Mon, Jul 23, 2012 | 09:05 BST

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Industry “penalised” by extended console cycle: Guillemot

It isn’t just gamers finding the wait for new console hardware excruciating, according to Ubisoft head Yves Guillemot.

Ubisoft head Yves Guillemot has told Gamasutra that a lack of new console hardware in recent years has been bad for the entire games trade.

“What we missed was a new console every five years,” he said. “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.”

The exec added that old hardware means creating new IP becomes more difficult, as referenced by the amount of sequels we’re seeing crammed into the back half of this year.

“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,” he said. “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.”

The next PlayStation and Xbox consoles are expected to launch next autumn.

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