It would seem that you have to be VERY careful when throwing out any off-hand comments on the interwebs these days, as Ubisoft recently learned.
Creative VP Lionel Raynaud was recently asked what it would take to get a game like Assassin’s Creed to integrate the new VR tech like the Oculus Rift. After throwing out a “one million units” figure, the company recently released a statement to clear up any misconceptions about the quote. “Ubisoft is always excited about new hardware and platforms and creating innovative experiences. Lionel did mention a number at the GDC dinner, however, it was not a literal number that Ubisoft takes into consideration when looking at delivering game experiences and content for new platforms.” It reads.
However, the statement does appear to support their previous position. When it comes to an unknown piece of hardware like the Oculus, clearly it would have to attain a certain level of success before companies would begin investing their development dollars. “…the point he was making was that a number like that,” they continue, “would be a leading indicator for growth and impact that could lead to success and adoption from the development community. While Ubisoft continues to work closely with all of our hardware partners, we have nothing new to share at this point in time in regard to these new VR opportunities.”
Does this seem like a chicken or the egg scenario to anyone else? If they won’t invest R&D until it’s successful, how do they hope it will sell over a million units in the first place?