this post was submitted on 23 Jan 2026
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[–] Phil_in_here@lemmy.ca 129 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

Close another studio? Cancel some more games? That's the best way to make more money, right? Lay everyone off and stop making products?

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 25 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

I do think they should actually downsize. Stop pushing out a new Assassins Creed every year or 2. Reduce the magnitude of the games a bit. First few Assassins Creeds were special. Far Cry games used to be great too. Now they just feel like a grindfest. As do the AC games.

But I don't think Ubisoft leadership would be capable of doing it right. They'd probably just lay off everyone who actually does work, and expect a similar amount of games.

[–] DebatableRaccoon@lemmy.ca 11 points 3 weeks ago

This is why the reform needs to start at the top. Ubisoft is doomed until the leeches are gone.

[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

Release a new Splinter Cell game!

[–] Dagnet@lemmy.world 22 points 3 weeks ago

Could try pachinko like konami

[–] greybeard@feddit.online 18 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

There are industries where that works. In business software, that's incredibly common, in part because people buy the same software every year, or on a subscription. So the company makes a half decent product, hires an insane amount of people to market it while firing the vast majority of the developers, sells a ton of subscriptions, then coasts for a decade or two. Any time a competitor starts forming, buy them, lay off the staff, and coast on that too.

It's the business model of the vast majority of business to business software/service products out there.

[–] Phil_in_here@lemmy.ca 14 points 3 weeks ago

Cool, that sounds exactly like how people want game companies to run. Just make a subscription based game, fire a bunch of people that actually made the product, and kill any innovative competition!

Doesn't sound fucking deplorable at all.

[–] DebatableRaccoon@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

Any time a competitor starts forming, buy them, lay off the staff, and coast on that too.

Hey! Don't go calling Norton out like that, man

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[–] Th3D3k0y@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

More microtransactions into the slop they are putting out soon.

[–] pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 4 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Those are good ideas, but their advisors will probably have them take out a massive loan and use it to buy another game studio, then lay off the staff at that game studio, to briefly appear profitable, before crashing into bankruptcy to be bought by Microsoft.

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[–] ieGod@lemmy.zip 60 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

They need some fun original IP, so much of their work is derivative and rehashes of old stuff now.

[–] Psionicsickness@reddthat.com 41 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Beyond that, to GET to their rehashed derivative stuff you need a separate launcher with a separate and annoying login.

[–] RamRabbit@lemmy.world 19 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

O, I forgot about that. If it isn't in Steam or Heroic, I apparently need active reminders it even exists.

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 18 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

They are on steam!

https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/ubisoft

I am fairly confident they are one of the companies where when you launch the game you purchased through steam it redirects you to the ubisoft launcher like how some Microsoft games in steam prompt a xbox login. Forza Horizon 5, I'm looking at you.

[–] Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca 14 points 3 weeks ago

You are correct. It's the reason why I never played that anno 2070 game I bought, besides constant crashes when I tried to launch.

[–] TyrianMollusk 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Not only that, but true to Ubisoft form, many Uplay DRM games still require Steam if you buy them through Steam, so you actually must have both launchers running to play, not just Ubisoft's. If you start it from Uplay (yeah, I know, it's "Ubisoft Connect" now), it will start Steam up. Steam doesn't require this--lots of Steam games don't require Steam's DRM. It's completely Ubisoft's choice to force Steam DRM on top of their own DRM.

[–] Holytimes@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 weeks ago

People always seem to forget stream DRM is ENTIRELY optional and a developer choice.

And beyond that 90% of the games people think use steam drm don't actually use it. The only reason steam needs to run is because of the steam overlay. Remove the dll that hooks into steam for the overlay and the vast VASTY majority of all games on steam are entirely portable and drm free.

[–] group_hug@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 weeks ago

I noped out of the Outlaws demo when I was forced to create a Ubisoft account to play.

Whole point of console gaming is convenience.

They obviously don't want my $60. I wonder how much they make selling the data to brokers that someone downloaded their demo and ditched it at the login screen.

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 31 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] snooggums@piefed.world 20 points 3 weeks ago

sensible chuckle

[–] calliope@retrolemmy.com 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The fact that they have shareholders means that they’re likely to keep rehashing old stuff.

Shareholders love “guaranteed” money, which is why movie studios keep making the same crap over and over again. It’s more stable.

[–] ieGod@lemmy.zip 7 points 3 weeks ago

Indeed, but whatever they've been doing over the past eight years doesn't seem to be doing the stock prices any good. They need a reevaluation of their approach.

[–] RamRabbit@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

They also need to allow games to be more focused. Not every game needs to be an open world, crafter, rpg, treasure hunt.

[–] SuperSaiyanSwag@lemmy.zip 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

How you gonna make Rayman legends, one of the best 2d platformers ever and then just put all your focus on Assassin’s creed after that.

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[–] mrslt@lemmy.world 60 points 3 weeks ago

Ubisoft will own nothing, and we will be happy...

[–] etherphon@midwest.social 40 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

How much have the executives pay dropped?

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[–] a1studmuffin@aussie.zone 30 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

What do you say Lemmy, should we all put in $20 and make an acquisition offer? The people in this thread should cover it.

[–] TomasEkeli@programming.dev 21 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Current evaluation is about 720M USD I believe. At 20 USD per person, that implies there are 36M persons in this thread.

Lemmy had gotten BIG!

[–] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 weeks ago

You know, we could theoretically reverse GameStop this fucker.

I wonder if we could hire a lawyer and take a hostile takeover bat to EA.

[–] 5oap10116@lemmy.world 30 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

But this isnt what enshittification is

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[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 25 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The markets probably didn't like all the cancelled games in the pipeline but a reset is probably for the best. Their main franchises have gotten steadily worst. I used to look forward to their games, now I don't even buy them on special.

[–] Chronographs@lemmy.zip 32 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

They said they want to focus on open world and live service games, so it sounds like the ones they canceled were the actual good ones.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Tbh, they cancelled the prince of Persia remake. I don't think we know what the other games were. I know it's a popular franchise but I hate remakes, they always end up being a cash grab. Open world is kind of their bread and butter but it's been mostly shit, so if they focus on the quality aspect, it might turn it around.

I don't really dig live service but r6 siege was one so maybe we can get another gem or two like it.

[–] Chronographs@lemmy.zip 8 points 3 weeks ago

They certainly can be cash grabs but I wouldn’t say always. Usually it’s the low effort remasters that don’t warrant rebuying at full price as they’re mostly a technical refresh (with mixed results based on how much they tried).

Remake implies them remaking the game instead of upgrading it where you get things like the ffvii remakes or the upcoming dragon quest vii which looks pretty good. Sometimes they miss but I wouldn’t call them a cash grab as it still takes significant investment.

[–] omarfw@lemmy.world 21 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Nobody deserves insolvency more than Ubisoft. They are not just greedy. They're also incompetent and delusional. They took solid gold franchises and fucked them to death.

[–] zippyhippynm@lemmy.zip 19 points 3 weeks ago

I hope Ubisoft goes belly up. Fuck them greedy dickheads. And special fuck you’s to the Trump family and the Saudis.

[–] belated_frog_pants@beehaw.org 16 points 3 weeks ago

Turns out making games just to please shareholders doesn't make sales?

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I loved AC Shadows, a really fun game. I was surprised though, Mirage was shit.

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[–] ohshit604@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Good, maybe turning that $70 game into a free to play wasn’t such a good idea, eh?

[–] coriza@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

Love that for them ❤️

[–] ArmchairAce1944@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 weeks ago

Ahh ubisoft. I have known you since the 90s with classics like B.A.T. 2 The Koshan Conspiracy (a game that still looks beautiful even if i still have no fucking idea what it is about!) And... well... I dont remember what else.

Anyway, you suck now and you can die peacefully.

[–] GaryGhost@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

Far Cry 7 is rumored to add a 24-hour time limit (similar to Dead Rising's mechanic) and lean heavily into multiplayer

It won't be.

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[–] athatet@lemmy.zip 4 points 3 weeks ago

Seven? Jesus. How about a fresh new IP instead?

[–] Schal330@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I hate that Ubisoft have Steep and Riders Republic. Hands down my favourite snowboarding/skiing games that aren't SSX.

I don't suppose there are any better alternatives? I much prefer the arcade style over realism. It's nice to be able to finish work and just freeride to unwind.

[–] amzd@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Descenders has mountainbiking and snowboarding

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