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The Many Same Faces of Ubisoft

The Many Same Faces of Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a company with hundreds, if not thousands of employees at any given time, depending on how many projects they have in development.

While this means that they have the means to release more titles per year than almost any other publisher, the question is should they? Because, with that high volume of output is starting to come the side-effect of similarity and repetition in their products. From Assassin’s Creed to Far Cry to Watch_Dogs , game players are quickly finding themselves playing the same game over and over again.

Most of their output (at least in terms of their major AAA releases) is built in virtually the same fashion: open world, either first or third person, stealth and traversal are active components, and unlocking the map through accessing points (towers, viewpoints, enemy bases) are all the main features built into the experience. Plot points and storytelling may vary from game to game, but still, you’re playing the same thing over and over again.

The Many Same Faces of Ubisoft

In some ways, this is a positive thing. When players come to an Ubisoft game, they know what to expect, and this helps the company better cater to their fan base. In other ways, this repetition is a very bad thing. While it may provide exactly what certain players are looking for, those same players are going to very quickly find themselves burnt out on the formula, and potential new customers are going to know to stay clear away as they see even dedicated fans fleeing from boredom.

Ubisoft does what it does very well, and it can be argued that they do it better than just about anyone else today. However, Ubisoft can also be incredible innovators when they push themselves. I would hate to see Ubi grow too dependent on satisfying the needs of stockholders, and keeping up on their bottom line. They have the resources to produce amazing, singular gaming experiences, and I hope that they’ll continue to do just that for many years to come.

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