Videogames 4 - Ubisoft, media diversity, and economic factors in the videogame industry

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  1. Terminology recap:
  2. Vertical Intergration - the combination in one firm of two or more stages of production normally operated by separate firms.

  4. Horizontal integration - the process of a company increasing production of goods or services at the same part of the supply chain. A company may do this via internal expansion, acquisition or merger.


Ubisoft - a multinational conglomerate videogame developer 


The fourth largest publically traded game company in both the United States and Europe.
First established within France in 1986, with their headquarters still being based in Montreuil-sous-Bois, although they currently have 26 other studios in 16 different countries working on  production of their games, making them a totally multi-national company.

Both horizontally and vertically integrated media conglomerate, with the vast portion of their other studios and subsidiaries. (A company that works under another company.) Ubisoft's USP is simply that they make huge, triple A games, equivalent to say, a blockbuster film in terms of budget and expenditure. 

Ubisoft publishes as well as develops a range of games in various different genres, though that being said, these more than often target a mainstream audience regardless. Why does Ubisoft do this you ask? As theorist David Hesmondhalgh  would say...  'Minimise risk, maximise profit.'
See it as a way of covering their bases, what we'd call diversification, releasing a range of different products allows them to target a range of different audiences. 

We've seen Ubisoft express vertial intergation via efforts such as producing an Assasain's Creed live-action film that saw theatrical release in 2016, underperforming at the box office yet still coming out a minor success for 'Ubisoft Studios' (their film production company.) Despite negative reviews for the most part, the film still had a confirmed audience in the pre-existing fanbase of the IP, but also casual viewers, it helps them to target an audience they never had before release of a motion picture.

Theorists Curran and Seaton who deal with power within the media industries state that the media is controlled by a small number of companies which who are in turn primarily motivated by power and profit, this 'media concentration limits variety, creativity, and quality.',  they argue the obvious in that 'More socially diverse patterns can create more varied and adventurous media productions'. 

Just how diverse is Ubisoft's output?:
By focusing on mainstream, big budget development, Ubisoft arguably offers a standardised and generic product. They are well aware Assasain's Creed as a franchise reels in profit, thus why there are 21 games thus far in the series. Their favour of aggressive conglomeration leads to a limiting upon creativity, competition and diversity.

Researching Ubisoft games through the decades:
The 90's
Chessmaster 2000 cover.png
The Chessmaster 2000
Casual gaming/ board game simulation
Released upon MS Windows, MS-DOS, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Game Gear, PlayStation, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2
The target audience being chess players.
7.25/10 
5 million copies sold by 2002, making it the highest grossing chess series of all time. Congratulations Ubisoft...
The 00's
Rayman 2.jpg
Rayman 2: The Great Escape (Alt. Rayman Revolution)
A singleplayer platformer video game
Released upon the Dreamcast,Game Boy Color, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64,Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation and the PlayStation 2.
One of the few games said to offer something to 'whoever plays it.'
90% on Metacritic, stated to be one of the best games of all time by some.
Recieved Silver status, to have sold at least 100,000 copies in the UK.

The 10's
Far Cry 4 box art.jpg
Far Cry 4 (2014)
First person shooter
Released for Microsoft Windows, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
The target audience is teenage boys to young adults.
Saw 80-85/100 amongst its various platforms on Metacritic.
By December 31st 2014, the game had sold over seven million copies, the fastest selling game in it's franchise with the most successful launch.







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