'Christmas 07 will be key' - Guillemot

Ubisoft president Yves Guillemot has told GamesIndustry.biz that he believes Christmas 2007 will be an important factor in determining who wins the next-gen console war.

Speaking in an exclusive interview, Guillemot said, "I think next Christmas will really be key. In January 2008, we will have a really good idea of who is going to win in this generation."

Guillemot believes it's too early to predict how market share will be split in the new cycle; however, he did state, "For sure, Nintendo and Microsoft will play a bigger role than in the last cycle."

When asked if he thinks the delayed launch of the PS3 in Europe will cause Sony much difficulty, Guillemot replied: "No - I think Sony has a very strong brand, so if they are capable of coming with enough machines in Europe when they launch, they will be able to sell very well.

"But for sure, it's not good for them to be there this Christmas," he added.

Visit GamesIndustry.biz next week to read the full interview.