Ubisoft Games Are Political, But A Different Kind of ‘Political’

There are a number of Ubisoft games out there that can definitely be labeled as controversial, especially titles like their recent shooters, Far Cry 5. When Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 hit the stage at the E3 this year, the game’s presentation explained what the long-awaited shooter was about. The voiceover described a corrupt government that is looking to take control of the whole country, bringing about a new civil war. With the current political climate in the US regarding Donald Trump’s presidency, and issues related to gun control, immigration and terrorism, many have felt this was now a politically heated setup; one that’s a bit too controversial for a video game.

However, during the E3 2018 there was a bit of a controversy when the publisher denied the game was political at all. “It’s not a political statement,” said the game’s creative director, Terry Spier. “No, we are absolutely here to explore a new city.” So, that actually suggests they have selected Washington for its cool environments, as opposed to its symbolic nature.

Talking to The Guardian, Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot managed to evade the sensitive topic by declaring Ubisoft’s games as thought experiments, and not statements.

“Our goal in all the games we create, is to make people think,” he says. “We want to put them in front of questions that they don’t always ask themselves automatically. We want players to listen to different opinions and to have their own opinions. Our goal is to give all the tools to the player in order for them to think about the subjects, to be able to see things from far enough away.”

Yves indicated that Ubisoft games might have strong political themes, albeit they strive to remain politically impartial. “So [the player is] part of it, you speak with people who have a different opinion from your own, you test different things, so you can improve your vision of that subject – that’s what we want to do. We don’t want to say, ‘Do that, think like this … ’ our goal is to make sure, after playing, you’re more aware,” he added.

Just a brief reminder, people, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is heading to PC, PS4, and Xbox One on March 15, 2019. Check out the game’s story trailer.

[Source: The Guardian]

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