure this is being run with hard in the anti-Gamepass corners of the internet. But everywhere is deliberately leaving out this part of the interview:

"The point is not to force users to go down one route or another," he explains. "We offer purchase, we offer subscription, and it's the gamer's preference that is important here. We are seeing some people who buy choosing to subscribe now, but it all works."

Subscription services are an EXPANSION of player choice, not a reduction. No one can name a single game that is only available through one of these streaming services.

@Fishticon Exactly. I'm a fan of a lot of Ubi games but as a company they make so many terrible decisions on so many levels that I'm not so sure anyone wants to hear from them on "state of the industry" issues.

@OldGamer999
I'm 43 and I feel the complete opposite to you.
I hate digital/Streaming!
I want to own. I want to see what I've spent my hard earned money on!

I do like gamepass because it will let me try a game and see if it's any good before I buy it physically.
That Ghost game in Japan sounded great but I didn't enjoy it so I'm glad I didn't buy it.

TMNT Shredder's Revenge... I played it with my wife, we both enjoyed it. I just bought the Anniversary edition for the Switch, physically!

I have over 10,000 Blu-ray, 1,000 4kUHDs and about 800 DVDs.
I no longer have a CD collection, I got rid (sold) of them close to 20 years ago.

You can't sell off a streaming collection. It's a waste of money.

@InvaderFromSpace it’s weird that this site would do that, but yeah I pointed it out over on pushsquare, and it’s been pointed out on EG too.

I’ve been digital only since my Xbox One. I don’t miss physical media at all but I’ll go so far as one subscription for games and Co am very happy with Game Pass. I’m not adding a bolt on for every Tom, Dick & Harry out there. Just the one subscription for music and three for TV/movies (two are likely to get cut upon renewal this year) but that’s it. I haven’t the time to make use of every subscription service out there - quality over quantity - and Ubisoft haven’t a huge no. Of games/franchises in their favour. I can live without Assassin’s Creed if needed…

@Spider-Kev
Everyone’s different and I have friends with collections like yourself.
I just prefer the simplicity of it all and the free flowing nature of it.
I remember selling my VHS and CD and DVD collection, seems so long ago.

@OldGamer999 I'm old and I can see myself, quite happily, avoiding the next console generation entirely. Subscription only gaming isn't for me.

I have an NES, Game Boy and Master System backlog crying out for attention.

I prefer to own games I love, same with books, board games, music and some movies. Even if I won't play them again. Those collections gave me well-being and a personal place. It's a special relationship between you and those objects.

I don't want to live in a culture where everything is consumable contents, and there are not heritable works anymore.

@Spider-Kev I'm with you my friend. I use Game Pass as a sample shop to try games that were never on my radar or I think I'll like but have had mixed reviews.

Streaming only via subscription is not how I want to play my games.

Netflix, Disney+ and all the others (apart from Prime) don't even allow you to buy anything digitally.

This console gen will probably be my last and I'll work through some of the games I own forever.

@Spider-Kev That's one of the most overlooked benefits of Game Pass: the try-before-you-buy approach.

I have tried many games on GP that I've bought afterwards (maybe on Switch, maybe on a sale).

I didn’t now this but the UK is the biggest game market in the whole of Europe.
Does anyone now which country is like first and second etc in the world?

With all the streaming services out there on TV, I have found myself canceling everything and going back to cable. Game companies don’t seem to realize that they are only destroying their value by focusing on only streaming and subscription services. At the end of the day, your product becomes intangible and I would rather spend $70 on something I will have vs $100 a year on something I don’t.

@OldGamer999 from wat i’ve read it’s the Filipino gamers, then Indonesia, then Vietnamese.

I, for one, am definitely comfortable not owning Ubisoft games 👍

@jikflet It's actually a good deal but creates a big backlog of games to play there's to much choice if that's a problem and it is but in a good way sort of I'm undecided i bought a fair few games over Xmas but just keep playing gears6 now for some reason or eafc so the backlog is mighty

@themightyant Then there ubisoft+ idea will eventually fail or just get by no single game publisher can charge that much for just there games look at ea access or whatever it's called now dirt cheap from the get go and better games than Unisofts cut and paste games

Meanwhile I'm looking for websites that specifically list Series X games that are 100% installable and playable from the disc, even if you may not have the latest version.

I want my buying discs to actually have me owning them.

If its a subscription only item it's going to be a single play though and for TV streaming services it watch what you like then cancel the subscription until there is more games you want to play or movies you want to watch.

I think that it's comfortable for most of Xbox players, but not for me. I just thought that I don't want to buy or even play in modern Ubisoft games.

@jikflet

I'm the same. No GP, no subs, just purchase single-player games only, and plan to re-play everything. Except, sometimes I do GP or other subs for a month to try things I'm not so sure about out.

You're too late Ubisoft. Xbox already conditioned their playerbase.

@Kaloudz
You a smart chap what happens on the below

Is also very interesting what happens when you pass away even if you have say 20 digital games you own. Do they go to your estate and in the will. Also if you have left your estate to someone how do they get hold of the digital games and make them legally their own.
It wouldn’t surprise if the whole legal system in the UK is way behind working all this out.
I mean if it’s a bank account with money in it, you show probate and death certificate and then you get the money in the account.

Ubisoft is trying hard to be Bobby kotick’s Activision like.

@OldGamer999 In the US it is treated as property and works the same way. Microsoft even has a place to set the up in the Microsoft account.

@Markatron84 I came here to say that 😂

@Kaloudz
I get what you mean but if I passed away tomorrow or game until I die, then they should be part of your inheritance and accessible the same as other things like money or the actual console itself to your beneficiaries.

The more digital media grows the more this needs sorting out.

@__jamiie I'm 61 and feel the same way.

How's that "all digital future" sooooo many people are wanting sooo much working out the you?

EVERY day writing is on the wall MORE and MORE just how bad an idea it really, truly is. Hope people wake up soon.

I like to own my games. I still buy mostly physical. I like having what I want on a shelf and deciding when I want to play it, even if it’s a year or 2 from now. Or deciding I want to replay a game years later

And how will I continue to access my save file and progress in The Crew when you have turned off the servers?

Depends on the Gamer.

There are precisely 2 games I have a mild interest in playing on the Ubisoft library.

I have 5 - 10 hours avaliable for gaming each week so for me it would be cheaper to pick these games up second hand or on sale rather than paying to rent them for the year it would take to finish them.

Unless there is loads of content and a ridiculously cheap price I'll always buy over renting.

Cool so I'll keep my old Ubisoft games that are niche because they won't do anything with them. Those great old mechanics can stay behind and my great examples in areas and they can keep wasting their time with games I don't care about. I've bought more retro games these past few years, less modern games that's for sure. Not a single subscription service. Many of the games may be the same price or higher than the subscription but I know what I'm buying, what risks of condition, what hour counts they have and more for the price.

I mean if it comes down to a Will, who gets access to the games from the family? That's a question I want Ubisoft and other companies to answer. What removal of games from accounts if it's untouched. Or the person is dead or whatever the case. They remove games whenever they feel like it from their services and don't want to support them for whatever reason. Singleplayer, live service, multiplayer, music, advertising, actors voices, whatever reason they want or have to any day/time in the future.

They could go yeah our licensing is this but 'will we be fair about progress for our 100+ hour games you have however much time to play, dedicate your time to it and money to only us and remove your data and the game when we say so', and what not but uh yeah sorry we have to be more greedy and more in our favour as a company and push 'it's our license your accessing and we say and do what we want with it'. Like I already don't know that.

If the game sucks in my mind I don't mind a online singleplayer game dying because I already saw no appeal in it anyway. If it did well I usually can let it go anyway as online singleplayer isn't for me. If my console has saves online (their servers) and local to my console sure. If it's cloud based well..... better hope the algorithm doesn't delete temp/local files or else well goodbye all the progress then and stuck on the server or deleted there too.

If it's a disk I have whatever data they give me on it. Whatever on the hard drive from there of downloaded updates, save files and more. Stealthly seeking out accounts and deleting the data too I guess in the case of the Sony Discovery tv shows and movies. If they go that far to remove things if synced online or offline and not backed up or whatever DRM or other things of possibility.

If it's updated often and dies and I have enough locally then cloud (hence cloud being tricky but if SNES Satelliview had to have it local enough on the cart well that's why people had the ability to archive those games but if streaming is there temp files or does the game have a removal algorithm, probably I assume to stop that).

I can do more with the data in some form and if people have unofficial servers or work around they will find a way if they care enough about the game. If I choose to or keep it physical and in good condition besides the digital security of it.

I can play it whenever (I don't go and play multiplayer games like revived Warhawk or anything I don't even own the game but obviously many people do and unofficial revival projects exist in places) because I have access to it and care about the product they have made. Not something to pass the time.

If Ubisoft wants me to treat their games like they are nothing then fine by me. If they want me to care about their products for money they need to try harder.

I shouldn't value their games like nothing then shouldn't I but if they don't respect their products or people's time and just want money then why should people care to put more than minutes into their games let alone profile/save data at all to sell to them or not even give to them at all and never touch their games.

I didn't even start the Prince of Persia demo because it went nope need a Ubisoft account and I went nope. I'll just watch footage of the game instead. I still haven't but I could. I don't need 100s of accounts to sell my data to these companies when I only play their old games anyways if I even see a need to pick them up in the first place because they have compelling mechanics and aren't trying to get more money.

If they want us to not care about their products in any means even besides the licensing messaging just say so and we won't buy their games simple as that. But if they want us to forget their games, their brands well why push them so much to get money and get us interested?

Symantics I swear.

I don't buy old games just because oh I want it to suit me of ownership it's so I can play their games and respect the mechanics and design in it. Respect the art. Companies don't care about art and for understandable reasons and that's on them.

I'm not convinced if I don't see something appealing and I don't see many modern games being appealing of game design let alone worth my time via games versus a book, versus drawing or anything that isn't funding some business at all and relaxing. Using games as examples is great. Youtubers use games and other entertainment in forms of essays for a reason. They make for good discussions and thinking.

Games being more bland and money makers makes me care less.

Foamstars has no mechanics charm of Splatoon at all. Yet I came up with 5+ mechanics and modes for the game it doesn't have that's how dull it looks. I had more fun coming up with ideas for the game then the game itself. XD

Now more than ever I’m buying physical copies of films and games. I want to own my library and take it offline anytime I choose.

Physical media won't die any decade soon. As long as there's car boot sales and second hand shops, Physical media is here to stay. I do enjoy digital for ease of use but will always buy special editions or games/movies I love.
Our game room would look quite empty without the ability to sit back, game and bask in the collection we have built.
Also I'm pretty sure in the T&Cs every sub service states you don't actually own the game. You're basically renting it forever.
Some have asked about what happens when you die. It's the same as your email account, you can't legally xfer it to someone else, nor can you xfer your digital library. No biggie really.
I mean how many members of your immediate family are also avid gamers?
You can potentially leave a written record of all your logins and passes, but then, even with your permission no one but you can legally access that content. That is considered fraud.

@ChopstickPhilly don’t let them control the narrative? Is it more about ‘owning’ the game or being about to say in 10 years I want to play this old favourite of mine this weekend?

I think it’s the latter and without ownership how do we access our own personal favourites in the future. We can’t rely on everyone’s fav being on future consoles or on the streaming service at the time we want it to be.

Basically his comment makes no sense other than to serve some agenda in the gaming exec world.

I’m ok renting games I. Don’t card much about and want to try. Stuff I really like I want to own. Don’t care if it is music, movies or yes, especially games. The day they take that out then I’ll use piracy.

@jikflet Nice to hear mate.I unsubbed 3 months back because I have issues supporting this model when so many devs and companies are closing. Of course its great value, thats not the point to me. I'm and Ex dev who wants to support current devs and de-valuing games is certainly not making peoples jobs any more secure.
Its complicated I know, and I have no issue with anyone else doing whats best for them, my issues are mine.

I love digital but I still feel like I own my games, even if it's not physical media anymore.
When you put your trust into an ecosystem
(the Xbox ecosystem in my and most of us here's case) you know that as long as it's there, you have access and more importantly control over your games.
That's why people outrage when it's rumoured that Xbox is going multiplat as a publisher
(as they should), because it punches a big hole in the trust of something intangible.
But to the CEO of Ubisoft, I actually think he's got it wrong.
Gaming will never be like the transition in movie and film because something like Netflix is different to gaming.
When you consume Netflix, it's more of a
"Ok what do I watch tonight?" as in you don't have ultimate control over what you are going to choose.
Gaming has always been the media that gives you control so when you sit down to play it's not "what do I play tonight", it's "I want to play this game specifically"
No one will ever take that level of control from gaming because it's already ingrained in it as a form of media.

Only 96 years to go, fellas. Then our grandchildren will feast on games that the public domain owns.

Both have pro's/con's but I would still rather have the choice to buy or rent.

This isn't just about 'Physical' vs 'Digital' and/or 'game' preservation. Your N64 cartridges aren't 'better' preserved 20+ yrs later than digital just because you can still 'play' it as long as you still have the obsolete 'hardware' to play it on. Its not 'easy' to connect an N64 to modern TV's without buying converters and if your Hardware (console, controller, Memory paks etc) stop working, your 'cartridge' is useless. Same with Discs - you can't put your PS3 disc in a PS5 to play it. You need a 'working' PS3 - something 'obsolete'. If you want a 'specific' game, there is no guarantee you'll find a 'working' copy or working hardware to play in the future, the right 'devices' to play it on.

I had boxes of games from the 80's - all on tape but required various obsolete 'computer' systems and working tape deck to 'work'. Even if I sold them at a car boot, they'd be 'sold as seen' no guarantee they still load/work.

Digital is perhaps no better but whilst you have access, its always the most up to date version for whatever 'hardware' you bought it for and can still use in the future. At least with 'physical' there is a chance you can still play your games 20yrs+ later.

Owning Digital perhaps makes less sense in peoples eyes because you have that fear of losing resale value or what if they take it away - well then why buy? why waste your money on something when you can binge game with rental services and 'selectively' buy whatever 'games' you want physically/digitally

But at the end of the day - I still advocate for choice even if I rarely buy Physical these days and use 'rental' services instead of paying money for games I'll likely end up boxing up and never seeing again...

@Fishticon Ubisoft is asking quite a bit for a limited library compared to Xbox Game Pass.

Not that I want Game Pass Ultimate to increase price but perhaps they'll make some arrangement in 2024 to heavily discount or include on Game Pass Ultimate.

Unfortunately, Ubisoft and other game houses achieve the goal in an opposite way: they simply SHUT DOWN THE GAMES YOU OWN. And despite customers bought it, they have nothing.

For example The Crew is about to be shut down in March and will become totally unplayable even for players who bought it.

So how is it different from the subscription-based service? In both cases they eventually remove the game from you.

Very true about things like Netflix and Spotify, gaming has been a bit slower to move over but I can see it happening in the next 5 -10 years.

@Mince please spot the sarcasm in my comment