Ubisoft had big plans for Free2Play online games, but gradually the games were discontinued. Now, game designer Stanislav Costiuc analyzes what went wrong.
The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, EndWar Online, Ghost Recon Phantoms, and Might & Magic: Duel of Champions… four online games published by Ubisoft using the Free2Play model that have since been discontinued. But why? What did not work? Ubisoft’s game designer Stanislav Costiuc looked at all the games before their end and analyzes what did not function.
Why did Ubisoft’s Free2Play games not work?
Essentially, the designer comes to a very obvious conclusion. Newcomers were overwhelmed in all games. The entry was far too complex and complicated, and there was also a lack of a clear objective that players could achieve. A clear goal that is communicated from the very beginning. Moreover, it was not clear at all which atmosphere the majority of games were pursuing. There was a missing thread that ran through the game and indicated the “tone”. For example, EndWar Online had a very dark scenario, yet the dialogues in the game were very sober and did not fit at all.
With Might & Magic: Duel of Champions, one would have thought that with all the successful online card games, this game should have lasted longer. But although the tutorial was actually quite good, it was entirely unclear how to proceed afterwards. What should one choose? Why did one only have so few cards? The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, on the other hand, exhausted players by explaining the background and game mechanics for what felt like an eternity before they were finally allowed to experiment themselves. Ghost Recon Phantoms, however, was simply much too complicated for beginners.
No matter the monetization model, a game must be fun
Stanislav Costiuc also explains that when creating a Free2Play game, one should be careful not to annoy players with monetization right from the start. Players must first be excited about the game from the beginning, provide them with an easy entry and quick successes before the game gradually becomes more complex, and monetization is introduced cautiously. Whether these are the only reasons why Ubisoft’s four Free2Play games had to be discontinued is something everyone must decide for themselves.
