First quarter this year hasn’t been so hot for Ubi, in fact sales for their Nintendo DS games and back catalogue of Xbox 360 and PS3 games have dropped 50 percent.
They raked in EUR 83 million this year compared to 2008/09’s EUR 169 million haul for the same period. CEO Yves Guillemot says it’s been ”tougher than anticipated,” and delays games.
”We are currently experiencing a very sharp slowdown in our sales for Nintendo DS as well as sales of back catalogue titles, in the context of a market that is tougher than anticipated,” said Guillemot.
”We are disappointed that we have to postpone the release of several major games but we consider that this choice is the best one in the long term interests of Ubisoft.” Splinter Cell: Conviction and Red Steel 2 have now been delayed until the fourth quarter, January to March 2010.
New franchise I Am Alive and the next Ghost Recon have been pushed into the 2010/11 line-up. Ubi expects sales for their second quarter to come in at EUR 80 million, down 54 percent from last year’s same period.
The good news is that Ubisoft have had strong sales performances from cowboy shooter Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, and colonial builder Anno 1404. I Am Alive trailer below.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
