Ubisoft expects to find free-to-play model in next-generation games
AAA titles for the next-generation consoles can learn a great deal from the free-to-play model, believes Ubisoft.
According to investor conference call, the CEO of the company Alain Martinez came out to openly state that he expects to see the contemporary model makes its way to the consoles in the not-so-distant future.
He believes that the model is an excellent way of increasing the profitability of the games, something that more and more publishers are becoming aware of with every passing day.
"There will be free-to-play on consoles," he said. "But in the future, with games like Sleeping Dogs, we could see more opportunity for $60 games to learn from the free-to-play model.
Offering item-based content is something that is almost becoming a trend nowadays, with the companies realising that gamers are more content with trying out the game for free before deciding whether it is worth spending their hard-earned cash on.
While the model is more prevalent in PC games at the moment, Martinez expects to see games for consoles featuring more premium content while offering the basic experience for free.
Ubisoft is surely in a position to comment on the free-to-play business model as it has already implemented the model in a couple of its games, namely Ghost Recon Online and The Settlers Online, both of which were fund through micro-transactions.
The $60 games are losing their appeal for the gamers because of the lack of creativity in them. The publishers seem to have adopted a risk aversion attitude, expecting the next-generation consoles to be just around the corner and therefore refraining from introducing new intellectual properties (IP), keeping them reserved for the high-end consoles instead.
The ubiquity of sequels in the market is not going down too well with both the industry analysts as well as the gamers. However, as long as the fans of the franchises are ready to spend their money on these games, primarily because of the multi-player experience.
The free-to-play model works out well both for the publishers as well as the gamers, which is why it is becoming increasingly popular and expected to arrive on the consoles in the future as Ubisoft indicated.
Tags: