Ubisoft has finally realized that free DLC updates and other goodies like character customization they did with "Rainbow Six: Siege" have far reaching effects. On the contrary, players have tendency to shun away from paid expansions.
Anne Blondel-Jouin, Ubisoft's vice-president for live operations said that "Rainbow Six: Siege" gave a precedent on how players perceive monetization versus one-time investment. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Blondle-Jouin admitted that Ubisoft has realized the need to keep gamers engaged. The case is especially sensitive when it comes to DLC where gamers have to pay more on top of their previous purchase.
What Ubisoft did with shooter "Rainbow Six: Siege" is provide extra maps for free. Although this move can be considered selective because gamers have to purchase customization packs, it sets the bells ringing for free support in the future. Blondel-Jouin said that Ubisoft can start with this free DLC trend for the next five to ten years.
Here is how Blondel-Jouin described the whole "Rainbow Six: Siege" affair - ask for money only when there is a right reason to do so. Meaning, game contents which are necessary to make good gaming experience is not a good reason. If the DLC isn't going to provide a whole new experience and gameplay, then it is no good reason as well. To cap up, all compulsory contents shouldn't quantify monetization, PC Gamer reported.
What happened with "Rainbow Six: Siege" is that Ubisoft gave the option to customize the character for a certain fee. However, this is not going to affect the whole gameplay should players opt to download just the maps for free. Blondel-Jouin called this strategy a balance between monetization and DLC credibility.
Gamers can call "Rainbow Six: Siege" customization pack as extra proposal that they can either embrace or rebuke. Then Ubisoft called this maneuver a win-win situation.