Michael Douse, the publishing director at Larian Studios, makers of Baldur’s Gate 3, has slammed Ubisoft for a controversial decision made in recent months. The disbanding of the successful development team behind Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has caused a major stir in the industry, including among game developers.
Baldur’s Gate 3 creator slams Ubisoft!
The game, which reached an average score of 86 on Metacritic and garnered positive reviews from both critics and players, has made headlines despite its success due to the team being scattered across other projects. Despite surpassing one million in sales, Ubisoft’s decision to cancel the sequel and formally dissolve the team has been met with widespread criticism throughout the industry.
Douse argued that Ubisoft’s subscription-focused business model is to blame for this outcome. The company’s strategy of staying away from the Steam platform and focusing on its own digital store overshadowed the game’s potential success, making it appear as though it was a failure.
“Since 2021, they haven’t had any major hits aside from Far Cry 6. Titles like The Crew, Mirage, and Avatar from 2023 didn’t live up to expectations. By the time Prince of Persia launched in 2024, subscription numbers were low, and people weren’t using the Ubisoft Store that much,” Douse commented, arguing that if the game had been released on Steam, it could have been much more successful, likely resulting in a sequel.
When Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was finally released on Steam seven months after its initial launch, it received positive reactions from players. However, this delay seems to have significantly impacted the game’s potential success. Despite strong user reviews on Steam, the chance for a sales triumph had already passed.
What do you think about this? Do you think the BG3 developer is right in his claims? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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