Getting Players Used to "Not Owning Games” One of Ubisoft's Goals
Changes to Ubisoft's offerings are only part of the French corporation's larger plans. The producer of the Assassin's Creed series wants the community to come to terms with the currently trending method of game distribution.
Many players still prefer physical editions of games. Soon, however, they will have not only to reconcile with the absence of these, but also with the awareness that the purchased games will not even be their property. Ubisoft wants to help them adapt to the new reality.
On the occasion of the announcement of two new subscription plans, the director of services at Ubisoft, Philippe Tremblay, stated that the company is very satisfied with this form of distribution and plans to develop it further, also for PCs.
I don't have a crystal ball, but when you look at the different subscription services that are out there, we've had a rapid expansion over the last couple of years, but it's still relatively small compared to the other models. We're seeing expansion on console as the likes of PlayStation and Xbox bring new people in. On PC, from a Ubisoft standpoint, it's already been great, but we are looking to reach out more on PC, so we see opportunity there (via GamesIndustry.biz).
Not owning games is more comfortable
Tremblay emphasized that he's aware that players are still accustomed to having their own game collection on a shelf. However, Ubisoft wants to show them that buying a title that will not technically belong to them is more comfortable. According to a Ubisoft representative, it would be good if the community noticed the convenience of "not owning games."
One of the things we've noticed is that players are accustomed â?? a bit like former DVD market customers â?? to buying and owning games outright. This is exactly what needs to change in consumer awareness. 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 aspectâ?¦ 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 is streaming
According to Tremblay, the future of gaming lies in streaming because gamers will only be able to pay for access to games when they actually want to play them. In his opinion, this is a much more beneficial option than a fixed fee in a subscription model.
I still have two boxes of DVDs. I definitely understand the gamers perspective with that. But as people embrace that model, they will see that these games will exist, the service will continue, and you'll be able to access them when you feel like. That's reassuring.
Despite ambitious plans, Ubisoft is not yet planning to abandon the traditional game distribution model. Nevertheless, one should prepare for the fact that in the coming years the company will increasingly encourage customers to change their current habits.
