Ubisoft Makes A Lot Of Money From Microtransactions, And It Wants More

Microtransactions are big business at Ubisoft. The publisher today reported earnings for the latest period, and one slide from the company’s presentation mentioned that add-on content was a “major booster to profitability” during the quarter.

Specifically, Ubisoft made €318.5 million from what it calls Player Recurring Investment during the last nine months. This figure is up 87.4 percent from the same period last year. Revenue from PRI made up 26.7 percent of total sales during the period, which is up from 20.9 percent compared to the same period last year.

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This content is high-margin, Ubisoft said, given that it requires lower levels of marketing and research & development expenses. As an example, Ubisoft pointed out that it sells a flaming horse in Assassin’s Creed: Origins for 1,500 worth of in-game currency, which comes out to €15.

Player Recurring Investment at Ubisoft includes things like in-game items and DLC packs, along with revenue from subscriptions and advertising. Another slide shows how Ubisoft revenue from PRI compares to similar figures from companies like EA and Activision Blizzard. As you can see in the image below, Ubisoft is trailing those companies on a percentage basis, though Ubisoft is intent on “clos[ing] the gap” with them as it relates to microtransaction revenue. This is to say, you can likely expect microtransaction systems in Ubisoft games to continue and expand in the future.

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Ubisoft went on to say that the progress the company has made in the area of “player investment” should pay dividends when it comes to microtransaction revenue. For Rainbow Six Siege, the game reached a new monthly active user record in December, which is impressive considering the game launched two years ago in December 2015. Given that players are sticking around with Ubisoft games for a long time, that gives Ubisoft the opportunity to continue to sell them new content for a long time.

Also during the presentation, Ubisoft CFO Alain Martinez was asked for his reaction to the controversy and discussion around loot boxes in gaming today. He said Ubisoft thinks about loot boxes as “a question of quality and choice; it’s as simple as that.”

For the transaction to feel fair, the content that Ubisoft offers has to be the “right quality.” He added that the items for sale should not feel necessary, but only optional. Players should feel free to not buy the content and still have a good time with any game.

Finally, Martinez acknowledged the discussion and debate happening right now across the world in regards to whether or not loot boxes should be considered gambling. Martinez said this controversy might be overblown, adding that the discussion he is seeing now is “much calmer” than before. He added that Ubisoft does not feel there is any major regulatory issue regarding loot boxes.

Ubisoft is not the only company making a lot of money from microtransactions. Activision Blizzard announced last week that it made $4 billion from microtransactions in 2017, while Take-Two’s microtransactions business is booming too, thanks in part to GTA Online. EA, meanwhile, made $787 million from microtransactions during its latest quarter.

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Last Chance To Catch This Pokemon Go Legendary

The Legendary Pokemon Rayquaza may have just arrived in Pokemon Go, but another Gen 3 Legendary is on its way out very soon. The cover monster from Pokemon Sapphire, Kyogre, will disappear from the mobile game on February 14, making this your last opportunity to catch one if you still haven’t.

Like most other Legendaries to appear in Pokemon Go thus far, Kyogre can only be encountered as a Raid Battle at Gyms. You’ll first need to battle and defeat the Pokemon before you have an opportunity to capture it. As one of the most powerful Water-types in Pokemon Go, players will want to bring Electric- and Grass-type Pokemon such as Jolteon, Zapdos, and Exeggutor to gain the advantage over Kyogre.

Kyogre was the second Gen 3 Legendary to arrive in Pokemon Go, following Groudon, which appeared in the game from December to January. Along with Rayquaza, the three Legendaries make up what is informally known as the “weather trio.” Rayquaza will be available as a Raid Battle until March 16.

Alongside Rayquaza, Pokemon Go developer Niantic recently introduced another wave of Gen 3 Pokemon to the mobile game, which consists primarily of Flying- and Dragon-types, such as Salamence, Altaria, and Tropius. With this most recent batch, more than 100 Gen 3 Pokemon have now been added to Pokemon Go. To celebrate this milestone, every wild Pokemon that players encounter until February 3 will originate from the Hoenn region.

Pokemon Go’s next Community Day takes place later this month, on February 24. Like last month’s event, which featured a Pikachu that can use Surf, the upcoming Community Day will give players a short window of opportunity to capture a rare Pokemon with a special move. Niantic hasn’t revealed which move that will be yet, but the Pokemon in question is the Dragon-type Dratini.

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17 Uncanny Similarities Between Game Of Thrones And Star Wars Characters

Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are all set to helm a brand new series of Star Wars films. They should feel right at home. After all, Game of Thrones is essentially just Star Wars already, give or take a Death Star and a dragon or two.

Don’t take our word for it. The following characters match-ups prove that there’s not much difference between the citizens of Westeros and those who live in a galaxy far, far away.

Spoilers ahead!

Fortnite: Battle Royale Removing A Weapon This Week, Here’s Why

If you’re a fan of the SMG in Fortnite‘s Battle Royale mode, you should get some time in with the game now. Epic Games plans to at least temporarily remove it from the popular online shooter on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, although some variants of it will remain usable for the time being.

As part of its recent development update, Epic shared some plans it has for the game, including a 60 FPS mode on consoles and the introduction of new items. It also noted that a specific gun–the SMG–will be put into the “Vault.” The developer has since expanded on what this means exactly.

Effectively, the SMG will be gone completely from the game, though it will return in the future. “As we add more weapons, consumables, and other item types, we want to make sure that the balance of itemization isn’t ruined,” an Epic representative wrote on Reddit. “Expect more items to be released (and likewise vaulted!) in the future. And of course, items will often come back out of the Vault when the timing is right.”

It’s important to note that this change specifically involves the basic SMG; another post from Epic on Reddit confirmed, “Tactical SMG and the Suppressed SMG will still drop.” Unfortunately there’s no indication provided of just how long a stay in the Vault may last, be it days, weeks, or months.

Fortnite’s new update just added a weapon type in the Crossbow, which is silent and features unlimited ammo. New weapons and consumables are also in the works, Epic confirmed in its development update, though it also teased, “Additionally, we’re looking to add different types of items down the road (beyond just weapons and consumables) that will allow for exciting new ways to play.”

Beyond that, Epic also has plans for many new Limited-Time Modes. Among those on the way in the near future are a modified version of 50v50, Blitz (where matches are shorter), and one where there is less time between circles. The studio is also listening to feedback regarding proposed changes to Fortnite’s matchmaking.

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Power Rangers Will Air on Nickelodeon for Many More Years

Power Rangers will continue to air on Nickelodeon for many more years.

The network announced it has extended its partnership with Saban Brands to keep Nickelodeon as the official U.S. broadcaster for Power Rangers through 2021. This year, the series celebrates 25 continuous years on the air, making it one of the longest running TV shows ever with nearly 900 episodes aired.

“Saban Brands has been a leader in kids’ entertainment since its inception and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship by bringing fans more Power Rangers on Nickelodeon in the coming years,” Nickelodeon Group chief marketing officer and president of consumer products Pam Kaufman said.

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