Assassin’s Creed III may be poised to become one of the biggest games of the year, but Ubisoft gaffer Yves Guillemot still isn’t particularly happy about the length of the current console generation.
Chatting with Gamasutra, the company executive claimed that publishers are being “penalised” by the lack of new consoles, and creativity is suffering as a result.
He said:
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.
Guillemot’s got a valid point, but it’s up to the publishers to buck the trend. Assuming the property is good enough, gamers will flock towards it – as we’re likely to see with The Last of Us and Beyond next year.
[source gamasutra.com]
Comments 7
I'm looking forward to the next generation as much as anyone else, but I'm sick of hearing developers complain - especially those like Ubisoft, who I feel have not yet managed to get the best from the current generation of hardware.
Besides which, he's wrong - the current generation hasn't had a "protracted" lifespan. The PS2 was released (in the West) at the end of 2000; the PS3 was released end of 2006/beginning of 2007 - essentially 6 years later. At the end of THIS year, it will be the same period of time. So if PS4 arrives next year, the gap will be around ONE YEAR longer. How the hell is that "protracted"?
Okay, the Wii and 360 have been around longer - but surely that's a good thing, for gamers to get their money's worth? Perhaps a lot of people have short memories, but I remember when the 360 released and Microsoft essentially cut off original Xbox support cold turkey after just around 4 years. With no backwards compatibility, a lot of people complained.
So yes, I'm looking forward to the next generation as I said. But as an ex-PC gamer who got sick of having to upgrade hardware every 18-24 months, I certainly can't say I'm sorry that the current generation has lasted as long as it has.
The way I read this is they just want better hardware to release watch dogs on (and perhaps others we don't know about). We are at the point again where you can do soo much more with a PC, that consoles become limiting.
And this is coming from the guy who's one of the only developers in the market who can actually afford the extreme budget to develop for next generation consoles. By that, I mean, they can afford a big loss or two without going under, unlike most other developers.
We don't need next gen yet. Not this year, or next.
So, why then they are making for Vita another Assasin Creed? Where is new IP?
@Gemuarto
Actually a good question. On the other hand the only new game I see them trying, Zombi U, quite frankly looks like garbage. When it comes to Ubi's games I'd almost rather get the same old, same old like Assassin's Creed or Splinter Cell whether the system they're on is a newer one or one that has been out a while.
I know I am alone. But I want next gen!
And when the next generation consoles comes out they will be complaining about:
1. how difficult it is to program for the new hardware.
2. How expensive it is to make a next gen game.
Probably in the same sentence.
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