Ubisoft tells PC gamers they're "not worth it."

[DeadPoolX]

Here's the story:

After going off the grid long enough to generate cancellation rumors about its cancellation rumors, I Am Alive leaped back into the spotlight with Uncharted-esque climbing antics, enough shades of gray to power an entire ethics debate, and no PC version. And now, Ubisoft finally has a – frankly astonishing – statement for PC gamers who feel they’ve been left out in the cold: quit “bitching.”

“We’ve heard loud and clear that PC gamers are bitching about there being no version for them,” creative director Stanislas Mettra told IncGamers. “But are these people just making noise just because there’s no version or because it’s a game they actually want to play? Would they buy it if we made it?”

“It’s hard because there’s so much piracy and so few people are paying for PC games that we have to precisely weigh it up against the cost of making it. Perhaps it will only take 12 guys three months to port the game to PC. It’s not a massive cost but it’s still a cost. If only 50,000 people buy the game, then it’s not worth it.”

We recently spoke to Ghost Recon Online producer Sébastien Arnoult about Ubisoft’s piracy concerns. He views the free to play model as a good way to counter piracy. Previously, Ubisoft have experimented with severe and incredibly unpopular always-online DRM. That didn’t go down too well. The comments of I Am Alive’s creative director suggests that if the company can’t find a viable solution, they’re likely to consider skipping PC altogether.

And yet somehow, Skyrim managed a record-breaking first day on Steam and Portal 2 sold the majority of its copies on PC. Oh, and you know that Steam sale going on right now? The one everybody’s flinging heaping gobs of Christmas cash at? Need I go on? You heard the man, though: No one’s buying anything on PC. Clearly, my facts must be wrong.

You can find the original article at PC Gamer.

[Collector]

If only 50,000 people buy the game, then it’s not worth it.

If it sells so few, perhaps the problem is that the game sucks.

[Rudy]

If only 50,000 people buy the game, then it’s not worth it.

If it sells so few, perhaps the problem is that the game sucks.

My thoughts exactly

[DeadPoolX]

I think they're automatically assuming that very few people will actually purchase the game, whereas lots of people will pirate it. So to them it's a loss because only "50,000" will buy it, but lots of gamers will still play it.

Ubisoft has the right to feel this way about PC gaming and, if they don't feel like it, never develop another PC title ever again. What I can't believe is they'd actually make a public statement like this, which is basically a giant "f*ck you" to PC gamers. By saying this, they've practically guaranteed they won't even get those paltry 50,000 sales (which, of course, justifies their decision in their minds to not develop for the PC).

[Collector]

I think they're automatically assuming that very few people will actually purchase the game, whereas lots of people will pirate it. So to them it's a loss because only "50,000" will buy it, but lots of gamers will still play it.

Well of course that is what they are thinking, but there is no way for them to verify how many pirated the game. Additionally, they are making the mistake that so many publishers have made that has lead them to use draconian DRM that hurts no one but their legitimate customers. Each pirated copy does not mean the loss of one sale. Many that would have otherwise had no intention of buying the game might give it a try for free, i.e. a pirated copy.

Ubisoft has the right to feel this way about PC gaming and, if they don't feel like it, never develop another PC title ever again. What I can't believe is they'd actually make a public statement like this, which is basically a giant "f*ck you" to PC gamers. By saying this, they've practically guaranteed they won't even get those paltry 50,000 sales (which, of course, justifies their decision in their minds to not develop for the PC).

And thus it shows that the people managing Ubisoft are not doing so by rational thought. I am sure that a number of their customers are both PC and console gamers. A minimal profit is still a profit and sometimes good will towards their customers has benefits that may not be directly measurable by tangible means, such as customer loyalty.

[Maiandra]

...there’s so much piracy and so few people are paying for PC games...

So few people are paying for Ubisoft PC games, maybe. Probably because they have developed such a bad DRM reputation (not only including it excessively, but also lying about it). There are a number of PC games that have been doing just fine. Of course, they will interpret it how they want to interpret it to justify their actions.

Frankly, I don't consider it a big loss if they stop making PC games. My developers of choice don't include Ubisoft.

[MusicallyInspired]

They need a new guy running that company who's not a complete and utter moron.