Ubisoft reckons microtransactions help make games "more fun", but still wants to ensure they "respect the player experience"

Everybody loves a microtransaction! Or at least, that appears to be the line publishers like rolling out whenever justification of their existence is required. Following EA’s now legendary reimagining of loot boxes as “surprise mechanics” (“We do think [these are] quite ethical and quite fun”, it said at the time), Ubisoft now reckons microtransactions are helping to make its games “more fun” – but it is at least self-aware enough that it’s adopting policies to ensure they “respect the player experience”.

Ubisoft’s made the proclamation in its most recent annual report (initially released last month but only now doing the rounds – possibly because the document is nearly 400 pages long), sharing the sentiment in its Group Business Model and Strategy section. “Ubisoft is committed to creating gaming experiences,” it wrote, “that enhance players’ lives and environments in which they can fully enjoy the gaming experience with their friends in complete safety.”

It’s a slightly awkwardly worded mission statement that attempts to encompass multiple strands of Ubisoft’s strategy, starting with the assertion its games “offer more than just entertainment”. Assassin’s Creeds, for instance, enables players to “immerse themselves in history”, while Just Dance can help with fitness and family camaraderie. And if you ever wondered what Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six can teach players, that’ll be “tactical and cooperative skills”. It says it’s also seeking to create a “safe player environment”, and wants to adopt “monetisation and engagement policies that respect the player experience and are sustainable in the long term.”

Which obviously makes strategic sense. If microtransactions must exist, you probably at least want to avoid the really egregious ones to ensure you don’t thoroughly annoy – and decimate – your communities in the long-run. “The golden rule when developing premium games,” it continued, “is to allow players to enjoy the game in full without having to spend more.” Unfortunately, all this appears to be built on the questionable premise that “[its] monetisation offer within premium games makes the player experience more fun by allowing them to personalise their avatars or progress more quickly.”