Ubisoft CEO expects PS3 and Xbox 360 price cuts this year
By John Callaham
SourceWill we see a big price cut for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 game consoles later this year? That's the hope for Ubisoft's founder and CEO Yves Guillemot. In a new chat over at Gamesindustry.biz, he says that he expects Sony and Microsoft, respectively, to cut the price of their consoles in order help sales of console games. According to Guillemot, "The UK is declining quite fast" in terms of retail console game sales.
He added, "This year they will continue to drop the price," referring to Sony and Microsoft. He also says that both companies will have to deal with Nintendo's recent decision to finally cut the price of its Wii console earlier this year from $199 to $149. It was the first price drop for the Wii since the console was launched in 2006. In the past, Sony and Microsoft have cut the price of their game consoles a few months before Christmas to prepare for the holiday shopping season.
In the same chat, Guillemot said that he was happy that a new generation of game consoles is getting ready to launch with the portable PS Vita due out late in 2011 and Nintendo's Wii U coming sometime in 2012. He states, "I always like a new generation of consoles because it's really the best way for us to be more creative. It gives you lots of new ways to create." He also stated that gamers are "more open to innovation when a new console is coming, they don't consider all the brands the same way, so they go after something completely new and they try it."