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Ubisoft's director of subscriptions Philippe Tremblay has suggested gamers will soon need to feel "comfortable" about not owning the games they play as more come bundled within a subscription service. Speaking in a new interview with GamesIndustry.biz about a new tier for Ubisoft+, Tremblay likens the process to your old CD and DVD collections being replaced by streaming services such as Spotify and Netflix.

"One of the things we saw is that gamers are used to, a little bit like DVD, having and owning their games, he explained. "That's the consumer shift that needs to happen. They got comfortable not owning their CD collection or DVD collection. That's a transformation that's been a bit slower to happen [in games]. Tremblay goes on to point out that you don't lose your progress or "engagement with the game" despite the lack of video game ownership, so "it's about feeling comfortable with not owning your game".

"I still have two boxes of DVDs. I definitely understand the gamers perspective with that," he adds. "But as people embrace that model, they will see that these games will exist, the service will continue, and you'll be able to access them when you feel like. That's reassuring."

The amount of membership services on offer has indeed grown dramatically over the past five or so years, and many are being embraced. For example, Ubisoft+ now has "millions" of users signed up, according to Tremblay. However, it's been noted how "subscription fatigue" is beginning to set in as spending on the likes of PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass plateaus. Sony has stopped reporting how many users are subscribed to PS Plus, but when it was, the count seemed to cap out at around 50 million. Of course, games also leave subscription services so you can lose access as a result of a deal expiring or the company choosing to withdraw access.

Perhaps there is a limit to how many people will accept Tremblay's vision. What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments below.

[source gamesindustry.biz]