Usually, when a new game console arrives to market, there are a number of “must-have” games available. On occasion, though, there are duds that don’t really “fit” with the system, but are merely launched for the sake of their brand name, or because the company’s looking for a quick buck.

So why do some of these launch titles get questionably average reviews Ubisoft’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, Tony Key, has an explanation.

“Right now, all publishers are transitioning their development resources,” he says. “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 PlayStation 4 or Xbox One that’s so wildly different that we can’t market them together. So, for now, developers and designers are focused on making a game that works really well on all of the systems – but as we transition resources to the next gen, it’s going to be more difficult to do that because the power of these machines is going to allow so much more creativity.”

As for new franchises, they may introduce some “fresh blood” to the market, but that doesn’t always guarantee their success. (Ubisoft recently delayed their long-anticipated Watch Dogs from launch window to mid-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,” says Key. “Watch Dogs is designed to be a long-term brand for Ubisoft. We won’t launch it until we know it’s equaling 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.”

“Our feeling is the installed base of these machines will be much faster to take hold than previous generations,” he says. “In the first couple of years, we expect double the installed base of previous generations [during that same time period]. … The reason why is: the last cycle was longer, so there’s a lot of pent up demand.”

You can read the full interview at the link below.

Source: GamesIndustry International