Ubisoft: gamers are ready for always-online

Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallat has weighed in on the possibility of an always-online requirement for next-generation platforms. Speaking The Guardian (via Game Informer), Mallat said he believes most gamers are already prepared for such a mandate.

"Well, that's a question you should put to Microsoft and Sony! I would say that a lot of people are already always online through other devices," Mallat said. "I would suspect that the audience is ready."

The executive added that if an always-online console hopes to see mass adoption, it must "provide clear benefits" for such a requirement, like extra content or featured services.

Microsoft's Xbox 720 is rumored to require an Internet connection--and a Kinect unit--to function. If a network signal drops for three minutes, any running applications or games will cease to work, according to a past report.

Earlier this month, Microsoft creative director Adam Orth made headlines after saying, "Sorry, I don't get the drama around having an 'always on' console. Every device now is 'always on'. That's the world we live in." He then used the hashtag "#dealwithit." He is no longer with Microsoft.

Microsoft has not commented at all on plans for a future platform, though multiple reports have indicated the company will announce the next Xbox on May 21.

The PlayStation 4 does not require an Internet connection. No console in history ever has.