MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
The strength of Ubisoft’s core brands and the growth of its digital offerings have seen the publisher outperform its financial targets for the last year.
According to the firm’s full report for the full 2014-2015 financial year, software sales generated €1.46 billion in FY2014-2015, up by 45 per cent compared to the €1 billion generated the year before.
Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Watch Dogs helped propel this growth, with all three rating in the top seven best-selling franchises of last year.
Meanwhile, overall market share for the publisher rose three points to 12.8 per cent.
Digital – primarily digital distribution – also saw a boost, surging 96.8 per cent to reach €382.7 million in revenue and accounting for more than a quarter (26.1 per cent) of total sales, versus less than a fifth (19.3 per cent) the year prior.
Ubisoft predicts an income of at least €200 million for the next financial year.
This, it adds, will be led by the latest Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance entries, as well as The Division, Rainbow Six Siege and another as-yet unannounced triple-A title. However, overall revenue from new titles is expected to come in lower than the last 12 months.
Operating income in 2014-2015 totalled €171 million, a significant jump on the prior year’s €66 million loss.
After the record-breaking launch of new IP Watch Dogs in 2014, Ubisoft’s expectations for the relatively low-key Q1 of its 2015-2016 year are much smaller.
Q1 2015-2016 sales are predicted to reach €80 million, a fraction of the €360 million generated by Watch Dogs and Trials Fusion last year.
