Retail blamed for Ghost Recon PC ports

By Fred Dutton Published 18 July, 2011

But F2P means new dawn for series.

The lack of dedicated PC Ghost Recon titles was a result of the sorry state of the retail market for the platform, Ubisoft has explained.

Theo Sanders, creative director of the forthcoming Ghost Recon Online, told CVG that all PC releases in the series were ported down from the console versions.

"We knew it was a platform we wanted to come back to. However, until recently, the retail market for PC made it difficult to invest in a big, dedicated product," he explained.

However, the future is looking up for fans of the tactical shooter franchise. Sanders explained that the advent of free-to-play is offering developers reason to re-evaluate the platform.

"The emergence of online business models has brought back the opportunity to produce something dedicated to PC fans, rather than just ported multiplatform content."

Ghost Recon Online is due out later this year on PC, with a Wii U release to follow in 2012.

"Ghost Recon Online uses the recipes for fun that have always set Ghost Recon games apart from other shooters - which mostly tend to clump around the run and gun style," added Sanders.

"Pair that with high production values in a game conceptualised from the start to feel native to PC and it's a compelling mix. Ghost Recon Online having an attractive price point - free - doesn't hurt either."

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (12) Latest comment 11 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Subdominator #1 11 months ago

    Releasing an online game for an IP that lay dormant for years on this platform is a brilliant move, Ubisoft. Also it's not exactly a PC only problem that you've been pretty sucky in the last couple of years with your IPs. The last Ghost Recon came out when, 2007? The last Rainbow Six about at the same time? How long did it take you to develop the last Splinter Cell, because you tried to reinvent an IP that was perfectly working so that it was more appealing to the casual crowd? Five years? Oh right, you messed up the franchise even before that when Double Agent on 360 was a daytime killer game instead of the sneaking game that everybody expects from a Splinter Cell. So please continue making mediocre Assassin's Creed games on a yearly basis, it will keep you from messing around with IPs I like.

    PS: GR Future Soldier is gonna be great. :D

  • Timotei #2 11 months ago

    I couldn't get enough of being sniped in the face by an invisible enemy 100 miles away in the original GR on PC, the consoles can keep it.

  • MattEdWithCheese #3 11 months ago

    so... what? Does that mean they'll be good again like the original and Island Thunder?

  • randompanda #4 11 months ago

    Did he just say that PC gamers have no need to worry about shitty ports - they'll simply be getting free-to-play pay models instead?

    Oh joy.

  • Lord_BeeJee #5 11 months ago

    With all this trying to be a big publisher but nothing to show for it I don't see Ubi being around for much longer. Lots of talk but nothing to show for...

  • Neil__ #6 11 months ago

    @HappyHaunt
    "Oh yeah, wait, it's because they've annoyed the PC users with their DRM crap and know no one with a brain cell will pay for a UBI pc game again.... "

    That’s exactly what I was thinking reading the article.
    They only have themselves to blame for poor PC sales, and let this be a lesson to other developers that fucking around with ridiculously restrictive DRM will hurt your business.

    Edit, If you want to keep us PC gamers realy happy then ditch the DRM entirely, we all know it doesn't work and gets removed immediately anyway.
    If you do that then we will fucking love you and buy shitloads of your games.
    Edited by Neil__ at 18/07/11 @ 20:32

  • RedSparrows #7 11 months ago

    FWIW, Double Agent's sneaking in daylight could be bloody terrifying - the JBA HQ missions were some of my favourites, proper sneaky-eeeep! time.

  • paketep #8 11 months ago

    Bwahahahahahahaha!!!

    Ubi takes us again for complete idiots.

  • azic #9 11 months ago

    Funny how a couple of heavy weights drags the PC out from under the bus they threw it under, and now all the PC deserters come back tails between their legs saying how it wasn't their fault.

    And then we get PS4 XBOX720 and PC will be back under the bus with MS trying to keep it alive so that windows 8 can sell.

    Unforgivable...

  • TagemandBagem #10 11 months ago

    Wait, I thought GRIN developed GRAW 1 & 2 independently for PC.

    And both games, while not great, were miles better than their console versions.

  • bad09 #11 11 months ago

    Sell me games without silly DRM and a little effort put in, I care not about your PR bull pimping your free to play crap.

  • jumpdeveraux #12 11 months ago

    I'm still waiting to buy the latest Settlers which was released nearly 18 months ago but it still has that shitty DRM.

    I always feel like there's a catch with Ubi when it comes to PC titles. The whole DRM debacle has stopped me buying any of their published titles just out of principal - they don't respect the PC customer.