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[Nirolak]

Behold Ubisoft's vision of the future.

Ubisoft: Free-to-play will affect all of our games
September 27, 2012 10:16 AM
Jeffrey Grubb

During an investor conference call today, Ubisoft’s chief financial officer Alain Martinez claimed that the free-to-play model will influence all of its future games.

...

“Free-to-play is a very flexible business model,” said Stéphanie Perotti, Ubisoft’s worldwide director of online. “The player has the capability to spend more than in a traditional model.”

...

“The Settlers Online is set to make more money in four years than the Settlers brand did on PC over nine years,” Perotti said.

...

“We can control everything from the pricing to marketing as if we were an online store,” Perotti said.

When asked directly about free-to-play on next-gen consoles from Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, Martinez didn’t back down.

“There will be free-to-play on consoles,” Martinez said. “But in the future, with games like Sleeping Dogs, we could see more opportunity for $60 games to learn from the free-to-play model. The next generation will offer more and more item-based content,” Martinez. “This will benefit our games’ profitability.”

So, some games may still cost $60, but they’ll at least have plenty of fun micro-transactions.

Ubisoft expects to earn €50 to €60 million just from its free-to-play and casual games in fiscal 2013. That’s up from €20 million in 2012. That kind of money is going to turn heads in the company, and Ubisoft has obviously implemented a standing order for all of its teams to implement some of the lessons its learned from free-to-play.

Source: http://venturebeat.com/2012/09/27/ubisoft-f2p-ideas-in-all-games/

:bow Ubisoft :bow

 

[yankeehater]

I dont mind microtransactions if that is what it takes to get R6atriots released.

 

[Salsa]

So, some games may still cost $60, but they’ll at least have plenty of fun micro-transactions.

hey guys, AT LEAST they'll have micro-transactions, you know, this is a good thing

 

[Oxymoron]

It's nice that they'll give me the capability to pay more money for their games.

 

[MikeE21286]

I'm not exactly sure how this is different from the current state?

Does he mean more?

If so that's to be expected I think.

 

[kittens]

It will happen, it will be profitable, and we will cry.

 

[Sethos]

But mooom, I wanted a season pass

 

[Carl]

Get fucked, Ubi

 

[alr1ght]

OOH I CAN'T WAIT!

 

[shinobi602]

hey guys, AT LEAST they'll have micro-transactions, you know, this is a good thing

"Hey guys, yea they'll still cost $60, but at least you'll get the chances to pay even more."

 

[Victrix]

I think they should just say fuck it and start selling the game in parts.

You go to a store, pick out the level cards, the weapon cards, the enemy cards, the story cards, then you come home and plug them all into your next gen console and play the game you built!

 

[Nirolak]

I'm not exactly sure how this is different from the current state?

Does he mean more?

If so that's to be expected I think.

This this, but more, as it's an incomplete list:

Sleeping Dogs - HiRes DLC Retail (PC only, free, available day one)
Sleeping Dogs - Japanese Presell Pack
Sleeping Dogs - Prima Guide (console folk should ignore this, this probably is only to integrate the Prima guide into the game, also probably going to be available day 1)
Sleeping Dogs - Retro Triad Pack (horse armour)
Sleeping Dogs - Top Dog Silver Pack (XP boost, do not buy)
Sleeping Dogs - Top Dog Gold Pack (XP boost, do not buy)
Sleeping Dogs - The Red Envelope Pack (20 $50k cash boosts scattered across the city, only buy if you're lazy in the cash grinding front)
Sleeping Dogs - The High Roller Pack (early unlock, do not buy)
Sleeping Dogs - The Swat Pack
Sleeping Dogs - Tactical Soldier
Sleeping Dogs - Street Racer Pack
Sleeping Dogs - Movie Masters #1
Sleeping Dogs - Police Protection Pack (pre-order bonus, 1 mission & horse armour)
Sleeping Dogs - Martial Arts Pack (pre-order bonus, 1 mission & horse armour)
Sleeping Dogs - GSP Pack (pre-order bonus, horse armour)
Sleeping Dogs - Deep Undercover Pack
Sleeping Dogs - Triad Enforcer Pack
Sleeping Dogs - The Dragon Master Pack
Sleeping Dogs - The Drunken Master
Sleeping Dogs - Nightmare in North Point
Sleeping Dogs - Square Pack
Sleeping Dogs - Zodiac Tournament
Sleeping Dogs - Transportation Terror Pack

 

[ubercheez]

I really like the part of free-to-play where I pay money during the game, but I don't like the game itself being free. Thank you, Ubisoft.

 

[flowsnake]

Something tells me they're overestimating Settlers Online.

 

[darkside31337]

I think they should just say fuck it and start selling the game in parts.

You go to a store, pick out the level cards, the weapon cards, the enemy cards, the story cards, then you come home and plug them all into your next gen console and play the game you built!

Not quite the same thing but Sony's been doing an approach like that selling games as SP / MP / SP+MP. Not a bad model. Wish more games did that.

 

[Toki767]

I don't mind them trying to make a quick buck here and there with things like character outfits/skins. Just don't remove whole missions and levels in games and especially don't make them as retail exclusive pre-orders.

 

[Polishin8r]

Get fucked, Ubi

They can Microtransact my balls

 

[Goldenroad]

That's not necessarily what Ubisoft is saying. That is just how the person that wrote the article interpreted what the Martinez was saying.

He could maybe mean that games will be $20 and they have a series of microtransactions to make up the difference...or that games will be "free-to-play" since that's really what he was saying and that they will be supported by microtransactions.

 

[Ricky_R]

At least they're giving us more options to pay more.

 

[alr1ght]

Not quite the same thing but Sony's been doing an approach like that selling games as SP / MP / SP+MP. Not a bad model. Wish more games did that.

They pretty much did this for old and bomba'd MP games. They'll never do it new releases.

 

[SykoTech]

I'm really happy that I'm a patient guy when it comes to games these days. Been mostly waiting for GotY editions/steep price drops all gen.

And if this comes to pass, I'll be waiting for $5 bargain bin.

 

[fluffydelusions]

But mooom, I wanted a season pass

You'll get that too don't worry.

 

[Mushroomer25]

Sleeping Dogs should be the LAST game to look at as the beacon of microtransactions. That game very clearly added a lot of mediocre DLC in response to weak pre-orders. It's all early unlocks, and content that feels cut out. (Hidden money caches, extra races, and cosmetic items).

 

[Nirolak]

That's not necessarily what Ubisoft is saying. That is just how the person that wrote the article interpreted what the Martinez was saying.

He could maybe mean that games will be $20 and they have a series of microtransactions to make up the difference...or that games will be "free-to-play" since that's really what he was saying and that they will be supported by microtransactions.

Read the quote carefully:

“There will be free-to-play on consoles,” Martinez said. “But in the future, with games like Sleeping Dogs, we could see more opportunity for $60 games to learn from the free-to-play model. The next generation will offer more and more item-based content,” Martinez. “This will benefit our games’ profitability.”

1.) "There will be free-to-play on consoles."
2.) "But in the future, with games like Sleeping Dogs, we could see more opportunity for $60 games to learn from the free-to-play model. The next generation will offer more and more item-based content,” Martinez. “This will benefit our games’ profitability.”

Number 2 is clearly referring to retail products, and Sleeping Dogs is a full $60 game that has tons of microtransactions-esque DLC.

Note this general assessment of Sleeping Dogs' DLC from the poster above:

Sleeping Dogs should be the LAST game to look at as the beacon of microtransactions. That game very clearly added a lot of mediocre DLC in response to weak pre-orders. It's all early unlocks, and content that feels cut out. (Hidden money caches, extra races, and cosmetic items).

 

[Ein Bear]

Connecting consoles to the internet wasn't worth it. The Dreamcast opened pandora's box and look at what happened.

 

[Pie and Beans]

Not really experiencing the first industry crash due to the C64 and more over here in the UK, I guess it always felt like I missed out on a slice of important gaming history.

Excited to be around for the second one though!!!

 

[Toki767]

I really thought Ubisoft could've nailed micro-transactions if that original Rayman Legends trailer ended up making it into the game.

 

[alr1ght]

I'm really happy that I'm a patient guy when it comes to games these days. Been mostly waiting for GotY editions/steep price drops all gen.

And if this comes to pass, I'll be waiting for $5 bargain bin.

Yep. I'm the same way. I used to buy a majority of stuff on release date, but now with the rapid price drops and the utter contempt for paying customers I'm more than willing to wait or not buy at all.

 

[chickdigger802]

im confused, was sleeping dogs published by ubisoft in EU or some place?

 

[inky]

Not exactly the same thing but it is going to be even more fun when you are required to have a subscription (read XBL Gold) to get all those "free to play games" as well.

Online passes, Season passes, $60 at launch, microtransactions and other various types of DLC and pre-order bonuses on top... yeah, no thanks.

 

[Nirolak]

im confused, was sleeping dogs published by ubisoft in EU or some place?

Nah, they're just like the game's microtransaction model, and are using it as an example of what they might do in the future.

It is a bit unusual for publishers to refer to other companies' games in financial calls, but it does happen from time to time.

EA referring to something like CoD: Elite and how they want to do something like that for Battlefield would be a good example.

Danny Bilson talking about how Relic should make free 2 play MOBA games like League of Legends would be another.

 

[Dance Inferno]

Oh boy. I wonder how our opinion of Watch_Dogs will change when it is revealed that you have to buy different skills and hacks through microtransactions.

Fun times for all!

 

[alr1ght]

Oh boy. I wonder how our opinion of Watch_Dogs will change when it is revealed that you have to buy different skills and hacks through microtransactions.

Fun times for all!

You buy in game skills from in game vendors. Next gen!

 

[chickdigger802]

Nah, they're just like the game's microtransaction model, and are using it as an example of what they might do in the future.

It is a bit unusual for publishers to refer to other companies' games in financial calls, but it does happen from time to time.

EA referring to something like CoD: Elite and how they want to do something like that for Battlefield would be a good example.

Danny Bilson talking about how Relic should make free 2 play MOBA games like League of Legends would be another.

any news on if the sleeping dogs dlc model did well? I know SD was 'profitable', but are there any more details?

 

[Castor Krieg]

He could maybe mean that games will be $20 and they have a series of microtransactions to make up the difference...or that games will be "free-to-play" since that's really what he was saying and that they will be supported by microtransactions.

Do you really think games will be less than now next gen? No publisher has so much faith in their product to risk it. Games will be priced the same and microtransactions will be used to extort extra $10-20 on top of that.

 

[Nirolak]

any news on if the sleeping dogs dlc model did well? I know SD was 'profitable', but are there any more details?

I don't believe we've actually had a Square Enix fiscal call since it came out.

I imagine Ubisoft is basing their assumptions on their own free 2 play product monetization rates along with the $100+ million games like FIFA make in selling microtransaction card packs.

Sleeping Dogs is just the game that fits best with their open world titles like Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs.

 

[Green Biker Dude]

DAY 1

 

[zerokoolpsx]

As long as its F2P. I'm not buying anything.

 

[ironcreed]

 

[Mxrz]

Don't mind microtransactions in F2P Mmos, but putting them in a $60 games seems a bit shifty. Since they're making a distinction, does this mean its different from standard DLC and more along the lines of in-game ads/shops and the like? That was awful in DA:O.

Connecting consoles to the internet wasn't worth it. The Dreamcast opened pandora's box and look at what happened.

But all I wanted was that extra fish!

 

[Pakkidis]

Free to Play model will not work for every game and I predict many game publishers/developers will get burned if they go this route next gen.

Micro transactions are going to be the next big thing next gen. The notion of putting out a game for 60$ is becoming obsolete, the new goal is nickel and diming gamers slowly slowly.

 

[DTKT]

As long as its F2P. I'm not buying anything.

You won't buy a whole lot of things in the next 2 years.

 

[epmode]

This is going to seem really random and petty but I get annoyed when I see the word "pack" plastered all over these awful DLC releases. I can't really explain why. Maybe the implication that they're disposable? How the word reminds me of Kotick's packaged goods comparison?

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Remember kids, development costs wont keep skyrocketing in the next gen!

 

[Fuzzy]

If they really try to emulate the Sleeping Dogs model then I won't have a problem with it. I loved Sleeping Dogs and had no problem not buying any of the DLC.

 

[CrashPrime]

It's nice to want things.

 

[Nirolak]

It's nice to want things.

You act like something's going to stop them.

I'll go out on a limb and say it won't be the console vendors that will get 30% of every microtransaction.

 

[Kouriozan]

At least games won't cost $70 next-gen, right?

 

[epmode]

Remember kids, development costs wont keep skyrocketing in the next gen!

Don't think for a second they wouldn't do this with lower dev costs.

 

[lockload]

I dont see what the fuss is if they want to sell 'fun' micro transactions they can as long as the game still functions without them, id rather they do that than put the cost up