Haze delayed as Ubi touts profits, Assassin's Creed sales

European game giant returns to profit in financial first half as its well-reviewed actioner moves 1 million units in one week; PS3-exclusive shooter now due in 2008; Splinter Cell: Conviction slips further into '08.

Les bons temps are once again roulez-ing at Ubisoft. The France-based publisher today reported its earnings for the six months ending September 30, the first half of its fiscal year. The period saw the company take in €261 million ($355.31 million) in revenue, a sturdy 51.8 percent increase over the same period in 2006.

Ubisoft also returned to profitability with €31 million ($42.2 million) in net income for the half-year, an obvious improvement over the €20.5 million ($30.3 million) loss it took the year prior. The company credited reduced research and development costs and "a solid level of back catalog sales" as reasons for the upswing. The company also pocketed €7.5 million ($10.2 million) as a result of a lawsuit and €14.3 million ($19.5 million) following the July sale of its stake in mobile-phone gamemaker Gameloft.

Looking ahead, Ubisoft is sticking to its guidance of €825 million ($1.1 billion) for its full fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2008. It is also sticking by its third-quarter earnings estimate of approximately €330 million ($449.24 million) in sales during its October-December quarter.

Ubisoft also had major announcements about two of its heavy hitters for the holiday season. First, it revealed that Assassin's Creed has sold--not shipped--over 1 million units worldwide in just one week. Currently available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the Ubisoft Montreal-developed actioner has received rave reviews by many gaming press outlets for its advanced graphics and deep storyline. (A PC version is due out early next year.)

Unfortunately, Ubisoft also had some bad news for PS3 owners. The Free Radical-developed shooter Haze, which had been one of the few high-profile exclusives for Sony's console this holiday season, has been pushed back to the January-March quarter of 2008.

Finally, Xbox 360, DS, and PC owners will also be disappointed to learn that Splinter Cell: Conviction has also been delayed. Originally due in the January-March quarter, the game is now set to ship during Ubisoft's next fiscal year, which begins April 1, 2008.

448 Comments

  • 122024

    Posted Jan 2, 2008 6:31 pm PT

    and maybe more games

  • 122024

    Posted Jan 2, 2008 6:29 pm PT

    please calm down i dont know what the hell is about fu......cki............ng haze no one knows is will be good or be a sh¡t like kane and lynch or be the worst game like hour of victory maybe i buy the game it will a collection because i will buy army two (360)
    gta 4 (ps3) saints row 2(360) mercenaries 2 ps3 or 360 splinter cell conviction 360 and star wars the force unleashed to x360 or ps3

  • ou661

    Posted Jan 1, 2008 6:38 pm PT

    its was listed to come out january 15th but now at ebgames.com it shows sumtim in march or april

  • mehrdad1987

    Posted Dec 31, 2007 3:13 am PT

    Splinter cell is Better than ASSASSIN's creed

  • XSurrealKillerX

    Posted Dec 29, 2007 9:07 pm PT

    Ivoon. Are you serious? I'm not even gonna go into the Irony. Haze was only delayed because of AC.

  • Ivoon

    Posted Dec 25, 2007 9:24 pm PT

    gosh do you guys even know how much i hate stupid ass fan boys

  • anzelm

    Posted Dec 18, 2007 7:12 am PT

    purified-7: If you search GS for Haze you'll find that the release of Haze for Xbox 360 and PC has been canceled. That alone will hint that it is an ps3 exclusive. If you can find any article that say otherwise please pinpoint it for me. So I guess if you want to play Haze as a 360 owner you'll have to wait for.......... well, forever perhaps.

  • purified-7

    Posted Dec 16, 2007 8:55 pm PT

    wasnt haze suposed to be another ps3 only now its for both lol ps3 blows 360 owns

  • Hellshots

    Posted Dec 9, 2007 11:29 pm PT

    All you Halo fan out there can you answer this question. What original gameplay does Halo offer?

  • wespb34

    Posted Dec 6, 2007 2:31 pm PT

    ...its come to the point that if the game is expected to be big that youre pretty much guaranteed to get at least 2 delays.

  • 2577007

    Posted Dec 6, 2007 11:11 am PT

    Stop delaying so much stuff

  • XxTWiStEd43xX

    Posted Dec 6, 2007 5:06 am PT

    Dude i want this game realy bad!!

  • oumir

    Posted Dec 5, 2007 9:22 pm PT

    this is kickin my a** i want to play this game! AHHHH!

  • BarkLikeADog

    Posted Dec 4, 2007 6:07 am PT

    Yea what i wish they would do is stop hyping games on the PS3 to be some awesome A++ game and then they turn out to be ass. Just let a game come out and get excited about it.

  • djhoopkid

    Posted Dec 1, 2007 7:41 am PT

    Assassin's Creed is the best game out right now and it will go down in gaming history great job ubisoft

  • batosaims

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 5:39 pm PT

    i really dont see what the big deal about haze is i mean every time an exclusive shooter for the ps3 comes up sony fanboys tout it as a halo killer lol

    haze story is similar to red factions and will probaly be about as succesful as well : I

  • absinthewfaust

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 1:20 am PT

    if the PC assassin's creed comes in Feb, i can live with the new splinter cell being delayed (even more..le sigh**)

    but quite frankly, anytime ubi talks about a splinter cell game, you can treat it like blizzard announcing a release, just automatically add a year + to whatever date they give and don't have high hopes.

  • Mr_duong

    Posted Nov 27, 2007 8:07 pm PT

    homerj
    Homerj

    "creed on ma ps3 coz as gs puts it " blessed with a more solid frame rate". "

    Your experience with AC on PS3 runs entirely contrary to the 1200 some posts on the official AC boards and that of the reviewers for IGN and its affiliated sites. I dont know if you have a different version of the PS3 or a different version of AC, but most PS3 users are complaining bitterly about framerate stutters and frequent lockups on the official AC boards."

    uhh yeah i run the game just fine, it looks amazing. and i dont have any problems with it. now only if the color could be more vivid like the 360 version

  • Zhaosuke

    Posted Nov 27, 2007 1:22 pm PT

    crap, i was gonna get a ps3 this week in time for haze
    looks like il postpone that

  • arc_salvo

    Posted Nov 27, 2007 12:13 am PT

    Well, I hope they release Haze sooner rather than later next year. The plotline/story it has and the Nectar mechanism fascinates me, actually. That said, I hope they port Haze to the 360 or PC at some point, because I don't own a PS3 yet. I may get one sometime soon, but that depends on whether or not it the kind of games I like start coming out on it or not. If Bumpy Trot (Steambot Chronicles in the US) 2 ends up being a PS3 exclusive though, I'm picking one up though, no if ands or buts.

  • Homerj

    Posted Nov 26, 2007 3:11 pm PT

    "creed on ma ps3 coz as gs puts it " blessed with a more solid frame rate". "

    Your experience with AC on PS3 runs entirely contrary to the 1200 some posts on the official AC boards and that of the reviewers for IGN and its affiliated sites. I dont know if you have a different version of the PS3 or a different version of AC, but most PS3 users are complaining bitterly about framerate stutters and frequent lockups on the official AC boards.

  • fuzzy_hippo

    Posted Nov 26, 2007 3:06 pm PT

    awwwww i was looking forward to some 4 player co-op

  • Homerj

    Posted Nov 26, 2007 11:42 am PT

    Stick a fork in Haze. By the time it releases, it will have actual AAA competition on the PS3. If you think the shunning of R&C by the PS3 communitiy was bad (fewer than 200K copies of R&C sold since release), just wait and see how many Haze sells. The dev can pretty much forget the 360 as well, there are already enough so-so shooters like Timeshift on the 360, not really room for another one sales-wise.

  • jacob-goodlich

    Posted Nov 24, 2007 6:10 pm PT

    its a real shame about haze, but seeing how ut3 was moved foward then ill just get that one, and spinter cell:conviction coming april next year? not smart! grand theft auto 4 is coming around that time.

  • Ra-Devil

    Posted Nov 24, 2007 11:09 am PT

    So what, this bothers people, right. *sigh* calm down and wait. There's too many games out right now to play anyway. Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, UT3, Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, Crysis, Super Mario Galaxy... I can't think of any more. Just go play some other game, there's tons. (btw, since it's Thanksgiving, I have to spend time with my relatives, which are all nutjobs, and I have to do it with no games except a modded PSP... I'm really bored and grumpy... and I want to kill them all... and I really want to play some more damn Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed.)

  • coruscant

    Posted Nov 24, 2007 3:08 am PT

    Haze delayed? Noooo!!!!

  • josephd31

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 10:51 pm PT

    it's ok we well have UT3 to play in a couples weeks

  • learyan21

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 9:50 pm PT

    NOw! im not gonna buy it anymore coz killzone 2 will release at 08 omg that is so lame ..... bad move!!!!!! lot of ps3 owners are disappointed about this! were not gonna buy both games for $120 so i rather get killzone 2
    ^_^ dont hate lol

  • Incubus420

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 9:30 pm PT

    PS3 baby!

  • Merl57

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 8:00 pm PT

    damn it I want haze on 360 and thats FINAL!

  • SetsuOkun

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 1:59 am PT

    they are right to push those games.
    they already have a rise this yr.
    that means that they do not have any other game to release and make money out of, next yr. apart from those.

  • Wopenka_11

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 1:14 am PT

    Haze comes out on December 13 for Australia

  • laitheybaby

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 11:17 pm PT

    Haze looks laughable, I promise you now it would be lucky to get an 8.5. Truly nothing special.

  • IguanaBob

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 9:51 pm PT

    Haze delayed cause Ubisoft don't want to got head to head with Unreal 3 and Crysis. Wait 3 more months then launch, make more money this way.

  • kratos_karmakar

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 5:34 pm PT

    great news for assassins creed.
    ppl stop complaining . there r far too many great games out now to keep all of us cheerful until haze arrives. i for 1 am being preoccupied by mass effect on ma 360 and creed on ma ps3 coz as gs puts it " blessed with a more solid frame rate". as for contrast to lighting just turn up the contrast on ur god damn tv.

  • xTheExploited

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 1:53 pm PT

    DON_DU i still dont get why spliter cell conviction is not on the ps3

    I still don't get why Haze isn't on the 360.

  • dchan01

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 10:26 am PT

    Haze really looks meh to me for some reason.

  • hannagargour

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 8:21 am PT

    I gotta say... Theres a lot of talk about PS3 having a lack of games, yadda yadda... but I titally disagree. There are tons of great PS3 games out right now... there could and will be a lot more I'm sure, but theyre off to a good start I think. In less than a year we have already seen drastic improvements in the quality of PS3 exclusives (look at the diff. between Resistance and Heavenly sword). I agree that there have been a lot of delays for PS3 but its an encouraging thought. It means that the quality of the games is more improtant than getting it out fast. I was disappointed when GTA4 was postponed... but better late and great than fast and crap.

  • ENDOT12123

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 4:44 am PT

    ok just wanna state ps3 is better than 360 not by alot but it is, i aint no fan boy i dont even own a ps3 i have a 360, jus the games on the ps3 at the moment aint really the best and there aint much to choose from, but any way this aint good for sony more delays are not wat they need espesially bein the holiday season coming up, lets just hope they bring home out or at least a few decent exclusives before haze finally comes out.

  • xXrebel666Xx

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 3:45 am PT

    Haze has way to much potential to rush it out, looks like there not going to make the same mistake that H3 did and bring out all the games potential, not just a tasty dough that's only half cooked.

  • Dan2002sk8er

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 2:23 am PT

    oh well. Good thing Unreal is coming to PS3 this Christmas, Haze wasn't even on my list.

  • obliviousturkey

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 12:12 am PT

    DAMMIT!!! gah i was really looking forward to this! well damn i guess i'll have to wait for another delayed game. i should have seen this coming...oh and to rob3nelson, ps3 is the best system, but it's games arent up to par or are too few...but yes we do get shafted alot

  • josephd31

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 12:03 am PT

    not another delay

  • Sefirat

    Posted Nov 21, 2007 11:34 pm PT

    Xbox is better than Sony's child

  • rob3nelson posted Nov 21, 2007 9:38 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    rob3nelson

    Posted Nov 21, 2007 9:38 pm PT (hide)

    LOL. Poor Sony fanboys have to put up with delay after delay and still go on bragging about how great their system is. What a joke!

  • blancobo

    Posted Nov 21, 2007 7:08 pm PT

    The PS3 has indeed had a sucky year, overall! This are really bad news! Home was due in November, as well as Haze, Killzone (sept)... and then there are all these bad reviews (I do not listen to them though)... but over all, the console price cut will not see its benefits from game sales if there are no games to offer. Next year sounds to be very busy for the console... though games could be delayed once more... No wonder the 360 has been doing so well... there have not been so many bad news (on game delays that is) ...

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