Ubisoft sales hit $1.5B, Ghost Recon 4 in Q1 '10

Shaun White sells 3M, HAWX hits 1M, new Wii sports franchise in Q4; Call of Juarez due by June, Splinter Cell Conviction coming by holiday '09.

Ubisoft continues to navigate the hostile global economic environment with aplomb. Reporting its full-year financial results today, the publisher said that revenues for the 12-month period ended March 31, 2009, reached €1.05 billion ($1.50 billion). The sales figure represents a healthy 14 percent (18.4 percent at constant exchange rates) climb over its previous fiscal year's €928 million ($1.3 billion) haul. Ubisoft also said that its cash position now stands at €155 million ($220 million).

Sam Fisher's coming...eventually.

Unfortunately, as is typical for the French publisher, Ubisoft did not reveal its take in profit for the period. However, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot did indicate that the company's margins were among the best in the industry, saying in a statement, "In a highly competitive environment, Ubisoft reported full-year sales growth of 18 percent at constant exchange rates in 2008-09, as well as the second-best profitability among comparable companies in its industry."

Guillemot trumpeted a number of other wins for the publisher during the year. Sales for Ubisoft's Far Cry and Rayman Raving Rabbids franchises were up 50 percent during the period. The publisher's casual label also experienced significant growth, with Guillemot saying that the segment was up 40 percent on the strength of games for Nintendo's platforms. The executive also noted that Ubisoft hired 1,300 employees during the year, having opened up new studios in Kiev, Ukraine, and Sao Paulo, Brazil, as well as making a number of acquisitions throughout the year.

While full-year sales were up, Ubisoft did see a dip in sales during its post-holiday quarter. For the January-March period, revenues slid 5.1 percent (2.3 percent at constant exchange rates) to €206 million ($292 million), a figure which fell in line with investor guidance. Top performers for the period included Tom Clancy's HAWX, which Ubisoft said achieved its 1 million shipped target, as well as "strong showings" from Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party and Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip for the Wii.

Ubisoft also laid out its financial targets for the coming fiscal year. Though the publisher expects to launch Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as well as a number of casual games during its in-progress March-June quarter, Ubisoft said that revenues should dive 44 percent to €95 million ($134 million).

However, the publisher still projects to see some growth over its full fiscal year ending March 31, 2010, thanks to second-half sales that are projected to rise 23 percent year-over-year. In total, sales for the 12-month period are expected to hit €1.1 billion ($1.56 billion). The publisher expects to see earnings from its franchise games Assassin's Creed 2, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction, Rabbids Go Home, Red Steel 2, and Dawn of Discovery. Licensed games expected to launch during the period include James Cameron's Avatar, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Arthur and the Invisibles. first revealed back in January.

Tom Clancy fans were also excited by the specific calling out of Ghost Recon 4, due out during the first calendar quarter of 2010. The game was initially revealed simply as "a new Ghost Recon" title back in January, when its launch window was also set.

As part of a postearnings conference call, Guillemot confirmed that the Shaun White franchise has sold 3 million units across the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Wii, DS, and PC. "You can expect more Shaun White in the future," the executive said.

Guillemot also noted that the four-years-in-development Splinter Cell: Conviction will finally arrive for the Xbox 360 this holiday season, along with the recently teased Red Steel 2 and a new sports franchise for the Wii.

The executive also briefly touched upon the as-yet-announced new Ghost Recon game, saying that it should arrive during the company's January-March 2010 quarter. The publisher also expects to launch new franchises Ruse and I Am Alive during that same quarter.

234 Comments

  • ChiefFreeman

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 7:08 pm PT

    well, we haven't heard a peep about the next Gohst Recon, so a Q1 release date seems extremely unlikely.

  • batmanboy11

    Posted Jun 23, 2009 9:06 pm PT

    I can't wait for SC, hope to hear more about GR and want a new Rainbow Six.

  • GuybrushAz

    Posted Jun 1, 2009 3:39 pm PT

    you left out GR summit strike. That was my favorite one. and GRAW2 rocks also.

  • shawn7324

    Posted May 30, 2009 7:56 pm PT

    Ghost Recon could not return any slower. Why not a new Rainbow Six game as well?

  • Cyrus187

    Posted May 30, 2009 4:06 pm PT

    What the heck is going on with Splinter Cell Conviction????? GAMESTOP not Gamespot says its coming out on June 30 but this says Holidays 09'.

  • whynotdairy

    Posted May 10, 2009 5:18 pm PT

    @thenephariouson

    1. Ghost Recon
    2. Ghost Recon Desert Siege
    3. Ghost Recon Jungle Storm
    4. Ghost Recon 2
    5. G.R.A.W.
    6. G.R.A.W. 2
    6. G.R.A.W. 2
    7. Will be G.R.A.W. 3 or Ghost Recon 4 - Should not change bame to Ghost Recon, G.R.A.W. powns, if they go back to modern day crap I won't buy.

    the first Ghost Recon was a friggin awesome and unique game I will admit. And I still recognize it as really awesome, GRAW pwns too

  • thenephariouson

    Posted May 7, 2009 3:04 pm PT

    @the-wiz,

    See following post as this explanation makes total sense when you think about it.

    [[dramaybaz Posted Apr 30, 2009 10:54 pm GMT Guys , It was;
    1. Ghost Recon
    2. Ghost Recon 2
    3. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter , Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
    4 will beGhost Recon 4

    GRAW & GRAW2 were kind of like Cod4: Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2 will be.]]

  • the-wiz

    Posted May 6, 2009 2:22 pm PT

    Like posted by others.. what happened to 3? I think Ubisoft is on crack

  • kytomasi

    Posted May 6, 2009 9:42 am PT

    I hope the guy in GRAW4?... doesnt run like hes on rollerblades lol. I loved Graw2 and had a blast playing it.

  • Yuck_Too

    Posted May 5, 2009 7:25 am PT

    Ghost Recon...loved that game in co-op. Realism > Rambo.

    ~~~~

    Oh and Splinter Cell: Conviction was always a 360 exclusive.

  • CharlieFubar

    Posted May 4, 2009 8:36 pm PT

    ghost recon 4... was there even a 3?

  • thenephariouson

    Posted May 4, 2009 3:09 pm PT

    @SkytheWiz1,

    Apologies, i didnt mention the PC release as i was only refering to the 'console' format, besides, Ubisoft have always been loyal to the PC platform, and therefore i would assume that a PC release would simply be a foregone conclusion.

    @Bajda_mdawwrA,

    Wow what an amazingly thought provoking and intelligent comment, the next time you have a moment of inspiration, could i recommend you keep it to yourself. Many Thanks!

  • arbelaster

    Posted May 4, 2009 8:42 am PT

    I hope it's just for 360 so PS3 people can shut up about the PS3 having the only good exclusives this year. You know who you are.

  • SkytheWiz1

    Posted May 3, 2009 10:33 am PT

    @thenephariouson

    Technically, if it's being released for PC, it's not "exclusive,"
    so I agree - "exclusive" is a BS term nowadays.
    It'll go to PS3 before too long.

  • thenephariouson

    Posted May 3, 2009 2:11 am PT

    @Nihmmoh

    Ubi have stated that SC: Conviction will be exclusively released on the 360, however it may eventually arrive for the PS3 ala Bioshock, but i guess you'll just have to wait and see, as it would seem that the term 'Exclusive' seems a little loose nowadays.

  • dylan417

    Posted May 2, 2009 9:18 pm PT

    they made a GRAW3? wtf? where was i?

  • Nihmmoh

    Posted May 2, 2009 6:47 am PT

    wait a sec.... is splinter cell conviction not coming to ps3?

  • thenephariouson

    Posted May 2, 2009 1:51 am PT

    Chaos Theory was my favourite

  • Hector_01

    Posted May 1, 2009 7:13 pm PT

    All im waiting for is Splinter Cell 4. Not double agent, not this conviction game either. I want them to make a proper Splinter Cell 4. Double agent sucked and Conviction seems to stray too far from the originals.

  • thenephariouson

    Posted May 1, 2009 2:52 am PT

    Well i think the Multiplayer component of a game is more important from a devs perspective as it simply adds longevity to a game, as opposed to completing a Single Player a couple of times then trading it in once your bored of it, which in turn lowers NEW game sales. One example of this is R6 Vegas 1, although over 2 years old, its still a fantastic MP game, that even now has a massive online following.

  • Phaselinear

    Posted May 1, 2009 12:03 am PT

    Hopefully the multi-player only format (I personally find it boring) will not take over the gaming industry, but rather continue to be offered as an additional option for certain games. First person shooters, RPG's, and the like are the bread winners for many gaming publishers these days. Although Wii has stolen some of the momentum from the other consoles because of it's "family" based appeal, I still believe that the base consoles will continue to make grounds on the PC (expensive at $2500-4500.00 for a system set up) in these times of money crunches. Hopefully during the next next generation of base consoles, we won't be seeing a price surge of several hundred dollars (although I may find myself still paying for it!), and games going for $80 a pop.

  • philp37

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 9:11 pm PT

    On the seemingly abscence of Ghost Recon 3. Like you I was somewhat confused. But then I remembered Ghost Recon history which had Ghost Recon then Ghost Recon 2, followed by the first next gen game called Ghost Recon: Advanced War Fighter. Then of course the best FSP of all time; Ghost Recon: Advanced War Fighter 2. Which was basically a tweak with alot of additional content. This would make these latter 2 games part of Ghost Recon 3. I have heard some of this thinking before, but like you, I wish Ubisoft would do a better job of conveying it.

    Ubisoft has passed up huge opportunities in marketing before with this FPS series. As is evidenced by by the success of it's competitor's game known as Call of Duty 4 (you might of heard of it). While COD 4 has a vastly superior single player campaign; FPS fans are more interested in multiplayer action. Even though GRAW 2 by far, trumps COD 4 in the multiplayer part of the game; COD 4 has won at the box office so to speak.

    So lets hope Ubisoft can score with both it's customary playability and maybe this time with it's marketability. (but don't hold your breath. They have already been showing confusing marketing signals again with their January announcement that the new game would not share the Ghost Recon name... Sheesh!) Glad that everything else is going well for them, because their creative hard work is often undermined by the people who are responsible for getting these games to market.

  • solo4321

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 8:40 pm PT

    When did Ghost Recon 3 come out?

  • the_greenzero

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 7:14 pm PT

    It's good and all that conviction is coming out this year but there still isn't that much other news out there on the game itself. Really it wouldn't be bad to have more gameplay details and other info.

  • allotheabove123

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 6:37 pm PT

    i want another rainbow six but no more vegas somewhere different like new york, or dc now that would be cool

  • axeman87

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 3:25 pm PT

    Now I'm confused. Will it be a new Ghost Recon, or a Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. I know what your saying dramaybaz, but that is ****** confusing. If its a new GRAW it has to be 3 right? The last one was 2.

  • KillaB123

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 2:59 pm PT

    GRAW and GRAW 2

  • dramaybaz

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 2:54 pm PT

    Guys , It was;
    1. Ghost Recon
    2. Ghost Recon 2
    3. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter , Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
    4 will beGhost Recon 4

    GRAW & GRAW2 were kind of like Cod4: Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2 will be.

  • maj_mcnasir_hos

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 1:52 pm PT

    Is Ghost Recon 3 already out?

  • RawhideSphinx

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 12:19 pm PT

    when did ghost recon 3 come out? never heard of it.

  • Roggirek

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 12:10 pm PT

    How many times do you see the words "expected" and "should". Jeez.

  • da_vortexx

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 11:38 am PT

    alright, new ghost recon and splinter cell. is there any evidence of the new rainbow six game???

  • pookie2232

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 11:23 am PT

    A new GRAW 3 and a new R6 exclusivly for the Xbox 360.

  • -SPECTER-MIKE

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 11:22 am PT

    Oh wait I am just thinking about Advanced Warfighter, nevermind.

  • -SPECTER-MIKE

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 11:10 am PT

    Ghost Recon 4? Is there a Ghost Recon 3?

  • Doolz2024

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 11:06 am PT

    Shaun white snowboarding sold that well? i'm surprised

  • xSithiSx

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 10:48 am PT

    Man ive been waiting for awhile to hear about a new ghost recon game. I'm glad they finally gave us a release date (kind of). I hope they dont change the game TOO much though.

  • Mr_Versipellis

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 10:18 am PT

    Geez, Shaun White sold 3M? Uh oh... Also, new Wii sports franchise from Ubi? Time for the shovelware alarm!
    SHOOOOOOOOOOOVELLLLLWAAAAARE!!!!

  • xbox4life76

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 10:14 am PT

    I agree with jfmorris...the constant repetitiveness was driving me insane on Assassins Creed...graphically a gorgeous game and fun, but repeat the same moves over and over...jeez....

  • th3warr1or

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 10:04 am PT

    Finally Conviction will be coming... and Assassin's Creed 2.. this will be a good year for Ubi if they do well.

  • jfmorris

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 9:52 am PT

    Glad to hear they're doing well, although I was disappointed in both Assassin's Creed and their Prince of Persia reboot. I bought both, but finished neither--the repetitive structure of both games (enter area/defeat area boss/repeat in new area) just turned me off. It may sound retrograde of me, but I think I would have preferred a more linear approach in each game, if it had meant less repetition and backtracking.

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 9:45 am PT

    Although really happy at this announcement, i would absoloutely love to see an announcement on a new R6 game.

  • Shooterdown

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 9:29 am PT

    isaacmj Posted May 1, 2009 2:04 am GMT -12 Assassin's Creed 2, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction, Rabbids Go Home, Red Steel 2, Ghost Recon 4, and Dawn of Discovery they all sound great but the one I'm really looking forward to the Ghost Recon

    Me Too!!! Scotty Mitchell, your my hero.

  • jtthegame316

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 9:20 am PT

    well CamiKitten you know how 360 fans feel about metal gear 4 don't you. i am not gonna buy a ps 3 just for that game but if they put it on 360 no matter how many disks it spans i would buy it. i just like to play my games if something apears on ps 3 but not 360 i continue to enjoy the great games i already have on the 360 but ps 3 fans moan when the shoe is on the other foot. just go and enjoy the games on your ps 3 most of which are on 360 anyway.

  • jtthegame316

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 9:12 am PT

    i can't wait for the new splinter cell. splinter cell is my favorite ubisoft game.

  • S22391

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 9:01 am PT

    WHERE IS VEGAS???

  • INFAMOUSHAVOC

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 8:57 am PT

    what about advanced warfighter 3 love that series

  • jmartinez1983

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 8:24 am PT

    SC: Conviction is what I'm looking forward to, if just for the multiplayer.

  • DiGiTaL_SiNs

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 7:34 am PT

    Brian Ekberg's Splinter Cell due by holiday '09, you heard it here first.

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