UBIsoft in potential financial trouble

[ZebMacahan]

This right here is correct. Look at the best selling game of last year, Hogwart's Legacy. It had pushback from the both sides of the culture war, with the content of the game being criticized for having historically inaccurate diversity, LGBTQ+ characters, and gender inclusive character creation. There's also always some pushback to anything Harry Potter from some religious groups because it promotes witchcraft or something. The opposite side opposed the game because of Rowlings public comments on trans people. Honestly I don't think there has been a game released recently that has such a wide range of people it could offend, but it still outsold every game last year. Also, as I posted earlier, basically every game in the top selling games so far this year has some sort of "woke" content. I'm sure if I could find a a list of games the pro-woke crowd dislikes a lot of those games would be on that list as well.


Naoe fits this description.

Regarding Yasuke, I think it's important to remember that Assassin's Creed is a science fiction series that revolves around a device that uses the genetic memories of a person in the future to build a simulation of the past. The feudal Japan in the game is not real feudal Japan. It's a simulation. And to unlock that simulation, they would need someone who's ancestors lived in that place at that time, not necessarily someone who's genetic heritage existed at that place before that time. This isn't an accurate historical drama, it's a sci-fi stealth action game where characters use their DNA to enter the matrix that manifests as time travel constrained by quantum leap, or better yet, Trancers rules. Trancers might be the best analogy, because it includes things like the long second and the bodies remaining in the present while consciousness is sent back. Plus it features a villain who wants to remove free will from the population as a means of control, and a protagonist who champions free will and causes chaos wherever he goes. No one was complaining that Trancers didn't features a historically accurate 1984, and it was released in 1984! This whole thing is silly.

Sure there is are sci fi elements in AC, but that doesnt change the fact that AC is about in large part visiting historical settings. Ubisoft talked alot how they hired historical experts, their respect for japanse history and culture etc. They didnt claim this was some kind of alternative simulated version av Japan.

 

[cheapchips]

Sure there is are sci fi elements in AC, but that doesnt change the fact that AC is about in large part visiting historical settings. Ubisoft talked alot how they hired historical experts, their respect for japanse history and culture etc. They didnt claim this was some kind of alternative simulated version av Japan.

In the article I linked, one of the development issues with Shadows was that the historic bods were bought on later than usual. That why they've had to redesign building etc.

 

[ZebMacahan]

In the article I linked, one of the development issues with Shadows was that the historic bods were bought on later than usual. That why they've had to redesign building etc.

Thats part of what makes them seem unsincere.

 

[ZebMacahan]

Well, the developers have stated they wanted players to experience Japan through the eyes of a foreigner. Should they modeled the player character after Tom Cruise so he could be the last samurai? Or is it more appropriate to include a famously foreign samurai?

At least one. He's been in at least 2 video games before you proclaimed that it would make no sense to include him in one. And those 2 games were made by Japanese developers. It might be 3 or more games. I think he appears in a non-playable state in some of the Nobunaga's Ambition titles. There are 16 mainline Nobunaga titles, and about as many more titles for handhelds that are usually mash ups and remixes, plus an MMO in that series. If Yasuke appears in only 2 of those 30+ games (and I think he's in more), he will be in more games than Solid Snake is as the main character in any of the Kojima directed Metal Gear titles. He might be in more games than Tony Hawk.

So yeah, I can't tell you how many Black Samurai there were. But there was at least one, and he's appeared in a bunch of games, books.... There was a Netflix Anime about him a couple of years ago. There wasn't even a culture war about him getting his own show on Netflix, though people probably didn't know he was in it because it's called "Yasuke". Oh, I guess they would. He's pretty famous.

They have never felt the need to let the player experience any other country as a forerigner in an AC game. (Didnt they use the term "non-japanese eyes" somewhere, which one could argue is a hilarious blunder when seen in the context of this controversy). Its blatantly obvious they choose him because he´s black. Even if Yasuke was a samurai he isnt representative of japanese or samurai culture. When people think of samurai they dont think of a 2 meter long african man, you think of a japanese man because that was what 99,999% of samurai were.

One thing that makes AC games fun is visiting historical places. The people you play effect historical events, so the fact that they went with a non-japanese person as the key person, someone who change the course of japanese history, who rids japan of corruption and who represent the samaruai etc is a very odd choice, and it isnt strange that people take issue with that.

Imagine a AC game set in Africa and the trailer said "become a legendary maasai warrior" and the trailer featured a pale, blond european man dressed in maasai clothing, slaughtering a bunch of maasai warriors. Also imagine him being twice their size. And the trailer also implied he is there to save them from them selves, "I must rid this bloody land of all its corruption". Its basicaly the same thing.

Of course one can try to rationalize this choice with all sorts of after the fact arguments. That is probably what Ubisoft did, and thats why they are in this mess. AC in Japan should be a slam dunk. They should have just gave gamers what they want, like Astrobot and Space Marine did.

 

[see colon]

Sure there is are sci fi elements in AC, but that doesnt change the fact that AC is about in large part visiting historical settings. Ubisoft talked alot how they hired historical experts, their respect for japanse history and culture etc. They didnt claim this was some kind of alternative simulated version av Japan.

So are we to believe that previous Assassin's Creed games are now the historical record of the world? The bulk of the game takes place in a simulation!

They should have just gave gamers what they want, like Astrobot and Space Marine did.

This is advocating for pandering to a base as opposed to making the game they want to make. I'm sorry, I can't get behind that. Let them make the game they want, and it can fail if it's not what "people want". Because that's how we determine what people want. They vote with their dollars.

 

[ZebMacahan]

So are we to believe that previous Assassin's Creed games are now the historical record of the world? The bulk of the game takes place in a simulation!

This is advocating for pandering to a base as opposed to making the game they want to make. I'm sorry, I can't get behind that. Let them make the game they want, and it can fail if it's not what "people want". Because that's how we determine what people want. They vote with their dollars.

They can make any game they want. If they want to make money having such a controversial main character wasnt the smartest choice.

 

[Tkumpathenurple]

But that's still be consistent in the review scores. The review scores will affect the process of sampling through whatever prejudices exist, and where society - from individuals to groups to professionals - rate a publisher an 8/10 average one decade and 7/10 the next, that'll show a change in those people's valuing of that publisher. A metascore of 83% in 2008 represents that 'quality' as measured via that system at that point, and likewise in 2024.

If Ubisoft's scores aren't decreasing over time, how can you present evidence that the market sees them as lower quality than before? You're basically just taking it on faith or personal opinion. An argument Ubisoft's games are getting worse needs some sort of evidence showing that, and if you're not willing to use a range of rough-but-comparable metrics over time, what are you willing to use?

Frustratingly Metacritic doesn't appear to have a way to list publishers so there's no easy way to evaluate average changes. Some franchises are easier to track though. Looking here, AC's scores seem to vary title to title, but are consistently around 80% for main entries I think. So what indicators are that that AC, for example, is getting worse?

I would agree if review scores were objective, but they inherently can't be. There are so many variables at play. Even something as simple as rating AC games by the standards of all other AC games renders reviews as "yeah, if you're in the mood for an AC game, this is an x/10 one of them, I suppose."

Within a single series, that's fine, it's basically Ubisoft's FIFA, but Ubisoft seem to have a problem of that series being something of a lynchpin. Outlaws, for example, looks like AC with a Star Wars aesthetic and shooting, which I don't think is all that compelling: "oh, so a naff AC wearing the skin of an inert franchise? I'll pass."

It was £1 last week looks like you missed it
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Thanks. It's actually included with PS+Extra so I've downloaded it to give it a whirl.

 

[iroboto]

I dunno guys.

shogun won a lot of stuff, and people loved it and imo all I saw was a story about a foreigner who managed to successfully keep failing upwards. Much worse imo than having a story based on Yasuke.

It’s really easy to point at failures and find some scape goats while it failed. I’m also positive at Ubisoft they had it still have this discussion we are having now.

Ubisoft made a choice, this is how they want to represent themselves, so this is it. If gamers want to kill it, then so be it. But honestly tired of seeing culture wars happen. A long time ago a game like shadows would have been crazy successful.

Once the algorithm came into play, the internet has just been a cesspool of hate, and it can affect sales. The industry is in a sad state. The speed of communication is so fast. All it takes is for 1 streamer to say this shit stinks and it spreads like wild fire.

People don’t give games enough time anyMore, all the best stuff about any game is nearly almost always the first 10Hrs, because if it’s not the reviews just kill the product.

It is sad.

 

[ZebMacahan]

I dunno guys.

shogun won a lot of stuff, and people loved it and imo all I saw was a story about a foreigner who managed to successfully keep failing upwards. Much worse imo than having a story based on Yasuke.

It’s really easy to point at failures and find some scape goats while it failed. I’m also positive at Ubisoft they had it still have this discussion we are having now.

Ubisoft made a choice, this is how they want to represent themselves, so this is it. If gamers want to kill it, then so be it. But honestly tired of seeing culture wars happen. A long time ago a game like shadows would have been crazy successful.

Once the algorithm came into play, the internet has just been a cesspool of hate, and it can affect sales. The industry is in a sad state. The speed of communication is so fast. All it takes is for 1 streamer to say this shit stinks and it spreads like wild fire.

People don’t give games enough time anyMore, all the best stuff about any game is nearly almost always the first 10Hrs, because if it’s not the reviews just kill the product.

It is sad.

Algoritm might explain some of it, but games werent filled with a certain agenda like 10-15 years ago. The problem is games are filled with this crap now, instead about being espapism and fun.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I would agree if review scores were objective, but they inherently can't be.

You've only addressed a part of my post. What about this:

So what indicators are that that AC, for example, is getting worse?

The claim is made Ubi's games are getting worse and that's why they aren't selling. What's the evidence for this if not review scores?

 

[iroboto]

Algoritm might explain some of it, but games werent filled with a certain agenda like 10-15 years ago. The problem is games are filled with this crap now, instead about being espapism and fun.

They are still entirely filled with escapism and fun!

Politics aren’t ruining games is what I’m saying. Word of mouth is ruining games. All it takes is for a couple of people to say, yea super boring couldn’t handle the first hour I had to shut it off, and that’s a lot of people turned off by it.

It’s almost like, unless there is universal acclaim, games can no longer succeed, it’s not a political thing, it’s just people being swayed way to easily by keyboard warriors. The reason why I think Sony titles continually get good backing is because Sony fans will prop and back up every game they have. Fandem keeps their games up and PS owns the largest corner of the market.

But For everyone else, studios etc, if you don’t have that level of backing, you’re not guaranteed that level of support in selling to your customers. Everyone but PlayStation is feeling pretty without armor lately, all it takes is the algorithm which is fuelled by YouTube, TikTok, streamers, forums, Twitter to destroy your game.

It doesn’t even have to be about political hate, it’s just some people with enough influence to stop their followers from trying a game out.

TLDR More people spend their time doom scrolling than they actually do enjoying the gaming hobby. And doom scrolling will undoubtedly tint your lens regardless of how neutral or unbiased you think you are.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

This has an effect in videogames too, just like what happened with the female -mostly created by female artists- of the Playstation game called Stellar Blade. Or this:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1840380768079491307

The interviewer is a woman who brings up the point. The video is worth the watch...

Yuji Horii has responded saying this news is mistranslated and quoted out of context:

Dragon Quest creator claims his criticism of H2-2D Remake's costume changes were "mistranslated"

Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii has asked people not to "arbitrarily extract parts of comments for the purpose of reinf…

www.eurogamer.net

Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii has asked people not to "arbitrarily extract parts of comments for the purpose of reinforcing the legitimacy of your own opinion" after he was accused of blaming Western ratings board for having to put more modest clothing on characters in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake.

Since then, however, Horii and podcast host and former Shonen Jump Editor-in-Chief Kazuhiko Torishima have confirmed the comments were not only mistranslated, but taken out of context, too.

Doesn't help the pursuit of truth if everyone abuses information for their own agenda. People also need to develop far stronger information filters, preferring to collate more info and defer forming opinions. This likely goes for execs at big corporations too who are probably influenced by background noise more than they should be.

I dare say the Information Age went too far and there's now too much info that people just aren't designed to process and so literally can't process it correctly.

 

[see colon]

Algoritm might explain some of it, but games werent filled with a certain agenda like 10-15 years ago. The problem is games are filled with this crap now, instead about being espapism and fun.

You might have to rescope your age range, because games featuring overt "certain agenda" elements were available over 10 years ago. The Bioshock series (and Infinite in particular), Spec Ops: The Line, Gone home, and probably the game that has done the most to spark this conversation, Depression Quest, are all over 10 years old and have overt themes and content that I think are of the agenda you are referring to. These are just off the top of my head, I'm sure there are more examples and likely a huge amount that have more subtle messaging.

I honestly think the rise in RPS content in games has less to do with some overt agenda or effort to influence society at large and more to do with the rise of narrative based games. But 110-15 years ago was sort of the rise of the walking sim and other types of games that were considered non-games by some, with heavier emphasis on story and attempting to make the player feel something. And sad seams to be the thing they wanted us to feel.

 

[ZebMacahan]

You might have to rescope your age range, because games featuring overt "certain agenda" elements were available over 10 years ago. The Bioshock series (and Infinite in particular), Spec Ops: The Line, Gone home, and probably the game that has done the most to spark this conversation, Depression Quest, are all over 10 years old and have overt themes and content that I think are of the agenda you are referring to. These are just off the top of my head, I'm sure there are more examples and likely a huge amount that have more subtle messaging.

I honestly think the rise in RPS content in games has less to do with some overt agenda or effort to influence society at large and more to do with the rise of narrative based games. But 110-15 years ago was sort of the rise of the walking sim and other types of games that were considered non-games by some, with heavier emphasis on story and attempting to make the player feel something. And sad seams to be the thing they wanted us to feel.

What is "RPS content"?

 

[Nisaaru]

They are still entirely filled with escapism and fun!

Politics aren’t ruining games is what I’m saying. Word of mouth is ruining games. All it takes is for a couple of people to say, yea super boring couldn’t handle the first hour I had to shut it off, and that’s a lot of people turned off by it.

There is more going on than shitstorms ruining games for petty things like the change of the voice actor in Splinter Cell Blacklist, Dead Space 3's minor pay2win or downgrading the gfx in Watchdogs/Division1.

Now there are political and social engineering operations active and this affects the whole economy and ultimately *you*.

 

[Malo]

What is "RPS content"?

Religion, politics and social.

 

[iroboto]

There is more going on than shitstorms ruining games for petty things like the change of the voice actor in Splinter Cell Blacklist, Dead Space 3's minor pay2win or downgrading the gfx in Watchdogs/Division1.

Now there are political and social engineering operations active and this affects the whole economy and ultimately *you*.

There's definitely intense polarization as a result of social media. The grey area is gone.

 

[see colon]

What is "RPS content"?

As Malo stated, Religion, Politics, Socioeconomic. Your quote reminds me that I need a new keyboard, as certain keys like my "1" often fire more than once when pressed.

 

[eastmen]

Well, the developers have stated they wanted players to experience Japan through the eyes of a foreigner. Should they modeled the player character after Tom Cruise so he could be the last samurai? Or is it more appropriate to include a famously foreign samurai?

Tom cruise wasn't the last samurai. You should really read the book or re watch the movie. Tom Cruise was a witness to the last of the Samurai.

At least one. He's been in at least 2 video games before you proclaimed that it would make no sense to include him in one. And those 2 games were made by Japanese developers. It might be 3 or more games. I think he appears in a non-playable state in some of the Nobunaga's Ambition titles. There are 16 mainline Nobunaga titles, and about as many more titles for handhelds that are usually mash ups and remixes, plus an MMO in that series. If Yasuke appears in only 2 of those 30+ games (and I think he's in more), he will be in more games than Solid Snake is as the main character in any of the Kojima directed Metal Gear titles. He might be in more games than Tony Hawk.

Yet there is no historical evidence of him being a samurai. There is a dude who edited wikipedia pointing to his unreleased book as evidence. However the only evidence of him existing is a few mentions and none of them mention him being a samurai which is something you would think would be mentioned The one drawing he apears in he has an umbrella

So yeah, I can't tell you how many Black Samurai there were. But there was at least one, and he's appeared in a bunch of games, books.... There was a Netflix Anime about him a couple of years ago. There wasn't even a culture war about him getting his own show on Netflix, though people probably didn't know he was in it because it's called "Yasuke". Oh, I guess they would. He's pretty famous.

There is zero historical proof there were any black Samurai. I saw a play in which a black man played Hamilton , does that make the real Hamilton black ? Did he also go around singing his thoughts and everyone joined in and his musical numbers?

 

[Deleted member 2197]

Tencent and Guillemot Family Planning Ubisoft Buyout

Tencent and Guillemot Family are potentially planning on buying out Ubisoft, as they are currently in talks with advisors.

wccftech.com