Ubisoft Wants to Change the Way It Monetizes and Supports Its Games

Ubisoft is not exactly the most popular gaming company out there despite the fact that it published some of the most renowned gaming franchises such as Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry. The reason for this distrust is mainly rooted in the company’s business practices, which often involve dropping support for games shortly after their release or forcing gamers to purchase DLC packs in order to enjoy a complete gaming experience. The good news is that, according to Ubisoft’s VP of live operations Anne Blonder-Jouin, things are about to change for the better. During a recent interview, Anne revealed that the publisher wants to offer between five and ten years of support for its future games, and the monetization strategies would go through a dramatic change as well.

“Monetisation is something we have to be very careful about, and my team is in charge of that and making sure we find a right balance.”

Furthermore, she said that Ubisoft will no longer sell DLC that will complete a game’s experience.

“If I take an analogy of an amusement park, you can go through all the rides, but then you can also go to the shop to buy some food or merchandise or whatever… regardless of whether you spend in the shop, you’re still part of the whole experience. Nobody is making you buy if you don’t want to, but it is another way to have a different entertainment experience. If you’re with your kids, and there’s a toy you want to get, we will make sure it is an extra experience. It won’t be the case if you don’t buy it then you can’t do anything else.

It wouldn’t work if it was about making it compulsory for gamers. No more DLC that you have to buy if you want to have the full experience. You have the game, and if you want to expand it – depending on how you want to experience the game – you’re free to buy it, or not.”

Currently, these strategies are being applied for Rainbow Six Siege, and they seem to be working out quite well so far. We’ll just have to wait and see if Ubisoft will keep its promise for future titles.