San Francisco Frontiers - Ubisoft bruised but not broken by 'Assassin's Creed' delay

"Assassin's Creed Shadows" had initially been slated for a November 15, 2024 release, but the new episode has now been pushed back to March 20 after an initial delay to February 14.

The change means the game will drop just a few days before the end of Ubisoft's financial year.

"While an extra month might not seem like much, it will allow our teams to better incorporate the player feedback we gathered over the last three months," chief executive Yves Guillemot said Thursday.

He added that journalists and content creators would be allowed to test "Shadows" from this week and talk to the development team.

Some have seen the delay as Ubisoft fending off a repeat of last August's "Star Wars: Outlaws" release, which was plagued by bugs that helped hobble the title's sales.

Early in-game footage of "Shadows" had sparked concern among some gamers about the quality of the release version, especially about how characters will be animated.

For example, one clip showed a character mounted on a horse that appeared to be skating rather than walking over the ground.

But the latest images, released after the first delay was announced, have soothed many anxieties.

Online commentators have also pointed to the slew of high-profile titles set for February releases that could have crowded out sales of "Assassin's Creed" -- including action-adventure title "Monster Hunter Wilds" or strategy heavyweight "Civilisation VII".

The new "Assassin's Creed", set in feudal Japan was dogged last year by culture-war outrage for starring a black samurai, Yasuke, as one of its two playable protagonists.

Although based on a real historical African man who served Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga in the 16th century, some fans accused Ubisoft of shoe-horning in the character in response to contemporary political sensibilities.

Yasuke has remained firmly in the game despite the criticism.

- 'Suck is forever' -

Publication delays "are not rare" and can provide "obvious benefits", said Benoit Reinier, a former games journalist who now advises development studios.

Often, "the very last stages of development are the most important," he added.

"Developers are able to eliminate bugs or refine little animations... it seems like nothing, but extended over dozens of hours of gameplay it can make the difference between a good and a great game," said Reinier, who posts online using the moniker "Ex Serv".

"Late is just for a little while. Suck is forever," Gabe Newell, the president of games studio Valve, said in a 2023 documentary celebrating the 25th anniversary of their classic "Half-Life" -- echoing a maxim common in the industry.

Studio or publishing bosses nevertheless rarely take the decision to delay a game lightly, as it can impose serious financial costs.

Guillemot said the initial three-month delay to "Shadows" had cost Ubisoft around 20 million euros ($20.4 million).

Thursday's announcement also took a chunk out of Ubisoft's share price, which has lost more than half its value within the past year.

And for the coders and artists actually working on the game, the extension can mean so many more weeks or even months in the intense so-called crunch period immediately before release.

"Everyone would rather put out a good game," said David Rabineau, who heads French independent developer Homo Ludens.

But "for the team, that depends hugely on the quality of the working environment".

- Image woes -

Ubisoft has another major reason for perfecting the new "Assassin's Creed" as far as possible by release day, rather than relying on the now industry-standard practice of day-one software updates or "patches" to fix bugs.

Consumers have long accused the publisher of putting out visibly unfinished games, a black mark on the image of the industry giant only worsened by the "Star Wars: Outlaws" release.

"Gamers are very demanding and that's what's pushed (Ubisoft) to delay Assassin's Creed Shadows," Reinier said.

For Ubisoft, "this is the last-chance game" to rescue its image, its finances and perhaps even its independence, he added.

While business struggles have left the publisher looking like a prime target for a takeover, a successful blockbuster release could provide some breathing-room to negotiate Ubisoft's future.

P.Adams--SFF