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Ubisoft is making big changes to how it handles DLC

Ubisoft let a lot of gamers down back in 2014 with the releases of Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed: Unity. Since then, the company's reputation has been on thin ice and many have resorted to boycotting the publisher when it comes to PC versions of games. However, Ubisoft is looking to change and while we have seen some improvements over the last year, it looks like we can expect more changes in 2017 as we will see major changes to the way DLC is handled.

Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz this week, Ubisoft's VP of live operations, Anne Blondel-Jouin explained that going forward, Ubisoft will be looking to support games for anywhere from five to ten years and in order to keep players wanting to come back, great care is going to be taken when it comes to monetization and DLC.

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“The key is if it's not adding something on top of the actual experience of the game, then it is no good. Because you'll be asking for more money for the wrong reasons. Also, if the content is compulsory for the gamers, it's no good as well. It is a way to deliver more fun to gamers, but they have a choice to go for that extra fun or not.”

“It wouldn't work if it was about making it compulsory for gamers. No more DLC that you have to buy if you want to have the full experience. You have the game, and if you want to expand it – depending on how you want to experience the game – you're free to buy it, or not.”

From the sounds of it, Ubisoft will be trying to adapt Rainbow Six: Siege's DLC model for more games, in which players can choose to buy access to new characters, or if they are dedicated to the game, they can pay it off through in-game currency, which is awarded at the end of every match. Right now, we are unsure how this policy change is going to affect other franchises like Assassin's Creed and its microtransactions but it is good to hear that Ubisoft is at least rethinking its approach.

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KitGuru Says: While there is a lot of hate for Ubisoft at the moment, I do think games like The Division and Rainbow Six: Siege have been big improvements, even on the PC side. I'm even enjoying Watch Dogs 2 a lot right now, though I have yet to try the PC version. Hopefully, Ubisoft will continue to make good progress in 2017. Do you guys think Ubisoft can still redeem themselves? Are you still wary of their games at this point?

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30 comments

  1. I’d be in full favour of getting rid of DLC all together and reimplementing expansions. Expansions were always way, way better than DLC.

    I agree with them though about their new philosophy

  2. It’s been one year since I abandoned my previous job and that decision changed everything for me… I started doing work over internet, for a company I discovered online, few hrs each day, and my income now is much bigger then it was on my previous job… Last payment i got was for 9000 bucks… Amazing thing about it is the more free time i got for my loved ones… CHILP.IT/728813e

  3. Alpha’ed For Honor and it did run surprisingly well.
    Glad to hear they’re rethinking their approach too but no, sadly, to me Ubi is dead and it will take more than one or two good years to gain any reputation back.

  4. Ubi will have to make every PC release for the next 5 years as stable as AAA titles SHOULD be before they’ll get any of my money again. They’ve fucked us over too many times for me to have any faith whatsoever.

  5. I like this!

  6. Considering the mess their games are at launch, and how the trailers are undeniably false, I’m not holding my breath that Ubisoft will see the light and start treating gamers as valued customers.

  7. When has a trailer for any game been true? Not everyone experiences any problems on titles at launch either.

    People quickly jump on the bandwagon when they see a few people talk about problems they are having, and instantly think it is the same for everyone.

    I agree AC: Unity was done badly in terms of unlockables, which could only be received by using an app on a tablet or phone device, that many didn’t have.

    But that doesn’t mean it was bad.

    However they are a business, like Valve is, like Blizzard Activision is etc they will always put money first.

    But then consider working as customer support when you get whining customers, blaming everything that is preventable on their ends on you… well it is easy for a company to show a lack of empathy.

  8. Good God, how can you breathe with a brain that “reasons” like that?

    Bandwagon implies there’s no truth to the complaints we have, which is empirically false. You must either work for Ubi or live under a rock if you honestly think they’ve done nothing wrong. The MAJORITY of PC gamers have had nothing but issues with Ubisoft releases for years, and it is 100% their own damn fault. Nobody else can be held responsible for lying in their E3 trailers, just as one example.

    By the way, without fans and customers, there is no money.

  9. Ubisoft show at E3 “in game” footage which turns out not to be ingame, with the actual game having far inferior graphics:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNter0oEYxc

    This isn’t a bandwagon but Ubisoft actively and purposefully deceive gamers in order to bump up preorders. They are as scummy as you can get.

  10. Jumping on the bandwagon does not imply untruths about complaints, No idea where you think that’s what it means, it means a mass joining a popular movement/cause.

    Did I say they did nothing wrong? Nope. You have assumed way too quickly.

    Majority you say, where is the facts or numbers to support that? You don’t do you. So as I said you have seen a few people on forums or other sites complaining and instantly you think… “ahhh this must be the same as the majority”. But it isn’t.

    Again trailers aren’t always 100% accurate or truthful, E3 is used as a platform of future releases and things change from them to when a game reaches gold status. And that isn’t limited to Ubisoft of course.

    Also I do not work for Ubisoft, another usual assumption by the ignorant masses, if someone thinks differently from you they must be a part of the thing you hate right? Wrong.

    Again I await the Majority statistics you seem to know, would be interested in viewing them.

  11. As I said to the guy above, E3 trailers have never been the staple level of quality you can expect. E3 is used to promote early revisions of games etc, so you are not guaranteed that is what you will get at the end of development. Expecting that is silly.

    If you watch the full trailer from start to finish, you will almost always see the obligatory “not a representation of the final product”, because it is not, what they do for E3 is for flash and glitz and to start the hype.

    Going to blame Square Enix for when FF7 is nothing like the trailer at E3 either? Or Bioware for when Mass Effect: Andromeda is nothing like the trailer also?

    If you expect the final result to be the same as an early hodgepotch of hype, then you will ALWAYS be disappointed with any game/developer.

  12. Even though Ubisoft advertise that as in game footage, and you’re just making up the statement that they declare it’s not representative of the final product as it is marketed as the final product. What you are saying is we should expect Ubisoft to lie to us, and that’s okay. What the fuck.That’s ridiculous. Learn the difference between cinematic trailers and gameplay trailers.

  13. You clearly have taken parts of what I have said, mashed them together to somehow think I said something else.

    Again if you want to get extra salty over the fact you fail to understand that an E3 video or gameplay footage will be like that in final release guaranteed then more fool you.

    As said it may get better or it may get worse.

    Remember MGS:TPP I remember that E3 gameplay video, that was downgraded also. Where is all the people complaining about that?

    Remember when the Star Wars Battlefield gameplay video was shown also… oh wait it wasn’t as glitzy in the final product either.

    Again another thing you have invented which I did not say is “What you are saying is we should expect Ubisoft to lie to us, and that’s okay.”. No I didn’t, you clearly lack any kind of reading skills what so ever.

    In fact you are doing the classic case of getting angry at someone like me and inventing stuff that I supposedly said, to further your hatred for a company.

    Again that is on you, not me.

  14. So you think it’s acceptable for game publishers to knowingly and repeatedly lie to customers with fake “in-game” footage?

    Ironic considering you said about No Man’s Sky:

    “But NMS went further and Hello Games lied about features that were not even in the game, along with misleading screenshots that are obviously not with the final release.”

    Make your mind up kid. Are publishers allowed to lie about in-game content or not? And graphics are a feature 😉

  15. Let me clarify something up for you, especially since you childishly went for the “kid” approach which doesn’t show you in an intelligent light.

    E3 footage or gameplay trailers are not gospel, never have been and never will be, I have given good examples of titles that shown gameplay at E3 and turned out to be lesser on release. So you can stop with the pretence of thinking I don’t know what you are trying to say.. when you constantly try to bring up that they are in-game footage aka gameplay trailers.

    As for NMS, I was referring to the recent screenshots and advertising campaign leading up to release. Where they would continually talk about the slim chance of meeting other people, etc that is nothing like an initial gameplay video, that alone is mis-selling and the reason why many got their refunds en masse from Valve and other sources.

    So you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel by trying to twist what I said to suit your own argument, it just proves your inability to read properly.

    The bottom line is this, you believed a hype gameplay video and expected it to be like that, as I have said again plenty of developers and publishers do this at E3. But if people like yourself take it as is then you will ALWAYS be disappointed.

    Also, you will always be disappointed with your lack of reading comprehension, if you continually assume what people are saying than actually what they are saying.

  16. So you’re saying false advertising is acceptable when it’s done at E3 but nowhere else? That’s some pretty ridiculous logic.

    Hope you’ve got some lube, because you’re willing letting game publishers shaft you.

  17. Again you jump to conclusions and assumptions on what I said. If you cannot simply read and understand what I am writing then forums and blogs are not for you.

    At no time did I say it was acceptable for false advertising, show me where I said it. Exactly I didn’t.

    In your head you saw this by reading between the lines and trying to put 2 and 2 together to make 5.

    You are clearly someone who always thinks they are right, and will over assume things people say to try and solidify your belief in something. Now that is very sad, very sad indeed.

  18. The issue here is your lack of memory:

    “E3 footage or gameplay trailers are not gospel, never have been and never will be”

    Erm, why is that? Why are you saying it’s acceptable to LIE at E3? Surely publishers should be held accountable for what they show? For the last few years EVERY E3 demo by Ubisoft has been false advertising. But you’re saying that’s okay, because it’s E3? Hah. Right. But No Man’s Sky are the bad guys? I see you like to be shafted only by the publishers of your choice. Guess no one can accuse you of not being choosy!

  19. Nothing wrong with my memory, it is your lack of grammar skills and comprehension of simple English sentences that is the problem here.

    At no time in that sentence did I say they lie, not one time. Your attempt to assume that is what is in question here.

    If you don’t know the difference between a lie and a gameplay/footage trailer that will possibly change by release then again that is your problem not mine.

    Again you have taken words and turned them around to suit your own argument when those words are not what you think they mean.

    No man’s Sky was a case of misselling as the main head of Hello Games would do interviews etc and talk about features that would be in the game, and this and that, but those never appeared, and they still had those promises on Steam and the packaging.

    That is nothing like a trailer/gameplay video that will possibly change over time, nothing at all like it.

    Again your problem not mine when you can’t tell the difference.

  20. So if they are not lying, how do you explain the MASSIVE differences between E3 ‘gameplay’ footage and the release product which includes entire gameplay areas removed from the game, massive graphical changes and completely removing several gameplay mechanics? How is that not exactly what NMS did? I’m guessing the issue is you’ve never played the ubisoft games in question, and have no understanding of how games are made as you’d realise culling so much repeatedly is just not likely, but much more likely that the videos are marketing bullshit aka ubisoft knowingly lying.

  21. Boy you have got to be the most dumbest person alive. Again I never said once they didn’t lie. In your head you keep thinking I said that. Not once.

    I said that gameplay video or trailers at E3 should not be taken as gospel, that doesn’t mean it is a lie, it means it is likely to change.

    Like I already said other developers have shown gameplay videos at E3 and the final product has been way different, for the better or for the worse they have been different.

    That is not a lie, there is no promise by those showing the gameplay at E3 that the footage they show you is what it will be like when released.

    Again you are not seeing the picture about NMS, NMS shown a trailer showing the engine, and yes it didn’t live up to that on release. But the part you are totally ignoring or should I say ignorant in not seeing is the after interviews and promises made by Hello Games in interviews etc leading up to the game’s release, including features on the Steam store page which promised x, y and z. THAT WAS A LIE.

    Again if you cannot understand this, then by all means you are an idiot. I have told you this 3 times, and you keep going off on a tangent totally opposite of what is being said. But then you are so engrossed in being right in your head you imagine things being said by others.

    Considering this gem you posted – “The problem is your understanding of “safe”. Safe in a learning environment should mean nothing more than being physically safe. Having your views challenged, even by the ignorant, has nothing at all to do with the word “safe”.”

    Yes I can look back at your other posts too. A learning environment is just Physical? Damn son… you are an idiot.

    Don’t hurt yourself anymore by posting, because clearly if you do it will be another verbal diarrhoea tirade of assumptions in your head.

  22. Aw bless, you’re not quite thinking this through are you?

    Do you really think it’s just coincidence that almost every E3 ‘gameplay’ trailer from Ubisoft over the last 4 years has been significantly different from the actual release product?

    Do you think showing ‘gameplay’ that varies significantly from the finished product is acceptable?

    Or ‘cuz itz E3’ it’s all fine? Derp harder bro.

  23. All you have done is just proved your inability to read.

    Again you have no idea the difference between a misleading advertisement vs early gameplay footage/trailer.

    Again that is your problem not mine.

    Do you think it’s just coincidence that the majority of developers who show gameplay footage at E3 had their products being significantly different from the actual release product?

    It isn’t just Ubisoft, so by your logic every developer who does this must be underhanded due to your ignorance, guess you won’t be buying any titles from the majority of publishers and developers then?

    I think you need to “derp harder” yourself.

  24. Are you really suggesting that pre-alpha gameplay is going to have MORE features and BETTER graphics than the full release? On what planet does production end up removing significant chunks of a game and butcher the graphics?! Guessing working in a burger bar doesn’t teach you much about product design, otherwise you’d realise that a release title should look better and have more content than pre-alpha footage, not the other way around.
    Also are you suggesting that as gamers we should just accept publishers lying as normal, because “y’know, E3 innit”?? Hope you’ve got a gallon of lube on your Christmas list, because you clearly are keen to get shafted!

  25. As you have never worked in the industry, I can forgive your lack of information regarding why things get downgraded etc. Projects can start off big with a large idea that in the end is far too much and things have to be cut back on to maintain stability of an app/game.

    And no again you are assuming, I didn’t suggest that pre-alpha gameplay is going to have more features and/or better GFX that the full release, I said over time there is a possibility things can change from the initial gameplay shown at E3.

    You have this knack of assuming all the time don’t you, don’t you understand simple English sentences, why do you feel the need to constantly add more information that is not there to them which in the end turns into something else the sentences were not written for.

    Again with the childish rants, you know people who feel the need to try and belittle people because their own ignorance compels them to, are not in the best financial situation in reality. So no matter what inane postings you make about my supposed current situation in regards to finance, age or employment.. most if not all will be untrue by you.. will never change the fact, you are wrong and assume to much.

    Again for the 4th time you think I said that it is acceptable that Publishers lie to people, I didn’t say that at all, and for the 4th time of me telling you perhaps this time it will sink in.

    You think it is a lie, the majority of people know it is a work in progress, the game isn’t finished at this point when it showcases at E3, as I have said before this has been the same for other developers and publishers, who have ended up reducing quality for content or vice versa since the initial showing of gameplay footage at E3.

    If you think devs and publishers have the close to final gold status at E3 then you are clearly a bigger fool than you make out to be, again if that is what you think then you will always be disappointed.

    I expect no doubt there will be an equally salty reply waiting. And may I suggest you get some extra classwork done and take English and learn grammar and how to read and write sentences/paragraphs without jumping the gun.

    Because in the end you are the one looking stupid not me, with all your assumptions and childish rants.

  26. So you don’t know what you’re talking about because for R6: Siege, the E3 footage clearly states it was ingame footage from a multiplayer map. They weren’t just showing a “large idea”, but something that apparently existed and worked.

    Also content rarely gets removed from a game, more so to the scale that was seen in R6: Siege. Considering the game had significant bugs on launch, that suggests they didn’t have time to bug check the game, let alone OVER PRODUCE content.

    To not think Ubisoft has a habit of lying when all their E3 demos show “ingame footage” that ends up being massively downgraded, then you are just in denial and clearly have some sort of mental barrier that allows you to give a free-pass to game publishers for what is clearly atrocious marketing practices. Lube up kid, you’re in for a rough ride over the next few years.

  27. I have explained to you a number of times the purpose of E3 gameplay videos and how they possibly change, either for the best or worse, you are stuck on the whole evil Ubisoft mindset that you are clearly ignoring words posted here.

    You failed at using my NMS quote to try and make me look like I was a hypocrite.
    You failed to understand what is being said, even when I clarified about gameplay trailers at E3.
    You failed to realise that gameplay vids etc at E3 are an early version of an Engine, pre-Alpha in most cases, of course there will be changes as said either for the better or worse depending on the resources required. If you think an early glitzy special gameplay video at E3 = what you will get on Gold release, then you are in fact an idiot who comes on here and types away utter rubbish when you clearly don’t understand the industry.
    You failed in your childish attempts of trying to think you are somehow superior that others work in what is considered lesser menial employment, and it hasn’t just been myself you have tried this with but many others across the many kitguru articles.

    In fact I will go as far as say you have pretty much not got a good clue about many of the subjects you think you understand, and when someone hits you with a decent argument or debate about it, it turns into assumptions, childish rants and thoughts of grandeur.

    Again I will say this clearly.

    “E3 gameplay trailers or videos are not designed to be a final product or reflect of what will be the final product in terms of content or graphics, it has never been that, no matter WHO the publisher or developer is.”

    Also you may want to stay away from the CPU and GPU talk, because what you have said previously in other articles… is certainly not the topic for you.

    Again inb4 another inane response of assumptions and didn’t read nuthin’

    But I can clarify it easily why you don’t understand the industry etc, because you wouldn’t be able to answer a simple question of what is the purpose of DLL files in terms of gaming and programming? Now if you understand the industry you will understand the question.

    Ganbatte Kudasai.

  28. You have simply repeated the baseless idea that videos at E3 for some arbitrary reason only have to vaguely represent the released product, even if the footage is sold as being “captured in game”.

    You have also decided to ignore the fact that removing large sections, features and graphical elements from products that are released filled with bugs only makes sense if either a) the ingame video is actually pre-rendered or b) they hilariously have no QA or bug checking. Hint: a is far more likely than b.

    Also you’re thinking like a spergy developer when this is a question around product management, not code development.

    Nevertheless you’d better keep greasing yourself up kiddo otherwise you won’t be able to game sitting down if you think “in game” only has to be vaguely similar to the released product!

  29. So you couldn’t answer the question and again retorted into childishness which was predictable.

    Why try and talk about something you have no clue about? It just makes you look more stupid in the long run.

    You are still stupid to think that footage and or gameplay at an early stage is going to be the same as the Gold release. Why you keep hanging on to it other wise again justifies your lack of knowledge of the industry.

    Consider you are the one that has came in here being so very defensive and through that shown yourself to be emotional about it.

    Again your problem and not a problem of no-one else, that you cannot comprehend a simple logical reason or information.

    Keep going with your silly childish retorts, because there is obviously no point in responding to you, because after all you are acting your age and that is very young indeed. And you call me Kiddo.. oh dear oh dear… Considering I was working for Team 17 in the early 90s on various titles that was released to the Amiga and ST at the time, then recently on contract work twice with Bioware for DA:Inquisition and for the latest Mass Effect: Andromeda (hope people keep an eye out for the gameplay at the VGA… remember though… don’t be sad that things may change from it when released.. because that would be fraud or lies according to mazty the Universal Credits Know-it-all-but-doesn’t) that makes me no where near a “kiddo” as your 4chan-esque filled brain suggests.

    Oh oh what now, going to get your Personal Army from /b/? Oh I shake in my boots /sarcasm

  30. Are you not willing to admit that REMOVING large features from PRE-ALPHA “ingame footage” seems highly suspicious or just going to lube up and pretend it’s normal?