Ubisoft exec tells gamers to get ‘comfortable’ with not owning games

A Ubisoft executive is advising gamers to get used to not owning games.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz to promote the company’s rebranded Ubisoft+ subscription service, Philippe Tremblay, director of subscriptions at Ubisoft, discussed what is needed for subscription services to continue to grow.

According to him, one roadblock comes from consumers still wanting to own games:

“One of the things we saw is that gamers are used to, a little bit like DVD, having and owning their games. That’s the consumer shift that needs to happen. They got comfortable not owning their CD collection or DVD collection. That’s a transformation that’s been a bit slower to happen [in games]. As gamers grow comfortable in that aspect… you don’t lose your progress. If you resume your game at another time, your progress file is still there. That’s not been deleted. You don’t lose what you’ve built in the game or your engagement with the game. So it’s about feeling comfortable with not owning your game.

He adds that while he “understand[s]” that perspective of ownership, he says people should “embrace” the new subscription model. Naturally, Tremblay’s comments were met with quite a bit of pushback online.

Ubisoft exec needs to get comfortable with people not buying their games. This is anti-consumer propaganda and a way to milk gamers generation after generation. pic.twitter.com/Im5b5pXyZw

— Reid Southen (@Rahll) January 16, 2024

Very well. We'll won't own Ubisoft games.

BECAUSE WE'LL STOP BUYING THEM FROM YOU.

On the list. https://t.co/FJ8EbBlaPu pic.twitter.com/og4iDeZVYG

— joshscorcher (@joshscorcher) January 16, 2024

Ubisoft needs to get comfortable with "me not spending money on their games" pic.twitter.com/ff5oS0AH7e

— Nob Ogasawara ㊙️ (@DougDinsdale) January 17, 2024

Even some notable creatives have responded negatively to Tremblay’s comments. Swen Vincke, the founder, CEO and creative director at Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian, started a thread on X (Twitter) telling players “trust me — you don’t want that.”

Whatever the future of games looks like, content will always be king. But it’s going to be a lot harder to get good content if subscription becomes the dominant model and a select group gets to decide what goes to market and what not. Direct from developer to players is the way. https://t.co/wEUvd5adt0

— Swen Vincke @where? (@LarAtLarian) January 17, 2024

“Whatever the future of games looks like, content will always be king,” Vincke tweeted. “But it’s going to be a lot harder to get good content if subscription becomes the dominant model and a select group gets to decide what goes to market and what not. Direct from developer to players is the way.”

Samuel Deats, director of Netflix’s Castlevania anime series, said, “I need the gaming industry to understand that the whole monthly subscription streaming deal is not a business model to chase; it’s a freaking mess over here.”

I need the gaming industry to understand that the whole monthly subscription streaming deal is not a business model to chase; it's a freaking mess over here. It is a BLESSING that video games are direct purchases. Never let it go. https://t.co/sq23QLpv8I

— Samuel Deats 🌕 (@SamuelDeats) January 16, 2024

Of course, subscription services can offer a good value for consumers, especially those who can’t afford full-price games. It’s why Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass remains popular. That said, the push for it to be the dominant business model is certainly worrisome.

On top of discussions surrounding the sustainability of these sorts of services, there’s also the conversation of preservation. Without options to purchase games physically, many older titles will likely become inaccessible. Considering the video game industry does an abysmal job with preservation, comments like Tremblay’s are certainly worrisome.

And on a more basic level, people should have options when looking to play a game. This applies to anyone, whether it’s more hardcore audiences or the casual folks who likely only play a few titles a year, like Call of Duty or EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA).

This also highlights a cold hard fact: you don’t own digital games, whether it’s a game you buy directly from a company’s virtual storefront or access through a subscription. Indeed, we’ve seen companies — including Ubisoft itself — revoke access to games you’ve purchased digitally. Ultimately, physical media is the only way to “own” a game.

For now, gamers do have some options besides subscriptions or digital purchases, but it remains to be seen how companies like Ubisoft will further pursue digital business models.

Source: Ubisoft