Yves Guillemot, the CEO of Ubisoft, believes that console lifecycles are too long and stifle innovation as it becomes riskier to bring in new IPs when a console has matured.
Ubisoft has a number of the most popular series and franchises in the gaming world today; from Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed to Ghost Recon and Far Cry, the European publisher is a heavyweight in the video game industry and judging by the statements from their Chief Executive Officer, the publisher has reason to complain.
Gaming consoles have fairly long lifecycles with Sony claiming that their PlayStation consoles receive support for 10 years and although they do introduce a new console before the end of the decade, the main emphasis relies on the console which is already in the market.
According to Guillemot, platform developers need to roll out new consoles much sooner than they currently are, as he believes it ends up hurting the industry. He said, “What we missed was a new console every five years.”
As to why they need it, the Ubisoft CEO explained that, although he could relate to the manufacturers, new consoles are the perfect environment for promoting experimentation and innovation.
He said, “We have been penalised 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.” Before continuing, “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.”
A number of reasons support the ethos that the first few years in a console’s life cycle are the best for innovation and one of them is the fact that there is a lack of content and plenty of unexplored territory for developers to take advantage of. Trends and preferences are still to be developed and this makes it more conducive for studios making games to experiment a bit.
As for Ubisoft specifically, Guillemot claimed that, “Our customers are very open to new things. Our customers are reopening their minds — and they are really going after what’s best.”
The CEO also believes that near the end of the console’s life cycle consumers prefer going with safe titles as that is what the general population, including their friends, are playing. This in itself breeds boredom within players who look for something fresh and new, which is the perfect time for launching a new console.
But what does the reader think; does the current generation of consoles another year or so left in them or is it time that the next generation of consoles is introduced? Let us know in the comments section below.
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