The digital era has caught up with us, and in various sectors, it is the most consumed format. A clear example of this is what happened with music and movies, minimizing the production, distribution, and sale of CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays. Gaming is heading in the same direction, but there are millions of players who still prefer the physical format, although some companies would rather it be otherwise, such as Ubisoft.
Ubisoft wants digital format to be massive in gaming
During an interview with Gamesindustry.biz, Philippe Tremblay, Ubisofts Director of Subscriptions, talked about the success of the Ubisoft+ service and the companys expectations regarding the ways players consume their video games. Initially, the executive celebrated that 10% of the service subscribers had never tried a Ubisoft game before, being attracted by its catalog and price.
While Ubisoft would prefer the transition to digital to be faster in gaming, the company respects the fact that there are still players attached to the physical format: "Its not about forcing users down one path or another. We offer purchasing, we offer subscription, and its the players preference that is important here. We see some people who buy choosing to subscribe now, but everything works."
For Ubisoft, its important that you realize you dont own your games and adopt digital
However, Philippe Tremblay believes that the massive adoption of the physical format will be inevitable, although he recognizes the peculiarities of gaming, as the transition is not as rapid as it was in music and movies: "I dont have a crystal ball, but when you look at the different subscription services that exist, weve had rapid expansion in the last 2 years, but its still relatively small compared to other models. One of the things weve seen is that players are used to having and owning their games. Thats the consumer shift that needs to happen. Getting comfortable not owning your CD or DVD collection. Thats a transformation that has been a bit slower to happen in games. You dont lose your progress. If you resume the game at another time, the progress file will still be there. That hasnt been eliminated. You dont lose what youve built in the game or your commitment to the game. So its about getting comfortable with not owning your game."
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