Gamescom 2012: Ubisoft's online strategy

Ubisoft unveiled their upcoming plans for several of their popular strategy titles at Gamescom and the keywords are Online and Free to Play. Online and free to play everywhere, in everything, and if it isn't online and free to play it had better be Might & Magic. And it had better be online and free to play somehow. Embedded below is the trailer for Anno Online, because I've always been a fan of the Anno titles and the way the guy says 'for the crown' sounds like he's saying crayon, which makes me giggle. Past that, click on the game titles to view the appropriate trailer or teaser.



Joining the already known free-to-play Ghost Recon Online is Anno Online - a browser based game which is leaving 2070 and going back to ye olden dayes of the previous Anno titles. You can register for a position in the closed beta at the official site if you like. Likewise we learned of Silent Hunter Online, where you can submarine it up in the Nazi wolfpack with all of your Nazi friends. You can register for a position in Silent Hunter Online's closed beta too if you so wish, by inputing your email address over at the official site and swearing allegiance to the Third Reich.

Also announced were three new games joining the Might & Magic franchise. Might & Magic Heroes Online is the browser based, free to play online version of the popular grid based strategy magic we all know and love. Might & Magic Duel Of Champions is a Might & Magic themed collectible card game which will be available on both the PC and mobile devices. And finally, Might & Magic Raiders is an action MMO focused on raiding dungeons and defeating bosses for mad duckets.

Words fail me. What do you think about Ubisoft's new approach to video games? Do you hate them for taking your favourite strategy titles free to play and browser based, or were you tired of paying for full and complete games and not having your ass kicked by someone who paid money to beat you? Is that a loaded question? Tell us what you think in the comments below!