Ubisoft CEO wishes there were new consoles already, talks new IPs and Wii U
This has been one of the longest console generations yet. Whereas new systems would be introduced every five years or so, we’re seeing new technology later than ever before.
The Wii U launches later this year, six years after the Wii arrived. Meanwhile, Sony and Microsoft have yet to unveil their new consoles.
Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot recently commented on how the company has been “penalized by the lack of new consoles on the market”:
“What we missed was a new console every five years. We have been penalized by the lack of new consoles on the market. I understand the manufacturers don’t want them too often because it’s expensive, but it’s important for the entire industry to have new consoles because it helps creativity.”
Guillemot also commented on the fact that it’s easier for his company to bring out a few new IPs toward the beginning of a generation:
“It’s a lot less risky for us to create new IPs and new products when we’re in the beginning of a new generation. Our customers are very open to new things. Our customers are reopening their minds — and they are really going after what’s best. … At the end of a console generation, they want new stuff, but they don’t buy new stuff as much. They know their friends will play Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed so they go for that. So the end of a cycle is very difficult. …If you can’t take risks because people don’t buy, you don’t innovate. And if you don’t innovate, customers get bored.”
Lastly, Guillemot discussed the Wii U. While some companies have doubts about the system, Ubisoft does not. Guillemot seems to believe that the console holds great potential.
“I think Nintendo has very often surprised us, so you never know. I think they’ve created something good, if the customer uses everything they have created, I think we can see a good success with that machine. That type of collaboration can be fun and also challenging at the same time. It’s something has never been done before. … Those guys are taking lots of risks with the games they create — and they’re extremely successful.”
Guillemot wouldn’t say if he expects the company to be as big a contributor to the bottom line in the next cycle of game machines:
“Nintendo is very family oriented. It’s a different demographic, so we can’t say one machine will be more important than the other.”
