320°

Ubisoft - The Safest and Most Boring Developer

With the recent Ubisoft releases of Watch Dogs Legion and Assassin's Creed Valhalla, I should be excited. But really, I don't care.

Read Full Story >>
fictiontalk.com
RickRoland1629d ago

Agreed. Their games do nothing for me.

NeoGamer2321629d ago

I don't know why safe and boring is bad though. At least when I buy a Ubisoft game, I know what I am getting. The biggest complaint I have in the Ubisoft games is that the story telling is weak. If you were to improve that part of their games it would at emotion and personal connection to their games which would change a lot of the thought around safe and boring. To me, most Ubisoft games ship mechanically sound and well tested.

bouzebbal1629d ago

Last game I bought was Rayman Origins, before that AC2.. I don't like what they do, and I can see I'm not the only one

NeoGamer2321629d ago

@bouzebval
I don't disagree that the games "do nothing for most gamers". But, in art and entertainment worlds there is art and entertainment that "play it safe" and "don't do anything new" but do it well enough that they people buy their products and it fills gaps while people wait for the big innovations and new great stuff.

Not every game developer is an innovator. They work to differentiate themselves and sell their products. Ubisoft does this by doing nothing really new and playing it safe. Others take more chances, yet others are even more boring and safe. At least when I buy a Ubisoft game, it feels like it was well tested and I know what to expect.

RaiderNation1629d ago

"I don't know why safe and boring is bad though. At least when I buy a Ubisoft game, I know what I am getting. "

Wow. Because thats what I buy games for...predictability.

TheOptimist1629d ago

Why would you pay for something that doesn't surprise you in the least.

I would never pay for a rehashed product no matter how "polished it is"

ABizzel11629d ago

I don't think safe is bad or boring, but Ubisoft has a severe lack of newness and diversity. They have been making the same games for 2 going on 3 generations now, with multiple iterations per generation, with the same rinse and repeat mechanics.

For some people having the same routine in life is brings them comfort and keeps things nice and even. Whereas, other people have a broader range of diversity in their life bringing them higher highs for the better, and lower lows for the worse. It's a give and take.

Ubisoft is that same routine person (and to be honest EA and Activision fit this as well), where there's nothing really new to expect. Whereas, developers who take risk are the ones who produce either new AAA IP's, games that make you think and feel, or revolutionize what we think about games, genres, or mechanics.

We all love new exciting AAA IP's, but safe also has it's place as obviously millions of gamers buy COD, Assassin's Creed, Sports, every year / every other year, even if most of those safe games are not for me.

neutralgamer19921629d ago (Edited 1629d ago )

there biggest is they think quantity equals to quality. Some of their games could be great if they were actually shorter and required less grinding. On top of that they thought it was a great idea to add micro transactions to single player games especially the kind that affect the actually gameplay/enjoyability as in XP BOOSTERS

once UBI has made a open world game they will use same/similar gameplay features for most of their upcoming open world games. It was very recently that they went away from gameplay feature of climbing towers to reveal map locations. They do the same thing again and again and have become boring/repetitive

on top of all that they downgrade their games and launch with bunch of bugs/glitches

UBI can't keep this up they are the next publisher to go under or sell. I don't think people realize how UBI isn't doing well financially

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

this guy explains everything going on at UBI and this guy also predicted Bethesda will be sold

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

RosweeSon1629d ago

Because it could be exciting and exceptional. I like some Ubisoft games but each and every year no. Every other year wouldn’t be so bad but they literally churn the games out and it shows hence they always score 7-8 rather than 9-10s

Profchaos1629d ago

Agree it was my main issue with WD legion the standard open world was good enough but not forming a connection with its cast just made it boring. Wd2 on the flip side was a real highlight for me as the conversations between characters was excellent among the standard open world gameplay wrench and Marcus really brought some ice into it

Dragonscale1628d ago

So boring isn't bad? And thats why these games keep getting churned out because people keep buying this crap. Every game is pretty much a reskin of the last, with the same old combat, quests, progression and loot boxes. No thanks ubisoft.

NeoGamer2321628d ago

@Dragonscale
If every game has to do something new and exciting we would see about 5 games a year.

Doing an existing formula well is perfectly fine. Some may think it is boring, but that is not true. 95% of the world is boring if you take that approach because almost everything has been done before and is being done the same way.

Ubisoft uses an existing formula for many of their games. They do it well. But, as I have stated they could do better if their stories were more engaging and personal. Currently they really don't have stories in their games. Or the stories are more like guides then actual stories.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 1628d ago
NecrumOddBoy1629d ago (Edited 1629d ago )

Ubisoft has their other studios that make smaller games like Rayman, Valiant Hearts and, Child of Light. Those are not boring at all. Their openworld titles have just fallen into a formula that’s over saturated which causes the Ubi-fatigue.

monkey6021629d ago

Those studios and projects are gone. UbiArts are dead. Child of Light and Valiant Hearts were made at the beginning of the ps4/x1 gen and nothing in that range has come since

Muzikguy1629d ago

I haven't cared about Ubisoft since the days of the original Watch Dogs. That game did it for me right there.

Rebel_Scum1629d ago

I still like a good far cry game. AC Origins was good but too long and massive.

I agree with the headline though.

Psychotica1629d ago

How can a game be too long or massive? I mean it's not like you have a time limit to finish it.

LabRat1628d ago (Edited 1628d ago )

@psychotica - as people get older they tend to have less time to game. And with how many games get churned out every year...yes people do want their games to be able to be finished in a reasonable time so they can enjoy more

roadkillers1629d ago

It is funny. They create a very innovative game (Assassins Creed, Far Cry, Raymon, Prince of Persia, Watch Dogs) and they kinda do incremental improvements

Gameseeker_Frampt1629d ago (Edited 1629d ago )

We can thank gamers for that. Want to see some truly original Ubisoft games? Check out 2007 Assassin's Creed and 2008 Far Cry 2 which are pure gameplay experiences instead of safe, mindless collectathons. Want to guess which games of their franchises are crapped the most upon by gamers? Same 2 games. We spoke and Ubisoft listened.

GreatSako20201629d ago

Those two games are when I realized Ubisoft games are boring. Ubisoft was boring since forever.

agent45321629d ago

Agreed, those two games are not as popular not praised as their other games...

PersonX1629d ago

I like their open world games, much better than boring linear games.

ClayRules20121629d ago

I respectfully disagree. I’d rather play a linear game such as the first 3 Uncharted games (4th being wide linear/my personal favorite) over any and all of Ubisofts open world games. hey look nice, and beautiful at times. However, they fail to have real personality/life and attention to detail to the likes of what Rockstar with GTA 5/RDR2 & CDPR delivered with the masterpiece TW3, not just the worlds, but gameplay design, and if that’s not impressive, just the quality/writing/performances in the main story’s and than on top of that, the side quests in the Witcher and Dynamic world events in RDR2. Ubisoft just doesn’t seem to care enough to bring their own unique flavor and polished quality that a studio of their size and resources should be able to produce.

I’ll add HZD in there with RDR2 and TW3. One of the best games this gen for me personally, in general, but in terms of open world, easily bested any of Ubisoft’s open world games I’ve played, and I’ve played most of them. Horizons a masterpiece.

Having said that, I am genuinely happy that you yourself do find enjoyment in Ubisofts open world games. I’m glad you get your moneys worth!

LucasRuinedChildhood1629d ago

I know I'd rather play Starfield, the next Elder Scrolls, Fallout, etc over just about any Ubisoft game these days. Definitely not buying Legion or Valhalla when my PS5 arrives.

GreatSako20201629d ago

Not even close. I would play any Fallout game over Ubishit games

Show all comments (61)
140°

Marathon is doomed — ARC Raiders is already a much better extraction shooter

Windows Central: “Embark Studios' ARC Raiders is the extraction shooter I've been waiting for. Here's why it's better than Bungie's upcoming Marathon.”

Read Full Story >>
windowscentral.com
_SilverHawk_3h ago(Edited 3h ago)

This is silly. I think both games are amazing. Both games can be very successful at the same time and I hope they are.

z2g3h ago

I hate articles like this. “My opinion is all that matters. Click my stuff”. Both games will have their audiences. Some ppl like rock. Some ppl like rap. Not everyone is the same.

LordoftheCritics1h ago

Both are just another streamer game.

z2g3h ago

So we can we can see into the future now? I’m sure ARC is fine, me personally? Far more interested in Marathon. Between known Bungie’s solid gameplay and world building to the aesthetics and concept, I’m all in on Marathon.

InUrFoxHole1h ago

Yeah but unfortunately marathon are both in the hands of gamers and one has been recommend for delay.

jjb19813h ago

I played the Technical Test 2 earlier today and had a blast. I got thrown in an instance, saw a guy walking up some stairs, started shooting at him and watched him run for his life. It was funny until I got killed by some random drones. They're both different games and will have their space. Only the gameplay loop will tell.

pwnmaster30003h ago

Why do gamers/gamejournalist do this? We need to stop with all this doom article game shit.

lodossrage2h ago

windowscentral wouldn't have wrote this "piece" if Bungie was still owned by Microsoft.

And yes, I'm implying exactly what anyone reading this comment thinks.

2h ago
Show all comments (14)
240°

Microsoft CEO Boasts Gaming Success Across Xbox, PlayStation, PC Game Pass, and More

Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella shared a bullish report on the performance of the Xbox gaming business also on PlayStation.

Read Full Story >>
simulationdaily.com
1d 1h ago
Christopher1d ago

I'm kind of hoping they drop most hardware support here with a 'good enough console' next generation and focus more on being a publisher. Obviously that is doing well for them and they can still push cloud gaming since it's going to tons of smart TVS and devices. They're now the largest video game publisher in the world, if they aren't doing the most sales and pre-orders, then they would be in trouble. They aren't.

Lightning7719h ago

They're gonna try again with a new gen console. If they want to compete they need to actually be competive. Say games like Halo, Blade Elder Scrolls or whatever big game it is. Needs to only be on Xbox and PC. If those games go multiplat it needs to be after a few years or at least a year later definitely not 6 months as a good portion of ppl will wait. Knowing MS they'll probably try and compete, then when things don't go there way they pivot and change the metrics again.

crazyCoconuts14h ago

I don't think you're reading the tea leaves here. Leadership hasn't used the word "exclusive" in quite a while, and they're now boasting about PS sales. They're probably done with consoles and exclusive at this point.

DodoDojo14h ago

I don't think they'll try. They have been beating a dead horse for so long now and they have finally realized it isn't going nowhere.

Fearmonkey11h ago

MS is going to drop being hardware exclusive, they are going publisher and subscription. You will be able to buy a Xbox, but you will be able to play on any platform, that's their new goal. After the hit with Oblivion remastered and major sales on PS5, no more Xbox/PC exclusives long term..

rlow111h ago

I think with the latest price hike on their console, they’re well on their way to axing hardware.

Christopher10h ago

Hardware axing entirely is bad news. They've sold most of their hardware on the Series S this generation. I think if they capture a lower hardware market that can still buy games (especially on sale), they'll actually hit a good market considering how the economy is going. Especially in the U.S. People are going to want to keep gaming and streaming isn't that good for online gaming at all.

Lightning7711h ago

@crazy they've stated multiple times they're going another gen. The next gen Controller even got leaked.

Tired of repeating myself whenever it comes to this subject of Xbox having another gen.

IRetrouk8h ago

Xbox consoles are done, all we gonna get is some branded 3rd party shite at best, ms aint interested in being a console manufacturer no more, this much is obvious.

hiawa238h ago(Edited 8h ago)

Microsoft has too much money for that. They are rumored to release a PC/console hybrid in 2026. They will push all you hope as a publisher while having new hardware next year, so the games will appear on their platform and every other platform which is good to me if the goal is to sell software. If that is where the money is why would anyone fault MS for that? The prices are going to be insane for the next PlayStation and console from Microsoft, though, but it is what they voted for, so this is what we got.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 8h ago
Obscure_Observer16h ago

“We continue to transform the business and focus on margin expansion as we bring our games to over 500 million monthly active users across devices. We ended the quarter as the top publisher by pre-orders and pre-installs on both Xbox and PlayStation Store.”

Amazing news!

Xbox reigning within rival territory.

Big slap in the face of haters who used to crap on Xbox´s games and its quality.

IAMRealHooman15h ago

........you must be part owl, you keep 180ing, your position.

-Foxtrot8h ago

One minute he says that they will NEVER go third party

Now he's all for it like this was Microsofts grand master plan all along.

Obscure_Observer5h ago(Edited 5h ago)

@-Foxtrot

"One minute he says that they will NEVER go third party"

Fact.

"Now he's all for it like this was Microsofts grand master plan all along."

False.

Never said it was Microsoft´s master plan all along. But it is REALLY working for us, as the fact that you´ll be able to enjoy Xbox gamers isn´t killing us. Rather the contrary, we are happy that everybody is funding our games on Gamepass.

Specially now with the imminent new $80 price tag for Xbox first party games.

It is what it is.

IAMRealHooman13h ago

how about that massive price hike?

Relientk7710h ago

He loves it. Now he gets to support the trillion dollar company even more by giving them more of his money.

Reaper22_10h ago

I agree.. great news for Microsoft and tbe xbox brand. Your Playstation is now a xbox. Microsoft wasn't kidding around when they said xbox will be everywhere. Now they are laughing all the way to the bank. Imo sony needs to do similar things. They're putting their biggest titles on PC. Might as well bring them over to other consoles too. They aren't making much on console sales.

IAMRealHooman8h ago

Of course MS wants PlayStation owners, their is literally twice as many of them.

andy859h ago

Theres been one game in the last few years that's been good. Indy. Long way to go before you start talking about their games and their quality

Bathyj7h ago

Xbox gamers really are the strangest demographic. Not so long ago you are all saying PlayStation isn't the competition Amazon is because Phil said so. You love to parrot what your corporate talking say. That wasn't actually true Xbox and PlayStation were in direct competition but because Xbox was losing so badly Phil had to act like they weren't.

Cut to present day and Xbox and PlayStation aren't competition because Xbox has no hardware presence it's zero. In fact Microsoft is now a third party publisher and they need PlayStation they don't need Xbox or Xbox gamers they need PlayStation gamers and PC gamers and mobile phone gamers and switch gamers.

You're here cheering for the fact you've become irrelevant because you think it's important that your uncle Phil is making money. You think PlayStation gamers are upset if Microsoft releases more good games in a year than sony does. when Microsoft makes a good game you shout take that playstation!

PlayStation gamers simply say thank you I will third party publisher that makes me games

Reaper22_6h ago(Edited 6h ago)

I think you're confused. Microsoft never saw Sony as their biggest competitor. They've reiterated it for years. Sony is doing the same thing by putting their biggest franchises on PC, which is OK with Microsoft. Their will be more playstaion games coming to Microsoft ecosystems. Maybe not to xbox consoles but playstation won't be the only place you can play their games. Kind of how it is now. I would bet that they are making plans to do just that but they probably fear the backlash from their fanbase which is silly because noone is gonna stop playing games just because it's on on another platform.

Obscure_Observer5h ago

"Cut to present day and Xbox and PlayStation aren't competition because Xbox has no hardware presence it's zero."

If that was remotely true you wouldn´t be so mad about Xbox gamers getting day one games on Gamepass that you have to pay full price for.

"PlayStation gamers simply say thank you I will third party publisher that makes me games"

And we´re thankful for Playstation gamers supporting Xbox games funding our day one games on Gamepass.

Like I said: Everybody wins.

gold_drake1h ago

i agree
my friend is also xbox everything, hes the same weird guy ha

gold_drake1h ago

propaganda again?

arent u tired of it yet?

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 1h ago
MrDead15h ago

We brought two of the biggest publishers in the world, cost thousands of people their livelihoods and consolidated a huge part of the industry, look how successful we are at gaming!

crazyCoconuts14h ago

Top Secret Strategy for How to Become the Biggest Publisher in the World:
1. Buy everybody

The3faces13h ago

And this has been standard business practice in every industry. Don't hate the player hate the game! lol

Reaper22_10h ago

Buy everybody....if you can.

Obscure_Observer11h ago

I have no doubt that the vast majority of developers and studios will be looking at Microsoft as far job security is a concern.

Microsoft will allow its studios to release their games to every single platform, which means more investment on new games, more money, more jobs positions, better payment, benefits and recognition among gamers worldwide.

You though MS would crash and burn

You want MS to leave gaming forever but GAMERS clearly wants otherwise.

You said MS doesn´t know how to make great games but Xbox games dominating sales on Playstation clearly says otherwise.

Now you also have Playstation gamers to blame for helping the rich to get richer.

I warned you. You were on a fool´s errand all the time.

Now all you can do is watch as MS and Xbox gaming grows bigger and better than ever and release games for everyone!

crazyCoconuts7h ago

At the end of this road, Bethesda, Activision, etc, will still be releasing games for everyone and Xbox consoles will be no more.

If that's what you claim to have foreseen, then congratulations, you win.

MrDead4h ago

You think three major publishers no longer competing and thousands fired to feed the piggies at MS is a good thing, I don't.

More and more owned by fewer and fewer is what you're cheering for, all that leads to is $80 first party games kid.

Luc2015h ago

When you have to say that something was a success, it means it wasn't

Show all comments (46)
50°

From Arcade to Digital Distribution: PM Studios' CEO Reflects on 20 Years in the Industry

In a Game Rant interview, PM Studios CEO Michael Yum talks about his long career, his involvement in LvL Up Expo, and more.

Read Full Story >>
gamerant.com