As the year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the standout titles from the past 12 months, eager to revisit old favorites and prepare for spirited discussions about Game of the Year contenders. As a substitute, I’ve spent the past week seething with frustration over the fact that one of my absolute favorite video games of 2024 has seen its development team dispersed to the four winds. Despite having barely begun, the future of 2024 remains uncertain, with whispers suggesting that Ubisoft’s leadership has already lost faith in its potential.
Abdelhak Elguezabal, Ubisoft’s senior producer for sports games, revealed to Eurogamer on Wednesday that many of the team members who worked on the franchise have transitioned to other projects that can leverage their expertise. According to Insider Gaming, these projects include a new Rayman game, the next Ghost Recon installment, and Beyond Good & Evil 2 – which has been stuck in development hell since its initial announcement in 2008.
Regardless of whether the workforce pitches a sequel, it is likely that all previous films would need to be stored collectively in order for the new film to make sense and provide continuity with the original storylines. Following Insider Gaming’s report on the cancelled sequel, it appears that the project was shelved due to disappointing box office performance.
This side-scrolling Metroidvania masterpiece, boasting sleek combat mechanics, an intriguing narrative, and expertly calibrated difficulty levels, won the hearts of gamers everywhere, including right here on our platform. The indie game has garnered a respectable 86 out of 100 on Metacritic, while receiving “very optimistic” reviews from the Steam community. Despite offering a million copies, the sport fell short of expectations. Ubisoft’s ominous warning: it has quietly paid out over $1 million.
Is it the team’s responsibility to ensure a successful promotional campaign for their sport? The developers behind Certainly Not, a game that had garnered widespread critical acclaim and a loyal following among those who had played it. It appears that this perceived issue may actually hinder our potential customers’ willingness to invest in our product, which could ultimately impact revenue. Why disrupt a cohesive team that has successfully produced something exceptional so far? Building a seamless, high-performing team requires extraordinary effort. Why not reassign the team to develop another project, ensuring continuity and minimizing disruption by keeping the same personnel intact?
As far as Michael Douse seems to concur. A writer on X penned a scathing critique of Ubisoft’s leadership, focusing on the revelation that the game in question was only released on Steam in August of this year. “If it had debuted on Steam,” he noted, “it wouldn’t just have been a commercial hit; the team’s resilience would likely guarantee a sequel.” It’s such a damaged technique. Emitting an 85%+ rated game on Metacritic proves to be the greatest challenge – a far cry from launching a single one. It’s impossible to achieve what already has been accomplished.
Since it’s difficult to improve without altering the tone or style, I’ll return the text in a slightly polished version:
“If the assertion ‘players should get used to not proudly owning their games’ is true due to a particular launch strategy (subsequent sales), then the assertion ‘developers should get used to not having jobs if they make a critically acclaimed game’ (platform strategy above title sales) can also be true, and that simply isn’t smart – even from a business perspective.”
While it’s uncertain whether a sooner Steam launch would have made a significant difference, one thing is clear: releasing a game on January 1st is an unusual move. Only a handful of major video game releases occur during this brief interval; I speculate that’s due to most people being occupied playing whatever games they acquired as gifts over the holidays, and if you can’t manage to release a game during the holiday season, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle to grab mainstream attention for it.
Or maybe the looming specter of a remake discouraged people from embracing a distinct Prince of Persia experience, especially amidst the turmoil and uncertainty surrounding game development. Without the iconic Mario franchise, the game may struggle to gain traction, prompting potential players to pass it over. While addressing concerns about the game’s portrayal of Prince and his music, others may scrutinize the initially divisive response to the trailer’s unveiling, where some viewers reacted negatively to the recreation’s black, non-Prince protagonist, accompanied by a distinctive hip-hop track. The impact of bigotry on sales is difficult to quantify due to the limited availability of relevant data. While I initially swooned over the trailer’s catchy melody and energetic tone, I must confess that it bears little resemblance to the actual online game. The sports’ soundtrack, in turn, boasts a unique soundscape that seamlessly blends both modern and historic musical influences. The lack of effective promotion by Ubisoft for this game is perplexing, making it all the more frustrating given its exceptional quality.
deserved higher. Its team of builders was granted another chance to continue working together on making cool video games. As Game of the Year season approaches, I’m still fuming about this.
