During a recent press event, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood mission director Gaelec Simard disclosed to Joystiq that 40 percent of Assassin's Creed 2 players finished the game -- "which is huge," he added. The figure is up roughly 5 percent from the estimated 35 percent completion percentage of AC1 players on Xbox Live, who were tracked through their Achievements.
Ubisoft's AC2 data paints a more complete, cross-platform picture of the total player base's completion rate, as it was provided by the game's built-in Uplay service, which tracks gameplay statistics (in addition to providing a platform through which players can unlock in-game content). Still, players must have their consoles connected to the internet and must register Uplay accounts before the service begins tracking their data.
While 40 percent completion might seem low, especially for one of the best games of 2009, it's still significantly higher than the less than 30 percent rate of completion among a sampling of GTA IV players, as found in a study published by Gamasutra a year ago. "In the industry, the number of games that are finished is more like five to ten percent," Simard figured. "We all think people finish games, but when you start asking around, you'll find that a lot of people don't get to the end. We want the player to experience the whole package, so that's something we're trying to push."
Reader Comments (71)
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:06PM Creed said
Finished it 5 times love the franchise
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:51PM ShadowXIII said
@Creed
3 times here, and enjoyed every second.
...........
...but the *only* thing holding me back from that damn platinum is those 'effing feathers.
Reply
3 times here, and enjoyed every second.
...........
...but the *only* thing holding me back from that damn platinum is those 'effing feathers.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:08PM BlackedOut said
I'm actually playing through this now. I can see why a certain person loves this game so much.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:09PM TheBatman4141 said
It's hard to believe that 60% of players didn't even finish the game. Why even bother starting it in the first place? It wasn't that difficult to finish.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:24PM Voshempa said
@TheBatman4141 This doesn't count people who are not connected to the internet. Also, I wonder how the study determined who to count and who to overlook. What if someone just got the game recently or maybe they have had it for awhile but are not finished yet and still plan to?
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Posted: Oct 19th 2010 4:59PM FlashJS said
@TheBatman4141
In addition to what everyone else has said (rental, not connected to Live, bored, long gameplay), I also find that the players' personalities have a lot to do with it. I have friends that love certain games, but have short attention spans. Then they get back to it later, can't remember where they left off the story, play it a little, and then try something else. In their cases, the story is too involving (which is a good thing for the rest of us). They tend to finish games that don't have a real story, games that they can pick up at any time and dive into it without prior background.
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In addition to what everyone else has said (rental, not connected to Live, bored, long gameplay), I also find that the players' personalities have a lot to do with it. I have friends that love certain games, but have short attention spans. Then they get back to it later, can't remember where they left off the story, play it a little, and then try something else. In their cases, the story is too involving (which is a good thing for the rest of us). They tend to finish games that don't have a real story, games that they can pick up at any time and dive into it without prior background.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 5:51PM HumanNature said
@JasonA I found the game to be a little bit short. It took me about a week, probably no more than 30 hours to finish and platinum the game. Had I did the bare minimum, probably would have took me 10 hours.
I've actually enjoy the gameplay (a little repetitive) and the story.
The con was, it was too easy especially the assassinations.
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I've actually enjoy the gameplay (a little repetitive) and the story.
The con was, it was too easy especially the assassinations.
Posted: Oct 20th 2010 2:27AM The BZA said
@TheBatman4141
i guess im one of those people and i can give you my reasons why i havent finished it.. also i dont think difficulty has anything to do with it..
i scrolled down and saw a similar post as to why someone wouldnt finish it.. as that guy, i work fulltime.. so i have to manage my free time carefully.. one thing that turned me off from AC2 was the screen tearing on my ps3. so that was one incentive to not waste my free time playing this massive open world game. speaking of open world games, im straying away from those games as of late.. for one, they take too long to complete(except for mafia 2, i guess thats why i must be the only person who loved it).
in my younger days, just going to school, nothing else to do, i had plenty of time to waste and the longer the game, the better. its obviously quite the opposite now.
so basically my reason is theres so much time in a day you wanna do something productive or spend your spare time on a "better" game & when you do that.. you lose interest in the other games you meant to finish and it takes an extremely long time until you get the nerve to get back into those games.. heck i still have yet to get back in my fallout3 goty edition and actually get around to playing the dlc.
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i guess im one of those people and i can give you my reasons why i havent finished it.. also i dont think difficulty has anything to do with it..
i scrolled down and saw a similar post as to why someone wouldnt finish it.. as that guy, i work fulltime.. so i have to manage my free time carefully.. one thing that turned me off from AC2 was the screen tearing on my ps3. so that was one incentive to not waste my free time playing this massive open world game. speaking of open world games, im straying away from those games as of late.. for one, they take too long to complete(except for mafia 2, i guess thats why i must be the only person who loved it).
in my younger days, just going to school, nothing else to do, i had plenty of time to waste and the longer the game, the better. its obviously quite the opposite now.
so basically my reason is theres so much time in a day you wanna do something productive or spend your spare time on a "better" game & when you do that.. you lose interest in the other games you meant to finish and it takes an extremely long time until you get the nerve to get back into those games.. heck i still have yet to get back in my fallout3 goty edition and actually get around to playing the dlc.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:09PM Assmar said
I understand how high 40% is, but I hope at least the rest of those people went on youtube to watch what they missed, as stories this good in games are a rarity. AC2 was the complete package, as far as games go, and my mind is quite thoroughly boggled that anyone would drop off 3/4 of the way through.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:09PM aughscreennames said
Linearity is what mainly gets me to finish games, but that doesnt mean I dont like the sandbox games more. Most of my favorite games are games that took me forever to finish, partly because most of them are non-linear and partly because I dont want them to end so I ration the gameplay.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 2:02PM Hyperion45 said
@SamE Okami doesn't need an HD upgrade. It's going to be one of those games that will age amazingly thanks to its unique art style. I mean, it still looks good now after all these years, and it will probably continue to look amazing as more years go by.
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Posted: Oct 19th 2010 3:32PM Punkrawk Bbob said
@Hyperion45
Ages well, sure. Thing is HD will ALWAYS look better than SD. Does it need it? no. Would it rock if they did it? fck yes.
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Ages well, sure. Thing is HD will ALWAYS look better than SD. Does it need it? no. Would it rock if they did it? fck yes.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:14PM Trojan said
I finished AC1. Haven't played my copy of AC2 yet, but I assume I'll finish it. As for GTAIV, I played it for about 10 hours and then was bored out of my skull, so count me as one of the people who never finished GTAIV.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:16PM Faceless Troll said
AC2 is one of the few games I've gotten 1000/1000 gs on.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:38PM fohf said
@Faceless Troll
easy 1000/1000 the only part that sucked was collecting feathers. It was just boring. I wish they would stop making collecting achievements. THey can keep collecting quests in the game for unlockable items, just don't make it a stupid achievement.
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easy 1000/1000 the only part that sucked was collecting feathers. It was just boring. I wish they would stop making collecting achievements. THey can keep collecting quests in the game for unlockable items, just don't make it a stupid achievement.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:20PM liquidsoap89 said
Platinum'd it... I did my part!
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:21PM Mezstizo said
Interesting subject: How long is too long?
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:26PM Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En said
@Mezstizo
aaaaaaand that's what she said.
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aaaaaaand that's what she said.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:27PM Faceless Troll said
@Mezstizo It's not a matter of length. It's a matter of tediousness.
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Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:44PM Uncle Jesse said
@Mezstizo
You will get a different answer every single time. For me, I am married and work and blah, blah, blah. In other words, I don't have a lot of time to play games anymore. I actually prefer shorter games because I know that I will finish them. I don't even bother trying to get into a massive game that takes forever to beat, because I know I will never reach the end, and I hate leaving games unfinished. For example, people are complaining that Vanquish can be beat in 6-7 hours. That actually makes me even more excited to pick it up because I know I will see that game through to the end. I play a little bit during the week, mostly on the weekends and even then, just for a small amount of time compared to many of you guys here, so the shorter game will still be stretched out for me. When I hear about people sinking over 100 hours into Fallout 3 or something, it just turns me off. As much as I might want to play it and would probably enjoy it, I know that I will never get even close to finishing it off. Although, there will always be exceptions.
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You will get a different answer every single time. For me, I am married and work and blah, blah, blah. In other words, I don't have a lot of time to play games anymore. I actually prefer shorter games because I know that I will finish them. I don't even bother trying to get into a massive game that takes forever to beat, because I know I will never reach the end, and I hate leaving games unfinished. For example, people are complaining that Vanquish can be beat in 6-7 hours. That actually makes me even more excited to pick it up because I know I will see that game through to the end. I play a little bit during the week, mostly on the weekends and even then, just for a small amount of time compared to many of you guys here, so the shorter game will still be stretched out for me. When I hear about people sinking over 100 hours into Fallout 3 or something, it just turns me off. As much as I might want to play it and would probably enjoy it, I know that I will never get even close to finishing it off. Although, there will always be exceptions.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:52PM Mezstizo said
@Uncle Jesse
I would have to agree. I could either play one game (ex. Oblivion) a year. Or I could play several (ex. Call of Duty MW). It all a matter of how much time you have per week to play. If I play more than 5 hours a week then I have to hear her insipid bitching about ALL I do is play video games. You know, It wasn't like this when we were dating.... Hah....
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I would have to agree. I could either play one game (ex. Oblivion) a year. Or I could play several (ex. Call of Duty MW). It all a matter of how much time you have per week to play. If I play more than 5 hours a week then I have to hear her insipid bitching about ALL I do is play video games. You know, It wasn't like this when we were dating.... Hah....
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:22PM Hoops said
I still have to finish this. I just finished the first one this year so I could get to this game.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:24PM Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En said
It is also the only game that has compelled me to achieve the 1000 gamer score.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:26PM daevv said
I finished it but found the game boring in many parts. I'm passing on the 3rd unless I can get it for cheap like I did for the second one.
~d
~d
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:29PM Mazrael said
I 1000 pointed both the first 2 games, AI was a bit cheap on both games, but it's the stealth & planning that makes the game..
Completed GTAIV story too, I just need to beat the DLC.. multiplayer is brushed under the carpet, (I just don't bother with it all that much since I usually want to play late at night, but then I only end up against non-UK folk with lag advantage)
I actually complete most games story modes, there's probably 6 out of 130 games that I haven't.. like Alan Wake, beat lv1 on day 1.. got left 3 months, done next 4 levels, but then other games came out.. now it's waiting again for the last level & 2 DLCs
Completed GTAIV story too, I just need to beat the DLC.. multiplayer is brushed under the carpet, (I just don't bother with it all that much since I usually want to play late at night, but then I only end up against non-UK folk with lag advantage)
I actually complete most games story modes, there's probably 6 out of 130 games that I haven't.. like Alan Wake, beat lv1 on day 1.. got left 3 months, done next 4 levels, but then other games came out.. now it's waiting again for the last level & 2 DLCs
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:31PM Dustin F said
This game is hard to compare to GTA4, but as an entertaining and creative work, it's far superior.
I have friends and family who never play games beyond the Tetris level who played this for several hours, simply because the acting and modeling and plot are excellent.
I have friends and family who never play games beyond the Tetris level who played this for several hours, simply because the acting and modeling and plot are excellent.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:35PM ArchiGamer said
This was actully the first game I got a platinum trophy on, I just love playing this game and finding all those feathers was that bad only because it was just so much fun climbing everything.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:38PM wardob said
I finished both AC2 and GTA4.
It might just be my OCD tendencies but when I buy a game, I have to try and play it to completion no matter how bad it gets.(Brutal Legend being a prime example)
It might just be my OCD tendencies but when I buy a game, I have to try and play it to completion no matter how bad it gets.(Brutal Legend being a prime example)
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:41PM Jawmuncher said
I got to the second city in assassin creed 1.
I got a feather for ezios brother in AC2.
That's it these games just do not hold my interest. There not bad just not for me.
I got a feather for ezios brother in AC2.
That's it these games just do not hold my interest. There not bad just not for me.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:41PM Crayola Q Pants ESQ said
May explain why so many final bosses and/or endings suck; why agonize over the quality when majority of people won't even get that far?
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:46PM Mezstizo said
Not from what I've seen...
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:47PM The 7th Number said
Not only did i finish the campaign, i got all the achievements! I love this series. I think less people finished GTA IV because they either just screwed around in the open world and didnt care about the story, or because the story was pretty long, and there are a few missions where people could end up getting stuck.
Posted: Oct 19th 2010 12:49PM R Planteer said
Well I know I'm going to get ghosted but....
Im at like memory 6? And I dont see why this is such a beloved game. It's just....annoying to me. The way the controls are, that everyone speaks Italian, the combat.
I dunno, its fun, but its a "B-" kind of fun. I was expecting more given what everyone was talking about.
Also, no joke, as soon I told my roommate this, he told me that I was an ass and that we couldnt be friends anymore. Hasnt spoken to me in 2 weeks.
Im at like memory 6? And I dont see why this is such a beloved game. It's just....annoying to me. The way the controls are, that everyone speaks Italian, the combat.
I dunno, its fun, but its a "B-" kind of fun. I was expecting more given what everyone was talking about.
Also, no joke, as soon I told my roommate this, he told me that I was an ass and that we couldnt be friends anymore. Hasnt spoken to me in 2 weeks.
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