- Baldur’s Gate 3 director criticizes Ubisoft’s decision to disband the Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown development team.
- Douse believes that the game’s success was hampered by Ubisoft’s decision to not release it on Steam.
Michael Douse, the publishing director at Larian, has publicly criticized Ubisoft’s decision to disband the Prince of Persia development team. Douse has called Ubisoft’s approach to the game a “broken strategy.”
This criticism stems from the decision to break up the development team shortly after the game’s release. Ubisoft’s decision has left fans worried about the company’s ability to support mid-sized titles in the future.
Why it matters: Ubisoft is currently in deep waters, as their stocks plummeted by 30% in a month. Disbanding a development team that created a great game only worsens the company’s situation.
In a public rant on Twitter, Douse said:
If it [Prince of Persia] had released on Steam, it would have been a success. The hardest thing is to make an 85+ game – it is much easier to release one.
– Michael Douse, Larian Director
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was released in early 2024 as a 2D side-scrolling action-adventure game, bringing back the beloved Prince of Persia series. Although it received positive reviews, with a score of 86 on Metacritic, Ubisoft disbanded the development team a few months after the launch.
This decision led Douse to believe that Ubisoft’s approach may have set the game up for failure from the beginning. Inside sources at Ubisoft have confirmed the team’s breakup.
Ubisoft confirmed that the affected developers may be reassigned to other projects, such as the long-awaited Rayman Remake.
Moreover, Douse pointed out that Ubisoft’s poor timing and inconsistent marketing hurt The Lost Crown’s sales. Launched alongside big titles like Tekken 8 and Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, the game failed to gain mainstream attention.
Additionally, Ubisoft restricted its release on major digital platforms like Steam, which limited its reach to PC players. This, combined with a focus on bigger franchises, has led many to criticize Ubisoft for not supporting its mid-sized projects.
The company is also criticized for hesitating to take risks in game development. What do you think of Baldur’s Gate 3 director’s take on this whole situation? Do you agree with him? Join the conversation on Tech4Gamers Forum.
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