Ubisoft boss not happy with the assumption that gamers only want chainsaws and girls in bikinis

Jade Raymond says, "Not all gamers are teenage boys, and even teenage boys want more than that"; lifetime Assassin's Creed franchise sales climb to 76 million.

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Ubisoft Toronto studio head Jade Raymond is fed up with video games that "treat gamers like idiots." In a new interview with The Grid, Raymond said games can be so much more than popular tropes.

Jade Raymond
Jade Raymond

"I don't like the assumption that all people who play games want big chainsaws and women in bikinis. It's like, really? Not all gamers are teenage boys, and even teenage boys want more than that," Raymond said.

The interviewer said that protagonists of many popular video games often are "husky voiced, emotionless asshole[s]," and Raymond seemed to agree.

"It's got to change, right?" she said, pointing out that even traditional action movies have evolved to a point where their main characters are more narratively complex.

"The video game world is improving, too: We're seeing some variety," Raymond said. "Grand Theft Auto has been doing a good job picking interesting main characters in recent years--like the new-immigrant underdog. There still isn't a game where you get to play an old lady. That's my dream."

Raymond and Ubisoft Toronto are reportedly working on Assassin's Creed Unity, which launches this year, but we don't know much about it yet. They're being assisted by Ubisoft Montreal, which is currently working on five projects.

Also in the interview, Raymond revealed that the Assassin's Creed series has now sold 76 million copies worldwide. That's up three million from Ubisoft's last officially tally of 73 million.

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