Phil Elliott
07:00 (BST)
27/08/2008
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Ubisoft: Europe is now our biggest territory
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has told GamesIndustry.biz that Europe is now the biggest territory for the world's third largest publisher - greater than the US by "more than 5 per cent" - thanks to greater accessibility of games.
"First, our money - the pound or the euro - is very strong and because of that the turnover from those countries is heavier than they used to be," he explained during an interview at Games Convention. "So for Ubisoft turnover Europe is actually more important than the US now, and by more than 5 per cent. It's become a very strong market for us.
"I think there are lots of customers that want to play - because in Europe we love to play - the only problem we had was that the games were becoming more and more difficult to play. Now that there's more accessibility, some accessories that are helping people to have fun, I think this market has no limit in the growth it can have if we can make sure that the people that are coming in are staying."
And Guillemot cited the company's forthcoming title EndWar as a title which is trying to push the boundaries of accessibility and allow people to play games in new ways.
"A game like EndWar, for example, which you can control by voice - it's totally changing the industry because it gives you the opportunity to command what's happening, and to have a quick answer to the orders you give," he said. "And it's the same for a lot of other games, like the party games you can play - the games with guitars are also helping things to increase the fun, and bring more people. Because when you have fun with your family on the game, you take them into more games with you."
He also hinted that the TV series that the company is working on could be something to do with the Tom Clancy franchise, for which Ubisoft bought out the license earlier this year for an estimated EUR 60 million.
When asked if the license acquisition played into the company's CG plans, Guillemot replied: "It plays totally in that plan, and on top I think we will be able to give a better experience as well.
"Because you play a game, but you want to know more about the story, the character. So you will read the book, but you will also want to have a more linear experience where you can learn about the enemy, the cities where things are happening, and so on."
However, no firm details were given, and the precise details on the TV show are still unknown, other than being based on one of the publisher's existing franchises.
The full GamesIndustry.bizinterview with Yves Guillemot is available now, which he talks about the development of Europe, cultural sensitivity and promoting game quality above financial schedules.
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