Ubisoft has said it will release big budget free-to-play versions of some of its major franchises – as well as continue its traditional full-price AAA releases of things like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry.
Speaking with investors, Ubisoft financial boss Frederick Duguet said the company’s focus on releasing three to four big budget games per year was no longer “a proper indication of our value creation dynamics”. Or, in normal speak, Ubisoft wanted its profits to grow by making even more money from other things.
On Twitter, Ubisoft’s Sean Lama clarified this did not mean free-to-play games would replace AAA games. Instead, it meant Ubisoft now saw free-to-play as “an additional way to experience some of these IPs”, with Call of Duty as “a good example of the model”.