Ubisoft has been a household name in the video games industry for more than a decade now with many well-known and mainstream games under its belt. The sheer number of Ubisoft IPs that tops the chart of each year’s gaming sales is something to marvel at. However, recently the console and PC gaming giants have announced many of their popular IPs such as Rainbow Six Siege, Assassin’s Creed and The Division will be landing on the mobile gaming runway. Porting these IPs, that has a huge cult-like following seems to be a way to expand the grip of Ubisoft on the gaming community as a whole.
How this decision might affect Ubisoft and the games industry as a whole, if this is even a viable and respectful decision towards the beloved franchises, and why Ubisoft should or should not bring its IPs to mobile, are all we’ll be discussing in this article.
Mobile and Console games require a very different philosophy
Both mobile and console gaming come under the radar of gaming as a whole but the philosophy behind the making of both are drastically different. On one hand, console or PC games require an in-depth experience and often need to have a dedicated start middle point and ending with a sizeable duration. On the other hand, mobile gaming requires a more streamlined endless, fun, and engaging aspect to the core gaming loop and a few time-specific events and exciting additions in the mix to spice things up.
If Ubisoft decides to follow the general mobile gaming loop then the series might lose its original identity as simplicity is the last thing that was added in the making of games like Rainbow Six Siege or Assassin’s Creed. The clash of the elaborate nature of the original games and the simplicity required to work as a mobile game might affect the overall quality and reception of such big-name game franchises.
Ubisoft needs a gentle wind in the right direction
No matter how much of a red flag this decision might seem initially this decision could potentially turn out to be a home run in the park that is mobile gaming. In the past, there have been Assassin’s Creed side scrollers such as the AC Chronicles series which weren’t disastrous by any stretch of the imagination if that magic is rekindled on Android with a few mobile-specific and modern tweaks it might be a really fun time along being a very profitable venture for Ubisoft.
Rainbow Six Siege on the other hand has seen a fair share of unofficial and closely named copycats in the mobile gaming scene so a professional touch and elimination or simplification of some of the more tedious or in-depth elements might result in another engaging title
Ubisoft as a mobile game developer
We all know the impact of Ubisoft on the PC and console games industry but something which is lesser known among the general population is Ubisoft’s track record as a mobile game developer. So far they’ve developed quite a few games including but not limited to Might and Magic: Era of Chaos, Hungry Shark Evolution, and Horse Haven World Adventures. Ubisoft is fairly successful in the mobile gaming community as well with some highly praised contributions and some not so.
Might and Magic is an RPG multiplayer action–adventure game that is stable in terms of technical issues and does have some engaging classes and mechanics. However, this game is also pro P2P which doesn’t make anyone hopeful of the upcoming projects, although, the game is well-crafted and is updated promptly as of the time of writing. On the more popular side of things, Hungry Shark Evolution has over one billion downloads a bright and shiny aesthetic with quite a following, and a fun and addictive core game loop.
Precise execution is essential
All the speculations, concerns, and discussions in this why Ubisoft should or should not bring its IPs to mobile article, has established that this concept has the potential to be both a huge success and a heart-wrenching failure. However, everything will be dependent on how Ubisoft approaches the mobile gaming market and how they execute the formula that is already on the table. The ball is still in the court and we might soon witness how this debacle affects the Colossus franchises that are on the line here
Examples should lead these IPs to success
The number of franchises that have transitioned into mobile gaming after being a solid console hit might surprise you with even big names like PUBG, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, Doom, Bully, Minecraft, Max Payne, and the list goes on. So there are an ample amount of success stories to inspire these games to jump in the wagon however, these big-name IPs such as Assassin’s Creed, The Division, and Rainbow Six Siege demand some reasonable amount of attention put into them.
Mobile devices are stronger than ever in terms of gaming now so graphical fidelity isn’t as big of an issue as it was when the aforementioned games were ported over. So the main obstacle to cross here is the design philosophy and keeping intact the original vision of the big-name IPs. If Ubisoft manages to jump over these hurdles there shouldn’t be a thing to stop the IPs from becoming just as big in the mobile gaming market
Conclusion
To conclude, why Ubisoft should or should not bring its IPs to mobile, it is very important to reiterate that just because a decision might seem a little shaky on the surface doesn’t mean there’s something to worry about. As discussed above a decent approach with very focused execution and thorough research on what players want might be the key that Ubisoft needs to open the door to the treasure of mobile gaming.
Franchises such as Assassin’s Creed, The Division or Rainbow Six Siege are dearest to many passionate fans around the world and a noticeable love and care poured into this project might open up a new chapter in the long open game development book of Ubisoft.
What are your thoughts on Ubisoft bringing its IPs to mobile? Let us know in the comment section below!
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