Gamers Want To Begin “Feeling Snug” With Not Proudly owning Video games, Says Ubisoft Subs Boss

Yesterday, Ubisoft launched a rebrand of its subscription service, Ubisoft+ Premium, and introduced its Classics bundle to PC. Clearly, the corporate sees this as a step into the way forward for gaming as its director of subscriptions, Philippe Tremblay, advised GamesIndustry.biz that gamers must turn into “comfy” with the concept of not proudly owning their video games.

The Ubisoft+ Premium service presents entry to new (and infrequently upcoming) video games on Xbox, PC and Amazon Luna for a month-to-month payment that presently stands at £14.99 / $17.99. No, it would not have an effect on the Change in the interim, but it surely does level in direction of the corporate’s future strategy to gross sales.

Tremblay’s argument, as voiced to GamesIndustry.biz, is that streaming is now commonplace in different sectors of the leisure business (significantly movie, TV and music) and, unusually, gaming has not adopted that trajectory fairly so shortly:

One of many issues we noticed is that avid gamers are used to, a bit bit like DVD, having and proudly owning their video games. That is the buyer shift that should occur. They bought comfy not proudly owning their CD assortment or DVD assortment. That is a metamorphosis that is been a bit slower to occur [in games]. As avid gamers develop comfy in that facet… you do not lose your progress. If you happen to resume your recreation at one other time, your progress file remains to be there. That is not been deleted. You do not lose what you have constructed within the recreation or your engagement with the sport. So it is about feeling comfy with not proudly owning your recreation.

Tremblay states that Ubisoft sees “an amazing alternative for development” on this respect, although he provides that he can “perceive the avid gamers’ perspective” with the present possession mannequin.

As folks embrace that [streaming] mannequin, they may see that these video games will exist, the service will proceed, and you can entry them if you really feel like. That is reassuring.

Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown, which we known as “2024’s first must-play” in our evaluate, is the most recent recreation to be made obtainable on the streaming service earlier than its normal launch. Make sure you take a look at the total GamesIndustry.biz interview for Tremblay’s ideas on the sport’s inclusion, Ubisoft’s plans for Activision Blizzard streaming and extra.