Ubisoft to no longer pursue FPS game titles...

[ekempey]

"Ubisoft game designer Phil Therien said his company would limit the amount of development time given to hardcore FPS games in the future because they no longer make enough money to be a viable business practice."

http://www.gametrailers.com/viewnews.php?id=5680

I hope this has not been posted elsewhere, if it has, mods please delete.

Does this mean good things for the world of Silent Hunter (being a niche market itself), or does it mean that the company will pay less attention to niche gaming in general?

[Major Johnson]

Personally, I enjoy their Brothers In Arms Series and am anxiously awaiting Hell's Highway. The series is not your typical arcade style "run and gun". So they can can all the fantasy, space alien crap for all I care, but keep the WW2 stuff coming!

[August]

Geez, just a couple years ago FPS's were supposed to be the only ones making a profit.

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by August

Geez, just a couple years ago FPS's were supposed to be the only ones making a profit.

The way I see it, it hasnt changed. Ubi just havent made any "great" FPS's lately.

[skwasjer]

To be honest, I think the FPS market is not a paying customer (enough). Family games, simulation, RTS and overall console games are more likely to sell (older audience likely to pay, or as gifts to youngsters, and console games are harder to copy).

Besides, hardcore FPS on a console is a big 'no' so that limits the target platform to PC, so to me the decision makes alot of sense.

And yea, I really can't wait for Hell's Highway. It's my number one WWII-title.

[August]

Originally Posted by Dowly

The way I see it, it hasnt changed. Ubi just havent made any "great" FPS's lately.

Really? I figured that the consoles have pretty much hijacked the FPS market. I was hoping we'd see more RTS's from computer game companies.

[kiwi_2005]

FPS games i thought were the most popular titles on the market:hmm:

Playing a FPS on a console is the most shocking thing in gaming ever! The target system moves for you, no need to aim. LAME

[Blacklight]

The market is so oversaturated with First Person Shooters and Real Time Stratagies that the genera's have been pretty boring for YEARS. There's only so many ways to package them without all of them eventually looking alike. I for one would like to see some kind of new genera that focuses on creativity rather than simple arcade action.

[bradclark1]

Just the cost of the graphucs alone must be 3/4 of the game. The more detailed the graphics can become the more the FPS will cost to produce.
Maybe they'll start producing rewrites of past games like SSG did with Carriers at War. A lot of good old games out there waiting to be reborn.

[d@rk51d3]

HARDCORE is the keyword here. From another report I read the other day, it was in reference to the Tom Clancey style shooters, ie: no healthpacks, one shot kills - real life kinda stuff.

They just want to keep a mainstream / casual gamer market.

[V.C. Sniper]

First person Silent Hunter experience plz Ubi.

[goldorak]

Originally Posted by d@rk51d3

HARDCORE is the keyword here. From another report I read the other day, it was in reference to the Tom Clancey style shooters, ie: no healthpacks, one shot kills - real life kinda stuff.

They just want to keep a mainstream / casual gamer market.

This is a very stupid decision.

[peterloo]

Originally Posted by Blacklight

The market is so oversaturated with First Person Shooters and Real Time Stratagies that the genera's have been pretty boring for YEARS. There's only so many ways to package them without all of them eventually looking alike. I for one would like to see some kind of new genera that focuses on creativity rather than simple arcade action.

Agreed. The market now is full of FPS and RTS titles that the game play is soooo boring.

They need something new. Improving graphics is just futile. Physics engines or other stuff improves nothing but make the game resource heavy

They need to create more stuff. Leave the WWII frame please. There is already many games which is set on WWII, on every major sides. Only by releasing new creative titles can they earn money.

[CCIP]

Personally I wouldn't count on Ubisoft of making great leaps in innovation. There's always a chance, but I think big companies like that are much better at making money than putting out new ideas.

However a number of smaller studios have been showing practical examples of how to make innovative games and not lose money. It's to them we should look and support them the most, in hopes that the "big money" takes notice and perhaps throws in their promotional weight behind them!

The real problem with "hardcore" games is not their "hardcoreness" these days. It's a marketing issue. Small companies can't afford to publicize and advertise them extensively, big companies don't know how to do it properly (SH3/4 stand as a testament to that).

[goldorak]

edit : bad post