Michael Douse, the director of publishing at Larian, has expressed his candid thoughts regarding Ubisoft’s recent decision to disband the development team behind Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. He attributes this move to what he describes as a “broken strategy” that favors subscription models over traditional sales.
Reflections on Game Strategy
Despite receiving a commendable 86 aggregate score on Metacritic and positive reviews—such as PC Gamer’s Mollie Taylor labeling it “a slow burn to a fault”—the game has faced challenges. Ubisoft has confirmed that the development team has been reassigned to other projects, a decision that Douse believes undermines the potential success of the title. He points to Ubisoft’s earlier comments about players not truly owning their games, as articulated by Philippe Tremblay, the director of subscriptions, as a contributing factor to this situation.
Douse elaborates on the implications of Ubisoft’s strategy, noting, “The last notable game on their platform was arguably Far Cry 6 in 2021.” He highlights that subsequent releases, including The Crew, Mirage, and Avatar, did not perform as expected, suggesting that the subscription model may have led to a lull in engagement when Prince of Persia launched in 2024. He argues that had the game been released on Steam, it would have likely achieved market success and potentially spawned a sequel, given the strength of the development team.
While Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown eventually made its way to Steam on August 8—seven months post-launch—it arrived at a time when momentum had waned. Douse reflects on the broader implications of Ubisoft’s strategy, stating, “If the statement ‘gamers should get used to not owning their games’ is true because of a specific release strategy, then the statement ‘developers must get used to not having jobs if they make a critically acclaimed game’ is also true.” He emphasizes that such a perspective is not sensible from a business standpoint.
Ubisoft appears to be reevaluating its approach, having begun to return its titles to Steam in 2022. In September, the company announced that all future releases, including the anticipated Assassin’s Creed Shadows, would launch on Steam on day one. Douse underscores the importance of this platform, noting that while purchasing games on Steam does not equate to traditional ownership, it remains the primary marketplace for PC gamers. He cautions that avoiding Steam could jeopardize a publisher’s success in the digital landscape.
Though Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is also available on various consoles, Douse believes that its absence from Steam at launch limited its audience reach. He notes, “For premium games, Steam on PC accounts for over 90% of total sales on that platform.” By not capitalizing on Steam’s peak relevance, publishers risk losing a significant portion of their potential audience.
Douse’s sentiments resonate with others in the industry. Larian founder Swen Vincke has previously voiced concerns about the subscription model’s impact on content quality, suggesting that it could hinder the creation of compelling games. He firmly stated, “You won’t find our games on a subscription service,” reinforcing the notion that a shift away from traditional sales could have lasting repercussions for developers and gamers alike.
Baldur’s Gate 3 publishing chief calls out Ubisoft’s ‘broken strategy’: If gamers need to get used to not owning games, ‘developers must get used to not having jobs’
Michael Douse, the director of publishing at Larian, has expressed his candid thoughts regarding Ubisoft’s recent decision to disband the development team behind Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. He attributes this move to what he describes as a “broken strategy” that favors subscription models over traditional sales.
Reflections on Game Strategy
Despite receiving a commendable 86 aggregate score on Metacritic and positive reviews—such as PC Gamer’s Mollie Taylor labeling it “a slow burn to a fault”—the game has faced challenges. Ubisoft has confirmed that the development team has been reassigned to other projects, a decision that Douse believes undermines the potential success of the title. He points to Ubisoft’s earlier comments about players not truly owning their games, as articulated by Philippe Tremblay, the director of subscriptions, as a contributing factor to this situation.
Douse elaborates on the implications of Ubisoft’s strategy, noting, “The last notable game on their platform was arguably Far Cry 6 in 2021.” He highlights that subsequent releases, including The Crew, Mirage, and Avatar, did not perform as expected, suggesting that the subscription model may have led to a lull in engagement when Prince of Persia launched in 2024. He argues that had the game been released on Steam, it would have likely achieved market success and potentially spawned a sequel, given the strength of the development team.
While Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown eventually made its way to Steam on August 8—seven months post-launch—it arrived at a time when momentum had waned. Douse reflects on the broader implications of Ubisoft’s strategy, stating, “If the statement ‘gamers should get used to not owning their games’ is true because of a specific release strategy, then the statement ‘developers must get used to not having jobs if they make a critically acclaimed game’ is also true.” He emphasizes that such a perspective is not sensible from a business standpoint.
Ubisoft appears to be reevaluating its approach, having begun to return its titles to Steam in 2022. In September, the company announced that all future releases, including the anticipated Assassin’s Creed Shadows, would launch on Steam on day one. Douse underscores the importance of this platform, noting that while purchasing games on Steam does not equate to traditional ownership, it remains the primary marketplace for PC gamers. He cautions that avoiding Steam could jeopardize a publisher’s success in the digital landscape.
Though Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is also available on various consoles, Douse believes that its absence from Steam at launch limited its audience reach. He notes, “For premium games, Steam on PC accounts for over 90% of total sales on that platform.” By not capitalizing on Steam’s peak relevance, publishers risk losing a significant portion of their potential audience.
Douse’s sentiments resonate with others in the industry. Larian founder Swen Vincke has previously voiced concerns about the subscription model’s impact on content quality, suggesting that it could hinder the creation of compelling games. He firmly stated, “You won’t find our games on a subscription service,” reinforcing the notion that a shift away from traditional sales could have lasting repercussions for developers and gamers alike.