SUMMARY
- Skull and Bones is Ubisoft's Pirate Odyssey, similar to Sea of Thieves.
- The pirate game is currently in beta testing, with preorders costing no less than $70.
The increase in the development cost of AAA games fueling the retail price of these games has always been a source of debate. Recently, the upcoming Skull and Bones game by Ubisoft has also been dragged into this controversy. However, CEO Yves Guillemot believes that the upcoming game is worth its premium price tag.
The upcoming Skull and Bones game centers on naval combat and piracy in a fictitious East African and Southeast Asian setting during the late 17th century, at the height of the actual Golden Age of Piracy. The game will also have live service elements despite its hefty price tag.
The game has, however, faced a lot of issues to see the light of day. These issues ranged from frequent changes in the game’s scope, direction, and leadership, to a high staff turnover rate, and budget overruns.
Skull and Bones’ high price tag justified by Ubisoft CEO
The gaming company recently conducted its earnings call for the third quarter of the financial year 2024. Here, questions were raised if the game would have been better if it had been made free to play.
However, Ubisoft‘s CEO Guillemot rejected the idea that Skull and Bones would have been a better game if it had been made available for free. On the contrary, he gave an explanation of why he thinks the $70 tag is fair for a game of that caliber.
Guillemot asserted that the game’s enormous scope justified collecting its price tag, “It’s a very big game, and we feel that people will really see how vast and complete that game is. It’s a really full, triple… quadruple-A game, that will deliver in the long run”.
Skull and Bones is a Quadruple-A Release That Justifies $70 Price Tag – Ubisoft CEO: During the Q&A session of a recent earnings call, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot defended the decision to price upcoming pirate-themed… https://t.co/ey0qGKNeIp #gaming #GamingCommunity #gamer pic.twitter.com/ilF7jS8bCM
— @zimisss (@zimisss) February 9, 2024
This comment was made after a fan raised concerns with the game’s hefty price tag, despite it coming with live-service features. The caller asserted that it would have been a better choice if the game was made free to play and the live service elements could do their job to bring the ROI. Moreover, keeping the game free would also attract more players at launch.
While developers at Ubisoft feel comfortable and confident with its price tag, it remains to be seen how well it is received after the launch. This is because news of beta testers leaving the game citing boredom surfaced in December.
Skull and Bones’ release date and editions
The game is all set to release on February 16, 2024. Players who are subscribed to Ubisoft+ and those who buy the Premium Edition of the game will have early access beginning on February 13. The game will be accessible on PC, and next-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
The game will be launched in three editions:
- The Standard Edition: it will be priced at $70
- The Premium Edition: it will be priced at $90
- The Ubisoft+ Edition: it will be priced at $18
The beta testing of the game started on February 8 and will end on February 11. Additionally, the progress from the beta will be carried forward to their account once the player buys the full game.