Ubisoft is behind some extremely popular titles such as Far Cry, Watchdogs and the Tom Clancy games. They have revealed a new business model that will no longer demand players pay extra for DLC that brings added content to a title.
In an interview with gamesindustry.biz, Anne Blondel-Jouin, who is VP of live operations at Ubisoft, describes their view to having a successful customer relationship. Blondel-Jouin is quoted as saying, “No more DLC that you have to buy if you want to have the full experience.” Things like new maps and missions for their title Rainbow Six Siege for example, will never be monetized, as that would demand customers part with their cash to have full involvement in the game.
Other companies already had the same idea. Halo 5 from Microsoft and the recently launched Titanfall 2 from Respawn Entertainment, also offer their newly developed maps as free DLC. By using this business model, the developers hope to keep players engaged in their games for longer. Ubisoft also plan to try to support their multi-player titles for between five and ten years, offering longevity with fresh content, thus keeping the customers happy.
Where in-game purchases are to be used, it will be for optional extras such as new loadouts or clothing for your avatars. This too is proving to be a popular model. It allows the more serious gamer to have their fully customized digital character stand out from the crowd, with the more casual players still able to enjoy all the same game modes and content as them.
Ubisoft sees their new approach to DLC as a win for them and a win for the consumer. It means in the future we can enjoy all the extra work the developer puts in to their newest games like Watchdogs 2 and next years Ghost Recon: Wildlands for no extra cost.