It feels nigh impossible for Ubisoft to not be in the crosshairs of controversy lately. Soon after pushing the release date for Assassin’s Creed Shadows into 2025, it appears the team behind the beloved Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has been disbanded. After citing “poor sales” as the main concern, other developers and directors were quick to call out Ubisoft.
In response to a Tweet from the PC Gamer X page, Michael Douse, the director of publishing for Larian Studios, wasn’t afraid to make his feelings known. Stating their “subs above sales” marketing tactics as of late, disbanding the team behind The Lost Crown doesn’t make as much sense as Ubisoft seems to think it does.
Ubisoft’s apparent ‘Subs Over Sales’ strategy Doesn’t Always Work Out
It’s not like Douse is a “Ubisoft Hater,” or someone trying to push an agenda regarding their upcoming releases. He’s even stated on X himself that “Star Wars Outlaws is my GOTY,” so it’s not like he’s hating on the company for internet clout points. He’s just doing what is responsible and holding the company accountable for their, frankly, terrible business decisions.
With a solid 87% approval rating on OpenCritic, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown reviewed quite well overall. Much more respectable than most of Ubisoft’s other AAA (or AAAA) games. It’s not like they can blame poor sales on bad reviews this time around. Rather, it’s actively encouraging your user base to get used to the idea of “not owning your games.” Pushing for a subscription service after a move like this is laughable at best.
It’s hard to deviate from the original plan when everyone has grown so accustomed to what a Ubisoft experience offers. Players were likely fatigued from playing through the same type of game over and over again. Maybe they just didn’t consider giving The Lost Crown a chance. Or maybe, the lack of proper marketing and love from Ubisoft delivered the final blow.
Everyone I know who has played Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown fawned over it for a variety of reasons. It’s an approachable Metroidvania in a genre filled with some of the most confusing and convoluted entries. You can tell the development team had their heart in the project fully, but Ubisoft didn’t.
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