Ubisoft exec says gamers should get “comfortable” with not owning games

Ubisoft director of subscriptions, Philippe Tremblay, has spoken about how subscription services have caused players to become comfortable not owning games.

In a new interview with GameIndustry.biz, Tremblay spoke about the new version of Ubisoft’s subscription service, Ubisoft +, and explained how he sees people coming to accept a streaming future eventually.

“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],” he said.

“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 the game.”

This statement comes as Ubisoft alters its subscription model to feature both a basic tier and a premium tier. The newly-minted premium tier allows access to new releases when they are released (except for in specific circumstances) and includes the newly released Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

“I still have two boxes of DVDs. I definitely understand the gamers perspective with that. But as people embrace that model, they will see that these games will exist, the service will continue, and you’ll be able to access them when you feel like. That’s reassuring,” Tremblay continued.

A cheaper tier, Ubisoft + Classics, gives access to games from Ubisoft’s back catalog such as titles from the Far Cry series and popular team-shooter Rainbow Six Siege.

In other gaming news, upcoming Square Enix shooter Foamstars has been confirmed to contain several pieces of AI-generated art.