Ubisoft: Core gamers 'starving' for next-gen

The wait for next-generation consoles will soon be over, and according to Ubisoft, gamers will be eager to adopt the new platforms. As part of its latest earnings report, Ubisoft said the eight-year wait for new consoles has left gamers "starving" for next-gen platforms.

The company also detailed the various long-term opportunities it sees in next-gen platforms. Ubisoft said the social nature of these platforms will make players even more connected, which in turn will yield greater average revenue per user.

Overall, Ubisoft said it believes the arrival of next-gen platforms will lead to record sales for the industry. Outside of the Wii U, the only announced next-generation platform thus far is Sony's PlayStation 4. This is likely to change in five days, when Microsoft lifts the veil on its long-rumored next Xbox.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in prepared remarks that gamers today want to express themselves without limitation, noting that new platforms for Sony and Microsoft will key in on this to their benefit.

"We live in a world of self-expression. Everywhere, everyone is creative and wants to add value," Guillemot said. "Customization, or curating, is a huge growth area across all services and that holds true for games. People want to play in their own way, they want to define their own experience and they want to share the way they're playing."

Ubisoft also revealed new market share figures for the industry's leading publishers. Citing NPD, GFK, Chart-Track, and Nielsen data, the company said it was the third largest publisher in the business, with its market share jumping to 11.2 percent in the past year, up from 8.8 percent a year ago.

Activision Blizzard was the top publisher in the year (19.5 percent), with Electronic Arts (18.4 percent), Nintendo (10.8 percent), and Take-Two Interactive (6.4 percent) rounding out the top five.