Ubisoft argues microtransactions make their games more fun, yikes

Ubisoft has gone on record as saying a few silly things in the past, but this feels like it takes the cake.

Whether it’s adding achievements to games that can no longer be bought, or updates breaking compatibility with specific games, Ubisoft always seems to land itself in a spot of controversy.

The latest in a line of sillies appears to be a comment made in Ubisoft’s annual financial report, in which it publishes its various “monetisation strategies” with premium games.

“At Ubisoft, the golden rule when developing premium games is to allow players to enjoy the game in full without having to spend more,” the report states.

“Our monetization offer within premium games makes the player experience more fun by allowing them to personalize their avatars or progress more quickly, however this is always optional,” the report continues.

From reading these two statements, it seems that they contradict each other.

I mean, how can you enjoy the game in full without having to spend more, if you’re given the option to spend more for cosmetic items or quicker progression?

Sure, it’s optional, but dressing up your Assassin’s Creed character can be quite fun in itself. The outfits in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey are particularly great.

The comment about progression is also a little odd, as some Ubisoft fans have criticised its games for feeling particularly grindy in the past.

Certain areas in open world games can be level-gated with tougher enemies, where your only option is to go away and level up a bit more. Buying a progress shortcut would certainly cut down on that grinding.

So, that would mean the game can’t be enjoyed in full, if certain parts become a bit slower or duller for players who don’t cough up the dough.

At the end of the day, burying pay-to-win or optional cosmetic purchases into your single-player games is just a little off putting to players, especially if they’ve just paid full price for the game.