
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!
Which Ubisoft IP Should Xbox Acquire? (939 votes)
- Anno0.8%
- Assassin's Creed
- Beyond Good & Evil
- Brothers in Arms
- Call of Juarez0.5%
- Driver
- Far Cry
- Heroes of Might and Magic
- Just Dance
- Prince of Persia
- Rayman (Including Rabbids)
- Riders Republic0.5%
- Steep0.3%
- The Crew0.2%
- The Settlers0.6%
- Tom Clancy Series
- TrackMania0.5%
- Trials0.8%
- Watch Dogs
- Other
Comments 53
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. But I mean Blinx, Voodoo Vince and more exist yet don't get expanded upon. Among other IPs.
Just Dance money makes sense.
Just more shooters is too easy for Xbox but other genres need more benefits even if many of the execution doesn't appeal to me as much of some publishers/devs directions.
Immortals Fenix Rising was fair.
Anno would fit but they have Flight Sim (not the same I know), Rise of Nations (not touched often as it could be), Age of Empires as it is. So city builder versus strategy sure but even still I don't know if Microsoft cares that much. Settlers same thing. Good games for their genre but Microsoft sort of has equivalents. Like Forza Horizon to compete with The Crew.
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. The perks of Legion was cool just not as used well as it could. But like Under The Skin that has perks too but it's too niche for Capcom to revive let alone gameplay design care about it's design. Like Space Station Silicon Valley to me it is more impressive then Biomutant for animal abilities but has a cool gas immunity and vehicle uses but not much besides wow apocalyptic animals..... cool. It lacks moveset appeal.
Zombi/Zombi U is just not going anywhere that's clear. It had fair ideas of the Gamepad, Fable Legends and ZombiU's MP were cool of villain summoning enemies and those that survive. Besides the zombie with your gear to get back and new character each time.
Their other niche games are great but won't get a second look at all anyway of Child of Light or Valiant Hearts or anything like that. Sure Pentiment but I mean exceptions exist they don't always happen.
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
The future of Xbox Game Pass is overwhelmingly lacking in casual games.
Games like Just Dance, Rayman, and Rabbids appear to be needed. (If only Microsoft would budget for Crush Bandicoot and Banjo...)
Riders Republic and give it to Playground Games.
@Cikajovazmaj I'll say it too - Immortals Fenyx Rising!
@SuntannedDuck2 Was thinking of Driver myself - SanFran was such a unique game and would fit into the Xbox portfolio nicely
I think there is room for another GTA type game on the market. That kind of open world "city and surrounding area" simulation.
One that takes itself a bit more seriously than GTA.
I'd therefore like to see someone take on Watch Dogs, but make it far more grounded. Going back more to the vision of the original game.
I'll vote "NONE". Should have been an obvious choice.
Unless Microsoft/Xbox are rescuing these IPs because Ubi is completely done, I'd personally like them all to stay where they belong.
The other exception would be Xbox dumping money into Ubi developing something for Xbox that maybe they haven't done or need help with. Sort of like Nintendo did with Bayonetta.
I had to pick “Other,” so they can acquire Child of Light and I can finally get a second game. Otherwise, Tom Clancy, maybe we can finally get new Splinter Cell.
Aside from the fact that Microsoft hasn't really "pumped out" titles over the last few years, some of the IP would directly intersect with existing MS titles in terms of being action-adventure, or shooter, or racing ... so I'd actually like to see what MS could do with a city-builder like Anno or a platformer like Rayman instead of just another shooter.
@Daniel1221 I totally agree.
@BacklogBrad "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." first of all fallout, starfield and outerworlds are RPGs with some piss poor gunplay. Doom, COD and Wolfenstein are 3rd party games, and a part from COD, Doom and now wolfenstein games are few and far between
@Utena-mobile ok but out of all the games MS have in development only maybe Doom and Gears E day could be considered "Gritty" and based on the last 2 gears games E-Day maybe another pg-13 game, hell even doom is pretty cartoony and COD is now a clown show, with anime and TNMT characters running around in what is supposed to be a military shooter.
I mean look at MS line up for the year doom, is it, avowed, south of midnight, towerborne sure ain't Gritty, even fable that got pushed hardly was aiming for a Gritty feel or look.
@Utena-mobile also don't get me wrong I love variety, I am nearly done with Indy, and am about 10 hours into Avowed, and I will be play South of Midnight, and Fable when it releases, I just wish MS would have a few more Gritty adult focused games, like Sony has, or should I say used to have.
@Valhura it doesn't sound like you know what a 3rd party game is. These are all xbox owned IP.
@BacklogBrad oh excuse me please tell me when MS made and released a DOOM or a Wolfenstein game? They were 3rd party, also first and third party only had meaning in relation to your own platform, if you are releasing all your games on other platforms you are the third party.
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