Just finished Rayman Origins and put a review for the PS3 version for the site. I can't help thinking Ubisoft buried this in the thick of the fall releases to justify them not wholeheartedly supporting Beyond Good and Evil 2 by making Ancel's passion projects fail to turn a profit. The most profitable thing Michel Ancel did for Ubisoft was the rabbids and I can't help feeling his endeavours like Origins, though fantastic, are completely separate from the Ubisoft production machine. There's plenty of evidence for this, the credits take about a minute and there's no trace of the outsourcing Ubisoft does with its other franchises, even Uplay is nowhere to be seen.

What are your thoughts on Ubisoft's attitude to Ancel's myriad passion projects that never seem to get off the ground?

I don't think it's the release date as much as that people just are not interested.

was supposed to be an episodic arcade game, but was instead all bundled into one game, theres ur answer.

full price physical game from a genre that lost its selling power ten years ago?

of course it would fail

I called it as a failure as soon as they announced it would be released on disc

It is sad because it is a great game. The reviews are...slightly padded to politically emphasize the game. There are some issues that most people are not addressing, but it will probably get lots of GOTY favoritism because critics want people to buy this game.

I think Rayman has seriously fallen off in popularity, though. That said, it's probably the best kid-friendly game this holiday, so if they actually advertise this game to parents, it could still get decent sales.

There are several factors.

One is that it was released in November. Or AKA the month that Call of Duty and Skyrim pretty much cleaned the slate.

Two is that it's a hard sell. 60$ for a 2D platformer that's not Mario is a very hard sell even though it is a rather long game based on the genre's standards.

Three is that the type of people who buy games these days don't really know who Rayman is, nor do they give a fuck.

It's a great shame, because the game is fantastic.

Yea, that really sucks. I think the game is WORTH 60$, but should have been 40$

It was never going to sell as a disc release.

Well that's sad indeed. The game is a far nicer, more complete product than most of what Ubisoft's big sequel factories pump out. They're quickly becoming the quirky French Activision, and I suspect they'll do to Assassin's what they did to Splinter Cell.

Oh well. Ancel should take the Rayman team and set up a small developing house for the digital space.

@JudgeDread said:

full price physical game from a genre that lost its selling power ten years ago?

of course it would fail

I called it as a failure as soon as they announced it would be released on disc

New Super Mario Bros Wii did okayamazingly.

I think that game was doomed to mediocre sales when they decided to make a Rayman game. The most recent financial success that franchise has had was with those Raving Rabbids spin-off titles on the Wii, and they finally got to the point where they cut out Rayman from those game. I'm probably being bias towards my own experiences, but I always felt that Rayman as a game mascot was never significant. Even among avid gamers would I say that a large portion of people didn't play Rayman games when they were at their most popular.

Was this game never released as a downloadable game? That's insane... it probably would've done better in that realm... although... at the 60 dollar price point, I don't know...

i tried the demo twice, myself, and and couldn't get into it. I think I just don't love 2D platformers anymore (well, except on my phone, I guess, since I'm playing a couple currently). And I get the feeling some other people feel the same way unless it's something unique like Braid or Limbo. It's 30% off on Amazon if the 60 dollars is too much.

The only game I've been interested in in that genre was the last Donkey Kong but I don't have a Wii or whatever it was released on so...

The game had everything going against it but it's not like word of mouth hasn't been fantastic, it's been rented out of my local blockbuster since the day it got in the store and any critical review has been Glowing, I personally can't wait to play it even if it didn't sell well it still appears to be a Fantastic game and I think history will be kind to it.

Retarded tinfoil hat allegations.

@Little_Socrates said:

There are some issues that most people are not addressing.

Go on...

Yea, seems like they picked a bad release date for this one. Just look at what else came out the SAME DAY:

Assassins Creed: Revelations (another Ubisoft game)

Halo: Anniversary Edition

Saints Row: The Third

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3

so yea... tough same day competition (Also happened to be the week after Modern Warfare 3 AND Skyrim)

It should have been $15 and it should have been released in the summer.

$60 release hurt Rayman more than when it was released.

Ancel really should just start his own studio, Ubisoft seems to limit his creative opportunities. But I guess there's something to be said about job stability these days, can't blame 'im.

@adam1808 said:

What are your thoughts on Ubisoft's attitude to Ancel's myriad passion projects that never seem to get off the ground?

I think you are reading to much into it, I hardly doubt there is some sort of plot to boycott a product they obviously want to profit from. Face it dude most people like to buy shitty videogames, Isn't that right Captain Price?

Also:

@AlmostSwedish said:

I don't think it's the release date as much as that people just are not interested.

And couldn't say it better myself:

@warxsnake said:

Retarded tinfoil hat allegations.

@kashif1 said:

It should have been $15 and it should have been released in the summer.

@MikkaQ said:

Ancel really should just start his own studio, Ubisoft seems to limit his creative opportunities. But I guess there's something to be said about job stability these days, can't blame 'im.

An interesting comment, considering the complete opposite is true.

@warxsnake said:

@MikkaQ said:

Ancel really should just start his own studio, Ubisoft seems to limit his creative opportunities. But I guess there's something to be said about job stability these days, can't blame 'im.

An interesting comment, considering the complete opposite is true.

Right because Ubi totally let BG&E2 happen.

@MikkaQ said:

@warxsnake said:

@MikkaQ said:

Ancel really should just start his own studio, Ubisoft seems to limit his creative opportunities. But I guess there's something to be said about job stability these days, can't blame 'im.

An interesting comment, considering the complete opposite is true.

Right because Ubi totally let BG&E2 happen.

BG&E2's delay was partly Ancel's choosing.

sigh... If you people are going to lay blame left and right for things that happen in this industry, at least do some effing research on that front, or just keep your theories to yourself if that's too difficult.

I can't say more about BGE2 otherwise because that information is not public.

I bought Rayman Origins at the $60 price tag. I have no regrets considering that it's worth it.

@Irvandus said:

@kashif1 said:

It should have been $15 and it should have been released in the summer.

That's a slap in the face considering how much work they put into making the game. The game wouldn't be profitable if it was that cheap!

@Tireyo643 said:

I bought Rayman Origins at the $60 price tag. I have no regrets considering that it's worth it.

@Irvandus said:

@kashif1 said:

It should have been $15 and it should have been released in the summer.

That's a slap in the face considering how much work they put into making the game. The game wouldn't be profitable if it was that cheap!

Its a 2-d platformer, it can't have been that expensive to make. Anyway that's what I'm willing to pay for a 2-d platformer, that's what I have paid for a 2-d platformers in the past. I can see the amount of work and love that went into the game but is it worth the same as say Skyrim?

@kashif1 said:

@Tireyo643 said:

I bought Rayman Origins at the $60 price tag. I have no regrets considering that it's worth it.

@Irvandus said:

@kashif1 said:

It should have been $15 and it should have been released in the summer.

That's a slap in the face considering how much work they put into making the game. The game wouldn't be profitable if it was that cheap!

Its a 2-d platformer, it can't have been that expensive to make. Anyway that's what I'm willing to pay for a 2-d platformer, that's what I have paid for a 2-d platformers in the past. I can see the amount of work and love that went into the game but is it worth the same as say Skyrim?

-_- Yes. I feel like you're being biased on 2D platformers. It's ok though, cause not all people really feel the same about 2D platformers.

@Tireyo643 said:

I bought Rayman Origins at the $60 price tag. I have no regrets considering that it's worth it.

@Irvandus said:

@kashif1 said:

It should have been $15 and it should have been released in the summer.

That's a slap in the face considering how much work they put into making the game. The game wouldn't be profitable if it was that cheap!

Digital release for 15$ not profitable?

LOL. Had they released it day one as digital game on PSN, Xbox Live, PC, iPad and Wii they would have made the money back within a month, nay maybe within a week even.