Fans says they’ll buy Skull & Bones for its viral controller
We sometimes thought this day would never come, but in February 2024, Skull & Bones finally set sail. Although Ubisoft's nautical adventure will undoubtedly go down in history alongside Cyberpunk 2077 as one of the most-delayed games of all time, at least it's finally here.
Some feared Skull & Bones was some sort of The Day Before-inspired scam, but now that we're sailing across the high seas, most of our fears have been put to bed. Even though Skull & Bones might not feel like it's reinventing the wheel, that's exactly what it's done. Well, in terms of peripherals.
Skull & Bones goes viral for its ship's wheel controller
To drum up hype and remind us that Skull & Bones actually exists, Ubisoft has released a glossy trailer for its new controller. The YouTube trailer shows off the hand-carved ship's wheel controller, boasting a gnarly skull at its centre, jewelled detailing, velocity paddles, and even a shanty mode that sings those seafaring ditties to you.
We'll admit that gaming has had some weird and wonderful controllers over the years (we're looking at you, Resident Evil 4 chainsaw controller), and we've got to hand it to Ubisoft for nailing the design. More than just using it for Skull & Bones, imagine playing Mario Kart or Rocket League with this one!
Others are equally impressed, as one fan wrote, "I would literally buy the game if they sold these." Another added, "This is gonna resell for at least 5k on ebay in like a year or 2," and a third joked, "Ubisoft spent more money developing this niche controller instead of the game it was designed for."
Of course there's a catch
Click to enlargeYou were so close Ubisoft, so close. If you check the fine print, you'll realise these controllers aren't actually for sale and are just for shows - presumably to showcase how Skull & Bones works. One disgruntled gamer wrote, "You need to make it more clear that this is not for sale."
Still, a glimmer of hope is that these could become available. The product exists, and even if it's only for expos, Ubisoft could make a pirate's booty if it actually sold them. Remembering how the Xbox fridge started as a one-off that was eventually rolled out, Ubisoft needs to capitalise on the idea.
We dread to think what the Skull & Bones ship's wheel would cost if Ubisoft released it as some sort of Skull & Bones Gold Edition, but for the sheer potential of playing other games with the controller, we'd happily walk the plank for this one.
