Which UBI IP should Phil Spencer and XBOX purchase?

What would you purchase?

  • For Honor

    Votes: 2 3.3%
  • Rabbids

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Rayman

    Votes: 5 8.2%
  • Beyond Good and Evil

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The Crew

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Prince of Persia

    Votes: 9 14.8%
  • Just Dance

    Votes: 6 9.8%
  • Might and Magic

    Votes: 4 6.6%
  • Watch Dogs

    Votes: 3 4.9%
  • Beyond Good and Evil

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Tom Clancy Rainbow 6

    Votes: 4 6.6%
  • Tom Clancy Splinter Cell

    Votes: 25 41.0%
  • Tom Clancy Ghost Recon

    Votes: 3 4.9%

  • Total voters
    61

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
Citing this report.


Personally I would pick Prince of Persia

According to one very annoyed Ubisoft investor, citing a private report by investor service Mergermarket, Ubisoft has been holding secret talks with Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and other publishers who are interested in acquiring some of the troubled publisher’s franchises.
This is interesting in the context of Ubisoft’s current struggles; the floundering publisher hasn’t had a hit in a while, is losing the confidence of investors, and is “exploring strategic options” that include going private and breaking up the company. The latest reports suggest Ubisoft is looking to create a new entity that will hold on to some core intellectual property. Things are so bad that even a stellar launch for Assassin’s Creed Shadows won’t necessarily fix it all.
It’s also an interesting prompt for assessing the Ubisoft catalog. What properties does Ubisoft have that are worth buying, but that Ubisoft itself can do without? What can Ubisoft sell without throwing its soul into the bargain?
Naoe and Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Assassin’s Creed: definitely not for sale. Not even to you. Image: Ubisoft Quebec/Ubisoft
So, I propose a little thought exercise. You are Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming. You have spent many billions acquiring publishers like Bethesda and Activision Blizzard, and studios like Obsidian and Double Fine, in a seeming attempt to own all of gaming (if not to actually sell Xbox consoles). But you are not quite satiated yet, and the spectacle of a floundering French publisher conducting a yard sale of storied franchises is too tempting to resist. Maybe just a little one? As a treat?
What will you choose? For the purposes of this exercise, we’ll assume that Assassin’s Creed is not for sale; it’s Ubisoft’s flagship, and without it the publisher might as well just close up shop. To a lesser extent, the same goes for Far Cry. And we’ll also assume that all the Tom Clancy games are off the table. It’s true that some parts of the Clancyverse seem ripe for the picking — for example, Splinter Cell, a fondly remembered stealth action series (with strong links to Xbox) that Ubisoft is currently doing nothing with. But it seems unlikely that the Clancy estate would be interested in breaking these properties up — and there’s no way Ubisoft is letting go of Rainbow Six, which is one of its most reliable cash cows.
So, what’s left in the shop window to tempt a browsing Microsoft exec?

Prince of Persia​

Well now. This one is quite tempting, isn’t it? A largely dormant action-adventure franchise, recently revived by a quality Metroidvania, but with a major reboot wallowing in development hell. You never really had anything to match Uncharted with. This could be it, maybe… although corporate might not like the optics of an American giant swooping in to acquire the most famous Middle Eastern gaming icon. Especially in… the current climate.

Rayman​

You never really had a platforming mascot to speak of, but this one is just so profoundly French it’s impossible to imagine it as a standard-bearer for the greenest, most American game console. Respectfully, it’s a hard pass.

The Rabbids​

a group shot from Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope featuring Luigi, Rabbid Mario, Peach, Rabbid Peach, Mario, and Rabbid Luigi
This is cute. But it presents licensing… issues. Image: Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Milan/Ubisoft
The same ought to apply to Ubisoft’s funny little rabbit guys, but if you squint, they look an awful lot like Minions. And Minions are huge with kids. Family franchises are a bit of a blind spot for Xbox. On the other hand, the only decent games the Rabbids have ever been in also starred Mario, and Furukawa-san over at Nintendo probably won’t be into it. (You need to call him, though, about putting every single one of your franchises on Switch 2 — it never hurts to ask!)

For Honor​

This is a multiplayer game you’ve never heard of about medieval warriors beating each other up. But there’s a note on the sticker that Ubisoft reckons it has 35 million players? That can’t be right. Have your team pull the data on that one. Might be worth it, if it’s cheap. Who doesn’t like swords?

The Crew​

You actually do have Forza Horizon at home. So it’s a pass.

Driver​

Oh man, you remember loving the original one on PlayStation. And didn’t they do that wacky one that was all about a ghost policeman possessing cars? That was cool. You have enough driving games, but this one’s a little bit different, a bit funky. Ask if they’ll throw it in with something else.

Just Dance​

‘Just Dance 4’ Gamescom screenshots
Image: Ubisoft
[You have a Kinect trauma flashback and curl up in a ball on the floor.]

Might and Magic​

You didn’t spend $7.5 billion acquiring The Elder Scrolls for nothing. Except, apparently you did, because the next one is never coming out, and Obsidian could probably churn out three Might and Magic games for you by next week. Still though… nah.

Watch Dogs​

Somehow, despite buying half the game industry, you don’t really have any GTA-style open-world games, and to Ubi’s credit, Watch Dogs got quite good; you remember thinking the last one, Legion, was pretty fun. If they really won’t let you have Assassin’s Creed (note to self: up offer by $0.5-1 billion), you could see yourself owning this. But then… it’s not actually GTA or Assassin’s Creed, is it? It’s not even Far Cry.

Beyond Good and Evil​

Beyond Good & Evil 2
Perfect. Image: Ubisoft
Now you’re talking. A franchise that was maybe never actually popular, but that has ascended into fanboy myth status. A directionless vaporware project that’s been stuck in development hell for somewhere between 10 and 20 years. But you could save it, Phil. Think of the gamer cred! Think how cool your T-shirt reveal would be! It’s just so Xbox. It’s just so you. Where’s Satya’s company card?
 

SHAKEZ

Member
Probably Anno and Might and Magic. At very least World's Edge treats AoE fine, so maybe they could deal with these games as well.
 
Before MS think about investing in new/existing IPs... (Lies of) Phil needs to receive the boot on his a**. He simply does not know how games/franchises/trademarks needs to be cultivated on game market, so anything and everything he touches WILL fail.
 
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SuperC

Neo Member
Most of them, Ubisoft devalued their franchises with fast deep discounts to a point that most people will
not accept paying full price for them, Those franchises can only survive on a subscription based service
 

Zuzu

Member
They should take Watch Dogs and partner Playground Games and The Coalition together to make a new entry of Watchdogs using UE5. Playground has the expertise for the open world and driving, while The Coalition have experience making 3rd person shooters and using Unreal Engine well. Playground will also have experience making 3rd person action adventure games once they finish Fable. Actually maybe Playground would be good enough on their own using the Forza engine.

Alternatively, they could take Rayman and get Double Fine to create a new 3D Rayman.

If they still did Kinect, then Just Dance would’ve been a good fit…
 
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StereoVsn

Gold Member
I mean MS has a fuck ton of IPs already. Their issue is not of not enough IPs to utilize. Their issue is being incompetent at game development. Buying a Ubisoft IP won’t fix that.

Personally I want Larian or Owlcat to get Might & Magic IP. We would see some great games out of that.

For MS, Prince of Persia or Splinter Cell would make sense.
 
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Mikado

Gold Member
I fixed the poll. Sorry for leaving them out. They may be harder to acquire due the the rights needed from the Clancy Estate.

Didn't Ubisoft actually buy them out entirely in like 2008? Or was that a non-transferrable (albeit perpetually royalty-free) license?
 

Loomy

Thinks Microaggressions are Real
Damn, how many career moments can one man have?

That said, Just Dance. That series has a lot of potential.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Angry Gary Oldman GIF
 

yurinka

Member
None, they should start to learn to create their own very successful new IPs instead. They have a gazillion teams now, and also have several unused top IPs like Starcraft, Warcraft (RTS, not MMO), Quake or Crash Bandicoot with potential to have hit sequels.

But if they had to acquire one Ubisoft IP, I'd say Splinter Cell is the one I see more attached to Xbox, even if not much.
 
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Sorcerer

Member
At this point might as well just grab the entire company. If you can't bring the magic to one game might as well fail with 40 more.
40 more ips that will strangely never see the light of day on Gamepass. LOL
 
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Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell are the obvious ones.

Put all the OG trilogy up on the store again and on GP.
 

Bond007

Member
None. They cant even handle their own shit.
Buying is the only thing they are good at.
 
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They bought bethesda and activision/blizzard and fucked both of them up by laying off thousands of employees and closing down tango gameworks and arkane austin. Microsoft don't have the management in place to be able to handle anymore IP's or games competently at this point.
 
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Lokaum D+

Member
None or they ll kill it too, give to someone that actually knows how to manage IPs

I would love to see a assassins game made by IO interactive.
"agent 47 this is Animus and we are sending you back in time"

Season 1 Flirting GIF by Now Apocalypse
 
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