INTERVIEW-Ubisoft sees games growth through 2010/11

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Thu May 29, 2008 3:51pm BST

PARIS May 29 (Reuters) - France's Ubisoft (UBIP.PA) expects the world video games market to keep growing until at least 2010 or 2011, longer than some have predicted, the head of Europe's largest video games maker said on Thursday.

Ubisoft's own top North American exective said in mid-May that the market could peak in 2009, but the company's chief executive Yves Guillemot told Reuters he was more optimistic.

"There could be a peak in the consoles market in 2009, which means a peak in the games market from 2010 or 2011," Guillemot said in an interview on the sidelines of an annual company products conference.

"As far as I'm concerned, I don't think we have seen everything the market can offer us. We are really in a new revolution because new clients are arriving on the market. If we can give them good quality the market won't peak straightaway."

Ubisoft produces titles such as "Assassin's Creed" and military-themed games created with political thriller author Tom Clancy.

The French company says the current demand cycle for gaming consoles is different from previous ones, partly because of the arrival of "casual gamers" -- a new audience of people who did not play computer games in the past.

(Reporting by Julien Toyer)

((Writing by Tim Hepher, paris.equities@reuters.com; +33 1 4949 5452; Reuters Messaging: tim.hepher.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: UBISOFT/

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