- Ubisoft Plus is a subscription service that offers AAA titles at release.
- The head of Ubisoft’s subscriptions believes gamers need to get used to not having ownership of games.
- Subscriptions are still growing but need this shift for a massive breakthrough.
The gaming industry has been one of the fastest-evolving industries in the last ten years. Through the introduction of subscriptions and the rise of digital media, games collection and ownership are becoming less important by the day.
However, many are still against this transition, raising their voices for physical media and game preservation. In a recent interview, Ubisoft addressed this subject from the perspective of subscriptions, stating that gamers need to grow accustomed to not owning their games.
Why it matters: Subscription services could help counter the increasing costs of purchasing games, with analysts predicting $22 billion in revenue from this part of the industry by 2027.
Gamesindustry recently spoke to Philippe Tremblay, Ubisoft’s director of subscriptions. Like the competition, Ubisoft offers a subscription called Ubisoft Plus, including all AAA titles as part of the subscription at release, making it similar to Xbox Game Pass.
Addressing the growth of this form of game distribution and the future of the industry, he pointed to consumers being used to full ownership of their games. He said:
“That’s the consumer shift that needs to happen. They got comfortable not owning their games.”
Philippe Tremblay pointed to the benefits of this transition, stating that a digital ecosystem brings the benefits of cloud saves and streaming services. He also said that gamers should not fear losing their games.
Relying on subscriptions is a bit like rental services of the past. The gaming industry coexisted with physical game renting in the past, so the transition is not as massive as it may seem at first.
However, the Ubisoft executive admitted that there is validity to the perspective of those wary of subscriptions.
In recent years, services like Xbox Game Pass have shown the true potential of this market. Offering over 50 major AAA titles last year, subscribers reaped numerous benefits from the cost of less than three new AAA titles.
Still, there is no denying that ownership is quite valuable to most consumers. At a moment’s notice, digital games can be pulled from storefronts, and expired licenses can make things even more complicated.
Therefore, with the current popularity of physical games, this shift is still a few years away, at the very least.
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[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
