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GAF Speaks: How and why did Ubisoft become who they are today?
- Thread starter THEF3AR
- Start date
Crossing Eden
Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
Well first off, they're still a good company who makes great games.
Funyarinpa
Member
A good COMPANY. Not a good publisher.
I beg to differ. Far Cry is some of the most open world fun I've had in a long time.
Crossing Eden
Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/09/25/child-of-light-creators-now-core-team-in-ubisoft-montreal
At the end of the day I care more about their games than I do the questionable business decisions of the higher ups, who fortunately give enough leeway to allow their to create lots of small little side projects and also give their devs (some more than others >__>) time to rebuild or improve upon their core franchises multiple times over while also creating new ips.
The bad games outweigh the good ones. By a significant margin. Granted AssCreed alone plays a big part in that ratio.
I honestly do not care at all about glitches and whatever else. It's such a trivial thing that really doesn't mean much in the end. Whatever I care about (an you should too!) is the core game design. That's where Ubisoft is absolutely awful, and it's also where they're influencing other publishers. Glitches are nothing next to this issue.
Haunted
Member
Well, it's not all shit.
They're no Square-Enix, for example. If you look at the whole lineup of the year, they still employ top-tier talent and publish a number of interesting, experimental games every year. If you avoid the AAA garbage, I'd put them in the upper tier of publishers.
Anyone who has to ask if there's "good left" hasn't paid enough attention. C'mon OP.
They're no Square-Enix, for example. If you look at the whole lineup of the year, they still employ top-tier talent and publish a number of interesting, experimental games every year. If you avoid the AAA garbage, I'd put them in the upper tier of publishers.
Anyone who has to ask if there's "good left" hasn't paid enough attention. C'mon OP.
I feel like they need to slow down. Their games have good systems and worlds, but they need to populate those worlds with interesting content and missions. Watch Dogs played really well, but the story wasn't interesting and the side content got old fast. Far Cry 4 had fun story missions and side missions, but the world felt very "gamey". And Unity has an excellent world and cool side missions, but it's just lacking in terms of being a "labor of love" and there's also the technical issues. They need to give these games more time to breathe, more love and make them more than just the formula in a new world.
And I say this as a big fan of their games, but Unity burnt me out.
And I say this as a big fan of their games, but Unity burnt me out.
Haunted
Member
Is that true?
Ubisoft in 2014:
Code:
Assassin's Creed Rogue
Assassin's Creed Unity
Child of Light
Far Cry 4
Just Dance 2015
Might & Magic X: Legacy
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Tetris Ultimate
The Crew
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Watch DogsEven being harsh, I see 6 stinkers out of 12 games here.
"If you ignore 80% of their output, they're actually pretty good!" - This is not much of a compliment.
And tbh if I had to choose between only playing SE games vs Ubi games, I'd have to go for SE, without a second thought.
I didn't realize they published all of those, but still not a great showing.
Crossing Eden
Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
That's purely subjective, I mean out of their big games last year
-Watch Dogs
-Far Cry 4
-Child of Light
-Valiant Hearts
-AC:Unity
-AC:Rogue
-The Crew
^
I don't think there's a single game that I would consider to be objectively bad with absolutely zero redeeming factors, a game that's objectively bad would be something like Sonic Boom or Ride to Hell Retribution imho.
EDIT:Beaten.
I also kinda wish that gamers wouldn't mesh every single one of them together, there's 9K employees spread across a lot of studios. An example being that the developers who work on The Division have nothing to do with AC and vice versa.
John Kowalski
Banned
That seems like a wildly low standard to me.
When I say bad I mean 5/10ish. If I spend 60 bucks on a 5/10 game I definitely feel bad.
Assassin's Creed got too successful.
Even with middle of the road reviews it kept growing.
Even when they annualized it, it kept growing.
Even after they applied that aggressive dev/launch model to the rest of their games THEY kept growing.
In essence, people bought their shit too much, too quickly, and they didn't get punished enough for pushing shit out too fast.
Even with middle of the road reviews it kept growing.
Even when they annualized it, it kept growing.
Even after they applied that aggressive dev/launch model to the rest of their games THEY kept growing.
In essence, people bought their shit too much, too quickly, and they didn't get punished enough for pushing shit out too fast.
Haunted
Member
I think that 80% ratio is incorrect, see my post above.
And the SE thing is probably subjective, but I personally consider a publisher putting out 6 good games a year better as one who puts out 0 good games a year.
edit: though to clarify, I was talking about Square-Enix Japan specifically.
I also see The Crew twice. So 6 stinkers out of 11, then.
GeordieMark
Member
People buy their games in the millions. As far as they are concerned, they are doing a good job.
Ivory Samoan
Member
They are still all good with me... then again, I avoid most AC games and adore Far Cry like nothing else.
I would even be happy for Far Cry to become an annual thing, and I hate annual things.
I would even be happy for Far Cry to become an annual thing, and I hate annual things.
Crossing Eden
Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
Well evidently many people seem to disagree, their success both in terms of reception and sales isn't exactly unearned.
Haunted
Member
whoops, copy-paste mistake.
The funniest part is that Tetris Ultimate should probably be considered a stinker. :lol
Anyway, I'm not interested in defending Ubi, I'm the first to jump down their throat for squandering AC like they have, it's just important to me that people don't forget the efforts of the smaller experimental teams that are contained within Ubisoft, or the worthwhile work of the external teams that they publish. It'd be a shame if games like Child of Light or Valiant Hearts were overlooked because of the Ubisoft logo on their cover.
I still enjoy there games, but there is no denying hesitation about purchasing Ubisoft products.
they are pretty much on pair with every other AAA company this gen in terms of that Stinker ratio.
Games generally suck around launch in terms of safe gameplay and bugginess.
And with AC Unity's huge hit in review scores, bad press on bugginess, underwhelming sales. I can see them shaking things up for 2017.
And their ART stuff is great.
if it takes them to release a billion of these 'open world template' games to be able to fund rad games like Valiant Hearts. Good for them!
Games generally suck around launch in terms of safe gameplay and bugginess.
And with AC Unity's huge hit in review scores, bad press on bugginess, underwhelming sales. I can see them shaking things up for 2017.
And their ART stuff is great.
if it takes them to release a billion of these 'open world template' games to be able to fund rad games like Valiant Hearts. Good for them!
Crossing Eden
Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
That late?
SomedayTheFire
Member
They fucked over Patrice Desilets and it's all been downhill. Then uphill, then down and up again.
They're basically the exact same as every other publisher in the end.
They're basically the exact same as every other publisher in the end.
You're welcome to do so, but I know a lot of people would hesitate to accept the "sales = quality" argument.
And naturally this is all subjective, which I should hope goes without saying, since these are internet posts and all.
Crossing Eden
Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
Wish other specific posters would acknowledge this while discussing Ubi products. ._.You're welcome to do so, but I know a lot of people would hesitate to accept the "sales = quality" argument.
And naturally this is all subjective, which I should hope goes without saying, since these are internet posts and all.
doctorblurg
Banned
It started when they decided to start annualized assassins creeds. There was a drop in quality and now all their open world games follow the exact same formula. If they could just slow down and take the time to work on their titles and try and innovate on their open world formula, and release more games like child of light and valiant hearts they'd be just fine.
Stereogatari
Banned
Yes. Though I am yet to play Valiant Hearts or Child of Light, I 100%d both Rayman games and am sad that there currently aren't more UbiArt games on the horizon. Especially after their talk of making it open source so potentially other developers could use it...
Ubisoft is still awesome to me. Haven't really been disappointed with anything except for Unity's technical issues at launch.
But Unity was still great. Far Cry 4 was great, Rainbow Six looks great. I'm excited for the future. And they still are the king of animations, which makes me all hot and bothered.
But Unity was still great. Far Cry 4 was great, Rainbow Six looks great. I'm excited for the future. And they still are the king of animations, which makes me all hot and bothered.
Black Pewter
Member
They learned their lesson in holiday 2003.
Sometimes I wish I could just enjoy modern game design. As it stands, I am getting slowly pushed away from the hobby.
Who was number one? EA?
marcincz
Member
IMHO all this mess started near AC Brotherhood. Next step, every year and new AC. I think they should stop with this franchise for some time. I am afraid that Watch Dogs will be their next AC in the nearest future. Last year in may WD was released and I fell from next year it will be next every year IP. Ubi observes Acti and EA and knows that people loves this same games released every year. FIFA, Nba, Nhl, CoD. All time this same titles, all time huge incoming for companies.
I am not Ubi hater or lover. They've got great IP's and released good/amazing games, like FC, Valiant Hearts, Splinter Cell, but Ubi stop. Enough AC. Enough.
I am not Ubi hater or lover. They've got great IP's and released good/amazing games, like FC, Valiant Hearts, Splinter Cell, but Ubi stop. Enough AC. Enough.
Netherscourge
Banned
I think 95% of their games are excellent.
I've never played a bad AC game and Watch Dogs is actually a very good take on open-world gaming.
I honestly don't understand the hate for them lately. I think they are a top-tier game developer.
I've never played a bad AC game and Watch Dogs is actually a very good take on open-world gaming.
I honestly don't understand the hate for them lately. I think they are a top-tier game developer.
RipperGrim
Member
I find it funny now though how nobody even talks about Beyond Good and Evil 2 anymore and it's probably because they don't want to see what modern Ubisoft will do to it.
I will say they became what they are now because of Assassins creed and them realizing that if they just make games like EA makes FIFA (Tweaking mechanics just enough to be new and releasing them yearly) they can make a shit ton of cash. In a way we the consumers helped make them become what they are buy accepting their new ways with our wallets.
I will say they became what they are now because of Assassins creed and them realizing that if they just make games like EA makes FIFA (Tweaking mechanics just enough to be new and releasing them yearly) they can make a shit ton of cash. In a way we the consumers helped make them become what they are buy accepting their new ways with our wallets.
Lionel Richie
Member
Watch Dogs gets a bit underrated around here, it's actually pretty okay. Unity kind of sucks, but the "bad year" they had gets blown out of proportion because of it and The Crew. Valiant Hearts and Child of Light are both very, very good (even if a tad boring sometimes).
And this is coming from someone who loves to mock Ubi.
And this is coming from someone who loves to mock Ubi.
AmaterasuOni
Banned
Where's Valiant Hearts? It's GOTY.
Ubisoft got greedy, they have lost their grasp of the players and reality. They think it's ok to just copy-paste and release broken games. Too bad that the players are equally stupid and are STILL preordering Ubisoft products. Only Ubisoft wins in the current scenario. Well at least I won't buy their products until proven otherwise.
Ubisoft got greedy, they have lost their grasp of the players and reality. They think it's ok to just copy-paste and release broken games. Too bad that the players are equally stupid and are STILL preordering Ubisoft products. Only Ubisoft wins in the current scenario. Well at least I won't buy their products until proven otherwise.
hmmm more like 2016 I guess. this year's game is probably set in place ages ago.
Haunted
Member
Nintendo.
Coffee Dog
Banned
They realized what sold and capitalized on it. Making interesting, diverse games just isn't part of that.
Triggerhappytel
Member
They became a big publisher thanks to Splinter Cell. They became a huge publisher thanks to Assassin's Creed. They still do some interesting smaller projects, but their mainline big stuff is awfully homogenised and production-line, to its detriment.
Yup pretty much