Ubisoft Doubles Down On Open-World And Live-Service Games

As part of Ubisoft's earnings report, the company discussed what kinds of games it wants to focus on going forward--and these include open-world action adventure titles and games-as-a-service projects.

Ubisoft executive Frederick Duguet said on an earnings call that the company has been "investing significantly" in recent times on a "big pipeline" of its two main product categories. These are the aforementioned open-world action adventure and games-as-a-service genres. "That's what we want to deliver year after year," the executive said.

Ubisoft focusing on big open-world games and live-service titles is nothing new for the company. However, historically, Ubisoft had a more diverse lineup of games spanning multiple different genres and formats. And not every live-service project has worked out for Ubisoft, as the company launched and shut down games like XDefiant and Hyper Scape relatively quickly. The pirate game Skull & Bones is still up and running but hasn't exactly broken through to become a hit.

Duguet went on to list off some of Ubisoft's upcoming projects that have been announced so far, including Assassin's Creed Shadows and more ongoing updates for Rainbow Six Siege, Anno 117: Pax Romana, and The Division Resurgence. The executive said the company will share more details about other upcoming games around May, which is when Ubisoft will release its next earnings report. That's also around when many game companies open the floodgates for gaming news throughout the summer season after various shows and events.

Whatever Ubisoft has coming--and the company hasn't said much about its future title slate--Duguet said the company has a "strong pipeline for the future years." It is expected that Ubisoft would speak in this manner. Duguet was responding to a question about the company's future outlook, and presenting it in a rosy and robust manner is normal behavior for an executive speaking to analysts.

Regarding Assassin's Creed Shadows, the game is coming this March and preorder numbers are tracking in line with those of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Ubisoft said. Odyssey was the second most successful entry in the entire Assassin's Creed franchise, according to Ubisoft, though it didn't say by what metric.

In other news, Ubisoft is in the midst of a cost-reduction program that has resulted in layoffs and studio closures. CEO Yves Guillemot said these changes were "difficult but necessary." Additionally, Ubisoft is undergoing a "formal review process" for helping to turn its business around, with one potential scenario being a deal of some type with Tencent. Guillemot said of negotiations about the company's future, "We are convinced there are different potential paths to achieve this ambition."