Ubisoft released their financials for the first-half of fiscal year 2013/2014, revealing how sales were up 5% year-on-year to €293 million, with second quarter sales rising 46.6% to €217 million. This can be contributed to back-catalog sales, which were up 16% to €113 million thanks to Far Cry 3 and Assassin’s Creed III, with digital sales up 29% to €71 million.
For the first 9 months of calendar 2013, Ubisoft was the #4 independent publisher in the US with a 5.4% market share (they were #4 with a 6.4% share last year) and #4 in Europe with a 7.2% market share (compared to #3 and 6.9% last year).
CEO Yves Guillemot talked in-depth about Ubisoft, the future of the company, and the next-gen consoles:
The PS4 and Xbox One will be released in a few days’ time and will be a new driving force for the industry. We are confident in our capacity to rise to the short-term challenges posed by the transition phase, thanks to the very high quality of our games, which, combined with the upcoming arrival of the next-generation consoles and the traditional ramp-up of sales during the Christmas season will trigger positive momentum towards the end of the year.
Open world games are becoming ever-more popular with gamers. These creations give gamers the freedom of expression and immersive experiences that are now central to their expectations. This deep-seated market trend – which Ubisoft has fully embraced – is going to move up another gear when the next-generation consoles arrive. At the same time, the ongoing growth in our digital business demonstrates the progress we have made in an area which is set to expand even further in the coming years. Consequently, we are continuing to make strides in the implementation of our strategy, by concentrating our resources on regular releases of our open world franchises, investing in digital expertise and increasing the visibility of our brands, notably through movies and TV series.
This year, Ubisoft has constantly stood out for the very high quality of its creations. This will be a determining factor for ensuring our future success and enhancing our financial performance. In 2014-15, we intend to step up the level even further by launching a number of particularly ambitious titles under both new brands and established franchises, starting as of the first quarter of the fiscal year, with the release of Watch Dogs.
Are you finding yourself being drawn more to open world games than ever before? Let us know in the comments below.
