
In recent weeks, we've started to hear more and more about Ubisoft's plans to sell off its biggest assets - including official statements from the company alongside reports about multiple publishers being interested in the team's IP. One of those publishers is Xbox, apparently, and we want to pose a simple question: if Microsoft acquires one Ubisoft franchise, which should it be?
Of course, Assassin's Creed has been Ubisoft's premiere game series for years now - and with multiple titles already planned beyond AC Shadows, it stands to reason that this IP should be one of the most lucrative in the team's entire portfolio. We'd assume any investor would want to make good use of the Assassin's Creed name.
However, there's also the question of how expensive these game series' could turn out to be for any potential investors; especially something like Assassin's Creed. A recent report suggested that Ubisoft's founders may even value a collection of its IP higher than the company itself, which could price out certain interested parties. The AC series is likely to be high on any Ubisoft valuation list.
And so, what about some of the team's other franchises? Ubisoft owns the likes of Far Cry, Rayman, Prince Of Persia, Watch Dogs, Call of Juarez - the list goes on. Do you think Xbox would be interested in any of these? Would you like to see Microsoft acquire one of these other Ubisoft IP and potentially make use of it on Xbox Game Pass?
Pick one Ubisoft IP you'd like Xbox to acquire down below. Note: we've stuck to the company's biggest active franchises for this list, but if you think of any we miss, select 'Other' and tell us which!
Comments 39
The Division makes the most sense to me
Tom Clancy so they can finally give us a new splinter cell
That’s an easy one really. Beyond Good & Evil 2 should be saved from development hell. Though whether Microsoft is actually the company that can do this is another question entirely - looking at you Everwild.
Just one? I think it would be cool to see Splinter Cell fill the Metal Gear hole in our hearts, but MGS Delta is coming out soon, and Xbox has too many gritty violent "boy" games.
So if it was up to me, they should buy Beyond Good and Evil and make sure to keep it a fun, family-friendly Zelda-ish adventure. NO to the terrible sequel!
Tom clancy series. I don't think ubisoft has any desire to return to the single player roots.
Xbox has plenty of shooters but not many of them are tactical or stealth based.
I really doubt Ubisoft sell IP or get acquired. I think massive layoffs are coming and they downsize tremendously.
Immortals: Fenyx Rising. There, I said it.
None please. Microsoft already has enough IP that they're sitting on and not using, so they don't need more.
An unpopular one: None. Microsoft already owns a decent amount of IPs, more is not always merrier
Prince of Persia and then just keeping making 2D metroidvanias.
So happy people care a great deal about Beyond Good and Evil 😀. I think Splinter Cell would be a great IP too, especially since Konami no longer cares about the tactical espionage action genre. Than again Microsoft have plenty in their IP portfolio as is.
I am pleasantly surprised Tom Clancy got so many votes. I voted on it because I love ghost recon, but I expected everyone to go for Assassin's Creed.
Whichever ones I don't like, please.
Does Ubisoft own the Tom Clancy name for good? I always assumed that was an ongoing license of some sort.
I voted for AC - only because if Ubisoft do sink, I can't think of a world in which AC doesn't exist 😞
@Utena-mobile please list all these "Gritty Violent Boy" games you speak of, I must have missed them since say half way through the 360 gen when MS gave up on core gamers for kid friendly bland versions of the games we used to love
@Kaloudz yes ubisoft does own his name for all future video games.
2008 article
French video game giant Ubisoft said Thursday that it has agreed to buy all "intellectual property rights to the Tom Clancy name, on a perpetual basis and free of all related future royalty payments, for use in video games and ancillary products including related books, movies and merchandising products
@BacklogBrad "Plenty" you mean Halo and Gears, Halo we got 1 game in the last 15 years and Gears 5 came out nearly 6 years ago, there is a reason xbox sales are in the toilet, they forgot what core gamers want.
@BacklogBrad Oh wow!! They outright purchased the name! That's pretty cool, thanks dude. I do wonder why other Devs don't make other games Chris Ryan's "Insert Game Name" etc...
I want them to acquire some people and then immediately close the studio 😏😘
I said it in the previous article that I don’t believe MS need any of these. I don’t think there is huge money to be made in what uni would let go
(I don’t think farcry AC and probably the division/rainbow six stuff will be sold)
That said something like riders republic/trials/steep because it’s something that MS do not have in their stable.
@Valhura halo, gears, doom, call of duty, wolfenstein, fallout, outer worlds, starfield, etc.
They have PLENTY of shooters but tactical and stealth would be welcome additions for me.
There’s only one answer. Tom Clancy. So we can get Splinter cell.
How about they start releasing games for the IPs they own and don't seem to plan on touching first?
Mario vs Rabbits.
I don’t see anything else happening
I am going to say Tom Clancy series too but for different reasons than others I expect. I want The Division 3 actually be released and not end up on the killed before completed pile like other Division projects.
I honestly think they could do something really interesting with Watch Dogs. Give it a soft reboot, focus on the digital stealth mechanics (maybe even force a non-lethal approach?) and then take the piss out of their own Big Brother mega-corporation.
AC is the only one that is worth it as an IP and Microsoft/XBOX doesn't own something similar and bigger already.
@Valhura Ok, ok, you got me, I was trying to be facetious. But what I meant by "boy" games (although I get that not only boys play them, I like a few of them too) was that Xbox has too many games that try to go for grittiness at the point of a gun.
Fallout
Doom
Gears of War
Wolfenstein
Halo
the upcoming Perfect Dark (which I'm excited for) etc
But a lot of their games that could have focused on a different kind of adventure, like Kameo, Banjo Kazooie, etc are seemingly forgotten. Beyond Good and Evil really captures that essence and I think would be a welcome addition to their catalogue of M rated and T rated games.
The ghost recon series!
I would have said Steep. as I love some skiing and snowboarding games. But then don't Microsoft own the AMPED IP ?. Go on Microsoft , give us a new AMPED. love THAT GAME.
Tom Clancy for money as few series to tap into. But I would love pop I loved warror with which was my first pop game. AC not sure how much more timelines they have to do but black flag remaster would be perfect for me. When you see that list they do have some great IP
I voted for Heroes of Might and Magic, but the actual answer is Might and Magic including HOMM. People forget HOMM is a spinoff of a legendary RPG series with a super cool sci fi + fantasy setting (like a much weirder Phantasy Star). I miss both series greatly. Ubi buying the name and cranking out games in their own crappy setting that has nothing to do with the original is one reason I really don't like them.
@Bigmanfan plenty of studios have older IP they are sitting on. Some of it just don’t sell the way it used to and takes time and resources away. It isn’t just a MS problem sadly.
I think MS should pick out various minor IP which can likely be purchased at a bargain. Like Felex, Anno, Heroes of Might and Magic, etc. Once MS owns the IP MS can do what ever they want with the games.
Tom Clancy, Assassins Creed is cooked and Watchdogs as well as Farcry are over-extended and boring. The rest are relatively minor by comparison.
Even besides the Ubisoft cloud stuff.
I mean Assassin's Creed, Tom Clancy games (Division/Siege make sense why, even if Splintercell or Ghost Recon would be nice) or Far Cry I can see why for money.
But I mean there is a reason I care about Red Steel 2 or Rayman games. Prince of Persia as well.
Immortals Fenix Rising was fair.
Brothers in Arms would be great to see but like any games of it's era, setting is why, even though the mechanics are interesting/feel of the games are very different they'd be modernised and lose what made them stand out I think.
Trackmania is alright but will keep going regardless. Not much Xbox needs with it really compared to Forza Horizon.
The Crew who knows as it competes really.
Driver needs a come back, use that shift mechanic or just in general stands out in the open world space still. It's like Battlefield 2 Modern Combat give that swap/jump mechanic EA use it please.
Call of Juarez PSN/Xbox Live Arcade digital only game i got on Switch and got Bound for Blood on PS3 physical I'm interested in them somewhat. Won''t happen but still interested.
Far Cry and go anywhere and work, AC games can and do. Tom Clancy games always work for them.
Watch Dogs has the potential just how they go about it.
Zombi/Zombi U is just not going anywhere that's clear.
Their other niche games won't get a second look at all anyway of Child of Light or Valiant Hearts or anything like that.
The reality is at that we all want AC but going to get disappointed by anything else. All I want is the entire back catalogue on GP….
I think Tom Clancy series is a natural fit for Microsoft, the get a full package:
Ghost Recon for squad, solo and stealth campaigns
Rainbow Six for multiplayer to drive Xbox live sales
The Division for live service
So, yeah, a full package, and that's not even considering the strategy game from years ago they could reboot.
That being said, if Microsoft took over Far Cry, I'd have no complaints at this point. I think Far Cry could go amazing places with Microsoft's budget behind it.
Ubisoft would be absolutely insane to give up Assassin's Creed, but I'm sure Microsoft could also do insane things with that series if they budgeted for it.
The worst case would be if Ubisoft sells any of the above to a publisher bent on pumping out live service garbage. In that sense, Microsoft would be a far better place to end up.
Voted for Prince of Persia before reading to the end of the list. I’d say it should absolutely be Tom Clancy because Ubisoft has ignored the IP treasure that is Splinter Cell. If they ain’t going to do anything with it, let someone else!
Easily Tom Clancy and assassin and prince of Persia
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