RedGage

Description

For those that do not know, Tencent recently acquired a five percent stake in Ubisoft. This purchase has opened the doors for Tencent to release key Ubisoft titles on mobile platforms. Before we get all excited about seeing more mobile versions of Assassin’s Creed or B.A.T., this is not just any game that Ubisoft has the rights to. This is for key titles in the Ubisoft catalog. Attention will apparently focus on multiplayer capable or eSports related titles as well as role-playing games (more on that in a minute). Now, keep in mind, this deal is for the Chinese territory which makes sense considering the statement from a company spokesperson to eSports Observer: “We’re first looking at games in genres that have proven successful in China. So, we’re starting by considering games with multiplayer elements and esports potential, and also games with RPG mechanics.” This means we are more likely to see something from the Tom Clancy franchise line than we are, say, Farcry or even Assassin’s Creed. Sad but true. What is great about this announcement is that there will be more titles that have heritage coming to mobile. Titles that have a fanbase and proven track record on other platforms. This can only be good news for mobile gamers as the platform is slowly recognized as a viable one for publishers. While PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is doing great, it is dangerous for a company to stick to one franchise or genre for too long. Take, for example, Rovio and their focus on Angry Birds then their lackluster treatment by fans when they attempted to break out of that mold after almost half a decade. Tencent seems to be working on not getting pigeon holed like that by fans, at least those in China. While that is great for players there, I am more interested in how they treat players outside of Mainland China in the future.