Ubisoft Kills Ghost Recon: Future Soldier on PC

[Andy Chalk]

Ubisoft Kills Ghost Recon: Future Soldier on PC

Ubisoft is making the free-to-play Ghost Recon Online instead of a PC version of Future Solider because 95 percent of you are just going to pirate the game anyway.

Here's what I think is happening. I think that Ubisoft doesn't have the stones to break up with you, so instead it's acting like a jerk to try to make you break up with it. How else could you possibly explain its behavior over the past couple of days? Yesterday the creative director on I Am Alive dismissed "bitching [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/114356-I-Am-Alive-Producer-Dismisses-Bitching-PC-Gamers]" about the apparently-not-gonna-happen PC edition of the game as just noise and said the platform isn't worth developing for, and today it's Ghost Recon producer Sebastien Arnoult effectively stating that if you're a PC gamer, then you're a pirate.

PCGamer [http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Clancys-Ghost-Recon-Xbox-360/dp/B0037LTTRO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322156826&sr=8-1]. "To the users that are traditionally playing the game by getting it through Pirate Bay, we said, 'Okay, go ahead guys. This is what you're asking for. We've listened to you - we're giving you this experience. It's easy to download, there's no DRM that will pollute your experience.'"

"We're adapting the offer to the PC market. I don't like to compare PC and Xbox boxed products because they have a model on that platform that is clearly meant to be €60's worth of super-Hollywood content," he continued. "When we started Ghost Recon Online we were thinking about Ghost Recon: Future Solider; having something ported in the classical way without any deep development, because we know that 95 percent of our consumers will pirate the game. So we said okay, we have to change our mind."

I'm not sure what to say about this. Ubisoft apparently believes that 95 percent of its PC audience - which is perilously close to all of it - gets their games via illegal downloads. The number-one digital distributor is not Steam after all, but The Pirate Bay. And because of that, "deep development" is out and churning out giveaway crap is in.

And "we've listened to you?" I suspect not, actually, but at least now we know where we stand. Thanks for that, guys.


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[mParadox]

The first sentence pretty much sums up how Ubisoft is acting with the PC crowd. I r sad. 3:

What other significant game series does Ubisoft have I wonder...

 

[TitanAtlas]

It seems a lot of bull and crap is coming from Ubisoft, and they decided to blame pirates....

Cuz you know There's no one in the world who buys games for Pc, all all download the games illegally....

Why don't they adopt a system like on Steam... need to play the game with a internet connection so i can play either single or multiplayer...

Like half life games and such... why the "Pirates are going to ruin for everyone" excuse?

 

[Scizophrenic Llama]

Ubisoft must have one hell of a PR team for all of this mess. I usually get most third person shooters for the 360 though, but at this rate I'm just ready to say fuck it to all Ubisoft products. They seem to be bitching as much as us PC gamers supposedly are.

 

[vrbtny]

Ubisoft are being douches to PC gamers?

Wow. I made this exact same post yesterday... Ubisoft are becoming predictable.

 

[VincentX3]

Umm... Ubisoft listen.. This isn't working out anymore... I've met another game develo.. I MEAN WOMEN!

So.. yeah..

Friends?

 

[TitanAtlas]

The first sentence pretty much sums up how Ubisoft is acting with the PC crowd. I r sad. 3:

What other significant game series does Ubisoft have I wonder...

Splinter Cell, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Rainbow Six, Driver, Heroes of Might and Magic, Prince of Persia and Brothers in Arms comes to mind... Other than that i can't remember any game that's worth to be mentioned...

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

These are the guys that were doing the "Post-it" wars, isn't it?

The guys who promised "From Dust" without DRM, then DRM'ed it up the wazoo anyway.

The guys who refused to give EGM their games to review because they weren't getting enough positive ones?

Seriously. cherchez la guillotine.

 

[Rad Party God]

What a bunch of jerks.

Are we seriously the ones "bitching" about PC gaming?

 

[Greyhamster]

I KNEW those damn Frenchies are douches!

Ok, kidding, but this still sucks.

 

[ph0b0s123]

And the hits just keep coming. Got to love that Gallic charm.

Here's what I think is happening. I think that Ubisoft doesn't have the stones to break up with you, so instead it's acting like a jerk to try to make you break up with it. How else could you possibly explain its behavior over the past couple of days?

Like the editorial. Obviously someone at Ubisoft is a fan of 'How to loose a guy in 10 days'.

 

[Jebusetti]

So I was going to pick up this game for the 360, like I have with GR 1 and 2, now though I am going to say fuck you and borrow it off a friend if I want to play it. Same deal with Assassins Creed I guess. I would love to know where they get these figures from, or barring that where they find these business school drop-outs who shit the same figures out of their mouths. Good job guys, and while your games may be good, there are plenty of other, better games out there I can and will spend my money on, both on console and PC.

 

[JediMB]

And here I bought Beyond Good & Evil on Steam today.

I guess this is Ubisoft telling me to stop buying their games. Okay, sure.

 

[Kanova]

I'm not really surprised. Most of the people I know torrent and I am sure that a huge amount of people torrent PC games. They sure do lose a ton of money to pirates. A lot. So, yeah. I guess that is what happens.

 

[Therumancer]

Ahhh, I see where they are coming from now.

Ubisoft is throwing a tantrum because they were probably feeling the impact of people boycotting their games due to the DRM (always online DRM specifically). Thus they are hoping that by depriving PC gamers of their games entirely they will garner some tolerance for the practice.

Really, it's a good riddence overall, especially with this 95% BS, if things went that high it's probably in direct response to their own DRM. Even so I notice Ubisoft isn't trying to claim it's actually lost money on the PC, which would have been a valid excuse if it could be proven under scrutiny, which means they would have used it in pulling out. It's a pressure tactic pure and simple so I'd pretty much just wave bye bye, skip a couple of games and Ubisoft will come crawling back in a year or so when it wants money, preferably without the DRM garbage that all of this is over.

By "lost money" I mean wound up making no profits at all, and pulling in less money than a game cost to make, not having possibly lost some sales to pirates who might have bought the game if they couldn't pirate , Just to clarify.

 

[redisforever]

Oh, just become a console dev now, Ubisoft. It's honestly getting annoying. Finish all your PC games, and don't make new ones.

 

[teh_Canape]

Spoiler: at first I was like

Spoiler: but then I was like

but now, I'm just like fuck Ubisoft

 

[Pandabearparade]

And the hits just keep coming. Why do I feel like a battered spouse?

It's time to file for divorce. And by divorce, I mean stop buying Ubisoft games.

Which I already did prior to this anyway, because I don't think Ezio looks good in the fishnet stockings and clear heels.

 

[Gmans uncle]

Ubisoft... are you TRYING to piss off PC gamers?
I mean, this, the always on DRM, refusing to port I Am Alive, I think they just don't want anything to do with the PC platform anymore, earth to Ubisoft, piracy exists on the consoles too, your not avoiding it by ignoring a whole platform your just pissing people off.

 

[Flac00]

To be honest guys, its not like this hasn't come out of nowhere. Almost every game is pirated constantly. Hell, with some older games, the only people who actually now get it is by pirating it. This isn't Ubisoft being just dicks. I mean sure, they overreacted, but they do have a legitamate reason. Take this as a lesson. PC people (and I am included in this), BUY GAMES, DONT PIRATE. You are ruining the market more than Call of Duty or Madden ever will.