Ubisoft Planning Its Own "Project Ten Dollar"

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Ubisoft Planning Its Own "Project Ten Dollar"


Ubisoft [hyyp://www.ubi.com] says it is taking a close look at EA's Project Ten Dollar DLC program and will likely launch a similar initiative of its own in the near future.

In a call to investors following the announcement of its full-year financial results, Ubisoft CFO Alain Martinez said the company was going to start taking advantage of launch-day downloadable content in order to protect itself from losses incurred via used game sales, much as Electronic Arts has done with Online Pass [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98497-Retailers-Warn-Project-Ten-Dollar-Will-Hurt-Consumers].

"Most of the games that we release next year will have from the start downloadable content available," Martinez said. "And we are looking very carefully at what is being done by EA regarding what we call the 'ten dollar solution' and we would probably follow that line at some time in the future."

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot noted that the company had already laid the groundwork for such a system, pointing out that games like the hit Assassin's Creed 2 [http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=74511] came with codes for bonus content. "Actually, we have been using keys starting last year on our products, so those keys were allowing some consumers to have the content if they were buying in specific stores," he said. "So we have the system in place to actually generate more revenue on the second hand market, so we are building now the content to make sure that it can be beneficial for both groups."

Project Ten Dollar has churned up some controversy among gamers, although most seem happy enough to be getting free stuff in exchange for buying new copies of games rather than used, but EA Battlefield: Bad Company 2 [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/ea-project-USD10-saw-over-70-percent-of-new-purchasers-redeeming-codes] buyers went online to redeem their bonus DLC codes, the company said last week, while those who bought codes for used game purchases represented a "low single-digit percentage."

Source: GamesIndustry [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/ubisoft-looks-to-follow-eas-project-USD10-plans]


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Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
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Well, its certainly proved to be popular so not a surprise others are jumping on the bandwagon.

Was just a matter of time
 

Darktau

Totally Ergo Proxy
Mar 10, 2009
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Is a two year old in charge of ubisoft or a deaf person or something?
 

GrandmaFunk

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Oct 19, 2009
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I'm pretty sure the one DLC that every Ubisoft customer wants is the "deactivate DRM" DLC.

Anything short of that won't save them.
 

Hurr Durr Derp

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Apr 8, 2009
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Compared to their previous DRM attempt, Project Ten Dollar is nothing but good.

I give a tentative thumbs-up.
 

deathyepl

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May 9, 2008
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Hurr Durr Derp - You say that like they're going to stop using their DRM. Project Ten Dollar isn't DRM, it's an attempt to kill used game sales.
 

drkchmst

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Mar 28, 2010
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i give a tentative kiss my arse ubi. i don't want your halfarse dlc anyway so ima be buying used still...so long as i get a good price and they don't have half a billion stickers glued to the case gah i hate when they ruin the case art
 

Kevlar Eater

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Sep 27, 2009
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First EA, now Ubisoft. Next up: Activision, though we all would know they'd take it to tyrannical levels.
 

Caliostro

Headhunter
Jan 23, 2008
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Hey Ubisoft, get this:


[HEADING=1]I'LL BUY YOUR MOTHERFUCKING GAMES AGAIN ONCE YOU REMOVE THE MALWARE FROM THEM.[/HEADING]

Hell, I'm all for these "project ten dollar" initiatives. Reward the legitimate player, don't punish them. But I'll go further: I'll happily buy your games again (AC2 at least, maybe Conviction...) once you remove that piece of malfunctioning and torturous shit you call your own DRM.
 

MGlBlaze

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Oct 28, 2009
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Jack and Calumon said:
Hooray! Free DLC!

Calumon: At least Ubi have something right.
True, but is that really saying all that much considering certain other stuff Ubisoft's done that most certainly isn't right?
 

DeadlyYellow

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Jun 18, 2008
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Darktau said:
Is a two year old in charge of ubisoft or a deaf person or something?
You should know by now that the corporate gaming world runs on this kind of monkey-see-monkey-do behavior.

I also don't see how being deaf impairs judgment here, unless you are insinuating loss of hearing equates to mental deficiency. Maybe in terms of ignoring what some people have said about Project Ten Dollar, but again it's corporate gaming.
 

GiantRedButton

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Mar 30, 2009
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Andy Chalk said:
buyers went online to redeem their bonus DLC codes, the company said last week, while those who bought codes for used game purchases represented a "low single-digit percentage."
I doubt that the fact that few people bought the dlc you don't get as a used game buyer is an indicator that few people bought it used. Ea reads weird things into numbers.
Btw i downloaded the dlc via rapidshare because it was more convenient that using my download code for DA.
And I got on a 5 hour trip to the bank, just so i could pay for the humble indie bundle. But dam was it worth it. Check out Aquaria
 

Therumancer

Citation Needed
Nov 28, 2007
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Well, I'm not a big fan of going after the second hand game market in general.

My concern is that with what they have done with their existing DRM, I'm afraid Ubisoft will do something like require a DLC code to download key parts of the game as opposed to additional content that might cost you a single character or whatever.

What's more I don't think I saw anything there about them giving up this "constant connection needed for single player games" DRM. This is something they apparently plan "in addition to" as opposed to "instead of".

It's interesting news, but not something I'm going to praise them for.

Personally, as a consumer I want all the game content on my disc, and to be able to freely access it without paying microtransactions. If a game is successful I don't mind buying an expansion or two down the road though. I do not want to see 10 tons of nickel and dime DLC either to add in a couple of weapons, or a new costume, or whatever. Expansions should both be fairly inexpensive given that they are digital (no packaging or shipping) and add signifigant content to what was already a complete gaming experience. I also believe I should be able to play my game offline, and even make archival backup copies if I so choose (this used to actually be encouraged).

Anything short of a complete about face from the industry, which I don't think is likely, isn't really good news from my perspective. The way I see it, even at the best, I have less control over/ownership of the games I'm paying good money for than I did back in like the 1980s with a Commodore 64.

Of the various things we've seen, "Project 10 dollar" was one of the less obnoxious ones, BUT people have also talked about how it could easily snowball into abuse. I'm very cynical when it comes to Ubisoft nowadays (for obvious reasons) and I have this uncanny feeling we're about to see a demonstration of the kinds of things people were concerned about when "Project 10 dollar" was first announced, and were told "was simply ridiculous paranoia".... hey, let's hope I'm wrong.

As it is, I'm passing on Ubisoft games on principle as long as they keep the current DRM system or something similarly problematic... so I guess to some extent this will have a minimal effect on me.
 

CoverYourHead

High Priest of C'Thulhu
Dec 7, 2008
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Ubisoft's Project 10-dollar: Make the buyer pay Ubisoft $10 for every minute of gameplay.
 

aaronmcc

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Oct 18, 2008
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I think UBIsoft REALLY REALLY REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAALLY need to focus on their fucking games and not all the shit that goes along with them. As a great man once said

"If you build it. They will come."
 
Apr 28, 2008
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Caliostro said:
Hey Ubisoft, get this:


[HEADING=1]I'LL BUY YOUR MOTHERFUCKING GAMES AGAIN ONCE YOU REMOVE THE MALWARE FROM THEM.[/HEADING]

Hell, I'm all for these "project ten dollar" initiatives. Reward the legitimate player, don't punish them. But I'll go further: I'll happily buy your games again (AC2 at least, maybe Conviction...) once you remove that piece of malfunctioning and torturous shit you call your own DRM.
What this magnificent ninja said.

I want to buy Assassin's Creed 2, I want to buy Conviction, but as long as you have such a hilariously infective DLC that punishes paying users I won't even touch them.

I don't care how much free shit you offer, I will not buy until they get rid of the DRM.

Once they do remove it I will gladly go to the store the next day and pick up AC2 and Conviction.
 

Bruce Edwards

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Feb 17, 2010
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Caliostro said:
Hey Ubisoft, get this:


[HEADING=1]I'LL BUY YOUR MOTHERFUCKING GAMES AGAIN ONCE YOU REMOVE THE MALWARE FROM THEM.[/HEADING]

Hell, I'm all for these "project ten dollar" initiatives. Reward the legitimate player, don't punish them. But I'll go further: I'll happily buy your games again (AC2 at least, maybe Conviction...) once you remove that piece of malfunctioning and torturous shit you call your own DRM.
This is so true. I was about to post something similar, but not as subtle.

I have avoided purchasing two games from Ubi so far (Silent Hunter 5, SC:Conviction) simply because of the DRM. I would hate for this to continue, given they seem to have some talented PC developers on board.