Elden Ring's Stonesword Keys Used To Call Out Ubisoft MTX
A Reddit user compared Ubisoft games to Elden Ring, arguing that its Stonesword Keys would cost money if it were made by the controversial studio.
Another Elden Ring fan is holding the title up as an aspirational example of game design by comparing it to microtransaction-laden Ubisoft games. This isn't the first time that someone from this fanbase has used the game to criticize Ubisoft; as a recent Elden Ring meme points out, a FromSoftware open-world is almost the antithesis of a Ubisoft one.
Elden Ring is the first game from developer FromSoftware to adopt the open-world structure and, for many gamers, the legendary Japanese studio hit it out of the park on the first swing. Whereas other publishers will typically flood open-world titles with menial or repetitive side quests, waypoints, and frivolous collectibles, Elden Ring throws its players into its world and gives them only the most cursory directions. There are several other, highly contentious, AAA game tropes that Elden Ring does away with, not the least of which being microtransactions. While small in-game purchases are most often found in multiplayer or free-to-play titles, Ubisoft has upset many of its fans by making them major parts of its open-world franchises like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry. What is offered through these Ubisoft in-game marketplaces can vary, but typically players can purchase exclusive cosmetics and (perhaps most problematically) limited-time XP boosters which speed up progression.
Elden Ring has none of these controversial in-game purchases which, as highlighted by Reddit user Denwolf88, stands in stark contrast to Ubisoft's philosophy. Denwolf88's post on the Elden Ring subreddit shows an image of a Stonesword Key, an in-game item used to access various closed-off areas. Players can find these keys simply by exploring the world, and Denwolf88 mentions that these objects could conceivably cost real-world currency in a Ubisoft game. Commenters on the post seem to agree with Denwolf88's stance, lamenting over the state of modern single-player Ubisoft games.
Elden Ring is making a lot of money for its publisher BANDAI NAMCO, which raises interesting questions about how the game is succeeding without micro transactions while games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Far Cry 6 are full of them. One big reason is that developers and publishers like FromSoftware have more confidence that a game like Elden Ring will be financially successful on its own, while the twelfth game in the Assassin's Creed franchise might need to rely on microtransactions to meet profit expectations. The cramped release schedule of Ubisoft's games likely plays a role in this as well, as the company is spending more money each year on multiple flagship titles.
As showcased in Rainbow Six Extraction, Ubisoft's games have become, in the opinion of many players, monotonous, slow, and uninspired. This state of affairs is and will continue to be impacted by microtransactions, as the company seems to be building its titles around in-game purchases rather than prioritizing the creation of a high-quality product in the first place. While there are still countless gamers who love Ubisoft's games, there may not be too much overlap with those who love Elden Ring.
Source: Denwolf88/Reddit