Ubisoft Is Targeting Millennials' Gaming Habits With Skull And Bones

Ubisoft's upcoming seafaring PvP game called Skull and Bones may not sound like a game that would be particularly relatable to younger generations with its historic, pirate-y combat, but according to Ubisoft, they know exactly how to market to millennials with games like these.

In an interview with Mashable, Yves Guillemot, the CEO of Ubisoft, spoke about the gaming company's efforts to keep up with an industry that's being shaped by new gamers who want more opportunities to play online and with friends.

"Millennials are asking for games they can play with friends more and more, so that's why we're going increasingly into multiplayer games," Guillemot said in the interview. "We see that the industry is changing towards a more community-oriented one."

While a story mode will definitely be present in Skull and Bones according to earlier confirmations from Ubisoft, the game will be largely centered around multiplayer action where players battle fleets of ships against opponents while collecting loot to invest back into their vessels. It's been compared to Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag in the past with how similar the naval combat appears to be, especially since both games come from Ubisoft, but it's been stressed that this new game plays simply builds on the successful foundation of the Assassin's Creed combat instead of being just an easy spin-off.

By creating more games that are centered around a community, Ubisoft also feels that it can ensure that a game will be around for much longer as opposed to a game that operates in a bubble and has a shorter lifespan.

"It's important that we provide an experience that can be consumed for a long time," Guillemot said. "Players want [the time] to improve their skills and therefore perform better, [so] we have to come up with games that can fit this new need."

Aside from their efforts to build a bigger community in Skull and Bones, Ubisoft is also tackling the topic of in-game diversity. One of the most prominent characters in the trailer was a female character who was commanding a ship, but Guillemot insisted that they've always been advocates for diversity in games.

Skull and Bones is scheduled for a 2018 release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.