Summary
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crowncan stake a claim to be called one of the best Metroidvanias of the last few years. Slick movement, punchy combat, and genuinely innovative mechanics made the game a delight. So, of course, Ubisoftbroke the team up and refused the opportunity to make a sequel.
It’s a frustrating move, and one which has promptedBaldur’s Gate’spublishing maestro to address the situation, saying Ubisoft has “such a broken strategy.”
“It Just Shouldn’t Be Done As It Was”
If there’s anybody well enough equipped to comment on another company’s publishing strategies, it’s Michael Douse, Larian’s director of publishing, who played a major part inBaldur’s Gate 3’soverwhelming success last year.
If it had released on Steam not only would it have been a market success, but there would likely be a sequel.
Frustrated with Ubisoft’s unwillingness to publish games on Steam at launch,Douse tweeted, “You can assume subscriptions were at a lull when PoP released by 2024. Which means people wouldn’t be launching their store [Ubisoft Connect] all too much.”
“If it had released on Steam not only would it have been a market success, but there would likely be a sequel because the team are so strong. It’s such a broken strategy. The hardest thing is to make an 85+ game — it is much, much easier to release one. It just shouldn’t be done as it was.”
Speaking on Ubisoft’s recent comments telling players toget comfortable not owning their games, Douse said, “If the statement ‘gamers should get used to not owning their games’ is true because of a specific release strategy (sub above sales), then the statement ‘developers must get used to not having jobs if they make a critically acclaimed game’ (platform strategy above title sales) is also true, and that just isn’t sensible — even from a business perspective.”
Douse is definitely onto something as, in a sign of things to come,Steamnowwarns players that they don’t own their games, andConcordwasunceremoniously removed from people’s accounts after the game was shut down.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
WHERE TO PLAY
Prince of Persia; The Lost Crown is a 2D platformer from Ubisoft Montpellier. Using his combat skills and time powers, the Prince must explore the mysteries of Persia and Mount Qaf, battling a range of enemies along the way.
