Skull & Bones Isn’t Off the Treasure Map with Fan Response
Following its announcement and reveal at E3 2017, Skull & Bones, Ubisoft’s new pirate-themed IP left with a bang and the promise of those sick naval battles we haven’t seen since Black Flag. But the title has been quiet so far – that is, until now.
According to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, Skull & Bones has seen a “huge” unprecedented fan response, something that is backed by the fact that it achieved record beta registrations. In other words, no other new IP in Ubisoft’s history has tallied as many registered players following its reveal, according to Guillemot.
To confirm the excitement about those naval battles, Ubisoft Singapore’s managing director Olivier de Rotalier said that after working on the Black Flag naval encounters, it wanted to stay in the pirate fantasy setting “to make it bigger and stronger.”
The team created a prototype featuring 1 vs. 1 naval warfare battles, and while it was a lot of fun, it wasn’t right for Assassin’s Creed at the time according to de Rotalier. But it is perfect for Skull & Bones.
Further, according to Guillemot, making Skull & Bones a new IP permits Ubisoft Singapore more freedom to do what it wants with the game’s direction. Guillemot stated:
“We didn’t want the limits–creating a new IP gives you the chance to do whatever you want. It’s a way to get more freedom.”
de Rotalier isn’t talking a one-off title, but wants this new IP to ride for 10-15 years with DLC and developer support. It all depends on sales. de Rotalier continues:
“We are building a game that we want to support in the long term, that relies on strong mechanics; RPG, online. We want to build a strong service to be able to support a long-term experience. We are convinced that the core gameplay that we are building is big enough to experience on the long term and keep people engaged. We have a plan to make it last.”
de Rotalier is interested in building and retaining a fan base – possibly building a dynasty … or a DESTINY? Ha ha, I kid. Just don’t put ship racing in the game, then we know the end is near.