It looks like Ubisoft is finally dropping the eight generation of consoles.
As reported by Insider Gaming, several sources are claiming that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will not be coming to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The recent batch of releases of Assassin’s Creed games for the current ninth generation of consoles have also included these older platforms.
That was a reasonable strategy for the past few years. The launches of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X were marred by supply issues during the extended lockdown / quarantine period of the pandemic. Because of these circumstances, many developers found that they had to start releasing games on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One again, because most gamers were still playing on those platforms.
Today, there still are many gamers on those platforms, but the divide between those owners and the owners of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S is no longer that wide. That makes it easier to make games that were really optimized for this generation of consoles. But of course, there’s a lot that goes in to those choices.
On one end, passing on eight generation consoles will allow developers to push their technology forward. For most developers, that means better graphics and performance, but it can also open up new opportunities in game design. Consider that FromSoftware did not find its current fame and success, in spite of being around since the PlayStation 1, until Demon’s Souls released on the PlayStation 3. So that should give you an idea of how meaningful generation changes in technology can really be to games.
On the other hand, the current video game market is filled with a lot of uncertainty. It isn’t so much that games will not sell if they are ninth generation exclusives. But the worry is that they won’t sell enough. As we have seen in the past few months, if a game studio’s parent company does not make enough money, the studio can be closed, or their employees can see heavy layoffs, even if that company made very successful, and critically acclaimed video games.
It’s a really scary time to be making games, and this could not be highlighted any more than when Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada revealed the studio’s fears in making Tekken 8 only for ninth generation consoles.
At least, Ubisoft does have some things going in their favor. The fandom around Assassin’s Creed is substantial enough that they will follow the franchise wherever it goes. Of course, they’re also one of the biggest game companies in the planet, and they have benefited from the rumors creating buzz for the game prior to its official reveal.
So maybe Ubisoft chose to right time to transition their biggest franchise to the current generation completely. We can’t wait to learn more about Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
