Ubisoft Talks Long-Term Goals

Marketing executive Tony Key says that delays and "franchise" focus are all part of the long-term plan.

Tony Key, Ubisoft SVP said that the sheer power of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will open new doors for the long awaited innovation in games.

"There's so much more under the hood," Key said when speaking about the Xbox One and PS4. "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. That's what we need: We need to bring excitement back to this industry."

He also spoke as why he thinks launch titles for new consoles are not the most well-received.

"Right now, all publishers are transitioning their development resources. 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," Key said. "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."

Key also said that the delay of Watch Dogs was "heartbreaking," but it was "not a difficult decision to make" from a business perspective.

"Watch Dogs is designed to be a long-term brand for Ubisoft," Key said. "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."