Home Gaming Ubisoft avoids being openly political in their games because that’s “bad for business”

Ubisoft avoids being openly political in their games because that’s “bad for business”

2 min read
196

Nothing-to-see-here-please-disperse

There’s a lot that video game publisher and developer Ubisoft gets right. They’re absolutely brilliant at crafting an open world for any of their franchises, post-launch support with new content updates that are consistently solid and their production quality is second to none. For all of those positives however, Ubisoft doesn’t just drop the ball when it comes to politics in games, they kick it off a cliff and watch said ball bounce around the walls of an endless ravine of half-hearted fumbles.

Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be a problem if the games in question were just Rayman or Assassin’s Creed. But when you’ve got the licenses to everything Tom Clancy, a brand that encompasses everything from Splinter Cell to The Division, it’s a kick in the teeth not to see the more extreme politics of today tackled.

Instead, games such as Far Cry 5 (which admittedly had a great story if you weren’t looking for anything political) wave off politics and dangerous social attitudes, while even The Division’s golden opportunity to allow for some subtle and serious discourse surrounding the rise in right-wing Nazism (Nationalism my hairy ass, it is what it is) is a limp-wristed attempt most of the time.

If you’re wondering why Ubisoft goes out of its way to avoid having a political climate in their games and you’re thinking it has something to do with money…you’d be right. “It’s a balance, because we cannot be openly political in our games,” Ubisoft Massive COO Alf Condelius said at a recent Swedish Conference via Games Industry Biz, adding that such messages are “bad for business”.

The Division 2 (1)

So for example, in The Division, it’s a dystopian future and there’s a lot of interpretations that it’s something that we see the current society moving towards. But it’s not – it’s a fantasy. It’s a universe and a world that we created for people to explore how to be a good person in a slowly decaying world. But people like to put politics into that – and we back away from those interpretations as much as we can, because we don’t want to take a stance in current politics.

It’s tricky stuff to get right. You don’t want a game to be dated a couple of years down, but it’s still a hell of a wasted opportunity from Ubisoft when absolutely nothing is said. Considering the French roots of the publisher and the nation’s reputation for liberty that was won through a few particularly bloody centuries of rising fascism and class warfare, it’s also kind of sad.

Unfortunately, racists and other assorted right-wing nutjobs happen to like playing video games as well, and starting massive tantrums the very second that things don’t go their way. For Ubisoft, not having anything to say at all might just be what they consider best for business.

Last Updated: October 18, 2018

196 Comments

  1. I’d love it if Division had Wildlands type damage

    Not bullet sponges

    Reply

    • Original Heretic

      October 18, 2018 at 11:19

      I’d love it if Division had some zombies or something to kill other that normal humans.Same enemy types get boring.

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief

        October 18, 2018 at 11:32

        Duuuuuuuuuuude. NYC zombie infection……

        HANS

        GET ZE FLAMMENDRONEN!

        Reply

        • Original Heretic

          October 18, 2018 at 11:35

          Me mate and I have recently finished up the main arc, now doing DLC stuff.
          And we keep saying how awesome it would be if, all of a sudden, after fighting normal humans, the virus has mutated. Contaminated zones are suddenly more plentiful and there are creatures that lurk.
          I constantly feel like they’re missing a trick by not doing it.

          And for those people who want to keep their Division experience more real? Fine, then don’t play that DLC.

          it could be an area accessed via The Terminal, so the main city area is kept free from it.

          Reply

    • Admiral Chief

      October 18, 2018 at 11:19

      That being said, I played the living daylights out of Division

      Reply

  2. Skittle

    October 18, 2018 at 11:37

    “racists and other assorted right-wing nutjobs happen to like playing video games as well, and starting massive tantrums the very second that things don’t go their way.” – They left also have their tantrums

    Reply

    • Spathi

      October 18, 2018 at 11:44

      The left has long since surpassed the right. The left has ANTIFA – fascists of the highest order. We don’t like what you are saying, so you are not allowed to say it!

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief

        October 18, 2018 at 11:47

        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

        Reply

      • Guz

        October 18, 2018 at 11:49

        • HvR

          October 18, 2018 at 13:23

          Biggest lesson here; do not go looking for fights wearing skinny jeans

          Reply

          • Guz

            October 18, 2018 at 13:57

            lol, jip it restricts your movement/combat ability XD

          • Gr8_Balls_o_Fire

            October 18, 2018 at 14:01

            Not unless they rip their “pants”

          • HvR

            October 18, 2018 at 14:01

            Also your ability to run away or get in fetal position to protect your kaffiyeh or bandanna

          • Pariah

            October 18, 2018 at 15:24

            Or just don’t wear them in the first place… Ever.

          • Guz

            October 18, 2018 at 15:59

            ^^Hear hear

    • Gavin Mannion

      October 18, 2018 at 12:53

      This does not mean the racist right is better…

      Reply

  3. Guz

    October 18, 2018 at 11:52

    Good for them politics is a poisoned chalice if you ask me, keep it out of games as much as possible, I dont play games for politics I play for enjoyment

    Reply

    • Gr8_Balls_o_Fire

      October 18, 2018 at 14:03

      What if you enjoy politics?

      Reply

      • Pariah

        October 18, 2018 at 14:04

        Then you enjoy game… Waaaaaait.

        Reply

      • Guz

        October 18, 2018 at 14:31

        Join parliament not ranked

        Reply

  4. Alien Emperor Trevor

    October 18, 2018 at 11:57

    I don’t blame them – it’s a damned if you do/damned if you don’t situation. People are only happy about politics in games if it matches their politics, and there will always be those complaining about how it goes too far or not far enough.

    Reply

    • RinceThis

      October 18, 2018 at 12:03

      Totally agree.

      Reply

      • Dr Webster

        October 18, 2018 at 12:19

        Do you agree because your opinion is being validated?

        Reply

        • RinceThis

          October 18, 2018 at 12:32

          LOL, WOT. YES. I share the same opinion as him, so yes, he is validating in a statement what I agree. That’s how it works.

          Reply

          • Dr Webster

            October 18, 2018 at 12:42

            That’s what I thought. Do you always follow the opinion of others?

          • RinceThis

            October 18, 2018 at 13:31

            I didn’t say I was following his opinion. I said I share the same one. I am sure you are of the opinion Nazis are bad, or are you only following others opinions on that?

          • Pariah

            October 18, 2018 at 12:47

            Woke, bro

        • HvR

          October 18, 2018 at 13:07

          He mostly agree because Trevor is his bromance he had to leave behind in Cape Town when he fled to France,

          Reply

          • Pariah

            October 18, 2018 at 13:08

            All those Gatsbys they’ll no longer share. I’m sure he’s missing them greatly.

          • Dr Webster

            October 18, 2018 at 13:22

            Okay. I understand. So they are in a homosexual relationship? I am fine with that.

          • Pariah

            October 18, 2018 at 13:23

            LOL!!!!

          • Dr Webster

            October 18, 2018 at 13:26

            Wouldn’t it be unethical for sexual partners to feature each others posts?

          • Admiral Chief

            October 18, 2018 at 13:36

            Now THIS comment needs to be featured

          • Gr8_Balls_o_Fire

            October 18, 2018 at 14:00

            Make it happen!

          • RinceThis

            October 18, 2018 at 13:30

            and you only say this because he rejected you! get over it, it’s been days!

    • Dr Webster

      October 18, 2018 at 12:19

      What do you think should be the solution?

      Reply

  5. Admiral Chief

    October 18, 2018 at 13:57

    176 comments…politix yo

    Reply

    • Pariah

      October 18, 2018 at 14:05

      I think we covered a lot of the politics between France and South Africa. What we didn’t cover was extradition. Let’s hope France doesn’t have it.

      Reply

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