Despite a reportedly disappointing launch, Ubisoft Milan, the studio behind Mario + Rabbids, remains unfazed by the performance of its sequel, Sparks of Hope. In an interview with VGC, series producer Cristina Nava expressed confidence in the game’s long-term sales potential, citing the success of its predecessor.
Sparks of Hope, released in October of last year, did not meet commercial expectations, according to the game’s publisher. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot even suggested that it should have been held for release on Nintendo’s next console. However, Nava believes that the game, being a turn-based tactical adventure, is a slow burner that will gradually gain traction.
Nava pointed out that the first Mario + Rabbids game had over 10 million players. She stated, “Even though it’s Mario, it’s also a genre game: turn-based tactical adventure. So we cannot expect to sell high numbers at the very beginning, because a game like that is a slow burner. Even if at the beginning it seemed like Sparks of Hope didn’t meet expectations, we are confident that over a number of years it will grow.”
Nava further emphasized that Sparks of Hope has been well received by both the press and the public, which she believes will contribute to its long-term success. She noted positive word of mouth spreading since the game’s release and attributed it to the accessibility of the sequel, especially for less experienced players. The introduction of real-time combat has made the game more approachable.
Although the studio acknowledges that Sparks of Hope may not have performed as strongly as desired initially, they are satisfied with the outcome. Ubisoft Milan, which gained international recognition with the collaboration on the original Mario + Rabbids title in 2017, is now assisting Massive Entertainment with Star Wars: Outlaws and working on DLC for Sparks of Hope.
Looking ahead, Nava confirmed that Ubisoft Milan has aspirations to develop another significant and captivating game. While currently focused on the DLC and Star Wars project, the studio has plans beyond that. Nava mentioned, “Compared to Mario + Rabbids, with Star Wars we are an associate studio. We are finishing production on the DLC for Sparks of Hope, so while we’re doing this we were looking for other horizons and Star Wars was of course the most appealing one, because we had lots of fans of the franchise.”
While details about the upcoming project were scarce, Nava emphasized that Ubisoft Milan is not stopping at Star Wars and intends to create another remarkable game. This statement indicates the studio’s ambition to deliver compelling experiences to its audience.
In conclusion, Ubisoft Milan remains optimistic about the future of Sparks of Hope, despite its initial underperformance. The studio is confident in its long-term sales potential and believes that positive word of mouth will contribute to the game’s growth over time. With continued support for Sparks of Hope and aspirations to develop another compelling title, Ubisoft Milan is determined to leave a lasting mark on the gaming industry.
