Ubisoft CEO Says Longer Game Lifespans Isn’t Just About Making Money

Apr 10, 2019 9:00 AM PDT Efficiency matters in business.

by Joseph Knoop

These days, more and more big budget games are turning into what’s called “games-as-a-service,” lengthening their lifespans and introducing new content on a regular basis in order to keep players enticed for more than just its first week. Think Destiny, Fortnite, and now Ubisoft’s The Division 2. While the growth of games-as-a-service hasn’t always been a favorite trend among gaming audiences, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot thinks it’s about way more than dollar signs.

“Because we put a lot of time and effort into creating universes, cities, and worlds, what we try to do is give possibilities to stay there for a long time, with lots of different gameplay and the possibility to be with your friends,” Guillemot said on this month’s episode of IGN Unfiltered. “Why do you want to redo everything each year if you can improve and increase the experience in one game? It's easier for us to improve and increase the number of possibilities that the game can bring rather than starting from scratch.”

On this latest episode of IGN Unfiltered, editor Ryan McCaffrey sits down with Guillemot to discuss his humble beginnings, how the Tom Clancy brand launched Ubisoft into the big leagues, just how terrifying the big takeover attempt from Vivendi was, and more. See the full episode in the video above.

Make sure to check out all 40 past episodes of IGN Unfiltered, where McCaffrey gets to know some of the industry’s biggest and brightest names. You can hear folks like Amy Hennig talk about her work as a games writer, 343 Industries’ Bonnie Ross on shaping the future of Halo, NBA 2K gameplay director Mike Wang on his wild journey from forum poster to 2K lead, and lots more.

Joseph Knoop is a freelance writer for IGN, and he's a GaaS. Breach and clear with him on Twitter @JosephKnoop.

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