The Assassin’s Creed franchise, like many other IPs, has recently begun updating its games with major post-launch initiatives. For better or for worse, this also means that many entries in the series, including the RPG titles, place a lot of emphasis on microtransactions as a means to maximize revenue.
Discussing this controversial element of Assassin’s Creed, the post-launch director noted that microtransactions allow Ubisoft to do a lot of stuff they otherwise would not have been able to.
Associate Game Director Simon Lemay-Comtois stated that although microtransactions often receive a lot of criticism, they deserve credit in the case of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. According to the director, revenue from microtransactions effectively allows the team to release content, like the updated parkour in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, at no additional charge.
“Microtransactions allow us to do the Isu stuff, the quest stuff, the parkour update, all of it.” – Simon Lemay-Comtois
The game is currently collaborating with Attack on Titan, adding a free quest to the single-player story. At the same time, the team is selling cosmetics based on the crossover, such as the Attack on Titan gear set and weapons. This approach highlights the studio’s philosophy for future content, where microtransactions effectively serve as the catalyst for more free updates.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ parkour systems have also changed for the better through recent updates, further highlighting Simon Lemay-Comtios’ statement. Also, while this specific statement was made in relation to Assassin’s Creed Shadows, a game like Assassin’s Creed Mirage has recently received a slew of new content as well.
Since Ubisoft has recently outlined how it views single-player games, and the gaming giant is clearly interested in an ongoing games model, it seems Assassin’s Creed will continue to move forward with microtransactions and new content for the next few years.
The good news here is that the studio also seems to be making a genuine attempt to address player feedback while offering plenty of content for absolutely free.
