A key Ubisoft executive has explained why the Xbox One and PS4 games are a little underwhelming and mostly cross-generation titles.
Tony Key, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Ubisoft, has said the launch games of both next-generation consoles are bound to underwhelm as they are basically just graphically enhanced versions of existing games.
“Right now, all publishers are transitioning their development resources,” said Key. “For a game like Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, most of the sales are still going to be on current generation platforms. We can’t make a version for PS4 or Xbox One that’s so wildly different that we can’t market them together.”
There are so few new IPs and franchise games as part of a launch line-up because specs for consoles won’t be locked until the last second, meaning developers have very little time to polish their titles in time for launch.
This is exactly what happened to Watch Dogs, a Ubisoft title originally scheduled for Xbox One and PS4 at launch, as well as current gen alternatives, that has since been delayed to Spring 2014.
“It’s heartbreaking to be so coveted for launch and not be able to deliver it at launch, but from a business perspective, it’s not a difficult decision to make,” added Key. “Watch Dogs is designed to be a long-term brand for Ubisoft. We won’t launch it until we know it’s equalling the vision it can achieve. We’re playing the long game – and as a company, we know how important it is to get it right.”
Key adds that developers are already champing at the bit to get fully involved in next-gen titles, as the new consoles offer such enhanced creativity options for the future.
“There’s so much more under the hood. Give them just a little more time and you’re going to see the difference start to build. The amount of innovation that’s going to occur around these machines is really going to inspire the category.”
Next, read our Xbox One vs PS4 comparison.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
