Nobody wants to see ads in a paid AAA game, and users have just made this explicitly clear to Ubisoft. Recently, an incident involving advertising within ‘Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’ sparked significant backlash among players.
Unacceptable Advertising in ‘Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’
“Unacceptable” is the term a group of gamers chose to describe the presence of advertising in ‘Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.’ A particular ad appeared in the renowned title developed and published by Ubisoft, prompting a reaction from users. Through various social channels, gamers made it evident that they are not willing to tolerate ads in AAA games for which they’ve paid.
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Origins of the Outcry
It all began when triddell24 posted a peculiar video on Reddit with the caption “I just got an ad in the game when I tried to go to the map.” The attached material indeed showed an advertisement on their PlayStation console, and not just any ad. Ubisoft prompted the user to avail a Black Friday offer to purchase ‘Assassin’s Creed Mirage,’ the latest title in the series, offered with a 20% discount.
You can watch the video by clicking on the Reddit’s Link.
Just got an in-game advertisement when I tried to go to the map
byu/triddell24 inxboxone
Advertising in AAA Games and User Reactions
This wasn’t an isolated case. Many other Reddit users reported similar occurrences, even on other platforms like Xbox. Ubisoft, in a rather bold move, placed a full-screen ad for its title released in 2020 within the game. While such ads might be acceptable in free or freemium games, they are hard to justify in a game of this caliber.
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User Discontent and Ubisoft Response
The users’ anger resonated strongly. “Unacceptable because you wouldn’t complain if you had paid a reduced price for the game,” said one Reddit user. Others suggested that instead of displaying it during gameplay, the ad could have appeared on the main screen, where it would be less intrusive. Fortunately, Ubisoft swiftly responded to address the issue.
Ubisoft Explanation and Actions Taken
The company explained via an official ‘Assassin’s Creed’ social profile that the ad seen by some users was the result of a “technical error.” They clarified that the original intent was to display the ‘Assassin’s Creed Mirage’ promotion in the game’s main menu, specifically in a section for franchise updates. They emphasized their commitment to ensuring the best possible player experience.
We have been made aware that some players encountered a pop-up message in-game while playing certain Assassin’s Creed titles yesterday. This was the result of a technical error that has now been fixed.
Our intention was to display a promotion for Assassin's Creed Mirage as part…
— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) November 24, 2023
Ubisoft assured that the pop-ups were “immediately removed” upon discovering the issue. However, the team is still investigating the root cause. This incident, seemingly an error, should hopefully prevent such intrusive ads from reappearing while playing Ubisoft titles, and ideally, in AAA games from other publishers as well. Nonetheless, advertising in games remains a reality, as seen in console home screens, sometimes even in full-screen mode for certain users.
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