Ubisoft didn't cancel Beyond Good & Evil 2 because open world games are a "priority", but I suspect the real reason is more boring

Earlier this week, Ubisoft cancelled six games, delayed 7 more, and closed 3 studios successful Halifax, Canada and Stockholm, arsenic portion of efforts to "right-size" the vessel nether Commodore Tencent by chucking a batch of radical and projects into the sea. I bash not request to archer you that Beyond Good and Evil 2 was not 1 of the cancelled projects. Cats and dogs volition beryllium getting joined earlier Ubisoft cancel Beyond Good and Evil 2 - a crippled announced 17 years ago, which has survived galore rounds of cardinal departures, scandals, tragedies and cost-cutting. Ubisoft's latest nationalist reasoning for not abandoning BG&E2 is that it's an unfastened satellite game, and their caller firm strategy is to absorption connected unfastened satellite and unrecorded work games.

Ubisoft are restructuring astir 5 mildly Shakespearean "Creative Houses", according to a wide remit of "transforming Ubisoft's operating exemplary to nutrient exceptional prime games connected the 2 halfway pillars of our strategy, Open World Adventures and GaaS-native experiences", successful the words of CEO Yves Guillemot.

The main "Creative House", Vantage Studios, is "focused connected scaling and extending Ubisoft's largest and established franchises to crook them into yearly billionaire brands" - specifically, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six. The different 4 are dedicated to "competitive and cooperative shooter experiences", "select, crisp Live experiences", "casual and family-friendly games", and "immersive phantasy worlds and narrative-driven universes". BG&E is filed nether the latter.

Speaking arsenic idiosyncratic who loved the archetypal Beyond Good & Evil - which I've antecedently mislabelled an unfastened satellite game, contempt it being much of an Ocarina of Time-style hubworld matter with peripheral dungeons - I'm blessed successful rule that Beyond Good & Evil volition continue. But arsenic ever, you bash person to wonderment why. The sequel has reportedly outgo implicit fractional a cardinal dollars, making it 1 of the astir costly videogames ever developed, and I can't ideate it recovering the cash. Anecdotally, the past due trailer backmost successful 2017 confused arsenic galore radical arsenic it enthralled.

Still, Ubisoft are plugging connected with it. "As mentioned successful yesterday's property release, Beyond Good & Evil volition beryllium portion of Creative House 4, dedicated to immersive phantasy worlds and narrative-driven universes," a Ubisoft spokesperson told Kotaku successful a statement, pursuing this week's bout of firm surgery. "Beyond Good & Evil 2 remains a precedence for america successful the discourse of our strategy centered astir Open World Adventures."

I'm nary Scientist of Money, but I consciousness similar the existent crushed for Ubisoft not cancelling BG&E2 astatine this signifier is simply a basal question of accounting. Right present they tin study it to their investors arsenic an asset, i.e. thing that tin bring successful cash. If they cancel it, they'll person to instrumentality a monolithic write-off. So it's amended to decorativeness and merchandise it, adjacent if it doesn't merchantability what they privation it to sell.

Again speaking arsenic idiosyncratic who isn't a Scientist of Money, I reckon the evident and cheapest mode to boost the game's chances is to halt calling it Beyond Good & Evil 2. Presenting thing arsenic a sequel people risks advertizing lone to those who played the first, and radical person virtually been calved and had children since the archetypal crippled came retired successful 2003. Even allowing for the merchandise of a BG&E remaster, today's young 'uns apt cognize small of Jade and Uncle Pey'j. So I would conscionable telephone it Beyond Good & Evil (202X). Or thing much targeted, specified arsenic Cockney Cybermonkeys Online: An Open World Game From The Assassin's Creed Folks.