Yearly-Release Games: Profit Machine or Prolific Artistry?

The games development industry has grown year on year since it’s inception and it does not show signs of stopping. The UK’s game industry market value alone reached £5.7 billion in 2018, a noticeable increase from 2017 with £5.18 billion ¹. Long gone are the days that games belong to a small cult of followers, now the industry is one of the largest entertainment businesses in the world and appealing to a wide range of demographics. With this in mind developers and publishers have in recent years changed their products, development pipelines and marketing approaches to generate more income in order to profit and support this growing demand in the industry.

Annual release cycles, one of the many consequences of this growing business, are a point of contention within the gaming community and are a hot topic whether you’re a developer, consumer or both! The question at the heart of the matter is one of quality and engagement. With franchises such as Assassin’s Creed (AC) and FIFA having new games released every year, sometimes more than one a year with the case of Assassin’s Creed Unity and Rogue, many have questioned the need for this many entries and whether or not it’s building a “reputation as an overused series” ².

Now to look at this simply as a single entity mass-producing for profit does ignore the countless development hours contributed by the vast teams responsible. This does not take into consideration the creative endeavours, the design process, and play testing involved in creating new experiences year on year. To dismiss the work of hundreds of employees, all with their own motivation and perspective, is a potentially harmful view to take if not expressed clearly and constructively.

Assassin’s Creed: A journey through the years. Every year.

Assassin’s Creed was first introduced to us back in 2007 and despite the overwhelming hype and apparent ingenuity, it was met with negativity.

“The game had been so hyped that its limitations were thrown back at it: its repetitive mission structure, a paucity of things to do, and the now-explained sci-fi element that made many bristle” ³

Fast-forward to 2009 and the fans were introduced to the next entry into the series, Assassin’s Creed II (ACII), and the legacy of Ezio Auditore da Firenze one of the most popular protagonists in the series to date. Building upon the ingenuity of the first game and emphasising the key successes of the inaugural title, ACII marked a turning point for the series and demonstrated what Ubisoft Montreal was capable of. It is still lauded as one of the more successful entries into the franchise alongside it’s direct narrative sequel Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.

This marked the beginning of the annual releases for Assassin’s Creed and over the subsequent 4 years following ACII’s release, Ubisoft Montreal developed Brotherhood, Revelations, Assassin’s Creed III (AC 3) and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. An enormous feat of development considering some of these earlier games have been held in highest regard and considered some of the best in the series (Polygon, Digital Spy, and GamesRadar all including ACII, Brotherhood and Black Flag as three of their top five). Already we were seeing some fatigue with the 8 hours of introduction in AC 3 ⁴ and the fact that Black Flag is widely considered as a better pirate game than an assassin game ⁵.

Cracks beginning to show

The controversy of yearly releases began to take flight further down the line with the, what felt like simultaneous, releases of Rogue, Unity and Syndicate in 2014 and 2015. In order to complete development of these games in such a short amount of time it no longer fell to Ubisoft Montreal to foot the bill and instead Ubisoft Sofia and Quebec were included in the process. Now three developers releasing three games is not unheard of but when you consider the apparent drop in quality of each games, especially the controversy surrounding Unity and it’s exclusion of female characters ⁶ despite their integration in previous titles, then it should be asked; was this the right move for the franchise?

Ask the audience at large and you’ll be met with a wide variety of responses as although critically it was relatively successful ⁷, it was met with a great deal of controversy upon release. Being one of the first titles in the franchise on new generation console hardware it was rife with graphical issues ⁸, and developers had tried to vamp the franchise by introducing new systems but it had felt as though the game needed “stripping back” ⁹.

Light on the horizon

Whilst so far this paints a rather negative view of the franchise over the years, it’s undeniable to state that Assassin’s Creed is anything if not successful having sold over 140 million units over more than 20 titles ¹⁰. The success of the franchise is self-propagating and has allowed Ubisoft to introduce their audience to a wealth of different historical events and cultures ranging from Ancient Egypt to the Third Crusade, the American and French Revolutions, and Victorian London. Looking to Ubisoft themselves it’s clear to see that they show no signs of stopping as the franchise is “increasingly focused on long-term player engagement” ¹¹ with the development and eventual release of downloadable content for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey in the near future.

New technology

Ubisoft has always been towards the forefront of discussion when hype is building for the new console generations as Assassin’s Creed released 18 months to 2 years after the release of the Xbox 360 and PS3, AC: Black Flag released the same year as the PS4 and Xbox One, and now, with the recent release of Google Stadia, Ubisoft are aiming for Odyssey to be a part of the launch line up. They have utilised modern hardware, for better or worse, in order to showcase the best they have to offer in the vast worlds they create and have contributed some way to the sales of new console generations with their annual appearance at E3. This task would be far more difficult without the foundation of a strong franchise such as Assassin’s Creed. Could it be that the annual release cycle has been the reason Ubisoft is able to develop an “R&D [Research and Development] policy that incorporates the most recent technological advances” ¹².

Improvise, Adapt, Overcome

As Ubisoft have identified themselves, the development of Assassin’s Creed into an RPG franchise is acknowledgement of the “capacity for adaptation and agility in the video game industry” ¹³ . If we’re to take a step back and instead view the franchise through the lens of a game designer, we can begin to see some of the positive impacts that a yearly, or at least regular, release cycle can have. Making games is an iterative process:

“an adaptive process whereby designers move through cycles of conceiving of an idea, creating a prototype that embodies the idea, running playtests with the prototype to see the idea in action, and then evaluating the results to make the idea better.” ¹⁴

Simply look at the progress made between a handful of titles; allied NPCs in Brotherhood, more dynamic climbing systems in AC 3, refinement of ship combat in Black Flag, larger NPC crowds in Unity and almost complete overhauls in Origins and Odyssey. If we view this as an example of iterative design and how developers can effectively improve and develop their ideas over the years then in the long term we can see a huge benefit to us as consumers rather than plainly griping at the potentially inconsequential inconsistencies and more minor issues within the games.

Learn through experience

Building upon the experiential learning of playing through historical periods, Ubisoft have gone out of their way to create content specifically aimed at educating their audiences through accessible means ¹⁵. Whilst they only think of this as a “supplement to teacher-guided education” ¹⁶, it’s plain to see the benefit of game-based learning with some studies suggesting “that playing interactive
educational games may have a positive impact on children’s problem solving skills” ¹⁷. Now that game play has been tried and tested over the years, is this a new direction the platform could take in order to increase the positive benefit of the franchise on more than just enjoyment?

FIFA: The World’s Game

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is the long-standing, self described international governing body of football. They’re a household name for any followers of the sport and since the early 1990s have made their way into our homes in the form of the FIFA gaming franchise. The first entry into the series, FIFA International Soccer was released in late 1993 on a range of platforms including, but not limited to, PC, Amiga, Sega CD, and SNES. Developed by what we know as EA Vancouver, Electronic Arts’ (EA) largest and oldest studio, the team were prompted to release a soccer equivalent of the already successful NFL game, John Madden Football. It was a small development team, working under pressure to release for the holiday season, and striving against executives who predicted a flop as nobody really cared about soccer in the USA. How they were proven wrong as the initial predictions of 300,000 total units were blown out the water within the first four weeks with over half a million copies sold ¹⁸.

Since then we have experienced an annual release of a mainstream FIFA title without fail and in some cases receiving two in one year. This is an astounding achievement considering the 26 years of the franchises existence and it’s home firmly remaining at EA. So how has this been possible to sustain? Why, other than staggering profits, has EA continued to devote so many resources to this franchise?

Method behind the “madness”

Wither more than 45 million unique players engaging with FIFA 19 and FIFA 18 on console and PC last year ¹⁹, it is clear to see that the primary motivation for EA to continually release these games is the fans. FIFA has long been one of the top selling game franchises of all time, amassing well over 260 million copies sold in it’s lifetime. This is enabled in part by the level of accessibility that the developers offer with versions often stretching the life of console generations. Titles were being released for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 four years after the new generation came out, and there was even a release of FIFA 14 on Playstation 2, 13 years after the console first hit shelves ²⁰. Catering to this wide spread market is an effective way to get your game in front of people and continue to hold their gaze. In 2016 with the release of FIFA Mobile, and the annual content updates it receives, the game now seems to be ever present in the lives of it’s audience.

The FIFA titles have incrementally improved upon a winning formula each year, with some years having more impact than others, but the overall progression and development of the game can be seen when looking through the back catalogue. FIFA 19 introduced the Active Touch System “fundamentally chang[ing] the way you receive and strike the ball, providing closer control, improved fluidity, more creativity and increased player personality”, a new dynamic tactics system to allow for greater mastery of the pitch, and updates to their real player motion technology for more realistic animations across all areas of play to name a few ²¹. FIFA 20 as well as mechanical changes is reintroducing the fan-favourite FIFA Street in the form of a new game mode VOLTA FOOTBALL. Just for the last two years of a 26 year lifespan this is already a progressive step in terms of developing the gameplay and experience for their players. With a game, in real life and the digital world, as divisive as football they’re not always met with the softest reactions, but it’s clear to see EA are not just churning out the same old play every year.

The primary reason that so many people purchase the new iteration every year is of course to keep up to date with their favourite athletes. For a sport that changes so often with players moving teams, rankings and league tables altering and games played multiple times a month, it’s clear to see why fans would want to keep their personal slice of the game as relevant as possible. Maintaining the longevity of the game and inspiring it’s audience to play is clear to see when considering what actually motivates players from an experiential level. The Gamer Motivation Model ²² attributes 6 core motivators for why we play games; action, social, mastery, achievement, immersion, and creativity. Taking each of these in turn you can see why a lot of players, especially those who enjoy the sport itself, can find enjoyment within FIFA. Playing with your friends or others across the world uniting over a common love of the sport, the highs and lows of a match but this time you’re in control, mastering your techniques and finding your solutions to the other players defensive strategies, immersing yourself in a worldwide phenomenon and empowering yourself with just a taste of what a championship may feel like.

The future of the sport

Rumours have been speculating in recent years that EA may move away from the annual release cycle of the Madden and FIFA franchises in favour of a subscription model ²³. Since the Xbox 360, online stores and digital downloads of games have become ever more the normality with the UK alone boasting over £2.01bn in digital and online revenue over the £770m in boxed software ²⁴. This shift in purchasing habits has enabled many publishers to cater to a wider audience, increase profit margins with ventures such as digital deluxe editions, and distribute more effectively around the world. Marketing your game and controlling the representation of it in online stores can have a huge impact on the sales of your games and even support environmental efforts by greener distribution online. So moving forward to a subscription model is not exactly going to break the boundaries of games considering the implementation of this structure in games such as World of Warcraft and added content models such as Fortnite.

So with the rise of free-to-play, subscriptions services and digital content, could this be a strong move forward for EA and FIFA? Now nothing has been confirmed about this model at the time of writing and we’re unsure if and when we’ll even see information regarding it, however, if we assume a positive scenario we may be able to envisage a free to play version that allows you to pick from a selection of teams, trial particular game modes and engage with basic content of the game; this could drive a larger audience to the game who may otherwise be reluctant to pay upwards of £50 for a full copy. Adding on top of this the subscription service for premium features of customisation, wider team rosters, competitive online play, cosmetic upgrades and more. Regular patches will update roster information, statistics and more so that you’re able to keep current with your favourite teams and players. If we assume the average copy on release is £60 and, in an effort to keep a similar revenue stream, EA charge around £5 per month, many would see this as a reasonable cost to experience the full game and added features. Being able to cross play between these players would further entice and encourage players to upgrade, even for a month or two at the very least.

The dangers here, however, could be numerous for consumer and developer. If there is a free-to-play segment then they may see a sharp drop off in committed players who simply want to play a game or two and already have access to their favourite teams. On top of this many players may just pay for the odd month and cancel the renewal, dramatically reducing the £50-60 intake from every potential player whether they engage with the content after purchase or not. Equally, there may be some level of ostracism with players who aren’t able to regularly pay the subscription fee, but could save over time or receive the game as a gift.

Now there is a lot of speculation here as no details have been confirmed, however, looking to the better odds does reveal potential for an exciting turn for the franchise. Could we see more games take this route in future? Would it be financially viable with the amount of subscription services amassing lately? Between Netflix, Spotify, PS Now, Humble Monthly, Xbox Games Pass and many, many more would it all be too much for the average consumer?

Final Thoughts

It has been incredibly interesting to look at these topics from a different perspective as I have been guilty on more than one occasion of touting the “a game every year is bad” view without ever giving it too much thought. Looking at the decisions made, the evolution of titles, and speculating on the various benefits has certainly made me rethink my stance on the matter. Overall a large reason for these games continuing the model as discussed here is largely down to us, the consumers. If we continue to buy and support these games then they will undoubtedly continue to be made. If we speak out against the unwanted patterns then changes can be made, much like they were with Assassin’s Creed Origins and more recently when Ubisoft have stated no new game for 2019 ²⁵. We do have the potential to change the market but we should be saying it with how we choose to spend our money, and our discussion should always be considerate of the people that are making these amazing experiences, not careless ranting.

We may well see more titles move to a subscription service as we have recently seen the release of Apple Arcade boasting a healthy catalogue of games early on and a bid for more independent support ²⁶ and whilst this may seem like a great move from the consumer point of view, time will tell on the ongoing benefits to developers and whether or not this could be a suitable change for franchises in future. So what do you think? Do you feel these, as well as other franchises have overstayed their welcome? Do we need to allow room for other IPs to take flight and cement themselves into our gaming catalogues? Or do you enjoy the regular installments? Are they a comfort in your gaming regime that allows for ebb and flow amongst the sporadic crazes and fresh mechanics every quarter?

What do you think? Leave a comment.