Gamers will be eating well in the second half of 2024 thanks to the upcoming release ofStar WarsOutlaws andAssassin’s CreedShadows. Of course, new open-world titles fromUbisoftare causing trepidation after recent discussions about large-scale games causing gamer fatigue, but Outlaws’ developer,Massive Entertainment, believes the Star Wars experience will bemore than another open-world project.
The community has to take the good with the bad these days, especially when Ubisoft is the topic of conversation. Not only has the publisher received backlash towards Shadows, butBeyond Good & Evilfans have alsovoiced their criticismof a new requirement in the 20th Anniversary edition. Additionally, the studio has recently aired its decision to reduce its carbon footprint and this move has divided gamers once again.
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Within Ubisoft’s recent 356-page annualreport, several topics were covered outlining the publisher’s future endeavors, including CEO Yves Guillemot’s first pay rise since 2019, company policies regarding generative AI, and a positive note highlighting the studio’s exploration of materials used to package physical game releases.
The report stated Ubisoft was exploring cardboard packaging instead of plastic for its physically released games to reduce the studio’s carbon footprint and tackle climate change in the industry, starting withSkull and Bones.
In 2023, the publisher approved cardboard packaging to be applied to the physical PC edition of the action-adventure game for its debut in February 2024. According to the report, this cardboard alternative “halves emissions linked to the manufacture of the box compared with a plastic version.” It was highlighted that this is the first step “to explore eco-design possibilities and help reduce the use of plastic.”
Since PC versions are normally sold digitally, Ubisoft chose this format of Skull and Bones to test this change and a Ubisoft rep later confirmed toGame Filethat this version was only sold in select countries, including Germany. The cardboard alternative can be ordered from the Ubisoft Store onAmazon, and this switch of material has an air of nostalgia about it since PC games used to be sold in cardboard packaging during the earlier gaming eras.
The spokesperson continued, “Ubisoft is constantly working to identify new opportunities for the development and release of more sustainable packaging, the roll-out of which can take time.”
As expected, the gaming community didn’t share the studio’s positivity, accusing Ubisoft of cheapening manufacturing to “raise profits in the name of the environment”. Another comment said, “Let’s save the environment by cutting more of the rainforest down to make cardboard packaging. That should help slow climate change, right?”
