Alleged Ex-Ubisoft Employee Talks About His Experience

AsidCast says "A shocking revelation from an ex-Ubisoft employee on /r/assassinscreed clearly shows that not it’s not as easy or rewarding to work in the highly competitive industry especially as a developer."

[Rimgal]

So this guy was just a developer for Ubisoft, but yet he claims that he was at the meeting here Yves Guillemot (the CEO of the company) said that he doesn't care about PC gamers because 90% are pirates anyway. Yeah sure that sounds totally legit lol

Internet where anyone can claim whatever they want, without having to prove anything.

[lunatic0001]

Yeah it sounds like bs to me even though it does feel like ubisoft doesnt give a shit about PC gamers....I'm not saying Yves said that but ubisoft does have a record of releasing shitty PC games

[Rimgal]

Yeah they do have a track record of bad releases on PC, but anyone can claim to be an ex-employee of Ubisoft on the internet, especially on a open forum like reddit. Not saying that the guy is lying or not, but he shows no proves of what he's saying. And there are some serious accusations

[Kevlar009]

I remember a Twitch streamer a year ago saying he doesn't buy Ubi games on PC. It all makes sense to me now. Not because of this article but because of Unity and Watch Dogs

[starchild]

I've only really had problems with AC4 and Watch Dogs, and even then they still ran decently well on my PC. AC4 just needed better multithreading for multi-core processors and Watch Dogs needed a better streaming system for streaming in assets. Most other Ubisoft games I have played over the years have ran very well.

[morganfell]

Just remember, anyone with a solid, good, original, and imaginative idea is likely to be an ex-employee of Ubisoft...

[Irishguy95]

I've found Ubi games to be ****y and broken for a long time, AC was the exception and even that had a crap load of glitches on release. Their quality control is atrocious.

[starchild]

Can anybody that disagreed with me provide me with some reasoning or facts to show how I am wrong? Most Ubisoft games I have played did run well and look great.

Prince of Persia = Excellent
Splinter Cell Blacklist = great
Child of Light = Excellent
AC1 through AC Revelations = Excellent
AC3 = generally good but some CPU bottlenecking (lowering environment detail one notch allowed for perfect 60fps)
AC4 = again some CPU bottlenecking, but not as bad as previous game. Demanding on GPU side, but justifiably so.
Far Cry 3 = Great
Rayman Legends = Excellent
AC Unity = no CPU bottlenecking with my i5 2500k, but graphically demanding for obvious reasons: massive open world, highly dense and detailed environments, and the best overall graphics I have seen on PC. = Great

So from my experience playing the above games on PC I would have to say that most ubisoft games generally ran great for me.

[0nespark]

It does sound a tad bit plausible though considering he does say that a well respected and well paid programmer asks the question from back in 2000s. Him being a developer, he could have been in one those large meetings that happen every now and then. Plus not to mention, back then, ubisoft wasn't all that big as it is now. So it doesn't sound like something that's absolutely made up.

[k3rn3ll]

True, but I feel anyone who breaks NDA after such a controversial release is hard to trust. Especially when he says they can sue him he Doesn't care. In this case he could easily get sued And lose. Most NDAs don't have an expiration date on them for when you leave the company, and or after so many years. So I would definitely take this with a grain of salt everyone

[radler]

I dunno, I'd say this story is pretty believable to be honest. Ubisoft are a terrible publisher whose whole business strategy revolves around misleading consumers with faked gameplay and screenshots, and repeatedly pushing broken and unfinished games onto the market year after year. The fact that it's reasonable to believe that Yves said that speaks volumes, in my opinion.

[wsoutlaw87]

The fact that is reasonable to believe also could prove its fake. It's what pc gamers were already thinking and want to hear.

[NarooN]

Actually I'm pretty sure I recall several Ubisoft higher-ups basically giving the same excuse for their dismissive attitude towards PC. Why do you think they've been implementing all this shitty DRM on their products over the years? Has everyone forgotten the flak they'd gotten just a few years back for DRM on their games, and then they brought it back with Uplay? Come on.

[Rimgal]

Yeah I know that they said that. They even said that a couple of years ago. And a simple google search is enough to find that claims.

http://www.pcgamer.com/pc-g...

So what this guy says anyone can say. So are you 100% sure that this guy is who he claims to be? If he wasn't hiding in anonymous, I might find his story credible. But he didn't even tells us his name.

But like I said this is the internet, anyone can claim whatever they want, without showing any proof.

[cemelc]

@Rimgal

If he gives any proof he would land on a no hire list, there is no way in hell he will give it, no one sane would, stop asking for it.

[Marcello]

Well i totally believe it, what Yves Guillemont says is true, 90% of PC gamers are pirates. If you want to play Far Cry 4 on PC right now you can, will the 90% of those playing it now pay for it on Tuesday ?? will they fu@k !! if anyone believe`s anything else there a naive fool.

& yes Yves Guillemont prob is a c@nt, he`s just got one of those faces you wanna slap.

[Wizard_King]

90%

Blow that out your ass, that figure is way overblow and Ubi have been flogging that horse for years as an excuse to cut corners (and save $) at every chance with their PC titles.

[NarooN]

It honestly doesn't even matter whatsoever whether or not this guy is telling the truth. Ubi's actions over the past decade+ have been evidence enough to show that they suck and have made countless mistakes, especially in regards to their treatment of the PC as a platform.

[frostypants]

"who said that he doesn’t care about PC gamers because, and i quote '90% are pirates anyway'"

Well, if he actually said it, it's hard to argue. He's right.

[Razuel]

PC Gamers only pirate is a very ignorant statement. If you pirate, hack on Steam then you are asking for alot of trouble, and will easily lose your entire game library.

[k3rn3ll]

You don't have to have steam in order to play pc games. That's why they started u play because they felt there wasn't a viable option to prevent games from getting hacked. I play provides that for them. I don't enjoy u play either. Nor am I defending Ubis decisions. Just playing devils advocate for a minute

[jspsc123]

im a ex ubisoft employee AMA.

[k3rn3ll]

Can you get me a job?

[ShinoBro]

"93-95% PC piracy rate means F2P is just as effective, with lower costs"

-Yves Guillemot, 2012

[modelgod]

Rimgal he wouldn't be able to submit proof without getting sued. Your his proof, you and everyone else who feels that ubisoft pc ports are shitty. He gave details as it pertains to the amount of hours he puts in every week, he's telling you how many employees have been let go. AC has become the new COD so what he's saying isn't too much of a stretch. As a business major, what he's stating very consistent and I believe him 100%.

[Rimgal]

Again I'm not saying that the guy is lying, but what he says can be easily found with a simple google search.

http://vfxsoldier.wordpress...

Even I can create an acount and claim what he's saying. And this story is not even consider a rumor. People are accepting this as a fact.

[its_JEFF]

This is the problem with coming out on the Internet... nobody believes you. Everyone wants proof, proof that if this guy is telling the truth. If this guy were to give the Internet the "proof" would likely land him in the "never hire" category. I'm sorry, but I'd rather stay anonamous than be deemed "unhireable" just for some internet credibility. I'm not saying this guys is telling the truth, but to ask for this guy to provide "proof" would be too much of a risk for him.

[frezhblunts]

This is what miyamoto was talking about ;). Hey could be real or could be fake but I do some companies do things more for business than passion for games

[quiddd]

I guess Jade Raymond saw the writing on the wall.?

[MaxwellBuddha]

Her recent departure from Ubisoft would invite speculation.

[Marcello]

After the release of AC1 we didnt see her again, think she found out the hard way wat kind of rats nest she stepped into.

[Adexus]

This is a bit too conveniently timed...

[Ashunderfire86]

Like I said its the management that is the problem, not the developers. They didn't even say they went gold for Assassin Creed Unity or Rogue? They just release it the way it is. What a way to treat consumers.

[Baka-akaB]

Shocking ? While ever the experienced politician ... they'd ve never been shy about they lack of interest for pc versions , at least since the ps/360 era and the first assassin creed games

[Kivespussi]

What a reliable proof he gave of him actually being what he claims to be.

I could write a reddit post about Ubisoft killing puppies in their HQ, wouldn't make it any more true

[Sketchy_Galore]

Conversely, the fact that you made that up as an example doesn't change the fact that they really DO kill puppies for fun at their HQ.

[finite]

Alleged - Next Alleged please LOL

[ReturnToSanity]

Well there's no proof to this and Ubisoft will deny it but it wouldn't surprise me if it was true either. It really sucks because they have some fantastic IPs.

[ironfist92]

CEO needs to be fired, new management needs to be employed.

[squeezx]

Gaming treated like a business?! Shocking!!

Said no one ever.

[Hammtweezy2192]

Lol @ squeezx comment. I literally laughed out loud, good one.

[Rebel_Scum]

Great comment squeezx.

But that final paragraph really bothered me. You can tell the writer has no idea of what System Analysis and Design is or entails to produce software.

[NixonMonoxide]

If only I was stupid enough to believe every bit of rubbish on the internet. Not surprising things like this make TOP GAMING NEWS.

VG journalism. Truly legit.

[DJ]

I don't really doubt this story. Plus my friend my friend was a gaming QA tester for 6 months and Hated it. But like any other industry, there's good companies and bad companies. You just need to research and understand that sometimes some personal sacrifice is necessary to move up in your career. Just remember to stand up for yourself.

[Rebel_Scum]

lol no one likes testing. You only become a tester as a starting point in the software development industry.

[MicDude]

90% of PC gamers are pirates? Really? Sounds a little exaggerated don't you think? Sure piracy is definitely an issue on all platforms, even consoles (Maybe not these new consoles, yet...) but it sounds like a pitiful excuse to not put in the effort because some people are assholes.

[dboyman]

I agree. I game on PC as well, and I do not pirate. I get a lot of my PC games trough Steam Sales, Humble Bundles, Bundle Stars, etc. Ubisoft's excuse sounds like a cop out...

[ab5olut10n]

i WISH i only worked 50hrs a week!

[LoveSpuds]

"alleged" employee......enough said. Still, the internet does love its witch hunts, whether justified or no.

Guess the Gamergate victims are chuffed to bits that Ubi are now the butt of all the hate, I wonder who will be next?

[fanboysmackdown]

I'm from Canada and being in the geographical area where Ubeshafted is here in Canada I wouldn't be surprised by anything they do or what this article's author says. Ubeshafted....you stink!

[Drasill]

It doesn't really matter if 90% are pirates. What matters is the actual number who aren't. Let's say we have two scenarios:

Scenario A has 100 gamers and 0% are pirates. If all the non-pirates bought the game that would be 100 copies sold.

Scenario B has 1,000 gamers and 90% are pirates. If all the non-pirates bought the game that would be 100 copies sold.

[Paulpoule]

I worked for more than 10year.

-devs rarely meet yves. Not never...but Yves is in france. Most ubi devs arent.

-I highly doubt Yves would use the F word in a meeting

-now if the guy really work at ubi he can prove it without compromising his identity. I got shit tone of stuff I got from the company, like Devs team tshirts and other gift we got from the producer when we reach important milestone. I got lots and lots at home, action figure, muggs, books, etc, and their are made just for the team. Showing few of those would validate the story..,,