Tag Archives: AC Black Sail

That is what I am confronted with. I saw several articles regarding Ubisoft including one (that is not part of this discussion) about a person who opened critique about an RTO (Return to Office) setting and was fired. Not sure if one validates the other, but there you have it, as I see it Ubisoft is in serious danger, which is after I basically handed them IP making them up to a speculated billion is rather weird. But there you have it, Ubisoft is in not yet in peril but it feels like it.

The first article comes from Tech Power Up (at https://www.techpowerup.com/346598/ubisoft-ceo-spills-beans-about-2-far-cry-projects-several-assassins-creed-games-both-multi-and-single-player) and gives us ‘Ubisoft CEO Spills Beans About 2 Far Cry Projects, “Several” Assassin’s Creed Games, Both Multi- and Single-Player’ where we see “Similar is true for the Far Cry franchise, in that Ubisoft currently has two Far Cry projects in development, although Guillemot declined to specify any further on what those projects were. One of the upcoming Assassin’s Creed projects is almost certainly the much-rumored Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remake that is slated to launch sometime in 2026.” So whilst we are given “This interview and the promises of new Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed games comes the same week as Ubisoft confirmed a round of layoffs at its Toronto studio as part of its heavily criticized company-wide restructuring and cost-savings plan that will likely see up to 18% of the company laid off in order to save €200 million in five years.” Well, that is the setting and whilst we can all argue the validity of actions, it comes across as being mere Monday quarterbacks. I merely handed them up to a billion in IP and let it go from there (of course I would never deny myself a very nice bonus, but that requires evidence and I don’t have that and should they consider my thoughts, the evidence of it are on my blog. But as it seems, Ubisoft has a credit rating issue and usually it is found by cutting costs. There is a second setting which you saw above. It is see in “2 Far Cry Projects, “Several” Assassin’s Creed Games, Both Multi- and Single-Player’” You see, when you try to appease everyone, you merely ending up pleasing no one. So to illustrate that we get to the next article. It is seen in the adjusted title ‘Ubisoft has ‘multiple’ new Assassin’s Creed games in development’, which is seen (at https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-has-multiple-new-assassins-creed-and-far-cry-games-in-development/) where we see “Ubisoft has been attempting to branch out its biggest franchises into the multiplayer realm for more than a decade at this point but so far, nothing in the Assassin’s Creed or Far Cry universes has managed to stick the landing. However, this week in an interview with Variety, Ubisoft CEO, Yves Guillemot, has confirmed that more attempts are in the works, alongside the usual single-player games.” And when you consider that €200 million is cut, the setting of “more attempts are in the works” as well as “been attempting to branch out for more than a decade” (adjusted) the premise becomes a little stale. When you try to appease everyone, you merely please no one. And it has been tried in several ways before. Sections of prince of Persia added to AC 2, and for some parts it makes sense, but the setting that someone has that feeling that “it feels like I am playing game X” becomes a disappointing feeling and that is the setting that Ubisoft keeps on believing in. It is almost that some spreadsheet BI people are looking at the results of 4 projects and contain the most lucrative parts in game 5, a setting that as far as I am concerned never ever works. A game is a story, a story you play and that is why Far Cry 3 was such a success. It is why AC brotherhood worked. And by the way, the Black Sail was decent, but it was no AC game. It was merely the only game on release date of the PS4 that was outstanding (in its own right) and that part of the metric is likely overlooked. So when I see “the Assassin’s Creed games in development are said to include the Black Flag remake” I wonder why, doesn’t that PS4 game play on the PS5? I actually never tried it as I finished that on my PS4 ages ago. Beyond that, the idea of running after a sea shanty was not my idea of fun, to much like some Prince of Persia parkour. I get that you might ‘find’ these sea shanties and that was fine, but running through the trees passed the guards (who will chase you) is just utter BS. Still the game had highlights and a few nice surprises, it was not a bad game, far from that, I merely never saw it as an AC game. But that might merely be me.

To be honest, after Origins I left AC alone and I tried Mirage later (which was awesome). And there is some interesting in Hexe, but there are mentions of restrictions. It is not an open world. I am in dub there, because it could still be a really good game, time will tell.

And there is one other side that Ubisoft is seemingly forgetting. These lay offs could become a new competitor and create hidden traps to what they are trying to achieve. It is the trap of creative corporations. It takes one ignored person to be discharged and when that person creates new IP, Ubisoft is out of that part of the game. That is merely how I see it. 

Have a great day.