Its why their stock was so high and at least partially why theyve been suffering as of late. They’ve completely enshittified their portfolio and cant milk any more out of fed up users. They chose not to innovate content and instead found new ways to pump up numbers for short term shareholder returns.
Im sure they haven’t learned and will only innovate more ways to enshittify themselves as that is their MO.
The markets probably didn’t like all the cancelled games in the pipeline but a reset is probably for the best. Their main franchises have gotten steadily worst. I used to look forward to their games, now I don’t even buy them on special.
Tbh, they cancelled the prince of Persia remake. I don’t think we know what the other games were. I know it’s a popular franchise but I hate remakes, they always end up being a cash grab. Open world is kind of their bread and butter but it’s been mostly shit, so if they focus on the quality aspect, it might turn it around.
I don’t really dig live service but r6 siege was one so maybe we can get another gem or two like it.
They certainly can be cash grabs but I wouldn’t say always. Usually it’s the low effort remasters that don’t warrant rebuying at full price as they’re mostly a technical refresh (with mixed results based on how much they tried).
Remake implies them remaking the game instead of upgrading it where you get things like the ffvii remakes or the upcoming dragon quest vii which looks pretty good. Sometimes they miss but I wouldn’t call them a cash grab as it still takes significant investment.
I am fairly confident they are one of the companies where when you launch the game you purchased through steam it redirects you to the ubisoft launcher like how some Microsoft games in steam prompt a xbox login. Forza Horizon 5, I’m looking at you.
Not only that, but true to Ubisoft form, many Uplay DRM games still require Steam if you buy them through Steam, so you actually must have both launchers running to play, not just Ubisoft’s. If you start it from Uplay (yeah, I know, it’s “Ubisoft Connect” now), it will start Steam up. Steam doesn’t require this–lots of Steam games don’t require Steam’s DRM. It’s completely Ubisoft’s choice to force Steam DRM on top of their own DRM.
People always seem to forget stream DRM is ENTIRELY optional and a developer choice.
And beyond that 90% of the games people think use steam drm don’t actually use it. The only reason steam needs to run is because of the steam overlay. Remove the dll that hooks into steam for the overlay and the vast VASTY majority of all games on steam are entirely portable and drm free.
I noped out of the Outlaws demo when I was forced to create a Ubisoft account to play.
Whole point of console gaming is convenience.
They obviously don’t want my $60. I wonder how much they make selling the data to brokers that someone downloaded their demo and ditched it at the login screen.
Indeed, but whatever they’ve been doing over the past eight years doesn’t seem to be doing the stock prices any good. They need a reevaluation of their approach.
Those are good ideas, but their advisors will probably have them take out a massive loan and use it to buy another game studio, then lay off the staff at that game studio, to briefly appear profitable, before crashing into bankruptcy to be bought by Microsoft.
Good point. But that’s no reason they can’t still waste a few million dollars on an aquisition to reduce competition in case they change their minds under their next CEO.
I do think they should actually downsize. Stop pushing out a new Assassins Creed every year or 2. Reduce the magnitude of the games a bit. First few Assassins Creeds were special. Far Cry games used to be great too. Now they just feel like a grindfest. As do the AC games.
But I don’t think Ubisoft leadership would be capable of doing it right. They’d probably just lay off everyone who actually does work, and expect a similar amount of games.
There are industries where that works. In business software, that’s incredibly common, in part because people buy the same software every year, or on a subscription. So the company makes a half decent product, hires an insane amount of people to market it while firing the vast majority of the developers, sells a ton of subscriptions, then coasts for a decade or two. Any time a competitor starts forming, buy them, lay off the staff, and coast on that too.
It’s the business model of the vast majority of business to business software/service products out there.
Cool, that sounds exactly like how people want game companies to run. Just make a subscription based game, fire a bunch of people that actually made the product, and kill any innovative competition!
Nobody deserves insolvency more than Ubisoft. They are not just greedy. They’re also incompetent and delusional. They took solid gold franchises and fucked them to death.
No, it’s a game mechanic where you have to accomplish a certain objective before the time ends or you lose. Hopefully it’s just a rumor, because that sounds terrible for a Far Cry game.
I hate that Ubisoft have Steep and Riders Republic. Hands down my favourite snowboarding/skiing games that aren’t SSX.
I don’t suppose there are any better alternatives? I much prefer the arcade style over realism. It’s nice to be able to finish work and just freeride to unwind.
Thanks, been looking into this and it seems there is Descenders and Descenders Next. The former is really well received but it seems Next is still quite a work in progress. The impression I get from the store page is Descenders only has mountain biking? Still looks great though.
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But this isnt what enshittification is
Its why their stock was so high and at least partially why theyve been suffering as of late. They’ve completely enshittified their portfolio and cant milk any more out of fed up users. They chose not to innovate content and instead found new ways to pump up numbers for short term shareholder returns.
Im sure they haven’t learned and will only innovate more ways to enshittify themselves as that is their MO.
Ubisoft will own nothing, and we will be happy…
Good. Fuck any publicly held company.
The markets probably didn’t like all the cancelled games in the pipeline but a reset is probably for the best. Their main franchises have gotten steadily worst. I used to look forward to their games, now I don’t even buy them on special.
They said they want to focus on open world and live service games, so it sounds like the ones they canceled were the actual good ones.
Tbh, they cancelled the prince of Persia remake. I don’t think we know what the other games were. I know it’s a popular franchise but I hate remakes, they always end up being a cash grab. Open world is kind of their bread and butter but it’s been mostly shit, so if they focus on the quality aspect, it might turn it around.
I don’t really dig live service but r6 siege was one so maybe we can get another gem or two like it.
They certainly can be cash grabs but I wouldn’t say always. Usually it’s the low effort remasters that don’t warrant rebuying at full price as they’re mostly a technical refresh (with mixed results based on how much they tried).
Remake implies them remaking the game instead of upgrading it where you get things like the ffvii remakes or the upcoming dragon quest vii which looks pretty good. Sometimes they miss but I wouldn’t call them a cash grab as it still takes significant investment.
They need some fun original IP, so much of their work is derivative and rehashes of old stuff now.
Maybe AI will save them.
sensible chuckle
They tried with Anno 117, the backlash was delicious
Beyond that, to GET to their rehashed derivative stuff you need a separate launcher with a separate and annoying login.
O, I forgot about that. If it isn’t in Steam or Heroic, I apparently need active reminders it even exists.
They are on steam!
https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/ubisoft
I am fairly confident they are one of the companies where when you launch the game you purchased through steam it redirects you to the ubisoft launcher like how some Microsoft games in steam prompt a xbox login. Forza Horizon 5, I’m looking at you.
Protip: you can ignore all ubisoft releases on this page by clicking the gear icon
You are correct. It’s the reason why I never played that anno 2070 game I bought, besides constant crashes when I tried to launch.
Not only that, but true to Ubisoft form, many Uplay DRM games still require Steam if you buy them through Steam, so you actually must have both launchers running to play, not just Ubisoft’s. If you start it from Uplay (yeah, I know, it’s “Ubisoft Connect” now), it will start Steam up. Steam doesn’t require this–lots of Steam games don’t require Steam’s DRM. It’s completely Ubisoft’s choice to force Steam DRM on top of their own DRM.
People always seem to forget stream DRM is ENTIRELY optional and a developer choice.
And beyond that 90% of the games people think use steam drm don’t actually use it. The only reason steam needs to run is because of the steam overlay. Remove the dll that hooks into steam for the overlay and the vast VASTY majority of all games on steam are entirely portable and drm free.
I noped out of the Outlaws demo when I was forced to create a Ubisoft account to play.
Whole point of console gaming is convenience.
They obviously don’t want my $60. I wonder how much they make selling the data to brokers that someone downloaded their demo and ditched it at the login screen.
They also need to allow games to be more focused. Not every game needs to be an open world, crafter, rpg, treasure hunt.
How you gonna make Rayman legends, one of the best 2d platformers ever and then just put all your focus on Assassin’s creed after that.
Rayman Legends is absolutely incredible. We just started our (I’d estimate) 13th run. That game is flawless and timeless.
The fact that they have shareholders means that they’re likely to keep rehashing old stuff.
Shareholders love “guaranteed” money, which is why movie studios keep making the same crap over and over again. It’s more stable.
It’s more stable, right up until it isn’t.
Indeed, but whatever they’ve been doing over the past eight years doesn’t seem to be doing the stock prices any good. They need a reevaluation of their approach.
Close another studio? Cancel some more games? That’s the best way to make more money, right? Lay everyone off and stop making products?
Sadly it usually does result in a stock price increase, because less expenses
Could try pachinko like konami
Those are good ideas, but their advisors will probably have them take out a massive loan and use it to buy another game studio, then lay off the staff at that game studio, to briefly appear profitable, before crashing into bankruptcy to be bought by Microsoft.
Only MicroSlop is out of gaming and into something else these days.
Good point. But that’s no reason they can’t still waste a few million dollars on an aquisition to reduce competition in case they change their minds under their next CEO.
I do think they should actually downsize. Stop pushing out a new Assassins Creed every year or 2. Reduce the magnitude of the games a bit. First few Assassins Creeds were special. Far Cry games used to be great too. Now they just feel like a grindfest. As do the AC games.
But I don’t think Ubisoft leadership would be capable of doing it right. They’d probably just lay off everyone who actually does work, and expect a similar amount of games.
Release a new Splinter Cell game!
This is why the reform needs to start at the top. Ubisoft is doomed until the leeches are gone.
There are industries where that works. In business software, that’s incredibly common, in part because people buy the same software every year, or on a subscription. So the company makes a half decent product, hires an insane amount of people to market it while firing the vast majority of the developers, sells a ton of subscriptions, then coasts for a decade or two. Any time a competitor starts forming, buy them, lay off the staff, and coast on that too.
It’s the business model of the vast majority of business to business software/service products out there.
Cool, that sounds exactly like how people want game companies to run. Just make a subscription based game, fire a bunch of people that actually made the product, and kill any innovative competition!
Doesn’t sound fucking deplorable at all.
Hey! Don’t go calling Norton out like that, man
Norton may have pioneered the technique, but Intuit perfected it.
I’m glad to say I’ve never had dealings with Intuit by that measure then.
More microtransactions into the slop they are putting out soon.
Nobody deserves insolvency more than Ubisoft. They are not just greedy. They’re also incompetent and delusional. They took solid gold franchises and fucked them to death.
Far cry 7 better be good
Seven? Jesus. How about a fresh new IP instead?
NearLaugh
It won’t be.
For the uninformed what does that mean?
Are they pulling a Nvidia - you only get 24 hours of playtime or you have to pay more - type of deal? Because fuck that…
No, it’s a game mechanic where you have to accomplish a certain objective before the time ends or you lose. Hopefully it’s just a rumor, because that sounds terrible for a Far Cry game.
Oh so like Majora’s Mask?
There best be a Song of Time equivalent
No time travel. That would make it more interesting!
The pc community would mod the game, at least use a cheat to pause the timer. Leaning into multiplayer would be awesome, coop mode is a lot of fun
Turns out making games just to please shareholders doesn’t make sales?
I hope Ubisoft goes belly up. Fuck them greedy dickheads. And special fuck you’s to the Trump family and the Saudis.
What do you say Lemmy, should we all put in $20 and make an acquisition offer? The people in this thread should cover it.
Current evaluation is about 720M USD I believe. At 20 USD per person, that implies there are 36M persons in this thread.
Lemmy had gotten BIG!
You know, we could theoretically reverse GameStop this fucker.
I wonder if we could hire a lawyer and take a hostile takeover bat to EA.
18mil would be enough
Good, maybe turning that $70 game into a free to play wasn’t such a good idea, eh?
How much have the executives pay dropped?
Executive pay is mostly stock so… 95% over 8 years?
I just hope trackmania survives
I hate that Ubisoft have Steep and Riders Republic. Hands down my favourite snowboarding/skiing games that aren’t SSX.
I don’t suppose there are any better alternatives? I much prefer the arcade style over realism. It’s nice to be able to finish work and just freeride to unwind.
Descenders has mountainbiking and snowboarding
Thanks, been looking into this and it seems there is Descenders and Descenders Next. The former is really well received but it seems Next is still quite a work in progress. The impression I get from the store page is Descenders only has mountain biking? Still looks great though.
Yeah that’s kinda how the devs work. Descenders received a lot of love after its release, Next will get there too
Tell me about it. The division is one of my favorite franchises, I’ve felt like they’ve kept one of my favorite games hostage for over a decade now.
Shredders is one of the best snowboard games I’ve played. I feel like it captures the feeling of snowboarding really well.