There’s a lot to talk about between the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U. Online connectivity, exclusive games, and social features will all play a big role in which box sits atop the sales mountain over the next few years, but pricing has been one of the biggest topics of discussion since this year’s E3. The Xbox One will be $100 more expensive than the PlayStation 4 at launch, but according to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, the price for the console is justified.
"For the hardware they're putting on the market, the price is right," Guillemot told Game Industry International. "They are offering machines that will be exceptional, and for those prices, they're good deals."
It’s the inclusion of Kinect that convinces Guillemot that the price is right. The additional functionality on the camera paired with a standard controller allows for unique gameplay experiences, which is a similar case with Nintendo’s Wii U. Although the device has had a very slow start, experiencing software via two screens is something that both Ubisoft and Guillemot are very interested in.
"We like the machine itself, with its possibility to have different types of gameplay on the TV screen and on the tablet," Guillemot said. "It's something that's really new for the industry, and we'll continue to see more of that on the PS4 and Xbox One."
But can it actually sell well enough to justify continued support? This Christmas will be a big test for Nintendo, and it’s a test that Guillemot thinks the company will pass with flying colors.
"We will continue to support the Wii U this Christmas, and we're expecting it to take off in terms of sales," Guillemot said. "And we'll review what happened again at the beginning of next year."
People want a price cut, but that doesn’t seem to be coming soon. As long as Nintendo can produce a strong first-party lineup, though, we’ll likely see the Wii U fight its way back into relevancy.
