Ubisoft Director: There is a political context in our games
Ubisoft has recently been criticized for touching on political and social issues in games, but is afraid to admit it. Responding to criticism, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said that the company really wants players to think about complex and serious topics, but is not going to impose its position on them.
“We want to put the players in front of questions that they would not necessarily have asked themselves. And we want the players to hear several different points of view and develop their own. Our task is to give the players everything they need to think about these topics and look at them from the outside.”
Thus, Guillemot continues, Ubisoft strives to make games that will be relevant, but still impartial. In his opinion, the game is not similar to a movie or a book — those often have a specific author, director or writer who has the right to express his personal position as he pleases. Games are based on the principle of interactivity, the main role in them is determined by the players.
Art for Far Cry 5 from Ubisoft
“A player is the one who makes decisions in the game, and we need to make sure that you are free to go one way or another, act and face the consequences of your actions.
Our task is to make game systems that will work,” says Guillemot. — Of course, these systems should be made with certain limitations. For example, you are not punished for murder. We cannot foresee everything. But we don’t want to tell the players exactly what they should think. We want to put you in a situation where you will make decisions, understand something, try”
Ultimately, the executive director of Ubisoft concludes, games help us simulate various hypothetical situations and understand whether they are suitable for our society.:
“Games allow you to experiment with what might happen in the future. If you see this in the game, you will have a better understanding of what can happen in reality.”
Art by Tom Clancy’s: The Division 2 from Ubisoft
Recall that the creative director of Tom Clancy’s: The Division 2, Terry Spier, categorically denied at the E3 show that a game with a plot about an armed uprising against the corrupt US government carries a political charge.
Another Ubisoft title, Far Cry 5, was criticized for showing a cult of militarists very similar to the current American Nazis, but the related topics of racism, religiosity, etc. are not raised in any way.
Based on Guillemot’s position, both The Division 2 and Far Cry 5 can be perceived as a model of what can happen to modern America. Similarly, for example, Watch Dogs 2 can be perceived, where it is necessary to resist corporations that monitor every step of citizens. Another question is, is this really the most important aspect of these games? Has the company really done enough to encourage players to think seriously about these titles?
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