NEWS - Thursday, April 28, 2005
Ubisoft Has Record 4th Quarter
Ubisoft Reports Record Fourth Quarter April 28, 2005 - Ubisoft today revealed record sales for the fourth quarter of its 2004-2005 fiscal year, ending March 31, 2005. Bolstered by hit titles like Splinter Cell Chaos Theory and Brothers in Arms, the company saw total quarter sales of €221 million (U.S. $278 million), a 50 percent increase from the same period last year. Ubisoft reports full year sales of €537 million ($676 million) -- an eight percent increase over total sales in the previous year. Unsurprisingly, Sam Fisher’s latest stealth adventure was a hit; Chaos Theory sold 2.5 million units worldwide. Newcomer Brothers in Arms: The Road to Hill 30 was no slouch either, selling 1.7 million units. Ubisoft’s two Nintendo DS offerings, Asphalt Urban GT and Rayman 2005, together sold 740,000 units during the full financial year. With sales strong, Ubisoft is forecasting a healthy future. The company anticipates two-digit organic growth over the next few years, and plans to hire 600 new employees by March 2006. The company’s lineup going forward includes new titles in its hit franchises (Splinter Cell 4, Prince of Persia 3, Rainbow Six: Lockdown) as well as entries for the Nintendo DS, the Sony PSP, and Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox system. "Ubisoft has taken itself to a new level by generating high operating cash flow for the second year running while increasing its investments in production," said CEO and president Yves Guillemot. "The Ubisoft Group now has the capacity to quicken the pace of its investment and brand creation strategy, guaranteeing its growing profitability over the long term. The products for the new generation of consoles presented at the international E3 videogame trade show in Los Angeles will be a yardstick for the new stage we have now entered." Of course, we’ll be right there on the E3 show floor (and even behind a few closed doors) to bring you all the news. Stay tuned for moreSource: http://www.ign.com
