Ubisoft Subscription Services Director Would Like Players to Get Used to Not Owning Games

Playing games on a digital subscription basis is a much newer concept that gamers are still getting accustomed to. To many, owning their titles is the definitive way of gaming. However, Ubisoft has a different method in mind with their Ubisoft+ subscription services. On January 15, 2023, the French company rebranded its subscription service and introduced a new offering for PCs.

The director of subscription services at Ubisoft, Philippe Tremblay, told GamesIndustry.biz that Ubisoft+ has attracted millions of new subscribers since its launch in September 2019. During the launch, the service was called Uplay+. However, the company rebranded the launcher to Ubisoft Connect, which also led to a change in name for the subscription service.

Also read: Ubisoft+ To Feature Activision Blizzard Games Following Microsoft Acquisition

Ubisoft Subscription Director Sees Tremendous Growth in the Services if Consumers Stop Owning Games

Both services, Ubisoft+ Premium and Ubisoft+ Classics have been pretty successful since their launch in 2019. The Premium subscription is available on PC, Xbox, and Luna for $17.99/month, and the Ubisoft+ Classics for $7.99/month. They offer a variety of Ubisoft games, including the old gems, through the Classics subscription to fans.Fast forward to 2024, Phillipe Tremblay claimed that about 10% of the subscribers have never played Ubisoft titles before, and the service enjoyed its biggest month in October 2023. This was huge news for the company as more and more users are leaning towards the subscription services. 

Tremblay states that gamers are much used to owning games through DVDs and digital libraries. He also added that the consumer shift needs to happen as they are slowly comfortable with not owning their CD or a DVD collection. The transformation is slower in games compared to streaming services or music.  The director also gave examples of how gamers grow comfortable in the aspect of not losing their progress through the subscription service and resume their game at any time. One will not lose what they have built in a game despite not owning them.

According to the director, the faster people embrace the model, they will likely see that games will still exist in the circle and continue to be accessible through the subscription, and that is reassuring. Much like the streaming services where one only pays for it when needed, rather than paying for it all the time. Tremblay has stated that Ubisoft will continue to develop different and unique methods for gamers to consume the company's games. For now, one can rely on Ubisoft+ for a vast library of games including older titles.